{Fabulous Finds: Sleep Training for Toddlers}

As you may or may not know, I've been having to contend with a toddler who continually gets out of his bed before he goes to sleep, and then who clambers into my bed in the middle of the night when he wakes up. Far from ideal. I've seen me spending two hours at the top of the stairs returning him to bed, over and over....and over!!!

Here he is asleep on my bed!

Well, after discussing with many of my mum friends, I've come up with a a few ideas that I've put into action. I've decided to post them as part of my Fabulous Finds series:

1. Night light

We've had various night lights for my son's bedroom - a jelly mould shaped one that changes colour, fairy lights in blues and greens and the recent addition is a ladybug light that projects the stars onto the ceiling. They seem to have worked for some of my friends at keeping their little ones in bed, or helping settle them in the middle of the night, but for me they haven't been that useful. 

2. Reward chart

This chart arrived this morning from Amazon. We used it tonight for the first time, and my son was in bed at 6.30pm - desperate to get his fifth star before going to bed! Let's see how he gets on during the night...!! I have one friend who has used this and recommended it. She said it took a week to see real improvement, but that it worked a treat.

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3. Audio books

Another friend suggested I try letting him listen to an audio book before he goes to sleep. Over the weekend the inexpensive CD boombox that I had ordered from Amazon arrived and yesterday I downloaded a bedtime audio book from iTunes. After the usual bedtime routine, I let him press play on the CD player and then snuggled him up into bed. After 20 minutes, without any movement from his bedroom, I stuck my head around the door and he was fast asleep! Tonight he is listening to some Fireman Sam stories (his favourite), but again he's been in his bed now for 40 minutes and he's not gotten up. I'm so impressed! Usually he'd be jumping around and coming running through to see me.

The new story book that I ordered which was read tonight before bed

Audio book ready to go!

I'll update you tomorrow to let you know how we got on. Fingers crossed!!

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{January Joy - 31st Jan}

So I've made it to the end of Florence Finds #JanuaryJoy and I did a blog post for each and every prompt that was set. I'm very pleased with myself! Today's prompt is to 'reflect'...

I set resolutions for the year in the first post, and I'm delighted to be able to say that thus far I've stuck with them. I'm more organised, I'm crafting & baking regularly with the kids (we made shortbread for the first time for the 25th Jan prompt, we plan to bake some bread today as per the prompt for the 28th Jan and I'm all set for making Valentine's favours) and this week I met with a financial advisor to start getting my money in check. 

As part of my resolution to get organised I started meal planning. The downside to this is that because I've been eating the exact same as the kids (lots of white pasta, potatoes, bread) I've managed to put on a stone. This is not good. Although I do realise that the ice cream and cakes I have indulged in, on a number of occasions, will not have helped!

I thought it was never going to be possible, but I did manage to fit in a hair cut & colour even if I did have to take a day off work and I also had a luxury back massage and facial too on my birthday! Becky, Claire & I hit the cinema to celebrate my birthday and we went to see 'The Impossible' - gripping film but way more graphic than I had anticipated. There were lots of tears.

My birthday cake!

I'm also pleased to say that my skin is finally beginning to clear up. Phew! Let's hope it stays that way!!

I even managed to finish my new book, 'the five people you meet in Heaven', and I can highly recommend it. My friend Kath also sent me a book in the post which is next on my list, 'Ursula, Under'.

The house is really starting to come together and I'm starting to have a clearer picture in my head of where I'm going. I reckon I will be selling up and moving on this summer, which also ties in with one of my 35 at 35 list items.

I think my favourite post was the 18th January which gave me the opportunity to share my story of becoming a mum, which in itself was a chance to reflect.

Ok, so that's the positives, how about the ones I didn't quite manage...

I'm yet to go on my getaway and I'm still waiting to confirm dates with the kids dad, but hopefully I'll be able to have a wee break soon.

I also didn't try a new exercise class as I had intended to in this post. Now that I'm being sensible about money, I've didn't renew my gym membership and instead I will start running more often - it's free after all!

Music has also been one of the prompts which I failed to follow through on... you'll still find me dancing about my kitchen to Will.i.am and Britney (I love it!) with the kids jumping about beside me! I will download some new tracks soon - promise!

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Worst of all I failed to have a week without cakes and chocolate. I barely managed a day. This is not good and definitely something I need to work on. 

