The Gallery..... Outside my front door

Last weeks was good, can this weeks be better? The lovely Tara from StickyFingers is giving us the opportunity to have a bit of a snoop, Outside my front door...

Biba does Pop it lock it!

In response to the lovely Liz from Living with Kids Pop it Lock it challenge.... here is ModelGirl dancing on my behalf!

Proud Mum Moment

Today is another of those proud 'mum of a model' moments...

Stop by Next.co.uk to see Biba modeling some of their new range. You will find her in the older girls Jeans shop and also in dresses.

and another....

Do you need sponsorship for CyberMummy 2010?

Are you a mummy blogger looking for sponsorship so that you can come along to CyberMummy in July? 

If you are can you please email me using the link at the top right of this page..... or leave a comment so that I can come back to you.

We do have a couple of brands looking for bloggers to sponsor. 

I will need your name, your blog name and where you live. 

Ta.xx 
and in addition - as I started the spread sheet I thought that it would be a good idea to give possible sponsors some idea of the cost....
So in addition to the info I have already asked for, can you tell me if you are looking for a sponsor to pay for your travel and accommodation too, and how much your travel will be?

My expanding Blythe family...

Lots of people have been asking about my expanding Blythe family - so here they are for you to enjoy in all their glory!

1. Amy Lee

2. Tess

3. Boo

  4. Bunny Lee (she belongs to ModelGirl)

5. Loola Lee

6. Rosie of Scribble

7. Patty

8. Mia (belongs to FunnyGirl) pictured with Bunny Lee


I would like to say that's it...... but I haven't added my mini petite family...... eek

Memory Monday Meme... More 70's TV

When it comes to nostalgic kids TV I'm not sure that anything will beat good old Pipkins for me... but who remembers FingerBobs?

I found this clip and I must say that I actually find it quite disturbing..... no wonder I turned out the way I did if this was what I was watching!

We clearly needed the Wonder Pets to save the day....

The Gallery Week 4

I know that I say it every week but I totally and utterly Love, Love, Love Tara from Sticky Fingers Gallery Meme.
This week the theme that she has set for us is Me.
Last week I struggled with colour as I was late picking up the prompt. This week I have been mulling over my choice of images all weekend. Ultimately I couldn't choose between the inside or the outside me - so I have cheated somewhat and given you both.
So for your comments and enjoyment.....
Me inside....

 Me outside.....

If you would like the code for Tara's Gallery button, pop me an email...

Is UK Social Media to be regulated?

One of the hot topics at last summers BlogHer was the imminent implementation of the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) guidelines on sponsorship and disclosure.

The few Brits in attendance sat back smugly thinking that will never happen here... 

Well it looks like we were wrong. 

I just stumbled across a post on econsultancy talking about a proposed amendment to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) that would give the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) the ability to start dissecting brand marketing activity on social networking sites.

The ASA says that two thirds of the complaints that they receive relating to online marketing activity are not covered by the current code and that has to change.

It will be an interesting time for the brands that have carved out a comfy social niche.

So bloggers, tweeters and lovers of pr freebies it looks like full disclosure may soon be on its way.

What are your views?

The Gallery.... Colour

I must say that I found this weeks Gallery a real challenge. This weeks theme is colour and I have spent hours trawling through my stacks of files.

I hope you enjoy this.

Thanks again to Tara at Sticky Fingers for the best meme in the blogosphere....

The Gallery - 2

I adore The Gallery meme from Tara at Sticky Fingers. This weeks theme is numbers.

My photograph is called Two.
Two eyes squeezed so tightly together can produce all of these tears.....

A beautiful picture of a not so FunnyGirl on holiday in Phuket.

CyberMummy 2010 - tickets go on sale....

Thank you to everyone for bearing with us whilst we got our registrations up and running. You will be very pleased to know that you can now purchase your ticket to  CyberMummy 2010 our very first conference for the early bird rate of £85.

This is a limited offer - so what are you waiting for? Get over to www.CyberMummy.com now!

DID YOU HAVE TROUBLE WEANING YOUR BABY?

08/03/10

DID YOU HAVE TROUBLE WEANING YOUR BABY?
Mother & Baby would love to chat to a mum of a baby (one year - 18 months old) who struggled when they first tried to wean them onto food. The journalist would love to have a 15 minute chat about the problems you came up against and how you managed to finally get your baby onto solids. This is a great chance for you to impart your advice to other mums, struggling with the weaning process. In return, you'll get to see your story printed in the UK's top parenting magazine.

If you're interested in getting involved email mummytips at gmail dot com with a bit about your story, your contact details including a phone number, and a photo of you - or leave a comment and i will pass your details on.

World Book Day... are you Playground mafia... UPDATE!

