Dear Mr Avis… a letter from Cybermummy 2011
Dear Mr Avis
It’s me, English Mum.
Remember me? I’m the one who reversed over a bollard in the ‘bloggerbus’ you gave me when my friends came over?
Yup, that one.
Thank you very much for sponsoring me to attend Cybermummy 2011. I had such a great time. I met loads of people that I talk to on Twitter, I listened to Erica talk about monetising and working with brands…
I listened to Taralara talking about her amazing gallery:
I met my lovely chums from Disney, and loads of new people from HP and Ubisoft, Three and Cuticura… I sipped Sancerre with my buddy Helen from the Knackered Mother’s Wine Club, and the lovely chaps at Naked Wines…
I met Cara Freckles who had travelled all the way to Cybermummy clutching a gorgeous chicken that she’d knitted me…
And at the end of the day, I went with my mates and had amazing tapas and a few cocktails…
BUT…
I might have accidentally forgotten to pick up the lovely Fiat 500 you were giving me for the week.
In my defence, I’d driven straight off the midnight ferry and hadn’t got home until 6am. I was quite tired, and still had a whole van to unpack and a whole storage locker to fill up. My feet were a bit sore and I was a teeny bit pooped.
I’m really sorry, but I had a fab time anyway, even though forgetting to pick up the car meant that I had to get the tube, and the Central Line was closed, and I had to walk a long way too.
I know what you’re thinking…
Serves me right.
I had a good time though.
Thanks again!
Lots of love,
English Mum
xx
Wikio’s Top 20 UK gastronomy blogs
Wikio have offered me a little sneaky peak at their Top 20 Gastronomy chart this month. Some of my favourite websites in here! Congratulations everyone.
Around the web in 20 clicks: in praise of bloggers
I love blogging. I’ve met all manner of wonderful people (and the odd horrible one), both in real life and online, travelled, visited amazing places and made loads of friends. Sometimes, when I’m reading the gazillions of blogs that I subscribe to, I think it would be nice to tell other people about the fantastic things my friends and fellow bloggers write about and photograph. There are always so many amazing things on the internet: great recipes, fun stories, great photos…
So I thought I’d put together a little ‘top 20′ for you to enjoy at your leisure. Think of it as my gift to you for November. Some are old, some are new, but all are brilliant. Enjoy!
1. Like Mam Used To Bake went to Barcelona. This is such an amazing piece – great photos, loads of restaurant reviews… bookmark it if you’re ever tempted to visit.
2. Laura changed the habit of a lifetime, got busy in the kitchen and made a really scrummy spicy butternut squash soup.
3. Liz sparked serious debate when she asked ‘do you support the decision to scrap child benefit for those earning over 44k?‘
4. My lovely cousin, Don’t Bug Me, taught us all about hummingbirds (and showed us some beautiful photos too).
5. The Glutton made the most gorgeous home made sausages with cider and mustard gravy. Nomnomnom.
6. Lovely Karen got married.
7. And so did the beautiful Miss Power (sorry, Mrs Lister!) – check out the cheese wedding cake!
8. My mate Erica ticked another thing off her ’100 things to do before I die’ list and attended a foodie festival.
9. Lu gave us all exercises for the perfect arse (squeeze that pelvic floor, people)
10. 40NotOut encouraged us to wrap up in these inspired winter knits.
11. Rach from Tales from the Village visited the Highlands, and took some stunning photos.
12. Joanna came face to face with Take That!
13. Shit Mummy nearly suffered Death by Polyester.
14. Tara photographed possibly the cutest witch I’ve ever seen (edit: I do apologise, she was a spider).
15. The lovely chaps at Yeo Valley released their farmer rap on iTunes (with lovely Ted the Wol on the front cover). I love Ted.
16. Liz and family over at Violet Posy did some pumpkin carving.
17. Josie met a lean, green, fighting machine. Well, a frog.
18. The Cornish foodie made gingerbread skeletons.
19. My fab cousin, Moon and his family slaughter their pigs (fascinating, but be warned, the pics are a bit graphic)
20. And finally, we waved goodbye to Wallop. Victoria and her family set out on their epic adventure. Good luck, guys! x
PS: If any bloggers would like to take up the baton and write about their 20 favourite recent blog posts, that would be fab.
Hadrian’s Walk
So today, some of my loveliest blogger friends will be attempting Hadrian’s Walk in support of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a wonderful charity providing financial support for those who have lost a child.
Basically, the nutters are walking the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall, yes, that’s 84 miles across the entire width of England.
And they need our help. Check out the blog, here:
Enter the raffle, here:
Donate here:
And support all my wonderful blogging friends by visiting their blogs and giving them a few words of support (what? of course they’ll be checking, they’re bloggers):
http://www.insomniacmummy.com/
http://singleparentdad.blogspot.com/
and bigging the walk up on Facebook and Twitter (if you’re a fellow nerd), or just sending them happy, blister-free thoughts.