I've thoroughly enjoyed taking part in #JanuaryJoy and Rebecca's prompts have been superb - a really good mix! What was your favourite post of the series?

Make Something Naughty to Eat

I've been looking forward to today's prompt, 'make something naughty to eat' , since the start of #JanuaryJoy.

I love ice cream, and as a child I used to love knickerbocker glories or banana splits. Yum!!

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I try to steer clear of ice cream in the supermarkets as I'd end up buying a big tub, and demolishing it in minutes (yes, you read correctly!).

Today I've been really good at work, which makes a change! I'm normally wolfing cakes like there is no tomorrow. Yesterday I started off the day with a Twix bar and a cup of tea then throughout the day I ate 5 or 6 mini yum yums (with more tea!) and a bar of tablet. Then once home I had a massive bowl of ice cream with chocolate drops, butterscotch sprinkles and marshmallows which I ate whilst in the bath as per yesterday's prompt to have a home spa! (Our guests at the weekend left ice cream in the freezer and it would be rude not to eat it, right?!)

I'm going to have a very small bowl of ice cream once the kids are asleep and that will be my treat. 

It's pancake day soon (12th February) and I've ordered chocolate sauce and maple syrup in my supermarket order this week so that I'm sorted for making pancakes with the kids. I will try and save myself until then and limit the cake intake...

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Making Time for Yourself as a Busy Mum

Today's #JanuaryJoy post is to 'have a home spa'. 

I love a bit of rest and relaxation, especially when it involves pampering. Life can be so hectic at times, that it's nice to just put your feet up and have a moment to clear your head.

On the drive home from work I had lists running through my mind of all the things I have to do, trying to prioritise which ones were more urgent and determine what I can realistically achieve this evening. 

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I've decided to scrap the plans (I will do a few of the items, but not all of them) and instead I'm going to have a long relaxing bath and I'll finish the new book that I started - the five people you meet in Heaven as recommended by my good friend @ScumMum.

Perfect!! 

-----------------------------------

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{Meal Planning Monday}

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday (just me) - I had brown rice sushi from Wholefoods for dinner - was yummy!

Tuesday (just me) - leftovers from freezer... not very inspired but I'm sure I'll find something!

Wednesday - fish fingers with peas and mash

Thursday - Bolognese pasta bake

Friday - Mild chilli con carne with rice & wraps (the kids haven't had chilli before but I'm thinking they might enjoy it, especially if we make wraps with sour cream & grated cheese on top!) 

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Saturday - salmon fillet with vegetables (both really enjoyed the salmon from last week's menu - result!!)

Sunday (just me) - I'm rubbish when I'm cooking for just myself and I usually end up having cereal, porridge or toast for dinner as I can't be bothered (loving Mrs M's 'brinner' on her plan this week!). I will try and have something more substantial, and healthy - perhaps Parmesan chicken which I still have in the freezer with some broccoli

I will also be baking some bread this week, as per today's earlier #JanuaryJoy post.

Do pop over to Mrs M's blog to see what everyone else is cooking this week.

{January Joy - 28th Jan}

Today's #JanuaryJoy prompt is to 'bake some bread'. 

I was very lucky to have a lesson in baking bread last year from Mr Olive Dragonfly. You can find his tried & tested recipe here. 

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However, despite having had a lesson (and also buying the ingredients after my lesson!) I haven't actually baked any bread myself. I've also since discovered during a recent clear out that my ingredients are now out of date. Whoops!

So I will be adding this to my meal planner for the week and when I'm off work I will bake some bread with the little ones. I know they'll really enjoy it.

Pop over to Florence Finds to see Rebecca's recipe for a quick and easy wholemeal loaf.

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{January Joy - 25th Jan}

The #JanuaryJoy prompt for today is 'do something/go somewhere you have never been before...'. 

Hmmmm..... this certainly got me thinking!!

What could I realistically do that I haven't done before?? *puts thinking cap on* (and wheesht you all with the dirty minds!!!!)

Today is Burn's Night and I've never hosted a Burn's Supper before, but it's sort of short notice to organise something... next year perhaps!

I'm reckoning I should try and do something Scottish to celebrate Robert Burns so I think this morning the kids and I will bake some shortbread. This is something I've never done before, but it's one of my resolutions to bake/cook more with the children and I've managed quite a few things in January so far.

