It would appear my first post of 2014 is going to break an unspoken rule of blogging: never blog about blogging. I’m not sure if this is a rule I once imposed on myself but, having broken it several times already, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.

Anyway, as 2014 begins I wanted to take a moment to look ahead to the new year and make some plans blog-wise. It seems as good a time as any to commit to paper some of the thoughts I’ve had over the past couple of weeks. Non-bloggers may want to skip this post…

Next month will mark my third year of blogging. I started this blog back in February 2011 while sleep-deprived and a bit confused. Emerging from those chaotic newborn days I knew I needed to make some big decisions about my career and starting a blog seemed a good place to begin. Mainly, I wanted to see if I could still write. It turned out having a baby didn’t spell the end of my ability to string a sentence together and, ultimately, I ended up leaving my full time job as a radio journalist to go freelance. Blogging played a huge part in my confidence to make that decision, so thank you blog. 

And here I am. Sitting in our brand new family home 200 odd miles from where I started this blog. We changed addresses from Berkshire to Devon. We went from renters to home-owners. We switched jobs and work patterns and the security of what we knew for something totally different. But the blog remains. To ensure it stays a faithful part of my life, there are some things I need to remember for 2014. Things I know now that I didn’t know back when I started. Things I have remembered since my enforced internet break.

1) Blogging is fun

I write this blog because I like writing, sharing photographs and, generally, having a place to be creative without the constraints of an editor or a client brief. It’s a place to share family memories and musings on parenting. Blogging is fun and, for me, remembering why I enjoy it is key to continuing to enjoy it.

2) There are no rules

You don’t HAVE to set up a G+ account. You don’t HAVE to run your own blog Facebook page. Not all bloggers are on Pinterest and there is no golden rule that good bloggers blog every day. The only rule I follow is to disclose commercial posts, the other things I pick and choose to suit me and my way of blogging. This keeps it fun.

3) Every blogger is different

Different people blog for different reasons and are motivated by different things. I plan to remember this throughout 2014 and not get bogged down in the, “My stats aren’t as good as her stats” or, “They had a better PR opportunity than me” trap. These were things that used to matter to me in the early days, as I discovered the UK parent blogging community and the discussions around blogging on Twitter and Facebook. Comparisons are a slippery slope though and, I tend to find, don’t a happy blogger make.

That’s it. Three simple statements for a fulfilling blog year (I hope). What would you add to the list?

PS. I will be sharing pretty things and little interiors projects from our new home over at my other blog Play Love Grow If you like cushions and Annie Sloan paint then do pop over and say hello.

The post Blog rules? Don’t make me laugh appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

(A cute picture of my three year old, just because.)

The out of office is on. The moving boxes are packed. The new, much worked-for house is within sniffing distance. 

On Monday we will move into our very own place in time for Christmas. As with all moves, it means lots of telephone calls and sorting and unpacking and – potentially – a teensy bit of stress. So I’m saying goodbye to the blog at least until after Christmas, when I will return to the land of the internet (providing we are connected by then).

In the meantime have a wonderful Christmas and a very merry New Year. You won’t even see me on Instagram because, incredibly, the village we’re moving to doesn’t even have 3G coverage.

I’m quite looking forward to the enforced blackout actually. I know – I am a weirdo.

The post Out of Office: ON appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

It’s not the first time I’ve considered giving up blogging and, I imagine, it won’t be the last. Time is the main reason. I never seem to have enough hours in the day, juggling work with being a mum and writing a blog. That’s not all though. Sometimes I have days where I just feel… meh… about blogging in general. I’m sure it’s something all bloggers go through at some point – and if they haven’t yet, then they will eventually.

Anyway, today I thought I’d write a post for myself. It’s to remind myself what I love, and hate, about blogging. I’m hoping it’ll help put the meh into perspective.

Writing

Writing what I want, when I want. Writing about anything that takes my fancy, in a way that takes my fancy. Even if it’s a stupid list about blogging. As someone who earns their living writing for other people, this is a rather liberating thing.