I swore that I wasn't going to get sucked in to World Book Day this year - and I stuck firm. FunnyGirl pulled out her sisters old Alice dress... a bit tight but hey ho...

ModelGirl had her daddy alter her bunny suit a bit and I did make the clock to go around her neck.

Sonny chose a book at random - The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and luckily one of the characters was wearing jeans and a T shirt!

We purposefully left a whole five minutes late to avoid the playground....and I managed to get home without a single feeling of jealousy, hate or annoyance! Am I going to parents assembly this afternoon though? No, I think not!

The article

Lots of you have been trying to get hold of the March issue of M&B mag, but as it's about time for their next issue I can share with you.

No comments about how rough I look in the pics please. I'd been up for most of the night working....

How often do you lie to your kids?

Some of this mornings papers reported that us naughty mummy's (and daddy's) tell our children on average 100 lies a year. Am I missing something here? Because I would say 100 a week would be on the low side. Maybe I'm an exception but I have a feeling that I'm not.

I'm not talking big massive untruth's here, just the little white ones.

For example..

Today I woke at 6.05am, thanks to FunnyGirl bursting into our bedroom and stating that she needed to pee. She has her own toilet but prefers to pee in ours.

Lie 1. You go and get your breakfast and I will be down in a minute. (Yan got up and I went back to sleep but I was tortured by my lie as I had a bad dream about my Mini getting squashed between two mobile homes and it had all of the dance costume inside... random!).

Lie 2. If you don't make your bed I am going to eat your Panda's.

To FunnyGirl again. She knows I don't eat pandas.

Lie 3. I will have written your name in all of your dance costumes by the time you get home from school.

Erm, I know that I still technically have a couple of hours but no chance.

Lie 4. I will look for ToTo.

Again, bare faced with that one.... ModelGirl will come home from school and expect ToTo to be waiting for her - so that she can lend him to her friend along with her Dorothy costume for tomorrow's World Book Day.

Lie 5. I am going to ban TV for a week if you don't turn it down.

Something I am sure you have all said.

Lie 6. "What are you eating mum?"..... me... "nothing"
When I clearly have a whole jaffa cake in my mouth.

Do you see my point. I'm already at five on day one and they have been at school all day.

But I do stand firm in the fact that I have never told them any big bad lies - well apart from the one about it taking the tooth fairy three or four days to find our house because we live in the countryside - but that's not too bad is it?

What about you? Big black ones or little white ones?

The Gallery... Beauty

Beauty.......

I love the water... I love the sea but then I'm a water sign. This is one of my fav pics of a young TotallySonny standing in the sea in Cornwall looking for crabs....
Thanks to Tara at Sticky Fingers this is such a fab meme.

Could your toddler make it as a model?

Do you think that your toddler has what it takes to make it as a child model?

Leading nursery manufacturer Prince Lionheart (UK) is searching for a toddler to appear in a photographic campaign later this year.

The winning child will also receive a one year contract with leading children’s model agency Bizzykidz and a selection of Prince Lionheart goodies.

They are looking for bright, beautiful and lively children who are outgoing and love being in front of a camera. So if you think your baby has what it takes, is aged between 2 and 4 years on the closing date of 10/04/10 and you live in the UK, please visit their Facebook group for details.

You will need to become a fan of the page and you will find entry info here.

Here's a couple of early shots of my little models. ModelGirl above in a shoot for Starchild Shoes.. and FunnyGirl below for TotsBots.

Prince Lionheart have been producing nursery products since 1973. Their world famous Slumber Bear was the first product of its kind and has been lulling babies off to sleep for two generations.For more information on Prince Lionheart visit their website.

Memory Monday Meme...

I know that lots of you read and commented on my post about my battle with Post Natal Depression and the amazing support that I received for speaking out made me take my story to print. 

I had a few offers but I decided to offer the story to Mother & Baby magazine. It made me a bit jumpy as that's my industry but I knew that if it went anywhere than that was where it should go.

In all honesty - I thought that was that. I didnt expect any comeback at all but I have had emails (sent through to the magazine), I have had emails sent to me personally, I have been sidelined in the queue in Sainsburys and WH Smiths and today I had a call from someone that I know to tell me that reading the article in Mother & Baby has made her face her many years of depression and finally ask for help.

People keep telling me that I'm amazing and inspirational but let me tell you right now that I'm not. I'm just a regular person who chose not to be defeated - and simply took one day at a time for, well a long, long time.

My Memory Monday is two fold really. I wanted to share this picture of me, aged 19 and just a baby myself to show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. It's also directed the brave lady that called me today. You know who you are. You are taking fairy steps in the right direction and that is all you have to do. xx

Ten months after this picture was taken I nearly died.