 

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We're also going to a friend's for lunch so it would be nice for us to have something homemade to take with us. 

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If we can get a recipe that works, perhaps this will solve the problem of what to put with the heart straws for our Valentine's Day favours!

Next week is the last week of Florence Finds #JanuaryJoy - I've really enjoyed it and Rebecca's prompts have certainly got me thinking. Just 4 more to go... can you believe January is nearly over already!?!

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{January Joy - 24th Jan}

Prompt for today's #JanuaryJoy is to 'have a clear out (cupboard or whole room)'.

For me this is a work in progress. I am reckoning that I will be selling up and moving house this summer and with this in mind I'm in the process of tidying, organising and decluttering everywhere.

I tackled the dining room, back porch and bathroom a while ago, and have since organised and updated the kitchen, my bedroom, son's bedroom, my daughter's bedroom and I've even improved the garden. I've also now changed the dining room into a playroom which has been fantastic. I now have a grown up living space which is toy-free and the kids are free to make a mess in their own lounge.

One other area that needed some attention was the utility space. Here are the before shots:

Note the mouldy blue carpet :-/

So first up was the carpet had to go. I decided to replace it with some linoleum.

Kids running around in the aisles!

Carpet up!

Without the carpet.

I also removed the white metal shelving that you can see in the above photo. I wanted to make better use of the space and decided to build some Ikea shelves instead.

The new lino

The shelving, that I built by myself!

It's still a work in progress, but I'm getting there.

I desperately need to clear out the attic which is next on my list. I have so many old children's clothing that needs to go to a new home. I currently have piles for charity shop, eBay and for passing onto family. If I keep plugging away at it, hopefully I can have everything sorted and looking nice for the house going on the market. It feels good to make progress with the decluttering.

{January Joy - 23rd Jan}

'Make some memories' is the prompt for today's #JanuaryJoy Florence Finds.

Sometimes the smallest of things can make the best memories... like spending half an hour in the kitchen baking cakes with my kiddies and watching my three year old son try to crack eggs or going to the local cafe for ice cream cones after a trip to the park. 

The best bit - licking the bowl :-)

Whoops - flour everywhere

Baking biscuits

The all important mixing...just keep it in the bowl!!

I'm forever taking photos on my phone of my adventures with my kids and this has prompted me to do something with them.

I was very good initially at printing photographs and putting them in date order into a photo album, but I've become so busy that this is low on my priorities. As such it hasn't been updated in well over a year.

I've decided that I will combine some of the best photographs with some photographs of their artwork and nursery creations and make them into a coffee table book. I realise that this will take some time but I know that the result will be amazing and something that I will treasure for years to come. I'm also thinking that I can print some extra copies which can be used as gifts for the grandparents.

{January Joy - 22nd Jan}

Today's #JanuaryJoy prompt from Florence Finds is to 'make something crafty'.

I'm always pinning amazing craft ideas and have great intentions of actually making stuff, but life kinda gets in the way and I always have other things that take priority on my to-do-list.

My current project is Valentine's Day favours for my kids to give their nursery friends.

I'm copying this idea:

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I've designed a tag to seal the bags on my computer and have personalised it with a message from my kids. I purchased the cute milk & cookies clipart from Etsy and I also bought the most adorable paper heart straws from Pipii.

Tag, designed by me :-)

Red Heart Straw from Pipii

I was going to bake heart shaped cookies, but this is very much time dependant and I'm not sure I have any! So I might just buy little snack packs of Oreos or other similar cookie.

Does that count as crafting? I hope so! 

The favours look like I've gone to a lot of effort, when they're actually really simple. I shared my Snowman Kisses tag as a printable before Christmas and if I have time I will share this one also. Watch this space!

You can find other Valentine's Day ideas in my previous posts here and here.

{Meal Planning Monday}

I can't believe we're at Monday again already and it's time for another Meal Planning post. Where did the time go? (cue song from Me Too!).

Last week's meal went sort of to plan but I ended up swapping the meal for Saturday night as I had tortellini pasta in the fridge that was going to go out of date, so we had that instead with pesto.

I can see myself slowly getting back into bad habits, so I need to knock that on the head asap. I must make sure I get to the supermarket tomorrow after work to pick up food for the rest of the week as I have forgotten to do an online food order. Need to set a reminder in my phone or something to make sure it gets done.

