{Striking Mums with Kate on Thin Ice}

Grooving Mums is back... it's been revamped and is now under the name 'Striking Mums'.

Why Striking Mums you ask? Head on over to Kate's post here to find out more.

This is a linky for mum's that are "yearning for the you of yesteryear" and feel it's "time to shake things up a bit"! Are there changes you want to make in your life? Then this is the linky for you! Each week Kate will post something inspirational and ask us all to get involved too.

I joined Grooving Mums way back in September 2011 when I was going through an exceptionally rough patch. The weekly linky helped me focus myself on some goals and as the weeks went by my confidence and self esteem took leaps and bounds.

This week's Striking Mum challenge is to share a blog post about what you want to achieve - anything that will make you feel better.

My main aim is to lose weight and get back to the size I was at the end of 2011, which was 11 stone and a comfortable size 10.

My weight has crept up and up and I'm now at the heaviest I've been in 3 years... 12 stone 8 lbs and a size 12/14. I'm angry at myself for letting things slip and my motivation to get back to the lighter me is at an all time high. I was unable to get into my 'fat jeans'. This is not good :-/

I've been trying to run at least twice a week and this along with some healthy eating should help me towards my goal immensely.

Hopefully with the support of the Striking Mums I can keep up the good work and get into a better routine, one that includes exercise and healthy eating!

So tell me, what are your goals?

Keep on running!

{Why I'm #Groovy}

Joining in again with Kate on Thin Ice's Groovy Mums linky...

This week Kate has asked us to speak to our kids to discover what makes us groovy.

I'm a bit late at joining in as the kids have been with their dad and I didn't get them back to mine until this afternoon. I wasn't even sure that they'd understand what I meant when I said 'Is your mum groovy?'. The littlest immediately said 'yes', but then when I asked her if she knew what it meant she said no!

So instead I asked what makes your mummy cool, and this was their response:

'You are very funny and make us laugh the most.

Because you are good.'

What am I good at doing, I asked? 

'Cooking. Making cakes. Making dinner. Crafts. Painting. And making party stuff.

You helped me with the Lego computer game and I completed the level.'

I asked if I look cool, and I was told no. I do however look pretty, their words not mine. Apparently when I wear a dress I look pretty and when I wear trousers, a t-shirt or jeans I look cool.

So there you have it. Why I'm cool by my 4.5 year old son and my daughter, who will be 3 in April!

{#JanuaryJoy - tidy up}

Today's #JanuaryJoy prompt is to 'tidy up'.

I'm taking this to mean a few things...tidy up the house & get organised...tidy up my mind & get motivated for the year ahead...and tidy up my appearance.

Here are my thoughts on each:

1. Continue to declutter the house - in particular tackling the main areas prone to getting messy...my desk, my walk-in cupboard, the shed/out-house and on top of my microwave (dumping ground for mail etc!). I bought two pieces if furniture from Gumtree last week & as such I've now got a few extra drawers to store my bits & pieces.

My £15 mahogany chest of drawers

My £10 mahogany tall boy!

The mess that has collected on top of the microwave!

2. This month I ended my relationship with my counsellor. After 7 months, I feel ready to go it alone.

Lots for me to think about & one thing I am going to take on board is writing stuff down in a book rather than e-lists. Hopefully it'll let me keep a clear head!

Susan's parting words to me were 'Enjoy Life' and I intend on doing just that.

3. I'm currently sat at my desk feeling like a plucked chicken! I hate getting waxed - it hurts like hell, but as awful as this may be, I do feel more confident when I'm waxed, nails polished & hair done. I've been a bit rubbish at keeping my nails done, which I'm annoyed about because for a while I was really good and kept my nails looking lovely for ages (as part of my 35 at 35 list).

My recommendation would be Stephanie at Beauty in the Basement, Kano. I occasionally get gelish nails done and Stephanie is brilliant. She's the only beautician I have used who's gelish nails last for over a week, sometimes 10 days. Other places I've been to, at least one of the nails starts to peel off after a couple of days. Stephanie's spray tans are also brilliant. She also does 'Tuesday Treats' and runs some really good deals. Definitely one for Glasgow Southsiders to check out :)

I'm also linking up with Kate on Thin Ice's #groovymums blog linky... making small steps to improve my life.

