Hey Y'all! I've always wanted to say that... I'm from Michigan, so y'all isn't even in our vocabulary, but it just sounds so stinkin' cute when I hear other people say it. Especially, when it's all twangy sounding! Any hoo, Cara here, ready to share with you
All teachers across the nation are either down to day zero or on the countdown to the all important day. Don't get me wrong, I'll miss the kiddos too, but saying goodbye to them means saying HELLO to...Vegas!
I apologize for any reader out there that isn't associated with TpT; I'm not sure how any educator couldn't have come across Teachers pay Teachers some time or another! But, I'm apologizing to those that aren't Sellers that are attending this year's conference in Las Vegas, July 9 & 10!
Please, please, please, squeeze all the turnips you have around the house to scrounge up the funds to make it there this year. I know we only earn a teacher's salary, but this is one trip you won't regret. TRUST ME!
I had the opportunity to attend last year's conference in Vegas and have some oh-so-valuable information to pass along to those that are on the countdown to the conference also. I have 4 "Do-Nows" that you can help you prepare for your trip, so let's get this party started!
1. Make sure your camera's working!
Due to the magnitude of Vegas and its awesomeness, you just might come across the Man of Your Dreams. As you can see from the photo above, if my camera wasn't ready at this VERY moment, I wouldn't have been able to snap this pic when I did. Even though, he was made of wax and probably not going anywhere, I know his heart was melting in the Vegas heat when I showed up. Or, was it the other way around? He It was pretty hot that day!
2. Purchase some business cards for yourself to network!
Because I had my cards with me at that special moment above, I was able to give my "Man" my card with all my info. He's still calling me to this day; all because I had my cards on me! But seriously, you'll be meeting all kinds of new friends and colleagues at the conference. So you'll want to be able to reconnect if need be.
This year, I wanted to find something different that the regular business cards that everyone has. So I searched around and found a company called moo. Yes, moo! Not sure what it means, but their products and service are AWESOME!
If you look closely at my cards above, they are square! The beauty of this company is that they do have a 50 card minimum, which is very low for most. But you can have all your cards be different if you want, at no extra cost! Because their prices were so cheap AND I could design my own, I splurged and got a special kind of paper that is more like a very, very heavy cardstock, like cardboard almost. The edges of the cards are so thick, you can choose any color EDGE you want! Isn't that cool?
They have all kinds of other business cards to choose from, along with holders to carry your cards in. If you want to check them out, their site is us.moo.com . I have a special referral code you can use should you plan to purchase any cards or whatever: http://www.moo.com/share/n9qspr that would be awesome if you wouldn't mind using!
3. Get your feet ready (not by taking a picture of them!)
You'll most likely be doing all kinds of walking when you're in Vegas; if you've never been there, cars aren't really something you need to have fun! You're feet can get you almost anywhere, so prepare them ahead of time... I just got these two new pairs of shoes yesterday so I wanted to "break" them in before I actually got to Vegas. Last year, I wanted to save all my new clothes and such for when I actually got there, and my toesies were regretting my decision to do so. So put on those new shoes and start walking today!
and last but not least...
4. Start your planning now!
This might seem like a no-brainer, but there will for sure be things you didn't think of that you should have done ahead of time! Like having spare ones for tipping, putting your networking cards in each of your purses, you get the idea.
WELL... I just got done making the perfect planner-slash-memory-book that you will just love to have before, during and after your trip! It comes with two editable pages (cover and All About Me page) and 35 or so other pages! Mine is at the printer as we speak, so I'm sure you'll love one for yourself too;)
Here's a glimpse at all of the pages included:
Inside you'll find two pages that I wish I would have had right on hand with me last year... Your Flight Info and Hotel Information right in one place! This way you don't have to keep checking the time of this or that, or where you need to be when! It's all right there!
I included an 4-day Agenda that you can keep down-to-the-minute track of where/what/who you need to be and when! There are also extra pages in case you need to change/add/edit any of your plans.
There are pages for you to keep notes of each session you attend, along with a Summary page. Just copy the number of pages you'll need for each session you'll be attending. There is also a page you can write down new contacts you'll be meeting while there!
The remainder of pages you see above include a variety of must-haves like an expense tracker, new web sites and projects you want to start and what to remember to do for next year's conference.
This year, I'll have my planner ready on the Autograph page, when I meet up with my boyfriend from the first picture! He'll be so happy to know I'm coming back, his hand won't even be able to sign his name when I get there. Hee, Hee.
There are also some pages for you to insert any photos you may take while on the trip. If you'd like to check out the planner, it's on sale right now for only $2.50! But only for one more day! You can see all the information in my TpT Store here.
I'd love to give away two of my planners for special winners! Just enter the giveaway below and good luck my friends!
Thanks for visiting today and I can't wait to see you in Vegas!
