Day Zero Project: Race for Life Part 1

    Well I am full of all kinds of emotions right now I really can't explain it. My wonderful Great Aunt passed away yesterday after battling pancreatic cancer. It's times like these I wish I didn't live so far away from my family as I currently feel like I'm not giving the right amount of support to anyone and I have no idea what I should be doing or saying - words in these circumstances have never been my strong point but I guess that's the same for most people.
    It has got me re evaluating things though. And got my mind refocused on my Day Zero Project. I am currently on a mission to lose the bulge and I had a fantastic first 5 weeks however the last 5 have not gone so smoothly with me turning back to the comfort food and losing my motivation for exercise. But I REALLY want to run walk the Race for Life next year. It is such a fantastic cause. I won't just be running in memory of my auntie but also for people for whom the battle continues such as David and the millions of other people who are affected by cancer everyday. Keep your eye out for my sponsorship form and help keep my weight loss going by giving your encouragement on here and on our Facebook Page. There are so many things you can do to support Cancer Research UK. Charity pots in supermarkets, support your local charity shop or why not Run the Race for life yourself?

Countdown to.......Wedding (But struggling!)

    
      I'm struggling, struggling, struggling. This junk food addiction of mine is starting to take over my life again I can tell you. I did so well losing a stone in my first 5 weeks but 4 weeks after this I have not done so well. My weight losses seem to have dwindled to just half to 1lb a week. So in 4 weeks I've lost 2 1/2 lbs and my 'Club 10' (2 stone 1lb) award has gone from being in time for my mums birthday to the 19th December!! A Whole month wasted because a) I am eating all the wrong things again several times a week and b) I have lost my Favourite Rosemary Conley DVD (Well technically Charlie lost it) and i just don't seem to enjoy anything quite as much!
     So I'm mildly stressed. My wedding dress (yup I have had it made rather early I know) will be ready in 2 weeks. I have purposely got it smaller to spur me on. It's a 16 where as I am a 22 at the moment but I'm regretting it because I don't think I'm going to get the weight off in time. I hope I do because it's not just the wedding It's being a mum that Charlie will be proud rather than ashamed to call me his mum in front of his friend (I hope it NEVER comes to that).
     So this week I need to plan ahead I think. Takeaway night is Tuesday night as the not so better half plays pool with his friend so tomorrow is sorted but I need to do some form of exercising to counteract the effects a bit.

The gorgeous Mummy from @LoveintheNest

     Any suggestions of Toddler friendly exercise and idea's to keep me away from the chocolate are very welcome!

Messy Play Day: The key to Toddler Happiness?

<center><a <span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">href</span>=" http://<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">littlecharlieandus</span>.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">blogspot</span>.com/"><<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">img</span> <span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">src</span>="http://s918.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">photobucket</span>.com/albums/ad27/<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">chasingsunshine</span>_photos/?action=view&%3Bcurrent=MessyPlayDayBlogBadge2.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">jpg</span>" target="_blank" /><<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">img</span> <span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">src</span>="http://i918.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">photobucket</span>.com/albums/ad27/<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">chasingsunshine</span>_photos/MessyPlayDayBlogBadge2.<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">jpg</span>" border="0" alt="<span style="background: yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">Photobucket</span>" /></a></center>   Charlie is now 22 months old. Someone came to my house today to pick something up and brought along their baby who could crawl but not walk. I grabbed him trying to prevent him trying to pull himself on my hot oven.
I lifted him away and automatically put him on his feet for some reason expecting him to walk off! Which of course he didn't he fell on his bum!
    I am so much into the toddler parenting roll now that I have forgotten what to do with a baby who cannot do things that I now take for granted with Charlie like him understanding to pass me something or take off his own trousers ready for his bath. But it has got me wondering some things. Like whether we do enough toddler activities. We joined a mummy and baby playgroup two weeks ago. They are free to play with water and sand and smash 'hills' made out of jelly with a plastic fork and no one gets into trouble for making a mess. Charlie loves it.
     Today Charlie is with his grandparents who have lots of homegrown apples to use up and are using them to make pie's and cakes. I have just received on my facebook page several pictures of my little boy covered head to toe in flour but the smile on his face says it all.
     Messy play is obviously Charlie's thing. And we simply do not do enough of it at home! I never involve him with cooking because I'm always paranoid he'll hurt himself- or me!
   So I am making a vow that from now on we will have a Messy Play Day a week. I will also make sure to involve him more in things like baking and cooking rather than leaving him in the living room playing by himself. It's time I let go a little bit me thinks.

