Blogging

Cafe Bebe Loves…Snugglebundl

Posted by cafebebemama on Feb 17, 2012 in Bebe, Blogging, Product Reviews | 0 comments

When I was laying in hospital, awaiting Sam’s birth, Twitter was a lifeline to me. It kept me busy and boosted my spirits. While on Twitter, a tweet came through from Snugglebundl (@snugglebundl). They were looking for pregnant mummy bloggers who were interested in reviewing their new product. They were ideally looking for a mum having a c-section as the Snugglebundl is extra helpful for mums recovering from c-sections. What do you know? I fit both of those criteria! The lovely people behind Snugglebundl sent me my very own Snugglebundl just like that!

Sam has been happily ensconced in his rainbow striped Snugglebundl and I tell you what…we would not be without it, that’s for sure. In fact, hands down, it is my favourite new baby product this time around! It’s so soft and snuggly (hence the name) and keeps Sam in the perfect state to sleep and be comfortable. Sam is a baby who needs a lot of cuddles so the Snugglebundl has allowed me to make virtually any environment safe and warm for him.

We use the Snugglebundl in Sam’s infant car seat which is ideal in this winter weather. The Snugglebundl means that I don’t have to stuff Sam into a snow suit or winter coat which would make his car seat less effective. Instead, I place the Snugglebundl in the car seat, place Sam in the Snugglebundl and cinch him in. He’s covered, snug, cosy and safe all at the same time. I love the “hat” feature at the top of the Snugglebundl as well. It keeps Sam’s head covered without being too hot or uncomfortable.

We’ve also used Sam’s Snugglebundl when putting Sam in his Xplory. There’s a lovely footmuff in the Xplory but the Snugglebundl allows us to extricate Sam from his car seat without disturbing him and then we can transfer him to the Xplory and keep him protected and warm. It was the perfect solution for me in my c-section recovery as well. I could simply put the handles together and lift Sam easily out of the car seat and/or pushchair and not strain myself in the process. We even used the Snugglebundl as a hammock-like sling to gently swing Sam to comfort him when he was stressed out.

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Snugglebundl for any expectant parents. It’s lovely and fleecy, soft and snuggly and the perfect solution for just about any situation. Car seat, pushchair, Moses basket, cot, public changing tables…you name it! You can order the Snugglebundl directly from their site for £39.99. I actually would like to have a 2nd Snugglebundl for when one is in the wash!

Sam gives the Snugglebundl a mahoosive THUMBS UP! Go get one now…you won’t regret it!

**Disclosure: We received the Snugglebundl for review purposes. The words and opinions about the product are mine alone!**

Love You Forever Project

Posted by cafebebemama on Feb 16, 2012 in Blogging, Love You Forever, Motherhood | 0 comments

I love blogging. I love Cafe Bebe. However, recently, I’ve lost the love. It’s not just my blogging mojo that’s wanning. It’s become almost a fear of “what’s going to hit the fan now” when I write a post. I am certainly not trying to incite but I seem to be good at it at the moment. I also have closed comments for the month of February, for no reason other than I wanted to get back to the heart of this blog…the writing. I have not closed comments to hide behind a safety net.

What I need to do is step back. Take a bit of a break and find the love again. Because I have worked damn hard at this blog and I don’t want to get to the point where I don’t want to look at it any longer. But taking a break would effectively put Baby Cafe Bebe in the corner. And no one puts Cafe Bebe in a corner. I want Cafe Bebe to continue to be a celebration of motherhood (and fatherhood), families and children. I want to give other bloggers a chance to feature themselves and their families here so I have created the “Love You Forever” project.

I’m looking for 30 bloggers to volunteer their lovely faces and those of their children and share what it is that they love about their children. This will be a love letter of sorts…from mother (or father) to their child(ren). Why will you love your child(ren) forever? I’m also asking that you include a photo of you with your child(ren). A recent photo that shows your love for each other…no hiding behind the camera this time!

I’ll include a form for you to fill out if you’re interested in joining in on the Love You Forever project. Please sign up by Friday 24 February to indicate your interest. I will contact you personally to confirm details. All posts will need to be submitted to me by 29 February. Posts will appear on this blog beginning 1 March and run through 30 March. I look forward to seeing if we can get 30 of you to do Love You Forever. Are you up for a challenge?? I hope so!

