This motherhood journey from the very start has been a real rollercoaster ride for me but I think all mothers can relate to this. If you have been following my blogs you can vouch for me, when I say that this journey hasn't been easy at all. Some days I personally felt happy and full of positivity but other days were not great and I felt quite low at times.
A couple months back I decided that I was going to change my life for the better, I desperately want to succeed and my sole motivator has definitely been my son. I changed what I was eating, who I was around and the places that I went to. I did all this because I realised that more often than not my low moods were a result of me feeling lonely. Who remembers this saying " been in a place so full of people but feeling so lonely"? Well truth is, I have, so I could relate because this was how I felt most of the time.
I imagined life with friends that I could actually talk with and friends who could actually relate to me and not get bored of me talking about mum life. So I just woke up with the mindset that everything has its season and this season was the season to start fresh and gain a new circle of friends. I began following more mothers on Instagram and that is where it all began for me.
I signed up to a lot of mummy social events and joined a few motherhood groups which are local to me. Below I want to share with you a few of my favourite mummy social events and programs I have recently been attending mainly in London. I will be sharing what I took away and why I enjoyed each one. Hopefully this will give you an insight to my personal experiences.
#Mums and Tea
My first ever mummy event I attended was called ‘Mums and Tea’. It was all about connecting and meeting new mothers. We came together and had some tea mainly talking and getting to know everyone. I had such a good afternoon when I attended the East London meet up. I remember being quite nervous because I did not know anyone attending. Literally, never spoken with anyone just went with me and my son, so yeah it was a bit daunting. Knowing that it was nothing I had done before, I was still determined to give it a try.
I must say from the very first time I walked through the doors I felt at home. Everyone was so welcoming and the best part was that I could bring my little Jerry along to a safe and friendly environment. Not feeling judged was a breath of fresh air, everyone present were mothers too which meant that we were all in the same boat. To clarify, a lot of times when I go out with my son to places like restaurants people would stare at us, when Jerry starts fussing or when he wants to run up and down they would look at me as in to say control your child. So it was a complete relief for me as we all understood the needs of our children.
Mums and Tea picked the perfect location and provided me with a fantastic opportunity as I was able to meet some wonderful mothers and network. Seeing all these fabulous, hard working mothers from different walks of life really inspired me. It pushed me to keep growing and believe in my dreams again. We each got some lovely sponsored goodie bags that always had amazing, quirky gifts for both baby and mummy. My main reason for attending was to meet new mothers and that was definitely achieved, I felt included and both me and Jerry loved every moment of our time there.
#Time 4 Mums
This was my most recent mommy social event I attended and it blew my mind!! The whole concept was brilliant!
‘Time 4 Mums’ is an overnight retreat that was organised just for us-MUMS. This being their first retreat meant that everyone was new and most mothers had not met before. This was perfect for me because being a mother has been very demanding. Let's be honest us mums are always on the go, constantly busy with; cleaning, working, cooking, taking care of the kids, doing the laundry, playing or doing food shopping, the list goes on right? Well at this retreat all mothers got to completely relax and be pampered at the Hilton hotel for such an affordable price. #mumLifeEveryPennyCounts haha!
Time 4 Mums helped me to remember what relaxing actually felt like because it had been a long time since I was able to unwind. I had a lovely spa treatment that included a full head, neck and back massage and full access to the saunas, steam rooms, jacuzzi and pool area. How awesome is this please??
Time 4 Mums not only helped me relax again but it also helped me to find myself, remembering the fun, lively, full of energy, me! I created lifelong friendships because we had time to really get to know one another, it was great. The girls night was incredible, we had lots of bonding time, we danced and talked all night, sharing all our funny motherhood stories as well as our struggles and problems in life. We all pretty much shared our mummy hacks and I personally loved how everyone was so real and honest. OMG guys! Rewind~ I never knew how much I missed having a double bed to myself and the best part was not being woken up with cries (In my case... Jerry pulling my hair out or biting me) early morning on a weekend.
I will definitely never forget this experience because Celma (the co-founder of Time 4 Mums) went above and beyond all my expectations. She not only made sure that all 20+ mums felt included, relaxed and happy whilst at the retreat but she also showed how much she cares about all of our well beings by making time for us to all have one-to-one girl talk with her.
#Mummy fitness
This for me hit the nail on the head! I love fitness and like most mothers I desperately wanted to get back in shape because after birth my body just changed plus going to the gym was even harder. I prefer working out with a group of friends rather than on my own and so Mummy Fitness was amazing. Gabrielle the founder of Mummy Fitness organised sessions where mothers can come together and work out as a group. It was so cool because all of us mums that attended had different needs but she tailored our workout sessions so that everyone's needs were met. She also focused on working those all important abdominal and back muscles.
For me Mummy Fitness was full of fun, positive vibes and good music during our workouts. It was exercising and socialising which is what I love! Everyone was motivated and motivating each other. We became a bunch of mothers all with the same or similar goals, mainly around improving our health and fitness. Mummy Fitness reminded me that exercising can be fun and even after giving birth it is possible to keep fit and get in shape. I attended only a few sessions but in that time my body began toning up and regaining its shape. I also learnt lots of different workouts I could try whilst at home. Now words cannot explain the positive impact that attending a few sessions has had on not just my health and fitness physically but also mentally.
#The motherhood group
This event was on another scale it was special to me because I got to feed my brain. My experience was amazing. Yes, I know I use amazing a lot but this event truly was amazing lol. All mothers got together and discussed different topics that we don't usually talk about. I loved it because you could ask questions anonymously. The event I attended was based on co-parenting and relationships so we spoke about things in connection to these topics. For example, when is the right time to introduce your child to you new partners and lots of other complicated situations. It was interesting and I learnt a lot because sometimes it is good to just listen and hear lots of mothers were experienced. We discussed things that I had not even thought of before, everyone was very respectful but honest and kept it real.
At the Motherhood Group we had special guest: Jamelia, who came down to share her knowledge and experiences on motherhood with us. One of the things that really stood out to me was when we discussed 'spending time with our kids and work life'. Jamelia answered our questions thoroughly taking time to explain her answered properly. I really appreciated that.
The Motherhood Group also gave me the opportunity to network, this was not something I intended to do on the day it just happened naturally. There were lots of business focused mothers (entrepreneurs), bloggers and vloggers that came along to both events that I attended.
All the above events was exactly what I was looking for and what I needed. So I want to thank all four founders. You not only brought your fantastic visions and ideas to life but you helped me find myself again. You helped me remember my dreams and I have a vision for myself and son’s future, you gave me precious advice, you gave me support, you helped me create friendships and bonds that will last. A big thank you from the bottom of my heart!
If you have not heard of these groups please check them out on social media and come along to there next event, it will be worth it! Who knows you might bump into me and not so little Jerry.
Thank you
