I need five minutes of your time for an itsy bitsy vote!

Inspire Finalist

Guess What?!!!!!!!

I’ve been jumping up and down for the last couple of weeks because I’ve reached the finals in TWO, yes that’s the TWO main parent blogging competitions this year.

Thank you to everyone who nominated me!

The first is the ‘BiBs’ or Brilliance in Blogging run by Britmums.  I’m up for the ‘Inspire’ category, and thankfully just have to sit back with all my fingers and toes crossed for the next few weeks until the BritMums Live blogging conference.

 

Mum and Dad Blog Awards 2012

But I need your help with the second!  This is for the MADs ‘Mums and Dads Blogging Awards‘ run by the Tots100 and hosted by Parentdish.

I’m defending my title as Small Business Blog and really need your votes as I’m up against some great blogs.

 

Click here to vote for me!

 

Winning last year really helped my blog take off, so winning again would be a huge bonus.  The more things like this that happen, the more I ‘get out there’ and can help Mums who aren’t enjoying their lives right now.

 

Whilst you are at it, some of you might not know many blogs, so can I give you a little hint of 3 other great blogs, and friends of mine for St Albans also up for a vote?  I wouldn’t suggest them if I didn’t think that they are great!

 

All Baby Advice – Mirka has just had a new baby and so is up for best baby blog.  I love her blog because it talks about raising bi-lingual kids

Actually Mummy - the lovely Helen writes a fab blog from the perspective of her eight year old daughter and is up for the school days blog.

Dorky Mum – Ruth is a new blogger who is unusual in that she talks about politics and is up for the best new blog

 

How to fit sex into a busy life as a parent?

Sex life for busy parents

I’m back to doing what is most popular on my blog: writing about sex!  In particular how to fit sex into a busy life as a parent.

I kept a little quiet for a while as I was in Woman’s magazine a few weeks ago, and it was REALLY embellished.  So I kept my head down incase anyone actually read it!  I wasn’t expecting to take up a whole page, I thought it would be more like a little corner, so I was a bit shocked.

Big northern one, you might want to go away for a bit as I share some . . . → Read More: How to fit sex into a busy life as a parent?

Why we changed our mind from state school to private and back again

Which is better private or state schools

Choosing schools must be one of the most stressful experiences a parent ever goes through.

Changing where you child goes to school is even worse!

Rationally there is no way that just this one choice will be the making or breaking of them.  But for some reason we become complete nutters when bewildered by choices, social pressure, decisions between private vs state schools and ghosts from our own experiences.

I’ll never pay for primary I said!

I was always a big fan of state primary, it seemed daft to pay for something that was available for free.  But never say . . . → Read More: Why we changed our mind from state school to private and back again

Lost Myself and Can’t Find My Feet

Agony Aunt for Mums

The Problem

I received an email from a Mum a week or so ago that reminded me so much of what many of us feel at times in our lives:

I feel like I’ve lost myself and really can’t do anything, be a good mum, work or even decorate our house which we moved in last year. I don’t really think I’m depressed, but just can’t find my feet. 

 

I got a little more information from her, and here are the cliff notes, which I bet many of you can relate to as well:

2.5yr old daughter who is not a good sleeper . . . → Read More: Lost Myself and Can’t Find My Feet

Top Tips For Rosacea (red skin on the face)

Easy ways to beautiful skin

I’ve got that typical Bristolian healthy pink cheek look, which along with my curly hair and mighty 5ft 4 1/2 inches, does have the tendency to make me look like a hobbit.

The problem is that those pink cheeks can easily descend into Rosacea, especially in the early years when I didn’t know much about it.

Now a days I manage my skin so well that no one would know how difficult it is, so I thought I’d share my top tips:

1) Avoid highly perfumed products

2) Be careful of aromatherapy products

3) Don’t let your skin get dry, . . . → Read More: Top Tips For Rosacea (red skin on the face)

Review of The Lorax And Little Frankie And Benny’s

Face Paint Of The Lorax

Last weekend I felt really chuffed because due to my blogging I was able to give the family a big treat.

First we went to see the family premier of ‘The Lorax’ by Dr Seuss.  I was unsure as I’ve never been convinced by Dr Seuss (I just don’t get what ‘one fish, two fish, blue fish, red fish’ is about!), so I haven’t read many of his books.  But the opportunity for face painting, balloon modelling and seeing a 3D film convinced me, so off we went.

Curly Headed Boy (6yo) was TRANSFIXED from beginning to end.  It’s a . . . → Read More: Review of The Lorax And Little Frankie And Benny’s

#BlogItForBabies and Predictions for Mummy Blogging in the UK for 2012

I’m sorry, I haven’t been here for a few days.

‘Where’ve you been?’ you might ask?

Well I was over at Nickie’s place on the fabulous IAmTypecast blog discussing my predictions for the UK Mummy Blogging Community for 2012.  I didn’t post it here as I know many of my lovely readers are not bloggers.  But you might want to take a look, as some of the lessons to be learnt by bloggers in this coming year also work for other groups of people.

I love the Mummy Blogging community, and I think it has great potential.  But . . . → Read More: #BlogItForBabies and Predictions for Mummy Blogging in the UK for 2012

Ten Tops Tips For Beautiful Skin On A Budget

Easy ways to beautiful skin

 

One of my biggest tips to looking after yourself and feeling sparklier is to look after your skin.

There is no short cut; Kate Moss is a good living example of how partying and not looking after your skin will catch up to you eventually.

However, you also don’t have to go as far as Gwyneth Paltrow and you don’t have to spend a fortune.

I’m really fussy as I have rosacea and therefore the products I use have to be Paraben free (you wouldn’t believe the difference it makes).  But luckily there are now really good value . . . → Read More: Ten Tops Tips For Beautiful Skin On A Budget

(Re)Subscribe By Email To My Blog

Subscribe to the Mummy Whisperer Blog

Yay you can now subscribe by email to my blog!!

Already subscribed?  Sorry, there is a slight problem …  I was very excited when I first managed this a few months ago.  But anyone who subscribed then is on the wrong feed.  Sorry!  Can you subscribe again pretty please?

Why bother?

Well otherwise you might miss some of the amazing tips I give, or updates on my life which are obviously crucial to your very existence!

If you haven’t read it yet and want to know why you might enjoy it, the main difference is that I . . . → Read More: (Re)Subscribe By Email To My Blog

My Five Top Tips On Deciding Whether To Buy Something

Tips on buying decisions

However much we cut back, at some point we do have to buy stuff.

The hairy northerner and I cut our costs drastically when he was made redundant, really only buying the most basic stuff we HAD to buy.

But now he has a short term contract, we’ve started to buy things again.  Obviously, over the months the list of what we NEEDED and would really LIKE to have, had grown a bit.

So how on earth to work out what to buy, what to buy later, and what not to buy?

Here are . . . → Read More: My Five Top Tips On Deciding Whether To Buy Something