Community 

I have forged real friendships through blogging. Gemma from Helloitsgemma and Jane from Northern Mum are counted amongst some of my closest friends. I even got a birthday present from Alison at Not Another Mummy Blog. There are too many friends to mention here, but they are all mates in the proper sense of the word – not just faceless avatars on Twitter who I exchange a bit of banter with. These are real people who I see in real life, often over wine or play-dates with children.

Shared experience

Whether it’s an anecdote about something my three year old has said or done, or a serious political or ranty post, there is always a sense of shared experience when you blog. You get instant feedback and opinion from other people. You get words of commiseration, advice, wisdom or just the knowledge that, somewhere, there is someone who knows – or cares - how you’re feeling.

New skills

Three years ago, I didn’t even really know what a blog was. Through blogging, I’ve learned about writing online, taking photographs, editing photographs, using social media, using platforms like WordPress, networking, building up a business and, ultimately, being self-employed. I’m not sure I’d have learned so much, so quickly, if it wasn’t for this blog.

Being creative

Sometimes I feel drained of interest. On days when I have a three year old screaming at me, a husband late home from work, and an inbox that won’t stop pinging, it’s all I can do to remember my name, let alone anything else. Dipping in and out of reading blogs will often help me formulate ideas of my own – be those articles to write for other people, news stories to look into or creative and fun things to do at home with my daughter.

New opportunities

I’ve been to places that I might not have visited, because of this blog. I’ve worked for people that I might not have worked for, because of this blog. I’ve reviewed things I wouldn’t have bought and met people I wouldn’t have met, all because of this blog. There have been lots of new opportunities that have come about because of my tiny corner of the Internet, even if they’re not the reasons I started a blog in the first place.

Shouty behaviour

Have you ever met someone who can’t wait to tell you how great they are, how clever they are and how they are just SO much better than you? In real life, these types of people are pretty easy to avoid. But in the world of blogging it can be harder to ignore.

*Touch wood* I’ve never had a “blogging bust up” before (I’m not a fan of confrontation and I have better things to do than argue on Facebook), but I know they happen. A lot. The very sense of community that I love in blogging is also one of the things I hate. I hate the arguments, the “I know more than you”, the “I got a better PR opportunity than you”… all that stuff. I don’t see it much, but there are times when it’s hard to get away from.

Technology

I am never going to be a technical guru, much to the dismay of my IT teacher husband. I started blogging to see if I could still write, or if having a baby had zapped that part of my brain. I do not get excited about plugins or techy speak. I can appreciate when something is cool (and get a huge proud feeling when I work out a solution to a technical problem myself) but my brain doesn’t naturally work like a technical wizard. I have to puzzle over it, ask for an explanation and, inevitably, get frustrated if I don’t understand the answer.

Noise

I’ve never had so much noise in my head since I started blogging. Whether it’s a post that I want to write, a thought about a blog post or Tweet that I’ve read, or just a sense that stuff is being talked about – interesting stuff – and I want to be part of the debate… the noise is pretty much always there. I think they call it “Social Media Fatigue”. Having a phone that is constantly pinging does not help. Sometimes I wish I lived in a wood with zero Internet signal.

And that’s it for the hate list.

I think I’ve just talked myself down from the edge of the precipice. Six in favour and three against. I call that a win for blogging.

Have you ever considered giving up blogging? What do you love – and hate – about it?

The post What I love (and hate) about blogging appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

I laughed with her – she was jesting after all – and then promptly put her straight.

The thing is, I know that many people who don’t blog (journalists, family members and mates included) see it that way. They read blogs and roll their eyes when they see the blogger is reviewing something they have been given by a brand.

And I’m not just talking about “Mummy Blogs” here – beauty bloggers do reviews, as do travel bloggers, wedding bloggers, pet bloggers (I may have just made that last one up, but pet bloggers do sound pretty cool).

Anyway, back to my point. It’s not a straightforward case of bloggers being given freebies. Not in my personal experience anyway. 

