Nominations are officially open for Tots100’s annual MAD Blog Awards. If you haven’t heard of them before, the MAD (mum and dad) awards are the biggest of their kind in UK parent blogging and recognise the excellence of blogs in a range of categories.
When I first started blogging in 2013 – totally wet behind the ears – I put myself forward for a handful of awards like this, but when my entries went nowhere I quickly became disheartened and dejected and as a result I haven’t put Crummy Mummy forward for an award in more than three years.
There are so many brilliant blogs out there with amazing content, all-singing-all-dancing You Tube channels, perfectly crafted Instagram accounts and thousands more followers than me that there just didn’t seem any point in trying to compete.
‘What’s the point?’ I’d think when an announcement about the latest event popped into my inbox, ‘I’ll never win’.
But this year, now that BB is at school and is constantly overcoming new hurdles, I’ve been reminded that such a defeatist attitude never got anybody anywhere.
In the last six months alone, since becoming self-hosted and really honing what Crummy Mummy is all about, I’ve seen my blog stats more than double, gone from not even being in the top 1,000 parent blogs to being ranked in the top 500, grown our Facebook following from under 100 ‘likes’ to more than 1,700 and increased my Twitter following from 200 to more than 1,700. Oh, and I started vlogging. All of which I think is something to be proud of in such a short space of time.
In BB’s class they have a character called ‘have-a-go-hippo’, and when someone is finding something hard to achieve they’re reminded to ‘have-a-go-hippo’. I can almost hear BB’s voice in my head saying ‘come on Mummy, remember have-a-go-hippo’. So this year I’m going to do it, I’m going to enter the MADs.
If you’ve been feeling like me – that it’s not really worth entering blogging awards – here are 5 reasons to enter Tots100 MAD Blog Awards too:
1. There are 14 categories to choose from, which means unlike some blogging awards there’s bound to be a category which fits your blog perfectly.
2. More categories mean there’s a greater chance of becoming a finalist or even winning. Fourteen categories is quite a lot!
3. One finalist in each category is chosen by the judging panel, not by the number of nominations they receive. So while you might think the blogs with bigger followings will get the most nominations, there’s no reason why your content won’t catch the eye of the judges.
4. You’ve got to be in it to win it. Don’t beat defeatist like I’ve been over the past few years – the simple fact is that if you don’t enter then you can’t win.
5. You deserve it! All those evenings spent tapping away, all that time wracking your brains for the perfect blog post title and all that time taking and editing pictures: of course you blog because you love it, but a nice shiny award in recognition of all your efforts would be jolly nice too!
So I’ve nominated myself, and I’ve also nominated all of my favourite blogs too.
If you enjoy what you read here I’d be so so pleased if you would nominate me too! I’ve put myself forward for three categories:
Blog of the year, best pre-school blog and best writer.
But if you think I best fit another category that’s fine too! It takes just two minutes to nominate me (it really does!) and all you have to do is click on the badge (below) and enter my blog URL.
Thank you so so much in advance!
Are you a blogger and do you find entering blogging awards daunting like me?
Linking up with…
Firstly, congratulations on growing your blog and social media! Brilliant increase in figures. Good on you for entering -the MADS that’s the right attitude…I have never entered those particular awards either so you have got me thinking. I love the sound of ‘have a go hippo’ – what a great concept to teach kids. Good luck x #thelist
Thank you so much – ‘have a go hippo’ is a great idea and one we should all embrace…
Ooh, you’ve twisted my arm! Eek! Good luck.
#TheList
Good – do it!!
Well done, what fantastic results from your hard work! Go you!! I think it’s great that you’ve put yourself forward so you should! I hope anyone who thinks they shouldn’t, reads this and changes their mind! Good luck x
I hope I’ve managed to change a few people’s minds too!
Good luck, I think i might leave me until next year #TheList
Thank you so much – see you next year?!!
Oh I am so glad you have entered. I have a list of who I want to nominate but there are so many good blogs that it keeps changing! Good luck-you have a fab blog x #thelist
Thanks so much! It’s so hard to narrow it down who to vote for because there are so many worthy winners!
oooo I’m sill not sure I’m ready for the leap into blogging awards but reading your post has made me start to seriously thing about it. Well done you, on all your success!! #TheList
It’s so hard to know when is the ‘right time’ – good luck deciding!x
Well done you, that’s amazing stats in such a short time! Hard work really does pay off, and I love that hippo idea1 xx
It’s a great idea isn’t it – we use have a go hippo all the time at home now!
Well done on all your achievements, your post are always brilliant and your stats really show that! I’m hoping to be nominated (and not just by myself!), but will definitely be nominating some of my other favourites too 🙂 Good luck, you know I love your blog!
