It’s over.  It’s actually, truly, all over.  BlogHer ‘09 is done, and I am back home.

And it feels great.

Sure, BlogHer was TONS of fun, but it’s also completely exhausting!  (I now remember that Tara warned me about this before I left, but I guess I didn’t believe her, which is really my own fault.)  I had a great time (and, you might be happy to hear, breakdown free)!  I got to talk to so many cool, generous, gracious people from all over the country.  And I got to share with them why Zwaggle is such a cool and important website.

It’s so rewarding and great to have a person’s eyes light up when I start explaining what Zwaggle is.  Often I would walk up to a group of women waiting in line for this party or that session, and they would look at my (awesome) shirt that said “Zwaggle: Do Your Share”, and one would pause, look at me a little sideways, and say “Um… what is a ‘Zwaggle’?”.  But once I explained what we do they would smile, become excited, and want to know more.  “What a GREAT idea!” some would say, or “That sounds like exactly what I need!”

We know that Zwaggle is a great idea, and odds are that you all know that Zwaggle is a wonderful service, too, but sharing it with those who have no idea what Zwaggle is feels fabulous.

I love this company.  I love that it stands for the things that I feel are important: being kinder to our planet, sharing with others, and saving money.  I love that I just spent the weekend sharing this company with other people who have the same interests, and who will benefit from this new knowledge about Zwaggle.

I’m making my way through the many, many business cards that I received.  I’m visiting each blog and reading about the authors.  I’m finding all of these people on Twitter so that we can keep in touch.  I want to share them with you, because I know many of you will benefit from their blogs and services.  I want to do them all justice, so I will write a separate post linking to all of them and explaining why each one rocks, because they all deserve a proper shout out!

Until then… I need a long, long nap.

(PS: I need to say a special thank you right now to the wonderful Carmen.  We’ve emailed and interviewed each other, but this was the first time that we’ve met in real life.  She was so nice, sweet, and fun, and she really made me feel welcome at BlogHer!  Thanks, Carmen.  Zwaggle is lucky to have you on the team!)

Hello from Chicago!  I’m here at the BlogHer Conference and have finally slowed down enough to plug my dying electronics into a power outlet and write a little bit.

One of the great things about blogging is getting to make friends with people from all over the world, from the comfort of your couch, kitchen, or local coffee shop.

One of the great things about a blogging conference is getting to actually shake hands, hug, and maybe even dance with those friends.  I have had the opportunity to meet some of my favorite bloggers, hug some of my favorite friends on twitter, and personally thank some of the people who have written glowing reviews about Zwaggle.

On top of that, I’ve been able to meet some amazing new people too and can’t wait until I have a good chunk of time to read their blogs and follow them on Twitter.

Sure, the parties are fun, and the free stuff is great, but meeting so many people who share this passion with me is really what makes BlogHer so special.

Another really cool thing about being here was getting to see the Community Keynote.  This is where 21 various, specially selected bloggers read aloud from their their past posts.  It’s pretty amazing to hear someone read aloud a piece from their blog.  Whether it’s humorous or touching, it’s always full of heart and dedication.  Sometimes we forget that blogging is about writing and storytelling.  We don’t always give it the credit it deserves.  But hearing these bloggers recite their favorite posts reminds me that it’s valid, beautiful, and worthy of our attention.

Tomorrow I’ll be hanging out in the lobby, talking to more people about their blogs, the conference, their families, and Zwaggle.  I can’t wait to track down some more of my favorite authors and to meet some new people, because really, blogging is all about the people behind them…

Next week is the one, the only, BlogHer conference.  If you don’t know what that is, let me fill you in.

It’s a weekend each year, this year in Chicago, where bloggers (mostly women-thus the name) from all over the place come together to meet, mingle, and learn about blogging and social media.  It’s an amazing opportunity for those of us the in “blogosphere” to get to meet the people who we’ve been following online for months and years, in real life.  We know each other’s hopes, fears, and favorite foods, but many of us have never actually shaken hands, hugged, or laughed together.

Last year, Zwaggle was honored and excited to run the Recycle Room.  With such a huge group of bloggers in one place, the free stuff is bountiful.  But not everyone needed or wanted it all, so they had the option of bringing their unwanted swag to Zwaggle’s room and swapping it for things they did want (sound familiar).  And for all the things no one wanted, we made sure they found a good home or we recycled them so nothing went into the landfills.

It was a huge success, and we were lucky to be part of it.  And although we’re sad to not be running the recycling room this year, Carmen and I will still be there, decked out in Zwaggle gear, ready to meet new people, see old friends, learn and of course…to party!

I’ve never been to a BlogHer conference.  Earlier this year I attended the Blissdom conference in Nashville, TN.  It was… completely overwhelming.  I had never been to a conference before, let alone been to a conference all by myself.  To be honest, I was a mess.  Thankfully, some wonderful women adopted me at the first night’s cocktail party, and I was able to relax, meet people, and learn a lot.

In preparation for BlogHer (which is about five times as big as Blissdom), I sat down with the lovely Tara from the wonderful Boulder startup, Lijit.  I first met Tara at Blissdom and trust me, this woman knows what she’s doing in the world of blogging and social media.  So, over happy hour drinks and food, we talked about what I could expect at BlogHer.

She told me that, yes, it would be overwhelming, but also a lot of fun.  She told me to go with the goal to meet people, have fun, and learn.  So that’s what I’m going to do.  I have accepted that I may have to hide in a bathroom stall once or twice, to catch my breath and close my eyes, but having accepted that already makes the trip less daunting, and more exciting.

So I’ll be the one with a big smile on my face, and an awesome Zwaggle t-shirt…

Now, what do I wear to the cocktail parties?

Are you going to BlogHer? Is this your first time too or are you a Blogher veteran?  Share your stories, fears and advice with us.

Also, please tell us if you’re going so that we’re sure to track you down for a face-to-face hello!

(PS: We now have a Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/zwaggle.  Become a fan to get updates about us, see video and pictures from BlogHer, participate in discussions, and post your own pictures of your family with their favorite Zwaggle finds!)