I’ve worked in the media industry all my working life (I’ll be 30 this year – so it’s not forever, but it’s a while). Before I began my blog I worked as a reporter and breakfast newsreader for a big commercial radio station. Before that, I worked as a reporter for three other radio stations. Before that, I worked on a magazine and – you guessed it – before that it was newspapers.

Back then, I didn’t really know what blogging was. But I knew a freebie very well.

Whether it was tickets to a pop concert, back stage passes to a festival, a bumper box of posh crisps or a free meal at a local restaurant, they were par for the course it seemed. Boxes of random stuff would regularly turn up in the various offices I worked in. It may not have happened every day, but it certainly wasn’t rare.

Broadcasting rules stated that we couldn’t (and wouldn’t) just chat on the radio about something we’d been sent. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but it certainly never happened at any radio station I’ve worked at. The same is true of the newspapers and magazines.

To the PRs, I guess it was all about making contacts and building future relationships. It wasn’t necessarily about getting their product a free slot on prime time radio.

Fast-forward a few years and, until recently, I worked for a radio station as a presenter AND wrote this blog. I also wrote the odd magazine article and continued to contribute to a few websites. I was at the coal face of freebies, you could say.

And you know what? The only “free” freebies were the ones that arrived in the office at the radio station. Considering most of these things came through the door with no expectation or agreement to write or talk about them, they were free in all senses of the word.

But the things that I was “given” through my blog? They had a different type of price tag attached. In each case, the PR sending me the product or the tickets or inviting me to their lovely event, was doing so in return for coverage on this blog. They knew that lots of bloggers have big, engaged readerships. They wanted to tap into that and to gain a bit of publicity.

I can’t speak for all bloggers here but, for me, if I have use for a product or experience and it fits the themes on my blog, then I’m happy to do a review. But that review takes time. I’ll often Tweet about it or might put a picture on my Instagram feed (especially if it’s a review trip). In the meantime, I’ll continue to write about other stuff that interests me. And that takes time too.

So, what I suppose I’m saying, is that those “freebies” you see me getting through my blog aren’t really “free” at all. Not in the old-fashioned sense anyway. I may not have paid for them with cold hard cash, but the payment takes another form: my time and my little corner of the Internet.

After all, nothing comes for free these days, you know?

If you’re a blogger then I’d love to know your take on the whole thing. I’m not talking blagging vs blogging (that’s been covered already), but I’m interested in how you view items or experiences you’re given for review. Are they freebies, in the true sense of the word?

The post Blogging: they’re not “freebies” appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

A family wedding on one side of the country, an unexpected hospital admission (not me), followed by an eventual 8 hour journey and anxious waiting, has meant work – and the Internet has had to take a back seat this week.

Until Sunday night, this wasn’t going to be the case. It was only when I actually managed to get online and tried to figure out the logistics of doing the work I needed to do, without access to the Internet, that I realised I had to take a step back. Actually, another wise person made me realise it. I believe the actual words were: “Take the week off. There are more important things than the Internet.” (Told you they were wise words.)

It was one of those “epiphany moments”. In a flash, I understood that so much of my life depends on being online and being “connected” that when other things get in the way (someone I love falling ill, being in hospital, being in a place with no Internet, etc etc) I can’t cope. I’m ashamed that it took someone else to remind me about the important things, to help me gain a bit of perspective.

Thing is, not only do I hate letting people down – be they clients, friends, blog readers – but I hate feeling like I’m missing out.

I’ve become so used to taking a quick pic and bunging it on Instagram if I’m doing something mildly interesting (drinking a glass of wine / eating chocolate / being drawn on by my child) that the thought of not doing that was how I imagine a smoker may feel about giving up cigarettes.

I was reading a piece in The Guardian by Stuart Heritage recently about going without TV for two days a week. He discovered he suffers from “FOMO” – Fear Of Missing Out. And it’s something I realised I suffer from too. What’s Twitter talking about? What’s my Facebook feed look like today? Who’s eating what on Instagram? I have a serious social media FOMO problem.

