Wednesday 24 April 2013

Life Style is...

...A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.

Apparently.

Over the last day or so, I've been mulling over the style of my living - the daily routine, my values - or lack of, my emotional well being, my physical health. And I felt flummoxed after these brief analyses between loading washes, sealing up removal boxes - the best I could come up with was frustratingly undefinable, nebulous, smokey-grey. I'm er... my days are... I value - umm? Oh! I am a stay-at-home mum!... Er, er I write, um, I'm a writer... I'm healthy - pah! - you're kidding yer sen!    

I can say with absolute conviction that I'm not living in any style at present - the hair needs a radical re-colouring, the bed covers - well less said the better, there's strange green stuff - straggly seaweed - frozen onto the back of the fridge, and come Wednesday evening - today - we will all be eating pizza out of greasy cardboard...

...and... and... I bite my finger nails.

Life and the stylising of it, was once so simple, well it certainly felt that way, like furnishing a shop window display - every activity, every thought, every feeling had it's place. Life was ordered. Controlled. I meditated. I yoga'ed. I ta chi 'ed. I ran. I cycled. I swam. I had a job. I studied at college. I wore flattening'ish clothes. Even The Pendulati - my cumbersome breasts - knew their size, maintained their position above waist height. And life felt emotionally easier too - I had time to process, contain, accept. Feelings flowed, weren't buried under the demands of others...     

My life now, is, well, sort of more abstract, in a Mark Rothko kind of way - colours blending, merged, lacking any definition. I don't mind at all. It's just that it's a far cry from what I was once accustomed to. After three years, I am still acclimatising to motherhood. My days are a vacuum filled with routine and dirty dishes and folding clothes and emotional holding and meeting the demands of Little A. Don't you know this kind of day so well? And before I go to bed, waving another farewell to the hours behind me, I take my anti-depressants. I need them.

After the shock of birth, the trauma, the sky-raising anxiety, the depression, the one thing that has pulled me from domestic quick sand, that has moulded me into back a woman - a functioning one, has been my writing - this blog.

So I was really honoured, extremely taken a-back, to find that I had been shortlisted in the Britmum's BiBs Awards under Lifestyle. If I am honest, I was surprised to find myself in this category. I would never in a million years have classified my blog as a lifestyle one - I don't cover crafts or health or fashion, but I guess I do tell stories about my life. Still, there are readers out there who beg to differ. Thank you all very, very much, I am really grateful for your votes of appreciation.

I have never plugged my blog in this way before. I feel a little shy doing it. But as this is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity, I thought why not!  The next stage of the nominations is the voting which closes on May 12th. There will only be six finalists, two chosen by Britmums. Er, so, I am appealing to your generosity, your good will, to vote for me one final time. I would love to make the finals and Older Mum in a Muddle is up against some very stiff competition in this category - some really, really talented writers.

Your vote really counts - I'll buy you a bottle of champagne, make you lemon drizzle cake in return!

Thank you for reading Older Mum in a Muddle.

Vote Here
XXX 

NOMINATE ME BiB 2013 LIFESTYLE

41 comments:

  1. Well done you! :o) Entirely deserved, fingers crossed. xx

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  2. I love reading about your life - even though you think you have a lack of style - you certainly write about it in a stylish fashion and deserve your place. I'm proud to know you xx

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    1. Bless you Anya - that was a lovely thing to say. Thank you X.

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  3. Congratulations - and of course all the best :D x

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  4. So happy for you that you're a finalist. Fabulous news.
    Now...where's my lemon drizzle cake? x

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    1. Thank you so much lovely. I might have to send you it in the post :o) X.

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  5. Hahaha.... 'The Pendulati'..... Hahahaha!! Oh, great post- again. One word my dear... motherhood, especially the stay-at-home variety. It muddles your brains! Blogging and new-found 'talents' helps ;-)
    Well done on being short-listed. Just voted :-)

    xx Jazzy

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    1. *sniggers* Glad you thought that was funny :o) Thank you very much Jazzy! X.

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  6. This is such a great post, it made me chuckle. I am so glad you got through, mine's a champagne please ;) See you at the BiBs party! X

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    1. Thank you! Champagne coming up! X ps. very much looking forward to meeting you

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  7. I'm so thrilled you were shortlisted, really happy to see your blog there - I actually spoke out loud "Oh good" when I spotted you xxx

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    1. Thank you so much - that's really kind :o). (not holding my breath). I certainly expect to see you in the finals though :o)

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  8. Congrats! Well done you. Have voted.

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  9. I love your blog, it is one of the few I visit when I really don't have time to be visiting any blogs at all, which is unfortunately most of the time at the moment, otherwise I'd be popping on a darn sight more. Good luck with the move and here's to hopefully rubbing shoulders in the final lifestyle list (pretty sure you will be there, not so sure about me) - I have to admit I was curious but chuffed to be in the line up for 'lifestyle blog' too!!! xx

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    1. Thank you lovely! Like you, I am very busy at the moment, and haven't had chance to read other blogs lately. It would be lovely to be with you as a finalist,but like you, I am not holding my breath at all! X.

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  10. I like your style darlin'. You will get my vote *trots off to vote* Don't worry about sending Champagne (am awash with cheap Cava already) but do send cake. xxx

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    1. Thank you lovely lady! Cake in the post! X.

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  11. Very well deserved, I adore your blog, I was surprised not to see you in writer instead tho! Best breast name ever by the way! X

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    1. That's so kind of you - if I am honest, writer was my preferred category too :o). But I can't complain with Lifestyle. Glad you like the name :o). X

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  12. I would never have put you in the lifestyle category but I love you so much you get my vote anyway. Absolutely and thoroughly deserving.

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    1. No, neither would I! I was as surprised as you were - but I'm not complaining! Thank you lovely! :o)

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  13. You have my vote lovely x

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  14. Hello! I am sitting with a cup of tea trying to ignore the Arsenal match on the telly whilst reading through the blogs on the BiBs shortlists and I had to comment on yours! It is a great blog - easy to read and really interesting! I really like your style of writing. I have found myself on the Lifestyle shortlist too ( not sure how that happened!!) Good luck to you - maybe we will meet at BritMums Live! All the best! Sarah

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    1. Thank you so much for popping over fellow short-lister - it's on my radar to look through all the blogs in this category too - starting with yours first. The very best of luck to you too - it would be lovely to bump into each other at the Bibs! :o)

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  15. In fact, style can be coming up in many ways. I don't know so much about you but I like your way of writing. In fact, I really enjoyed reading your post. It has character. Funny at times, straight forward and genuine and easily readable. Well done and all the best on your contest!

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    1. Thank you very much! That is very kind of you - glad you thought my writing was easy to read... always the effect you want as a writer!

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  16. I do think our children rob us of our identity a little, in our mummy uniform of tired eyes and yesterday jeans. I'm so thrilled you are on the shortlist and I hope you know that you certainly have my vote. I'm looking forward to meeting you at Britmums Live. I may even be able to ditch the jeans for that! x

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    1. Thank you so much and for voting! You are going to Britmum's live - yippeeee! Really look forward to meeting you :o). I will most certainly be wearing jeans! X.

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  17. I'm so pleased you've been shortlisted (and thought I'd already commented on this post, but apparently not - sorry about that!). Very well-deserved recognition for a fab blogger x

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  18. Congratulations and well deserved. I'll be voting xx

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  19. Well done you!! Your blog is fantastic and you write so well, always trapping people into it, thats an excellent skill!! :) You deserve to win this!

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    1. Thank you lovely lady - you're going to make me well-up! X.

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  20. What a lovely way to write about this - now there's a lifestyle blog post if ever I saw one!

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