I’ve arrived in sunny Orlando for the Moms Meet Wow Summit 2014. I attended the inaugural conference last year in Philadelphia and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to experience it all again! I unfortunately did not blog about the experience last year so I’m excited this time around to share everything that I’ve seen and learned.

The Moms Meet Wow Summit is a conference by Kiwi Magazine whose goal is to inspire moms to raise happy and healthy families. When I attended last year I sat in on workshops with topics such as how to create an enriching learning environment at home, Blogging with Brands by Zevia, and How to Foster Curious Kids by National Geographic. There was a variety of speakers that provided many tips and inspirations for living a healthier life. It was a great opportunity to meet and connect with many other like-minded parents. It also served as serious inspiration for me to really get moving with this blog. This was a huge reason why I wanted to return this  year, now that I’ve resumed posting regularly.

So here I am at the Caribe Royale Resort. Check-in was a breeze and the room is lovely, but I actually was somewhat forlorn upon arriving because the airport and hotel are full of families and kids and it’s making me kind of miss my wee ones a bit. I equate Orlando so much with family vacations with the children, and I’m eager to take my own Babes to Disney World for the first time so I was bummed about being here without them…for about two minutes. I wanted to come alone to give myself an opportunity to reflect and rejuvenate, and for some uninterrupted time to write! And I quickly got over that brief moment of frowning once the evening festivities began.

We received these sweet Welcome Bags.

The Summit kicked off with a Zevia sponsored poolside Hawaiian luau cocktail party, which of course I was excited for because you all know how much I love Zevia.  Attendees mixed and mingled while enjoying Zevia mixers like the Aloha Captain.  I’m already eager to connect online with the social media contacts that I made tonight. And I was pleasantly surprised to recognize a number of faces from last year’s conference as well, and we all remembered one another! I also met such interesting new acquaintances tonight, mothers (and some dads!) from different parts of the country and of varying backgrounds and family sizes. For me, such connections are a big part of what this gathering is all about. Looking forward to meeting many more on tomorrow’s first official day.