The BritMums Blog

Blogger of the Week + 10 must-reads

It's time to shake off the "Cyberlag" that many of us are feeling and get back to reality! Right? Right! What better way than to get back to our weekly routine of highlighting bloggers who are shaking up the Blogosphere? We love highlighting bloggers who are making us sit up and take notice.

The BritMums Blogger of the Week has been making us sit up and take notice for some time now, actually. She's a prolific blogger who is beloved by all as she's a truly genuine and lovely person both in the flesh and on the internet. Her positive attitude, smiling disposition and generosity are second to none. She was a live-blogger extraordinaire this past weekend at CyberMummy and can always be counted on to support events going on in the blogging community. Who is she? None other than...

Guest post: A comprehensive guide to blogging and tax

Dawn Brown is a Chartered Accountant with who runs her own practice ABC North East specialising in small business accounting and tax advice. Aside from running her own business Dawn is also a busy mum to 2 under 18 months and can be found on her parenting blog Knees Up Mother Brown and on twitter @Dawnie_Brown. Over to Dawn...

I have put together the following guide to blogging and tax. Please bear in mind that tax is a huge area and that it also depends on any other income you may have etc and so this guide is a general guide and if you have any concerns relating to your personal taxation situation then you should really speak to an accountant or tax adviser.

So make sure you are prepared with a big mug of tea and biscuits and we shall begin :) Any questions on anything, just leave me a comment and I’ll answer it for you this week.

Guest post: The summer festival packing guide for parents

Tara King is a journalist, blogger (hanwellnest.wordpress.com) and mum to two small boys. She takes any opportunity to get away with the family to festivals, cool campsites and British beaches – whatever the weather. Here, she gives her best tips for arriving prepared and enjoying the fun with the entire family. (Special thanks to Jamie Baker/Camp Bestival for the picture.)

Taking your kids to a music festival offers a kaleidoscope of sensory and fun-packed experiences all packed into one short weekend. Tumbling around fields in the English sunshine, listening to live music, watching quirky acts, dressing up and eating tasty delights from caterers such as the superb River Cottage…what more could a family ask for?

LolliBop Festival Giveaway

We've got 4 sets of VIP family tickets for the LolliBop festival to giveaway! (thanks to the Fruit Shoot My-5 team).

Lollibop runs August 5-7 August in Regents Park and  is a great day out for families with under 10s. This 3-day event is the UK’s only festival where all the entertainment is for children. Tickets are limited to 2,500 families per day.

All you need to to is leave a comment below before  with the answer this question: 

Which age group is this festival aimed at? (if you need some help, the answer is in bold above).

This competition is now closed.

Free download of Samuel L Jackson reading Go the F--k to Sleep

Adam Mansbach's poetic, pleading bedtime story has captured the attention of every parent who's ever felt the red mist descend while trying to get their child to settle for the night. But what really brings the story to life is to listen to it read by Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction.

You can download it for free from Audible.co.uk, so even when you are tearing your hair out hours after your child's bedtime, you'll at least be in good company.

Silent Sunday

Countdown to CyberMummy: mummy bloggers have gone mainstream!

Make sure you pick up a copy of the Sun today to see founding BritMums members Tara Cain, Laura Driver and Amy Sheridan in a feature called: The Mummy Bloggers.

BritMums even gets a mention.

Does this mean we've hit the mainstream?

The paternal touch!

I saw this flying around Twitter and couldn't resist posting. Looks like President Obama has one-upped Michelle. Sometimes it just takes a daddy's touch...

 

Blogger(s) of the Week: The CyberMummy Live Bloggers!

This week there's something special going on. What is it? Hmmmm...I don't know...I just haven't heard much about it I don't think!

HA!

Yes, that's right, on Saturday there will be approximately 400 attendees gathering together to celebrate blogging at CyberMummy11.

Countdown to CyberMummy: Top Tips for Survival

Two more sleeps until we all get to revel in the joy of blogging, chatting and having fun as a blogging community.

There has been a load of tweeting going on about everything from what to wear and how people are arriving to nerves and wibbles from first-timers and veterans alike. To quell some of those nerves and wibbles, Karin from Cafe Bebe has put together some top tips for survival at CyberMummy. Have a view of these tips and get yourself ready for an amazing weekend!

Countdown to #CyberMummy11: what are you doing with the kids?

Only three days until the UK's largest mum blogging conference, CyberMummy (!)  I've had my hair cut, my chin hair zapped and I know what I'm  going to wear (jeans and a top that looks like a Matisse painting, if you really want to know).

But what about the kids?

Hubby is working from home on Friday, so he can collect them from school. I'm fairly confident he knows where their classrooms are. I'm not as confident they will be healthfully nourished.