Please, please dig deep – the trust is a shining beacon in the darkness of every parent’s worst nightmare and seriously needs our support.
Thank you.
Good luck, guys!
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Finding my voice’
This post is brought to you by Muddling Along Mummy and is the last in the series of hosted blogs as part of The Great British Blog Festival.
Blogging was something I discovered whilst confined to bed rest during my pregnancy with Babygirl – it was a way of being able to meet people and to talk about what was going on whilst I spent far too much time lying on my left side trying to keep Babygirl safe.
Faced with my return to work after my maternity leave I was suddenly confronted with the question as to whether I would be able to continue to blog or whether I would have to consign it to the list of nice things I did whilst on leave, along with coffee with my friends and afternoon naps.
I figured it was worth giving it a go, not least because I’d become mildly addicted to twitter and reckoned it might be useful having an outlet and to be able to pick the brains of others who had been there, seen it, done it and got several t-shirts.
I did have a nagging concern about the time required given I was already in need of another 6 hours a day and the worry that work might find out about my blog and that it could cause issues for me professionally.
The professional reputation thing does still worry me. But I hope that my colleagues and clients won’t be looking for me to write a ‘mummy blog’.
The time thing was harder. I discovered I could write posts on my phone on the train, that I could think about them whilst putting the girls to bed, that I could find ways to make it fit in. To be honest it was difficult finding a balance – finding time to spend with my husband whilst still keeping a toe in the blogworld.
What was a real life saver was occasionally taking a proper coffee break. Going to the coffee shop around the corner from my office and taking half an hour out of my working day – half an hour to chat to my friends on twitter, to read blog posts, to remind myself that whilst there might not have been likeminded people in my office there certainly were in the virtual world and they were on my side.
So yes, I can combine blogging with a full time job, two children and sometimes talking to my husband. I do read less posts than I want to (sorry if I’ve missed something great you’ve written – send me an email, tell me on twitter, and I will read it) and do spend less time than perhaps I’d like BUT I’ve discovered that blogging is an important thing to me, it’s a facet of my life and as such I’m continuing to do it.
Its in blogging about trying to find this balance that I have found my blog ‘voice’, the thing that stands behind my blog, its philosophy and the reason why I do it.
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Blogging: Stranger danger?’
This post is brought to you by Young Mummy as part of The Great British Blog Festival.
‘Well, blogging’s for weirdos, isn’t it?’
My mum’s comment immediately made me regret telling her I was writing a blog about my life with newborn twins. I regretted it even more when she started giving me articles about the dangers lurking online, and warning me about any strangers who may try to befriend me – they might have been reading my blog and be after my babies. She views the blogging world with a paranoia and suspicion she is unable to shake.
I started my blog to help my in-laws feel involved in their grandchildren’s lives, despite living a long way away. Then I stumbled upon British Mummy Bloggers, and discovered that blogging is about being part of a community and interacting with others. Since then I’ve thrown myself in, following lots of blogs, commenting regularly, and forging friendships with other bloggers. Twitter was the final breakthrough and now I share more with a lot of my online friends than I do with my friends in the ‘real’ world.
From an outsider’s perspective, it all seems pretty strange. If I get spotted tweeting on a night out with friends, I brace myself for a barrage of ‘geek!’ taunts. I think most of my friends’ knowledge and experience of social networking begins and ends with Facebook – where they know all their ‘friends’ personally. Trying to explain why I would be answering comments on my blog from people I’ve never met is met with a blank, uncomprehending expression. ‘Why would you want to talk to people you don’t know?’ The fact that I am attending a blogging conference (Cybermummy) has caused great hilarity and derision.
But it’s worth it.
Blogging has filled a void caused by my discomfort talking about my babies with my ‘real’ friends, most of whom don’t have children. In the blogosphere I’m allowed to write about whatever I like, and I don’t have to worry I’m becoming a ‘baby bore.’ I’ve made connections with people I would never have some across in daily life. I’ve started meeting some of my online friends in person now, and it’s been fantastic.
Some of my ‘real’ friends who follow my blog have enjoyed it so much that they’ve been drawn into the blogosphere. They don’t blog themselves, but through my blog have discovered new blogs to read. Their enthusiasm and support in the face of so much negativity has meant the world to me.
And my parents-in-law – the reason I started the blog in the first place – they read it religiously. And that makes me happy.
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Inspired to Create’
This post is brought to you by Snaffles Mummy as part of The Great British Blog Festival.
I can still remember being around 10 years old and my grandma teaching me to knit. Since then I have been literally hooked on crafting. Knitting, scrap booking, card making, sewing, baking and more recently crocheting.
From holey scarves at age 10 to the intricate lace shawls I now make.