It’s not just that though. There’s something more.

When I finally arrived at my parents’ place in Devon (more house stuff to sort – don’t ask) the first thing I wanted to do was take a picture of the view outside the window and put it on Facebook. It was like I couldn’t properly enjoy it without sharing it with the rest of the world. That’s when something my dad said in jest rang true: “There’s nothing like the loneliness of unshared experience”. It’s a quote, apparently. But oh – what a brilliant quote it is.

Perhaps if you blog, use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, this is something that strikes a chord with you too. When was the last time you were doing something really lovely, or your kid said something funny, or you were eating a tasty pudding, or just looking at a beautiful view – and you didn’t share it online?

I can tell you when mine was: today. But that’s only because I couldn’t get online.

So tell me, are experiences as good if you can’t share them?

The post The Loneliness of Unshared Experience appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Do you ever feel like you want to take a break from the internet? Ever feel the need to hole yourself away in some kind of peaceful commune, living 1980s style in a land without Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest and Google+, Instagram and blogs?

Because I do.

I’ve been feeling it a lot more recently. Maybe it’s because it seems the entire world is online these days, or maybe it’s because my own particular community of bloggers feels really busy right now. Or maybe it’s because – and this isn’t entirely my fault – I’m simply spending too much time on the internet.

I am self-employed. I earn my crust as a broadcaster for a commercial radio brand, a writer for various publications and a blogger. Every single one of these sources of income involves being online. For radio, I run the morning Twitter and Facebook feeds. For blogging – well that’s kind of obvious. And for writing, much of the places that publish my work are online magazines. And, amongst all of this, many of my clients (for blogging, presentations and workshops, copywriting etc etc etc) find me online. If the internet didn’t exist, neither would much of my work.

That said, I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us rely on some kind of online presence these days to earn an income. This is normal in our digital, multiple social media platformed world. It’s a world I’ve been heavily active in for more than two years now, since I first started blogging. So why am I suddenly so tired of it?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to delete my blog or take a year long Twitter sabbatical. I’m just wondering if there isn’t some way I could re-ignite the passion, so to speak. I love writing this blog, it’s my own personal corner of the internet. All mine. I love every single element of my work – the radio, the writing, the interaction with other people – it’s just that sometimes it all feels a bit, well, loud.

Whenever I try to explain blogging and Facebook and Twitter to my mum, I say it’s like being in a room full of people. You have to interact and chat with the other people in that room to get anything out of the experience. But, just as in real life, you get other people with loud voices and their own conversational interests. That means that, sometimes, being online can feel a bit shouty.

On shouty days, rather than sharing the amazing things going on in other people’s lives and feeling inspired by the incredibly creative types out there, I feel intimidated and exhausted. On those days I feel like I can’t be bothered to interact, because everyone is shouting louder than me and I won’t get heard anyway. That kind of negativity isn’t healthy for anyone – and it’s certainly not “me”. I like to think I’m a naturally positive, happy person. I don’t like feeling tired and apathetic.

So I’ve come up with a few rules to try and combat the social media fatigue. Going offline for a while isn’t an option for me, because of my work, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution to make me feel enthused again.

• Limit my time online – It’s one thing taking the odd Instagram shot and another spending a full 30 minutes on Twitter while your child attempts to play with you. I don’t want to be *that* mum. So from now on, rather than worry someone might think I’m rude if I don’t reply to a tweet and engage in a conversation, I’m just going to put my phone away and not look at it. After all, Twitter won’t die if I ignore it for a while.

• Do one thing at a time – If I’m writing, then I’m writing. I won’t have Tweetdeck open at the same time and I won’t just pop over to Facebook to check I’m not missing anything. Whether it’s a piece of commercial copy, a feature or a blog post, I want to have a clear mind while I’m typing. And that’s why, from now on, I’m going to focus on one thing at a time.

