Come and celebrate our new [thanks] emoticon by saying Thank You to a Mumsnetter who's made a difference. Spot prizes to be won and all!

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

We have a new emoticon:

It's meant as a way for say thank you to someone for something nice/funny/amazing they've done or said. And it's in no small way inspired by the lovely Mumsnet Blanket Crew who've been agitating- very politely but very persistently - for a thank you emoticon for some time now. (They originally wanted a star but we thought a bunch of flowers probably had a bit less of the 'prefecty'/'sticker chart' thing going on.)

We want to mark the arrival of our new emoticon by starting this special Thank You thread - and inviting you to say to another Mumsnetter who's made a difference to you.

Perhaps it's a Mumsnetter who has posted (or PM'd) something that helped you or supported you or inspired you ? or just made you laugh like a drain. Or maybe it's someone who's done something extraordinary for you, off-board or on.

Do come and tell us about it - and thank her/him for it - here. We're hoping for a thread full of for some truly lovely MNers.

Oh, and we've also got some rather covetable prizes - books, toys and some very cool (child and adult) bike helmets from Bell - to give away as spot prizes. Anyone who posts on this thread is in with a chance of winning - we'll pull names at random out of a hat in a couple of days' time.

, MNHQ

And anyone who feels a bit left out and ain't got none yet...

Catch

to all the October piggies for their friendship and support over the last 4+ years

I'd like to thank the Jan 2012 thread girls who have been real compatriots through all this and we still have another 16 odd weeks to go!

to tiktok for her patient, practical and sensible breast feeding advice which pulled me out of many a dark and desperate moment

How could I forget for calrabbit because she made the most beautiful blanket squares with my ball of wool!

What a great thread!
all for your lovely words, please do keep them coming.

The first few winners out of the hat are:

toomuchmonthatendofthemoney
twotesttickles
Mouseface
silverfrog
DrNortherner

Congratulations! We will be PMing you shortly.

I am going to add another one, to Kerrymumbles and all the lovely people (squonk, littllered, MOS) for all their support when my dad was ill and died(would have been his birthday today so a for him)

I have loads!

to the Feminists for picking me up and talking things through with me.

to the BraveBabes - nearly 8 months now. I am so, so grateful.

to all the studenty/academic people who've taken time to give me great advice and encourage me - you know who you are but I'm not naming the thread.

to vesuvia who sent me a lovely PM out of the blue and really cheered me up when I was feeling down. You are so kind.

to Aitch for all her excellent BLW advice.

Now if I can only get MIL to read some of it so that she doesn't feel the need to smack DS on the back every time he coughs, although I'm starting to think he coughs on purpose because he thinks it's funny when she panics

Another one for everyone on the Dec 07 PN thread - thanks for being with me through so much, including birth, breastfeeding and suicide bombings!

And for ph47 - you won't know it, but you changed my life!

And if lulumama is still around, for some great advice on VBAC's. It didn't work out for me but it's helped me on the road I'm on now.

to all who hang about on the adoption threads, particularly Lilka, maryz, Kewcumber, MrsDV, bran and Kristina. Also NanaNina who always takes time to offer her expert opinion and advice, however cross we sometimes get with her

also to motherinferior, for consistently writing what I SHOULD have said, and for carrying on being my RL friend despite my many friendship failings.

to LeninGrad for making lesbian feminism hot, cool and wise all at the same time

Custy, it was lovely that you mentioned Scummymummy. I'd like to her too. I miss her.

Saracen I just want to say for everything you have ever written on MN. You don't know me from Eve but I want to be like you when I grow up .

to all the lovely ladies on Totally's thread and the Grads and postgrads. words can't express all the thanks here. for all the handholding, listening, reassuring and hair stroking. and the laughs along the way!

Special to Lia66 for all her patience and the virtual doula-ing during the last few weeks of my last pregnancy.

to Pinot, theoriginalFAB, saf and malibustac for being fantastic on our confessions thread.

for PurplePidjin, Knottylocks and Lydia for helping me organise the blanket for our lovely and much missed friend.
for everyone who has been involved in any of the blanket threads, you are an amazing bunch.

and finally,

to Magic8ballhastheanswers who was always there and ready with advice, reassurance and a joke. She always knew the right thing to say and I am gutted that she can't be here to hold my hand through this pregnancy. We miss you all

Oh, and although I already gave them some, more for the amazing women (and Pan) in the Feminism section. For not backing down and shutting up. I also want to be like you when I grow up.

to RockStockandtwoopenbottles for when I was trying to sort our holiday. She was hugely helpful to a stranger and even though we couldnt take her up on her offer I feel I now have a like minded friend.

for Madmouse just for being a lovely person and a proper trooper.

And here are some for the feminist lurkers for popping up to defend the section when it gets attacked.

I've thought of another to thumbwitch for starting the posting in the middle of the night thread in the living overseas boards, and for all the lovely posters who posted on it, for making me feel I belonged somewhere when I was living in such a strange place. And for making me realise I wasn't the only MNer who lived on a small island in the middle of nowhere....

I would like to helenagrace who scooped me up off a self-indulgent thread I posted, took me out for coffee, and probably has no idea how much she inspired me to get a grip.

to everyone who was on the Fit, Interesting and Available threads, even though they are no longer running.

to everyone on the Feminism section, I have learnt so much, even though mostly I just lurk. I am learning to embrace who I am. A special mention to Dittany

To SGB for her insistence that you don't have to be in a relationship. It makes me feel less of a freak for loving being single

To Mumsnet, to everyone on here, for the laughter and the tears. The love and support I see on here renews my faith in humanity on a regular basis. Without you the last 5 years would have been a lot harder and really quite lonely at times.

I want to send a to all the fantastic women who post on the feminist board, who have reawakened my long dormant feminist activism, made me realise that I can still make a difference and have given me hope for the future :)

Awww aStarinStrangeways - absolute pleasure xx

I won a prize???

MNHQ xx

glotheblo, izzywizzyletsgetbusy, JenniferYellowHatsRedLingerie, madhattershouse, perfumedlife, PisteysInManhatten, PoppyDoolally and snippywoo2 for getting me through a really tough night before my operation and giving me tips on how to get some sleep. I really appreciated your kindness in taking 2 minutes out just to hold my hand.