**UPDATE: I have 30 bloggers who have signed up for the Love You Forever project! All in one day…how amazing! I appreciate everyone who has signed up and will be contacting you over the weekend. March is going to be Love You Forever Month! xx**

Sunshine Me!

Posted by cafebebemama on Feb 11, 2012 in Blogging, Motherhood | 0 comments

Aw, look, I’ve got SUNSHINE! A rather lovely blogger who has reached out to me a lot lately, has awarded me the Sunshine Award. I’m not much for doing things like this but when someone is so lovely, like Kate from Makeshift Mummy, you can’t help but return the favour.

Here’s what Kate has to say about me:

Karin writes beautifully from the heart and has reminded me of the natural beauties in this sometimes darkened world. This new friend of mine has supported me greatly on Twitter when I have been struggling with Youngling and I have tried to reach out to her in likeness. Karin definitely deserves The Sunshine Award for she often brightens up my day.

How very kind and lovely. Thank you Kate…you have definitely brightened my day! Now I have to answer some questions as part of the responsibility of this award. Here goes:

• Favourite Colour: This actually is a bit tough. I love pink- hot pink but rarely wear it these days. Blues and greens seem to have predominance in my wardrobe but I seem to be stuck in a bit of a black rut at the moment. Gee…wonder why??
• Favourite Animal: In the whole wide world?? Penguins. They’re adorable, the Daddy’s do the egg-sitting and they tap dance. I saw “Happy Feet”…I know!
• Favourite Non-Alcoholic Drink: My favourite COLD non-alcoholic drink is Coke. I’m addicted, well and truly. Bad Mummy. My current favourite HOT non-alcoholic drink is hot chocolate at the moment. This might have something to do with the current average temperature outside or my need for chocolatey comfort.
• Facebook or Twitter: Twitter, hands down. Facebook sort of does my head in, to be honest. I do it because I SHOULD, not because I want to. Twitter is responsible for probably 80% of my blog traffic and for maintaining my sanity. I love you Twitter. Probably too much.
• Number: Well, this is a weird one…really, do you care what number I like? Ok then, the number 3. Why? I don’t know…just do!
• Day of the Week: Friday! I have always loved Friday. It’s the end of the work week, the beginning of the weekend. It usually means that Mark will be home in good time and we often get a takeaway. I also love the feeling of going to bed on a Friday night knowing that Mark (usually) doesn’t have to go to work in the morning and we get to spend the whole weekend together as a family. This is VERY important to me.
• My Passion: My blog and writing. At the moment it probably shouldn’t be my passion but it’s my solace and haven and my work at the same time.
• Getting or Giving Presents: This is a hard one as well. I used to be far better at giving presents and that was what thrilled me. Putting the effort into something special for someone and seeing their face when they opened it was what motivated me. Now, I’ve gotten out of the habit of this which is a shame really. I should try harder to make this happen because there really is no better feeling than knowing and seeing how much you’ve brightened someone’s day. I quite love receiving presents as well but this has lost it’s luster as I don’t get many these days.
• My favourite pattern: WTF? Pattern?? Seriously? That’s like asking what my favourite shape is!! I don’t have a favourite pattern…sorry to say. Do you?
• Flower: I have two favourite flowers: tulips and irises. For my wedding bouquet I had shades of pink and purple tulips. They were GORGEOUS. I just love tulips. They are such a happy flower and the colours are so vivid and exotic. Irises are my second favourite, in particular the miniature/Japanese irises. Such a delicate bit of beauty. They make me smile.

Phew. To tell you the truth, I hate answering questions like that but it wasn’t too painful. Except for the one about your favourite pattern. What a bizarre question! Next I am supposed to nominate another blogger to receive a Sunshine Award. This is a tough one but I’d like to nominate:

Dorky Mum! First of all, I love the name Dorky Mum. I don’t imagine she is Dorky but hey ho. Dorky Mum, aka Ruth, has been exceptionally supportive and helpful to me in the last week. She’s emailed me and messaged me and generally helped to prop me up which is absolutely lovely. We’ve never met and she only knows me through the great big blogging world but I really appreciate the effort she’s put into reaching out to me. So Ruth, thank you for being such a great supporter. I bequeath you with the Sunshine Award. Go forth and be sunny yourself!

