Why I love Social Fabric: I have learned about family, friends, and fun!
We all have ideas of what a family should look like or should be like. Growing up, we are taught about our own families and life’s lessons, but when we start our own family, we have to mesh those ideas into something new and grow a new family model. Hubby and I had very different families. Our little family grew quickly and before we knew it, we were lost and didn’t know what we were doing. We didn’t know how to teach our boy about life, how to manage our family, how to grow as a family. We had good models around us, but nothing was quite clicking. We were struggling in our relationship, our finances, and especially in how to raise our boy to be a great person. We had love and laughter, but it wasn’t growing.
In March 2012, I heard about a type of open call through Collective Bias for a PayPal Coinstar campaign. I had heard from other bloggers about how great it would be to join the Social Fabric community through Collective Bias so I threw my name in the hat and hoped for the best. On March 18 (the day before my birthday, by the way), I received this email:
My name is Terri Jensen-Satterlee and I am the Collective Bias Campaign Leader for the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth Paypal/Coinstar Shoppertunity. Thank you so much for your willingness to assist us in this campaign! I have had the pleasure of exploring your site and would like to offer you an opportunity to join my team for this campaign.
Ohhhh. Emmmm. Geeee!! I was so excited. I told Hubby about it and tried to explain to him what we needed to do. He was skeptical and just played along. We had the most fun saving up coins with our boy to use at Coinstar! It seems weird to me now that our little family had fun at a Coinstar, but that is how bored we truly were at home. After that first campaign, I was able to apply to join the Social Fabric community and once accepted, things have just been the most amazing whirlwind since!
The very next shoppertunity I was accepted to was a Champions for Kids campaign. We had the opportunity to shop for sports equipment and Odwalla juice and then encourage others to gather sports equipment to donate to kids in need. If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know how much my boy has embraced each and every month’s CFK campaign since that very first one. My boy loves to give and I credit Collective Bias, Social Fabric, and Champions for Kids for that push we needed to get involved in our community.
As I got more comfortable in the Social Fabric community and applying for shoppertunities, I started to notice changes in my family. By brainstorming ideas for campaigns with other bloggers and the staff at Collective Bias, I had ideas for fun activities to do with my own family. I applied for fun campaigns…and was accepted! I was getting compliments from other bloggers and campaign leaders and I was getting paid to shop and play with my boy!
In the past (almost) year, I have learned how to date my husband, how to be creative in the kitchen, how to create a family game night and a family movie night. I learned how to create family fun for my little family. Our relationship has continued to improve because we are spending time together as a couple and as a family. Because I am making money to have so much fun, we are improving financially and we are having fun together outside of campaign shopping. My creative juices are flowing and I am writing more and more.
Through the Social Fabric community, I have also met some of my favorite bloggers and the best friends. The bloggers in this community are the most supportive and friendly people and I have “met” some of the most amazing people.
I can frantically message Christy about a problem (whether shop related or not) and she is right there to help me through.
I can spew out all of my insecurities to Mallery (about blogging or otherwise) and she will tell me I’m being crazy and to get over it.
I can tweet about #pirates and Staci will giggle with me.
I can tweet about eye patches and Amy will tweet back about zombie bunnies and purple hair bows.
I can talk about my cravings for cheesecake and Brandi will sympathize with me.
I can gush over my adorable son and Heather will agree with me and smile.
I have even tweeted about silly socks and my desire to have a cbias sticker for my laptop and Ted has responded with a friendly note.
And I can ramble on about taxes and my crappy crafts and Terri will send me back advice and a smile.
There are just so many bloggers in this cbias family who have become my friends that I am overwhelmed with the love sometimes.
At the beginning of 2013, I made some rather large changes in my approach to blogging. I took most of the ads off my blog and put my face up top for you all to see. I can now greet you when you get to my page and you can now learn more about me. I have drastically reduced the giveaways on my blog and replaced it with…well…my family! Because of the encouragement in my writing and my family, I am now spending more time making crazy crafts with my boy, talking more about that crazy man I love, and just talking about me. And…you guys are still here, reading what I write, and you’re responding even more and I’m soaking it all in!
In fact, this week I was featured on the cbSocially Facebook page and I was amazed at the responses from some of the bloggers I admire who praised me…seriously, me?!!
After all of this rambling (and yeah…I wrote this post twice and still haven’t said all I wanted to say yet) what I’m really trying to say is that the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community has taught me how to have fun with my family, has given me invaluable friendships, has provided a better financial stability for my family (so we can relax and have even more fun), and has taught me to blog it all in a way so others can learn from me and enjoy what I have to say.
We are all gushing over Social Fabric during this lovey dovey month of February so check out the tweets with #LuvSoFab and follow our Photo-A-Day challenge (also tagged with #LuvSoFab) and you can always see the fantastic content coming from the Social Fabric bloggers by following #cbias on Twitter.
What a great group. We have two boys, ages 7 & 2 and a little girl on the way this Summer and sometimes we feel so lost in how to raise them up right. I will check into this Social Fabric for some help. Thanks!
I have heard of this by the name but didnt know what it was all about till I read your blog here.
Sounds like a wonderful thing. Getting involved in the important things in life and being there for one another, that is great. We all need to do that . Congrats on getting accepted in.
Wow, what great campaigns you’ve been a part of! What wonderful relationships you’ve made, too!
What a great post. This seems like an awesome group and I am so glad that it has helped you tremendously. I enjoy reading your blog and will be a follower forever. Thanks for everything you do. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.
THIS is why we built Social Fabric! Thank-you so very much for your kind words. We are so happy you love the community and get value from being a member! As always, please let us know how we can make it better. After all, it belongs to you!
jfla
Thank you so much, John! Yet another reason I LOVE Social Fabric.
What a beautiful post! Social Fabric is such a wonderful community/family and I’m really blessed to be a part of it. I love hearing how it’s affected your and your family’s lives personally, though. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anything like that said about any other company, but it is a perfect fit for SoFab.
Liza @ Views From the ‘Ville recently posted..Why Dodge’s “So God Made a Farmer” Ad Made Me Cry
I totally didn’t expect this from a blogging community! I thought it would give me ideas to fill my blog and I would make good money. Now, I look forward to the ideas for fun…whether I’m in a shop or not!
THat sounds like so much fun! What a great group!
I’ve seen you really come out if your (blogging?) shell over the past year+ I’ve known you. I see a whole new confidence which is great

