My feet hurt (so much!) and my head is spinning. I am sitting down for the first time today and the mixture of emotions I am experiencing is very weird. Overwhelming happiness to be reunited with my little family, who I missed more than words can describe, but also there is a feeling sadness. Sadness that my little BritMums Live experience is over.
On Friday morning I left Baby, for what would be the first time overnight, and headed off to London on the train. I was going to spend time with people, some of which, I had never met before, but already they were friends. People outside the blogging world, will probably never understand this, but other bloggers know. They know what amazingly supportive friendships can be made online and it doesn’t matter if you don’t physically meet, it is just a major bonus if you do.
After a little wobble trying to get the tube and being a little overwhelmed at the prospect of not seeing my Baby, I ended up at Moorgate station and after a slightly odd stalker moment with an overly helpful lady, who couldn’t grasp that I was trying to find Cafe Nero and kept following me trying to direct me to Costa….., I met up with my amazing friend (who I had never actually met) Hannah. Immediately I felt as if we had known each other for years.
Onward to All Bar One, where we met up with the amazing Em (who I met at Blog Camp) and her sponsor Niki. I must admit that living out in the sticks has done me no favours, as I nearly needed Oxygen when I found out my white wine spritzer cost £8.35! We went to check in at the Montcalm, which is next door to the BritMums venue, The Brewery.
Then the conference started and in a day and a half; we chatted, we met new bloggers, we spoke to brands, we ate cake, we laughed, we cried (keynote speeches), we got sore feet, we lazed in the sun with the most delicious lunch (Beef and Fregola!), we learned, we networked, we listened, we talked, we drank wine, we drank LOTS of tea, we clapped, but most of all we made friendships, we deepened friendships and we came away inspired. Inspired, not only by the people who were there to teach us, but more importantly by our peers, our allies, our friends. Thanks BritMums Live.
BritMums Live gave me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and for that I am very grateful. Here are some (but not all) of the wonderful bloggers I met; Katie, Michelle, Donna, Jaime, Rachel, Kelly, Kiran, Jenny, Kerri, Sarah, Ceri, Annie, Penny and some lovely ladies, who I had met previously Jennie, Debbie and Victoria.
I am linking up with Charly from Podcast Dove for What’s The Story
and Katie from Mummy Daddy Me for Ordinary Moments. O.k, so BM’s Live was not ordinary, but some of the things we did were
and when I missed home I was missing the Ordinary Moments, so on those grounds I am linking.
Comments 69
So fab to have met you!! I’ve not even thought about how to round up my weekend, my mind is a fuzz of fuzziness – I need to make lists!!!!!!
Hope to see you again very soon lovely lady! xxx
Author
Oh you too hun (big kisses) I thought I would do this one then one about what I actually learned xxx
Looks like you had a blast! Tiring but exciting! #whatsthestory
Author
It was great fun hun x
Sounds fabulous! I can imagine how tiring it was, but obviously worth it x
Author
I think all the various emotions make it tiring but so worth it x
Sounds like a lovely time was had by all. I would be really nervous meeting people IRL!
Author
I was too and I missed some people because I didn’t have enough courage to say hi. Next year though 🙂 x
Oh my, what an amazing time you had! Jealous….but it inspires me to go next year! See you then x
Author
It was great. You must go next year x
I’m so pleased you had a great day, and very brave to leave little one but for such a worthy experience. You look like you were having fun, clearly I would have been in shock too, really £8.35, eek. Sadly I couldn’t make this year, i’m already looking at the early bird ticket for next year!
Author
Ah thanks, it was a fantastic experience and I have made some wonderful friends x
Sounds like a wonderful experience. I think I would’ve fainted at the price of a glass of wine. It’s strange that I recognise so many people in the photos yet have never met them x
Author
It was fabulous! X
So many things had happened but my fave is the smiley faces. Proof of how much fun this event was and I really hope and wish that i can go next time =) #OrdinaryMoments
Author
Yes you should go, there was a lovely atmosphere x
So much to take in and so many to meet. What a wonderful 2 days it was. Glad you had fun
Author
I forgot to mention you hun, I knew I would forget people. There was so many people I didn’t get to meet to. Glad you had a good time too x
Oh Aby what a fantastic post. Lovely to meet you too finally in person. I felt very much the same as you. I had never left my two that long ever so was nervous. And nervous to meet so many people I admire online. lol Glad it was a great experience for you as it was for me. You are just as lovely as I thought you would be. #whatsthestory
Author
That is really kind and it was really good to meet you to Jenny. It was so great wasn’t it x
It was so lovely to meet you. It feels like ages ago now, doesn’t it? I think I will need to stay at the Montcalm next time. Much nicer than the Travelodge! #whatsthestory
Author
Great to meet you too hun. I think you need to stay there too x
Glad you enjoyed meeting other bloggers. It’s hard leaving your children overnight but now that you have done it, next time it will be easier and you will be able to relax and enjoy your “Me time”
Author
Thank you Mina, it is difficult but I definitely needed to do something non-mummy for a few hours x
It was fab meeting up again, can’t wait to do it again soon with the kiddos! I’ll be typing up all my notes this week so will send you the G+ ones xx
Author
Oh me too, that will be such fun. I got the notes THANK YOU. I just need Baby to stop crying long enough for me to be able to read them (Cold and teeth and no daddy =no fun!) xx
There was so many people there, I am glad you enjoyed it
Author
There certainly was, such fun! x
It was such a good weekend wasn’t it? I only came the Saturday and it was pure crazy meeting everyone. SO much hugging 🙂
Author
Fabulous! I know you definitely need to warm up your hugging muscles x
I’m glad you had a great time. I loved it last year but couldn’t make it this year. I definitely want to go again in 2015 though, so maybe we’ll meet there!
