It is awards season, one of my favourite seasons don’t you know. Who doesn’t love a good award. Yes, I’m one of those people who gets excited for the Oscars. Finally, Leo got his Oscar. I also love the Brit Awards and playing guess which drunken rock star will storm the stage. Awards are always good fun. I have only been to two award events, if we don’t count when I was awarded my degree, and I was nearly late for that! One was for oldest when she graduated Reception and was giving an award for having the l - o - n - g - e - s - t pronounciation of any word. That was a proud moment. You will pleased to know that I managed to refrain from storming the stage and rugby tackling my daughter into a hug. Although hands-up I may have whooped, cried a little and then demanded a speech and a selfie from the winner, my daughter. You will also be relieved to know that I was the only one being a tiny bit debauched, although I suspect that some of the other nominees were high on juice, and then let’s not talk about the toilet accident that nearly happened stage right.

 

The second award evening I attended was a slightly more sedate affair. It was for Mr C who was awarded a design and communication award for his work in engineering. There were no 5 year olds canonballing off the stage just lots of men in suits. I realise that I am focussing on the actual awards event but to little ole me stuck on Jersey an awards evening reeks of glamour, even ones with engineers discussing erections *sniggers*. They did seem rather bemused by the fact that I found the talk of erecting buildings rather funny. However, the awards evening isn’t what it’s really about. Although if anyone would like to take me as their plus 1 then I am more than willing to acompany you. Leo takes his Mum, you can take me.

 

 

The real reason I love awards is that it is a way of sharing the love. The Tots100 MAD awards are our chance to vote for the blogs we love to read, the blogs that have inspired us and the blogs that make us laugh. It is a way of showing bloggers that we recognise their excellence. It is a lovely way of showing fellow bloggers that we recognise their hard work. So who will I be nominating this year? I am still undecided on some and this list could possibly change but this is what I am thinking so far.

 

 

 

Blog of the Year - oh gosh this is a hard one. So many good blogs out there. I love Hurrah for Gin for making me laugh. All. Of. The. Time. Although she hasn’t blogged recently. I also really like Rainbeaubelle and her amazing, powerful writing. Then there is Tigerlilly Quinn for just a really lovely read.

 

Best Pregnancy blog - This is the one category that I am struggling with. If anybody has any recommendations then please let me know.

 

Best Baby Blog - The Olivers Madhouse

 

Best Pre-School Blog - Mum Muddling Through

 

Best School Days Blog - Life Love and Dirty Dishes

 

Best Family Travel Blog - has to be Extraordinary Chaos or Coombe Mill

 

Best Craft Blog - Mum in the madhouse

 

Best Thrifty Blog - Diary of a Frugal Family

 

Best Food Blog - Handy Herbs

 

Best Lifestyle Blog - The Twinkle Diaries or Mummy of boy girl twins

 

Best Writer - Rainbeaubelle

 

Best use of photography - You Baby Me Mummy

 

Best use of video - Mrs Meldrum

 

Best new blog - ???? *whispers and blushes* Me……

 

I would love to be nominated for best new blog and I hate to ask but if anyone would like to nominate me then I would be over the moon. Really I would. I have never ever been nominated for anything. Well there was the one time that my friends nominated me as the person

 

“most likely to never, ever, settle down and have children”

 

10 years later married to Mr C with two children and I am not sure if I was a worthy recipient of that nomination. I have won an award, once. Yep, 100% attendance in Year 7. Not the most worthy of awards. I received an award for not getting ill. Really it should have been my immune system that received it. Anyway I digress.

I might have only been blogging since January but I have fallen head over heels in love with it. My blogging highlights continue to be when someone takes the time to read a post and comment on it. Although it was also rather lovely featuring in tots100 and also being in The Huffington Post was very exciting too. Being nominated would mean that I can prove to Mr C that spending hour upon hour blogging is a very valid pastime. It would also be nice to tell my kids that I went for it and now I have been nominated. It would also mean that I might actually tell my friends that I blog. But the most exciting thing of all is that it would mean that I might get an opportunity to get off the island, put my heels on and get a night out. So nominate me and get me off this island 😉

On a serious note I am loving this blogging ride and to receive a nomination would mean the world to me. It would be more exciting than the time I met Joseph Fiennes or even more exciting than the time I auditioned to be a cbeebies presenter. You get the picture. I would be very excited.

