MAD Blog of the Year: The Imagination Tree

Twitter: @imaginationtree

Why We Love It: Our judges described Anna’s blog as “the perfect package” – simple, modern design, fabulous writing and a treasure chest of creative, fun activities to do with your children. Anna is a former primary teacher who is now at home, taking care of her two daughters, Cakie and Pop. Imagination Tree captures the brilliant activities Anna devises for her children, from making scented modelling clay to creating sensory boxes and using toys to bring stories to life in new ways. Muddled in with this are some captivating stories of family life, and beautiful pictures that show Anna creating a magical childhood for her daughters. Congratulations, Anna!

Most MAD Blog Post of The Year: Dance Without Sleeping – Hi, My Name is Carol and I Have Depression

Twitter: @caroljs

Why We Love It: Carol describes herself as“a serial blogging, coffee drinking, cupcake making mum of one with a huge passion for music.” So huge in fact, she says she even has her own theme tune.
Carol has written about her depression on a few blogs as a guest poster and on her own. Since starting Dance without Sleeping,Carol says she has been writing about it more regularly, and although that wasn’t her plan it is really helping her through my current bout of depression.  Read More

Best MAD Craft Blog: Red Ted Art

Twitter: @RedTedArt

Why We Love It: No matter if it’s wet weather or fine, you’ll find something to occupy you over at Red Ted Art. The site is run by Maggy Woodley, who describes herself as “half Austrian, half Spanish, living in the UK and married to ‘the Englishman’.”
With top tips for craft activities and step by step photographs to help you get it right, you’ll soon be turning your household rubbish into works of art!  Lots of loo rolls stacking up at home?  Red Ted Art even has an e-book filled with different projects using the cardboard tubes.

Best Pregnancy Blog: Is There A Plan B

Why We Love It:: With three daughters to her name already (including twins), Harriet, the author of Is There a Plan B, is now expecting a boy, much to the delight of her readers. The former lawyer moved her whole family 350 miles north earlier this year in search of a better balance. “I called the blog "Is there a Plan B?" because it felt as though my life was getting away from me, and that despite all my efforts I was never going to be able to catch up with it,” she tells us.
Well, she certainly gets the balance right in her blog, which is a delicious mix of honesty and emotion.

Best MAD Food Blog: Cooking Cakes & Children

Twitter: @amylane

Why We Love It: Cooking, Cakes and Children is home to a host of scrumptious recipes and to the monthly Bake it! cooking carnival, where you can take up the challenge to bake a new dish and upload a photo of the results. Amy, the talented cook behind this delicious blog, is mum to two daughters – Grace and Faith. You’ll find stacks of inspiration on Amy’s blog from her new book, the Pocket Baking Bible, and step by step instructions for dozens of cakes that won’t last long in the pantry! 

Best New MAD Blog: Mammy Woo

Twitter: @mammywoo

Why We Love It: Lexy fully intends to change her name to Mammy Woo one day.  Check out Mammy’s rules, which remind you that a day without laughter is a day wasted. Charting an inspiring journey through post-natal depression, Lexy, or should we say Mammy, tells us she is “now crawling out from the other side of the tunnel and attempting to go back to work, a healthy fully rounded individual, with the light shining brightly.”
Lexy also runs the Moaning Bitch club, a safe haven to disappear to when you just have to have a good rant.  She’s unpredictable, she’s honest, she’s in your face, she’s Mammy Woo.

Best MAD Blog Photography: Tales From The Village

Twitter: @karamina

Why We Love It: This countryside blog is filled with wistful images from her life with four children, five chickens and a beautiful cottage garden.  A talented writer, Rachael uses pictures to illustrate her posts or simply to make a point on their own. Rachael grew up in Scotland and went to five different primary schools, including one in Melbourne, Australia for a while. Rachael isgoing through some huge changes in her life this year, and we’re all waiting with baited breath to see how her blog will evolve.  

Best Pre-School Fun MAD Blog: Red Ted Art

Twitter: @RedTedArt

Why We Love It: No matter if it’s wet weather or fine, you’ll find something to occupy you over at Red Ted Art. The site is run by Maggie Woodley, who describes herself as “half Austrian, half Spanish, living in the UK and married to ‘the Englishman’.”

