MAD Blogger Love In

www.the-mads.com

A beautiful thing began this week in the Mummy & Daddy Blogging world.  One clever Daddy Blogger called it a MAD Blogger “Love In” and he’s right (no smutty connotations though!).  You’ve read my angst-filled posts about not being “good enough” and “woe is me…no one is reading me” but I would venture to say that a great majority of the UK MAD Bloggers (MAD = Mummy & Daddy) are feeling pretty darn proud of themselves after the events of the last 4 days.  I know I am!

The MAD Awards are the brain-child of Sally Whittle and Josie George with a massive assist from Ellie at Insomniac Mummy.  You can read more about their genius in devising this brilliant awards programme and learn why they are so proud to be MAD Bloggers themselves.  What the MAD’s are all about is celebrating brilliance and innovation in parent blogging.  The “Oscars” of the Blogging world if you will!  Every single medium out there has there way of honouring the BEST of the BEST.  The Oscars, the Golden Raspberries (ok, not the best but the best of the worst), the Booker Prize, the Turner Prize, the BAFTA’s.  We all want to, nay, need to get a little pat on the back for a job well done don’t we!  And what’s the most interesting and encouraging thing about the MAD Awards is that it’s been appreciated and embraced by so many people.  It’s not just the “top bloggers” that are being nominated either but it’s the everyday MAD blogger who is reaching people, being heard and read and enjoyed.  MAD bloggers are even waging their own “campaigns” to get their friends, family and readers to vote for them.  How delightful!

And yes, fair readers, wee Cafe Bebe has been nominated as well!  Thus far, I’ve been nominated in the following categories:

• Most Innovative MAD Blog (Just Vlog It, baby…that tiara may come in handy yet!)
• Best Looking MAD Blog (who knew all the hours of tweaking would pay off)
• Best Baby MAD Blog (Little Miss is getting a bit old to be considered a baby so we’ll see about that one!)
• Best New MAD Blog (I started in May of 2009…still under a year old and nearly 200 posts under my belt!)
• Best MAD Writer (this is truly touching…sniff!)

I’m honestly flabergasted and so honoured to be viewed, at least in the initial nominations phase, to be worthy of such regard.  This month the nominations are underway.  Voters will have until the end of this month (26 April, 2010) to nominate their favourite blogs in 10 different categories.  Then the nominees will be analysed to determine the top 5 most nominated blogs in each category.  The public voting period will begin again in May with those top 50 Bloggers.  The winners will be announced at a MAD Bloggeriffic Awards Ceremony in September.

The fact that I’ve been blogging for less than a year and have managed to be nominated (at least once) in at least half of the categories is a real boost to me.  I feel like the labour I’ve put into my writing and sharing and moaning and glowing is really being commended and that feels REALLY GOOD!  As all of the Oscar nominees say, “it’s just an honour to be nominated”!  Seriously…it’s a validation of hard work and the fact that people think you’re worth nominating.  Yes, it would be amazing to win (you really have to SEE some of the prize packages for these awards…good LORD!) but to be in on the first round of nominations is absolutely fantastic.  I’d love for you to check out The MAD’s site and see all of the hard work Sally, Josie and Ellie have been up to.  These ladies have fought and struggled and worked so ridiculously hard it’s not even funny.  They don’t have to do this…they want to.

If you’d like to participate in the nominations and throw Cafe Bebe a bone, please feel free to visit The MAD’s site and put my address (http://cafebebe.co.uk) into the boxes.  What I would ask is that you don’t nominate me for EVERY category that exists…I just don’t fit the bill for Best MAD Photographer or Most Inspirational really (do I?).  I’d like to say a massive “Merci Beaucoup” to all of the lovely individuals who have nominated Cafe Bebe for any MAD Awards and promise you that I will continue to blog to the best of my ability.  Perhaps the best is yet to come in fact?!   Here’s the badge…just CLICK and you’ll be magically transported there.