Posts Tagged "product reviews"

All Change in 2010

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 11, 2010 in Blogger Love, Judith's Room, Motherhood | 16 comments

Time for a change

Well, we are two weeks into 2010 and already I’m rearranging!  Friends and family who know me well, know that I can’t stand to look at anything the same for too long.  I frequently change the furniture arrangement in our lounge, particularly for the seasons.  In the Spring and Summer it’s all about the out of doors so the furniture shifts to the back of the lounge by the patio doors.  In the Autumn and Winter it’s all about the HEAT from the only heat source in our lounge, the fireplace.  Every three months or so, I dutifully shuffle everything to different places, reorganise and enjoy the change of view.  Hubby comes home from work and says “Oh no!”  It’s a good thing that no one in our immediate family is visually impaired; I’d be messing with their minds on a regular basis.

I started blogging in June of 2009 and quickly got involved in product reviewing in addition to blogging.  Never satisfied, I finally ended up with Café Bébé as it is today- a self-hosted, WordPress blog about my life as a Mummy and some of the brilliant things we have been fortunate enough to do and receive.  The product reviewing quickly took over as the primary focus for me which is why the main address site (www.cafebebe.co.uk) became Reviews at Café Bébé.  However, recently, I’ve begun to regret that decision.  Joining groups like Judith’s Room and focusing more on my dream of freelance writing has allowed me to see that the most important aspect of Café Bébé is the writing.  My writing has slowed down because I have overstretched myself…I need to focus on what I do best.

I’ve also seen a turn in the way that product reviewing is going in the blogging world.  I want to be seen as a Mummy Blogger and Freelance Writer, not a product reviewer.  I won’t claim to be perfect, by any means, however.  I have used my Just Ask philosophy to get a lot of things that we never would have had access to.  Little Miss’ clothing and belongings have increased dramatically this past year and that’s lovely as we are on a very limited income.  But, I’ve come to realise that if people want me to review their products, they’ll come to me (If I build it, they will come).  I shouldn’t need to be knocking down anyone else’s doors.  I don’t want to give Mummy Blogging a bad name and for me, I’ve never wanted to make a career out of product reviewing; I’ve wanted to make a career out of writing.

So, hopefully, as of Tuesday 12 January (if my host technical support team can sort me out), Café Bébé will become a solo blog with a few pages, multiple categories and will primarily be about the writing.  I have integrated my product reviews into the blog under the PRODUCT REVIEWS category (strangely enough) so they are still there in their original form.  I have a few reviews yet to publish for products that I have received in the last few months and I will continue to review products if I am approached or if something happens to fall in my lap.  I have the joy of continuing to review products at The Great Toy Guide , Living with Kids, and Mummy Reviews in addition to my commissioned reviews for MadeForMums website (as long as all of them continue to have me).  Let me know your thoughts about product reviews?  Do you do them?  Are you regularly approached?  If you don’t do them, why not?  I’ve really enjoyed the fun of receiving products and the challenge of writing about them in a constructive way but I really think it’s time for a fresh start in 2010.

I welcome your comments as well as critiques.  And of course, please let me know if you have any problems accessing anything on Café Bébé.  Thank you for your support and here’s to a brilliant year!

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Welcome to Reviews at Café Bébé

Posted by cafebebemama on Oct 22, 2009 in Welcome | 0 comments

Hello, Bienvenue and Welcome to the new and improved Reviews at Café Bébé.  You’ll find great products and useful information on this site which will hopefully become a resource for parents everywhere.  You’ll find additional information on the main Café Bébé site: a link to the Café Bébé blog where you can read about the trial and tribulations of a first-time, stay-at-home Mummy; amazing competitions where you can win great prizes with little effort; links to some brilliant MUMPRENEURS who are shaking up the business world whilst raising their families.  What a great site!  Browse our categories for specific product reviews or type in a search to find what you’re looking for.  Thanks for visiting…come back soon!

Confidence Crisis

Posted by cafebebemama on Oct 20, 2009 in American Mum Me, Motherhood | 33 comments

After being back on UK soil for 5 days, I am now having a blogging confidence crisis.  When you’re an obsessive-compulsive, competitive looney-toon like myself, it doesn’t take much to lose your mojo!  Acclimatising to home again, dealing with toddler jet-lag (far worse than adult!), suffering rubbish days out and being rather lonely at the beginning of a new week doesn’t really help either.  We’re out of all our routines, no classes to go to, forgot how to cook and am wondering why I started this whole blogging malarcky in the first place.

I started blogging back in May.  Little Miss was nearly a year old and I needed an outlet; something creative to get the brain functioning and juices flowing.  The whole process is very addictive.  I managed to link on to British Mummy Bloggers and found some that outlet.  Suddenly people were starting to “follow” me!  Me!  How ’bout that?  But then, it started.  The competitive nature in me.  Wanting to be a good writer; wanting people to read what I write; wanting to get recognition for what I do; wanting whatever was better than what I was doing; setting my expectations WAY too high.  I don’t watch a lot of tv now (not a bad thing) but I do spend a lot of time on the computer.  My husband can’t quite understand this as he doesn’t even like to use the computer much less spend hours at a time on it.

Blogging is an outlet for me but it has also become a sometimes-paying vocation for me.  Payment in the form of a few quid here and there (I review for MadeForMums website) and payment in the form of product.  I have even started to have a few approaches from PR’s which has been flattering (although I shouldn’t make too much out of it…they’re targeting just about any Mummy Blogger these days).  As we’re down to one less-than-sufficient income, the product and payment we have received has been very welcome.  Little Miss deserves to have a few things every once in a while and while we certainly aren’t needing to build a new room to house all the “booty” we have been bestowed, she has been the recipient of some very nice additions to our household.

