Sunday 30 October 2011

{Ooh, That's Pinterest...ing!}

I'm teaming up with Tina Gray again this week for her 'Ooh, That's Pinterest...ing!' blog hop.



Seeing as it's Halloween tomorrow I thought I'd share some of the ideas from my Kids Fancy Dress pinboard. I went with a pirate theme this year for my son & daughter, but I've got tonnes of ideas for next year...

















Friday 28 October 2011

{The Photo Gallery: Faces}

These photos of my precious babies are for Week 79 of The Gallery: Faces.

My daughter enjoying some tummy time

Big smiles from my daughter

My son playing with his cars

He loves a cake!!

I can't believe that my daughter, my little baby, is 6 months old already. Where has the time gone!? On top of that, my son is now 26 months!!! I just can't get over how grown up they are becoming. 

They change every day and amaze me constantly. 

Here are some photographs of them when they were newborns...

My son in the neonatal unit when he was born at 33 weeks gestation - an emotional time for us all

My daughter aged 7 days







Thursday 27 October 2011

{Christmas Wrapping - Done!}

I had created some Christmas printables that I had shared previously, and it was my plan to use these to create gift tags for Christmas gifts.

Here is a photograph of my first wrapped Christmas gift... (My tag is slightly different from the free one because I have personalised it to say who it is from and I've blurred out our names for the purpose of the blog. I've also have a different style of tree, but unfortunately due to copyright I can't share this one with you so I created my own tree instead in Illustrator). If I've time I'll try and create a few more Christmas printable designs that I'll share with you.


I've bought a few rolls of brown paper (I love brown paper!!) from my local Post Office, add to that a few bright ribbons from Country Baskets and my tag and I'm sorted!

How are you wrapping your Christmas gifts this year?

P.S. I'm not wrapping all my Christmas presents just now - I just did this one as a prototype to show you!!


Wednesday 26 October 2011

{What I Wore Wednesday}

So, I'm linking up again this week with Transatlantic Blonde who is looking very glam in her 'What I Wore Wednesday' post...



Me, I'm in my jeans (a regular occurrence for me!)... this time teamed with a sparkly jumper from Next (which is a bit big for me now, but I love it!).


Glasses by Dior
Sequin grey jumper from Next (I'm loving grey at the moment for fashion & interiors!)
Skinny jeans also from Next

I did say I'd try to make the effort with my hair, but as you can see I've stuck it in a ponytail again! Another thing I'm going to put on my to-do-list is to accessorise better. I've got loads of jewellery but I always end up wearing just my watch (Calvin Klein if you're interested) plus engagement & wedding ring. 



Monday 24 October 2011

{Do I have my groove back?}

I'm linking up with Kate again this week for her Grooving Mums blog hop (a day early, but hopefully that's ok!).

A few people have suggested, especially in the light of the fact that I felt ready to post a photograph of my new pants (more importantly I was wearing them at the time!), that I have my groove back. Yes, to the outside world and to passers by on the street - I probably do look like I've got my groove on. I've lost the baby weight and do feel confident to wear skinny jeans for once. But to the people that know me and what I was like b.c. (before children) then it's a different story and I still think I have a bit to go. I'm not saying I want to be the old me again, I have new priorities now and life has changed but I want to be happier within myself and to get some of my confidence back that I used to have in abundance. 5 months ago, just before I started this blog I was a different person to what I am now - I was unhappy, miserable, tired & fed up. I've been working hard at getting my groove back and do believe it's there somewhere waiting to get out.

I think there's been a number of factors that all contributed to me loosing my groove & my confidence. My son was 7 weeks premature and the early spontaneous labour was a total shock to the system. He was in the neonatal unit for a few weeks and then just as we got him home he was re-admitted to the children's hospital for an operation on his tummy. He was a difficult baby, and I truly believed that there was something not quite right with his digestive system. The consultant at the hospital was very dismissive and said it was colic (my son was 8 months old by this point, surely he would have grown out of colic by 8 months??). Not many people acknowledged the fact that he was a difficult baby either and that didn't help matters. At his 1 year assessment the Health Visitor suggested it could be behavioural and hinted that he might be on the autistic spectrum. We were referred to a specialist centre and were put on the waiting list for an assessment. Finally, someone was taking me seriously. However, at around 13 and a half months old, my son decided he would start to crawl and became more active... all of a sudden (I mean literally overnight!) his behaviour changed. Some people have said it was probably frustration. I still believe that there was some underlying tummy issue and that by becoming more mobile and able to sit up totally unaided (at a year old we still had to put cushions behind him as he couldn't sit very well) that his discomfort and pain that he was in went away. By the time the specialist team came to assess him, he was a changed boy and they couldn't believe that the boy they were assessing was the same that was written about in the referral letter.

