Well that was 2011!

It has passed in a blink of an eye and a constant flurry of activities.  2011, has been a great year! My family have continued to make me proud and are my greatest joy and achievement. Freddy has grown into a bright and gorgeous toddler (with a Diva-ish penchant for dancing in his big sister's dresses!)  Kizzy is thriving at school and has enjoyed taking part in the Gifted and Talented programme.  Ella's musical talents continue to astound me with her beautiful guitar playing and vocals.  Megan is doing so well applying for Graduate schemes ready for September. Joe has been promoted at work with his new post starting in January.  But 2011 has been a great year for me personally too!  My blog has continued to present me with amazing opportunities and I have been amazed at how much it has evolved over the last 12 months. Here are some of my highlights of the year.

My success with my weightloss has seen me have photoshoots for The Sun and Top Sante and I have appeared in the Mail Online.  I was the runner-up in the Slimpod Slimmer of the Year competition which was a huge honour, after shedding 3 stone with the Lose 2 Jeans Sizes Slimpod!  This year I want to lose another stone and maintain a comfortable size 12.  That will be a huge achievement and will make me truly believe that I have completely kicked the yoyo diet habits forever.  I am forever indebted to the wonderful Sandra Roycroft-Davis who I have met on numerous occasions this year.

Top Sante shoot by Thomas Skovsende

In 2011 I have been a Craniac for John Crane, a Graco Ambassador and a Toys R Us Toyologist. I have worked with some great companies including UK Mums TV, Aldi, Regis, Pampers, Warner Bros, P&O, Quinny, Next and Ubisoft.  I love working closely with brands that I believe in.  It is an amazing opportunity to test out products and attend events, and share my thoughts on my blog.

In 2011 I enjoyed going to Cybermummy along with fellow ambassador Emma representing Graco.  With a hire car from Hyundai and Lou as my co-pilot we had a great time meeting fellow bloggers and learning a thing or two about the blogging world.  I even won the passport competition, winning a weekend at The Four Seasons Hotel.  Above all though, attending this event was a huge achievement for me.  Just a few months prior to this, I would never have dreamt that I would be able to drive all the way to London and stay in a hotel on my own without Ian by my side.  This was a real test for me and my self-confidence...and I've not looked back since!

Feeling like an official Blogger at Cybermummy

I took Kizzy to the Hexbugs Bedbugs Sleepover at London Zoo.  It was amazing sleeping on the floor of a bug house alongside ants and cockroaches after having a private tour of the zoo by torchlight.  We went with Helen and her daughter Hanna who were perfect company.

Meeting a Tarantula at London Zoo

The Next event to preview the SS12 range was a wonderful, child friendly affair where we were thoroughly spoiled!  I had some photos taken of Freddy which I absolutely love.  I'm proud to be part of the Next Blogger Network and would love to work with them again in 2012.

Fred modelling his Next jeans (Next jumper was removed prior to photoshoot!)

I guest edited Real People which was a real highlight of the year and got to produce a two page spread that appeared in the magazine.  It was an amazing experience that gave me the chance to recommend some of my favourite blogs and top toys.

My Real People pages!

Attending the Tots 100 Butlins Christmas Party was a wonderful opportunity to combine blogging with my family, as me, Ian and the kids descended on the Bognor Regis resort.  I had a really great time catching up with favourite online friends and spending some quality pre-Christmas fun with my family.  Thanks again to Sally!

Our Tree Decorating Team at Butlins

The Rachel's Organic event at Buxted Park Hand Picked Hotel was another wonderful opportunity.  We watched top chef Lucy Hyder prepare dishes using Rachel's products before being treated to a sumptuous four course meal in the 5* restaurant.  The hotel was exquisite, the company was superb and the food was out of this world.

Me and Lucy Hyder of Buxted Park.

I have enjoyed family outings to zoos, safari parks, theme parks, Blackpool dungeons and events such as Bob's Big Build (where we enjoyed a marvellous breakfast on board a Clipper alongside Danielle, Helen and families before arriving at the O2 for lots of Bob related fun!).  Sharing the benefits of blogging with the children and Ian is a real bonus, making the hours spent tapping away on my laptop worthwhile.  The children have also relished the opportunity of being my Tiny Testers, helping me with my reviews.  I couldn't have done it without them!

Kizzy at Bob's Big Build

What a great year 2011 has been!  Here's hoping that 2012 is going to be as successful, eventful and fun for us all!  I hope to see many more of you in 2012...our community is a wonderful place and I am honoured to be a part of it!  Happy New Year! xxx

Real People is Out Today!

Back in July I had the amazing experience of being a Guest Editor for Real People Magazine.  It was an incredibly fun packed adventure from the moment I stepped off the train in Euston.  I lived a lifestyle that was so far removed from being a mum and housewife in Shropshire, I had a real taste of what it must be like to be a professional woman in the fast paced world of magazine journalism in London.

Arriving at Nat Mags and meeting the other 2 Guest Editors and their travel partners and Editor  Samm Taylor.

It was so interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes of a national publication. Being a weekly magazine, everything was so fast moving and the atmosphere was buzzing.  We were involved in the production of a front cover watching its progress from concept to completion.  The attention to detail was quite amazing, ensuring that the cover caught your eye from the shelf.

Seeing the finished front cover printed.

We took part in the editorial meeting where future stories were discussed around the table.  Some of the proposed stories showed that real life is often more unbelievable than fiction!  I loved being a part of the discussion, it was so interesting being privy to so many incredible real life stories.

Discussing possible stories to feature.

