We are thrilled to announce the winners of these blogging awards!
Best Food Blog:
Runner up: Mama Chef Jozi for Coconut lime chicken with low carb cauliflower rice and Warm tummies, hearts with the Moyo Zoo Lake winter menu
The winner is: Cupcakes and Couscous
Take a look at her lovely Millionaire Shortbread and her Vegan Chocolate Caramel Tart!
Best Inspirational Post:
Runner up: Forts and Fairies for The mom in the mirror and Perfectly Imperfect
The winner: Bayanda Gumede with 5 ways I have improved my morning routine and 5 things to say goodbye to to live a more purposeful life.
There’s no better feeling than being in a space where you know exactly what you want out of life. It has taken me many years filled with profound disappointments, considerable hardships and heartbreaks to finally reach this pivotal point. But it hasn’t come easy.
I’ve had to make some major life changes in the past two years of my life. It all started with our move to a small town in KZN. I suddenly had all this time in my hands, I genuinely knew that God had graciously granted me with the opportunity to start again. An opportunity to live a more purposeful and content life, in my own terms.
Best Marriage Blog:
Runner up: My Spreadsheet Brain for Can husbands and wives owe each other? and Completely unnecessary wifey drama
The winner: Jaci Mun-Gavin with Grief and Grattitude and Scratchiness
Many have empathised with the pain of a mother. I now try to understand the oft-neglected pain of a father. The father of my children.
I have sympathized with my husband. I have been intentional about being physically available to him. And yet, for the first time I realise I have never put myself in his shoes.
This must be what breaks marriages. We have gone through the fight of our lives, and yet we have done it without being able to lean on each other. I have not been the long-haired beauty that bathed her warrior’s wounds in the tent by night. We have been soldiers fighting alongside each other, calling in the medics to attend.
Best Parenting Blog:
Runner up: Modern Zulu Mom for Why you should stop comparing yourself to other moms and Moving your toddler into their own room.
Winner: Caffeine and Fairydust for Trusting the South African School System and Weaning Wisdom: What I’ve learned when starting solids.
It is not okay that kids are being medicated in order for teachers to be able to “handle them”. It is not okay that our kids are feeling like being different is wrong. It is not okay that they are not being guided, nurtured and loved. It is not okay that we are trusting that they are being kept safe at a place of education… only for them to be more unsafe there than anywhere else. I do not need to tell you the effects bullying can have on a child.
I will show you the scars on my wrists if you really don’t get it.
A teacher can make or break a child. Some teachers have absolutely no business being in this profession, and the schools that allow them to practice their profession the way they do have no business working with children.
My biggest mistake of 2018 was placing Mikayla in a school that did not feel quite right from the beginning.
Best Photography Blog:
Runner up: Roses and Thorns for Nikki Lincoln and Chenel Kruger.
Winner: Cupcakes and Couscous for Chocolate orange meringue pies and Mini chocolate mousse doughnuts
Best Social Media:
Runner up: Mama on the Run SA for this post and this post.
Winner: Aisha and Life for this post and that post on Instagram.
Best Tear Jerker Post:
Runner up: Wearing all my hats for Dear C Section Mom and The Ugly Truth.
Winner: The Milk Memoirs for A love letter to my rainbow baby and Yuriko Mae’s birth story part II: The Midwife, the doorbell and the cable guy
But, with all that being said, one thing you must be clear of my darling girl is that you are not a replacement. I repeat: You are not a replacement. And the void in my heart caused by our loss will always remain. That is not your purpose in this life. Not your responsibilty, nor will it ever be something that we will lay upon your shoulders. It never should be. It is not something I want to bury in any case. For that child will always be a part of me. A part of us; This family. I have zero desire to ever forget that little life. There is no shame in that child’s memory. And I have no intention of ever trying to hide from it.
A bit of humour too, in the other post:
However, Mike and I at that point were having a hilariously odd discussion about this cable guy…with him pleading his case in between my surges. And me breathing and surging as my counter-argument mostly. Eventually I caved… with conditions…Cable guy had one hour to finish up, or until I pull the cord on him. Mike wisely agreed to this. I half laughingly shook my head about it all, as I still couldn’t believe THIS was how my “peaceful Home HypnoBirth“ was going down: An extremely busy home, with a doorbell that can’t be switched off, with strange workmen in bibs marching in and out, and a midwife that wasn’t experienced in HypnoBirthing….HAHAHA…of course!
