The UBP 09 is brought to you in part by ScottsMiracle-Gro GroGood Campaign.

The Party Has STARTED

Go to the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 NOW

See all the prizes waiting to be won!!!

THE Destination for Virtual Partying!

It has become a tradition in the “momosphere.” It is the perfect event to build your network and have some serious blogging fun, all without stepping away from your machine…

Yes, ladies, it is — The Ultimate Blog Party — the destination for virtual partying.

The blogging life is about relationships — meaningful friendships that grow out of sharing who we are and getting to know one another.

And like real life friendships, online friends need a place to meet and mingle. (Some of my best online friends I met at our past Ultimate Blog Parties.)

So if you want to grow your network, meet new friends or promote your site, get ready for the Ultimate Blog Party 2009!!!

During the week of March 20-27th, the blogosphere will be partying carnival style — jumping through our Mr. Linky list of participating bloggers.

Last year, the Ultimate Blog Party 2008 had over 1500 bloggers participating and our UBP related pages had over 72,000 page views, with the actual party post receiving over 20,000 page views.

This year, we want to make sure that we invite everyone to the party! So we will be using Facebook and Twitter to promote the UBP ’09. Just imagine — all those friends and followers who could find YOUR blog! So make sure you don’t forget to invite your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. There will even be prizes just for them! Please use hashtag #ubp09.

Yes, the UBP ’09 will be a fabulous opportunity to introduce your blog to the masses and to find new blogs for your blogrolls!

Make SURE you are there!

And OH the PRIZES…

What would the UBP be without the fabulous UBP ’09 prizes!?!

Yes, the party is made all the more fun by the chance to win, and to donate, prizes.

Prize donations are not limited to sites and stores looking to advertise themselves. Bloggers like you can donate a prize too! Yes, why not promote yourself? You rock!

We have Pamela from Happy Panda, helping us manage the prize contributions again this year. Thanks Pamela!!!

We have closed submissions for prizes for this event. But we continually run giveaways, so if you’d like us to promote your product or site, contact us and we can arrange a future giveaway.

See the final prize list at the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 Prize Page.

Thank you to our Title Sponsor Help feed the estimated 1 in 8 Americans suffering from hunger with ScottsMiracle-Gro GroGood campaign to plant a garden for the greater good! Take the GroGood pledge. Eat well. Share the harvest. Grow some good.

So how do you party with us?

The Party Has STARTED

Go to the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 NOW

Both BLOGGERS and NON-BLOGGERS can party with us (and be eligible for the prizes) at the Ultimate Blog Party.

BLOGGERS:

• Invite your friends
  
  Put our Invitation Button on your sidebar and write a post inviting all your friends. Click here for the button codes. Thank you to the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 designer, Alexandra from Design Baby, who was the winner of our UBP ’09 Design Contest.

  Please be considerate of another and keep your party posts family friendly. We recognize that “family friendly” is a subjective term, so we just ask you to use your best judgment.

  Having said that, if a blogger isn’t your style just jump back to the Mr. Linky and visit someone else.

  If, however, you see a post or site that contains nudity or vulgar language or images, please let us know. Offensive blogs will be removed from the Mr. Linky list at the discretion of the 5 Minutes for Mom team.

• Host a party at your place

  The UBP ’09 is all about meeting people and getting your blog noticed.

  So have FUN while you showcase your blog and your style. Add pictures, music, video, a slide show, or even a voice post, decorate, include recipes, make your guests laugh — whatever you want. It is your party!

  Just don’t forget to introduce yourself.

  You only need to make ONE party post during the week of March 20-27th. The rest of the week you blog as you normally would. But please link the URL of your party post in the Mr. Linky so that others can find it – or put it as a sticky at the top of your home page.

  And in your party post, link back to 5 Minutes for Mom so everyone can find the rest of the parties. Here is the code to include a UBP ’09 button in your post.

  (If you want some party ideas, you can visit our first Ultimate Blog Party post, or our Ultimate Blog Party 2008 party post and click through the Mr. Linkies of the participating bloggers from those years. You might get some ideas.)