Whether you have a Messy Play Day once a week or Once a Month please feel free to join in our messy play day fun and pop the badge above in your blog post. I can't wait to see what everyone's ideas are for Messy Play!

Making Apple Pie with Nanna

Well. I can't say I have actually had that much time for me this week. Since Charlie and I started going to a mummy and toddler playgroup ready for starting proper playgroup next year we actually seem to be doing a bit more. however I did have the pleasure of ordering my wedding dress the other Day!
I am so excited but also nervous. i have ordered it in quite a few sizes smaller and have to lose a minimum of 10 inches of my stomach before next July which is a daunting task.
I think my Time for Mummy this week will be me doing my fitness DVD tonight and tomorrow night when Charlie is in bed! Im am now into my 3rd 'Bad Week' after losing 1 stone in 5 weeks i am really struggling to keep motivated and think of Ideas for food and keeping it all fun. Feel free to pass on your tips if you have any.

Winners of 'Wedding on a Budget' Comp....(and apology)

Finally the announcement of the winners eh?

Firstly I must apologise I have had alot going on in my life recently and have been rather neglectful of the blog! Including forgetting about this competition! I am so so sorry to you all and hoping things will calm down soon and we'll all be able to get into the swing of things again!

Well thank you to those of you who gave your hints and tips they were all fab! Our wedding is now booked and we're slowly getting everything sorted but treading carefully so's not to go over our budget (which isn't quite as modest as £500 but that's another story for another time.)

So the winners my partner and I have chosen are:  Jenna Keller, EmmysMummy, Tyler and NikkiMoore84.

Please can you contact me using the contact us tab above. Your prizes will be dispatched on Monday!

I apoligies again for the delay and hope that you all continue reading and joining in with competitions. xx

            

Time for Mummy

    Well you all know by now about my current battle to lose the bulge in time for my big day, even if I just get back to the weight / size I was when I met OH I will be a happy lady!
   All my Time For Mummy has gone from sitting with Chocolate on the sofa in front of the telly to EXERCISING. In HUGE amounts.
    I have been doing a mix of walking using Rosemary Conley's Real Results workout and I am now the proud owner of a mini cycle as well! A combination of this and Slimming World's fab new 'Extra Easy' plan I have managed to lose 1 Stone in weight , 1 inch from around my belly and 2 inches from my hips in just 5 weeks. This may not seem like the usual 'Time for Mummy' post but if I'm honest just getting the hour or 2 a week without little Charlie under my feet so I can do my workouts properly is a god send. In the end he will benefit too because once the weight is off we will be able to go out more often and go further for longer!

So my 'Time for mummy' this week has been all about EXERCISE!! :) x

Christmas is looming! What to buy the boy?

     Only 92 days till Christmas? Are you kidding me? OK so I have barely started Christmas shopping. We have a couple of bits for Charlie but so far that's it! I think I know what I want to get him but it's the same old 'Oh we'll start next payday' speech i get from OH every single year!
     Well I've decided next payday I am actually going to go ahead and start because before we know it Christmas will be here and No one will have anything! 
    This year I think for Charlie we'll just go for a couple of really good 'Role Play' type toys! I'd love to get him a kitchen and I know my nan is getting him a hoover - he's obssessed with our hoover. Also a laptop. A friend reccomended a really good one for just £20 the other day. So I shall be getting him one of those aswell. He'll of course get other bits from Granparents etc so I'm wondering do I just leave it as that? What do you buy an extremely active will be 2 year old for Christmas?? Jigsaws and the like will be a waste of time, the kid doesn't sit down. Plus I'm thinking next summer he's deffinately going to need/want some proper toys for the garden!
     So the hunt begins. Share with us what your getting your LO's for xmas this year....and how much is too much 'stuff'? Can they really ever have enough at this age! My answer is yes ;) x

Countdown to........................Wedding

Every bride wants to look thier best on thier wedding day. I am no exception. I'm currently working hard to get into the dress of my dreams. I could never get away with wearing a dress like that now! 19st and a size 22/24 it just isn't me. I want to be the weight and size I was when I met my OH if not smaller.

This means me losing a whopping 5 stone by my wedding. Well my aim is actually to lose 7 because, I would like to be smaller than I was if I can!