Best MAD Small Business Blog: The Mummy Whisperer

Twitter: @mummywhisperer

Why We Love It: The Mummy Whisperer doesn’t pretend to be perfect.  She’s a real mum, talking to real mums and sharing her parenting tips, and tells us “at 36 I suddenly fell pregnant having been told at 19 that I’d never be able to have children – and Max turned out to be the best teacher I have ever had.”
Lisa aims to teach you how to hear your inner ‘wise voice’ and become more centred and calm.  And let’s face it – we could all do with some of that!  Take a look at the ‘flexible family solution’, which could teach you how to adapt to and overcome all the challenges which come your way. 

Most Innovative MAD Blog: Geek Mummy

Twitter: @geekmummy

Why We Love It: Self-confessed geek Ruth has been blogging for longer than she’s had children.  Podcaster and vlogger extraordinaire, Ruth makes technology seem easy, but she also writes beautifully about infertility and IVF. She has been blogging in various forms since 2005. “The idea behind this blog,” Ruth tells us, “is that is gives us a way to share geek news, reviews and advice that is relevant to parents.” Take a look at the geekmummy.tv category to see her in action.  

Best Blog Writer: More Than Just A Mother

Twitter: @mtjam

Why We Love It: Written by Emily Carlisle, More than Just a Mother is for all those women who put the kids to bed early in order to get started on the wine.  Emily lost one of her twin sons to meningitis when he was just a few weeks old, falling pregnant with twin girls just weeks later. “In this blog I write about life, just the way it is. Sometimes it's sad, occasionally thought-provoking and often really rather funny,” Emily says.
Her emotive posts about grief and loss are woven between humorous observational tales of every day parenting which will have you in stitches.

Most MAD Family Life Blog of The Year: Northern Mum

Twitter: @northernmum1

Why We Love It: Marathon runner and mother of twins plus a new baby, there may be nothing Jane can’t turn her hand to. Jane describes her blog as “my memory, my release and my hold onto sanity as I document, diarise and ‘humourise’ my life with small people, he who helped create them and our rabid hound.”
We think this blog is beautifully written; Jane’s hilarious accounts document the ups and downs of life as a family of five, with Jane and he who helped to create them at the helm.

Best MAD Baby Blog: Diary Of The Dad

Twitter: @tombriggs79

Why We Love It: In this blog Tom Briggs offers his ‘bewildered musings’ on life with a small baby. Each week, Tom shares his musings about parenthood and the things that his son Dylan gets up to as he reaches each exciting new stage. With funny rants about children’s television and baby-proofing from a crawler, he provides a brilliant insight into a dad’s perspective. Dad bloggers are more common now but they’re still outnumbered by Mummy bloggers, so we’re delighted to see Tom win the award for Best MAD Baby Blog. 

Best MAD Blog for Family Fun: A Mother’s Ramblings

Twitter: @pippad

Why We Love It: Winner of last year’s MADs Family Fun award, Pippa has continued to regale her readers with tales of Top Ender and Baby Boy – although he’s called Big Boy these days!  A mix of family anecdotes, top tips and product reviews, this blog has something for everyone. Although they’re not always meant to be funny, Pippa and her family often find themselves having conversations that it’s hard not to laugh at or in situations that wouldn't be out of place in a British sitcom.
Take a look at Pippa’s Family Fun List, where she and Daddy have listed all the activities they want to do with their children. 

Most Inspiring MAD Blogger: A Boy With Asperger’s

Twitter: @clairelouise82

Why We Love It: Claire documents life with her three children, giving us an insight into life with a child on the autistic spectrum.  Claire writes: “I decided that I would no longer cry the tears of despair, I would no longer ask God why I was blessed to have this amazing quirky little guy in my life. Yes, I was proud to be his mummy!”  Claire debunks some of the myths surrounding Asperger’s Syndrome and offers support for those in need.  Take a look at the amazing autism awareness collage, created from photos of her readers’ families.