OMG I’m a finalist
My 2017 got off to the best start ever when I opened my emails to discover that we were finalists to the UK Blog Awards in the parenting category. I had to re-read the email a number of times before it sunk in as I thought that there was no way it could be true.
My blog is less than a year old. My stats are still pretty small compared to most the other parent bloggers in the industry. To become a finalist for the UK Blog Awards you have to be one of the top 8 most voted for blogs. It ends up being a popularity contest and normally, the smaller blogs like myself don’t stand a cat in hells chance of being shortlisted. The bigger bloggers with the hundreds of thousands of followers normally, naturally get the most votes.
Because of this, I nearly didn’t ask you guys to vote at all and I didn’t write a blog post asking you to. I had a conversation with Papa Ginge and said ‘it’s embarrassing to ask for votes and makes me cringe doing it. Is it worth even bothering if I don’t stand a chance of being shortlisted.’ Papa Ginge said I owed it to the people who had nominated me (I’m looking at you Samantha Rickelton) to ask my readers for votes and you had to be in it to win it. So I asked you to vote on social media and it turned out he was right, so I’ll never be hearing the last of that one now!
Thank you
What it means is that you guys, went over and above in voting for us. So much so, that we actually became finalists. It means so much to us, that you would take the time out of your busy lives to do that for us. So I wanted to write this post to thank anyone who voted.
This might be the only time that I’m ever a finalist for an award. Its really a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and I’m SO excited! We’ve booked a babysitter for the awards ceremony in April at the Westminster Park Plaza hotel in London and have booked a hotel room. We are going to make a weekend of it down there as we had so much fun on our last London trip. My best friend Laura has even booked a ticket for the ceremony to join us. I’m already planning outfits in my mind’s eye. You guys are going to have to help me choose what to wear!
What happens now?
The next step in the process is a panel of judges will assess the 8 finalists at the start of February and choose their winner. The judges will assess the blogs on design, style, content, marketing and usability so if anyone has any suggestions of improvements I can make over the next two weeks do let me know in the comments.
My competition is really stiff with some much more established bloggers than myself so I know I’m highly unlikely to win and shouldn’t get my hopes up. It’s too late though, I can’t help it! I keep trying to talk myself down so I won’t be disappointed but I do really want to win. I’d be so unbelievably stoked, it would be amazing.
Regardless though (and Hollywood-esque cliched), I am just over the moon even to be a finalist. Its such an achievement for my tiny little blog and so cool that its come along just in time for its first birthday.
As usual I’ll be taking you along for the ride with me so make sure you are following me on social media. There will be lots of Instagram and Snapchat stories along the way and obviously my usual blog and vlog posts. We will probably do some live filming on the night to keep you posted with whats happening as it happens. I’ll keep you guys posted though.
Anyway, I’m so frickin excited you guys, thanks so much – you are the best!!
Ah you’ll have a lush time at the ceremony – I’m so pleased you have been able to book tickets. A huge well done – this is only the beginning for Nomipalony 😀
Thank you!!!
100% deserved, so happy for you Nyomi. <3 xx
Thanks so much!!
Well done! So super exciting!
Thanks so much!
I’m over the moon for you, ihope tou have an amazing time.xxx
Thanks so much Karen x
This is fantastic! I’ll be rooting for you dude! Massive, huge good luck for the big day, you’ve got all of us in the North East behind you, go get ’em! xxx
Thanks so much Pixie xx
Good luck my gorgeous girl xxx
Thank you!!
So beyond excited for you Ny!’n
Thanks so much Hannah xx
Well done, how nice to do so well when you were convinced you couldn’t. Encourages us all!
Thank you!!
I’m a finalist too in the #Green & Eco’ category, can’t wait until April 🙂 See you at the awards! x
That’s so awesome. Congratulations! Fab category too, very worthwhile. Hope to see you at the awards too – keep in touch in the meantime. x