{#JanuaryJoy - plan to revamp your garden}

I should have read ahead at the #JanuaryJoy prompts, because I wrote about my garden plans for 'plan a room' on January 10th! Whoops!

My friend Louisa sent me a card for my birthday last week and it had the following Chinese proverb on it...

{image source}

I'm guessing that this may have something to do with being out in the fresh air and perhaps having time to think? The weather is freezing but like Kate over at Kate on Thin Ice, I believe it's so important to get outside. It's great for the body & mind.

{image source}

This weekend, we went on a superb day trip to Falkirk. The weather started off a bit miserable and wet, but we were well prepared with our waterproofs, wellies, hats & gloves etc. It was a busy day, with lots to see and do, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, as did the kids. Full post on this will be on the blog later this week.

Glasgow Mummy on Facebook

And this evening I'm heading out for a run with R. This is it - I'm getting back into good habits and I'm determined to get back into shape. I've already lost 3 lbs after cutting out bread & pasta. Just another 8 lbs to go to reach my target. 

{#JanuaryJoy - make a fitness target}

'Make a fitness target' is today's Florence Finds #JanuaryJoy prompt and it's time to get serious...

{image source}

I have 11 lbs to lose (I'm fairly disgusted at myself!) and now that Christmas, New Year and my birthday are over, I've no excuse!

As well as getting back in the kitchen and making some clean eats and making a move towards Meal Planning again, I want to get back into the way of exercising regularly.

I was doing so well and in July last year I made it back to my target weight of 11 stone, but it's crept back up as the winter months kicked in and I'm now back at square one.

So here are my targets, both diet & fitness:

I will start back with a Paleo diet (especially given that it helped with my Crohn's).

I will get back to my target weight of 11 stone.

I will start running regularly again - it would be great to run the Glasgow Half Marathon this year given that we're hosting the Commonwealth Games.

I will beat my previous half marathon time (2h 12 min).

{#JanuaryJoy - celebrate your family}

{Photograph by Zoe Stewart Photography}

Today is a big day in the Glasgow Mummy house...

Not only is it my 32nd birthday, but this afternoon was registration for my son going to school in August this year.

It fits quite well with today's Florence Finds #JanuaryJoy prompt which is to 'celebrate your family'.

My wee boy is getting so grown up...even on a day-to-day basis I notice big differences in his appearance & behaviour. He's definitely not a baby or toddler anymore.

Everyone said enjoy the younger years but I had such a tough first year that I honestly didn't enjoy it all that much. 

When he was a baby I had in my head it would get easier when he reached 3 months...most people seemed to say that would be the turning point. But it didn't get better...

Brand new in the neonatal unit - he was 7 weeks early.

Looking angelic at a month old

And then I thought things might get a bit easier when he was weaned onto solids... but again, it didn't.

 It wasn't always smiles!! There were a lot of tears during year one, from him and me!

Then I thought to myself it's bound to get easier when he can sit & crawl by himself... which thankfully it did. But it took that whole first year for his behaviour and mood to change. (I reckon he had an underlying tummy discomfort, maybe associated with his prematurity and pyloric stenosis.)

I wished the time away. 

And now my baby is 4 and a half years old & he's no longer my baby.

He's a proper wee boy & I can't believe its time to register him for school....I mean, school!!!!!! Just seems so surreal!

As well as Florence Find's #JanuaryJoy, I'm linking up with Groovy Mums.

Kate's listed a few questions over on her post this week and I hope that this post goes someway to answer Question 3 'What do I want to get out of life in 2014?'.

I simply want to enjoy every minute!

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

{Naked Mum}

I am proud to say that I am April's Naked Mum of the Month.

