The BritMums Blog

BritMums Royal Wedding Twitter Party

Fly your Twitter bunting this Friday for the #BMRW Twitter Party

It’s the event that has got the nation, if not the world, talking. You may be a royalist; you may be anti-royal; what you can’t argue is that the impending nuptials of Wills and Kate is the event of 2011. Well, at least the event of April 2011! While some are making a mass exodus out of London, others are planning street parties or maybe even hauling their families, lock, stock and barrel into London to experience a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Blogging for improving bloggers

Erica from Littlemummy.com recently guest-posted with tips for new bloggers. For those ready to move on to the next level, here are suggestions that help you think strategically about your blog, getting more readers coming to it and comments.

Once you've mastered the basics of blogging if you're anything like me you'll become preoccupied with two things; traffic and comments.

Don't worry this phase will pass too so just embrace it! So let's tackle traffic first as without traffic there can be no comments. Traffic generally comes in three types; direct, search engine and referral.

Blogging anonymously in confidence

Ever feel like you have something you want to post about ... but would rather be anonymous? Nickie, Paula,  Sandy,  Jay,  Emily and Bumbling  feel your pain! The group run BLOGNONYMOUS. Read their story below...

We all blog for different reasons but mainly because we have something to say.  We don’t necessarily assume that people will read but if they do we are delighted and we are bolstered with the confidence that comes from having a supportive audience.

There are so many stories out there to be told and whilst many of us use a blog as an outlet, sometimes those stories are best told elsewhere, where we can’t be recognised, and where we can speak freely without worrying what people will think of us. You may not have your own blog, or any form of regular outlet and just need somewhere to let it all out.

Guest post: 6 tips for turning your blog into a business

Has your blog grown up out of something that you have a passion for? Would you love to be able to earn a living from your blog? In this article Antonia Chitty of www.becomeamumpreneur.com shares her own experiences of building a business from a blog, plus gives you 6 tips so you can do it too. Over to Antonia...

1. Have you got passion? I started blogging about something for which I have a genuine passion. I was really excited when I got a book deal to write Family Friendly Working, a book all about helping mums and dads find flexible ways to work or start their own business, and even after the book was published I was still finding relevant advice and great case studies. The blog was the perfect outlet for all this information.  Where is your passion? Does it show in your writing?

2. Persistence pays off. I added little snippets of news, advice and links to relevant events to the site on a regular basis, often daily, and soon it made sense that the blog should be the first page people would see on the site, rather than just an add-on.  How often do you blog? Whether you write 1,2 or 3 posts a week, as long as you stick to that schedule your readers know when to check in.

Get hopping! Join the #britmums Easter Blog Hop

  It's nearly Easter and most of us are knee-deep in the joy of the holidays. Some of us have more holiday to enjoy, others are half-way there. One thing's for sure, we're all enjoying the warm sunshine and finally dusting off the dregs of Winter.

To keep your reading material flowing over the next two weeks of the month, we'd like to launch the April BritMums Blog Hop. This is your chance to put your blog forward for BritMums everywhere to read and enjoy.

A BritMums Blog Hop is super simple. Just add your blog url to the linky below. If you'd like to highlight a particular post, maybe one that shows your Easter or Spring spirit or one that you're particularly proud of, then be sure to add the link to that specific post. If you'd like to add the Blog Hop linky code to a post, feel free to grab it so others can join in on the Blog Hopping goodness from your blog as well. Be sure to come back with a cuppa or a glass of your favourite adult beverage to have a browse of the brilliant blogging talent out there.

Until next month, have a very Happy Easter and enjoy the Royal Wedding next week!

 

Why do you blog? Liz @ themumblog

In our ongoing series, Liz @ The Mum Blog, gives us her views on why she blogs. Over to Liz...

What is your Blog Name/URL and Social Networking Links? My blog is called http://www.themumblog.comand you can follow me on Twitter @LizJarvisUK

What is your name/alias?  Liz Jarvis.

How did you come up with your blog name?I really wanted something that conveyed exactly what the blog was and what it's about. I was quite surprised no one had taken themumblog and thought it must be fate.

When did you start blogging? I started blogging in December 2008 but launched www.themumblog.com in April 2011.

Why did you start blogging?  After being made redundant from my role as a
Contributing Editor in December 2008 and becoming a freelance journalist I really wanted a different sort of creative outlet, so I started blogging.

Has blogging met your expectations so far?  I would say it's exceeded them.
Blogging comes really easily to me - I never run out of things to write about.
I've also made some amazing friends and enjoyed some incredible perks.

What has been your biggest challenge?In the early days of blogging of course it was getting traffic. I found joining BMB and tweeting incredibly useful for
that.

Share with us your highlight and lowlight.  I've had heaps of highlights -
making lots of really good friends, Cybermummy, trips to Florida and Disneyland
Paris, becoming an XBox ambassador. Lowlights - well I learn from all experiences, good and bad.

