THANK YOU! No thank you.

I have been a crazy blogging lady for a few years now. Just tapping away doing my thing. I have blogged super good times and the worst of times and along the way I get many benefits. Super dooper friends, connections with the oddest of places, lovely gifts in the mail, the option to give away nifty prizes.

My grandma turns 90 soon and her eyes are not so good these last few months, she told me recently that she really misses reading my blog, and keeping up with what I am doing.

That’s what blogs are for, for telling your stories to people who want to read them. Actually, that needs a correction, that’s the benefit that I personally get from blogging. 

For the last few years I was lucky enough to be included in the Kidspot Top 50 blogs competition.  Nominated by readers, voted by readers.  It was really good for my stats. Kidspot is a huge, HUGE, website and when they include links to my blog I get lots of people clicking through. Brands clearly scroll through that list and decide to take the easy way out and just use the list as the blogs they will contact. The first year I was on the Kidspot Top 50 list I got so many emails I could barely keep up with replying. It was wonderful.

But last year, I didn’t really enjoy the competition so much. I didn’t feel like joining in all the writing competitions. There were so many nominations, extra categories, different prizes for different genres. There were master classes and functions to attend, goodie bags and special facebook groups to join. But I just didn’t feel that I ‘fit’ the competition. This was not about Kidspot, it was all about me. I just didn’t want to strive to win it. From the beginning I felt like a bit of a fraud. Kept waiting for the email to say, opps, sorry, wrong blogger. 

I received an email today telling me I have been nominated for the Kidspot Voices of 2014.

When you get that email it is kind of like when you are in school and you get picked first on a team. On the inside, you scream out a big fat YES! 

Getting the nomination email and knowing that someone else nominated you is a good feeling. It’s a bit addictive. Makes you forget all those moments last year when you thought you didn’t ‘fit’ this competition anymore.

But the truth is, I am not a fit for the Kidspot Voices of 2014 competition.

So this year, I would like to give the biggest of hugs and kisses and THANK YOUs to whoever nominated me. But in fairness to all, I will politely say no thank you.

To all those nominated, Good Luck! Enjoy the ride, the opportunities and the fun that comes with being a part of Voices 2014.