Do pop on over to Kate's blog, 'The Naked Mum', to see my post, and of course the accompanying 'naked' photo!! I am wearing nothing except my @Specsdirect2u Tom Ford glasses ;-)

Thank you to Kate for inviting me to participate and to my sister, @the_grey_house, for taking the photo.

and what a story it will be x {image source}

{November}

Can you believe that it's November already!?! Not only November, but 6th November!!! Seriously... where has the time gone!?

{image source}

October was a busy, busy month... and thankfully things have quietened down now in the Glasgow Mummy house and we're getting back into our usual routine. 

The kids are with their dad three nights a week, and whilst I'm glad of the rest (I need it!) and the me-time (catching up on laundry, meeting friends for coffee, time at the gym...) I'm finding that I really miss them. I arrived at work this morning and my colleague was filling me in on the lovely day she had with her daughter at the zoo and I nearly started crying at my desk. Don't get me wrong, it's such hard work with an 18 month old and a 3 year old... they're at that awkward age where they're yet to become good company and I struggle to do certain outings with them on my own. But I feel a bit lost when they're not around, so I'm finding that I'm keeping myself busy to keep my mind off things. Yesterday though I actually put my feet up and had a proper rest - I watched Alfie (Jude Law - yes please!) and then Dirty Dancing. I think that's why I'm feeling a bit 'meh' today... I had too much time to think yesterday!

{image source}

In other news I'm getting a cat... yes, you read right - a cat! I'm thinking it might help cure my loneliness. Although we'll have to see how I go as I'm allergic to cats (I know, I think I might be a bit insane at the moment! haha!!). My sister has two cats, called Pickle & Onion. I had initially planned to get a cute little brown cat and call it Branston (awww!) but Ali has offered to let me take Onion for a while rather than commit to a new cat. Pickle & Onion don't get on terribly well, so we're thinking Onion will be less grumpy when he's with me, and away from Pickle! Watch this space to see how we get on...!!! 

{Busy}

I've been rushed off my feet this past month or so. My friend and her three girls were staying with me for just under a fortnight, then I had my sister's wedding, then my dad & his wife were visiting, followed by a visit from my sister and her husband (btw congrats guys!). On top of this, I've been busy getting more stuff done at the house (I've converted my dining room into a playroom, and changed the living room about a bit so it's a proper grown-up space - no toys!). It's only now that I'm getting back into a routine.

{image source}

I've joined a new gym (thanks to my friend who transferred her membership over to me!), and starting to feel motivated again about exercise. I went straight from work yesterday (if I were to go home first and sit down, it was more than likely that I wouldn't have gone out again!) and did a workout... on the treadmill, rowing machine and then for a swim. 

I was trying to look cool, and failed miserably... I slipped on the steps on my way into the pool area and landed on my ass. Majorly embarrassing. However, I think (crosses fingers) no-one saw me. Honestly, what am I like!

Healthy eating has not been going so well (as I stuff more chocolate into my mouth!) and I know I need to make more of an effort to cook from scratch. In my defence, I did make soup the other day in the slow cooker but I will continue to try harder.

I've also been getting more organised... around the house, planning play dates ahead of schedule and making the most of my days off. I feel much more on top of things now as a result. I just hope I can keep it up. 

The kids and I went to soft play last week - it's been a while since I've taken them - but it was great fun and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. There were tantrums from both when we had to leave which was not so great. The walk home seemed to take forever with a son that kept demanding to go back! We also had a dry afternoon on Friday so we headed straight for the park. It was great for all of us to get some fresh air, and I felt myself smiling as I walked home. I was really starting to get fed up of raining days stuck indoors. I've also been looking into organised activities for the kids, and I'm hoping to sign them up for a few things soon.

Things are on the up again, I hope?

{Toot toot!!}

So, I said I would attempt Kate on Thin Ice's Jubilee questionnaire, so here goes... *cue Royal trumpet!!*

"The Queen has power and privilege but actually she is just like thee and me.  Don’t believe me?  Try this questionnaire then and see if you and the Queen share experiences, both the joyful and the challenging." Kate

April 21, 1926: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary born in London.

