This ad is more funny than “sexy” but just for a split second, in the midst of your laughter, you did think this guy and his body wash bottle were kinda “hot,”? Slam dunk, Old Spice! Check out their line up of MANMERCIALS.

The Kiwi Tree successfully launched its first product line of greeting cards in February of this year.  “After being diagnosed with heart disease and undergoing life-saving surgery at the age of 27, I decided it was time to pursue my passion and fulfill my dream of owning my own business,” says Candless.  “Fortunately, I had three good friends (and former advertising colleagues) who shared my appreciation for quick wit, passion for paper, and obsession with design that were willing to take the leap with me.” The majority of the designs are inspired by the general craziness of every day life.  “We are wives, daughters, friends, sisters, mothers, bloggers, co-workers, etc., and as I’m sure you’ll agree, these roles provide enough inspiration for a lifetime of clever (and sometimes controversial) material!” Additionally, the ladies of The Kiwi Tree are committed to deliver sassy, sincere, and refreshingly honest products that represent who women really are and let them creatively say what they really mean. True to their mission statement, “The Kiwi Tree only creates things that we, ourselves, would genuinely love to give or receive.”

The best selling products are definitely the greeting cards that address simple occasions in an edgy or even risque manner. For instance, a card to congratulate your friend on her new pregnancy reads: “Heard you got screwed…but in a good way”. Or how about enticing your mate for a “date night” with a card that reads: “First one to the bed gets to be on the bottom”. The quick wit matched with exceptional quality makes these cards a definite must have.

The Kiwi Tree products are currently sold exclusively in their online boutique but they have recently expanded into the wholesale marketplace and will soon be sold in select retail locations. These ladies are always refreshing and expanding the existing line of greeting cards and will debut the new line of gift-wrap and gift accessories sometime this fall.  More information on The Kiwi Tree can be found at http://www.thekiwitree.com Be sure to also see what the ladies are up to via their blog (www.thekiwitree.wordpress.com), Twitter (http://twitter.com/TheKiwiTree) and Facebook Fan Page (http://facebook.com/pages/The-Kiwi-Tree-Inc/44964073255?ref=ts).

The Good
BlogHer did a great job of putting together very informative sessions and break-out workshops that addressed all levels of bloggers across many genres. I was especially impressed with the sessions that addressed the “Daddy Blogger” and husbands of blogging women.  There were also a few sessions devoted to new media and how to effectively market to bloggers and how bloggers can position themselves to be profitable.

It was nice to see the conference embrace and accommodate families and breastfeeding/baby-wearing moms. Though I personally did not bring my children and were told no horror stories about experiences, I am assuming that these parents felt comfortable with the arrangements.

The open BlogHer parties were fantastic and gave us all a chance to mix and mingle in a fun atmosphere that was very inclusive and welcoming. The majority of the attendees that I was able to connect with were just as genuine in real life as they are online.

The Bad
The wireless service in the Sheraton left much to be desired.  Many of us were not able to connect to the Internet in our rooms via WiFi or via ethernet cord.  I noticed that some ladies lost service while trying to mobile blog or tweet during sessions.  Mobile phone usage was also touch and go at times.  It was very disappointing.  I mean, this was a bloggers conference.  Didn’t they know we were expecting to…um…blog?

Since BlogHer was sold out in an unprecedented five months ahead of time, they created LobbyCon…a mini-conference experience for those who were not able to get a full or one-day pass.  I had a chance to speak to some of the Lobby Con-ers and the consensus was they did not need to pay $100 to hang out in the lobby and be treated like the conference red-headed step children…they could have done that for free.

I felt a bit sorry for the non-mommy bloggers in attendance.  The general focus for everything seemed to be heavily weighted toward mommy-blogging.  While the majority of the women there were bloggers who happen to also be a moms, not all of them classify themselves as mommy-bloggers.  I’m sure they did appreciate learning about the latest and greatest from PlaySkool, Clorox, Tide, and Wal-Mart but if talking about those experiences is not the focus of the blog, well…you get it.  It was also weighted heavily in the favor of moms with pre-school aged kids.  Moms of kids over the age of five were just out of luck in bringing home goodies to share.