• Have dedicated social media black-out periods – Friday and Saturday nights tend to be the two evenings when I spend proper quality time with the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine. If I’m with him, or with my friends, then I’m going to make a concerted effort not to have my phone within tapping distance.

• Learn that I’m not missing out – I have been known to get twitchy if I haven’t checked my emails, my Twitter feed, my Facebook notifications for a full day. I worry that the world may have stopped turning for 24 hours and I’ll be the last to know. This is stupid. If people need me that badly they can ring or text. And if I miss some kind of online spat or juicy celeb gossip then who cares? I mean, seriously – it just doesn’t matter. At all.

How do you combat social media fatigue? Any more ideas for me?

The post Combating social media fatigue appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Sometimes (occasionally) cake and tea isn’t enough

Sorry Mum, it’s a post about blogging. It does happen on rare occasion, and this is one of those times.

Now Mum’s gone, I’d like to talk about bloggers and brands. Specifically, whether the relationship between bloggers and brands has changed after a certain major brand was wiped off the face of Google recently.

Before I begin, let me assure you I am no SEO guru. I know the difference between a follow and a no-follow post. I am au fait with the Google rules regarding paid for links. I’m aware that a PR isn’t the same as an SEO bod. These are all things that are clear to me and don’t need explaining.

What I’m also clear about, though, is the value I place on my time. And this is where this post is coming from.

Last week I was emailed by an SEO agency asking if I’d like to place a competition on my blog. I explained that I don’t do competitions at the moment, as I simply don’t have the time to run the admin side of things. The SEO rep replied, assuring me there would be no work involved, they just wanted me to write about the competition that would be hosted on their client’s site. So, that would be an advert then, yes?

When I got back in touch with my rates, the SEO went off to check the figures. It was all standard practice and the emails were very pleasant. Recently, I heard back from the agency. They were sorry but they were pulling their budget for the project, due to recent changes to Google algorithms and that infamous situation with a certain brand losing their place on the search engine. Fine, all to be expected really. SEO agencies are jumpy after Google cracked down on a company flouting the rules. I get that.

What I don’t get, though, is what was suggested next. “If you could just write the post anyway, with a link to the site where the competition is being held, that would be great.” To make it clear, the SEO agency wasn’t pushy. They recognised that they weren’t able to compensate me for my time or for a post on my site, but they wondered if I could do them a favour anyway. In return, they could offer me – wait for it – tweets. That’s it. They could offer some RT’s to their own client’s (unpaid) advert, from their own client’s Twitter account.

Now, call me picky, but my time is worth more than a few tweets. I write this blog because I love it. It gave me a place to be me again after I became a mum and it provided a platform to write from and launch a new direction in my career. I consider it part of my work, as I earn the odd bit of cash from it but – more importantly – it leads to new commissions for writing that I’m paid for. However, everything I choose to write on here is from my own head.

Also – unsurprisingly for a blogger – I’m active on my own Twitter account, as well as Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and various blog networks.

I don’t need “free content”. I have plenty of my own, swimming around in my brain. I don’t need tweets promoting a commercial post from a company that has no interest in engaging with me. I work 60 odd hours a week and spend my afternoons negotiating potty training and toddler tantrums. Time is something I don’t have an abundance of.

Spare moments are rare and, on the evenings when I find half an hour to write a blog post, I don’t choose for that post to be about a competition on another company’s site that I have no interest in. Not unless I’m getting paid, or being offered an experience that makes it all worth it. Otherwise it’s not worth it. Not to me anyway.

I replied to the SEO person explaining that I wouldn’t be able to help them. They totally understood and accepted that they’d have to find new ways to work with bloggers, to entice them to write about their clients. So that’s what I’m asking here. As a blogger, what is it that makes you want to write about a company and give them a precious slice of both your time and your blog space? While lots of bloggers are refusing to do follow links, does this mean the end of SEO / blogger relations?

This is one introverted blogging debate I’m genuinely interested in. Hit me with your opinions – I’m listening.