Me Right Now

Posted by cafebebemama on Feb 1, 2012 in Blogging, Gallery, Motherhood | 0 comments

Inspired by a photo blog prompt from Tara Cain’s Sticky Fingers Gallery, I took a picture of “Me Right Now” last week Friday. I think it’s a pretty accurate photo of the REAL side of motherhood…the one we all go through from time to time!

This was taken on Friday night. We had had a LONG day, Daddy hadn’t arrived home yet. It was about 6:30pm, I was tired, worn out and slightly down. Sam, as you can well see, was not entirely pleased at that moment. Rest assured that I took this self-portrait and settled my son post haste. It’s real…it’s life…it’s motherhood. It was me, right then!

Just a reminder, for the month of February I am closing comments on Cafe Bebe. I’m getting back to the heart of why I blog. Because I enjoy sharing and writing. You are more than welcome to find me on Twitter (@cafebebe) to leave me a comment or to chat. You are welcome to find me on Facebook to do the same. And you can always contact me through my personal email or the contact form on my About page. Thank you for your patience this month. I hope you enjoy the writing and I’ll see you at the end of the month to report back on my experimental findings!

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Cafe Bebe

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 30, 2012 in Blogging | 1 comment

I’ve seen in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, where “celebrities” list “5 Things You Didn’t Know About me”. Some bloggers have also been doing this but I must have missed my invitation as I’m not sure who started it in the blogosphere.

Following on from my recent About Me page re-do, inspired by Michelle Garrett and BritMums, I thought I would take this theme and tell you 5 things you didn’t know about Cafe Bebe as opposed to ME!

1. Advertising: I currently run ONE advertisement on my blog for which I am paid. I have only been approached to run an ad for payment by one brand. Ever. I do run “badges/widgets” for various causes, services, programmes for free as usually, I believe in promoting things that I enjoy and don’t feel the need to be paid for it. I suppose that makes me a giant IDIOT in the blogging  world. I effectively, give away, click-thru “advertising” for no payment whatsoever. I am probably a numpty. I would run appropriate advertising if I was approached to do so. The current ad which runs in my right side-bar is for the business/store, Kiddicare. I shop regularly at Kiddicare and wholeheartedly support their efforts so it’s a perfect fit for Cafe Bebe.
2. Income: I do not make an income from Cafe Bebe. I do not even make enough, annually, from my blog to afford the hosting of my blog. I do receive press releases and pitches from PR’s to review products and attend events. I used to receive far more, when I was more heavily involved in reviewing products. Now I am much more selective about review products as my time is far more limited. Thus, I don’t get as many review opportunities and I am invited to far fewer events than, say, a year ago. I also receive the occasional request to write sponsored posts and/or accept canned content to run as a sponsored post. I ran ONE sponsored post about a year ago. It was one of those where they give you all the specifics you have to write about, give you the links they want used and the keywords they should be attached to. They want to approve your post before they allow you to run it…one of those sort of sponsored posts. Then, your “payment” goes into an account where you have no right to claim it until you have written x-amount of posts totalling in x-amount of £. That was the only post I ran. I felt a bit dirty about it, to tell you the truth. It was only worth £40 and I felt like I had sold my soul to the devil. I didn’t like it one bit. Thus, I am not keen to accept sponsored posts. Again, many would say that I am a numpty but I am a bit precious about the content of Cafe Bebe.
3. Freelance Work: I am a self-employed freelance writer/blogger/social media consultant. I have accepted freelance work with several clients for whom I create original content, maintain their social media channels and advise them regarding blogging issues. I have been paid for that freelance work, however, no where near enough to even worry about the tax threshold. Of course, I file my taxes (thanks to an accounting service) and declare my income and expenses. I pay National Insurance. Cafe Bebe has integrity. I disclose relationships with brands and any compensation “in kind” for work. You could maybe argue that I, then, have made money, maybe even an income, from blogging. I would argue back that MY blog doesn’t make me that income. I have been able to secure freelance work as a result of the reputation that Cafe Bebe has achieved and thus, have been paid for work that has very little to do with Cafe Bebe. Thankfully, what little I have achieved has allowed me to remain a Stay-at-home-Mum and raise my children myself.
4. Time & Hard Work:  Cafe Bebe has not gotten to where it is today by accident. I have worked hard for the last 2 years 8 months and have put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears to this blog. I love Cafe Bebe. I like to look at it, from time to time, and admire it. I’m weird, I guess. I am not ranked on the Tots 100 because I chose not to register Cafe Bebe. I used to be included in the Tots 100 rankings but I found myself getting too wrapped up in the competition with MYSELF each month. I was trying to dissect what I was doing WRONG each month when either Cafe Bebe didn’t appear in the rankings or when I dropped. I think the highest I ever got was 48? I can’t remember! It became unhealthy for me. Was I happy with the content of my blog? Was I engaging with readers? Was I enjoying what I was doing? YES! So where I ranked on a list wasn’t the most important thing to me. I think, when you’re starting out in blogging, it is very helpful to be registered with things like the Tots 100. If you can remain impartial and not take it too seriously, then by all means, go for it. I do end up in the Wikio Parent Blog rankings however but I can take or leave that. I’ve spent a fair amount of time on social networking channels (Twitter in particular) creating the Cafe Bebe “brand” and establishing relationships with followers. Keeping yourself on followers radars requires that. I have discovered that since having Sam and spending far less time on Twitter, that my Twitter “klout” has dropped considerably. Basically, you’ve got to be “in it to win it”.
5. Expertise: Thanks to my time spent in the blogging community, I have been able to develop a fair bit of knowledge about the parent blogging world and the best way to work with parent bloggers. Several brands and PR agencies have hired me to come speak to their “people” about these topics. Isn’t it brilliant to be valued and respected for your knowledge and expertise. I LOVE talking. Anyone who has met me knows this. I love talking about blogging in particular. I enjoy helping out newer bloggers, meeting with veteran bloggers to learn from them and sharing in a positive community. Despite all of this supposed “expertise”, outside of the guise of “Cafe Bebe”, I am actually quite shy and reserved. I hang back and wait for others to approach me and have a very limited circle of “real life” friends. What you see in blogging events, on the blog and in presentations is a far more confident person than reality.

