This article was kindly provided by Kerry (aka MultipleMummy.com), our ‘Mummy Blogger of the Month‘!

It is always difficult when coming to that point of time in your pregnancy (like the day before your due date) when you think, ‘we really must agree on a name!’ It is a tough decision as you have to love the name forever, you can’t change your mind (well after the 6 week registered deadline you can’t) and then they have to live with it.

The name you choose shapes and characterises them right from the start. The name you choose really is a big deal and you have the situation of not wanting every third child in a class to be called that name, to not wanting it to be so obscure that it could lead to difficult times, and feelings of not fitting in.

When hubby and I found out we were expecting our first-born (a singleton) the name game began. It was like that scene from ‘Friends’ when Ross and Rachel keep on vetoing names. Both of us being teachers did not help. You relate so many names to kids you know, and although you should not assume a personality trait, you do.

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October’s Mummy Blogger of the month award goes to Jen from The Mad House.

Jen lives in a mad house with her hubby and two lovely sons. She is a freelance project manager, writer and partner in Blogger Ed, The Tots100 and The MAD Blog Awards, and also deputy editor of the Great Toy Guide.

And this lovely mum still finds time to blog! Never mind manage a family.

So, what makes this mad mum tick? Read Jen’s blog and check out our interview to find out…

1. Is blogging addictive?

I think it can be in the beginning; for me blogging has always been about getting the words I have flying about my head out and on paper and I have lots of words in my head!          

2. What’s the worst parenting advice you have ever been given?

The worst advice is always the unsolicited advice given when I do not want or need it.  I want to be able to make my own parenting mistakes and often so.

3. What has been your favourite day out this year? Tell us about it.

My favourite day out was an unscheduled picnic on the North Yorkshire Moors.  It was one of those days that was supposed to be wet, but wasn’t so we made the most of it and packed a quick picnic and went to our favourite spot, buy a beck and spent the day with books, Sunday papers, kites and lots of paddling and stopped off at Whitby on the way home for fish and chips for dinner.

4. If your boys were cartoon characters, who would they be and why?

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September’s ‘Mummy Blogger of the Month’ title goes to Claire from Being A Mummy.

This brave mum of almost three (two toddlers and a baby on the way) started her blog as a means of recording all of the adventures and experiences invoked by motherhood. In her other life, Claire is an archaeologist, with a specialty in bone identification, and a museum curator.

Read our interview to learn more about another fabulous mummy blogger:

1. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

I love the fact that I have a record of my life with my kids, it’s something that I would never have got otherwise as I’m rubbish at keeping a diary. Blogging has opened up a wealth of opportunities for me and the kids most of which I could never have even dreamt about, it’s a brilliant thing to do!

2. What’s the most important parenting tip you were given by, or learnt from, your mum?

Put yourself first!

3. What has been your most memorable family holiday? Tell us about it.

Going on our first family holiday with a toddler. It was full of moments of joy and wonderful to see our little boy discovering the waves and the sand. I can clearly remember feeling total joy and pride when I was watching my husband and son playing on the beach.

4. Describe your worst moment as a parent?

My nightmare happened when boy turned blue and passed out at three weeks old. We ended up calling an ambulance and we  were in A & E for hours. It turned out he had something called Silent Acid Reflux, but it took a long time to diagnose this, in fact several more trips to A & E. There is nothing worse than that hopeless feeling of being with your poorly child and not being able to do anything to help.

5. What is your fondest childhood memory?

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August’s ‘Mummy Blogger of the Month’ title goes to Steffi; mum of two and author of Mummy Do That.

Steffi works in the voluntary sector for a major children’s charity, is an activist and also a nutty knitter. She is passionate about asylum and refugee issues, child poverty, sustainability/climate change/peak oil, parenting and crafting… and has been blogging for a looong time. How does she do it?

Read our interview with this dedicated mum to find out what makes her tick:

1. Is there such a thing as ‘too many bloggers’?

No, not really. Every blog is different and the more the merrier, the more inspiration, the more fun. It does get difficult keeping up with all blogs that I like these days, but there’s no pressure, your read, comment, write as much or as little as you like. It’s all good.

2. What is the biggest hindrance to keeping your blog up to date?

Time. I never write as much as I’d like to. Sometimes, there’s an article that needs some research and I simply don’t manage to get the time to do that, and it may just not make an appearance at all. I have many interests, and as much as I enjoy blogging, the balance has to be right – I could spend my whole free time blogging, but there are other things I enjoy doing and I make sure not to lose sight of them!

3. What is your favourite family holiday memory?

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July’s ‘Mummy Blogger of the Month’ title goes to Tasha; mummy and author of WahmBam.org.

Tasha is a business owner, a wife and mum of two lovely girls. In between her mad schedule she manages to find time to write a blog about parenting.

Wahm Bam talks about lots of different things, from the struggles (and benefits) of working from home to dealing with bedtime issues, temper tantrums and mealtime problems to baby stuff, like breastfeeding and baby-led weaning.

To find out how Tasha does it, read our interview and be inspired.

1. Is there such a thing as ‘too many bloggers’?

No. It was nice when there were only a few of us in the UK, and we had a little circle of friends, but I think that there is a much wider choice of material to read now that parent blogging has opened up so much. It does mean you can’t keep up with all of them, but it’s fun to discover new blogs from random tweets or links.

2. What is the biggest hindrance to keeping your blog up to date?

Mine is probably the business. When work is at a reasonable level (i.e. I can get the bulk of my work done during school hours), then I’ll write two or three posts a week, but when it’s busy (which it has been almost constantly for over a year now), I’m working most evenings in addition to school hours and what little spare time I have needs to go to my family, so blog posts can be more sporadic.

That said, I don’t think it’s essential to post any more than you’re happy and comfortable with (as long as you’re still blogging for you, rather than as a profession, of course), so there shouldn’t really be any guilt about not keeping up to date. Now and then, though, it helps to be organised.

I’m doing another Book Week at the start of July and am trying to get most of the posts written or edited and scheduled in advance – last time I was writing some of them on the morning of posting and it was a bit hairy.

3. What is your favourite family holiday memory?

As a child, it would probably be camping at Easter when we lived in Spain. We had a tiny two-man tent and were surrounded by these huge house-like tents with TVs and kitchen sinks (yes, really). We just had fun going to the beach and playing cards and reading. It was lovely, apart from ending up with serious sunburn (I got blisters all over my shoulders and my dad ended up in hospital and had whole sheets of skin peeling off his legs).

4. What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?

“Go back to sleep, Eleanor, it’s too early!”

5. What word or phrase do you find yourself repeating endlessly on a day to day basis?

“Stop it, please. Please? Please, stop it!”

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