Who will you be voting for? You can vote here at tots100 Share the love

Good luck everyone.

Ps I make a mean chocolate brownie.

Last Tuesday was a day of extremes, the kind of day that reminds you that life can be very unpredictable. The day started with the fantastic news that one of my articles was on Tots100. You can read that here. I was feeling rather happy that the dipping of toes (or should that be full on submerging) into the blogging world was paying off. I was excited for what I could do next.

 

It has long been my dream to write and get published. Aged 4 I would sit at our dining room table typing stories on my Tomy typewriter, aged 15 I was still writing stories in secret and aged 19 I was at university studying some of the greatest stories and plays ever written.

 

 

Then real life got in the way. Children came along and I was busy with my career so I packed my writing books away, stashing them away in the loft to collect dust. However, a life changing opportunity gave us the chance to relocate to Jersey and as a result I walked away from my career (you can read about that here). Leaving my career means that I am now a stay at home Mum to our two children, something I didn’t think would ever be possible. It also means that I am now able to follow my dreams of writing. As such I am studying for a part-time masters in creative writing and I am now writing this blog. I very nearly didn’t start this blog but I made it my New Year’s resolution to follow my dreams. Putting myself out there is scary. I have already had one minor brush with a troll but I won’t let that stop me from writing. In the past I have put too much weight on what others think of me but I have come to realise that you can’t please everyone. Also I am bringing up my girls by telling them

 

to be fearless and to go after what they want.

 

To do that I need to be practising what I preach. So this is the new me and I thought I should share what I have learnt so far;

 

 

• It is really scary.

 

It is so scary but being scared is good. It makes us feel alive. That is why you get people that are addicted to base-jumping because they like feeling alive. So if writing makes us feel alive then that is great because it is safer than base jumping! Blogging can seem very very daunting and that is why the blogging community is fantastic. If you are unsure of anything or just need help then you can just ask. People love to help. So go ahead and put yourself out there. Build those relationships in the community and ask people for their honest feedback.

 

•Get resilient

 

There will be people who don’t understand why you blog, there will be people who don’t like what you blog. Don’t let them stand in your way. If there are people that are offering you constructive criticism then that is fantastic and you should learn from it. See it as part of the learning process. However just ignore the people that are being mean spirited for the sake of it. There are always people who like to project their negativity onto others and the best thing you can do it is to block them.

 

 

•Sacrifices

 

You will need to make sacrifices so that you can find the time to blog. Mine is that I give up most evenings. However, I am very lucky in that I have a supportive husband who understands that I need to write. By writing I am putting myself out there, I am taking a chance so I want to put my all into it.

 

•Don’t overthink it

 

Sometimes I find myself asking why am I doing this? What is the purpose of this? When really the answer is simple. I am doing it because I want to and because I love writing. I have a tendency to overthink everything and worry about the final outcome. But with writing that is the point, there is no final destination. It is about enjoying the process. Enjoying the journey. Learning from my mistakes.

 

•Embrace it

 

Like I say in my article for Tots100 you really need to go for it! Read lots of blogs as this can spark your creativity. Get involved in the linkies, get commenting and get sharing. Share the love. But don’t worry if it seems that everything isn’t falling into place as quick as you like. Don’t worry if you aren’t getting those comments. Keep plugging at it. Think about why people might not be commenting. Do you need to invite people to comment on your post, perhaps you should finish with a question inviting answers. Recognise what you need to work on and develop it. Whilst remembering that Rome (and all good blogs) weren’t built overnight. Blogging takes time and commitment.

 

•Timing

 

Are you still waiting for the perfect time to start that blog? Well there is no perfect time to start that blog. Start it today, no better than that, start it right now! You might be scared and you might be uncertain, you might not know what you are doing. These are all the reasons why you should start. How will you learn if you don’t start! Stop waiting, the longer you wait the more time you are wasting. You should always start before you are ready because to be honest you are never ready.

