As you may have noticed by my blatant pestering for votes, I am one of the finalists in the Best Food Blog category of the MAD Blog Awards. We are now halfway through the voting so it seems like a good time for a quick round up of posts from some of the finalists. The results will be announced in September.

I have had great fun discovering new blogs amongst the finalists and I’m going to share some posts from the finalists in the Best MAD Blog for Family Life and Most Inspiring MAD Blogger categories.

First up in the Best MAD Blog for Family Life category we have a post from Elsie over at Flower Fairies & Fairy cakes entitled Busy rant. When I read this post, it was a bit like reading about my own life – I’m sure that we can all relate to the cold tea, toy chaos and ever-growing washing pile!

I really loved reading the 1 word meme about how people perceive you, started by Michelle at Mummy From the Heart. It was such a burst of positivity and spread throughout the parent blogging community with a warm glow. It is interesting to think how online friends who often interact through blogs and twitter perceive each other.

This post from Northern Mummy with Southern Children had me in absolute stitches! It is absolutely hilarious and brilliantly written. Don’t worry Jane, we won’t call social services!

Merry from Patch of Puddles set me a hard task when she gave me a choice of blog posts for this category. I loved reading through her blog and picked this post, showing how strong her marriage is after the dreadful time after their son, Freddie, died. Sad and heart-warming at the same time.

Scribbling Mum shares a post with us about 5 things she wants her children to know. It is all too often we get caught up in everything child related and all too soon we will be ‘Not Cool Mum’. I hope Caroline’s children read this in the future and see how cool she is.

MAD Blog Awards 2011

Next up are the posts for the Most Inspiring MAD Blogger – those people who blogs are truly inspirational. They make us laugh, cry and want to get up and do something.

Firstly, we have a brilliant post from A Boy With Asperger’s entitiled You know your a parent to a child with Aspergers when… This is a list of some hugely frustrating but many wonderful things that go along with parenting a child with Asperger’s.

Next up is Merry again from Patch of Puddles and, yes, she made me choose another post! I found this post about trying to shop more thoughtfully and locally very interesting and made me think hard about my shopping habits.

It is often very tricky to put down you birth story in writing, especially when things don’t go to plan, but I know this birth story from ghostwritermummy has been a great help to many. It was the post that led to the birth trauma page on her blog and then onto Maternity Matters.

So there we have it! A whole host of wonderful blog posts. Grab yourself a cup of tea, have a browse and most importantly – don’t forget to vote for your favourite blogs.

I shall leave you with this little video made for me by my Uncle Timmy! Do as he says 😉