I'M WRITING A REVIEW

Just took my new Shark for a test run

"Just took my new Shark for a test run"

I had started a whole entry about how the wire came out of my favorite bra and how amazing it is that I didn't poke my eye out while doing yoga. Then I got a free vacuum in the mail and my sad underwear didn't really seem like something I wanted to talk about any more. It did prompt me to take stock of the current state of my underthings and I did replace the bra with the missing wire. Just in case you were wondering.

Years ago, back when I attended my very first BlogHer event, I went to a sponsored party where they gave everyone there a free vacuum. I was totally amazed and surprised that this actually happened and when it showed up on our doorstep, I did a happy dance and wrote an obligatory review. It was a good vacuum and I used the heck out that vacuum, but eventually that vacuum stopped doing the thing that it is supposed to do. It kept getting clogged and I always had to clean it out in the middle of vacuuming my tiny house. I started keeping a wire hanger I had straightened in the closet with the vacuum. I'd vacuum half the house, take the whole vacuum apart with a screwdriver and everything, snake that hanger up and around to remove whatever small ball of clog, put the vacuum back together and then finish the vacuuming the house. It sounds so simple when I write it out like that, but I can assure you that there was lots of swearing and sweating and maybe some crying involved. So finally it was decided that we needed a new vacuum.

I wanted a Dyson. I really wanted a Dyson. I really could not afford a Dyson. Then I saw their small battery powered handheld and I thought maybe we could get a Dyson. I tested it out. It tackled glitter on carpet like a boss and I had almost convinced Michael that this was the one we should get. It is made for small spaces. No cords. He wanted more reviews and after looking around online we found out that the battery only lasts six minutes when you're using the vacuum at full capacity. So we went with our second choice which was the Shark Rocket. It's small, no weird twisted tubes for things to get clogged up in and it does a good job. OK. It's not cordless, but who cares. This is all basically what I told the Shark rep at the Shark booth at BlogHer this year. They had the new and improved Shark Rocket (I'd link to it, but I couldn't find it on their website) and after vacuuming the showroom floor with it, I had a serious case of buyer's remorse. I told the Shark guy that I was really disappointed that this version wasn't around when I bought my vacuum. I threw my card in their giant fish bowl and walked away.

Michael made it home from work before I did on Friday. He sent me a picture of a big shipping box followed with "what is this?" I had no idea. I hadn't ordered anything and I wasn't expecting anything. I told Michael to open it. He then sent me another picture of a vacuum cleaner along with "I am amazed by the shit you get for free." Dude. So am I. Shark sent us the new Shark Rocket. I totally wasn't expecting that. On Sunday, while I was just starting to dust the house, I asked Michael to open the new vacuum and get it all put together for me. He plugged it in and started vacuuming right away. He was actually a little sad when I told him he had to stop because I only vacuum after I dust. He had to wait until I finished dusting. This vacuum is even better than the previous Shark Rocket that we had purchased. It's still a small vacuum, meant for small spaces. It's light, handles like a dream and pulls up dirt under dirt. There's one short tube that connects the rollers to the compartment that holds captured dirt, so even if it does get clogged, it's really easy to unclog. It comes with two rollers, one for carpet and one for hardwood floors and the rollers are really easy to swap out. 

Honestly, I love this vacuum and not just because it's free. I swear. I wouldn't even blog about it if I didn't like it. You guys? My floors are so clean! Thanks Shark for my clean floors.  

THE TAKEAWAY

Detroit

"Detroit"

Every time I've gone to a BlogHer conference, I've come home fired up and ready to make major changes to the blog and write write write and take more pictures, better pictures and to speak out more against injustice in this world and raise more money for charities. I come back ready to change the world with my blog or I have at least gained some new techie knowledge to help me make my blog better for changing the world. This time? Not so much. Or I've just gotten way more mellow with age. This is not to say that I gained nothing from attending the conference or that I wouldn't recommend attending the conference. If you are new to blogging, this conference has invaluable tools and information for all things social media. Not to mention it is a great way to meet other women who have shared interests and build a following. I've gone from kind of wanting a following to not really caring if I have a following. It's not the reason I blog. I was talking to a woman at the conference and she asked me how long I've been blogging and I was shocked to realize that I have been blogging at Elephant Soap for almost fifteen years. I might have five more readers now then I did in those early years.

