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In October I attended the HP Print and Pamper Retreat in gorgeous sunny San Diego at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. The event was sponsored by HP and MyPrintly and promised a weekend full of printing, pampering, food and fun! I knew as soon as I stepped off the plane it was going to be a great weekend, because hello…San Diego. The sun was a welcome sight because fall in Seattle is often grey.
I headed to the Rancho Bernardo Inn and checked into my room. The surroundings were gorgeous and I had an entire room ALL TO MYSELF!! As a mom of five I don’t often get alone time. I may or may not have squealed and danced around the room.
This event was put on with the help of Maria Bailey of BSM Media and her team, they did such a great job of keeping us fed, entertained, informed and pampered. The first evenings events included an interactive HP product carnival where we could share our thoughts on upcoming HP product ideas. Plus, there was a great dessert bar with cookies, ice cream and more. Yum! When I returned to my room and found a sweet photo collage of my family which was made with the PicCollage app. Such a nice touch!
The next morning we headed to the HP headquarters where we learned more about the company and we got a peek at some upcoming products. The trip to HP was seriously one of my favorite parts of the entire weekend (not counting Disneyland). I loved getting a peek at how much thought goes into the making of a new product. Their employees are top notch! HP really cares what we the consumer want in a product. Their employees actively listened to our thoughts and ideas.
In the late afternoon we headed back to the resort where we were offered classes on floral making, bath salts and more. We could also opt for our own free time. I was all about the free time! I relaxed in my room on the huge King size bed while I caught up on the final season of Friday Night Lights (Yes, I am way behind the times and just now watching the series). It was heaven!
In the evening we were treated to a buffet and a night full of crafting. I finally got to print via my phone for the first time ever! It was so easy, I have turned into a crazy photo printing lady! I made some photo magnets using the HP Snapshots with the help of Heather from Dollar Store Crafts.
Our final morning consisted of breakfast. I think not having to make meals for an entire weekend was another one of my favorite things about the event. We were treated to 3 inspirational speakers.
Arlene Pellicane – Author of several books including her newest book that she co-wrote with Gary Chapman, Growing Up Social
Maria Bailey – Owner of BSM Media, author and host of Mom Talk Radio
Lori Lorenz – Director of New Business Solutions for HP
At noon we were all loaded onto a bus and headed to Disneyland. I’m sure you all know by now that Disneyland is one of my favorite places EVER (that and Target!). The wonderful folks at Disneyland provided us all with a super cool Disneyland Diamond Celebration phone case that lights up. It’s just like those magical headboards at the Disneyland Hotel.
I spent my day at Disneyland with Shannon from Pixie Budget, turns out we live about 20 minutes away from each other and we hit it off. She has been to Disney World numerous times but never actually been to Disneyland. Disneyland with a newbie! So. Much. Fun. We made sure to hit some of the rides that are exclusive to California like Radiator Springs Racers, California Screamin’ and Indiana Jones. We used the convenient single rider line for all of these rides and got on fairly quick. We also made sure to get a fast pass for the Haunted Mansion because at Halloween it transforms into a special theme with Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. We watched an afternoon parade and ate at my personal fave, Flo’s V8 Cafe. Fall at Disneyland is probably one of my favorite times to visit. We took our very first family trip to Disneyland in October of 2008 so Halloween Time at Disneyland holds a special place in my heart.
We finished off our evening watching the Paint the Night parade and fireworks with a neat vantage point in front of It’s a Small World. I loved the Disney scenes they had projected onto It’s a Small World.
Out with the old, in with the new! I get to replace my 10 year old @hp printer with the new HP Envy 5540. I can finally print wirelessly, even from my phone! I’m finally one of the cool kids! Plus, I will #NeverRunOut of ink with HP Instant Ink. #MyPrintlyMoms https://bit.ly/HPEnvy5540_ChristyP A photo posted by Christy Palmer (@allthingstarget) on
I loved the entire event! I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet some new blogger friends. Once I returned home the fun wasn’t over because a new HP Envy 5540 Wireless All-in-One Color Photo Printer was delivered to my door! I have been using an older version HP printer for 10 years (it wasn’t wireless). The thought of not having to hook my computer up to a printer every time I wanted to print something was liberating! Not only can I print wirelessly, but I can also print directly from my phone. The PicCollage and HP Snapshots apps make printing even more fun. My all-time favorite feature of my new printer is the fact that I am now signed up for HP Instant Ink, which means for a small monthly fee ink it sent to my home automatically. This great service helps me to save up to 50% of the cost of ink. I love that I can print in color and it is the same cost as if I printed in black and white. It’s fabulous! I will be sharing more about this great service and some fun projects I created with photos and my HP printer, so watch for those soon.
I paid a small conference fee to attend the HP Print & Pamper Retreat. I was provided with hotel room, meals, swag and a glorious trip to Disneyland. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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