Ecstatic For Homeschool Conventions And A Thirty-One Gifts Giveaway

*This post contains affiliate links, full disclaimer located at the bottom of this post.

Are you planning to attend any homeschool conventions this year? I will be working at several conventions with A+ TutorSoft Math and attending Teach Them Diligently in Nashville, TN as a homeschool mom/blogger. I am ECSTATIC I love homeschool conventions. I love meeting other homeschool moms, checking out all the exciting products from the vendors and listening to the encouraging speakers.

Now before attending any convention you MUST plan. I know homeschool moms are great at planning (well except maybe me) but I thought I would give you some tips for planning for an upcoming homeschool convention. There is a great giveaway at the end so be sure to read the entire post!

In no particular order here my "Top 10 Homeschool Convention Planning Tips."

1) Find a reliable travel agent to help you get the best deals on airfare, hotel accommodations and rental cars. I have a great homeschool mom friend Winona that can help you out here is her website  ABD Nationwide Travel. She has helped me with hotels several times! If you call her to arrange any type of travel mention Kathys Cluttered Mind!

2) Set a spending budget and plan ahead which vendors you really would like to speak with. If you read my blog often you know I don't buy curriculum however I do like to buy our journals (Miller Pads and Paper) and fun hands on things at the conventions. My personal budget is normally $50-$100.

3) View the speaker/workshop schedule ahead of time and plan which speakers you would like to hear speak. I generally print off the schedule and highlight the speakers I wish to hear. I three hole punch the schedule and place it in a binder along with some line paper for note taking. If you wish to be even more organized you can print off convention planning worksheets from two of my blogging friends Upside Down Homeschooling and Peace Creek on the Prairie.

4) If you are taking your kids with you be sure to pack stuff to keep them busy. Here is what we pack coloring books, workbooks, small toys, laptop, tablet, mp3 player. Have you seen the Organizing Utility Totes from Thirty-One Gifts? These are great for creating a busy bag for the kids, beach vacations, shopping and more. Many of the conventions also offer amazing child and teen programs so be sure to look into those as well. Teach Them Diligently has an amazing program called Battle For Truth!

5) Pre-Register for the convention so you can save some money and time. Right now I have a special coupon code that will get you $5 off your family registration for Teach Them Diligently. Use code GAHomeschool during checkout and your family registration will be $50. Pre-Registration ends soon so HURRY!

6) Find out if any of the vendors you plan on buying from are offering specials. A+ TutorSoft Math has a great 10% off flyer for any of the conventions they will be attending this year. This flyer gets you an additional 10% off on top of any convention specials.

7) Make labels with your name, address, phone number and email address. Why? Well it makes it much easier to enter the the giveaways at the vendor tables and it also makes it easier for you to share your contact information with other homeschool moms. Because I am a blogger and enjoy connecting with fellow homeschool moms, bloggers and vendors I am always sure to have lots of business cards with me. Vistaprint has some great deals on labels and business cards. Sign up here and receive a $5 off coupon. You can get 140 labels for as low as $3.99 and FREE business cards!

8) Dress comfortably and in layers. Convention halls always seem to be chilly!

9) Pack snacks, drinks and maybe even lunches. Again check out the Thirty One Gifts catalog for some great insulated totes. Convention food can be pricey so save some cash by planning ahead.

10) Be sure to have something to carry your purchases, flyers, free goodies, etc in. Thirty One Gifts has some great totes and bags on wheels (must host a party to get this one). I personally prefer a bag with wheels. I have a Jeep rolling duffle bag that I got from Walmart very similar to this one on Amazon (the Amazon one is cheaper). I love this bag because I can pack all our clothes in it then unpack it at the hotel then use it at the convention. You can also use crates on wheels and suitcases.

Now time for the giveaway: 
My friend from ABD Nationwide Travel has graciously offered to giveaway a Island Damask Print Utility Tote from Thirty-One Gifts (she is also a Thirty-One Gifts consultant. Only the first entry is mandatory. Other entries are optional and give you extra chances. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. The winners will be posted on the blog and will be emailed. Winners must reply within 48 hrs with their contact information or another winner will be chosen. Prize will be mailed to the winner by me.

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Linking up with: Top Ten Tuesday, Ben and Me