I'm pleased to tell you Im well on my way. After just 5 weeks of attending slimming world classes today I recieved my 1 stone award!

So now to lose 6 stones by July! So If we approximate that my last dress fitting would be about 4 weeks before I will need to lose 2.3 lbs a week. Which for somone my size shouldn't be too difficult! For now anyways.

I have tried many times over the years to lose weight. I cannot tell you how much going to an actual class with a friend actually helps. I've always tried before to do it on my own at home but there's noone to push you or stop you thinking 'there's always next week'......next week never comes. I know that all to well!

Keep your eye out for more updates in the countdown to collection! just click on the link at the top of the page :D xx

Day Zero Project ~ Task #25 ~ Spend A Whole Weekend with my Grandparents

My Grandparents with Daisy and Charlie 3 weeks old.

   Only I could for get to take a camera AND my phone away with me! Well technically the latter was 'lost' but my FIL found it in the most obvious place in the world so I did spend a lot of the weekend kicking myself.
   I LOVE my grandparents. They are my most favourite people in the world (apart from Charlie of course!!) Even at the grand old age of 22 I still cry when I have to go home. Laugh if you want. I don't mind :p. I was brought up in Coventry so I wil always have a soft spot for the City too.......
    So anyway. We arrived at my grandparents on Friday and headed straight into the city centre. It was Charlie's first ever bus journey and the whole event was fascinating for him. (oh how I regret forgetting my camera!) The bonus on this journey though was I didn't have to pay. The ticket machine was broken so the bus driver just waved us on. Saved a couple of quid before we'd even hit Town!
    We had lunch in West Orchards shopping centre - which I believe opened the day I was born (i will have to check that out!). It has changed sooooo much. Infact most of the city has! Most of the shops have moved or gone completely. There was me thinking everything would just click into place and i'd remember my way around. hmmm well that didnt happen!!
     My nan took me to Evans' eventually to buy me a top. I HATE  clothes shopping with a vengance especially with my size 22 frame and leftover preggo belly. Underneath this fat suit is an hour glass figure im sure of it but it's been over taken by belly and bum and breastfeeding has ruined my breasts well and truely (not that, that will stop me from doing it again. I am on a mission to re find my hourglass figure.
     Bless my nan though she was trying so hard and being so nice and me being the stroppy woman that I am found fault in everything. I did eventually end up with 2 tops. But I have no desire to go clothes shopping again until I hit a size 20 or less.
    Charlie loved being spoilt by my nan. He got a Macca Pacca and Iggle piggle toy and across the weekend got spoilt with ice cream and new jumpers and various other Items. It was alot for him to take in but he enjoyed every second, as did I!
   He got to see the Godiva clock chime with Lady Godiva going round and peeping Tom peeking out - his face was a picture.
    We ate ALOT at the weekend. So much so I am dreading weigh in on Monday!! I am back on track now but we will have to wait and see what damage has been done ;).
    My nan also helped me complete another one of my taks - learn how to knit. I will admit I most probably wouldn't be able to cast on again if someone asked me to. BUT I CAN knit. sort of. Keep an eye out on for my next Day Zero Project post where i'll tell you some more about my knitting :D.
    All in all I had a lovely weekend. Although the other half decorated whilst I was away, and a grand job he did too, life got back to normal very quick. I am only to sad I couldn't have stayed in Coventry a bit longer. xx

'Claire's Wish' Back to 20 - Please Read!!

Doing my usual nosey rounds and reading up on the Internet, as I do, I came across one of the most heart wrenching stories I think I have come across this year! So heart wrenching in fact I really don't know how to put my thoughts into words and those words into a blog post. It just seems impossible so I though I would let Claire's Wish Blog do the talking for me.

This young women lost her life to Cervical cancer aged just 23 leaving behind two very young Children. Here in the UK the age they begin to do routine smears is currently 25 however more and more young women under this minimum age threshold are suffering illness and or losing their lives to Cervical Cancer!

I am simply going to ask you to sign Claire's Wish petition to have the age for cervical smear tests put back down to 20. All you have to do is fill in your name and email and that's it. There is an option to leave a comment if you wish! Sorry this is short and sweet but I think Claire's Blog does all the talking it needs. Please read it and sign the petition. Its such a small amount of your time and you could save someones life. I'm 23 next year. And I will be doing everything I can to get as many people to sign this petition as possible. Please share the link to the petition on your facebook pages. Tweet and Google+1 this post and the petition wherever possible!

