Newbie Tuesday Round-up: Inspiring…

My theme this month is inspiring. From new bloggers inspiring others to cope, to do better, to those who can uplift our spirits with a beautiful photo, as well as new blogs to inspire us to create better blogs…

She’s not a new blogger, but Nickie, from Typecast, has new blog Geekalicious which brings together everything she has learned about building, growing and managing a blog. This is a superb resource for all bloggers, not just new, so it’s the first port of call for a search if you’re stuck on something. Chances are if she hasn’t written about your problem, you can ask, and she will! This week she gives us advice on how to create a media pack for sending out to PR’s and brands you want to work with. That can be a daunting task for a new blogger, and I recommend getting lots of advice before deciding how you want to go about creating your own.

I find it difficult to believe that I have never featured Downs Side Up in Newbie Tuesday, and yet she is almost a year old. She read her very emotional post about handling people’s reactions to her beautiful daughter, who has Downs Syndrome, at BritMums Live earlier this year. I am a confirmed fan of her blog, so I was horrified to read that she gets trolled. Who in their right mind can justify attempts to bring down someone so inspiring? Yet, even in her down moments, this is her response – an inspirational song and painting to shake off the shadows.

Someone else who has advice for dealing with life’s anxieties is The Puffin Diaries, whose adopted son likes to fly a kite in a beautiful sky to de-stress. What could be better therapy than a kite on a sunny day, and this beautifully written blog is a lovely read. And if beautiful skies inspire you, take a look at Just Photos by Me. Jenny has always taken a good snap, but in her new blog she has really focused on the beauty she sees through her camera lens in this world. Even if nature can’t lift your spirits, you can even find a cup of tea and toast on her blog – who could say no to that?

It never ceases to amaze me that parents can survive horrible tragedy, and turn it into something truly beautiful that inspires others. Time and again I’ve read: “I’m just writing this down so that others going through the same can have better support than I did.”  To me that is truly noble. And they don’t just inspire those going through pain themselves – they inspire those of us who really can’t complain by comparison. I had goosebumps reading Kate’s post about a dream she had of her father and baby, both no longer alive, but instead of tears, I gained hope and warmth from her account of their togetherness after death. Read it, you cannot fail to be moved.

Elizabeth got poorly a month ago. She has spent September in hospital, undergoing treatment for Leukemia. She is 4. She is the most inspiring little girl I have read about in a long time. Read about how she is beating cancer on Tired Mummy of Two, who is creating a positive resource for others by recounting  their journey candidly and factually. She has handled their situation without a rant, or a whine, or a “poor me,” but with the same humour and resolve that she has always shown on her blog.

Maybe you need something inspiring for yourself, to change some aspect of your life, health, relationships or just your day-to-day routine. Learn Love Grow is an interesting blog whose author looks inwardly to herself for solutions to life’s trials. In Die to Self, she finally figures out that she has buried her own identity since having a family – and what she needs to do to recover it!

Or perhaps you are struggling as a single parent, wondering how you ended up apart from the father or mother of your child, trying to figure out how to manage separated parenting in your child’s best interests. Five’s a Fellowship has nearly come to a decision about her son’s absent father, and whilst it has been a long road, she has achieved so much as the single parent of a child who was born so unwell.

In other news I was impressed to read about a mother who refuses to simply blame culture, video games, and TV for aggressive behaviour in her sometimes challenging son. Here is a mum who takes responsibility for her child’s screen-time, enforcing age-limits and time-limits on his video and film activity, and ensuring a healthy balance. Occasionally, up against a copy deadline, I let the Wii babysit my kids. The minute I switch it of they morph from the polite cheerful children I know and love, into the whiny rugrat versions I can’t stand to be with!

I’d like you now to turn your thoughts to those parents who worry unnecessarily. Imagine how you would feel if your child came home from school and confessed to using the F-word on her teacher! Then there’s the Mummy who still manages to write a funny blog post, despite losing her angel toddler to the Threenager years. And the poor parent who emigrated, only to discover that Calpol does not exist. “What??” I hear you scream. “Life without Calpol? Surely not!” But yes, it seems that the French prefer to treat their children’s fevers with a suppository. Google it, if you’re not seeing why that would be a concern…

And finally, a reminder from 2 Wish Upon a Star that when it rains, there are rainbows, and in the dark, there are stars; that even in our worst times – and we will all have something to bear – there are still good things and hope cling on to. And if all else fails, just give up trying to be an organised parent – believe me, you’ll save yourself a lot of bother in the long run!

Wishing you an inspiring month, whatever you are working on…

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About Helen Wills

Helen Wills is a mum of 2 children in primary school and blogs at Actually Mummy on parenting issues, school, travel, and life according to the kids. Since starting her blog in 2011, Helen has won 2 national awards, and puts a lot of her success down to the amazing online community of bloggers at BritMums. As her children grow older, her writing is increasingly influenced by their opinions, and her blog reflects this drive to get the most out of family life. Helen works from home in copywriting and social media. She is on Twitter @actuallymummy.

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