The MAD blog awards 2013

Hello Dear Reader,

The last twenty four hours have been a wonderful blur. I headed off on the train at lunch time courtesy of First Great Western  and enjoyed a few hours to sit and read and watch the countryside go by. I wizzed into the hotel to get changed to have my make done by Oriflame and who doesn't enjoy a bit of pampering?

Then the publicity photograph and my dress courtesy of David Neiper - made in Derbyshire, how rare is it to get English made clothes anymore? I love this dress and the service from the company.

Now all I need is another posh event to wear this stunning dress!

Met up with some wonderful bloggers including the incredibly talented Mammasaurus. The wonderful Becky from Baby Budgeting who won best thrifty blog. 

We all schmoozed with the sponsors (these clothes and train tickets are not going to pay for themselves!) 

Of course, the brilliant Sally Whittle organiser of the blog awards, and Tots100 and Marylin whose wonderful blog Soft Thistle was a finalist in the Best Family Life Blog. 

Oh and here's me receiving my award for Best Food Blog from Aime from Brabantia and Dr Ranj from BBC's CBeebies. All of the parents of young children knew exactly who he was. He hosted the awards and made the entire evening really entertaining. 

These ladies were all brought to the stage because of their outstanding contributions to blogging.

I want you to try and visit all their wonderful blogs.

Alexander Residencehttp://aresidence.co.uk/ because her videos are hysterical and THAT’S the way to raise money for charity. Penny works very hard on her blog and putting PRs in touch with other bloggers. She has a wealth of knowledge and is never too busy to share it.

Childcare is Fun because Fiona’s blog offers a free parenting advice service through which Fiona tirelessly answers dozens of queries a day. When she’s not blogging, Fiona organizes charity fun days for Save the Children, runs marathons for charity and is helping to organise a fundraising programme for baby Noah, who was born with Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus.

Dorky Mum because no cause is too small for Ruth to promote on her blog, and she always does it so eloquently. Ruth’s constant, unrelenting belief that change can and will happen is joyous, and her support of campaigns from Save the Children is deeply inspiring.

Downs Side Uphttp://www.downssideup.com/ has worked miracles for awareness of Down’s Syndrome in a very short time. Hayley has a gentle way of saying important things that help change perceptions, making us feel a part of her fight.

Edspirehttp://www.edspire.co.uk/ because in the face of terrible loss, Jennie has found the strength to support other families by raising awareness of SIDS and beginning to fundraise for charities that help families suffering the loss of a baby.  Beyond this, Jennie continues to be a fantastic mum to toddler twins, with inspiring crafts and fun activities.

Kate on Thin Ice because Kate is an understated force for change, quietly boosting the mojo of Mums via her blog and regular Twitter chats and parties, and regularly helping to raise awareness for charities online.

Mummy from the Heart because she goes out of her way to support and offer advice to new bloggers, on her blog, and through conversations on Facebook and Twitter. A busy Mum, Michelle isn’t afraid to step back from blogging to keep a healthy balance with her real life and family.

Not Even A because Kylie is an absolute rock for Mums in the premature baby community, generous with her time and advice. Kylie campaigns tirelessly for Bliss and baby charities to raise awareness of neo-natal care, and has inspired bloggers in the past year by overcoming huge adversity and still sharing support with other members of the community.

Patch of Puddles because Merry is helpful and supportive to so many in the blogging community, especially those who have lost babies.  When she isn’t home-educating her children and running a business, Merry works tirelessly with charity, bringing together bloggers to sponsor children with World Vision.

Thinly Spread because Christine is the parent we’d all like to be - intelligent, unflappable, and barely a hair out of place. But also because Christine balances blogging and blog activism perfectly, producing amazing words and gorgeous images into the bargain. She’s like the wise brown owl of the blogging world!

Jennie's blog at Edspire is all about her wonderful children, the struggles of tiny premature twins, the beautiful Matilda Mae and coping with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the heart breaking loss of the beautiful Matilda-Mae. The winner 'Mammy Woo' dedicated her award to Jennie saying 

"I dedicated my award to Jenny and Matlida Mae, I hope this wasn’t overstepping the mark and I hope it didn’t come across as rude or thoughtless......She is Precious. She is an inspiration."


Thanks for the support and the votes and I'll be back planning menus and stoveside tomorrow.

Until then

Go read and enjoy a few blogs xxxxxxxxxxxx

Love Froogs xxxxx