Us MAD Bloggers

I’d rather read blogs than magazines. I prefer reading about real lives than watching soap operas. The television is reserved for movie nights. My MacBook gets a lot more viewing hours.

And I love writing. I’ve always loved writing. I prefer writing my thoughts to speaking them. I’m one of those people that would rather correspond in the written word than via telephone. I should have been born before the age of the telephone – but then there wouldn’t be blogging, alas.

I also love taking photographs – goes with the territory of being a parent (just don’t want to miss a single moment!). But taking photographs isn’t just about capturing the memories – it’s also about seeing the world in different shades through fresh eyes. Our children teach us to live in the moment and to look at everything from a fresh perspective; from a blade of grass to dust floating in a sun beam through the window.

I’ve met some wonderful people through blogging communities – and they are communities. We support one other, inspire, encourage. We find we are not alone (when our children decide to throw a tantrum of volcanic proportions and leave trails of poo on the carpet).

And for the Mummy And Daddy Bloggers amongst us blogging helps ease the MADness of parenting – I won’t say it keeps us sane (probably makes us more insane in some ways… late nights twittering to one another when we should be sleeping!), but it gives us the opportunity to laugh at our insanity.

Blogging crosses borders and time-zones. Night feeds are more bearable when there’s someone else awake – even if they are on the other side of the world. When life seems to be one whirl-wind of dirty laundry, Weet-bix concreted to the kitchen floor, windows that might as well be walls for all the dirty hand-prints that make them impossible to see clearly through, and never ending rounds in the kitchen, blogging provides a moment of escapism. Of course a holiday, sans children, on a tropical island would hold more appeal at times – but really that’s just a pipe-dream for most of us… so a few moments reading about someone else’s day is often just the ticket to lift the shroud of grease, dust and play-dough.

So this post is dedicated to the wonderful bloggers that make my day (and night) and help me feel like I ‘belong’ in this MAD blogger world.

Welcome to the MAD awards 2011 – celebrating the UK’s best Mum and Dad blogs.

Nominations are now open till 22nd April 2011.

There are 15 different categories in which to nominate favourite MAD reads. With such amazing talent it’s a tough job to choose favourites, but the awards aren’t just about choosing winners – they are also a great opportunity to discover new favourite reads; The MAD Blog Awards 2011 Bloggy Updates are great.

And the Tots100 index lists over 1,600 blogs!  I love the ‘Ten at Ten‘ weekly round up of favourite Tots100 posts. I’m going to spend this weekend with a few strong lattes reading some of my favourite blogs, as well as many new ones, in attempt to choose one blog for each category. If you love reading blogs, then get a brew and get browsing!

And since I’m sharing the blog love here – and I’m a Brit down under in New Zealand – I must give a quick plug for ‘Kiwi Mummy Blogs‘ – which now lists over 340 blogs!

Yes, I’m a MAD blogger, who used to have a real social life in the evening (before children) but now has an ‘on-line’ night-owl existence instead – and spend the day doing crazy things with my children – like setting the camera to self-timer setting and jumping up and down in the garden like a deranged pixie! Happy reading 🙂