 

 

 

 

Last Tuesday reminded me that I was doing the right thing chasing my dreams but it wasn’t just the article that served as a timely reminder. It was the school run. Normally a straight forward event but there was a red storm warning out on the island. The wind was howling and the road was covered in debris as the rain lashed at the car. It was through the car window as the windscreen wipers battled the wind and rain that we saw the large tree crashed down in front of our car and blocking the road. Had I not struggled to get out of the car park or had I driven a little bit faster then who knows what might have happened. What it did remind me was that life can change in a blink of an eye, that we need to make the most of the life that we have and that we need to chase our dreams. I am very grateful that I no longer have to work the long hours in the classroom, I am very grateful that I am a stay at home Mum and I am very grateful that I now have the time to write. But most of all I am very grateful for the tree that didn’t hit my car and reminded the girls and me just how lucky we are.

 

If you have a dream then grab it. Quick.

 

 

 

I have recently realised that my daughter is actually Kanye West. Not convinced? Well let me explain;

 

 

•Like Kanye my daughter is riding the seesaw of emotions. One minute she is happy and she is giggling away, the next minute she is having a very public meltdown in Waitrose, screeching as she lies on her back and flaps her arms like an injured bird. The reason for this outrage? Well like Kanye it is because i’m not letting her express her creativity, which apparently is demonstrated by leaving tooth marks in all of the carrots. The carrots to youngest are what twitter is to Kanye.

 

 

•Whilst Kayne continues to extend the lyrical and musical boundaries of rap my daughter continues to do this with the English language. Inventing new words that we must understand or face the wrath. Some of these words include foof for seatbelt and pancakes for Jaffa Cakes. Clearly a genius.

•Kanye describes himself as “the most important living artist” threenager would describe herself as the most important person in the whole entire world. As such we must worship and do exactly what threenager demands. Threenager is very self-indulgent.

 

 

•Like Kanye we must never ever question the genius that is threenager. Who are we to say that ice-lollies are not acceptable to eat for breakfast? No, we must accept that ice-lollies are indeed the perfect breakfast. We must applaud threenager for inventing a new breakfast that is perfect for children who demand breakfast on the go.

•Kanye once said “there’s nothing i’m doing that’s uncool” and like Kanye threenager has invented her own ‘unique’ fashion line which involves wearing princess dresses over jeans and with welly boots. But also like Kanye we must not openly criticise her fashion choices. No, it’s our fault that we don’t always get her fashion choices. Threenager is just being so innovative.

 

 

•Kanye once said that he was “more that 50% responsible for every man’s shoe that they sell. This is the same for threenager, but instead of shoes it’s biscuits and it’s threenager (well me, acting on her behalf) buying all of the biscuits. There was a headline the other day in the Jersey Evening Post that there was a shortage of biscuits on the island. I realised then that threenager had finally done it, she had eaten all the biscuits on the island. Impressive work.

 

 

•Kanye is running for president. Threenager is already president in our house, hang on president isn’t the right word. Perhaps despot?

•Kanye has a love hate relationship with the paparazzi. This is the same for threenager, she will happily pose for photos when she is the star of the show but lo and behold if she has to pose with anyone. No, that will not work for threenager. Recent example of this being when she refused to pose with oldest in her school photo. Cue an epic Kanye meltdown which involved her screaming “no” and stamping her foot. Very Kanye.

 

 

•Kanye can feel a little hard done by and has had an epic twitter rant about how poor he is. The same goes for threenager who is also very hard done by as I won’t let her eat biscuits morning, noon and night. Cue epic ranting.

•Kanye sees the world as his “own canvas” and so does youngest. This includes expressing herself on my white walls, on herself and on her sister.

 

 

•Kanye once said “I will be the loudest voice” Yep, threenager has that nailed, just ask the neighbours.

•Threenager also agrees with Kanye that “ninjas are totally cool….I just don’t know any personally” but threenager can go one better as she is an actual ninja too and one that likes to practice her moves on me!

So that concludes my evidence and by now I hope that I have persuaded you that my daughter could actually be Kanye. Still not convinced? Well, let me leave you with this question -

Have you ever seen threenager and Kanye in the same room?

Ah-ha! I rest my case.