I’m probably starting to sound like a stuck record, but it’s been another hectic week. There’s only one more week until play week, so rehearsals have ramped up, and are finishing later as we work to get everything running as smoothly as possible for opening night. An example of how busy I’ve been was this morning, when I had to find the geekdaughter’s ballet uniform for her class. After a lot of hunting I finally found her leotard and tights at the bottom of the dirty washing basket where they’d been thrown after last week’s class. So, great Mum as I am, I fished them out and made her wear them again – I’m sure no-one noticed! You’ll be pleased to know I have already washed them, so we won’t have the same experienced next week! That just shows how hectic things are at the moment. However, in the midst of all the chaos, I am still taking my daily photos, and here is my selection for this week: [click to continue…]
I talk a lot about the educational benefits of the iPad to young kids, and I have seen my own children learn so much from it. However, when I’ve been asked to recommend educational apps for older kids I have up until now struggled to find anything. So when the makers of the Wonders of the Universe app asked me to take a look at their latest offering, the Wonders of Life, I jumped at the chance.
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It’s awards season in the UK parent blogging world, which means things go a little bit crazy. Twitter and Facebook seem awash with voices asking to be considered, asking for votes. Nominations for the MAD Blog Awards are open now, and it won’t be long before the Brilliance in Blogging awards open up as well.
Three years ago I dipped my toe in the water for the first time with blogging awards, and with less than a year’s blogging here under my belt I asked my readers if they’d consider nominating me for a MAD Blog Award. You did, and have done so every year since then, for which I am hugely grateful. Not many bloggers have managed to be a Finalist in the MADs for three years in a row, and even fewer have actually won one. I consider myself hugely lucky, and will never fail to smile every time I think of that lovely glass trophy that still has pride of place in my ornament case.
I’m not writing this post to ask you to nominate me for an award (although don’t get me wrong, I would absolutely LOVE to be a Finalist again this year!), I’m writing this post to ask you simply to nominate. Whichever blogs you enjoy reading the most. Because as bloggers we spend a lot of time writing, sharing, telling our stories, and there aren’t many opportunities for us to get feedback, for us to find out that people like what we’re doing. The MAD Blog Awards publish lists of every blog that has been nominated before the Finalists are announced. Yes, just one nomination will earn your favourite blogs a place on that list. And what blogger could fail to smile to see that at least one person thinks they are the best at what they do?
I’ve been stalking the lists, and I am hugely grateful to anyone who has already nominated me. It definitely brought a smile to my face to see myself in the list of nominees in the “most innovative” category again. This is the kind of thing that inspires me and so many other bloggers like me to keep writing, to keep producing content, to keep telling our stories. So please, make your favourite bloggers smile and nominate them now.
(nominations close on the 14th March)
It has been a completely mad week, and I am very tired at the moment. Three evenings out (two rehearsals for the play and one “treat” night) plus a day trip to London have taken their toll, and when you add in a couple of early mornings, one when my son woke us by crying at 5.30 because he’d lost his blankie and this morning, when I could have had more sleep but for some reason was just wide awake at 6.30 – ugh! So I haven’t felt very inspired in the photography department, but am proud that I’ve still managed to stick to my resolution and post a photo each day. Here are my photos from this week: [click to continue…]
