Rosie Scribble

CiderMummies

It was one of those occasions when you suddenly wonder if you have a large lump of spinach trapped between your front teeth, even though you haven't been eating spinach. That was how it felt arriving at Cybermummy a little late and more than a little nervous, yet I need not have worried. The day was a complete success. Friends were made, there were tears (yes, really) and lots of laughter. Few of us will forget this event for a very long time, for all the right reasons.

Photo credit: Tara Cain

Left to right: Jay, Josie, Tara, Me, Liz

For me, it was not so much about Cyberlabs or SEO tips, it was more about meeting real people in real life away from the computer screen and loving every minute of it. It was fabulous to meet the bloggers behind the blogs, to make new friends and to be reunited with friends I've known for a while.

Thanks to Ready for Ten, I was able to stay for a night at the hotel which meant I could spend time socialising, dining with new friends and enjoying a drink in the bar. For me that was the highlight, followed by the chance to have a lie-in on Sunday morning and read a newspaper in peace.

The fun and games continued after I left;  more than 'a little' alcohol was consumed and a good time was had by all.  It is likely that the prize I won in the draw at the end of the conference - a bottle of Tanqueray 10 Gin - will look highly unappealing to some so soon after the event, if the tired faces at breakfast were anything to go by!

 

I'll raise a glass to those who were there and those who weren't able to attend this time. I hope we can have more gatherings like this and more opportunities to meet in person. This is a wonderful community and I feel privileged to be a part of it.

Thanks to the organisers Sian, Susanna and Jen. Thanks to the anonymous sponsor who supplied my ticket, and thanks to Sarah and Charlotte at Ready for Ten for covering my travel and accommodation and for being great company over dinner. I still think my team should have won the pub quiz, mind.

Cheers to you all.

Logging off and letting go

This weekend we logged out, switched off, packed up and left for a relaxing weekend hotel break in nearby Derbyshire. There are no photos as I was not thinking about blogging. I took my camera but used it very little; I took my Netbook but it remained switched off too, as did my phone.

There were no emails, no twitter updates, no blogging and no Internet, and actually life felt a lot more relaxed as a result. We had a really great weekend.

Our review of Gullivers Kingdom will appear on Have a Lovely Time as soon as I've written it. There will of course be further blog posts, but an important lesson has been learnt. As a result, you will be seeing less of me here. 

Did I say there were no photos? Well maybe just one to add a splash of colour.

That's better.

If you make a threat, carry it through ... or so they say

This evening, tired after a busy day in the Derbyshire countryside, IJ's behaviour took an unexpected turn for the worst. After half an hour of jumping on the sofa when I told her not to, followed by her flat refusal to get ready for bed, I made a threat.

She was told that if she continued to misbehave, I would phone Granny and Grandpa and she would go there for the night. It may have sounded harsh but I was tired; my patience was wearing thin and she knew it. Despite this, she carried on misbehaving.

They say that if you make a threat you should carry it through, so I did. IJ was supposed to become alarmed when I picked the phone up and called my parents; instead, she was jumping up and down with excitement.

So now she is staying at my parents house for the very first time, more excited than I've seen her in weeks to be going on a sleepover, and I have an impromptu night off. If we had spent weeks planning this overnight stay there would have been concerns and worries on both sides, so it has all worked out for the best.

But next time I need to think more carefully about how I deal with bad behaviour, or it may just backfire.

Now please excuse me, I'm off to the pub ...

Photo credit: Telos

Cyberkiddies

Some days are just too good to put into words. But here's a few:

A group of bloggers, an even larger group of kids, several pairs of wellies, an entire forest to be explored, and one rather stubborn six year old who is determined to wear a dress and her best headband, no matter what.

The children climbed, they played, they bonded as if they'd known each other for years, and they didn't complain once.

The adults were just as good. Meeting @cosmicgirlie, @Porridgebrain, @BumblingTweets and @MuddyNoSugar for the first time, I felt as if I'd known them for years too. The same does not apply to @Tara_Cain and @JoBeaufoix however, but only because I've known the pair a while longer.

We met up on a rather overcast day in a fabulous location and hit the hills armed with food supplies, a change of clothing, several umbrellas and, in my case at least, a secret supply of Fruit Pastilles, a bottle of Lucozade, a pop-up tent,  a gas stove, a torch and a speed dial connection to the local emergency services should we end up stranded in a Midlands forest for the night. (Okay, I lied about the last  few items.)

We had an amazing time.

Recently I've queried why I blog, I've stressed about exposing aspects of my life to the world, and I've wondered if this is the route I should be going down. Yesterday summed up what blogging is all about for me -- fun, friendship, and connecting with an incredible group of warm and welcoming people that I'd happily invite into my home anytime (as long as they remove their muddy shoes first). It has made every single blog post worthwhile.

We now have a new appreciation of the great outdoors, a love of trees and a desire to get back out into the fresh air, to meet up with friends, to chat over coffee, to laugh and to eat cake.

Life is good.

Escaping it all

Some unexpected good fortune has come our way, and after a hectic half-term week the timing could not be better.

Our very dear friend and confidant Mr F. Antasy has offered us both  a luxury pass allowing us to spend several days at the fabulous White Lies Health Spa in nearby Derbyshire.

Never one to turn an excellent opportunity down, we have accepted his invitation with huge excitement and will be heading off ... well as soon as I have finished this final blog post.

Already I am excited at the prospect of a well-earned break and a chance to escape it all.

So if I am not blogging or tweeting for some time, in fact I know I won't be, it's because I'm escaping it all in the luxurious surroundings of my slightly over-active imagination and enjoying some much needed time-out with my daughter.

But I will be thinking of you all and wishing you well.

Thanks for reading.

See ya ...  I'm off! xx