Each craft discovered after trawling through books, magazines and internet sites for tips and techniques on my latest hobby.
As with any crafter my hands and fingers are always itching for the next project. It is impossible for me to have only one project on the go.
Since discovering the blogging community my love for crafting has only grown. My recently learnt crocheting was inspired after seeing the beautiful creations of other bloggers. Patterns, guides and techniques discovered from a variety of blogs until eventually I was able to recreate some of the items which had originally inspired me.
What has struck me the most about the blogging community is how open and willing they are to share their crafts with others.
They are not simply sharing photos of their creations to attract praise. From their patterns, recipes , and material suppliers they are willing to share it all with you.
Carefully thought out tutorials with photographs of every step, helpful comments and links to sites which may also help. If you get stuck you know they will be willing to help if they can.
I am overwhelmed at how sharing other bloggers are. There are no secrets, no aim to keep their craft to themselves. They are willing to share their love with others and eager to see how you interpret their craft.
Nothing pleases a crafter more than seeing what you inspired others to create.
I have been so inspired that my list of things to re-create is getting longer each day. To see a collection of what has inspiring me have a look at my posterous site where you will find full photos, links and instructions to an array of beautiful items.
Here are just a few of the items which have inspired me recently and here are my interpretations of them:
Sugar cubes inspired by The Mad House
Gathered Clutch inspired by Noodlehead
No Sew Bunting inspired by Red Ted Art
I hope that the blogging community continues to be so open, honest and sharing.
The Great British Blog Festival. ‘Blogging is my pub’
This post is brought to you by Moon from Rambling Thoughts of Moon, as part of The Great British Blog Festival:
So… why do we blog … ?
Well, I know exactly why I blog … to tell and talk to people about my crazy choice of life !
I started blogging when English Mum introduced me to her blog. I saw it as a great way to be able to talk with my family, friends about my adventures, and for me to introduce myself to an ever growing list of friends I was making all over the world. You see, I made an interesting life choice in March of 2008. I had met a wonderful Slovak girl, and we were very happy. I was working in The City as a commercial Underwriter, loving my job, successful, BMW in the drive .. all happy times. She went off on a business trip to Mexico and then California, only for her company to ask her to stay on a while in the USA. ‘A While’ was eventually for 2 years !. I decided to pack my things, leave my job, rent my house and fly to live out in Newport Beach for 2 years. We went through the hassles of Visa, a 3 month period of me being stranded in Canada, got married, and loved every experience we could get in America. We saw some of the wonders of the world, drove 1000′s of miles to see as many national parks as we could, walked on the beach at night, and generally lived the dream.
This all came crashing down when I my renewal of my visa was delayed, I was again stranded in Canada, and this time I lost my job. So, we decided there and then to pack up and leave. I flew home, and left my wife to close out 2 years of our lives on her own. A huge effort from her, whilst I waited helplessly at home. So, onto a simpler life in the UK… not for us. within a week of her coming back, we shipped everything to Slovakia .. and here I am … learning a new language, new culture, new family… and a baby on the way. I have no work as yet… and we are about to buy an old cottage that will need so many alterations … we must be crazy !!!!!
So… why I blog … well, how else could I possible get to tell people this story… my old friends…. my new friends, and just interested passers through my blog. simply, you couldn’t, and I would be bored of typing 60 emails a week to let them now how the roller coaster ride is going. We love our photographs too, and I show them off as often as I can. I don’t know of anyone who has actually seen Slovakia as a country, as far as I am aware, I am the only Slovak blogger. It’s an amazing country, so full of beauty and history. The people are warm and kind, the food is good, and the beer is cold !
Why do others blog ?.. I guess you would have to ask them, but I think we all have a small ego that wants to be out there and noticed, and with a blog it can be done from home, no public speaking and often anonymous. I choose not to be anonymous, I don’t really mind if people know who I am. Once my little one comes along I will change and never post pictures etc, but for me I am happy to be out there. Blogging is my pub. My place to chat, express views, laughs, even some tears at times. I get people logging in from all over the world, some great old friends, some people I will never meet. It’s a great feeling when you have written a long blog, and then the replies and comments start to come in. We all live for comments don’t we ?… I get surprised when I write a meaningless post and I get lots of comments, and then other days I think my blog was pretty good… and I get nothing ! I post pictures, and people like the worst of them… I like to hear their opinions, and they can comment without being judged.
It’s an weird community us bloggers…. glad I am one of them !
The Great British Blog: a thing of beauty
This post is part of The Great British Blog Festival, where bloggers from all walks of life, all fields, all specialities, all interests, will be joining in and celebrating this fabulous thing that is blogging (or web-logging, as it first started out). Click the link to find more great blog entries for the festival over at LittleMummy.com.