Although I have personal family reasons for wanting to run in the Race for Life next year, this story has made me ever more determined!!

I am away this weekend but am looking forward to joing in Love in the Nests new 'Time for Mummy' Blog. Click on the picture to find out more! xx

Day Zero Project: 101 things in 1001 days!

If you read my recent post Countdown to...Holiday...Wedding...Baby No2! you will already know my life has taken a very positive U-turn recently. No it's not a bed of roses but I can definitely see a more positive light at the end of the tunnel these days! That's why when I read about the Day Zero Project on another mummy blog by Love In The Nest I was inspired to do things that a month ago I would never have dreamed of doing. So I decided to make my own Day Zero Project List.

        The aim of the Day Zero Project is to basically give you things to aim for. Achievable things like going on a roller coaster, which is actually on my list! Something that I would ordinarily avoid at all cost.

     How it works is you visit the Day Zero Project site and create a list of 101 things you are going to go in the next 1001 days. It can be anything from dyeing your hair green to getting married or having a baby. Losing weight or doing something like Race for Life.

You can see what I have put on my list here. Each Time I complete something I will blog about it. Fingers crossed I can complete all 101 things in 1001 days. I will achieve quite allot if I do! Things I never thought I'd do and all thanks to a new found confidence and a little inspiration x

Countdown to... Holiday...Wedding...Baby 2!

  It's amazing isn't when something in life just hits you like a ton of bricks. Like waking up from a 5 year coma and your entire life has changed, and some parts crashed around you without you even noticing.
  This is what happened to me about 2 and a half weeks ago. I have suffered depression for years and been of and on anti depressants since the tender age of 16 but something 2 and a half weeks ago made me snap. I suddenly realised that NOTHING in my life was panning out how I had planned. I wasn't being the best mother I could be nor the best partner to my husband to be. It felt like I had spent the last 5/6 years numb and the ice finally thawed and I realised that whilst I had been in my little coma everyone around me had just been plodding on. Well when I say everyone I mean the other half and Charlie. I realised our lives were boring and unfulfilled. And alot of it was my fault.
   So I suddenly snapped out of it. I NEEDED to perk up and find a way of being happy. I needed to fix some of the things that were  wrong. Of course there are some things out of my control. But there is one BIG piece of Negative baggage that IS in my control and that is my weight!
  I have been podgy for many years. Mainly from my later teens onwards but nothing compared to when I met my partner. I moved in with him and that was it. I entered the world of  having no parents around to tell me know. We both worked full time and so surplus cash was, not in abundance by any means, but it was there! Calling up and having a takeaway delivered to OUR house felt so grown up (stop laughing I was only 17!!). One take away a week turned into 2 and then to 3 until we were both working 4 /5 late shifts a week and although we would have dinner at work we would stop for something on the way home, stay up until 1am watching TV and then sleep in until 10am. The weigh piled on and falling pregnant in 2009 I put on another 2 stone in the 9 months I was pregnant with Charlie! By the end of my pregnancy I weighed a whopping 20st 3lbs.
   There are of course other things that have contributed to my weight gains however they are rather to personal to write on here.
   So 2 and a half weeks ago something in me snapped. I decided rather than continuing to continue our battle to add to our family which has been going on years I decided to go back on the pill to help regulate my cycles whilst I fought the mission to lose 9 stone. yes you read that correctly I am a whopping great 9 stone over weight! Even losing 9 stone would only just take me into the healthy BMI range! So in my bid to lose weight I needed some support. This came in the form of many friends who I have online who all have children the same age as Charlie but the most supportive of all has to be Mrs B who you can pop and say hi to over at Show and Tell as she, the last 2 Monday mornings has come and picked me up to take me to her Slimming World group. This couldn't have been better for me. I cannot put into words how much better it is to go to a group to lose weight. There is nothing like going with a friend for a bit of healthy competition and having everyone else's losses to celebrate and the sheer fear of having a gain read out ;D to spur you on!
               So in the last to weeks I have Lost
                            Start Weight: 20st 6lbs      Date: 15/8/11
                            Weight Now: 19st 11.5
                 Weight loss to Date: 8 1/2lbs in 2 weeks :D
I couldn't be happier but I really couldn't have done it without going to a group and having the right support network. I have also taken up exercise. Doing a fitness DVD twice a week and just having fun without anyone there to laugh at me is great.
Anyways i shall be sharing my weight loss journey with you all. My first aim is to lose 5 Stone before Our family holiday in April and 7 Stone before our wedding in August and 9 stone before the journey for baby number 2 begins all over again!
I'm excited about this journey. i hope all my lovely readers will help to keep me on my toes. I will Post again when I get my stone award which I hope to get in the next 2/3 weeks. So keep your eyes peeled. When I get my club 10 I will share some photo's with you........maybe :)



