Blogladesh

If you follow me on Twitter you will probably have seen my stream kick in with mentions of #Blogladesh this afternoon. But what's it all about?

Along with two other bloggers Eva (@nixdminx) and Josie (@porridgebrain) I will be travelling to Bangladesh with Save the Children Fund to highlight the work they are doing in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

In Bangladesh, 36% of the population live on less than US$1 (64p) a day and 83% live on less than US$2 (£1.28) a day. Extremely poor households are often dependent on income from their young children and around 7.4 million children are engaged in child labour.

These children miss out on the basics that we couldn't imagine not being a part of our own lives, such as food, education, access to medicine and security.

Almost 50% of Bangladeshi children under five years old are underweight or too small for their age. Approximately 2.4 million children aged 6-10, are not enrolled in primary school and the number of street children is estimated to be over 7, 00,000.

Every year around 250,000 children die in Bangladesh before reaching their fifth birthday. They die from things that can be easily prevented or treated like diarrhea, pneumonia and infections and from lack of proper maternity care. Things we take for granted.

We are going to be reporting from the field, tears and all and all we ask of you is to get behind us. Follow us all so that you can feel our trip from every angle. We are all very different bloggers and we will all have a different take on things. RT using our #Blogladesh hashtag, follow our pics on our Flickr stream (details to follow) and make as much noise as possible - because you know what? We can make a difference.

I already linked at the start of this post but if you are not already following Josie and Eva, here is where you can find them.

Josie, Sleep is for the Weak or on twitter @porridgebrain

Eva, Nixdminx or on twitter @nixdminx

If you really, really want to show your support please do use our badge on your site. Your can get the code here.

I will be sure to follow everyone who follows, RT's or shows support for this amazing project and if you do mention our trip on your blog please do add it to the Linky below.

New York, New York

I've always wanted to go to NYC. It's the one place that has always pulled me.

I didn't start traveling until I got married though and as three babies arrived in lightening speed a city vacation has never been an option for us.

Now that they are a bit older I think that they would adore New York.

Despite my initial enthusiasm I didn't really get to see much of the city. The conference got in the way of my site seeing but yesterday I did manage to take in Central Park via a whirlwind tour on the back of a rickshaw.

It really is the way to do it. Speed Central Park in the 100 degree heat.

It's odd coming from a country steeped in history (there is evidence of a Roman settlement close to our small village) to a place where the oldest structure was built in 1850. If our tour of Central Park was anything to go by the history of NYC is defined by the movies shot there. Spiderman, Face Off, Home Alone, Ghostbusters, Stuart Little, Kramer vs Kramer and a memorial to one of England's greatest musicians.

I took in the tourist hot spot that is The Empire State Building. Rode the subway to South Ferry port to take the free ferry to Staten Island, leaving the Manhattan skyline behind me as I looked in awe at 

Lady Liberty. 

Time Square, 42nd Street, Broadway. The places I dreamt of as a young dancer.

Steaming streets, yellow cabs, bright lights, tall tall buildings. A melting pot of language and race where anything goes or anyone goes.

New York is officially my favorite city in the world.

Top BlogHer moments part 2

I know that you all think we are over here filling our brains with important blogging stuff.... but really we are dancing!
This fab new Wii Just Dance 2 is out in a couple of months. It's totally awesome.
But who is the better dancer, Jen or Jay?!

Top BlogHer moments part 1 : The Bloggess

So we bump into the mighty Bloggess and she is taking part in the sandwich challenge with Padma Lakshmi over at the Hillshire Farm booth. The idea is that the bloggers get two minutes to make the best, tastiest sandwich ever.

The Bloggess used those age old ingredients M and M's chocolate sauce and cream.

She didn't win.

She was robbed.

The Gallery Play

Just managed to squeeze this in before I head off to BlogHer in the morning. I know that lots of you want updates live from the conference and I promise to do as much as I can.... Last year there were connectivity issues if you know what I mean?!
Anyway - this weeks theme over at The Gallery is playtime.
I love these pictures of ModelGirl on the trampoline is one of the heaviest rainstorms in a long time - in her PJ's.

That is one soggy kid!