I’m sure you’ll be nominated too!! So pleased you like reading mine – I love yours too!x
Congrats on the recent growth of your blog! And best of luck with the awards! How exciting #bloggingOscars
Thanks for sharing #TheList X
Yes they ARE the Oscars aren’t they – I hadn’t thought of it like that!
You have really grown this year hun and I love your blogging. You re so right about giving it a go. My favourite quote this week was, Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. I plan to be fearless and enter too. Good luck!
That’s a very good quote – I hadn’t heard that one before. Good luck – I love your blogging too!x
Well done, such brilliant achievements with your stats. That gives me something of a boost that such leaps can be done. I’m still a real novice and not even self hosted yet, so it’s nice to know that I may well think about this in about 5 years time!! Good luck. xx
It’s taken me three years to get this far – I’m constantly amazed when I look round at blogs that have been around for less than a year and see how far they’ve come. You’ll get there!
Good luck! I’ve nominated myself for Best New Blog but not expecting anything at all as the competition is huge!!
Well done for going for it and good luck!!
I didn’t think it was worsent trying but your post made me think why not. My blog has only been up & running since November so I’m a newbie but like you said you’ve got to be in it to win it. I definitely won’t be holding my breath though. Super good luck with your entry & amazing well done on your stats. Any tips on Facebook growth would be hugely appreciated. #thelist Lifeinthemumslane
I grew my Facebook following with the help of this post from Cuddle Fairy – have a go, it really worked for me! https://www.cuddlefairy.com/how-i-grew-my-facebook-likes/
I saw that nominations were open and have been going back and forth in my mind about whether to nominate myself or not. I’m not sure my blog is where I want it to be yet, but then, nothing ventured nothing gained hey?! Well done you for going for it! x #TheList
Maybe entering will help you focus on your blog and get it to where you want it to be? I say go for it!x
Well done for putting yourself out there, I’m still very much in the negative ‘I will never win’ frame of mind. .maybe next year. Congratulations on your blogs recent growth, amazing stats. I love your blog, good luck in the awards xx #picknmix
Thanks so much for your vote of confidence! It means a lot!
Good for you! I think I need to build my followers before I dare enter #justanotherlinky
I’ve felt like that every year!
Good luck lovely! You are so right, you have to be in it to win it. And there really is no harm for anyone to put themselves forward and ask for some support. They probably have more fans than they realise! #thelist
That’s true – I have no idea how many crummy mummy ‘fans’ there are out there, it’s such a hard thing to measure!
good luck, your blog is great! I would not feel confident in entering any blog awards! xx
#picknmix
I wouldn’t say I feel confident, but I would like to think I’m a teeny weeny little bit worthy!
You’re totally right-I have a tendency towards pessimism and have to really fight against the little voice in my head saying “you’ll never win..” You’ve got to be in it to win it. I haven’t entered yet, but I’m going to. Best of luck! #justanotherlinky
Glad to hear you’re going to enter too. It is hard not to listen to that little voice in your head when you look at the bigger and more established blogs with clutches of awards under their belts though…
Well done on putting yourself out there, you have to to be in it and I know how hard that is, personallyIi hate doing it, it’s the fear that somehow everyone will laugh and wondwer who I think I am but it’s nuts, we all have great blogs that we work at and we should be proud of them. I hope you go all the way xx #KCACOLS
Well we’ll see what happens – I don’t think self-promotion is something that comes naturally to many of us!!
Well done on building your blog up so much. I have decided to wait at least another year before I put myself forward for these awards. I don’t think I’m deserving of it yet and want to continue developing it. Currently I’m struggling to keep up with my blog as well as work, family etc. I really need to put some time into posting regularly and increasing my following #KCACOLS
I struggle to keep up with mine too and sticking to a posting schedule is tough – there’s always something blog related to do and I always have a to-do list which rolls on and on!!
Your blog is one of my absolutely faves and you would be a deserving winner of any of those categories and more! I LOVE the phrase ‘have a go hippo’ – how good is that! x x #TheList
Thank you – your blog is one of MY faves too! xxx
I am so glad I read this,I’d been considering putting myself forward for a MAD award and your positive words and encouragement made me do it. Yes it’s a long shot, I’m still a fairly new blogger. But I love the fact our blogging community is so supportive and encouraging of each other! Best of luck to you honey – love your blog xx #KCACOLS
That’s great news! So pleased you put yourself forward too – good luck!x
Having only started blogging last September and going self-hosted in January, I’m new to all this blog awards stuff. I find the concept on nominating myself really strange – a bit like blowing my own trumpet rather too loudly, and I’m not sure I’ve got the confidence to ask others to nominate me too! Maybe I’ll feel a little more brave next year. Good luck, I hope you achieve success! #KCACOLS
I’m new to all this stuff too and I’ve been blogging for three years! I don’t think nominating yourself will ever not feel strange – it’s just part and parcel of it all…
Good luck and well done for working so hard! Will be rooting for you 🙂 #kcacols
That’s so good to know – thank youx
Great valid points and good luck X #justanotherlinky
Thank you – good luck to you too!