Darcy recently posted..Because Prompts are Fun: The Cast of My Life
You know, Darcy…it’s funny because your giveaway group was the first I joined and I remember being so excited to be a part. I spent all my time in there talking and getting to know you all. Things changed. I’m just as excited now to be a part of your content group and I missed it this past week while I was away (oddly, I was at home and didn’t get to be online as much as I wanted). It’s an interesting circle we’ve made back to working in the same group toward similar goals.
SoFab is so different from other networks because of their community support. I thought it was hype when I first read that but I’ve come to realize, there isn’t any hype here, just a bunch of bloggers who want to support one another.
Sarah @ East9thStreet recently posted..$50 Darden Restaurants Gift Card Giveaway
They truly are a great company who encourages the bloggers to support one another in everything we do. It’s all mushy and puffy hearts, but we’re all about the business of blogging. I’m looking forward to SoFabCon…are you going?
Loved this post!! I love the little inside jokes we all have, the way we all feel connected even though most of us have not met. Collective Bias / Social Fabric makes you see how the ordinary thing of dinner, movies, shopping, crafts and so much more can be a moment taken to enjoy and really be a part of your own life. Its odd but it really does open your eyes to see what you are doing in life. Cooking is no longer throwing a meal together but a joy of finding new recipes, trying new techniques and involving the family in it. So happy to hear your family has grown closer, mine too!!
Laura @FrugalFamilyTree recently posted..For the Love Of #Cbias #LuvSoFab
I love hearing that others are experiencing the same things we are! I hope we all don’t hate each other after SoFabCon…are you going?
I’ve tried to get in with Social Fabric, but they turned me down! Looks like a fun group to be a part of.
Heather M recently posted..Get Green For Spring Blog Hop Sign Ups!
Keep trying! Keep working on excellent content and just being yourself on your blog. It is worth the effort!
Love it. And, yes, random “pirate” tweets and Instagram comments make me giggle… always.

Staci recently posted..Dating My Husband All Over Again
Thanks for giggling with me from time to time. Arrghhh!
I big puffy glitter purple army heart you!
Amy recently posted..Social Fabric: Will You Be My Valentine?
Back at ya, chicky!!
Ditto!
I would also like to point out that I have the ability to make EVERYONE feel better because I am a bottom feeder in the department of giving a ….

Mallery Schuplin recently posted..Tissue Paper Candle {Dollar Store Craft}
Oh Mallery, I am going to dub you a CrazyHead just like me! I luuuuuurve YOU!!
WOW! Social Fabric sounds like a wonderful, inspiring, and encouraging group! How lucky for you to have built such wonderful relationships!
Emily recently posted..Love Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry
It has truly been a blessing to my family.
Has it only been a year Janet? It seems like you’ve been part of our family forever! So happy to know you!
Jules@ A Little Bite of Life recently posted..Collective Bias/So Fab, How Do I Love Thee? #LoveSoFab
Yep, not quite a year! It does seem like a lot longer…
OK, I got hung up somewhere at the beginning. I have known you forever, not just one year. I really was floored when I read that you didn’t get involved with the community until March 2012. I’m so #clueless. But in all seriousness, you are invaluable in the community and in my life personally. I’m a better person for knowing you and I’m happy that your family is moving in the right direction.

Christy recently posted..SoFab Makes Me Sparkle
Christy, this means the world to me. I have had a lot of support in the past year in Social Fabric, but I have to say that you are the one I think of first when I need a friend. I cannot wait to meet you (eventually) and I hope that face to face reality doesn’t spoil the friendship.
Okay I just love this. I hadn’t even thought about the impact the campaigns have had on the activities I do with my family but you’re completely correct!! It truly is the best community ever and I know everyone appreciates you! BTW as I was pulling out of the driveway on my way to preschool with my daughter loudly repeating the same phrase over and over again I immediately thought to myself I’m going crazy….wanna go?
it’s catchy!!
Jillian W recently posted..Mr. Mustache Valentine Lollipops with YumEarth Organics
Mommy, where you goin????
Thanks, Jillian, I’m just so in love with everyone at Social Fabric and I just can’t imagine how frustrating our life must have been for a 3-4 year old before we “discovered” how to have fun!