Going to BritMums Live #BML16 and Introducing My Sponsor

I am going to BritMums Live #BML16 - I didn't think I would be as I didn't have time to think about it having birthed a new human at the end of January, but then Coca Cola came to my rescue and made my Britmums Live dreams a reality. More about those dreams later.

For now, I am answering the below questions for the I am Going linky.

My name:

Liska

My blog: 

It's here. You're on it: New Mum Online with a .co.uk

Find me on social media:

Instagram NewMumOnline

Twitter NewMumOnline

G+ NewMumOnline

You Tube NewMumOnline

I don't really do bloggy Facebook...

As you can see, there is no confusion, I am NewMumOnline everywhere :-)

How I look:

I spent a lifetime thinking I was 5 foot 7 and then discovered I am only 5 foot 6. I am still looking for that missing inch everywhere. It's like losing your marbles only worse, way worse.

I am a brunette with long brown hair and a fringe which means I don't need botox. Nah, seriously, I've always had a fringe. I was born with one.

I am 43, so yes, an older Mum. I conceived my son aged 36 but was 37 by the time I had him. I conceived my new baby aged 42, but was 43 when she was only a week old. 

I am breastfeeding so will be bringing my lil lady, either in a sling or in the buggy or a combination of both. So that we'll be easy to spot, this is roughly what we'll look like:

Trying out a new sling #babyWearing #WearTheBabies hottest day of the year

A photo posted by Liska (@newmumonline) on May 5, 2016 at 9:14am PDT

Is this my first blogging event?
Far far from it. I went to Cybermummy in 2011 and every single BritMums Live since then. So I can celebrate five years of BritMums Live this year, knowing I was at all of them. I tend to do thorough blog posts after the conference. This is my I Was Not Alone post from 2015, as I went to the conference with my lil lady in my tummy. I'd link to all of my Britmums Live blog posts here if I wasn't so busy with baby.

I will be wearing…

Now, here's the thing! Eeek I have not sorted this out yet. And it HAS to be breastfeeding friendly and I need something for the Friday AND the Saturday. I haven't figured out yet if I can make it to the Friday fringe drinks. Hope to see you there.

What I hope to gain from #BML16:

I am hoping to enjoy being at the event with a baby bundle as this is something I have literally dreamed of for years, never having taken Aaron there as he was already walking June 2011 and it's only "babes in arms" that are allowed. I can't way to see Lottie sharing her beaming smiles with everyone. She tends to be happy, breastfeeding or sleeping, so hopefully it will go well.

My tips for a great conference:

1. If there are people you long to meet make sure you arrange to meet beforehand, or if not possible, tweet them early on in the conference, so as to hook up.
2. With that in mind, have your notifications switched on so that you don't miss their tweets.
3. Be open minded to meeting NEW people, not just those you already know online. Your new best friend could be waiting for you; don't pass them by.
4. Try and get on to the Brewery's Wifi as your battery (and data) will last longer if you do.
5. Don't get too stressed about missing sessions that clash with your chosen ones, as some people blog their notes, like I did in 2013: Notes from BritMums Live 2013 and some people even vlog sessions.
6. And actually don't worry if you miss a complete session as some people swear by this approach as it is a great time to chill with a mate, or get to speak to the brands while the hub is quiet. Be sure to visit Coca Cola as they have a stand :-) and they're my wonderful sponsor making it possible for me to attend.
7. There's cake, pastries, water and tea/coffee in plentiful supply at BritMums Live so you don't need a travel cup or sneaky snacks in your handbag :-)
8. Your phone will die, so ensure you have a spare charger or AC. I only ever have the AC, but am going to try and be organised to bring my Tommee Tippee charger pack.
9. Take lots of photos as people always regret not doing this. The year I took lots, they were wonderful to look back on BritMums Live 2013
10. Keep an eye on Twitter during the day, using #BML16 as there's always a great stream of reactions, comps and gossip on there. Many of the brands will ask you to do a tweet to enter a giveaway especially for those attending.
11. People at home follow the event virtually, using the hashtag, so don't be surprised to have excited replies to your tweets from people wanting to know all the goss!
12. In recent years The Brewery have provided outdoor space. I always forget to go out there but on a nice day it is a brilliant way to escape from it all for a breather.
13. If you see someone in the exact same outfit as you embrace it :-)
14. If you are a finalist for the Bibs, I wish you the very best of luck. I've recorded and uploaded it before. 2014 Bibs here. 2015 part one Bibs. 2015 part two Bibs.
15. Aby has very helpfully blogged 10 things all first-timers at the conference need to know.
16. If you are staying the night before and leaving straight after, bringing your suitcase to The Brewery is absolutely no bother as there is a *huge* cloakroom with ULTRA FRIENDLY assistants manning it.
17. You may need a suitcase just for your goodie bag by the way. Don't kill your shoulder carrying freebies around all day as you can add things to your cloakroom luggage.
18. PLEASE say hello. I'll be the one with a baby girl probably looking a bit overwhelmed as I try to mingle, breastfeed and be in more than one place at once.

In 2013 I got my name on a bottle with Coca Cola so it is wonderful now being sponsored by them :-)

RT @gingerbread_mum #britmumsLive
Super cool! @NewMumOnline pic.twitter.com/RSqUiJWzK9

— Liska (@NewMumOnline) June 21, 2013

Back to those dreams I mentioned at the outset of this blog post. I've dreamed for years of attending BritMums Live with a baby. Recently, I realised I have the baby but not a #BML16 ticket. Now, regular readers will know, I believe in cosmic ordering and the power of prayer, but what happened quite literally blew me away. Being a very busy new mum I haven't had chance to contact brands about sponsorship. A couple of months ago I made the decision to save up. I was faced with a choice. Save up for a birthday party for Aaron or save up to be able to afford BritMums Live. I love my baby boy, not so much the baby as the party was to celebrate turning six years of age. So, with my complete adoration for my boy and the fact he so badly wanted a soft play birthday party, I booked it. But here's the funny thing. I booked it on Saturday 11th June knowing we were there for a party the next day and that I could collect the invites Sunday to hand to school mates Monday. I was cutting it very fine as his birthday was Wednesday 15th June and the party would be Sunday 19th June. You can't get this venue for a weekend birthday party at this short notice, but with it being Father's Day I did. It also meant that only his closest friends came, which means I had the exact amount I'd paid for and didn't have the expense of extras. Here's the spooky bit. As I read out my card number to pay for the party, BritMums Live flashed through my mind followed by the words "ah well you have to speculate to accumulate". My mind was thinking "how can it go wrong when I am doing something so right" (for my son). Wow, the Gods are good as on the Monday 13th June, I got the email from Coca Cola. It means I can stay at my favourite BritMums hotel too - the Montcalm, which with a new baby in tow is much much much appreciated. So dreams REALLY can come TRUE.

Thank you so much Coca Cola.

I have enjoyed a few of the UEFA Euro 2016 matches and we are trying to get our avid footballer Aaron to watch, so that he learns more about the beautiful game. BUT I am cross it means I don't get my normal fix of Coronation Street and Eastenders - I was gutted to miss them last night. I did just stumble across this Coca Cola UEFA Euro 2016  in numbers infographic which has got me more interested in the game. Like the referendum, it makes more sense when you know the facts ha ha.

See you there - this is us today at the park after school. Bless her she loves watching her brother no matter what he is doing.