Today is Cyber Monday, and mom just took advantage of a fantastic special – one that will hopefully get Paws for Reflection running at a much higher pace. She registered for the 2013 BlogPaws Conference in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, something that promises to bring lots of sizzling info about blogging, pets, and more.

She’s hoping to find out lots more about BlogPaws’ recent affiliation with the Pet360 Media Network which combines digital shopping, content, community and professional advice with BlogPaws’ social media conferences, pet blogger community, pet blogger network, and marketing opportunities geared towards pet parents and pet bloggers.

Who is Pet360? According to the Pet360 website, they are dedicated to offering resources that make people become better pet parents. Founded in 1997, Pet360 has worked to bring people one click resources, a place where visitors can find information, trusted products and solid information. It’s also a place where pet parents can engage and connect, learn about brand safety alerts, find out about the latest trends and products, as well as order food and medications.

The Pet360 family of websites includes well known names like Pet360.com, PetMD, PetFoodDirect, DoggySpace, NationalPetPharmacy, and more.

With this newest affiliation, the 2013 BlogPaws Conference will bring more possibilities than ever. And Paws wants to make sure to get out their and connect with these new, exciting opportunities.

As for Paws, mom’s pet blogging brings lots of perks, ones that beat one more catnip toy, or feathered wand. Everything she learns goes to the benefit of her feline family. If she blogs about cat scratching posts – we benefit by getting a new post to review. She writes about our reactions to it, in addition to posting photographs of us using it.

If she blogs about a new book, she underlines pertinent information as it relates to our health and behavior, and then, incorporates it into our lifestyle.

If she blogs about a conference she’s attended, she brings back lots of information and goodies for us. (To tell you the truth, it’s better than Christmas to be greeted with a suitcase full of treats, toys and goodies).

While mum didn’t go beating down the doors for Black Friday price busters, she beat the crowd – going online a week early, looking to replace her laptop that recently slipped through her hands onto the floor at airport security. The result: a broken screen, a 17 inch one at that. Getting it fixed is a bit pricey, so she decided to go look for something new. After checking for Black Friday laptop specials, she decided to go to the computer superstore to see what it really looked like. She thought: Windows 8, more powerful processors, oodles of RAM, and other bells and whistles can leave your head spinning. What do you really need? What do you really want? She took the super trek to the store the weekend before Black Friday. The store didn’t have the exact model – but she discovered she would not have been happy with the advertised special. Price, though important, wasn’t everything. She wanted performance. She wanted speed, so she could spend more time writing, and less time moving pictures around. She decided to go with a super duper Toshiba with a 1.7-64 Quad processor. It’s also sturdy, so that if me or my fellow feline friends decide to walk over the keyboard a few too many times, it should stand paws-up to us.

Now mum is learning to use this new toy, and she’s a little persnickety about letting us hang out on it, at least for a week or so. Now that she’s gearing up for the 2013 Blog Paws Conference this spring, she’ll be checking out all it’s bells and whistles to make her blogging life a little easier.

And as for Black Friday, mom did go shopping – and bought two used winter ski jackets – something that’s a necessity for rural New England’s winters. As for us felines, she stocked up on lots of extra food in preparation for those upcoming winter snowstorms.

Did you go shopping for your or your pet friends on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? If so, share your experiences.