When and where were you born?  What are your middle names?  Who were you named after?

I was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in January 1982, making me 30 years old (eek!). My middle name is Mary and I was named so after my aunt.

Dec. 11, 1936: Edward VIII abdicates, and his brother becomes King George VI, placing Elizabeth next in line for the throne.

Was there an event in your childhood that set your destiny on an unexpected course?  How did you deal with it?

Not sure about this... there have been a number of life-changing events that happened to me during my growing up: as a family we moved abroad when I was 9 years old, returning to Scotland a year and a half later; my mum died when I was 19 years old and aged 21 I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Not all childhood events really, but I think all these things have moulded my life journey so to speak. Does that make sense? 

October 1940: With Britain at war, Princess Elizabeth records her first public broadcast, a message for the children of Britain.

What is your experience of public-speaking, if any?  How do you feel about it?

I'm not confident at public speaking. I'm happy enough delivering a presentation that I have practiced (& think I come across as being confident but inwardly I'm screaming), but it's the questions at the end that always throw me and I get so nervous. I've given talks in front of large audiences and small, and sometimes it's the smaller audiences that are harder because you can see everyone's reaction to everything you say. 

April 21, 1943: Her first public engagement, a day with the Grenadier Guards tank battalion.

What was your first day at work like?

I'm not sure I remember my first day of work! It was probably rather dull reading Standard Operating Procedures!! My work experience at school was rather amusing though. I was at the Agricultural College weighing out silage samples for analysis!!

Nov. 20, 1947: Marries Philip Mountbatten, who becomes Duke of Edinburgh.

Who did you team up with or marry?  What was it that attracted you to them?

At the moment I'm going solo. My husband has been a silly man and for the moment I'm living life as a single mummy.

Nov. 14, 1948: Prince Charles is born.

How many children did you have and when and where were they born?

I have two children. My son will be 3 years old in August and my daughter has just turned one. They were both born in Glasgow.

Feb. 6, 1952: George VI dies, succeeded by Elizabeth II.

Have you lost a parent?  How was that for you?

As I mentioned above, I lost my mum when I was 19 years old to cancer. It was an extremely difficult time and I miss her every day.

June 2, 1953: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, the first televised coronation.

Have you ever had any claim to fame or celebrity status?  Have you ever appeared on the telly?

If I remember correctly I was in the audience for a children's quiz show when I was at school. Can't remember what the show was though...

1953: The Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, falls in love with a divorced man, prompting the Royal Family to veto marriage – the first of several episodes of marital troubles in the family. Margaret marries Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960; they divorce in 1978.

What scandal has rocked your family?

Have a peek at my Broken and Broken, Part II posts...

June 21, 1982: Charles and Diana’s son Prince William is born.

Are you a grandparent?  How do you feel about becoming one?

I'm a long way away from becoming a grandparent!

July 9, 1982: Intruder breaks into Queen’s bedroom; she talks with him until police arrive.

Have you ever being the victim of crime?  How did it affect you?

I was the victim in a car accident the other week. I've done something to my neck and had to see my chiropractor the other day who cracked it back into place *ouch*

Nov. 20, 1992: Fire destroys part of Windsor Castle.

Have you ever had a horrible year where everything seemed to go wrong?  When was it?  What happened?

This has been my year for everything to go wrong, or so it would seem at least.

1993: Queen begins paying taxes voluntarily to assuage public sentiment against the state subsidizing the throne; opens Buckingham Palace to tourists to help pay for Windsor Castle repairs.

What did you do that surprised people most?

I stood up for myself and my children.

March 6, 1997: Queen joins cyberspace, launching British Monarchy website,http://www.royal.gov.uk.

What does the internet mean to you?  How do you use it?

I love the internet, especially for shopping. 

June 2012 - Queen’s Jubilee celebrating 60 years  on the throne.

When was the moment in your life when you felt life was exactly as it should be?

I'm not there yet... watch this space as they say!!

