Drawing the Line on Swag

I have a rule.  Whatever freebies I bring home from a conference must be used up, given away, or recycled by the time the next year’s conference rolls around.  All the good stuff gets enjoyed quickly, so there's no pretending that I’ll get around to trying the the remainders. That means I’ve got about three weeks left to clear out the BlogHer ’08 swag.

Looking through the swag bag, I’m realizing that I went nuts last summer and picked up too many things, lured by the siren call of FREE.

Why did I ever take the cheapo manicure kit?  Did I ever think I was going to have time to try the tooth whitener?  I will never get around to studying the Accounting Essentials pamphlet.  I will never send away for the free underwear.  I will never read the August 2008 issue of Redbook, aside from the article on inspiring bloggers. The Online Family Safety guide will be obsolete by the time my four year old is allowed to play on the computer unsupervised.

This year, I swear I’m going to be really picky about what I bring home.  Think small and useful. 

All trinkets have to fit in my single suitcase, which is naturally more limited than last year, when BlogHer was in San Francisco and I could toss things in the car.  Plus, I have to really be able to use them.  I’m a Post-It note junkie, so I’ll be happy to take pads advertising Sprout TV shows.  I love adore USB memory keys in their ever cuter forms (like USB bracelets!), so I’ll probably succumb to some of those.  But no bulky cocktail glasses, taste-deficient health drinks, or oversized t-shirts this time.

If you see me eyeing stuff at BlogHer '09, help me remember to hold the line!

This is an original post to Silicon Valley Moms Blog.  Monica writes about life, dance, and adventures with a preschooler and baby at Lady M. She’s really trying not to bring more clutter into the house, but it’s a hopeless endeavor.