This week something crazy happened. Something, after nearly 2 and a half years of blogging, I thought was still way out of my reach. I was shortlisted in the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging Awards.
Yes, you heard it right, my little blog is one of 10 that has been shortlisted in the Best Family Blog category.
I’ve been going over and over in my head how this has happened and isn’t a mistake. You see, there are thousands of family blogs out there, all beautifully written with hugely talented people behind them, and it baffles me how my blog appeared on that shortlist Friday morning. But it did, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
For those of you who don’t know much about blogging and these awards, you might not realise how big a deal it is to be shortlisted. So I’m going to try my best to explain (although I still feel like it’s all new to me too!)
Britmums is a huge blogging community, the biggest in the UK, and it provides us (bloggers) with advice, opportunities, exposure and so much more, including the Brilliance in Blogging Awards, which is their way of giving recognition to the blogs that have been followed and loved in a number of different categories.
When nominations begin, we ask our readers, friends and family for a nomination. If you like what we do then nominating us is that little pat on the back that tell us that. When nominations close, the 5 blogs with the most votes are shortlisted. Britmums then pick 5 who they feel deserve to be shortlisted.
This is what baffles me even more. Was I a blog that was in the top 5 with the most nominations, or one picked by Britmums themselves?! I can’t get my head around either of those options to be honest, but it’s real and it happened.
Next is the voting stage to pick your finalists. Voting is open until midnight on Wednesday 18th May and once closed, the 3 blogs with the most votes and 2 blogs picked my Britmums become finalists and are invited to the incredible awards ceremony at BritMums Live (a huge blogging event) at the end of June. Trust me when I say the awards are incredible, I went last year and was pretty overwhelmed by the size of it.
As much as I enjoyed Britmums Live last year, this year I made the choice not to buy a ticket, as today I turn 38 weeks pregnant, meaning I would be dragging my newborn along to the event.
However, this week everything changed when I was shortlisted for Best Family Blog in the awards. If, by some crazy miracle, I become a finalist, then of course I will be attending the awards ceremony, baby boy in tow.
The end of 2015 saw me falling pregnant, having a pretty bad car accident and being made redundant without notice all within a month of each other. My blog became my therapy and I threw myself into it. The support and positivity blogging has brought me meant I started the new year on a high and didn’t let the bad luck of 2015 bring me down.
This year blogging has become my safety net. My own little bubble to share, vent or even hide away from the crap life can throw at you sometimes. It’s also my way of celebrating how unbelievably rewarding having a family can be. It’s such an honour being shortlisted for Best Family Blog, because without my wonderful family (which is very soon to grow by 1) it wouldn’t be possible. I have them to thank for being my inspiration on the blog.
The opportunities blogging has brought me has been overwhelming. Working with amazing brands, making genuinely supportive friends, even earning a little (very little 😉 ) every now and then. I also, of course, have turned my blog into a brand and launched my children’s clothing line, which I am incredibly proud of also.
I want to take this opportunity to thank every single person who has clicked on my blog and read my posts, whether that’s all of them or one of them, you are the reason I’m able to write this post today.
I’ve been working my (big 😉 ) butt off this year to make something of my little blog, and as hard as it is for me to believe, it seems to be working. No matter what, I will continue to offer you quality posts, or at least what I believe are quality posts, and keep you up to date with my little family.
Next is the cringe part. Asking for votes. I honestly don’t think I will make the finals, but hey, it’s worth try. So here goes…
If you would like to vote for me to be a BiBs2016 Best Family Blog finalist then please click on the link below to cast your vote. If I’m not your winner, then that’s totally ok, why not head over anyway and vote for who you feel deserves to win. There are lots of amazing bloggers in the different categories who all work hard at what they do.
Thank you so much for all of your support.
Good luck to everyone who has been shortlisted and let’s keep our fingers crossed I make the finals!
Alex xx
I voted for you.
How strange, I have come to read your post and comment and notice there is one on here that says it’s from me. But I didn’t post it?!?? It’s a random comment to make too and I wasn’t online at that time either. Anyway on to more important things. Congratulations and good luck, it would be fab to see you in the finals x
Thank you lovely, so glad we figured out about the person commenting as you! xx