Category: britmums

The Beauty of Britmums

- Californian Mum in London 13 Comments

The Beauty of Britmums

No, going to Britmums isn’t a sad affair. This is just Sarah from Taming Twins, Em from Brummy Mummy of 2, and me being sad that our glasses of wine were nearly finished. But luckily Lindemans had a stand with more wine. No, free wine isn’t the beauty of Britmums (though not a bad aspect). The beauty is that you get to meet all these wonderful bloggers, and some of them end up being your friend. Your actual real-life friend.

When you’re a Stay-At-Home-Mum who blogs, you spend a lot of time on your own at your computer (obviously this is during nap and bedtimes, as the other times you are surrounded by children needing cuddles and toast). And yes, there are the occasional PR events, but mostly you live in a world of being the only blogger. But a few times a year, there are conferences that allow you, not only to learn more about blogging, but to meet up with the other bloggers that you follow and chat to online.

Last year was my first Britmums, and my first blogging conference. I had only been blogging for about seven months, and I was so nervous. But it turned out to be such a great experience. Most of the other bloggers are nervous too, but everyone is so friendly. Not only did I learn lots, but I ended up meeting so many wonderful people. So I knew that I had to go again this year. And luckily, the lovely people at Fantastic Services agreed to sponsor me.

The beauty of britmumsThe Beauty of Britmums

You may have read about my recent visit from Fantastic Services, when their amazing gardeners came round and sorted out my messy garden. I was so pleased with their services that I knew that there would be no better sponsor. You see, I am kinda lazy when it comes to taking care of the house and garden. But the people at Fantastic Services are hard workers. They take care of everything, from cleaners to builders, to pet care, removals and even a handyman service. And everything is reasonably priced. If you fancy giving their services a try, use the code CaliMum for £10 off your first booking.

If you are a blogger and are not going to Britmums, there are still tickets left. Go buy one. Forget being shy. Everyone is in the same boat, and you will have a wonderful time. And if you are going to Britmums, please come and say hello! *waves*

The Beauty of Britmums

 

Man Alive, I’m Going to Britmums Live!

- Californian Mum in London 29 Comments
My party shoes are ready (by that, I mean my sneakers/trainers) because I’m going to Britmums Live 2014. For those of you not in the know, it’s the UK’s biggest two-day blogger and social media conference. Many of us BritMums Live attendees are writing posts introducing ourselves. As my blog name suggests, I am an American living in London. I’ve been in the UK for 12 years so my American accent is softer than it used to me, but it gets stronger when I’m around other Americans. I use British words like ‘trash’ instead of ‘garbage’ and ‘pavement’ instead of ‘sidewalk’. But I still call the ‘lift’ the ‘elevator’, and I pronounce tomato as ‘tomayto’ not ‘tomahto’. I sometimes say ‘dude’ and ‘whatevs’. I definitely don’t wear a fanny pack (I’m looking at you Brummy Mummy of 2).
image
Name: Elfa
Blog: Californian Mum in London (I’ve just moved from Blogger to self-hosted!)
Twitter ID: @CalifornianMum
Height: 5 ‘6
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Brown
Is this your first blogging conference? Yes. *knees quaking*
Will you attend both days? Yes. I’m even staying at the Travelodge, despite living in London. PARTAY!
What are you most looking forward to at BritMums Live? Getting to meet many of the lovely people I’ve met through blogging.
What will you be wearing? A dress and leggings, or maybe jeans and a t-shirt. Depends on the weather. And there’ll be a cardi. There’s always a cardi.
What do you hope to gain from BritMums Live? I hope to get a better understanding of blogging and how I can improve my writing and photo-taking. I’d also love to meet some brands.
Do you have any tips to pass on to others who may not have been before? No tips. I know practically nothing (I’ve only been blogging for seven months). So bring on Britmums Live 2014!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

- Californian Mum in London 10 Comments
Something amazing happened yesterday. I went on the Britmums website to check out which of my blogger buddies had been short-listed for a BiB (Brilliance in Blogging). I saw the name Californian Mum in London and had to re-read the list a couple of times (okay, 16 times). I cannot tell you how excited I was when I finally believed my eyes. Being nominated as a Fresh Voice (those who have been blogging for less than 18 months) means a lot. 

I started blogging six months ago, in an effort to get out of my head and express some of the things I am dealing with as a SAHM and an expat. I did not believe anyone would read the blog. But it has really encouraged me to discover that people are enjoying my writing, whether they can relate to me as a wife, mother, expat or wise-ass. So thank you if you have nominated me, and thank you if you vote (or plan to vote) for me. If you don’t vote for me, then screw you there are some fab bloggers in my category so I do understand. I honestly am so thrilled just to have been nominated. And please keep reading, as this means so much to me.

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