The Ugly
The existence of private “invitation only” brand sponsored parties seemed to create a divide among the bloggers.  Sort of like “the haves” and the “have nots”.  It was almost as if “the haves” taunted “the have nots” with their exotic “swag” and their “na na na na na…“I got invited and you didn’t” attitudes.  As if being invited to these parties somehow lifted their status in the blogosphere and gave them the right to look down on everyone else regardless of followers, hits, and subscribers.  It caused me to lose respect for some of the bloggers I once looked up to.  I get the exclusivity of it all…I have been invited to special blogging events myself.  But the idea of making someone else feel lesser because they are not as “priviledged”…well that’s just wrong on so many levels!

The depths that some of the attendees sunk to for free products was just appalling!  From the minimal…just walking into a brand’s suite or up to their booth and grabbing the swag without so much as a “hello” or any other conversation about the products they were practically stealing…to the ultimate…actually telling a brand that they will negatively slam them on a blog if they do not get the goods!  Yes, it got that ugly!

Despite the Bad and the Ugly, it was a lot of fun and I feel that I made some lasting friendships and some fantastic business connections.  I was glad to meet a good number of the women that I speak to on line every single day.  Seeing them in person…hugging them…made me love them more.  That to me was what held the most value about this experience.  It truly brought the theme of “In Real Life” alive.  Do I plan to attend next year?  That is still up in the air…however I hope that the conference will adopt a more “quality vs. quantity” approach when planning the activities.

If you are a candle lover but don’t light them as often as you should because you tend to forget about them or maybe you have small children around, Scentsy products are perfect for you.

Scentsy candles give you the warm glow and aromatic atmosphere you desire all without the potential fire hazard because they are…wait for it…wickless!  Yes, wickless candles!

Scentsy is making great strides to “move away from the smoky, sooty candles of today to safe, healthy, fun and creative ways to bring the scents that make us happy into our lives.” They offer high quality fragrances that are warmed in warmers or by low voltage light bulbs instead of burning with a flame.   Due to the high volume of homes that are destroyed by burning candles each year, Scentsy’s mission and passion is to offer a better, safer, and more cost effective alternatives.  Wickless is a better to go!

Independent Scentsy consultant, Angela Tippets, has been with the company for a little over two years has a great passion for this company not just because she sells the products but she understands the true value of going wickless.

“A little over five years ago, on Christmas Eve, we had a close call with tea light candles.  I ‘kicked my wick’ from that point on.  While working in a kindergarten classroom, the teacher introduced me to Scentsy, a company that has been dedicated to candle safety for five years.  I couldn’t believe that you could have all the beautiful aroma, with NO FLAME, NO SOOT, and NO WAX BUILD UP!  I caught the ‘Scentsy Spirit’ bug, and have been sharing it ever since!”

Tippets says her best selling products are the deluxe warmers that use a 25-watt light bulb and the low temp, long-lasting candle bars.  “My favorite experience is showing people the Scentsy System for the first time.  The reaction is usually the same with the ‘WOW’ factor!  Most people have not heard of Scentsy, so it is so much fun to introduce them.”

Scentsy is not only a great product but it is also a fantastic work-from-home opportunity.  With the economy being what it is today, a passionate budding entrepreneur can start an independant consultancy for less than $100.00!  It is a very stable opportunity.  With team members in many states, the company has a continued growth rate of over 350% with plans to expand into Canada in the near future.

For more information on how you can purchase Scentsy products or become an independant consultant, please contact Angela Tippets.  Be sure to also visit her blog, Authentic Wickless Candles, for more Scent-sational tips on how to “kick your wick”.

As a busy mom-preneur, Alyssa knows the value of relaxation and that other moms desire to take time to recharge our batteries.  “I love that our products create a luxurious spa experience at home at a fraction of the cost.  I think about they types of treatments I’d like to have and create products that fit the bill.”  Two of their best sellers are Butter Beans which are like mini bath bombs for an extra moisturizing soak and the Butter Bar which can be used as a massage bar, deep moisturizing treatment for dry, cracked skin, or can be cut into slices and used as a bath melt.

VBS’s all natural, organic products are not just good for your body, they are packaged in reusable or recyclable materials so they are equally good for our environment.  Alyssa is also concious of supporting eco-friendly and fair trade organizations locally and globally. “My daughter is a huge source of inspiration.  I want to leave the world a better place for her so we try to be as gentle on the planet as possible.”  VBS will be launching Eco Baby Botanicals this summer — a line of baby-gentle products free from the toxins and chemicals normally found in mainstream baby/child skincare lines.

“My favorite experience is hearing from customers who report the great changes their skin has experienced since using VBS products.”   For the best in home spa experiences, indulge yourself with the luscious products from Vintage Body Spa.  www.vintagebodyspa.com