But all of this has led me to become just a wee-bit obsessed with what might be on the horizon.  I’m watching my site statistics, tweaking pages, Facebooking and Twittering to keep my name in the spotlight…but what for?  To work myself into a frenzy??  I don’t get one pence for having created my Cafe Bebe site/blog.  I highlight amazing Mumpreneurs to give them a little love and don’t charge any advertising.  I readily take the offers of PR’s because I’m afraid if I don’t, I won’t get any more.  I see other bloggers getting opportunities and amazing things/offers and wish I was in that loop.  I read the occasional very popular blog and wonder why they are so popular and why I can’t seem to crack it?  I am now following my JUST ASK philosophy and am not sure if it’s exactly the right thing to do.

My goals?  Well, I’m not sure.  I really do love having something that drives me and makes me feel alive and adult.  I adore my daughter completely but it’s nice to have a bit of who I used to be put to use.  It’s amazing to get accolades for things you produce.  That probably stems from a childhood and on-going adulthood where I am always trying to please everyone in the hopes that I will be happy as well.  I am happy but why can’t I be satisfied with good-enough??  You should have seen my stress and mental breakdown over my Little Miss’ first birthday!

So, I’m open for suggestions here.  I am blogging to share my experiences.  I created my main site because I want to review products, help promote other mums and allow people to win a prize or two and in the process, perhaps bring in a minor income or products-in-kind to make our lives just a wee bit more comfortable.  Why should I be concerned about statistics and ratings; popularity and recognition?  Perhaps I just need to settle, lower my expectations and take a deep breath and realise that no one’s ever going to get everything they want!  What’s your advice??

British Mummy Blogger Love

Posted by cafebebemama on Aug 21, 2009 in Uncategorized | 15 comments

I started Mummy Blogging in May.  I’ve done a few blogs in my time but I needed a creative outlet and something to do during nap times.  I started looking for other Mummies but all I could find, initially, was Mommies, not Mummies.  I’m American, you see and for whatever reason, the only blogs I could find were American Mommies.  They had so many product reviews and seemed to be getting so much STUFF.  And oh, the giveaways!  But they were never offering international entries. (Do you know how much it costs to mail things from the US?  Lots!)  I enjoyed their blogs but was finding the actual blogging difficult to find amongst all the reviews.

So, in June, I googled Mummy Blogs, UK and guess what I stumbled upon?  British Mummy Bloggers!  Ooh…how nice.  I might not be British but I am a Mummy and I was Blogging and I’m as-good-as British so why not?  I sent in my membership request and within a day or so, I was an official member of British Mummy Bloggers!  That was about 200 members ago!  I have found so many wonderful Mummies and friends that I just have to gush for a bit.  And British Mummy Bloggers has given me opportunities that I never dreamed I might have.  Ready for some prime gush?

*Susanna, founder of BMB, author of A Modern Mother, has created a brilliant social networking site that I know a lot of other Mummy Bloggers are extremely grateful for.  She’s given us forums, opportunities to promote any and everything we’re working on, pointed us in the direction of PR’s and journalists, acquired sponsors like Silver Cross and scheduled meet-ups like the one held at the Rainforest Cafe in London in June.  She’s connected some amazing mummies and daddies who have formed friendships and learned a great deal from each other.  Thank you Susanna (a fellow American as well…who knew an American could found a social networking site called BRITISH Mummy Bloggers!).

*I had my first experiences writing product reviews because of BMB and Silver Cross .  I actually received, tested, reviewed and GOT TO KEEP the Silver Cross Halo pushchair and Doodle highchair.  They continue to be staples in our household and I can’t believe that I now am in possession of such amazing products all for the exchange of a review on my wee blog.

*Connections, Connections, Connections- Had I never found BMB, I would never have gotten the chance to write reviews as a “freelance” writer (I like that title) by commission from MadeForMums website (I got PAID!!); I never would have found Liz Jarvis’ LivingWithKids where I’ll be reviewing products in the near future (can’t wait!); Sally Whittle of The Great Toy Guide would not have been the recipient of 4 of my toy reviews and I wouldn’t have been in line to receive a few lovely things to try and review.  I’ve had the great fortune of being in the right place at the right time but were BMB not putting it out there, I’d still be wondering how I could bring in a bit of the “bacon” for our family.

*I’ve become a better observer of my daughter and have been photographing her more so I can continue to share our adventures.  My family all live in the US and they don’t get the day to day joy of Little Miss.  With my blogging, they are able to have a window into our lives and feel better for it. 

*And finally, I’ve met some absolutely amazing people who make me feel better about myself as a mother and a writer, who have helped me to fulfill some dreams and who have brightened my days and nights with their words and laughter.  There are many of these brilliant women but 4 stand out for me: OMG, We’re Pregnant, Violet Posy, Ella Announcements and Bambino Goodies.  These women have made my Café Bébé a successful and lovely reality.  They didn’t need to help me!  They most certainly did not get paid to help me!  They just responded to my techno-dim cries for help and took from their own personal time to help out wee me.  What women!  So, if you like what you see on Café Bébé, a lot of credit goes out to these ladies.  See their sites and you’ll know where their genius lies.

To wrap up…I just want to say thank you…thank you to BMB, thank you to Twitter, thank you to Café Bébé readers/followers/subscribers because you’ve given me a bit of myself back and for that, I am very grateful!  Until next time…