11 Years Of Marriage

OK, so I probably should of wrote a really soppy blog post last year on our 10 year anniversary but I never got round to it and suddenly here we are another year on.

I'm sure with all of our bickering plenty of people thought we wouldn't get to 11 years of marriage. Some certainly thought we were too young to get married, yet here we are.

Home Ed - What's The Story?

Recently I've become more and more aware of the amount of people that have chose to home educate their children. Whether it be in person or online there are certainly more people home educating than I first thought.

As our son's first year at school approaches, like many parents, I'm concerned about what school life may hold for him. If it doesn't workout for him, I don't know really know much about home educating.

Today You're 4

So many people that have had children say time speeds up on their arrival and I never believed it but looking at you today I know how true that is. 

Today you are 4. 

7 Quick Tips For A Pregnant Holiday

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As you know, we love to travel with our little one, and that comes with its own challenges but before holidays with children are holidays pregnant and they require a whole other level of organisation! Here are my 7 quick tips for a pregnant holiday!

When Your Baby Isn't So Little Anymore!

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As a parent it can be emotional when you begin to realise your baby isn't so little anymore. Our little boy starts school later in the year and the thought of his first day makes me feel incredibly emotional! How is he starting school already?

One moment they're small enough to hold and rock in your arms, relying on you for everything and in a blink of an eye they 're racing around the house, into everything and becoming more and more independent! 

3 Things Parenthood Makes You Realise About Your Own Parents

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Once upon a time your parents were the gatekeepers. The people that stopped you having fun, or at least tried to control it! Admittedly, every child goes through a phase (or five) where they think their parents are deliberately trying to sabotage their pleasure. The world is full of rules and to a child's mind they're just not fair.

Could Being A Mum Be The Skill That Builds Your Career?

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The idea of getting back to work as a mummy is always framed as a challenge. I can tell you from experience that it's difficult to get back into the swing of things you haven't done for some time. Not to mention the new family and work balance that you'll need to find. 

Instead of looking at motherhood as an obstacle though, can you look at it as a resource? 

There's a selection of careers where being a mum can lift you into a new role. Here's a few ideas that could shape your career.

Four Of The Most Useful Skills A Mum Can Teach Her Kids

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I waited a long time to become a mother and it's hardwork, but it's an incredible joy and privilege too.

The journey starts when you see a tiny bundle of cells grow into a fully formed little human, and then as they navigate their way through the world and begin to have thoughts, feelings and opinions of their own. It’s a magical and bamboozling miracle that’s truly humbling when you stop to think about it. Of course, it’s also a great responsibility.

Keep Calm and Eat Out

Going out to eat should be a relaxing time. A break from routine. A treat for the family. Bring children into the mix though it can turn into a stressful and unpleasant experience.

So, how can you make it enjoyable and relaxing? Especially when you have a toddler or preschooler in the mix?!

10 Things That Make Me Happy!

It feels like ages since I've blogged and although I've got lots of ideas and things to say, I've pondered about which to share with you first. So, I thought I'd go with 10 Things That Make Me Happy following the tag by the lovely Laura of  Wafflemama fame!

Laura tagged me in her post a while ago and I thought it would be perfect to get restarted! 

So here we go.....

1. Joseph
Some days maybe hard but this kid was worth the 6 year wait. He is funny and lovable. I love him more than I ever thought possible.

Can we stop with the bitching?

Women. Mothers.

We give sympathetic looks to the new Mum trying to get round the supermarket with a screaming newborn. We openly tell each other our birth stories having only met minutes earlier. We befriend each other over Instagram and Mummy forums. We drunkenly hug strangers and mop up their tears whilst in the loos on a night out. 

Where did my mojo go go?

It's been over two weeks since my last blog. The reason being that I seem to have run out of ideas. Don't get me wrong, I have always been indecisive but lately its gone to a whole new level. What to craft, what to write about and even what to have for tea and which loo roll to buy have been a struggle.

Unable to decide on what to write and with no creative juices following I've struggled to blog. Part of me has wanted to stop altogether. So, when the time came for me to submit my monthly post to meetothermums.com I faulted. No idea what to write and basically no ideas. I emailed the lovely Sally over at MeetOtherMums and explained how I felt, apologising for the lack of post this month.

What to do when there's nothing to do.

We've all been there. It's raining. Pay day is further away than you'd like. You're stuck inside with the kid(s) and there's no escape. Need to hurry the time along? Try one of my something to do when there's nothing to do ideas!

