BritMums Live 2013

Last weekend, I stepped a little way out of my comfort zone and attended Britmums Live 2013. I loved reading all the posts about BritMums last year, and when the tickets went on sale I purchased one immediately because I didn't want to miss out again. It was so far in the future that I didn't really think about the fact that I didn't know anyone else that was going. Fortunately over the last year I've really made an effort to get to know some fellow bloggers, and this year there were plenty of people that I was really looking forward to meeting.

I was very excited, but as my train pulled into London I suddenly realised how nervous I was too, I really didn't know what to expect and I suddenly wanted to jump back on the train going back home. Fortunately I had arranged to meet the lovely Fairy and the Frog, and it was such a relief to have her recognise me as I was trying to check in early to the Travelodge (unsuccessfully - I didn't want to check in enough to pay an extra £10!) and to have a friendly face to make my way to and around the venue with.

It was all rather overwhelming when we arrived. The queue was long, there were lots of people, and because registration was by surname I ended up waiting on my own. No-one had name badges yet, so I was wondering who everyone was. Fortunately we were still some of the first in, and so the Hub, where we headed first, was still not too busy. Then it all began - chatting to the brands around the tables and bumping into familiar blogger after familiar blogger.

I am generally a shy person, but what I loved most about BritMums was how friendly everyone was. You could go up to someone that you recognised and chat to them, and lots of people approached me which was wonderful, apparently I look just like the avatar picture that I use. I felt quite comfortable going along to sessions on my own, and because other people were also on their own it was easy to find someone to chat to, or just sit and enjoy some time to myself.

I was absolutely delighted to bump into Swazi from Chocolate is not the only fruit. I had no idea that she would be there, and she was as lovely and friendly as she is online. I also put faces to lots of other names, sipping sparkling wine with Octonauts expert Kath from Knitty Mummy and Pinterest addict Kerry from Kez Online. After the drinks reception I sat down with some other epic bloggers to watch the Brilliance in Blogging awards ceremony. As you may know, I was thrilled to be shortlisted in the Crafts category, but I don't think that I could have handled my nerves if I had made it to the finalist stage! There were some very worthy winners, and plenty of genuine applause.

The next day I very much enjoyed the talk by neuro scientist Susan Greenfield entitled "Are we really addicted to the internet?". I've read a couple of her books, and found that she explains complex scientific ideas in a really simple and engaging way. Her talk was no exception, and it really gave me a lot to think about - there is another blog post brewing!

Another highlight was the Travel Blogging panel, and I came away with some useful tips and ideas on how improve the increasing number of travel posts that I write. I also had chance for a chat with one of the panellists, Trish from Mum's Gone To... on the first evening, which inspired me. I do love writing about travel and the places that we visit, and it's definitely something that I'd like to try more of, perhaps in a more entertaining or innovate way.

The brands that were present at Britmums also offered some unique opportunities. Okay, I only posed with Alex the lion for the chance of winning a family cruise, but I was delighted to have a Diet Coke bottle label printed for Ram to match mine, and I loved learning how to brandish a wand like Harry Potter!

I left the Brewery laden down with bags of freebies, exhausted and happy to be on the way home to my family. I had decided before I even left that I was definitely going to be coming again next year, and so my ticket is booked. Britmums 2014 here I come!