What do you hope to achieve through your blogging?  My main reason for blogging
is that I love the freedom it gives me to express myself/write in exactly the
way I want. When you write/edit for a living I think it's important to have an
outlet where you can just be yourself.

What has been your favourite post and why? My current favourite post is this
one. Everyone who reads it shrieks with laughter at my misfortune.  Can't think why. 

Coming soon! Our new name: BritMums

Exciting news - BMB is getting a new name!

British Mummy Bloggers has grown a lot since it began three years ago. It just makes sense that we move on to a more grown-up name. This one is shorter, it's snappier, it's "BritMums".

We'll be rolling it out on the network soon. In the meantime, be among the first to:

* Like the BritMums Facebook

* And follow us on our new BritMums Twitter account

See you online!

- Susanna and Jen

Guest post: 6 tips for setting up an internet business

More and more women are starting their own businesses, and entrepreneurship has become a way that mums and bloggers can earn money and create their ideal working situation. Even if you're starting small, there are things you can easily do to grow your business. (A great organisation to get involved with is everywoman.com, which has just opened nominations for its annual Natwest everywoman awards.)

Twenty-five year old Annabella Forbes (pictured) started her website Bed&Fed - a network of affordable, friendly guest rooms - about a year ago, and the Guardian has said, "The home from home experience and purse-friendly cost are a winning combination!"

Here, she provides her tips on getting started with an internet business.

Your #mycolours tips: 42 craft projects and dyeing ideas

Our #mycolours Twitter party, guest hosted by the lovely and talented @redtedart, revealed just how crafty and clever a bunch of mum bloggers y’all are. One blogger, @missielizzieb, tweeted a link to a cushion she dyes for her daughter’s playhouse. Just take a moment and let that sink in.

 Scroll down for great tips and ideas for the home, the family wardrobe and general how-to’s. As our sponsor Dylon (@dyetodye) tweeted to @6kidsandMe: "If you've done your hair, fabric is even easier."

Do up your home:

@missielizzieb: Couldn't find the right colour cushion for DD's playhouse, so I dyed one! #mycolours http://twitpic.com/4gv5e3 >>GORGE!

@TheRealSupermum: I made fab bed cushions by stuffing a favorite newborn babygrow of the kids make fab cushions for the kids bed & keepsakes too

The BritMums survey results: who are the mum bloggers?

Those of us within the blogging community are aware of just how varied and vibrant the community is, both in our blogging topics and our interests. Now, with the first BritMums blogging survey, we know more than ever what interests parent bloggers as well as who they are. It’s a picture that shows mum bloggers at the forefront of the social media revolution, with an eye toward the future. (Click through for some groovy charts.)

Listen to some quarters of the mainstream media and you could develop a picture of mum bloggers as stay-at-home saddos without real-world friends, neglecting their families in favour of writing self-obsessed online journal entries and tweeting with anonymous “friends”.

Blogger of the Week + 10 Must-Reads

The sun is shining, the warm breezes are blowing and the Easter holiday is nearly upon us. Mums everywhere are starting to panic and are scrambling for outings, crafts and activities to keep their children busy and their sanity intact. On those rare moments when you can escape, turn your attention to this week's Blogger of the Week and our 10 Must-Reads to give you a bit of pleasure in the madness that the school holidays bring!

This week's Blogger of the Week describes herself and her blog thus:

Today we are experiencing a high volume of...mess, artistic temperament, poorly sickness, baked beans on toast, boundary testing, sticking, baking cupcakes, sibling rivalry, missing daddy, trampolining, soft play centres, go faster stripes, tantrums, cbeebies, snatching, cuddles, snot, let's pretend, just joking, digging, macaroni cheese, Teddy bears, nursery rhymes, felt tips, crayons, buzz and woody, trains, cars, babies, naps, sleep deprivation, Lego, love.

The Alexander Residence seems like a rather lovely place to be! Especially with the beans on toast, macaroni cheese and naps. Penny Alexander, the gentle voice of The Alexander Residence, is also one of the BMB Video Bloggers and lends her viewpoint on "Why Do I Blog?"

 

I also quite enjoyed Penny's Listography post from this week. I really related to her Number Two album. I was more of a John Taylor fan but I felt the pain when Simon got married as well!

Penny's Gallery post for this week's Motherly Love theme was particularly touching. I think she honoured the weekend most appropriately with her lovely family.

Please add The Alexander Residence to your reading rota and follow Penny on Twitter @Aresidence.

10 Must-Reads:

• An English Mamma in Stockholm
• Dummy Mummy
• Insane Mum Brain
• Motherventing
• Bakes, Books and My Boys
• Here Be Boys
  
• This Lemonade Life
• And Baby Makes 3
• Working London Mummy
• Bod for Tea

Now, add these magnificent reads to your rota and then get thee some sunshine! Enjoy your week but don't forget the sunscreen!

~Karin

Guest post: blogging for beginners

Erica Douglas, aka Littlemummy, has gone from startup blogger to a mover and shaker in the blogging world, helping scores of newbies with her blogging e-workshops. Here, she guest posts at BMB with her best tips for those starting out. Here’s her best advice:

So you’ve set up your blog and now you’re wondering what next?