So if you take into account my premature son, the difficulties we had with him as well as the other issues I've briefly mentioned in other posts (my mother died when I was a teenager and I also suffer from a chronic bowel condition, Crohn's) then I think somewhere in all of that I've lost myself. Hubby and I decided to have a 2nd child soon after our first, mainly I think because we wanted to get the baby stage out of the way as soon as we could. I desperately didn't want my son to be an only child, but if I'm honest his first year sort of put me off having another. However, no two babies are the same and we've had such an easy ride with our daughter so far. She's now 6 months old and has been a breeze. She hasn't had any of the complications that we faced with our son - she was born at 37 weeks opposed to 33, and hasn't had any issues with regard feeding or health (yet anyway, touch wood!).

Yes, I'm getting my groove back, but I'm not all there yet. Outwardly I think I probably look like I have it sussed (and a friend has commented to this effect) - I'm tall, blonde (dyed!), slim (thanks to Maria), have two beautiful, generally well behaved children and have a great husband. However, I don't think you can judge someone by their appearance and assume that they are grooving if they are thin and wearing a smile on their face (I hope that doesn't come across as being rude?). For a while my smile was fake... I wasn't happy and inside I felt miserable and a bit of a failure.

Anyway, this week I've spoken to a stranger as per Kate's challenge.

1. Talk to someone you have never spoken to before. This might be at the nursery or school gates, on the street or somewhere else entirely. Smile and see what happens and then report back next week.
I was in a local gift shop, with my daughter in a forward facing baby carrier, when a man asked me how old she was (people stop to talk much more when she's in baby carrier rather than pram). We got talking, turns out he has a son who is 10 months old and showed me a photograph of him on his phone. Initially I felt a bit awkward, but I chatted away and showed him a picture of my son too. All the usual - he's so big for a 2 year old, what a lovely smile etc etc. - and then I went to pay for my stuff. By the time I got home my shoulders were aching from carrying her!!

Challenge #2 was to visit my local library.

2. Visit your local library and look around at posters and leaflets. See if something on offer excites you and points you in a new direction. If not, borrow a book that you would not normally read and try a whole new genre.
Got to admit that I've failed on this one - not been to the library as planned... but I will try again this week.

Other things I've done this week:

I've kept up with the running.  I did 5 miles on Thursday in 55 minutes! I was very pleased with my time. I also did running club on Sunday morning and did 10k (6.3 miles) in 1hr 14 min.

On Thursday afternoon I met my friend Becky as I was feeling a bit meh... we went for a cuppa at a local shopping centre and I thoroughly enjoyed my tea & massive cinnamon bun - yummy! Not part of the healthy eating plan, but I do still eat cakes and as long as I'm good the majority of the time I should be able to maintain the weight loss.

Daughter wearing her teapot dress for having afternoon tea with the girls!

On Friday night I went out for dinner with a few of my other mum friends. I wore a grey tunic as a dress with some 100 denier tights. Skirt is a lot shorter than what I'd normally have worn. I think I'd got into the habit of dressing like a 50 year old (hope no one takes offence...) rather than a nearly 30 year old. It's nice to have some stylish items in my wardrobe that are a bit more current.


On Saturday morning I went to a Gymboree party with my son. Three of my mum friends were also there so there were plenty people I knew to help me out with son & daughter as hubby was working. It was a fancy dress party for Halloween and so my son was a pirate and daughter was supposed to be a parrot but I've not got her costume ready yet so she was shoved into a tutu!

The hat & eye patch only stayed on for all of 30 seconds!

Daughter is teething, hence the one bright red cheek!