Join in with the rest of the Grooving Mums here:

{My New Groove}

That's right, Im linking up again with Kate on Thin Ice for her #groovymums blog hop. Check us out here and find out what we're all about...

I had hoped to go for a run yesterday, but I ended up not having enough time (probably an excuse... I should have just made the time!) and I had thought I would go today, but I've been lazy. I am however going to my Pilates class tonight so at least I've done a little bit of exercise! 


Healthy eating-wise I've not been great. I've been eating too many processed foods and not enough fruit & veg. I'm working on that though and I'm sat here munching my way through a fruit salad (pre-packed, but it's a start!).


I'm 30 at the weekend so I have a big night out planned with my girlfriends... dinner, cocktails and dancing! Despite the rubbish time I've been having of late, I will go out and do the best I can to enjoy myself. I can't remember the last time I let my hair down and went dancing (possibly 2 years ago...yikes!!).


I've posted my 35 at 35 list... I'm now committed to achieving all 35 things and I've already started one of them which is redecorating my bedroom.


Thinking a bit more about Kate's challenges from last week, we spoke at my support group last night about negative thinking and how to make changes. I've got some 'homework' that I'm going to do tomorrow - it's a video that I'm going to watch on my phone whilst at the hairdresser tomorrow... It's called You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay and you can watch the documentary here - it might be of interest to some of the other #groovymums out there.


Here are Kate's prompts for this week...

1. Body – Lotions and Potions. What is in your bathroom of the creams and pampering products variety. Nothing. The same old thing or something new? Is it time for a lotions and potions revival?

2. Mind – What are the very best things about you? Try and write down 5 of them. Now stop putting yourself down and beating yourself up. What is brilliant about you? You are reading this for a start but there is so much more to you. Why not let the world see it a bit more? How could you achieve that?

3. It is World Religion Day this week. Has religion featured in your life and if so, how? Have you left it behind? Does it interest you? What can you tell us about your own religious beliefs? Does religion cause more harm than good? Let us know what you think.

4. Blogging – what good could you do with your blog? That’s a really open question so you have plenty of scope to answer it in a way that makes sense to you.

5. Big Question – who can you ask to help you? Who can you delegate some of your tasks to?

Catch up with me next week to see how I got on...

{New Year, New Me}

I'm finally linking up again with Kate on Thin Ice for her Grooving Mums blog hop. Please do join us... have a look at Kate's blog here where she's written a little bit about the 'rules' - don't worry, they aren't strict!!

As Christmases go, mine was pretty s**t. I started 2012 as a single parent.

Here are Kate's challenges for the week:

1. Did you over-indulge over the festive season? What can you do to prepare for the life-changing journey ahead in terms of improving your health?

2. What do you need to change your mind about? Have you written yourself off in some way? How can you shift negative thinking patterns?

3. This week, Christians celebrate the Epiphany. Here is one dictionary definition for the word epiphany “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.” What does this mean to you?

4. Are you aware of all the blogging networks you can get involved with? Is it worth you checking them out and promoting your efforts to sparkle to a wider audience?

Yes, I have overindulged this festive period! I've not been exercising, I've been eating far too many cakes and not enough fruit & vegetables, I've had the occasional glass of wine (I stopped drinking in June and hadn't touched a drop until December!) and with all the emotional stuff too I'm feeling bleugh!!! I plan to go for my first run of the year tomorrow... I'm doing the Edinburgh Half Marathon in May so I need to step up my training. I'm running for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of my mum who died of ovarian cancer 10 years ago. We've set up a Just Giving fundraising page if anyone would like to make a donation (no pressure, but thought I'd mention it just in case).

Despite all the negative things that have happened this past month, I am still making positive steps and looking at changing my mindset and way of thinking. I had started a support group with Kelly Menzies just before Christmas and I'm looking forward to the group starting up again this week. Kelly's enthusiasm is infectious and her aim is to help support mums through change.

I've decided it was time for a fresh start and I've bought new underwear, pyjamas, bed linen, duvet & pillows, a new bed (should arrive on Wednesday this week!) and I've also painted my bedroom with the help of my little sister, @the_grey_house. What colour did I paint it I hear you ask.... grey of course!!

