Your directions, down and right, well... I guess you have to be there...

One thing to help you, once you see the 'two blurry blobby stars', let them drift. They will exit the eyepiece to the west. In a Newtonian North is 90 degrees counterclockwise from West. And NGC5195, M51's companion, is roughly north of M51. Knowing such directions increases your confidence level about what you are seeing. You can then say "And they line up roughly north-south with the brighter/bigger blob to the south."

Hope that helps.