I'm posting early this week as my dad is arriving with his wife this evening and we'll be busy with them this week. They live in the Middle East and so we rarely get to see them. 

I will catch up with all you other #groovingmums and see how you've got on this week when I get a free moment.... 

Sunday 23 October 2011

{Ooh, that's Pinterest...ing!!!}

I'm linking up again with Tina Gray this week for her 'Ooh, that's Pinterest...ing!' blog hop.


Last week I shared some ideas for gifts for teachers, and this week I'm going to share some of the ideas I've been having for a shared bedroom for my 2 year old son and his 6 month old sister. They've been sharing a room now for a week (both in cots mind you!) and it's been great. They both sleep from 7-7.30pm through until 7-7.30am. I'm going to invest in a bunk bed that can also be used as two single beds, and I plan to move my son into his big boy bed soon. I'm going to have a transition where he'll sleep in the cot bed for a few weeks first, but we're missing the screws to make his cot into a cot bed - very annoying!

Colour scheme wise I'm thinking peacock blue, emerald green, lime green, deep plum & bright pink...I've pinned some colour inspiration photographs to my Shared Baby/Toddler Bedroom board.

Anyway, here's the bunk bed that I love from Aspace:

Nantucket Bunk Bed

Nantucket Bunk Bed as two single beds

I've also been looking for a night light for their new shared room, and here are my ideas:





I've also already purchased some fairy lights for the room - one set for my son in blues and greens and another for my daughter in plums and pinks. I bought these from a gift shop called Cloudy Blue in Aberdeen. You can select your own coloured balls for either a string that are 20, 35 or 50 lights in length.


My dad's wife has also very kindly been making a quilt for my son and daughter for their new room.

I got a lot of inspiration from Pinterest:

Image source: www.google.co.uk



Also on the agenda is some new artwork for the room, and I love this print:


I also love these wall decals by Pop & Lolli:


I've also bought some jewel coloured wheatstraw baskets from Sainsbury's for holding toys and things on the shelves (that are yet to be built!):



You can follow me on Pinterest here.


Saturday 22 October 2011

{King Prawns...}

So I managed to get my 2 year old son to eat king prawns for dinner.... I'm amazed!

When he was a baby he would eat anything (his favourite food for a while was butternut squash risotto or fish pie), but then we hit a bit of a fussy stage where his favourite food was pesto pasta (it had to be basil pesto though, the red pepper pesto wasn't good enough!) and everything else was refused.


However, we seem to be back on track (to a certain extent anyway!).

Here are my tips for dinnertime:

I now eat dinner with my son at 5pm (I used to sit with my son when he ate, but then ate my dinner with my hubby at 7.30/8pm when he got in from work and when kids were asleep).

We eat exactly the same meal.

I try not to watch my son as he eats. I chat away and eat my own food (discussing how yummy it is) and leave him to feed himself. Sometimes he needs help getting food onto his spoon or fork.

If he doesn't eat it, then I don't make a fuss. He won't starve. (When he was younger I'd have made him another meal but now I don't bother).

Sometimes he'll get a dessert (yoghurt, fruit or sometimes custard) and sometimes he doesn't. This isn't based on his behaviour or if he eats his main meal.

I've never used food as a bribe e.g. if you eat one more spoonful of peas you can have some ice cream

I've never referred to certain foods as treats or being special e.g. cake and biscuits. If he requests a biscuit, then within reason, he can have one. I don't make a big deal of it. When we go round the supermarket for our weekly shop, he's normally very excited to have a banana (I usually give him a snack as we go round in the trolley) - you would think it was the best meal he's ever had.

Vegetables are a different matter though, and the only vegetables he'll eat, at the moment, are when they're whizzed up in a soup.

I do keep presenting him with vegetables, and he will sometimes try them (he had a few spoonfuls of mashed potato the other day). I'm just hoping that if he keeps being given them, and he keeps seeing me eat them, that eventually he'll eat them too. He likes soft cheese & hummus, so I give him carrots and peppers to dip into them, in the hope that he'll get the taste for the vegetables eventually.

I think I'll start whizzing up some green veg to put into pasta with the pesto and see if he'll still eat it...

What are your tips for getting your little ones to eat dinner?