There are 5 things you didn’t know about Cafe Bebe! Do they surprise you?

Comments Closed?

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 18, 2012 in Blogging | 11 comments

Lately I have been conflicted. I don’t have enough time. I have a teeny bit of an excuse and his name is Sam. He’s the best reason to not have time. I don’t have time for myself much less the Blogosphere. But, as I blogged about last week, I still love writing. I enjoy taking some snippets of time here and there to share what’s rolling around in my brain.

What I don’t have time for is reading, commenting and replying to comments on my blog, I’m sorry to say. My freelance social media work allows me to visit various blogs and spend time on social media channels but I just don’t have the time to devote to both Cafe Bebe and freelance clients. What I don’t want to do is continue to keep comments open and not be able to reply to those comments which is just rude. I love it when readers take the time to comment and share their thoughts and/or experiences. I don’t want to offend those who do comment by not acknowledging their efforts. There just is not enough time in my day, at the moment for me to do everything.

Some people have suggested that I just take a blogging break and I may still do that. However, I truly love blogging and writing. I think what I need to do is take some of the pressure off, allow people to just read and enjoy and see what comes of it. I would love it if people Re-Tweeted my links if they enjoyed the post or share their comment on Twitter and/or Facebook. I would happily accept direct comments through my contact system if people are so moved. Maybe my readers will enjoy my posts more if they don’t feel the pressure to comment? I know I will relax a bit about my posts if I’m not constantly checking to see if someone has commented. I always feel a bit sorry for the posts that get no comments anyway! What makes my post so unworthy of commenting? This is what I fret over!

Starting 1 February, 2012 and for the month of February I will be closing comments on all posts. It will be a bit of an experiment. Can I retain engagement and an audience without the need for comment? Will people still visit and engage with me? Will my stats drop or go up? Will I feel less pressure to write and thus end up writing better and more free? Who knows? I’m going to give it a go and see what the result is on 29 February, 2012. I shall report back on the results.

I’m giving you 2 more weeks to comment on posts…hit me with your best shot. Would you close comments temporarily or are you too worried about what might happen to your blog as a result? Talk to me…for 14 more days!

**I was inspired by a VERY cool blogger, HerMelness, who has closed comments on her blog. If only I could be half as brilliant!**