Being recognised for something that you put a lot of time and effort in to, especially when its unexpected, is an amazing feeling. A few weeks ago, I asked my readers to consider nominating me in a couple of big blog awards. One of those awards – the Brilliance in Blogging (BiBs) awards announced their shortlist yesterday and I was thrilled to discover that Little Hearts, Big Love had made the shortlist in the Family blog category. Thank you so much to everyone who nominated me and helped my blog to make the shortlist.
Now, the ten blogs in each category need to be whittled down to select the five finalists. I would love to be amongst those five, and need your votes to help me get there. If you would like to vote for me once more, you can do so here.
And if you need a little persuasion, read on…
When I first started this blog in April 2014, it was just my outlet for sharing my thoughts as a heart mummy. Since then we’ve been on quite a journey – this blog has grown and I now share posts about days out, crafts and reviews as well as helping to raise awareness of congenital heart defects, how Jessica’s half a working heart affects our family life and have started to create a community of other heart parent bloggers through my Heart to Heart linky.
To be recognised out of more than 8000 parenting blogs out there is an amazing achievement in itself.
Blogs shortlisted in the Family category are described as being those that “share the laughter and tears of family life, telling stories that elicit a-ha’s and understanding from all of us. They are honest and open about the realities of family life and we love them for it.”
My biggest aim for this blog is to help other heart families know that they are not alone in the journey, to give support and encouragement and to help improve outcomes for other babies through raising awareness of congenital heart defects (CHDs) and the importance of early detection. In the meantime, I want to show through my other posts that most of the time our family life is very normal – the shadow of CHD is always there but we don’t let it hold us back. And whilst I’m someone who tends to focus on the positives, I always try to be honest too.
Reaching the finals of the BiBs will help me to get my voice out there and help me to continue to raise awareness of CHDs and to give hope to those who are just starting out on their heart family journey. And if you could vote for me and help me do that, that would be wonderful.
Still need a little more persuasion? Here are some of my most-read posts and the ones that I am most proud of – a mixture of heart-related posts and those that are just about the realities of normal family life:
- What it means to be a heart parent – a glimpse into the reality of life as a heart family.
- The truth about co-sleeping – 10 crazy co-sleeping positions that we experience on a regular basis.
- I’m a heart mummy, but I’m not superhuman – a post about just being an ordinary mum, coping with extraordinary challenges.
- The Stick Man Trail – our day out doing the Stick Man trail at Wendover Woods, written in the style of the book that inspired it.
- The truth about the 20 week scan – why early detection of CHD at the 20 week scan is vital.
I’ll finish off with a quote that for me really does sum up the realities of life as a heart family and why I want to capture as much of it as possible through this blog.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, I would love your vote to help me reach the final. You can vote for me here.
Lovely post Louise…your motivations for starting blogging and your wonderful posts plus your generous role in the blogging community are, in my eyes, all fantastic achievements and I really hope you have a well deserved place in the final five. Although if you don’t it doesn’t take anything away from your fabulousness! You got my vote #fortheloveofBLOG
Aww Lucy, that is such a lovely comment – thank you so much 🙂
Aww! How lovely!
I am so pleased that you were shortlisted! Congrats! You have my vote x
Thank you so much Kim! 🙂
I didn’t even realise that they are going to whittle the shortlist down even further before the final?! A well deserved place on the list. I love your motivation for blogging. Now I need to get on it and vote! #fortheloveofBLOG
Yes, the BiBs is in two stages whereas the MADs just goes straight to finalist. Thank you for your lovely comment 🙂
I have voted for you my lovely! Huge congratulations, you deserve it. I think it’s fab that you raise awareness and share your story as a heart mummy. #fortheloveofBLOG
Thank you so much Ellen 🙂
Well done lovely – and good luck! x
Thank you Donna and congratulations to you too – wishing you all the best of luck as well! 🙂
Brilliant post Louise and you have a wonderful blog that is helping raise awareness for CHD which is fantastic. You are a warm, inspiring and supportive blogger so without a doubt you have my vote lovely 🙂 x #fortheloveofBLOG
Aww thank you so much Emma – what a lovely comment. Wishing you all the best of luck for the BiBs and the MADs – am so pleased for you too 🙂
First up, huge congratulations on being shortlisted in the BiBs Louise! That’s just so exciting and no doubt, really well deserved. Keeping my fingers crossed for you love! Secondly, I’ve actually not had the pleasure of reading your blog before so I’m so glad you have linked up with #fortheloveofBLOG and introduced me to it. Your journey through motherhood sounds like a real rollercoaster and I think you sound like an incredibly strong mama keeping it all together in the face of this. I’m sure reading your blog will be bringing much comfort and support to other parents facing life with sick children. Really looking forward to reading your posts and wishing you the best of luck in the BiBs! #fortheloveofBLOG
Thank you so much – it has indeed been a rollercoaster but we make the most of every moment! Lovely to join in with #fortheloveofBLOG and looking forward to joining in again – thank you for hosting and looking forward to getting to know your blog too 🙂
Definitely well deserved! You of course get my vote! Xxx
Thank you so much Sassy, really hope you get to the final too! 🙂
A really lovely post – and very deserving place on that shortlist. Good luck lovely xx
Thank you so much Vicky, good luck to you too! 🙂
great post and you are well deserved to be a finalist xx
#fortheloveofBLOG
Thank you so much Rachel 🙂
I was so thrilled to see your name on the list and of course you have my vote – fingers crossed that you sail through all the way to the final 🙂
Thank you so much Carie 🙂
Congratulations. So many amazing blogs, it really is an honour to be short listed. Proud to be in your company Louise.
Thank you so much Claire and well done to you too. Good luck for the finals 🙂
Good luck to you! You really deserve your post on that shortlist. I really hope you make it to the finals!
Thank you Sarah 🙂
Congratulations on being shortlisted, so well deserved and best of luck with progressing to the finals! Thank you for linking up with #LoudnProud!
Thank you so much – lovely to link up and thank you for hosting 🙂
I was so happy to see your name on the list! You’ve had my vote =) best of luck!!
Thank you so much Jenni! 🙂