Fantastic reasons to enter and well done you for nominating – best of luck! #KCACOLS
Hopefully it will inspire others to enter too…
Best of luck with your nominations, as they say you have to be in it to win it.
Thanks so much – fingers crossed for this year!
Well done and good luck! These are great reasons x
#KCACOLS
Thanks for popping by!x
Thanks very much!x
I need to get on and vote and try and push myself. I just feel a bit cheeky asking but why? God knows as everyone else is! Thanks for reminding me of your great blog too! xx #sundaystars
It’s not cheeky at all – ask away! Absolutely everyone else is – as long as you ask nicely there’s nothing wrong with that!
I feel a bit weird about nominating myself – but I’m not that good with self-promotion in general. I should probably just get over it and throw my hat into the ring. Good luck! #KCACOLS
It IS weird nominating yourself – but if you don’t who else is going to? Go for it!
Like lots of other people here I also hate the idea of putting myself forward for an award, us British women are certainly not encouraged to shout about our achievements! Perhaps I’ll have a look now though after reading this.
Good luck with your nominations!
I hate the idea too so have just ignored these awards for the last few years. It’s just this year I’ve started thinking about them again and thinking we should all be putting ourselves forward…
Love the confidence you have for yourself – that’s such a great thing to have! I must remember the ‘have a go hippo’ saying 🙂 I have already sent in my nominations but good luck! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday
I might SOUND confident but I don’t actually FEEL very confident..!
I’m still debating nominating myself. I’ve only been blogging since Jan, and still feel like I should have L plates. I like the idea of the awards and I’m pleased they are recognising new blogs as well as those with large followings. However I do wonder if like you said it just sets me up for disappointment? Or should I just give it a go, nothing ventured and all that! Still undecided! Good luck to you x#KCACOLS
You could definitely enter the new blog category, why not? We shouldn’t be so defeatist about these things!
True, i just find self promotion difficult! Good luck x
It is difficult!x
Thats such amazing progress, you should be so pleased, seriously impressed! I’ve been really similar in my mind set and held myself back from really putting myself out there over the last two years, but this year like you im deciding to just go for it, because after all, what is the worst that can happen! Fingers crossed lovely, you have a great blog 🙂 Emily #SundayStars
Thanks so much – you’re right in saying what’s the worst that can happen, none of us has anything to lose by entering!
Congrats on putting yourself forward and nominating yourself, you’re blog has really grown and I love reading your posts. I’m also have an argument in my head whether to nominate myself, I don’t stand a chance of winning or being nominated but my thinking is if I get my head round this awards thing now maybe I’ll be better prepared and know what it’s all about next year when my blog will be older. Good luck hun. Claire x #KCACOLS
You should definitely go for it – you never know what might happen!x
Good reasons…I love the idea of ‘have a go hippo’. It doesn’t feel like the most natural thing in the world but nothing ventured, nothing gained and we should all be proud of our blogs…as you say we work hard on them and deserve to feel proud. Lots of luck! #KCACOLS
I love the ‘have a go hippo’ concept too and we use it at home all the time now! And like you say, nothing ventured, nothing gained…
Well done on all your achievements and good luck with the awards!
#sundaystars
– Cydney
Thank you so much!x
This is exactly how I felt, what’s the point, I’m not going to win. But it’s the taking part that counts right?! X
#sundaystars
That’s what I tell BB so I should practice what I preach!
Definitely agree and good luck lovely!! Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
Stevie x
Good luck too!x
Good luck 🙂 These awards look awesome.
Thank you so much!x
Good luck! You have to be in it to win it! Thanks for linking up to #TheList x
Thank you!x
Good on you and good luck. I need to get a bit more confidence to put myself out there, I’m s bit scared haha! Thanks for linking up to #justanotherlinky xx
I’m scared too but nothing ventured, nothing gained…
Absolutely, you’ve got to be in it to win it and there’s no reason not to be proud of your blog. The competition is fierce but it’s always nice to know that even one person has nominated you. (Although, stuff that, I want to win! Even though I know I have a snowball’s chance in hell.) 🙂
Fierce is one way of putting the competition! Good luck!
Good for you it sounds like you have done amazingly in recent months so why not go for it! Good Luck. Thanks for linking up to #sundaystars x
I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in the last year but of course everyone probably is with their own blogs too – shame there isn’t an award for us all x