My Big Brags of 2010

I’ve decided not to do a traditional round up post; I’m not going to bore you with all my posts from the last year. If you want to read them the archive is in my sidebar.

Instead I thought I would have a big bragging session and list my achievements this year. I’m tooting my own horn in to the New Year!!

I’ve been really lucky to have been involved in some great campaigns this year, gone on some lovely trips and meet some amazing people.

2010 didn’t start well for me, I was unemployed and on job seekers allowance. I had tried to go self employed and do some party planning with a Linens company but I choose the wrong time of year and it didn’t go well for me.

As I get to the end of 2010 I’ve realised that I have come a long way this year, so here are my brags (not necessarily in the right order!)

• I Started writing for Mumstop which is now UrbanMum.
• I Started writing for an American site, my first paid work.
• I was Nominated and made the shortlist of the MAD awards for Best Baby Blog.
• I Had an article written about me in the local paper because of the MADS.
• I Completed the Race for Life.
• I Attended the first Cybermummy conference. I was also chosen to be a Crowd Sourced Speaker and read one of my posts in front of everyone there. I will be attending in 2011 thanks to my amazing sponsors John Crane Toys.
• I had an article published in Relax Magazine.
• I was asked to be a part of Pampers one pack = one vaccine campaign for the second year in a row.
• Both New Mummy and New Mummy’s Tips made the Tots 100 and the Wikio Top 100 Parent Bloggers.
• Made an income from New Mummy’s Tips.
• I decided to make a go at professional/freelance blogging and now have 3 great clients to go into the New Year with.
• I had a small story published in an Anthology of writing called Little Acorns (which is still on sale!) all proceeds go to Children in Need.  I need to say a big thank you to Tim for starting the online writing course when my local course was cancelled.
• However my biggest achievement of the year must be making it to the end without killing or seriously hurting my daughter. Yay me I’m not a totally crap mummy! BG is clever, cheeky, happy and healthy and I’m very fortunate I get to stay at home with her and see her grow up.

When I look back to where I started in January and where I am now I really can't believe it. It hasn't come easy, its not all fallen in my lap, I've worked really hard to get where I am. 


Its involved long nights and not a lot of time to relax but its been worth it and I look towards 2011 with a lot of excitement. 

So what does 2011 bring for me, well hopefully more success professionally and with New Mummy’s Tips.

New Mummy has been seriously neglected in the past few months; I’ve lost my blogging mojo for it. I will stop writing New Mummy sometime in the New Year but don’t despair I will be starting a new personal blog.

What are your brags of the year?

I will leave you with my favourite song of the year.....

Upside Down by Paloma Faith, the lyrics make a lot of sense to me.

Have a great New Year.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 24

This is where I leave you for this year. 

Have an amazing Christmas and New Year and I will see you 2011!

I leave you with Frank Sinatra and Let It Snow!

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 23

I've done really well to not include any really silly Christmas song, you know the Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder ones.

But I had to slip one in, so here is Geraldine Mcqueen singing Once Upon a Christmas Song

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 22

This video makes me cringe but smile at the same time. 

Its so awkward and you would never put the two of them together.

Here is Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing Little Drummer Boy. 

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 21

I couldn't put together and miss out my beloved Bon Jovi. 

You can see in the video he isn't really enjoying himself with Cindy Crawford *ahem*

I give you  Bon Jovi and Please come Home for Christmas.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 20

This one is not for the faint hearted!

This is Alice Copper and Santa Clause is Coming to Town.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 19

I've had so much full pulling all these posts together and have found some right gems for you.

Here is Barbara Streisand singing Jingle Bells. 

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 18

This song has been covered by many an artist but you can't beat the original.

Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt 


Love this live version, she even has a dig at Madonna!!

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 17

This may be a slower song but its still cheesy!

I give you Mud and Lonely This Christmas.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 16

I had to slip a bit of Cliff in somewhere!! 

Today's song is Mistletoe and Wine by Cliff Richards

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 15

I warned you it was getting cheesy!

Today for your listening pleasure is Wizzard and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday 

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 14

It all gets a bit cheesy from now on!!

You can't beat a bit of Slade at Christmas.

Here is Slade singing Merry Christmas Everyone in 1974.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 13

This is my favourite Christmas song of all time!

Fairy Tale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl Live

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 12

We are half way there, only 12 days left to Christmas!!

The only song to play today is The Twelve Days Of Christmas.

This is the John Denver and The Muppet's version.

NM X

Possibly The Worse Cover Version in The World

I get really annoyed when artists can't be bothered to make their own music and make terrible covers of a perfectly good song.


I don't mean taking a hook or melody from a song and using it sometimes that works really well, but I mean doing a cover that frankly is just a lazy excuse for not being original.


There have been some truly horrendous covers in the past, for example Take That doing Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit

or Atomic Kitten doing Blondie's Tide Is High

Or Girls Aloud covering the Pretenders I'll Stand By You

These songs are a classic for a reason, leave them alone and come up with something original!

Do you want to see what has caused this rant? Well its this lazy arse, excuse for music by the Black Eye Peas! 

They have covered the Time of My Life, its not even a good cover. It sounds terrible and every time is comes on I have to switch it off, it makes me angry?

I'll let you judge for yourself!

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 11

Its not Christmas without a bit of Bing Crosby.

So here he is singing White Christmas..