The post Bloggers and brands – what happens now? appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

Celebrating the ordinary: managing to persuade a toddler to have an afternoon nap = win.

Last week I wrote a post admitting I often struggle with feeling “not good enough“. It was one of those posts that sees you hesitate before hitting publish. I worried that I’d been too vulnerable, admitted too much, been a bit needy. No one likes needy.

But I’m glad I wrote that post. The huge range of comments it provoked, both on the blog, Twitter, Facebook and Google+, all made me realise it’s not just me. It would seem every single one of us has the odd nagging doubt from time to time.

I admitted I sometimes didn’t feel like I was doing “enough” in my working life (despite often working around 70 hours a week). I held my hands up to the fact I very rarely felt like I was doing “enough” in my role as a mum and wife. I openly shouted that I’m RUBBISH at keeping on top of the housework and the washing.

But then a funny thing happened. I had comments from other mums with sparkly careers in the media and finance. I had comments from other mums who spend all day making homemade playdough and sensory tubs. I had comments from mums with immaculate homes.

I had comments from university students worried about getting top grades, comments from dads struggling with juggling work and fatherhood and comments from grandparents who feel they should do more.

And the common theme amongst every single comment? NO ONE felt like they were continually being good enough. Whatever that may be.

And it got me thinking, maybe we need to start shouting more about the ordinary stuff. I’m not talking about the parenting wins or the amazing career breaks or the huge big life announcements on Facebook. I’m talking about the little things – making tea without burning the saucepan. Getting the kids to bed without a tantrum. Going a full two days in a row without a celebratory glass of wine in the evening.

THESE are the things we need to make more of. Then maybe we’d all realise we’re pretty much the same. Whatever your family finances, the size of your house, the success of your career, the skill of your baking or playdough making – no one is perfect all the time. And you know what? That’s OK actually.

So, here’s your chance to celebrate the ordinary. What normal, mundane stuff has gone right for you today?

The post Celebrating the ordinary appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

On this day two years ago (or maybe yesterday, or maybe tomorrow, I can’t actually remember) I sat down in front my computer and published my first ever blog post.

The post was about whether it’s ever OK to have a phone conversation with someone on the toilet. I know – a burning question I’m sure you ask yourself daily. Yeah, well. In two years of blogging my life has changed pretty drastically. I know stuff I didn’t know before. I know people I didn’t know before. I know how to DO things I didn’t know before.

Blogging has taken me to new places, given me new experiences and opened new doors in a career I didn’t even really know existed before I crept into the vast world that is the internet. 

Blogging has charted my baby’s growth into a feisty toddler and her battle to start walking. It’s taken me through family loss, new work, holidays, desperate exhaustion and mishaps with crafting. Whatever has been going on in my life off the internet, my blog has always been waiting patiently, ready for me to come back to it and do something creative.

Two years may be a tiny snip compared to other more seasoned bloggers but, personally, I don’t think you can measure a blog’s success on the time it has been around. There are some blogs I love that are less than a year old and some that have been going in the region of double figures. Two years seems like a solid time though. I’m not a baby any more. I’m a bumbling toddler.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the wonderful world of blogging in my two years here:

1) There are no limits

The only person who can put limits on what you post about is YOU. There will always be people out there trying to wield some kind of imaginary wand over the internet as they preside on their imaginary King of Blogging throne, but they don’t actually have the power to tell you what to do. As long as you don’t libel someone or break the law, you’re OK. You can write or draw or photograph about what you want. It’s YOUR blog.

2) There will always be opinions – don’t be scared of them

You can’t please all of the people all of the time. It’s just not possible. The great thing about blogging, compared to other forms of publication, is that you get an almost immediate response. You can debate stuff, agree or disagree, like a photo or not. Whatever. It’s a big wide world out there and you have a place in it.

3) Say yes and the opportunities will come

It might be a blogging conference, or a review opportunity or another blogger asking if you’d like to write a guest post for them. In the last two years I’ve said yes to lots of things and I haven’t regretted one. That’s not to say you can’t ever say no, but saying yes to things you like the look of, despite the juggle of children or weekend plans or the fact you’ve never written a review before, will likely lead to good things. It goes back to Number 1) There are no limits.

