'You've got your hands full'

Some great resources for families with twins, triplets or more

 

THIS is a cross-post from Ready for Ten, where I'm editor and where lots of marvellous bloggers write about life with kids aged six to nine.

We have a twice weekly 'best of the web' post and this week one of these has been about multiple birth families. I hope you find some of the links here useful and that you can check out the bloggers mentioned and perhaps add any details of who I've missed.

I also hope you can check out Ready for Ten in general as it's a lively fun site with some great writing from the likes of Deb, Rosie, Ellen, Liz, Joanne, lovely Jo, Ian, another lovely Jo, Tim, Maggie, Kath, Alice, Cathy, Keris, Camilla, Ursula, Jane and Jan.  

BBC News: The rise and rise of the 'mummy bloggers'

RECENTLY I was interviewed by journalist Dave Lee for a piece for the technology section of BBC Online all about the rise of mummy bloggers in the UK.

It's an interesting piece that reflects on Universal Studios paying bloggers for reviews and wondering how similar blogging is in the UK. The lovely Susanna who has worked so hard to connect parents and help bloggers find audiences is also featured, talking about a commitment to integrity.

Over at British Mummy Bloggers, Jennifer has reported on more US 'mom' blogging trends heading for these shores, trends which make some sigh with disappointment.

Breaking the silence carnival of blog posts about mental illness

WHY a carnival about mental health?

I feel very strongly about mental health issues. I have suffered from what everyone always just called "black moods" now and again all my adult life. I didn't know what this meant and would just go to bed to let these fleeting feelings pass. But you can't do that when you are a mum or well, busy at work can you?

And then I got worse. I contemplated throwing myself out of the window, of deliberately crashing my car, telling myself I wasn't worthy of my family's love and that they would be better off without me. I was terrified of how my children would be affected by my mental illness.

My upbringing was to ignore, shun, dismiss or ridicule people who are mentally ill. I was told by family, friends and the media through news reporting and entertainment that those who "succumbed" to a mental illness were either weak, dangerous or just a bit odd. These people either deserved our pity or we should be scared of them. They didn't amount to much and if they were people in positions of trust, authority or power, then well they couldn't have been very good in their job, if they ended up cracking up.

August Multiples Mayhem carnival is live, fancy hosting a future one?

   

Hurrah!

Not only does Heather have baby twins, she has also carried on the Multiples Mayhem carnival over on her fantastic blog, Young and Younger.

This is the second instalment of said carnival and I'm impressed beyond words that Heather has managed to pull the entries together and get it published -- as a similar effort on my part on our mental health blog has stalled.

Topics covered in this carnival include potty training, vegetable aversion, the naughty step and first year essentials.

If you've an idea for another post to add, please do add a link to Heather's post and if you would be interested in hosting a future carnival then please shout too!

 

Multiple mayhem -- a carnival of posts about twins and more

PHEW. Thank you so much for all your support of this special week on You've Got Your Hands Full which has reminded me why I set this blog up in the first place and put me in touch with some fabulous blogs, some already familiar, others new to me.

If you can say one thing that unites all parents of multiples, well it's that they're busy.

Forgive me for stating the obvious. So I didn't know what to expect with my planned carnival. I've ended up with a dozen or so entries and so I'm delighted.

In all honesty this was very short notice so if anyone wants to make this a more regular feature, with us taking turns to host a monthly carnival, then please shout up and we can kick off an on-going Multiples Mayhem carnival?

The guest posts this week and the carnival entries have made me laugh and made me cry. I hope our small but perfectly formed carnival informs and entertains. 

Great British Days Out 2010 raising money and awareness for NACCPO

THIS post is from Have a Lovely Time.

IN the coming weeks, Have a Lovely Time will carry a number of reviews of places across Britain that welcome families. We've already lined up some great attractions to report back from, all over the country.

In some cases, complimentary tickets will have been provided by the attraction or destination reviewed. Bloggers reviewing these places are asked to donate a sum to children's cancer charity, NACCPO.

Twins, triplets, quads...Newly discovered blogs from multiple birth families

I have updated our blogrolls (twins and triplets+) after wading through a few hundred promises of lottery wins in my mailbox. If I missed your request, please let me know. I'll add you ASAP.

Here are the latest.

Blogs about twins

• Biscuits, Beans and Funs in Betweens

• Funky Doodle Donkey

• McCarthy Micro Preemie

Blogs about triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets

• Denny Family [quintuplets]

• Paul and Christi [triplets]

• Sax & Sons [triplets]

• Triple Blessings + One [triplets]

I'll post more soon!

also blogs at Deep Muck Big Rake. Write her at becky_handsfull@yahoo.com.

Parent bloggers' round up: Week Two

WELCOME to my poptastic pick of the blogs I read from recent days. Woo hoo.

First off, not really a 'mummy blog' per se, but this lady does have twins, and a blog, and a book and is hugely entertaining. Now she's going to be on the telly on Monday, on This Morning. Some of her readers seem to think this is selling out. Not me. I'd do anything to have a giggle with Fern! Good luck Zed. I hope to catch it if I can. You can buy the book here by the way.

To me, to you, Ash has a wicked rundown of the Chuckle Brothers' career so far. I see there's no mention of those early stills from that warehouse in Amsterdam. No need to be ashamed boys, we know you were hard up.

Parent bloggers' round up: Week One

SO here we are on a Sunday afternoon. The kids are playing in the garden and Neil is busy pottering.

I may have mentioned that I've been blogging away here for a year now, well I have always had in mind to do some sort of round up of the posts from various blogs I've liked, but wasn't convinced anyone was reading.

Now I know they are - thank you! - so here we go...

Yes, who would have thought Allo Allo would work as a feature film?. Check out Rilly's verdict on Atonement. I'm just hoping it's not as violent as that nice young McAvoy fella's last big film. Ewww.