I love nutcrackers, as I was a ballerina growing up.

I didn't even know any cowboys growing up. When my friends heard that I was marrying a cattle rancher and moving to the country, they literally could not believe it. They started calling me the Pioneer Woman as a joke.

I've set aside a nice chunk of my advertising revenue each month for giveaways, like a KitchenAid mixer. I like buying them for the audience, because without the audience I wouldn't have the blog or the revenue in the first place.

We used to have skunks that would go under our house and scratch their backs. I remember after I had my first baby, I didn't really have many friends, but I got invited to a dinner with a group of people from town. We all took the same vehicle, and I got in, and someone goes, 'I smell skunk.' I had to fight back tears.

It's hard for some parents to give their children compliments.

You can still love your job and feel guilty. You can still love your child and feel guilty. There's a lot of grey in that. It's about being conscious when you are spending time with your kids, being with them in the moment.

I have a great relationship with animals, and with children. I get to their level. I try to see the way a child looks at the world, it's hugely different.

Past conference topics have included strengthening the role of fathers in children's lives, the impact of the media culture on children, the delicate balance between work and family, and family involvement in education.