Smucker’s Event: Day 2

I had such a wonderful time at Smucker’s Headquarters in Ohio!  In fact, we all still keep in contact and still talk about it – even 3 weeks later!  I met some wonderful bloggers for the first time and got to hang out with other bloggers again!  I am amazed by what an awesome job Cohne & Wolf and Smucker’s did with this event.  Some of the more experienced bloggers have even stated it that it was one of the most organized and enjoyable events they had attended.

On Day 2, we woke up super early (some of us at the last minute – thank you Wendy – hugs)!  We headed over to the Smucker’s Store to have breakfast with Richard Smucker, Mark Smucker, and Kimi Wagstaff!  I spoke for a little while with Richard Smucker and Mark Smucker and they were so welcoming, easy to talk to, and funny!  I even recommended a bunch of toy ideas to Richard Smuckers for his grandchildren – ya know, with Christmas coming up and my experience with some of the products first hand – lol!  Richard and Mark Smucker even let me do a brief video interview with them.  Check it out below!

Smucker’s Interview from Shannon S on Vimeo.

We had breakfast and had the opportunity to pick out some goodies from the Smucker’s Store.  They had a wall of jam jars and a chandelier made of jam jars – wow!  I spent most of the time talking with Richard and Mark and was left with about 5 minutes to search the store for my goodies.  It was like a timed shopping spree – so much fun!  I grabbed a bunch of goodies including Pillsbury Brownie Mixes (wouldn’t be me if I didn’t grab something with chocolate, right?), Pillsbury Quick Bread Mixes, Pillsbury Cake Flour, a bunch of Smucker’s Jams, Jellies, and Preserves, Dickinson’s Relish (per Mark Smucker’s Recommendation), some plush toys for my boys, a Smucker’s Magnet, and a Smucker’s Mug! 

We then headed over to Smucker’s Headquarters where we learned more about The J.M. Smucker Company and their products, including Crisco, Pillsbury Frostings and Cake Mixes, Jif, Eagle Brand, Hungry Jack, Folgers, and Smucker’s products.    I learned so much about Smucker’s and this was probably the first time I had ever tweeted on Twitter for a long period of time.  You can follow our conversation on Twitter if you type in #Smuckers.  We then had the opportunity to taste test some of their products – woo hoo!  We had so much food, including turkey, stuffing, cookies, and more.  I was stuffed by the end of the day.                              

We also had the chance to get some hands-on experience – from swishing and slurping olive oil (yes I’m serious) to creating our own cookie designs to working creatively with Jif Peanut Butter.  It was a ton of fun!  I was in a group with Nikki (5 Minutes for Mom) and Jennifer (The Dirty Shirt) to create a unique sandwich using at least 1/2 cup of Jif Peanut Butter.  There were a bunch of random items to choose from.  We chose to use sliced fruit, peanut butter, marmalade, orange slices, and granola.  We earned the award for the highest stack of fruit using peanut butter they had seen – woo hoo!  What can I say?  We were creative?  LOL  Nikki was actually the mastermind behind our creation.  Jennifer and I were along for the ride!  Oh and cutting the fruit up – lol!

We then had the opportunity to decorate some of our own cookies and tour the factory.  I was craving apple butter by the end of the tour.  Before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport.  I really enjoyed my time in Ohio and am amazed by Smucker’s as a company and their products.  I would jump at a chance to visit them again!  Thank you Smucker’s!

Smucker’s paid for my flight and accommodations for this event.  Each and every opinion in this post is my own!