Wedding Tips - Don't forget about our Competition post. Just click on the link <<< and give us your best Wedding on a budget tips to be in with a chance of winning! x

Wedding Under £500? Give Us Your Tips and WIN!!!

Courtesy of
@LoveInTheNest

Little Charlie's Daddy and I have been together now since June 2006. We have our little boy and our own place so the next step really seems to be marriage, right? Well if you asked my Mother In Law she'd probably say 'no get popping out some more grandchildren!' ha ha. She loves babies. But I also know That she'd LOVE to see her only Son, her only child in fact, get married and be 'properly' settled down. I would also love to be married before we have anymore Children.

So how does a young family, on a modest budget, with only one wage coming in go about getting hitched! And is it possible to have a wedding with only a £500 budget?

Up for grabs are 4 beautiful Earth pure Facial Toning Spritzers worth £5.90 Each in Orange Blossom Fragrance.

To be in with a chance of winning 1 of 4 Facial Toning Spritzers all you have to do is 'Follow' our Blog and comment below with your best Wedding on A Budget Tip, Advice, Story or personal Experience. The Best will be published in a new 'Top Tips' Blog Post where we will then choose the best 4 pieces of advice etc given.

This Competition will run till the 30th of September.

You can Enter as many times as you like as long as each comment is relevant to the Comp. Anything deemed inappropriate will be deleted. This is Open to UK residents Only!

Good Luck :)

A big thankyou to loveinthenest.blogspot.com for allowing us the use of the gorgeous pic at the start of this post :D x

And The Winner is..........

Oh to be without the internet!! This past fortnight our internet has done nothing but drop in and out of signal CONTANTLY. So much so this Giveaway has taken a lot longer than normal to do.

So this morning when my little broadband b was blue I said '' Today is the day I am FINALLY going to get to announce the wonner of the giveaway!! And i will, so long as the internet doesnt vanish again in the next 10 minutes.......

So Ive popped all 4 contestants names into Random.org a fantastic little website that chooses a winner for you and he chose............

                                                       Jenna Keller

Congratulations Jenna. I hope you enjoy a lovely month of clean faces and hands :p! Please contact us using the PR contact form giving us your address. I will email you tonight if I havn't heard from you and you have 48 hours to claim your prize before we re draw. I look forward to hearing you.

Keep your eye out for our next competition from The Visionary Soap Company!! x

Review & Giveaway: Beaming Baby Facial Wipes!

It's giveaway time and my very first giveaway for this blog!

I LOVE Beaming Baby products. Organic and natural and perfect for my babies sensitive skin. We have been using a whole array of Beaming baby  products for a couple of months now and we love so much about them. We love the fact the are so green. The products on the inside are made with the best in quality organic products but their packaging is made from recycled packaging and they encourage you to recycle again. They do everything they can to reduce their carbon foot print where possible including printing their brochures on to Elephant poo paper - now that is dedication!
All products are suitable for Vegetarians/ Vegans as they do not use any animal by-products nor are any of their products tested on animals.

Another Fabulous thing is the fact that they give a whole 10% of their profits to Charity. Currently they are supporting SANCCOB and Baby Lifeline. Another fabulous reason I love my Beaming Baby products. Not only am I reducing my own carbon footprint but I'm also helping to support 2 fantastic Charities every time Charlie has a Bubble Bath :).

We have been recently road testing Beaming Baby Facial wipes on myself and Charlie (I apologise for lack of photo's I'm having some technical issues). I have been using them of an evening when I have been to exhausted to do my usual routine and have kept a packet for hands and face when out and about. Really handy for Cloth nappy users when out and about. These have now become a staple in my 'I need this child's face cleaned and I need it done now' kit.  Even the other half can use them to wipe his brow when digging in the garden (we have tried that to :D). They are literally suitable for anybody and extremely versatile - especially for that teenager that point blank refuses to wash that make- up off!!