Englishmum.com is a host blog for the festival, so this week, on here, as well as on various other host blogs, you’ll find a different blogger writing every day about something to do with blogging, whether it be a vlog (video blog), a post about the technical aspects of blogging, personal experiences, tutorials or list posts – do pop in and have a read – there’ll be something for everyone. Kicking off the week, then, is… erm… me:
But what exactly is a blog, or a web-log or whatever, I hear you ask? Well, according to Wikipedia, it is:
“a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.”
A blog can be anything from an online diary of day to day family life, through to a collection of 140 character cake reviews – a celebration of everything British, or a ‘letter home’ from foreign climes.
The great thing about blogging is that whoever you are or whatever you write about, there’ll be a little community just waiting to welcome you. There are parenting communities, foodie communities, and fabulous fashion blogging communities. Maybe you’re a woman who likes to write – be it fiction, poetry or even travel writing? Well you can join Judith’s Room, where you can submit your work for other people to read, chat to other writers, or get support if things aren’t going right?
These communities show the sheer power of blogging – a blogger is never alone, there’s always someone, somewhere floating about in the dark recesses of the internet with similar view or interests, or five minutes to spare. And what better example than Bloggers for Haiti? What started out as an email between friends suggesting that we each do a blog post raising money for a JustGiving page, ended up spreading across the whole of the country, and even across the world. The generosity of my wonderful, supportive commenters (some of whom have been reading my blog since I started writing four years ago) absolutely amazed me, and I discovered some fantastic new blogs to read too. Bloggers for Haiti raised £4351.50, plus numerous other donations to the DEC fund. A fantastic achievement and an example of the sheer force of community in blogging.
If you’re a mum and fancy having a go at writing a blog, check out my lovely friend Erica’s fantastic new Mum Blogger Ebook (if you’re not a Mum, don’t be put off by the title – there’s lots in here for any form of blogging: right from starting your own blog, to Search Engine Optimisation, right through to dealing with the press and PR companies (which you will, once you become a famous blogger in your own right!). I’ve been blogging for four years, but still learned absolutely loads.
The eBook is £25 at full price, but you can buy it for £20 (including the monetise your blog download as a bonus chapter which sells separately for £5). Just enter the discount code: ENGLISHMUM20
The Real Food Festival
So yesterday, me and my chief photographer, AKA The Death Wish Child (armed with his new camera) travelled to The Real Food Festival at Earls Court as guests of the lovely Nick from My Daddy Cooks
With the big four dominating our food industry (yes, yes, I know it’s convenient to buy strawberries at Christmas, but sheesh…) The Real Food Festival is a great idea to give our fabulous small food producers a push. The organisers of the festival even go so far as to subsidise food and drink producers so they can join the festival and get their names (and their fabulous products) out there for everyone to see.
Here’s a few highlights of our day:
Watching Nick (and little Archie) up on the bandstand talking about My Daddy Cooks (and even welling up a little listening to all that applause!)
Tasting the scrumptious ‘Britfruit’ frozen yogurt and talking mango with the lovely Chris from Arctic Farm very near English Towers up at High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.
Stroking beautiful, gentle Petal the Water Buffalo from Laverstoke Park Farm and talking to her ‘Dad’ all about the benefits of buffalo milk (much easier to digest than normal cow’s milk)
Meeting walking chilli encyclopaedia and all round nice girl Joanna Plumb from Edible Ornamentals who supplies, amongst others, former Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers’ fabulous Mexican Restaurant, Wahaca.
Bagging an invitation from Simon Mead to come and visit P E Mead and Sons and watch them making their fabulous Chiltern Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil!
Sampling the wares of the amazing vodka- and gin-making legends that are Sipsmith (shout out to lovely James for his enthusiasm – and big samples!). I’m not a big vodka drinker, but their gin was absolutely delicious – really floral and aromatic. Nom nom:
Chatting to the lovely Rob Bookham from Bookham’s Real Food about his gorgeous parmesan-like cheese, fantastically named Not Just a Pasta Cheese, and trying out his new Sussex Charmer, a delicious cross between Cheddar and Parmesan. Drool.
Indulging in a rare old tasting session with Penny from Bramley and Gage the liqueur makers, and getting great advice about using their Organic Sloe Gin to add to champagne to make a ‘Sloegasm’ (ooh, and their Elderflower Liqueur is out of this world too).
Meeting Paul Wayne Gregory and trying his amazing popping candy chocolate, while chatting about his chocolate making courses.
Meeting (and tweeting) the lovelies from Vegware and finally getting to see their amazing collection of fully compostable food packaging (yup, they even do cupcake boxes – with see through windows made of corn starch – clever buggers!).
Sharing some beautiful, fragrant Jasmine tea at the Mad Hatters’ Tea Party with the equally beautiful and fragrant Henrietta from The Rare Tea Company.
And finally, the temptation was strong, but we finally managed to tear ourselves away without shoving one of these gorgeous little piglets up our jumpers:
