October 2010 Archives - mocha beanie mummy

Next Baby Competition – Erm…?

October 28, 2010 By mocha beanie mummy 25 Comments

Last week I posted about the Next Baby Boutique Model Competition. And if I’m honest, it was a bit of a half-assed post because I still wasn’t entirely sure I was going to enter Noah and Isaac.

I still haven’t entered them.

Anyway, today I saw a couple of tweets about the competition and um, they weren’t the best tweets. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I went to their .

Now, I don’t have a problem with competitions. Or, I don’t have a problem with competitions that are run well. This seems to have been turned into a bit of a farce? Entries missing? Entries not being removed on request? Votes being made just because someone voted for yours? Thousands of pages of babies likely to be missed? Random wall posts from people saying the site is being used by paedophiles?? Wtf?

Ok. Needless to say, I still don’t think I’m going to enter the boys. But I’m curious to hear from those who have entered. Or those who entered and have pulled out. Or are involved in it in anyway at all. Did you read about it all properly before hand? Did you understand what you were told? How do you feel now it’s all kicked off? If you removed your baby, why did you? If you entered and are still on the list, are you bothered by what’s happening?

It’s a real shame, because this could have been a lovely idea. But like so many situations like this, does CPS (Competitive Parent Syndrome!) take over everything causing complete chaos?

UPDATED (28/10/10, 14:00): About an hour after posting this I googled the competition. I’ve spotted various news reports about it all, reporting babies being rejected. Whilst I have the world’s most cynical view of newspapers, I now ask the question – have we reached a point where baby contests, princess pageants, kids beauty shows – whatever – have reached their downfall? Is this the end of it all? Is there a genuine way we can celebrate the beauty of our children without there being ugly competition? I wonder.

UPDATED (again…) (2/11/10): I just want to add I am nothing to do with the Next Baby Competition; Next asked me to blog about it, which I did, and that’s it. I’m afraid if you’re looking for advice, your best bet is to approach Next in a sensible manner asking for their advice. Clearly their facebook page is a little manic with 17 frillion people all contacting them at the same time, so perhaps drop them a politely worded email asking for some kind of statement. Unless I am directly quoting others, this blog contains my own thoughts and opinions, to which you are welcome to contribute. As long as you be nice-ish.

Filed Under: wtf

shameless plugging – cosmicgirlie photogblog

October 27, 2010 By mocha beanie mummy 2 Comments

I don’t know if many of you know (or care!) but I also have a photography blog, cosmicgirlie photoblog, where I kind of ramble on about random photography stuff. It’s not just a blog for me, but for readers too. I aim to answer all those questions you have about photography, whether it’s about camera settings, taking certain pictures or fancy technical things, then I answer them on that blog.

The difference is, I take out all the jargon. In fact, unless the jargon is explained in IMMENSE detail, it’s BANNED!

Well ok, maybe there’s a teeny bit of jargon, but like I said, I try to explain it as best as I can.

Anyway, this post is a shameless plug for that site; it’s nothing huge, but since people ask me how I do stuff, or how to do other stuff, I thought it would make sense to direct it over there.You’ll find Top Tip Tuesday (random tip of the week), tutorials, questions answered and much more. What’s really exciting is lately I’ve started doing guest posts; one has already happened and there’s another on the way. Even MORE exciting is I have some other professional photographers also willing to guest post!

The very lovely from Sprout Photography has agreed to answer ANY questions you might have in a guest post on the photogblog. Alan is a fantastic photographer and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him for a few weddings, and he’s also photographed newborn Isaac, which was awesome. Alan is writes regularly for Photo Pro Magazine. If you have any questions for Alan for a guest post (ANY questions at all, PLEASE!!!) then please do , or leave your question in the comments below! You’ve got until Friday 12th November to submit a question!

If you would like to guest post (got a picture you think is just awesome beyond belief and want more audience? Got some interesting info you want to share on something you saw recently? Got anything photography related?) then you too can get in touch, I’m more than happy to hear from anyone. Don’t be afraid or anything! We’re all working to make photography a little easier, so let’s do it together.

Right! So head on over there, have a read, and be all supportive and stuff. Thanks

Filed Under: Blogging, cosmicgirlie photogblog, photography

Savvy Half Term – Tips and Ideas

October 26, 2010 By mocha beanie mummy 2 Comments

Half term is upon us and I admit, given this is the first school holiday I’ll be doing since Noah started school, I was a little apprehensive about it. Like, I have to entertain TWO little people, ALL day and not lose my marbles? Uhhhhhhhhhh ok.

I was all geared up and ready for it, right up until photographing a wedding on Friday night left me with the start of a cold on Saturday morning. No worries! I’ll shrug it off! Easy! Honey, lemon, vitamin C, a lot of rum (obviously), cold and flu tabs and the like, I am GOOD to GO.

Yeah, it’s Tuesday morning and Noah spent last night hacking and coughing, Isaac spent the evening wailing and fussing, while I spent the night (and this morning) drowning in Facial Orifice Fluid, trying to talk with pretty much no voice and feeling my lips get drier and drier while I continually breathe through my mouth. Mmmmmmmmmm, attractive. We managed to make it out to visit some lovely friends yesterday, but we sure aren’t going anywhere today – I suspect it’s DVD and Duvet Day today. With biscuits. And crisps. And rum.*

Anyway, on twitter a few weeks back, hosted the Savvy Half Term twitter party. Basically, you had to be on twitter at the right time, and tweet your tips, ideas and suggestions for half term. There were some awesome ones, which you can find by clicking the links just above. These are the ones I came up with, feel free to suggest some more!! I reckon they might be useful for other school holidays too.

Kids go to bed at a reasonable hour? Get YOUR mates round and enjoy YOUR SELF.
DON’T OVERSTIMULATE THEM. Nowt wrong in a bit of quiet time
Have a think back to any toys you may have stashed away for a “rainy day”…
Like @tara_cain’s underwater party, have a theme day in the house, get the kids to create.
Got an old compact camera or even older film camera? Go on, let em have a play
Dig out all those kids CDs and give them a disco. Close the curtains and flash torches/mobile phones?
Eat bacon. Always a winner.
Absolutely desperate? Have an iPhone/iPad? Start downloading some free kids apps. http://tinyurl.com/a4jotq
Know anyone with an allotment? Go digging and wear them out.
Do a toy/book swap with other kids – whether it’s for the day or long term
Seeing the cinema tweets – make the use of “Orange Wednesdays” if you’re with them – 2 for 1 tickets
PREPARE. Freeze meals leading up to half term so you’re spending less time in the kitchen if they’re demanding
If you can spare the pennies, Severn Valley do a great trip from Kidderminster to Bewdley, plus you go past the Safari park!
You still need to prepare meals, right? Get them running around helping you prepare stuff. Good for fussy eaters
YES. Grab your friends while you can, and MEET UP. At a house. With cake.
Couple of chairs and some double bed sheets makes for an EXCELLENT den
If you rotate toys from the loft, now might be a good time – they’ll think Christmas came early
Don’t forget YOU – grab the grandparents or a relative or friend to give YOU an evening off with a break.
Wary about messy play? If they’re painting then do it in the kitchen or on the bathroom floor. Much easier to clean…
Bubbles don’t need to be saved for the summer – take them to a park on a windy day and watch the kids chase them
Get booking playdates SHARPISH. Nothing worse than wanting to go out and finding all your mates are busy already.

Now go! Have fun! I need to, er, go buy some more boxes of tissues.

*I’m not saying who the rum is for.

Filed Under: Facial Orifice Fluid (FOF), illness, parenting

Silent Sunday

October 24, 2010 By mocha beanie mummy 9 Comments

Filed Under: photography, photos, Silent Sunday

A Gift For Victoria

October 23, 2010 By mocha beanie mummy 8 Comments

There’s a number of people on twitter who are absolutely freaking awesome. I’ve met many of them, and they’re just as awesome in real life. And then one of the ones who I am YET to meet in real life (totally her fault, and you’ll see why in a sec), became even MORE awesome beyond belief.

On twitter she goes by the name of @vwallop, she’s known to friends and family as Victoria and she blogs over at It’s a Small World After All. She is taking her family on a round the world adventure. I am yet to meet her because the date arranged to go and visit some twitter friends, who happen to live very near to this lovely lady, is a date that she just can’t make, because it’s pretty much one week before she embarks.

GUTTED.

So a lovely lady by the name of came up with a GENIUS idea on her blog – we create virtual gifts to give to Victoria on her send-off. Unfortunately, I am DESPERATELY RUBBISH with gifts, virtual or otherwise, and so (sorry, Victoria…) here is your leaving gift.

And obviously, because I am so incredibly organised, Little Small says hello and goodbye too.

I can’t wait to read all about your travels over the next 9 months! Wishing you a VERY SAFE JOURNEY from us here at the mocha beanie mansion. xxxx