Now onto the giveaway. I have here 3 packets of Beaming Baby Facial Wipes for ONE lucky winner! This is up to a months supply. There are 25 cleansing wipes per pack and entering this Giveaway couldn't be simpler. But please Read the T&C's at the end!

                                'Follow' this blog and comment below to let me know your in it to win it!

How easy is that?

Now for a few Terms and Conditions (Sorry)

This giveaway will open immediately and Close at 8pm on Monday the 22nd of August. All entries will be put into Random.org to decide a winner and keep things fair for everyone. This giveaway is open to UK Residents only. PLEASE keep and eye on our Facebook page as this is where we will keep you updated with the progress. Please leave someway of contacting you. A blog address or Twitter name will be fine.

Good luck everybody :) x

Who says CBeebies is bad for them??

He TALKS. I am finding myself having more and more conversations with my 20 month old munchkin. 

I will admit, until recently I was one of those mothers who said. TV is bad for them, get them outside, Sit and read or play blocks and use the TV for a bit of music in the background. That has all changed now though!

When Charlie reached the 18month mark my already lack of housework management took an all time plunge as Charlie decided to NEED my attention more and more. He needed his mind stimulating like never before and I began to find it impossible to keep him constantly entertained with toys that now seem to young for him, crayons and books!

I THEN decided I HAD to go against what everyone advised and get him into something he could do himself or something that could just distract him for a small amount of time whilst I ran the hoover round! CBEEBIES became my saving Grace!
At first Charlie didn't pay much attention to the TV when I first put CBeebies on for him!

He did stop to dance to the music and would occasionally pause to look at the bright colours. I was determined that one way or another I was going to find the time to Bake and prepare proper meals again and to do that he HAD to like something, anything, just ONE programme. Finally One day it just clicked, he fell in love with Mr Tumble (Something special)  and just sat cross legged with blocks in his hands. I took the opportunity to sneak out of the room and get stuff done. I did and was able to get back before he even noticed I was gone.

8 Weeks later he has developed so much. His speech is coming on at an incredible rate and he has recently started to recognise objects such as Duck, Clock and Car. Now I know he still has a bit of catching up to do, when I compare him to my friends daughter I'm like OMG he's so far behind. But he is now learning so many new things everyday it's just amazing! I know all the attention and effort I put in at the start had a positive impact on his development  but I honestly think that a small amount of CBeebies each day has helped him grow in confidence and help him learn new words and numbers and how to recognise objects. He now Loves to watch Show me Show me, Something Special and the Teletubbies (downside to that is when I read him his bedtime story at night I'm greeted with again again!)

Allowing your child a small amount of TV a day doesn't have to be followed with a lifetime of guilt. Watch it with them so you can carry on the 'learning' they have done during the programme or use it to have 15mins catch up on Housework or sit with a cuppa. It isn't the crime of the century that everyone makes it out to be. I only wish I had found CBeebies sooner.

Charlie 20 Months

My Baby Loves....

Weaning!

My Baby isn't actually such a baby anymore! He'll be 20 months old tomorrow ~ but he'll always be my baby of course!!
This blog post has been inspred by Love in the Nest who tagged me in thier version  talking all about what thier little girl, Evie, loves!

My little boy loves lots of things. Eating is one of them. Weaning was a breeze. Our doctor reccomended we started weaning at a very tiny 17 weeks. Our littleman was super hungry but he suffered with Reflux causing him to bring up most of his feeds and leave him crying for hours on end!
He took to solids like a duck to water. The pic to the left and up a bit is a pic of his very first taste of baby rice. He is an amazing eater now. He will eat anything and everything ~ even things with a bit of spice!

Co sleeping with mummy is most deffinately something he loves. We only recently got him into his own bed! Even now though he ends up in bed with me at some point!

He has co slept one way or another since he was about 6 months old- maybe before. When he's not sharing with us I fret all night and hardly sleep because im constantly worrying about him. There's alot to be said about co sleeping. It is safe as long as you follow the gudlines. No smoking, No alcohol, No deep sleepers. Im not a deep sleeper. Nor do I or have i ever smoked or Drink! Ever since I was a child I have easily been awoken by the smallest of sounds! Personally I love co sleeping too and i miss him now he's in his big boy bed!