The highlight of the experience however, was being able to write my own double page spread for publication in the magazine which goes on sale today.  I joined the features team where I had my own swanky Apple Mac to use as I worked on my copy.  I was given the Mum to Mum pages to write.  The usual format involves one mum giving direct advice to another mum who has a particular problem.  However, I was given the opportunity to share my experiences directly, highlighting a problem I had overcome with each of my own children at their current stage of life.  I had free reign to tap out my thoughts on the keyboard...what an empowering feeling!  It took me much longer to do than I expected, so I chose to forego a leisurely pre-theatre evening meal in order to finish my copy. Who knew I had such workaholic tendencies!

Ready to write my copy.

Picking the photos for my feature.

In addition to this I also had the chance to recommend my Top 5 Toys and my Top 5 Blogs to run on either side of my Mum to Mum piece.  This was so tricky as I have reviewed loads of excellent toys and I read lots of great quality blogs.  Picking just five was not easy, but I tried to get a good balance.

My Top 5 Blogs who will be featured are:
Thinly Spread...Christine is an inspirational woman and a fellow veggie!
Northern Mum...she makes me laugh!
Working London Mummy...I love the photography, the recipes and the passion for food.
Red Ted Art...great ideas for getting crafty with the kids.
and yes I did recommend my own blog!

My Top 5 Toys are:
Molkky...the outdoor game from Finland
John Crane Stack-Up Cubes...they stack over 1 metre tall which delights Freddy!
Wow Dexter the Digger...the tough and lovable digger.
My First JCB Talking Joey...a friendly character who speaks as he works.
Bladez Pump and Play...Giant Remote Controlled toys.

We were made to feel like part of the team during our stay with Real people.  It was a marvellous experience that I will look back on and remember for years to come as the time when I had a go at a "proper job!!"  Editor Samm Taylor was absolutely brilliant and I can't thank her or the Real People team enough for the incredible opportunity I was given.

Guest Beauty Ed Leanne, Editor Samm Taylor, Guest Agony Aunt  Carol and me posing in the offices!

Receiving a framed copy of our pages from the lovely Samm Taylor.

Real People costs just 67p...so why not pop out and buy the special Guest Editors' edition!

My Very Own Double Page Feature!!

You can follow Real People on Facebook ...they are a lovely bunch of folk!

*Thank you to photographer Ester Segarra for taking the photos and for Sue Miles for sending them to me to use on my blog*

Guest Editing on Real People Magazine

Back in January, I applied along with hundreds of others to be in with a chance of becoming a Guest Editor for the magazine for the day. I wrote about why I wanted to be considered and was shortlisted, and after submitting further details about myself was chosen as one of three successful applicants.

I didn't really know what to expect from it all, but my motto is to seize whatever opportunities come my way.  Thankfully, Ian is more than happy to support my recent habit of upping sticks and gallivanting to London to attend events, but I'd never been away from the family for three days before.  I was understandably nervous, but with Megan as my travelling partner, I felt the fear but did it anyway!

The itinerary arrived a few days before we left and I was surprised to find that we were to be treated to an action packed  three days. Not only would I be working on my own pages in the magazine, but we'd also be treated to amazing meals out with key members of staff, a theatre trip, a guided tour of London all whilst staying in the gorgeous Russell Hotel.  Add to that chauffeur driven cars and I was starting to feel a little celebrity-esque!

We arrived by train and were picked up at Euston Station and escorted to our hotel.  I have never seen such an amazingly grand hotel.  The Victorian building had intricate mosaic floors, stained glass windows and carvings in the stone walls.  It has been sympathetically preserved and I could easily imagine the lords and ladies who would have been guests over a century ago.   But for two nights this was going to be home to us!

We met up with the other guest editors and their travel partners and we developed an instant comradery born out of our shared adventure that lasted for the duration of our trip.  Carol and Leanne were both fabulous ladies and I'm so glad I got to meet them!

After settling in, we were driven to the National Magazine building in the heart of London to meet Samm Taylor, the editor of Real People, and some of the team.   We learned a few tricks of the trade and got involved in the process of seeing the front cover through from conception to being sent off to print.  The amount of work that goes into every detail is quite amazing!

We had a fabulous meal at a bistro restaurant where I indulged in my first ever Artichokes and also my first Chocolate Fondant (they always make them on Masterchef and I always fancied trying one!)  It was a glorious meal and we meandered back to the hotel feeling very satisfied indeed!

Goat's Cheeses Tartine with Olive Tampanade and Artichokes

The next morning started with an excellent cooked veggie breakfast (I so could get a taste for this life style).  We then headed off "to work" for the day.  As guest editors we were involved in every step of the process including the morning meeting where potential stories were discussed.  We saw what goes on in different departments and I was particularly impressed with the repro guys who use their skills to improve photographs.  We flicked through their portfolio and saw some pre-photoshopped Angelina Jolie photos used in a glossy monthly mag. They made all her tattoos disappear, replacing them with clear, gorgeous skin showing through her elegant backless dress. Clever stuff.

After lunch I joined the features team to work on my pages.  I was briefed and then left to get on with writing the copy for a double paged feature.  I was also photographed, interviewed and videoed.  It was great to be immersed in such an exciting, fast paced working environment and trusted to have input in some publishing decisions.

A quick bite to eat was followed by Priscilla Queen of the Desert accompanied by cocktails in light up cocktail glasses.  It was camp, colourful and completely fun.

Our last day involved an unusual guided tour onboard an American amphibious vehicle from World War Two lovingly referred to as a Duck.  The Duck Tours are a huge hit with tourists and we embraced the whole experience, trundling around the streets of London looking at the sights before heading offroad and driving straight into the Thames!

A final lunch with the editor saw an end to an amazing three days.  I couldn't thank Samm and her staff enough for the experience.  We were treated like VIPs and it was an honour to be let loose on an established magazine.  My pages will appear in about four weeks time.  Once it's published I can tell you more about what I did...needless to say I'm quite excited by it all!