Author
That would be great x
It sounds like such an amazing and unique experience, I’m very jealous
Author
It was really great. You will have to come next year x
Glad you had such a great time. My youngest was kissing my feet earlier because they are so sore lol. That hotel was quite something (Adam gave us a tour when we dropped our luggage off and we loved the doorbell).
Author
It was very posh! I can’t explain how sore my feet were. Next year I will be wearing well worn in shoes! x
Sounds like a great weekend was had by everyone – I’m looking forward to seeing what people learnt from it all x x
Author
It was a great experience xx
Lovely round up! And fills in all the gaps I didn’t include in my round up! Haha – I shall point people this way 😉 xxx
Author
Thanks hun. I am doing a what I learned type post too. xxx
So, so lovely to meet you!! Thanks for stopping me and saying hello 🙂 I would have been looking for someone blonde from your avi so would NEVER have recognised you! x
Author
Oh and you hun I need to add a pic on my page x
It sounds like you’ve had an amazing time – I really want to go next year now. I would be worried not knowing anyone but it sounds like such a supportive environment!
Author
Oh I really wouldn’t worry about that, it is very supportive x
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Glad you had a great time, so many people to see and so much fun to be had a Britmums, I had a great time too and next year I am hoping to stay at the Montcalm, it looks so luxurious 🙂
Author
It was great to be so close to the venue. I didn’t fancy having to wander around London x
I saw some amazing pictures from the weekend it seemed like an amazing time and the mixed emotions seems so natural through many of the of the people who went. x
Author
It was really good but boy did I miss my baby x
I am still so gutted that i couldn’t come! I am so glad you had a lovely time. I am already busy getting a sponsor on board for next year so i can go 🙂 x
Author
That would be great! Good luck with it all x
I’m so jealous of all these Britmums Live posts! I’m getting up the courage to go next year!
Author
You should, it was a great experience x
Such a lovely round up. I am so impressed with people who attend on their own as I always have C with me. Looks like you had a great time.
Author
I had a great time thanks. You read your post so well, it was very moving x
I need to google ‘fregola’. Sounds like a fun event.
Author
I had never heard of it either, but it is a type of pasta (yummy) x
I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts about Brit mums – wish I could have gone! I too would have nearly fainted at nearly £9 for a drink!!
Author
I was shockingly expensive and the cocktails were £9.50! x
Looks like you had an amazing time xx
Author
I did thank you I hope you did too x
Sounds like you had a great weekend! Must have been so weird leaving baby for the first time but I hope you enjoyed yourself. Such a shame we didn’t get to meet up – next time! Lovely post, thank you for sharing with #whatsthestory
Author
It was horrible to leave her as we are always together. It was worth it though. I would love to have met you x
It was so so lovely to finally meet you at long last Aby, although I totally wouldn’t have recognised you with your new red hair. It’s such a surreal thing meeting people that you have chatted to online for so long. I am glad you had a great first BritMums experience and that leaving Baby was ok- I enjoyed the cuddles SO much when I got home. xx
Author
It was wonderful to meet you Katie. It was lovely and I am glad I went, but Baby has been VERY clingy since I cam back, bless her xx
So gutted to have missed out on BML this year! Glad you had a good time xx
Author
It’s a shame you couldn’t go. x
Thank you for the mention! Next time tweet it to me to, so I can RT your blog post 🙂 I only found out as analytics showed me you send 4 people through 😉
well done on your gorgeous blog! It was lovely to meet you!
Author
No probs hun, it was lovely to meet you. I hope they bought something. Thank you for the kind words about my blog x