4) It pays to be nice

I think this is a life lesson generally actually. Being nice doesn’t have to mean being insincere. If you’re nice and generally considerate to people (readers, people commenting on your blog, other tweeters) you will get more back. I’ve had disagreements with people in the land of the internet before, but I’ve generally found that not running around flinging insults here and there has been in my favour. Plus, my mum reads this blog.

5) Be you

Obvious really. I don’t take the best photographs. All my pictures are taken on my phone. I read lots of blogs with beautiful images but I’m just not that blogger. I can’t do all that soft focus stuff. So I take my snaps and I write. And when I write I write in MY voice, about what I’M thinking. And that’s what makes my blog MINE. If I was writing as myself but trying to imitate the words of another blogger or columnist or whatever, that wouldn’t be authentic now, would it?

What are the things you’ve learned since you started blogging? 

The post Two years of blogging – what have I learned? appeared first on Mother's Always Right.

If you’re a blogger, the chances are you’ll be aware of a certain annual event called The MAD Blog Awards. If you’re not a blogger, you may already be scratching your head.

These awards come around every year and are – in the most part – received with a great sense of excitement in the UK parent blogging community.

For some, the idea of an awards ceremony for bloggers isn’t that appealing, as the idea of pitting bloggers “against each other” and creating a sense of competition isn’t what blogging is about for them. For others though, they see the awards as a great way to showcase their blog and find new blogs they’ve never come across before. It’s a celebration of the diverse talent around, even though it’s clear we can’t ALL win.

Personally, I’m in the latter group.

I was lucky enough to attend the 2011 MAD Blog Awards ceremony as a finalist in the Best Baby Blog category. Finding out I was shortlisted came at a really poignant time for me. I’d just decided not to return to my pre-pregnancy job and was beginning a new direction in my career, branching out from solely broadcast journalism, to writing feature articles for magazines, blogging, copywriting and doing the odd bit of radio presenting. I was newly self-emplyed and a bit scared. Making it as a finalist for a national award gave my self-confidence a much-needed boost and helped confirm that I was still good at something other than just changing dirty nappies.

This year things are different. I’m still self-employed and, working in the media industry, the landscape I work in is often changing. Blogging is now a part of what I “do” to bring home the bacon, but it’s also something I would do whether I was paid or not. I love it. It’s more than just a hobby or a job, it’s now part of who I am. When one area of my work is quiet or not going so well, my blog is always here as a quiet sanctuary to come back to and be creative. This will remain the same if I win an award or not.

But.

But. Well, it’s nice to be recognised isn’t it? Whether it’s from my blogging peers or those of you who read this blog and still aren’t really sure what a blog actually is. To find out you’ve been nominated for doing something you love is a little bit special. Or maybe that’s just me.

What I’m doing when I’m not blogging or working – being covered in stickers by my toddler.

So I’m going to embrace The MAD Blog Awards 2013 and cast my votes now. And I’m not going to be coy about the fact I would LOVE to be nominated by you if you enjoy what you read here. I’ve had a look through the categories and the only ones I could crowbar myself into are the Best Writer, Most Entertaining or Best Family Life categories.

If you’d like to vote, you’ll need to go to the MAD Blog Awards 2013 website and choose who you’d like to nominate in each category. You’ll be asked for the blog URL (in my case, this is http://www.mothersalwaysright.com) and your own name and email address. It’s quite simple really – even I managed it.

I think it’s a great opportunity to discover some new blogs and shout about the ones that you love. And if you’re in the mood for discovering new blogs, here are a few you might like to add to your reading list:

Adventures of a Middle-Aged Matron

Dorky Mum

Capture by Lucy

Lulastic and the Hippyshake

Slugs on the Refrigerator

Not Another Mummy Blog

Northern Mum

Hello It’s Gemma

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