Not enough food here! Plus a popchip surprise and doormat news

On Friday, I was surprised when the mail person handed me a package. I didn’t remember ordering anything. Then I looked at the return address and it said popchips!

There were instructions to “pop open” the box:

But first, I had to learn the “snackers credo”:

After that, I was ready to “get popped!”

I finally opened the box and here is what I found:

The amazing people over at popchips thought they’d just “pop” in and say happy snacking! Happy snacking, indeed. I received four bags of popchips – Original, Barbecue, Sea Salt & Vinegar and Salt & Pepper. They also gave me a popchips bag clip, which I needed! And a wonderful card that I put up at my desk that say “yours for the snacking” — plus a coupon book full of coupons for free chips and discounted chips entitled “love. without the handles.” By the way — I have been seeing these slogans in ads for popchips on phone booths all over New York City!

A BIG thank you to my friends at popchips. You know how I love your snackies.

Speaking of free things, I thought you’d like to see a picture of my new doormat at the scene of the crime:

But I am being smart this time. I am not leaving it out there to get taken again! I moved the doormat to right inside my apartment. Above it on the left you can see our vandalized sign! And directly above it on the door, my Baby-Sitters Club stationary!

Thank you again to Coco Mats ‘N More! And guess what? When I was at my mom’s on Sunday, I noticed that she has had the same doormat for many years. It is old and yucky — so I will be using my Coco Mats ‘N More discount code to order her a new one! I just need her to tell me which one she wants. You hear that, Mommy???

Foodbuzz
Foodbuzz is a food related social networking site. The site is not very user friendly. It is practically impossible to do a search for someone you know is on there and actually FIND them. I get all these “messages” that I’m not sure how I got. Being as my blog is often food related, I thought it would be a good community to join. They have a Featured Publisher Program that many of the blogs I read are a part of.

I have been applying to the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program for awhile now. I kept getting rejected while I was seeing all these people who started brand new blogs with only one entry being accepted. I couldn’t understand it. I write about food all the time, be it restaurant and product reviews, nutritionist recommendations and cooking breakfasts for the boy and I. Additionally, I write often about new products I discovered that might be okay for someone with belly problems, such as that 0g of fiber gluten free pancake mix and the discovery of spelt flour!

I came to the conclusion that Foodbuzz clearly hates me.

So I decided to send them an email and see what the deal is. Their response? I don’t write about food enough. They said to let them know if I decide to change the focus of my blog. The problem is, I already did that! In fact, since that post in January, I have written 44 entries about food! Before that post, I had written 18. I did a little audit and it turns out that the only entries since I announced my new blog focus that aren’t about food are the ones about the doormat (it was funny, so shoot me!) and exercise classes. The way Foodbuzz sees it, these entries dilute my food content.

In other words, right now I write about 4 entries a week. Let’s say for argument purposes that 3 of the 4 entries are about food. That means that in a month, I will have written 12 entries about food, 16 entries total. That means 75% of my entries that month were about food.

Now let’s say there is someone else with a blog who writes one entry a week. It is about food. Over the month, this person has 4 entries about food. The same month that I have 12 entries about food. But this person gets to be considered a “Featured Publisher” and go to food events in their area because their percentage about food is higher. I, on the other hand, am not permitted to attend these events despite more food content.

I think it is a little unfair that I write about food often but am not able to be a part of this program because my content is “diluted.” I know I sound bitter but that is not exactly what it is — a better phrase would be that I am put off. Particularly when I took it upon myself to see what percentage of my own entries are about food and the percentage of a blog I read that is in the program.

The results:

Since January 9, 2009 (the day I announced my blog becoming more about food), 70% of my entries have been about food. The blog I tallied (I will not name names as I don’t want to start any controversy) had just 58% of their entries about food. Yet they were accepted into the program and I was not.

So let’s say I allow them their diluted claim. Okay, fine, my blog is diluted — and therefore, not about food after all. Then what is their argument about this other blog (and there are more like it, believe me) that had even LESS a food percentage than I do? This blog also focused heavily on exercise and other non-food related topics. That blog is diluted as well.

I know the answer to this. This blog was accepted into the program BEFORE they started posting “diluted” content.

Foodbuzz needs to evaluate the way they accept bloggers to be Featured Publishers. I am fine not being one — really! I understand that I write about other topics than food. But let’s be fair here. If the rule applies to me, shouldn’t it apply to all?

I am curious about their formula. And about their marketing strategy. Companies such as popchips, Chobani, Oikos, Fullbar, Ferrero and PETA have sent me food or food-related products. Not that I have a masters in Corporate Communication or anything — oh wait, I do — but I would think that these are companies and products that Foodbuzz would like to associate themselves with. I need to add that I never email companies asking for samples. It’s not how I roll. Any products I receive happen because the companies read my blog and feel it is relevant to their product. These companies obviously think my blog adds some value in this little world of ours. Not to mention the fact that I get an increasingly large amount of visits per day and many people get to my blog by typing FOOD RELATED TERMS into search engines. But what do I know?

So tonight I will not be in attendance at an event with my friends that I would love to go to. (Note – they had told my friend she couldn’t bring me as a guest because it was only for Featured Publishers, but we found out other people were able to bring guests. Gotta love their “policies.”) I would love to try the food, since I generally love all food. And I would be thrilled to write all about it tomorrow. But then, of course, is the risk that the following day I will write about stupid eksusize again. And my thoughtful, contemplative, delicious entry about the Foodbuzz event will be drowned and lost forever in a sea of other not semi-related content.

And as my tagline reads, this blog is “Eksusizing, Eating & All Else In Between-Ing.”

Anyway, sorry for that rant and I don’t mean to sound angry. Foodbuzz’s logic just irks me a little.

Coming up: Kinespirit gyrokinesis review, PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook review (I do this to remind myself, really)

And guess what! I won Melanie’s Holey Donuts giveaway! I miiiiiiiiiiight have stacked the odds in my favor by earning myself 7 entries — one which includes posting a guest blog while she is in the Dominican Republic and now that means more work for me since I can barely get my own blogs up but it’s worth it because Holey Donuts are THAT good, and guilt free! Compare the nutritional information of Holey Donuts vs other brands here — and I will be writing an official review when I receive them! Thanks, Melanie!