Wednesday 19 October 2011

{What I Wore Wednesday}

I'm linking up with Transatlantic Blonde for her first 'What I Wore Wednesday' blog hop.


As part of #groovingmums I've been trying to make a bit of an effort with my style and next month I'm seeing a personal shopper at House of Fraser for a wardrobe makeover. However, today was not a stylish day for me! It's a laundry day (when isn't it!?) and my jeans were covered in soup yesterday thanks to my son and my only other pair of jeans are also in the wash!

Anyway, here's what I wore today:




Glasses by Dior
Long sleeve black t-shirt from Sainsbury's Tu range
Patent black belt from M&S
Khaki combat trousers from Topshop Tall (circa 10 years ago!)
Beige boots from M&S
Jacket by North Face (Arctic Parka - recommended by @Scottish_Mum and I love it!)
Baby Bjorn baby carrier borrowed from sister-in-law
Baby (stylist's own!)

Note to self - I must try and do something with my hair. I'm wearing it up in a ponytail far too often these days. I can't remember the last time I properly blow dried it!!

Tuesday 18 October 2011

{Grooving...}

I'm joining in with Kate on Thin Ice again this week for her Grooving Mums blog hop.

Last week I had my weigh in with my personal trainer and...wait for it.... I reached my target!! A number of you have been asking how I did it, so please check out my post on Weight Loss Inspiration which has some more info on the healthy eating plan and has some before and after photos of me.

What have I done this week? Well, I took Kate's suggestion and went and bought some new underwear that fits...
1. Life is Pants – Well it is when you haven’t renewed your underwear for weeks, months, years. This week, how about going and getting measured so you know your correct bra size. Alternatively, go and buy yourself some knickers. Not the big Bridget Jones ones, not the skimpy things he would prefer but something you love the look of. Then take a picture of the knickers or bra or whatever you get and share it with us next week. You don’t have to be in the bra or knickers when you take the picture. Some of us have to crawl before we can walk.
I have taken a photo of me in new said underwear, and now don't have the confidence to show it...sorry.

I'm very happy with my new shape thanks to my healthy eating & exercise regimen set by my personal trainer. The tricky part now is maintaining it. I also need to work on the emotional side of things and get my confidence back up there to match.

I also bought myself a new dress for going back to work. I'm going in for a Keeping in Touch day next week and have nothing to wear as my old work clothes are far too big! Here's what I bought, from the new Gok range at Sainsbury's Tu... It's very flattering and I would never have worn something so figure hugging before (you'll see I'm still covering up my arms though...!).


The second suggestion was to visit the website www.do-it.org.uk...

2. Do It – There is a volunteering website called Do It. www.do-it.org.uk I am not asking you to volunteer although I can highly recommend it. What I am asking you to do is to investigate the site and find out what sort of opportunities appeal to you. That might tell you things about yourself and suggest future directions in terms of hobbies, jobs or study.
I did quite a bit of volunteering in my teenage years for my Duke of Edinburgh awards - helping out at a local creche, getting involved in the local day centre for the elderly... and more recently I went into a few local schools to talk to them about science and how to organise a science project as part of the Researchers in Residence scheme (all this was b.c. before children!). I'm not sure I've got the time for volunteering just now but this is something that I'll keep in mind for the future when the little ones are a bit older. The website is great - you plug in the area you are interested in volunteering and your postcode and it pops up with a list of all opportunities.

Hope all you other #groovingmums have a great week ahead. I'm looking forward to attempting Kate's new challenges.

(Still not sure about posting the underwear photo, but here goes....)

Monday 17 October 2011

{Ooh, that's Pinterest....ing!}

This is the first time I've linked up with Tina Gray for her 'Ooh, that's Pinterest...ing!' blog hop. I'm addicted to Pinterest!!


Here's how you play along:

  • Blog about your favourite pins from the past week
  • Grab the button (see above!) and add to your post and/or sidebar
  • Add your blog link to the linky on Tina's page
  • Visit some of the other links and give some comment love
My son is moving up rooms in nursery this week, so I've been looking for some inspiration for a thoughtful gift to give to his key worker & colleagues:






You can follow me on Pinterest here.



Beauty with a Conscious

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