Here's this week's plan:

Monday (just me) - I had a chicken salad from M&S before I went for my run and I've just had a bowl of fruit to keep me going

Tuesday (just me) - soup from freezer and garlic bread

Wednesday - omelette and baked beans (will try and sneak in some veg to the omelette)

Thursday - Toad in the Hole (I was inspired by a photo which I think I saw on Instagram (?) and I've just spotted is on Mrs M's plan this week! - I've not made this before so if you have a recipe and/or tips please share!! - thank you)

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Friday - salmon pesto pasta (pesto is a big hit in our house!)

Saturday - pizza (we have guests this weekend so I'm thinking something easy like pizza will be good - we may even order in) or if I'm organised I will make the Mediterranean Vegetable Pastry Ring that I blogged about earlier today for #JanuaryJoy.

Sunday (just me) - salad / soup

Pop on over to Mrs M's blog to see what's cooking in the other kitchen's this week :-)

{January Joy - 21st Jan}

Today's #JanuaryJoy prompt from Florence Finds is to 'try a new vegetarian dish (or week)'.

I was at a Pampered Chef party fairly recently and purchased the round stone for baking pizzas, bread etc. At the party we were shown how to make a vegetarian pastry ring and I was amazed at how simple it was, and the end result was pretty impressive (I was slightly distracted by the children, but think I'll be able to recreate it).

Here's the recipe:

Mediterranean Vegetable Pastry Ring

{Ingredients}

1 tin/jar roasted artichoke hearts, chopped

1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

50g sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and snipped

50g pitted black olives, sliced

60g feta cheese, crumbled

125g mozzarella cheese

2 tsps dried Italian herb seasoning

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 x fresh ready to bake croissant dough

1 egg white, lightly beated

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{Method}

Preheat oven to 190 deg C.

Combine artichokes, red pepper, spring onion, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, herb seasoning and garlic and mix well (if I remember correctly my Pampered Chef consultant blitzed the ingredients in a food chopper).

Unroll croissant dough and arrange on the stone  with the widest edge towards the centre of the stone and the narrowest points hanging off the edge.

Add the filling onto the pastry ring.

This is the Turkey Cranberry Wreath, but it shows you how to lay out the croissant dough

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Bring the outside points of the dough triangles up and over the filling and tuck under.

Brush egg white over the top of the ring using a pastry brush.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with salad.

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{An apple a day}

It's not easy to get my kids to eat the recommended 5 portions a day of fruit & veg. We do eat lots of fruit (bananas, grapes, clementines, berries and the occasional kiwi) but vegetables less so (the odd bowl of soup, occasional spoonful of mashed potato or a mouthful of broccoli or carrot).

One of the products my littlest loves are the Ella's Kitchen smoothie pouches - smoothies are an easy way to get some fruit into their tummies! I'm not a fan of the tubes of smoothie and yoghurt that you can get (the long plastic sachets where you have to rip off a corner, know the ones I mean?), but the more structured pouches are great - less mess is made! We've always been a fan of Ella's Kitchen and I've been using their products since my eldest was weaned, and with a demanding 20 month old I didn't have the time or energy to make purees for my littlest and she was weaned using the Ella's Kitchen range. I love the company ethos and sadly enough I'm a fan of their packaging - all the bright colours, the cute font and the little fruit & vegetable drawings! (If you click on the link for the Ella's Kitchen site - beware, there is music, which is loud if you have your sound right up like me - the kids and I got a fright!!).

Anyway, I wanted to share with you this gift we received at Christmas. It's a magnetic reward chart by Do Well  to record your 5 a day, and it was given to us by my friend who is a teacher. Both my toddlers have been intrigued by the chart - we've been discussing all the different fruit & vegetables and picking out the ones that we've eaten that day to stick on the plate. (There is also a generic Do Well magnetic reward chart that a friend of mine has, and it seems to be really good also.)

How do you encourage your little ones to get their 5 portions of fruit & veg each day?

We received a couple of the Ella's Kitchen smoothie pouches to review as part of this blog post. It's the red one we always buy and we were sent one of each of the other flavours to try.

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{Play Talk Read}

Have you heard of PlayTalkRead's '30 Things to do Before You're Three' list?

It's a fairly new initiative from the Scottish Government to encourage simple fun for little ones and basically it's the ultimate children's checklist of things to do in the early years.

