Happy blog birthday to meeee. Happy blog birthday to meee...and so on. HOORAH! I have been blogging for a year today. It is my blogy birthday. I would like a present thank you kindly. And in return? I give to you the gift of some of my favourite blogs posts and photos from the past 365 days of the year. My very first blog post was This Is Me. And quite frankly? It was terrible. But let's say it was the 'Do What You Like' of my blogging career.
My favourite photos above come after a just a few months of blogging. The top left picture was one of the many inspirations from my everyday life for my Wicked Wednesdays linky which literally is one of my favourite days of the week. I have a lovely little group of faithful bloggers that regularly link up and I can't wait to see them again in the New Year. The photo next to it was from a lovely day out at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens with the amazing and ruddy funny Hayley from Shutterflies.
'My Dirty Mummy Secrets' was Netmums blog of the week in the summer. It caused me the most amount of horrible trolling ever but you know what? I think it made me a bit tougher and just learn not to worry about the crazies that enjoy a good old moan about blog posts. FOOLS! And then a photo from some amazing lavender fields we visited...however read this to see the real story behind it...(bees, screams, crying...).
I'm so lucky to have been featured on Mumsnet during the year a few times and the story above was all about the DOOM of potty training. Two of the most exciting things to happen during the summer was my whole family (including the rents) got the chance to visit the Birmingham Grand Prix, and my little girl was used in the Debenhams back to school campaign (crazy I know). I still can't believe my little blog can offer me such fab opportunities. We also have had the chance to review lots of toys in 2014 including this ace little post office set from Learning Resources.
Imagine you are a small boy and you very first time you go to the cinema it is with the Fat Controller? THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED FOR MY SON! He was so happy and oh it was such a lovely day. During this year I have also featured on parenting website parentdish a couple times, in this picture it was my post about 'Alternative Parenting Skills'. As well as writing all about stupid things to do with being a Mum, reviews and days out. I also really love writing about our little home and my Halloween interiors piece was randomly really popular in the USA. They must love a bit of Poundland too!
This year I have made some amazing friends through blogging. Above is Californian Mum in London, Potty Mouthed Mummy and Sisterhood and All That when they came for a booze up in Brum. Below you see me at Tots100 Blogcamp with the ever so lovely Mummy Says and my true bloggy sister Taming Twins. It has been so wonderful to meet some like minded women who I can have a right good giggle with.
We love going out together as a family and two of our favourite places to visit this year have been Hatton Country World and also the Sea Life Centre. Taking my children out makes me unreasonably happy and I often film them which is something I aim to get better at in 2015! My girl also interviewed Jamelia (she shared a photo of us all together on her instagram account. Hilarious). OK well by interviewed...Mmmmm go and watch it here.
I've been to a few blogging conferences this year. My favourite was Mumsnet. I loved every second of it, from the free gin, to my friends (top right with Sisterhood and All That and the ruddy hularious Hurrah for Gin), to the ace celebs. You know I love me a celeb.
At this conference I managed to get together with the rest of the team of Mum Talk TV. This is a parenting YouTube channel that has big plans for the next year. I'm hoping to do some more collabs like the one above with Taming Twins and her beaut little girl. The picture of Micheal Ball and my dog Lucy? Well you know what. It just really makes me laugh!
Above are just a selection of some of the amazing places with got to visit in December. We have snuggles at Hatton Country World (again!), Me and the Mother at Manchester Christmas Markets, when my little ones had the whole Sea Life Centre virtually to themselves, and the hilarity that was ice skating with two toddlers. We lasted seven minutes!
My first year of blogging has sometimes been stressful with the obvious obsession with stats and rankings but putting that aside I have met some amazing people, visited some wonderful places and offered my kids the most amount of fun that two small children could ever require!
Here's to 2015. It's going to be f*cking amazing babs!