Walking. Charlie NEVER stops moving. I mean never! Even Watching TV, on the rare occasion he notices it, he still jigs about or wanders in circles. We go for at least a 1.2 mile walk everyday and he just loves it. he hates it when we get home even if we stop at the park for half an hour in the middle of it all. You would think he would sleep like a log. But No. He still wakes 5 times a night. i think he's just gunna grow up an energetic Boy. Which is good because daddy wants him to be a Rugby star!

Eater 2011

CHOCOLATE! Well we did almost make it to his first birthday without him touching the stuff but not quite. Im so glad that he can't ask for it though. He doesn't seem bothered by it unless someone actually gives him some or is eating it infront of him. So we do mostly get away with it but he is older now, so we allow him the occasional pleasure. He does love it though. His little face lights up but he does share. Which is a good thing.

DADDY! Daddy id Little Charlie's everything. When he's here he wants to do nothing but play with him and when he's not - well all hell breaks loose to be honest. When Daddy is on a 6.30am start he leave's at 6am. So we miss him by an hour. On these days Charlie has what I call tantrums at Dawn! Seriously the kid goes wild. Crying and screaming for his daddy. I usually have to bribe him to calm down with a piece of toast to throw around. He does calm down of course but it does upset me that it upsets him this much just because daddy isn't here first thing in the morning. The day then proceeds with lots of Where's daddy? Daddy in the car? Daddy work?.

Charlie is very much a daddy's boy. I can't wait till I pack them off to the rugby together! :D

If your a blogger, continue this post on your own blog and tell us what your baby loves :) x

Getting to Know You!!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6.15

2. How do you like your steak? Well done. With Onion rings and Ketchup!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Hangover part 2.

4. What is your favorite TV show? Gilmore Girls and The Soaps.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? by the Coast.

6. What did you have for breakfast? 2 Bourbon biscuits and a sip of Apple juice. (they joy of having a hyper toddler!!)

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Chinese.

8. What foods do you dislike? Cheese

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Angel Chef, Gloucester

10. Favorite dressing? a light squidge of lemon!

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? None at the moment!!

12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans t-shirts

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? America

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? 1/2 full

15. Where would you want to retire? Not in the Forest of Dean!

16. Favorite time of day? bedtime!

17. Where were you born? Coventry.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? None

19. Who do you think will not tag you back? Everyone!

20. Person you expect to tag you back first? No idea

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? Love in The Nest.

22. Bird watcher? No

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night

24. Pets? None at mine

25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share? We are trying to concieve baby no2.....but then again we've been doing that over a year so not really new news!

26. What did you want to be when you were little? A midwife!

27. What is your best childhood memory? Going to the Social Club with my Nan and Grandad.

28. Are you a cat or dog person? Neither if i can help it. More Dog then Cat though!!

29. Are you married? No

30. Always wear your seat belt? Always, absolutely

31. Been in a car accident? No

32. Any pet peeves? Men

33. Favorite pizza topping? None really. I rarely eat it as not the biggest fan of cheese!!

34. Favorite Flower? Gerbera!

35. Favorite ice cream? Coconutterly Fair Ben and Jerry's

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Burger King

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?  Once

38. From whom did you get your last email? A customer

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Mines maxed out!

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Bought a new pushchair without OH's permission. (I paid for it.... believe me!!!)

41. Like your job? Being a mummy?? Of course!

42. Broccoli? yes!

43. What was your favorite vacation? Butlins. We dont get to go far tbh!

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?  partner

45. What are you listening to right now?  Gordon Ramsey on Hell's Kitchen!

46. What is your favorite colour? Pink- I long for a baby girl to dress up in all pink things. Poor little mite :p

47. How many tattoos do you have? None

48. Coffee drinker? No, tis the devils necter

49. How many children do you have? One son - Little Charlie!!

50. Are you in love? Occasionally! :p xx

Find a penny pick it up....

Everyone seems to be tightening thier belts lately! Us included! My attentions are turning to christmas. Especially with my toddlers second birthday just 3 weeks before i've already started the how many presents to buy him? Which ones are birthday and which are xmas? debate.

There are lot's of simple ways of saving money.

