I’m not one of those people who is all about swag, wandering from booth to booth collecting as much free giveaway stuff as I can.

I’m selective in my swag collecting at conferences.

I don’t take stuff I know I won’t use. No coupons, no pens, no little branded things that will just get thrown in a junk drawer.

Good swag from BlogHer '13

If you are a brand or a PR firm representing a brand, here is the stuff I liked enough to get drag it all the way home in my very heavy bag.

* I brought home these items to use as giveaways on the blog. Subscribe for Future Expat post updates by email so you don’t miss the opportunity to win these items!

If the giveaways go well, I may do contest giveaways for a few of the other things I received too.

SEE ALSO: Impressions of a First Time BlogHer Conference Attendee

BlogHer '13 swag gifts

I also picked up some swag items that were just too good to pass up even though I didn’t need them.

Sherwood Forest Camp has a library program that inspires a love of learning and they can always use more books. I picked up 3 books from some sponsor…honestly couldn’t remember who was giving them out.

Denny’s put together a swag bag delivered to the BlogHer block of rooms at the Sheraton Hotel which included the gift card, their new pancake menu (really smart idea Denny’s since I’ll use it for a blog post!) and 2 of these cute cupcake kid’s cups. I don’t have kids but I know that someone who has kids will appreciate them. Maybe I’ll add them to the giveaway stack.

I also picked up the Biota Botanicals hair thinning system. I don’t need it, but it looked like something that might be worth a try by someone I know. If she doesn’t want it, then I’ll add it to the giveaways.

The cute duck head flashlight pen became a gift to my friend Robyn who mentioned that she loves all things ducks and didn’t see this booth in the Expo Hall.

SEE ALSO: Free Moo Cards for BlogHer 2013 Conference

The Best Swag Bag Ever:

Best swag bag from LIfetime

Every time you go to any conference or training event with swag, you end up with lots of bags. The good ones are the reusable grocery style bags. The bad ones are the odd bags like the official BlogHer ’13 bag this year. I didn’t even bring this one home and saw LOTS of these bags and others at the official swag exchange room at the hotel.

But I really like the bag given away at the unofficial Lifetime Party. This bag is GREAT.

It is a sturdy canvas bag that will be perfect for the pool, beach or picnic in the park.

Swag bag back

The bag has this great strap for carrying it, a drawstring to synch up the top and even a small zippered pocket hidden under the strap for easy access to things like your keys.

It held most of the swag I brought home and was easy to use as a carry on for my train trip home.

I’ll have this bag forever. Good move by Lifetime to spend their swag money on something that will last.

What is your favorite swag item you’ve ever gotten at a conference?

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