Make a den – Sheets, sofas and cushions can create all manner of adventures and hideouts!

Bake and cook – Check what you have in the fridge and cupboards. You might have enough to whip up a batch of fairy cakes or jam tarts. 

A Healthy Mummy Update!

This week has been surprisingly harder than the first and I have struggled a lot. 

The medication I've been given feels like it is making its way into my system but is making me exhausted. I have tried though to busy myself to avoiding dropping to sleep in the day but then find myself wide awake at night.

The end of the week was a bit of a struggle at work. At times it was a fight to keep my eyes open but within this there was a small achievement. Normally you see I'd have necked coffee to keep me going but I didn't. I'm sticking to what the GP said and am giving it a wide berth! My boss may have started singing to check if I was awake or not as I sat with my head back 'looking at the ceiling'.

On the upside my memory has improved slightly and I suddenly remembered on Friday that I was meant to be doing the Brownie meeting on Monday! With hubs out all day on Saturday meaning no car and Mother's Day on Sunday this threw me into a panic. Usually I'd have felt physically sick and had no idea what to do but I managed to control my anxiety and buy most of what I needed on my lunch break. Phewwwwww.

The healthy eating has continued and like last week I am super happy to say I've had a loss!

A Healthy Mummy Update!

Some of you may have read my post from last week about my ongoing ill health, living in chronic pain and how it was ruining my life as well as my husband's and toddler's. I made a pledge to myself to change my ways and this week has marked the start of that!

I've cut out a lot, well pretty much all, junk and cut back on a lot of refined sugar. So no sugary cereals (my fave) and back to sweetener in my tea! I've also knocked coffee on the head!

Why I'm Changing My Ways

Health-wise I haven't been right since having Joseph in 2014. After a traumatic birth and a lot of stitches I slowly started to get back to normal or so I thought. At a check up I mentioned to my GP that I'd experienced some stiffening in my joints. She assured me it was nothing to worry about but unfortunately this wasn't the case. 

As the stiffness and joint problems spread over my body it was was joined by fatigue. I was told repeatedly it was nothing to worry about and sent on my way. When my husband had to help me get dressed I decided enough was enough and demanded something be done. This time  I saw a GP who understood and was committed to helping me. After multiple tests and a hospital referral it was discovered that an extreme lack of vitamin D had left me with muscle weakness and a softening of the bones (Osteomalacia) and there was a possibility I also had Fibromyalgia. I was given vitamins and sent on my way. The GP helping me left for another practice.

Surviving the supermarket with a toddler!

When my now two year old was a baby I used to feel sick at the thought of going to the supermarket. I'd be the Mum sweating all the way round the shop from the fear that the baby would wake and worst of all cry.

Now I wish it was as simple as timing a trip to avoid a feed because taking a toddler shopping is a whole different ball game. It takes preparation, bribes and a bit of courage but it is doable.

Here's my tips for surviving the supermarket with a toddler!

Why playing in the garden has become our go to activity!

Joseph is fast becoming what many call a 'typical boy'. Shouting, running, bashing, jumping and being a ginger hurricane takes up most of the day. With six nieces it came as a bit of a shock to the system, not just for us but for our family too. 

As he's got more and more active I've been trying to get out more. Overcoming the Mummy anxiety and getting out into the world. Whether it be a trip round a supermarket, meeting friends or a walk round the park with my brother's wife and their dog, we both enjoy getting out more.

Is it time to ditch the pushchair?

My little boy is a charming and cheeky two year old.  He’s inquisitive and can be adventurous when the mood takes him. He occasionally has the standard toddler meltdown, although I’m grateful these rarely take place in public. So far there’s been very few throwing himself on the floor, kicking his legs, drawing attention to himself, and in turn me, incidents.

The main cause for that though is not that he’s a complete angel or that I’ve got parenting sussed. It’s because there’s a knight in shining armour or shall we say on wheels? A secure chariot. His pushchair.

Returning to work? How being super organised can get you through it!

Your returning to work after maternity/parental leave and your new parent anxiety is at a new high. Not only are you leaving your little bundle at nursery/childminder/grandparents, your going to be mixing with people. Real people. Not Mr Bloom and the Teletubbies. Actual real people! 

You'll go from changing tables to office tables and back from water-cooler chat to making bottles.

Keep calm when returning to the office with my top tips.