While I was doing last minute CyberMummy preparations, I overheard heard the girls talking over breakfast:

Countdown to #CyberMummy11: A critic's view

Iota Manhattan is one of my favourite bloggers; she's candid, tells a good story and has the ability to make you think about larger issues while still making you laugh. I asked her to write about her feelings about coming to CyberMummy:

Susanna asked me if I had time to write a blog post: Countdown to CyberMummy. I'm amazed. Why would anyone want to know what I think about CyberMummy? I mean, I'm the blogger who last year said she was going to run an alternative conference, where we'd all wear our yoga bottoms, eat chocolate cake, and search for our inner bloggers. And this year, there was a moment a few weeks ago when I said publicly that I was thinking of selling my ticket and not coming.

Have you written about #CyberMummy11? Add your post to our Linky

It's Monday morning and a mere five days until the UK's largest parent blogging conference! We know how much you are enjoying the preparation for CyberMummy11 and many of you have written about it. You've shared what you're wearing, talked about your nerves and worries and are right proper excited about it all.

A brief history of Father's Day

Ever wonder about the genesis of Father's Day? Tim Atkinson, the dad blogger who writes Bringing Up Charlie, has just brought out his book Fatherhood: The Essential Guide and who will be selling and signing it at CyberMummy, has done a bit of research (we hope) into the matter in this special guest post. Over to Tim!

Although Mother’s Day (or Mothering Sunday) goes back a long, long way (as early as the Middle Ages) dads have had to make do without a special day until relatively recently.

The first-ever ‘Father’s Day’ was held on July 5^th 1908 in Fairmont, West Virginia. The year before, a mining disaster in nearby Monongah had killed 361 men, 250 of whom were fathers and on the first anniversary of the disaster the local Methodist Pastor held a service of commemoration for the victims which he extended to commemorate all fathers everywhere. 

Countdown to #CyberMummy11: Crumbs attending for the very first time

In our ongoing Countdown to CyberMummy11, we hear from Claire McDonald who will be attending her very first Cybermummy. She is a CM virgin. We promise to be gentle with you Claire!

This time last year I wasn't on Facebook. Or twitter.

So it's pretty crazy that this year I'm going to Cybermummy. As a speaker.

Britain's 15 foxiest celebrity dads #britmums

Of course the dads we fancy the most are the ones we choose as our partners – the ones who take out the rubbish, tell the bedtime stories, give us a night off to see our friends. But we can’t help but notice there are some quite alluring other dads out there as well.

So in honour of Father’s Day - and in a fit of patriotism - here is our list (in no particular order) of Britain’s foxiest fathers, with an Irish nominee as well. How do these dads rate with you?

1. Pierce Brosnan – Two other James Bonds have made our list, but mention Brosnan among a group of mums and they practically drop their Champagne flutes. Beyond 007, his Thomas Crowne – fabulously weathly, devilishly sneaky, impossibly fit - is drool-worthy even more than a decade later.

The countdown continues: The 12 things to bring to #cybermummy11

CyberMummy is almost here, but getting ready for the big day is easier than you think. Here, CM founders Jennifer, Sian and Susanna give their hit list of what to bring on the day. 

1. Business cards – You’ll be handing out loads and here’s a tip: write down a note to yourself on the back of other people’s cards to jog your memory when you’re back home. (I’m always grateful when going through a stack of card I find little notes like “met at lunch” or “writes about kids’ clothes” or whatever.) If you don’t have cards already, get quickie ones made at a copy shop or print some out yourself.

Why do you blog? Mirka @ All Baby Advice

1. What is your Blog Name/Url? (Twitter ID & Facebook Fan Page URL)

All Baby Advice 

@Kahanka

All Baby Advice is a blog written by a stay at home mum to almost 4 year old Isabelle. I blog about bringing up my daughter bilingually and living in England without my family who live in the Czech Republic. I also share my baby and toddler tips, write product reviews and run competitions.

Countdown to CyberMummy11: From Moscow to London, why I'm coming

More excitement in the build-up to CyberMummy which is only eight days away! Today we're braving the frozen tundra of Russia to share some lovely thoughts from the profound Potty Mummy. She'll be fresh off the plane from Moscow and assures us that she'll be sporting a fur-lined bra and sheerling-lined wellies when she touches down in Blighty to attend CyberMummy11.

Blogger of the Week + 10 must-reads

This week we're celebrating all things CyberMummy so it really seems only fitting to throw the spotlight on the individuals behind it's creation. They've been blogging for years, changing the blogosphere in the process and have managed to orchestrate not one but soon-to-be two blogging conferences that have celebrated brilliance in blogging.

Back in 2009, following a Live Chat post-BlogHer '09 on the then, British Mummy Bloggers network, the idea of having a conference of "our" own was put forth, seconded and thirded. A seed was planted and Jennifer Howze, Sian To and Susanna Scott decided to make that seed grow into something amazing; the first blogging conference of it's kind in the UK. Through hours of hard work, meetings upon meetings, train journeys, coffees and probably a few grey hairs, CyberMummy 2010 was born.