Best Travel Blog:
Runner up: Mommy Explores for Beautiful Bali and Mom’s weekend away in Franschoek.
Winner: Just a Mama for Places to visit with kids in Pretoria and Mini Break: Kamonande in the Waterberg
Some beautiful photography here…
Best Wisdom Post:
Runner up: Mommy in Cape Town for I got unfriended and Finding joy, finding Karen.
Winner: Non adventures of a SAHM with 35 Life Lessons on my 35th birthday and 10 ways to Stay Sane as a Stay at Home Mom
I’ll be honest and say that if I didn’t have to take my daughter to school I would live in my pjs. It’s not a great habit and I don’t know why I keep doing it because on the mornings when I change into ‘real clothes’ I feel great. Even if you don’t have time for that amazing morning shower, change your clothes and shoes and feel like a normal person.
Best Writer:
Rattle and Mum for The 14 types of moms on class whatsapp groups and A little personal catch up.
9 The one with no filters
Whether it’s telling the group that young Cassidy has switched to Ritalin, or that her husband doesn’t lift a finger at home, this mom has forgotten that it’s not call to talk to mostly strangers about things that should remain private.
This mom will also likely send you pictures of the slimming pills she’s selling as she’s noticed some of the moms might looking for a product like this.
Best New Voice:
Runner up: Kajal of all trades for My child is a perfectionist. Here’s how I’m going to fix it. and Letter to my South African Indian son.
Winner: Letters to my Wildling for To sleep train or not to sleep train and Our breastfeeding rollercoaster
I was one of those moms who swore that sleep training was the most selfish, inhumane thing a mother could do to her child, obviously something this mom would NEVER do (Oh the humor of life). After trying EVERYTHING (natural remedies, massages, co-sleeping, not co-sleeping, routines, earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, changing naptimes, protein at night, no sugar, no tv time, dark room, night lamp, white noise, weighted blanket – if you can think of it we tried it) I were forced to look at the very last option available to us as parents – the forbidden sleep training.
Best Rising Star:
Runner up: Mama on the Run for Rise and shine and Ditching mom guilt.
Winner: The Don Father for While You Were Sleeping and #IncludeDads
I do understand that some might say, “It’s just a sign,” and moms or dads can park there, but in the same breath, there is no reason why these signs cannot include dads. I don’t expect the malls to change the signage to “Mom, Dad & Tot” signs. Something as simple as “Parent & Child Parking” would be great. We are all equal parts in this parenting journey, and this needs to be represented, especially in the media. When it comes to parenting, almost everything is aimed at moms, and while there is nothing wrong with this, dads also want to feel acknowledged.
The Best Blog of 2019!
Runners up:
Two dads and a kid for Straight talk about having the sex talk with your kid and Celebrating Dads: F-R-I-E-N-D, that’s how you spell Dad.
Mrs X Lifestyle for Life changing events: The inevitable and How to deal with exam stress: Help your child.
In the words of our final judge, Sonya Naude: “The writer of the winning blog for me, took the edge, not because she is the strongest writer, or the layout of her blog is slick and designer friendly, but because it’s so real. This super mom wears her heart on her sleeve, and every post reflects her gutsy determination to be true to herself and her family.”
The winner is Fit Like Mummy for Fitness Found Me and I got divorced again.
I’m constantly preaching about living your best life and stepping away from things that no longer bring positivity into your life. Staying would have been the damn easy option especially seeing as there are no issues of abuse or adultery, but staying would have also made me a complete and utter hypocrite. This was in no way an easy decision. Divorce is one of those situations were there are no winners. There was no celebration, or sigh of relief or divorce party (like what’s that about anyway?). We are all extremely sad and will need time to properly deal and come to terms with this. Divorce is an emotional roller-coaster that turns your life upside down, but getting divorced with confidence after carefully weighing the pros and cons is key.
Congratulations to all the winners and all the bloggers who entered. In my view you are all winners because you keep writing about the most personal things in your life for everyone to read. And you never know, your story may just be the thing that another person really needs to hear…..