I thought I'd share the New Year's list with you here as it's Scottish themed with some Burn's Night activities thrown in.

For those of you that don't know, it's Burn's Night on Friday 25th January and to celebrate the life and poetry of Robert Burns many Scots will be eating haggis and drinking whisky at Burns Suppers around the country.

30 Braw Things to do Before You're Three

1. Try a new fruit or vegetable in season
2. Make a thank you card for Santa with help
   from mum or dad
3. Help mum or dad plant daffodil bulbs for spring
4. Learn the actions to Auld Lang Syne
5. Dance a jig on Burns night
6. Make a seasonal calendar for the year ahead
7. Eat haggis, neeps and tatties on Burns night
8. Make a phone using two cups and string and pretend to call a friend
9. Learn a new Scots word
10. Make a Loch Ness Monster out of play dough
11. Colour in a picture of Rabbie Burns
12. Make a castle with chairs and sheets & pretend to be a clansman
13. On a dreich day, learn to do a roly-poly indoors
14. Make a paper aeroplane
15. Go on a blue and white scavenger hunt around your hoose
16. Have a teddy bear’s picnic
17. Make an obstacle course indoors
18. Make and fly a kite with help from mum or dad
19. Learn the story of Robert Burns
20. Draw or paint a saltire yer face with help from mum or dad
21. Get wrapped up and visit a Scottish landmark 
22. Find where you live on a map of Scotland with help from mum or dad
23. Snuggle up under a blanket for a Scottish story
24. Make yer own paper cup Scotsman
25. Make shortbread with help from mum or dad
26. Make a wee moose with help from mum or dad
27. Moo like a Hielan coo
28. Paint yer own tartan
29. Sing along to ‘You Cannie Shove Yer Grannie of a Bus'
30. Challenge mum or dad to tug o’ war in your own Hielan Games

The PlayTalkRead bus is also going to be in Renfrewshire next week where your little ones can enjoy special Burn's day activities and crafts.

{January Joy - 18th Jan}

The prompt for today's #JanuaryJoy post, 'Do some Family planning' definitely got me reflecting on the previous few years... 

I had a peek at Wikipedia to see what the definition of family planning is, and it's as I thought:

'the planning of when to have children and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans'

I got married when I was 25 years old, and I always knew that I wanted to be a mum so it seemed natural to start trying for a baby quite soon. My husband is 4 years older than me and most of our friends were older, so we weren't the first to have children. After 11 months of trying and the disappointment after each negative pregnancy test, I remember being shocked when the result was finally positive - I couldn't quite believe it. At the time my husband wasn't with me, as I was convinced it was going to be another negative result so I took the test on my own. I couldn't contain myself and ended up calling him on his mobile to tell him the exciting news. However, he was on a train with a work associate and wasn't able to share in my delight... whoops! 

Anyway, we waited 12 weeks and had a private scan before we told any of our friends or family, the only other person that knew was a work colleague who I had to inform for health & safety reasons. I have Crohn's Disease for which I take immunosuppresant drugs every day and I was a little concerned that this might impact negatively upon the pregnancy. My early pregnancy was a breeze surprisingly enough (no sickness or anything!), but it was the latter stages that things became difficult and I developed a serious liver condition called obstetric cholestasis.

I had my son when I was 27 and it wasn't the easiest of journey's into motherhood - I went into spontaneous early labour at 33 weeks and I wasn't ready at all.  

My son, when we finally got him home from hospital aged 5 weeks!

There is just 22 months between my sister and I, and from the outset I had my heart set on having two children close together in age. My husband was on the same page, and after a traumatic year with our son we decided selfishly that if were going to have another we would do it quickly to 'get the difficult baby bit over with as soon as possible'. I ended up falling pregnant shortly after my son's first birthday, a few weeks after we decided to start trying! There was concern from my obstetrician that I would develop the liver condition again and go into labour even earlier, and I spent each week worrying that I might develop the dreaded itch. I made it to 35 weeks symptom-free and was induced at 37 weeks giving birth to a beautiful little girl when I was 29.

During all this my marriage had hit a rough patch and things were far from great. And now, here I am, aged 31 as a single mummy with two toddlers. 

I'm now not sure that there is a right time to start family planning. I believed I was being sensible and had it all thought through in my head... and look where I've ended up.

Now I'm trying to live for the moment... not worrying about the future or contemplating the past too much. What's done is done... 

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