Day two of Fit Bloggin’ started off bright and early. I decided to skip working out and headed down for breakfast around 7:30AM. Sessions started at 8:00 and lasted all day until 5, which a few short breaks and lunch in between.
There were so many sessions I wanted to attend but I ended up attending the following:
- From Hobbyist to Professional: Taking Blogging to the Next Level
- Building an Online Community: Balancing, Monetizing & Inspiring (my liveblogging session)
- Better Blog Photography: Practical Tips from How to Use Your Camera to Editing
- Design 101: Simple Tips to Build a Better Blog
- Blogger Responsibly: Where Do We Draw the Line?
Jen, Esther, Josie and Ryan giving tips on how to take your blog from a hobby to professional.
For the most part I was too busy tweeting, liveblogging or editing my liveblog post to take a ton of notes for many of the sessions but if you’re interested in the topics you should definitely check out the Fit Bloggin’ site because there are play-by-plays of all the sessions posted.
The one session I did end up taking pretty good notes for was the Design 101 with Jennette Fulda. She had some great tips for new bloggers that I thought you all might enjoy seeing so I’ll put a post this week with those tips!
Carla, Tina and Lisa speaking on blogger responsibility.
Overall, the major under lying theme from almost every session I attended was to be yourself, be authentic and do what’s right for you! I’ve got so many new ideas and inspiration running in my head now – it’s truly a great time to be health/fitness blogger and I’m excited about the direction EBF is headed.
I had the provided lunch and also grabbed a sample of a Dr.Praeger’s California veggie burger from their vendor table.
The California burgers are my favorite so I was excited to see they had samples.
By the time the afternoon rolled around quite a few of us were more than ready to get out of the hotel for some fresh air so we decided to take a stroll around the harbor.
Check out this group of foxy ladies. 
Here’s a photo of the crew (minus Nicole): me, Sana, Theodora, Jaclyn, Courtney, Gabriela, Anne, Tina!
Thanks to Anne for the pict.
Before I knew it the conference was officially over and we were on our own for the remainder of the evening. A group of us headed over to a nearby tapas restaurant for drinks. Talara was a cute spot with a fun, bright atmosphere and unique menu.
Some folks ordered dinner, others just ordered drinks. I went the drink route and shared a pitcher of white sangria with a few other ladies, including the sangria lover peeking out from behind the pitcher.
It was a blast getting to catch up with some of the bloggers outside of the conference atmosphere. Everyone is so friendly and we always have a ton to chat about but it’s hard to find time to really connect during the conference events. Especially on Saturday, as the day was completely packed with sessions.
I didn’t get a full group shot, but here’s a few of the ladies:
Brooke (Nicole’s friend from the area), Nicole, Julie and Cynthia.
Julie, Nicole, Cynthia and Beth. Love these ladies!!
After having some drinks we decided it was time to eat a little something and headed over to a Pizzazz, a tuscan grille that serves local and organic fare. The waterfront patio seating awesome, but the service was really slow (apparently Preakness weekend wrecks havoc on Baltimore). We passed the time by taking lots of photos and chatting. Tough, huh?
This was great opportunity for me because I finally got a chance to get to know everyone a little better.
It’s always fun to meet bloggers. Everyone was just as amazing in person as they seem on their blogs.
As for the food, to start we were served some fresh garlic bread. I was pretty ravenous by this time so I had a small piece.
And for dinner Gracie and I split a veggie pizza. It was gluten free with a super thin crust and tons of roasted vegetables.
I’m glad we decided to share it because it was the perfect amount of food for the two of us. Once dinner was done we all headed out to Power Plant Live, a hopping area with a variety of bars. The way it was set up, it almost seemed like a theme park full of bars instead of rides.
We picked a bar that wasn’t super busy and started a big blogger dance party!
We basically took over the stage.
Do you spy Megan back there? She drove over from her new place in MD to hang out with us. So glad I finally got a chance to meet her!
I’ve said it before but blogging conferences are awesome! Not only do you get to pick up a few tips and tricks to make your blog better but you get to meet and build relationships with so many amazing people. I’m very thankful I was able to attend Fit Bloggin’ again this year. After last year I didn’t think it could get much better, but Roni really outdid herself but putting on a well-organized, informative conference. The only thing I missed was getting a Fit Bloggin’ Thriv t-shirt. I wear my one from 2010 so often I was excited to get another one.
This morning Theodora (my bed buddy) and I headed to the train station together. We made a quick pit-stop by Starbucks for a little breakfast, where she convinced me to try her favorite- the spinach and feta egg white wrap. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was! I’m excited to have another breakfast option for traveling as I typically stick with the Starbucks oats or protein plate.
The iced coffee and wrap filled me up perfectly and I was set for the train ride home. Now, I’m back in Richmond trying to unwind and get ready for the work week. It’s always sad when a weekend you’ve been looking forward to for so long is over, but it’s also nice to be home again!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
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Brittany Mullins, HHC
