jes's blog

Between you and me, sometimes I long for the days of yore. The days when I sat at my desk eating a vanilla-iced cupcake topped with Red Hots. The days when my friends and I plucked as many heart-shaped sugar cookies from a tray as we wanted. The days when classmates tucked Valentine's Day cards in my shoebox, the shoebox I had carefully decorated with construction paper. Those were the days, don't you agree?

* * *Update: The Call for Volunteers closed as of Monday, February 15, 2010. Thank you to everyone who applied. We will contact you by February 23rd with notification whether you were selected.* * *Ohhhhhhh, BlogHers. The time is nigh. Today we are announcing our BlogHer '10 Call for Volunteers!We’re looking for a few good women (hey men: we like you, too!) who are interested in working at BlogHer ’10. In exchange, we’ll give you free admission to the conference, which includes all keynotes, break-out sessions, breakfasts, lunches and cocktail parties ($300 value).

Though it’s over seven months away and may not even be on your radar yet, we’re buzzing with excitement about the interactive portion of SXSW ’10, slated for March 12-16. Why? Several BlogHers have proposed sessions for the conference, and we’re hoping that a few good women will be selected to speak. But we need your help! Read on to learn more about the fabulous sessions proposed – and if you like what you find, or would attend one of the proposed panels, or even if you’re just slightly fascinated by an idea, we could use your vote of confidence. Quite literally.

At BlogHer ’09, you’ll likely notice our Green Initiatives – policies we’ve enacted to help make our conference more sustainable. We’re proud of the ways BlogHer sponsors and the BlogHer community are making a difference, and wanted to highlight specific examples of our efforts to create a more eco-friendly conference.

This is the third in a four-week series to help attendees explore Chicago. Please also visit Walking Tour One and Walking Tour Two. My favorite way to explore a city is on foot. I think it has something to do with the experience of using all five of my senses in a way that driving (or boat-riding) tours just can’t match. (Not to mention that walking is good for Earth, good for you and good for your wallet. Well, potentially good for you and your wallet. I suppose that depends on your discipline when in such close proximity to Garrett Popcorn Shops.) This tour takes you throughout The Loop. So if you’ve planned a little extra time before or after BlogHer ’09, and were hoping to see a little bit of the city (believe me: there’s plenty to see), then I’ve got a juicy tidbit for you: Chicago walking tours.