A Manifesto for Mums - Review & Giveaway

This post is sponsored by The Smile Collective... but the sappy sentimental stuff is all mine

The interwebz has been getting me down a bit lately.

It seems that lots of people, lots of Bloggers, seem to be going through a bit of a funk and since I'm one of those people who feed off the emotions of those around me, I can feel myself being sucked down. If you're crying, I'll weep. If you're hurting, I ache. If you spew, so do I, but that's taking the example a little too far.

At the peak of my doldrums, Kelly Exeter from The Smile Collective contacted me to see how I'd feel about reviewing (and giving away, yay!) the inspirational prints for Mums and kids she wrote and designed and it was like a little beacon of light had shone in to my world. Sounds totally corny, right? Well kinda, but if you think of it like pop-corny it's less like a boring vegetable and way more fun.

I've been staring at the Manifesto for Mums since it arrived... it's propped up against my bookcase because I still haven't gotten to the shops to get a gorgeous frame for it. But you know what? That's OK. Because I'm an awesome mother. I'm not trying to show off, or say that I'm better than you, but I am serious. Tricky is kept (mostly) clean, fed, entertained, guided and loved. I'm not a perfect mother, but I'm a bloody good at it, a fact that the Manifesto helped me to remember when my mood, much like my still breastfeeding mammaries, was less than perky. I wish I'd had this on those long nights of feeding through gritted teeth, so I could look up and see "trust your instincts" *coughgreatbabyshowerpresentcough*.

The Manifesto for Kids is everything I want for Tricky. I want him to explore the world and marvel at it's intricacies; to make a mess and be so completely covered in mud that I have to strip his clothes off at the back door before a warm bath; to run and play and climb and scrape his knee but be having such a brilliant time that he doesn't even notice. I know with a crazy mama the odds are stacked against him a little bit... but he will know he is loved and he will know that it is more than OK to just be a kid. And with this hanging in his room (yes, once I get off my backside and get a frame), he will be reminded every morning when he wakes *coughgreatchrissypresentcough*.

If you need a reminder that you or someone you know is an amazing mum and that kids just need to be kids then tell me below one of your favourite childhood memories. Three winners will be chosen and each will receive an A3 poster print of both the Manifesto for Mums and the Manifesto for Kids valued at $60.

Find The Smile Collective on Facebook and chat Kelly on Twitter @kellyexeter... in fact, you already might have!

Entry is open to Australian residents only. Entries close at 10pm AEDST on Monday 20th November 2011 at which time three winners will be chosen using a random number generator. Make sure you sign in to the comment platform with a valid email address/twitter handle or leave your details as part of your comment so you can be contacted. Winners have one week to reply to notification, failing that, the prize will be redrawn. The prize is provided by The Smile Collective and is not transferable.