Last Spring I attended my first blogging conference. (Who knew there were such things, anyway?) I picked one close to home (actually, back in my “hometown” of Northern Virginia) and one that I saw lots of on-line friends chatting about. Titus 2:1 was about blogging and homeschooling–which was on my heart a lot the last year–so it seemed like a good fit. Little did I know how perfectly it would fit!

Here’s 10 reasons YOU should consider attending the Titus 2:1 Conference–from someone who went last year and already registered for this year!

1. It’s not just about homeschooling. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot about homeschooling. But it’s more about faith, about motherhood, about being intentional in your daily life.

2. It’s not just about blogging. There’s quite a bit about blogging, obviously. It is a blogging conference. But it’s more about balancing blogging with the rest of your life, whether that includes working, homeschooling, running marathons, or scrapbooking. It’s about making it all fit together.

3. It’s about learning. Since we don’t homeschool full-time, I thought I would feel out of place. (Everyone else there pretty much did homeschool.) But I left absolutely convinced that I am in control of our children’s learning environment at home, that learning can be fun, and shouldn’t stop just because they leave the school house.

4. It’s fun. Um…plungers and pickle buckets, that’s all I’m saying. Plungers and pickle buckets at 2 am.

5. It’s real. It’s a group of women who have faith, blogging, and family in common. We talked about everything–from financial problems to marital problems, to grief and depression.

6. It’s about connections. The 2:1 group did a great job of creating community before the event using Twitter and continuing it after the event using Twitter and Facebook. I still chat with 2:1 friends daily. (Well, almost daily. I’m not the best social media user!)

7. It’s small. They keep the size of the conference cozy, 200-300, I think. (That means tickets are limited, folks, go now!) Sponsors and speakers are amazingly accessible. Meals are wonderfully social. The Sunday morning worship time was heartfelt.

8. It’s about family and home. You won’t feel awkward talking about how much you miss your kids. You’re not the only one. There’s no endless rounds of husband-bashing (but if you’ve got something you really need to deal with, a Titus 2:1 women is just who you need!). You can also talk about doing laundry, using coupons, or crocheting patterns along with blogging and homeschooling.

9. It’s about blogging and homeschooling. Seem strange to bring that up after points 1-8? Well, I signed up because it was about blogging and homeschooling and I wasn’t disappointed there either. I came home with tons (I mean tons and tons!) of notes and ideas to sort through for blogging and home educating.  Our summer learning plan was a direct result of 2:1. So were some new blogging collaborations, like Family Connections and 5 Days of Back to School. 2:1 also introduced me to some new companies and wonderful new affiliate partnerships, like We Choose Virtues.

10. It’s all about HIM. Every speaker, every session, every keynote and sponsor, all pointed back to the goodness of the Lord. I left feeling that nothing in my life–nothing–was out of His reach. (Which was good, since we’ve had a rocky road this summer and fall!) And that everything in my life–everything–could be used as a platform for His good work.

So, will I see you there?