I attended a workshop on mobile photo editing thinking that I would learn about some new camera apps. I did not discover any new app that I didn't already have on my phone, but I was inspired to go back to a couple of those apps and give them another try. Snapseed and VSCOcam are two photo apps that I have on my phone that I never use. I think I tried using them once or twice, but then got lazy and didn't want to really spend time learning how to use them. I discovered an editing tool in Snapseed that I had been looking for but not finding in my other camera apps. I had shoved this app over into an unused section of photo apps on my phone. It's now been moved up. VSCOcam has inspired me to rethink my 365 day project. My Instagram feed is messy and random and I love it, but I'd like my 365 things that make me happy pictures to stand out. I want a cohesive artistic flow to them and I want them all in one place. VSCOcam is turning out to be that place. And because I'm working on having a cohesive artistic flow of images, it is making me more mindful of how and what I photograph for a happiness project. This is something I needed because my 365 Days of Happiness project had grown a little stale. There were too many days when I reached the end of the day and said "Oh crap! I haven't taken a 365 day picture yet!" and so I would scramble and just shoot something. I needed a reminder to be a more mindful photographer.

The other thing I sat in on at the conference was on storytelling behind the hashtags. I'm not good at hashtags. I often forget them or type them out wrong. I know they can be powerful tools for spreading the word. I thought I was sitting in on a discussion of how to use hashtags but instead ended up listening to stories that have developed from #YouOKSis, #KnowMe, and #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen. These were stories that I needed to hear. They made me realize that I need to be paying better attention to my surroundings and speaking up when I see something that doesn't seem quite right. I need to not be afraid to say something, which inspired my own hashtag #SaySomething. I've also been pondering a way to do cool science workshops in the inner city schools here. I want to show kids the career possibilities that are available in the science industry. ALL Kids. Not just the white ones. 

So, I didn't come home on fire with ideas, but I came home with some good ideas. I came home with tangible ideas. These are things that are not beyond the realm of possibility or me just thinking up super grand ways to make the world a better place. Maybe I've finally fully grasped that I cannot change the world by trying to actually change the world. Making a difference starts small and right in my own backyard or my own neighborhood. I'm going to focus more on the smaller side of change. These are the things I took from BlogHer '15.

THANKFUL FRIDAY

For some people New York City is a one time vacation destination. They go and see all the tourist things like Times Square, the Empire State Building and the MET. They become part of the large crowds of people walking around while staring up at the tall buildings. Then they go home and tell all their friends that they had a great time, but would probably never go back. Too much hustle and bustle. Too many crowds. Too much walking. Then there are those of us who visit New York and fall in love. That city has a way of getting under your skin and there have been times while strolling through a neighborhood where I think I could totally live there. I've been to those touristy areas. They are crowded, but they are wonderful. I found that the trick to the Empire State building and the MET is to get there right when they open. You'll have the MET mostly to yourself and a ten minute wait to ride the elevators up to the top of the Empire. Times Square does make me twitchy though.

I've been pining for a trip to New York for months now. I keep thinking about Central Park and little corners yet explored. Mostly I've been thinking about spending some time with Talaura. She's come in this direction so often lately. I feel like it's my turn to go to her. Talaura's New York is my favorite. She knows the best small museums and knows that these kind of museums are my favorite. She lives on the complete opposite end of New York now then the last time I visited and has a new home. These are things I want to see. I want to sit in her new home and convince Sarge that he loves me and talk and laugh with Talaura. This is something I have been craving and Michael even told me last month to buy a plane a ticket, but I hesitated. Money and finding the right time made me hold out. 

Last week Talaura and I were doing our usual chat thing when all of a sudden she said "OHMYGOSH! I won! I won!" I quickly replied with "YAY!", not really knowing what she won, but happy she won something. Well, she won two free passes to BlogHer '15 which happens to be taking place in New York next week. Then she asked me if I wanted to hop a plane to New York and I made probably the most impulsive decision I've made since purchasing the scooter. I bought a plane ticket to New York so fast, it made my head spin. I had zero plans to attend BlogHer this year mostly because I couldn't justify buying a ticket when we were going to Alabama for a family vacation. So I am thankful for the opportunity to hang out with some women that I really admire and love. But I'm super duper thankful for Talaura for giving me this opportunity and I'm thankful that I'm going to get to squeeze her in gratitude next week.

That's a pretty big thing to be thankful for. Here's to a great weekend and a super duper Thankful Friday!