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 10

If you haven't guess it already today I am bringing you the 3rd in the Band Aid series, yes after the disaster that was Band Aid II they came back for more. 

I give you Band Aid 20 (because its was the 20 year anniversary) 

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 9

Yesterday I bought you the original Band Aid, well today I bring you Band Aid II.

The lesser know Band Aid record, same song different artists. 

NM X

White

The Gallery prompt for this week is White. I wasn't going to take part this week as we've been so busy and me and OH were going away for a few days. 


That was until on the way to our little getaway I saw the most gorgeous views and OH stopped the car so I could take some pictures.  They are taken on my phone.

 This last one was taken as we left the hotel.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 8

Some Christmas songs are produced for a good cause, to raise money for other less fortunate.

So today I bring you the ultimate charity record, the original ....
Do They Know Its Christmas Time

Live at Band Aid 1985 

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 7

You need to stand up and dance to this one. 

Go on, get up and dance!!

I don't care if you are work or in a public place!

I bring you Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin Stevens

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 6

I have a cracker for you today. This is sure to get your Monday starting with a swing!

I bring you Jingle Bell Rock by Billy Idol!!

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 5

Today I bring you a beauty, I didn't know this song existed until last week when I was pulling these posts together. This is real treat!


I bring you It's Christmas Time by Status Quo!

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 4

This is relatively modern Christmas song but I have a soft spot for it. It has the necessary cheese factor needed.

I bring you Don't Let the Bells End by The Darkness.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 3

Today I bring you a classic Christmas song. It is beautiful and makes me feel warm and happy inside. 

Winter Wonderland by Doris Day.

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 2

Today I give you Mel Smith & Kim Wilde Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

NM X

Musical Advent - Day 1

I have decided to do something a little different and have a musical advent, each day I will post a song that represents Christmas to me.


It may be a Christmas song, it may be a ballad, it may be a cheesy party song. I thought it would be fun plus everything is manic at the moment with the run up to Christmas. I have post to finish on New Mummy's Tip and some freelance to do before I can relax. I plan to be done by the middle of next week, so I can start wrapping presents and enjoy the run up to Christmas with BG.

My song for Day 1 is on one my favourite Christmas song, I'm not a huge fan of the singer but I can't help loving this song. I have a ban on all Christmas songs until the 1st of December so I have been overdosing today and me and BG have danced around to this quite a lot.


I give you.... All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

Stop by tomorrow for Day 2

NM X

Celebration - BG's 2nd Birthday!

This weeks Gallery prompt is celebrations, which is perfect at it was BG's 2nd Birthday on Saturday.


We had a open house with people popping in and out. I cooked a huge pot of soup, baked a loaf of bread and roasted a chicken, nice and simple.


And of course made BG a Oh Ah Cake!


BG wasn't really quite sure what was going on but enjoyed spending the day with her family. She got some lovely presents but wasn't spoilt to much.


So here are some of our celebrations....

NM X

Friday Song - A BG Special

When BG was very little I used to sit her in her bouncy chair while I did the housework. To keep her entertained I would play music and dance around and sing which made her laugh.

One of the albums I played the most was (I can't believe I'm admitting this) Girls Aloud greatest hits. Her favourite song was Jump, I think because its quite up beat and of course mummy looks really silly jumping up and down.

So in honour of BG who is two tomorrow is Girls Aloud and Jump.


Change of plans, I just found this and it is BG's favourite song at the moment...


The Bing Bong song from Peppa Pig!

NM X

Black and White

This weeks Gallery prompt is Black & White. I know that there are going to be some stunning photos this week but to me my picture is very, very special to me...

This is BG's 20 weeks scam and the reason I choose it this week is not just because its an amazing picture of my unborn child but because on Saturday that little blob turns 2!


Yes my little Baby Girl will be two years old and I can't believe it. She is the most amazing thing that has ever happen to me and I'm so grateful that she is here.

NM X

New Mummy Gets Published!

Earlier this year I was supposed to be doing a creative writing course, this was cancelled and I was really upset. The wonderful Tim from Bringing Up Charlie came to my rescue and started an online creative writing course which was fantastic.


Today a anthology of our work has been published, including a short story from me!!


All sale proceeds are going to Children In Need so please, please, please buy it.


Its available in two forms, you can buy it in paperback for £8.99



or a download for £2.99



I'm off to tell everyone I know I'm a published author!

NM X

Friday Song - Children In Need

There was only one song I could post today.


Here is the official Children In Need 2010 song, Love You A Little Bit More by JLS (sshh don't tell anyone but I quite like it!)

NM X

Before and After

This weeks Gallery prompt is Before and After, we have to take a picture from the past and recreate it.

Here's mine....

Before

This is one of those random photo's you take. Me and BG were having a snuggle on sofa when and I took the picture with my phone, she was 6 months old.

This is us on Sunday, BG is now 23 months old!! I can't believe how grown up she is getting.

After

The grin on her face is her saying cheese, I can't get a proper smile out of her any more!!

NM X

Friday Song - Get Down Tonight

This week has been a great week for me, I will give you more news next. 


I was struggling with a song for today when my sister tweeted me this..

So here it is, KC and the Sunshine Band, Get Down Tonight! 

NM X

Seasons -Summer

This weeks prompt for the Gallery is Seasons, so I dug around my photos and this is what I found. 

Summer!

NM X