• Sign the Mr. Linky here at 5 Minutes for Mom

  When your post is published, add the permalink of your party post to the Mr. Linky here at 5 Minutes for Mom in our Ultimate Blog Party Post.

  The UBP ’09 will run for one week, from Friday, March 20, 2009 to Friday, March 27, 2009. The prizes will be announced on Tuesday, March 31th.

  The Mr. Linky will go live at Friday March 20th, 12:01 am Eastern Time. Participating bloggers can add their link any time during the week of the party. Just remember, PLEASE do not add your link until your party post is up on your blog. And you must use your party post permalink or put your party post as a sticky at the top of your blog for the week so that other partiers can find your post.

  To put the URL of your post in the Mr. Linky get the permalink for your post (by clicking on permalink or the title of your post) and then copy that URL into the Mr. Linky.

  The Mr. Linky remains permanently in the post. So, no worries, you can keep coming back to the list of party links. Obviously the earlier you link the better, but you do not need to have your link in the Mr. Linky until March 27 at 11:59pm Eastern to be eligible for the draw.

  Please Note: Please use only the central Mr. Linky that will be posted here at 5 Minutes for Mom. We want everyone to be able to find each others’ posts.

That Mr. Linky will not go live until the party begins on March 20th.

(In case you do not know what a Mr. Linky is, Mr. Linky is a tool that allows bloggers to leave their name and URL link in a convenient box. Bloggers use them to post their links during carnivals, parties and memes so participants can so other readers can find their posts.

Head over to the official Mr. Linky site to learn more about Mr. Linky. There is a FAQ page to answer your questions. If you want to see a Mr. Linky in action, you can check out one of our latest Wordless Wednesdays.)

• Submit a prize (optional)

  Our Ultimate Blog Party 2009 Prize Page will generate tons traffic and attention. Last year’s Ultimate Blog Party 2008 Prize Page had over 15,000 page views.

  Pamela from Happy Panda has again done an amazing job collecting and listing prize submissions. Please click over to her site and thank her. (Her baby clothes are sooooo adorable. Definitely shop there for your next baby shower gift.)

  Prize submission is now closed. Thank you to everyone who is offering a prize.

  All prizes are listed on our Ultimate Blog Party 2009 Prize Page.

  Only party guests (bloggers who signed the Linky and invited guests via a post and Invitation Button AND non-bloggers who have attended and commented on at least 20 participating party posts) will be eligible to win prizes.

  We will draw the winners from the comments at the main 5 Minutes for Mom UBP ’09 party post. So make sure you leave a comment on the 5 Minutes for Mom UBP ’09 party post. (Our post during the party — not this instruction post!)

  We will award the prizes by a random draw. 5 Minutes for Mom (Janice and Susan) and Pamela, who is the prize coordinator, will not be eligible in the draw. Prize hosts will be responsible for sending their prize to their winner. If a prize host wins their own prize, their name will be put back and a new name will be drawn. Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions for our complete list of contest rules and regulations.

• Get out and PARTY!

  When the party starts on March 20th, search the Mr. Linky and look for names you don’t recognize and visit their party. Don’t forget to introduce yourself before you move on to the next party!

• Have an After Party

  A great post party tradition, is to write a post a week or so after the UBP to introduce some of the new bloggers you met. This is a great way to share some linky love to your new friends.

NON-BLOGGERS

The UBP is for non-bloggers too! What would blogs be without readers?!?

So whether you have your own blog, or you just read blogs, you are invited to the party — and you are included in the prize draw!

All you need to do to be eligible for the prizes is comment on our party post and attend some parties.

(Visit and comment on at least 20 blogs participating blogs – simply click on the blogs name on the list of links called the Mr. Linky to party hop – and you will qualify as a party guest.)

Thank you to our Event Sponsor Discover the magic of ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda. Not just for baking and deodorizing, Arm & hammer has countless household and personal care uses.   The best part, it’s safe to use around our food, pets and kids!

If you have any questions, you contact us.

Thanks so much for being a part of 5 Minutes for Mom and we will see you soon!

Click here to get the codes for the UBP ’09 buttons and banner.

The Party Has STARTED

Go to the Ultimate Blog Party 2009 NOW