I'm also in the process of compiling a 35 at 35 list (I'm 30 next week, so a 30 at 30 list was not going to work!!) and hopefully this is a list of goals that I can realistically achieve over the next 5 years. Some of them are simple, and I've already started one of them (redecorate my bedroom) and others are longer term (be genuinely happy; be comfortable & confident with my appearance...). I'll post the full list on my blog once I get it finished. I've just got 27 items just now so need to get my thinking cap on for the final 8!

I'm not clued up on all the blogging networks that are around... I'm sure I've signed up for a few but I'm going to try and make the effort to participate more.

That's all for now... time for me to get to bed! It's been a long and emotional week.

Night all.... keep on grooving!!

{Grooving Mums}

Here I am linking up again this week with Kate on Thin Ice for her grooving mums blog hop. I'm a bit slow at joining in this week - I'm normally very organised and get my post published on a Tuesday as soon as the link goes live. However, my me-time during the day is now limited as my toddler has decided that he no longer wants his afternoon snooze... he still needs it, and sometimes I'll get him to take it, but other times he's so adamant that he's not sleeping that I just have to go with it. I also feel bad as I've not been commenting on the other #groovingmums blogs, so I apologise and hopefully will catch up soon.

I've been a bit rubbish again this week with the challenges, but one thing I have done is contact my gastroenterologist about my Crohn's Disease and he's not concerned about my symptoms as my blood results and other tests came back ok. That's something I can at least put a tick against...

I did revisit one of the previous challenges 'winter warmth' and treated myself to some cosy ear muffs today from a local gift shop. I'll post a photo soon of them.

Here are the festive challenges set by Kate this week:

1. Get some catalogues and look online and in the shops to identify something for your body that you would like for Christmas. Then tell us all about it.
2. Can you do the same for your mind? Perhaps a book or film on a topic that you would like to explore further. Again, please share your ideas with us.
3. Light a candle. If you are up for meditation, try that. If not just enjoy the sight of it or buy one of those lovely scented ones to lift the spirits.
4. Make a change to your blog. Add an image or a badge (The Grooving Mums one is very lovely, hint). Add a disclosure policy if you are interested in reviewing product samples. Give some real thought to what you want your blog to do for you in the New Year.

Come back next week and hopefully I'll have achieved something off this list!

This past week I've been ill... I could hardly talk at the weekend due to sore throat and cold and so I had to skip running club and Pilates class which I was rather disappointed about. The weather has also been rubbish - wind, rain and even snow! So I've not been out as much and I think that's having an impact on my mood.

I did have a session with my personal trainer last night which I managed to go along to and - despite the mince pies and ice-cream that I indulged in over the weekend and the limited exercise - I've only put on 1lb and my body fat % has crept up just 0.8% - phew! I'll get back on track this week as I would hate for the weight to creep up each week and for me to end up where I started.

I've got our Christmas tree up and decorated the house, so I'm starting to feel very festive and my son is very excited about Santa and is thoroughly enjoying his advent calendar each day! My dad's wife made my son and daughter a calendar each and in the little pockets I put some chocolate santa's, coins etc.

I treated myself to a scented candle recently... it's very expensive for what it is and I wouldn't usually indulge this much money for a candle... but seeing as it's Christmas as we don't have a real tree or a log fire I thought I would get a candle that incorporated the essence of these things. It's called Library and is from True Grace and it is described as "a smoky blend of wood, amber and moss to recreate the sensation of walking into an old library". Funnily enough it reminds me a little of the strange scents from the Jorvik Viking Centre from when I was a small child - I've nice memories of our family trips there (I've just had a look at their website, and the tour takes you inside the home of an amber worker, so perhaps it's the amber!). Anyway, I digress... it's a lovely scent and I'm going to go and light it now and watch my twinkly fairy lights for a few minutes and relax (I finally got my son into his bed!!). That will at least tick off challenge #3 for this week :-)