This weekend was Britmums 2017 and I headed up to County Hall to experience all the fun.
I love blog conferences for the opportunity to hone my blogging skills as well as meeting great brands and of course catching up with the bloggers I chat to on a daily basis.
County Hall is set on the Southbank by the London Eye and is an enviable location with stunning views of the Thames and over to The Houses of Parliament & Big Ben.
In a change from previous years the sessions were a lot more in-depth and longer and despite my 6+ years of blogging there is always something to be learned. Sadly both sessions I wanted to do were at the same time; SEO and Facebook so I made the decision to go with the one which frustrates me the most.
Alison Battisby was amazing and I literally wrote pages of notes, as well as getting a cuddle with gorgeous baby Rex whilst his Mum, Vic from Verily Victoria Vocalises, made some notes too.
With sessions including getting the brands you want, Pinterest, YouTube, focussed blogging, how to make money etc, as well as brand experiences, there was something to catch the attention of everyone.
Highlights for me including wine tasting with Visit Spain and trying the most amazing fruit salad with Mauritius UK.
It was also brilliant to catch up with bloggers that have become genuine friends, sharing ideas and tips on how to get the best out of our blogs.
The conference finished with the keynote speeches from some very talented bloggers and although I cried through a couple, they thankfully ended on a high and it was time for the BiBs2017 party on board the City Cruises Millennium Diamond.
We were welcomed onboard with a glass of bubbles at the London Eye and set off on a picturesque journey, heading East, down the Thames.
I was nominated as a finalist for my travel blog, arewenearlythereyet.eu but having been a finalist in the #BiB awards before and never winning, was quite relaxed about the evening, even joking with fellow nominees in the same position that we had to practice our losing faces.
The award categories came and went. We clapped and cheered for each blog that was read out and commiserated with each other when we didn’t win, happy in the knowledge that we blog because of the love of it and not the accolades.
But, there was one more award to go – Britmums Choice. This award “highlights a blogger who may not fit neatly into the other categories but ticks all the boxes, breaks boundaries and just overall rocks! It’s an opportunity to highlight someone who embodies our best ideals for blogging and the BritMums community.”
They read out my name!!!
I would love to say I gave an amazing, eloquent speech but I am not entirely sure that any words actually came out of my mouth I was in that much shock.
I didn’t win at the BiB Awards last night. But sitting next to @ChelseaMamma as she was announced as @BritMums Choice winner was awesome 👍
— Slouching Thatcham (@thatchamdad) October 1, 2017
Big thanks to Tim from Thatcham Dad for putting up with my emotional response and for taking this picture, to Monika from Mumonthebrink for her hugs and to absolutely everyone else who congratulated me.
I spent the rest of the evening catching up with these lovely ladies; Nadine from JuggleMum, Jaime from The Olivers Madhouse and Clare from EmmysMummy who have all been my blogging buddies for years.
Thank you Britmums for an amazing day, I am off to start working on everything I have learned now and yes, I have double checked the award was actually real!!
It looks like you had a fantastic day….Congrats on the award! Go you! xx
Congratulations on the win my lovely! Great photos. Looks like fun 🙂 x
Such a well deserved award! Congratulations! Sounds like a fun time to be had at BML17!
Hey well done you! Well deserved. It looked a great conference and a new venue too!
Congratulations on your award, how exciting for you and it sounds like you had an amazing day at Britmums as well.
Congratulations you did great. it looks like a very good event too
Well done lovely, what an amazing thing to happen. I’d love to win a blogging award one day. Congratulations!
Looks like you had a fantastic time there. I know a fellow PF blogger who went and had nothing but praise for the event!
Congratulations from Paladin the cheetah and myself. Nice to have your worked noted and celebrated by your peers!
Oh, congratulations on your nominations. I am sure this is such a memorable event for you and also a milestone for your travel blog. Cheers to our blogging life!
Congrats on your win, your face must have been a picture. Sounds like Britmums was a massive success this year x
Aww well-done lovely 🙂 It looked like a great day, I wish I had been there. Always next year 🙂 Congrats, well deserved.
Congratulations lovely! Seems like it was a blast! Wine tastings are always great
Congrats – looks like you had a fab time – I love countyhall 🙂 x
Congratulations! It was lovely to see your reaction and how you genuinely had no idea x
Looks like a great event. Congratulations on your award, you must be over the moon! x
Super well done!
Congratulations on your win, it sounds like a really lovely day and you certainly look like you’ve been spoiled with drinks and river cruise
Wow massive congratulations that is awesome you must have been so chuffed. You work so hard so you completely deserve it x
congratulations looks like a fab day, ace to see some familiar names on there all well deserved i hope to attend one day
Oh wow congratulations!! What a lovely surprise for you! And thanks for taking photos, I always wondered what it looks like at a Britmums session!
Congratulations to you! How lovely is that picture? Sadly I couldn’t make BritmUms this year but I am loving reading everyone’s accounts of the day.
It was such a lovely day and congrats again on your award very well deserved indeed! x
Aw, congratulations! That’s so amazing!! <3 It sounds like you had a really fab day! xxx
Congrats on the award. That’s an awesome thing to add to your blogging cv.
Congratulations on your award, that’s fab! looks like a great event – my mum (who is also a blogger) went and said it was great.
Congratulations Kara! SO well deserved and I’m really happy for you, brilliant news.
It sounds like you had a great time. Huge well done your award, very well deserved x
Congrats on your award lovely, your blog is amazing so I am not surprised you won! Looks like you had a lovely time! x
Oh wow I’m so pleased you won an award that great news. Rex is a cutie isn’t he. I still haven’t been to one of these although I probably should it sounds like fun.
Congratulations on your award, what a great addition to what looks like a fabulous day. I’m especially jealous of the City Cruiser party
wow – well done! HUGE congrats lady!!
Wow! What a day you had!
I honestly had never heard of this conference and would love to go to something like this as I know so little about how to improve my blog!
Congratulations on an amazing award too xx
Congratulations for the award! It looks like it was a great event, especially that you have learn a lot from the seminars as well. I experienced the party on the boat during Traverse and it was so amazing! 🙂
I am definitely jealous that I missed britmums this year! But it looks fantastic and I am definitely not planning on missing the next one!
Awwwww congratulations again. It’s lovely to hear how the night unfolded next to Tim. You proper deserved it – just a matter of time x
Congratulations on your award! Well deserved!
Congrats on your award. You deserve it. Looks like it was a great event.
Congratulations on your award! It looks like Britmums was a success all around. xx
The biggest of congratulations on your award! So, incredibly deserved! x
Congrats!! I definitely have the blogging conference bug after blog camp – will have to try and make more of them next year! x
Sounds like an amazing day and you met some other lovely people.
I’m still buzzing you won. It’s so very deserved and you are amazing x
I’m only just catching up on the Britmums gossip. Wow, well done lovely lady, what a fantastic award and well deserved. xx
Huge congratulations on winning the award. I think you so deserve it and are a perfect advocate for the blogging community
I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to comment, but anyway …
It’s the people who make the events and it’s lovely to be part of a community where the vast majority of us get along so well. I was so pleased we had a chance to catch up properly. Your award was long overdue and well deserved, and it was a pleasure to be able to share in your delight. 🙂
Congrats for the award! You really deserve it. Keep up the good work xox
Congrats lovely. Well deserved and sounds like you had a lovely day x