1. We have a finished Baby Formula tub in the cupboard which I washed out and now we pop all our small change in there. Closer to xmas we'll empty it into a coinstar!
2. Keep the lights off. If your just sitting watching the TV in the evening then turn the rest of the lights off unless you need to get up for something. The amount of people I know that have every light in the house on all evening.....- turn them off and save ££££'s.
3. Switch to cloth nappies and wipes. Tiny Nippers is one of my favourite cloth nappy shops. They also do wipes, Rock - A - Thigh baby socks and bandana bibs with some fabulous exclusive deigns and in the long run this can save you ££££'s. Read thier page Why Cloth Nappies? page to see the savings you could make aswell. Save even more by joining thier Facebook page and keeping your eye out for some fantastic offers.
4. Ebay Ebay Ebay! If you no longer need it- but someone can make some use of it sell it on. Dn't just chuck it out. Dig out those jeans and boots you bought for a splurge and make a few £££'s from them rather then them sitting in the back of the wardrobe doing nothing. Get's you a few pounds and someone else gets a bargain!
5. Don't Hide it. Swap it! There are lots and lots of Swap Shops on facebook these days. If you no longer have a use for something thier may be someone who could, for e.g., swap you some toddler clothes in exchange for some of your baby clothes etc. need to Swap your Single for a Tandem? Well chances are you'll be able to come to a deal there too!!
6. Water. I don't know about you but we're on a water metre here! Key's to saving money here are. Turn off taps when brushing teeth. Have a shower instead of bath for a few days a week. Don't leave the cold tap running to get 'colder water' for your drink! Fill a bottle and keep in your fridge.
7. Gas. Well it's coming up to winter sooo. My advice is set a timer for the morning before the earliest riser usually gets up. If you wake up feeling freezing cold you are more likely to keep that heat blasting all day! Getting out in the chilly air for a walk is great for the whole family and also will make your house seem a lot warmer when you get back. it's always worth setting an evening timer too. Especially if your going out. You want to come home to a cosy house. But Don't set the thermestat so that it ends up clicking on every two mins. I suggest starting at 24 and work your way down. if there is a baby in the house start at 21 and work you way down until it's a comfortable temp. Try not to flick it on more than 3 times a day. So Morning Timer- Luch time re heat and Evening timer. No later than 7. You can always take a hot water bottle to bed- having a cover on it will keep it warmer for longer!! Those jumpers nanny knitted for xmas last year might just come in handy!!!
8. Bulk it out. I don't know any meal, even burger and chips, that cannot be 'bulked out' with veggies. Encourage kids to eat them first so that the 'more appealing' parts of the dinner are more satisfying and veg isnt the last thing they remember. This worked for me as a child. And still does to this day!! This should keep everyone full and hopefully cut out snacking and evetually save you money. Also try cheaper brands. You may find you like them just the same and make sure to keep reciepts if your supermarket has a comparison offer. A penny's a penny at the end of the day!!
9. JOIN BABY CLUBS. if you have a baby or are pregnant join EVERY baby club you can possible find. Evey voucher, free jar of food or free spoon will go a long way to helping you save those pennies. Especially Join nappy clubs if you decide not to choose Cloth. Nappies and milk are about to become one of your biggest outgoings....don't say I didn't warn you!!

There are many many ways of Saving money. As my blog prgresses I will do more and more posts like this. Now go turn the lights and heating off and slip a jumper on!! x

18 months of lovliness x

There really is nothing in life like holding your newborn baby for the very first time. After months of tiredness and sickness and Sciatica and 35 hours of labour suddenly my whole life pieced together in an instant!
      So warm, but slippery and covered in some weird goo i will never forget the smell of him or how warm he was on my chest. I was the first person to hold him after he was born and I felt so privileged. In the space of a few minutes I had gone from pregnant to mummy. Mummy to this fragile little bundle who I was even too scared to get dressed in case I should pull his head off. I had never felt such love for anyone as I did for my little baby, Charlie, and suddenly the overwhelming love I also felt for his dad!
   It is amazing how much a little 7lb baby can change your life. How much a small baby can bring you and your partner closer together.

            He is now 18 months old and can say lots of words and even a few sentences. We can now sit and chat and play all day. He walks miles and miles and just never gets tired. But I wouldn't change him for anything!
   It is incredible how fast babies grow. I cannot wait for charlie to have a little brother or sister to play with. He is such an affectionate little boy and I know he will make a great big brother.

          So there's my first post! well for  this blog anyways :D. Can't wait to write another. If I ever find time.

If you remember nothing remember this- babies grow incredibly quickly, so enjoy every second. We seem to miss the first few months in a blur of night time feeding and sleep deprivation. Next time around I certainly won't be complaining about 3am feeds-  cause I know they don't last forever.

 xx xxx