Blogging can be pretty daunting when you first start, as a newbie it’s easy to feel on the outside of what seems like a very exclusive club.  I’m here to tell you that there isn’t anything exclusive about this club.  Of course there are groups of bloggers that seem close as they’ve shared experiences such as attending Cybermummy 2010, going on a review trip or doing charity work in places like Bangladesh but this doesn’t mean that you can’t approach these bloggers if you’re interested in what they have to say.

Guest post: Why blogging can be good for family life

On Monday, Maggy from Red Ted Art will be guest hosting our #mycolours Twitter party, sponsored by Dylon. She'll be sharing her crafting wisdom and wants to hear your tips too! In the meantime, here she writes about how blogging benefits the entire family.

Maggy notes that the use of mother can easily be interchanged for father. "I chose mother to keep things simple. But anyone look after children should feel included!" she says. Over to Maggy:

About 6 months ago, I got “a little stick” from someone on Twitter with regards to spending too much time on blogging and not enough with my family. It was only a little “stick” and was quickly rectified. However, it did get me thinking…is blogging good for family life? What impact does my blogging have on my family? Have we as a family benefited?

Why Do You Blog? Emma @ Mellow Mummy

 In our ongoing feature, "Why Do You Blog?" it's the turn of Emma from Mellow Mummy to share her blogging story.

What is your Blog Name/URL and Social Networking Links? My blog is called Mellow Mummy and you can follow me on Twitter @jumblyMummy as well as on Facebook.

What is your name/alias?  Emma Button.  Some call me the Mellow Mummy, online I’m known as jumblyMummy.

How did you come up with your blog name? Right from the very first week after my daughter was born, people started commenting on how relaxed and mellow I was in my approach to motherhood.  after about 2 months, all of my other mummy friends started calling me the mellow mummy because they couldn’t believe how relaxed I was about all of the mummy issues they were stressing about.

When did you start blogging? November 2009, when my daughter was about 5 months old.

Why did you start blogging?  In the weeks following my daughter’s birth I was involved in the annual Mother & Baby awards testing.  All of the new mums I had met, and all of the ladies I had met from my antenatal classes seemed incredibly fascinated by my experiences and wanted to know all about the products I had been trying so that they could make decisions about what to buy themselves.  Then, as the weeks progressed and I became known as the Mellow Mummy, I wanted to find a way that I could share my thoughts and experiences and try to spread the mellow mood.

I was finally convinced to start a blog by my own Mum.  She obviously noticed that, as a Software Engineer, maternity leave was giving me computer pangs.  I was missing my days in front of the computer.  She recommended I start a blog.  So I did!  Now my Mum is a blogger as well as my Dad. A whole family of bloggers!

Has blogging met your expectations so far?  I don’t really know what I expected from blogging.  I don’t think I ever really expected it to become a hobby, but it has.  I think I probably only thought of blogging as something to entertain me during maternity leave.  It has become so much more than that.  I never really had a hobby before this.

 

I guess the other important thing to me is that I’m a software developer.  I’ve always wanted my own website, but I could never think of a reason to create one.  Blogging gave me a good reason.

What has been your biggest challenge?  Trying to find the right balance between work (I work full time, more or less, in an office full of blokes), motherhood and blogging.  I reserve blogging for after Lara’s bedtime which can often mean I don’t get online until 10pm or later.

Share with us your highlight and lowlight.  My highlight was being nominated as a finalist for the Best Baby Blog award at the 2010 MAD awards. My lowlight?  Have I had a lowlight?  I try to stay out of blogging politics – its not my thing so when I do find that people around me are involved, that’s a low point.  In these cases (which are thankfully few and far between) I tend to stick my fingers in my ears and go ‘la, la, la’ until things blow over.

What do you hope to achieve through your blogging?  Two things really.  1) Spread the mellow mood!  I’m very relaxed about some of the things that other mums get worked up about... I just want to be able to show mums that the world isn’t out to get them.  2) To share my experiences.  Bloggers who review products are in a very privileged position, especially when it comes to mother & baby products.  Lots of mums don’t get the chance to try out more than one different brand of product, so to be able to read the experiences of real mums who have tried out different brands and types of product makes a big difference when they decide which one to buy.  I have one close friend who bought two buggies, two car seats, two high chairs and two baby monitors because each time she found that she had just bought the biggest named brand around, but later found that they didn’t do all of the things she wanted; these days she always asks me for tips when ever she needs to buy a baby product!

 

These days most of the products I review on Mellow Mummy have been sent, or borrowed directly from brands but still these days, when I buy something myself that I really want to share with the world, I’ll write a review because I feel very passionately (either positively or negatively) about a product.

What has been your favourite post and why? I only wrote this post recently.  It’s not a creative work of art but to me it captures exactly what Mellow Mummy is all about.  A relaxed, happy approach to motherhood and a mellow mood that is rubbing off on my little girl.

~Karin