Blog Every Day in August: Blog Goals for Next Month

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 31 is: Blog goals for next month.

Hmm, I suppose I really should set myself some goals, shouldn't I.

I keep track of my stats, as I've mentioned before. But I've not figured out yet how to keep that little line going consistently upwards. I think to be honest the most important thing when it comes to increasing hits or readership is good quality writing, about a subject people find interesting.

So I suppose my goal for the blog for September is to spend time researching and writing decent posts about interesting subjects... yikes, that sounds a bit too much like hard work!

Saturday is Caption Day...

Blog Every Day in August: Today I Ate

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy In Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 30 is: Today I Ate.

Since it's fairly early in the day, I'll tell you what I ate yesterday.

I'm having a bit of a crisis at the moment; after two weeks off work, I've put on enough weight to make my work clothes rather snug, so am trying to eat a little more healthily...

Raspberries & yogurt for breakfast with half a coffee
A large skinny caramel latte from Costa around 10:30
Lunch: M&S "Asian style king prawn & rice salad" around 1pm
bag of Salt & shake crisps; rice crackers with chutney dip around 2pm
can of Coke
Salt & sweet pop corn around 2:30
A depressing "mariners pie" ping meal for tea that tasted about as cardboard as the packet it came in - around 7:30
Some ice cream and some more Coke. around 8:30
A spoonful of coconut oil with my supplements

Yep. Think it's safe to say I need to work on my diet.

Follow-up Review: The Braun Silk-epil Epilator

You may remember a while back, I reviewed the Braun Silk-epil Epilator that the people at Chemist Direct kindly sent me.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will remember my complaining about the whole arm-pit epilatating situation.

Well, now it's a month on and I thought it might be good to do a follow-up post.

This is where the epilator lives now, on the window ledge in my bathroom.  

The first time I epilated my arm pits, I thought I was going to cry. It hurt, and I spent the day at work feeling like I must have visible bruises under my arms. But a friend told me that it gets easier, so I stuck at it. It did still hurt, but after a little while I suppose my skin got used to it or something.

I am now a convert to epilating, big time. You know how, if you don't shave your arm pits for a few days you get horrible, obvious stubble and have to put that vest top back in the cupboard for another day? Well, when you epilate, you can leave it a few days because all the hair doesn't grow back at once. So you don't get stubble, you just get a few odd hairs here and there that realistically, nobody is going to notice unless they pay far too much attention to your arm pits.

But you do need to remember to exfoliate regularly, or it can get really quite irritating.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Braun Silk-epil epilator free of charge in exchange for this review, but that was not dependent on my writing a favourable review. All words and opinions are my own.

Review: Blanket from Ninny Baby

A little while back, a lady on Twitter asked me if I'd like one of her blankets to review, and included a link to her Etsy shop, Ninny Baby.

I clicked the link, thinking, "uh... home made blanket... Hmmm..." And then I saw the photos of the blankets, and I nearly bit her arm off.

I chose a colour, and it arrived by courier a few days later, beautifully packaged up.

Call me stupid, but it really makes a big difference to me that it was sent packaged in tissue paper, in a box and not just shoved in a plastic postage bag.

This blanket is gorgeous.

It's hand-crocheted on one side, with ribbon bows and a tiny rosebud which are a lovely touch. On the other side is beautiful, cosy brushed cotton with an amazing pattern on it. 

Here's a close-up of the pattern and the rosebuds.

And here's a close-up of the stitching:

I've been given crocheted blankets before, and they were very stiff and hard, and took several washes to soften them up before they felt like actual blankets. This one is not like that. It was soft and cuddly from the moment I took it out of the packaging.

The lovely part of this blanket is that it's 30 by 30 inches, meaning it's larger than a lot of baby blankets you get - so you can get a lot of use out of it before your darling bundle grows out of it.

These blankets come in several different colours. When I was looking through the shop to write this review, I found myself clicking on most of them going "d'oh, I should have ordered that one/that one/that one!" They're all so beautiful and would make a lovely present for a new baby or even a bigger baby now that the weather is heading towards Autumn. 

They cost £30, which is a little steep for a blanket, but this is not just some piece of fleece with a cartoon character printed on it. What you're paying for is the hard work and personal attention that has gone into the blanket. I think something like this is a lovely gift to give to a new baby because it will last until that baby is a toddler and wants to cuddle up on the sofa on a cold Sunday afternoon. It's the sort of thing your eighteen-year-old going off to university sneaks into a bag when your back is turned.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a blanket free of charge in exchange for writing this review, but that was not dependent on my writing a favourable review. All words and opinions are my own. 

Blog Every Day in August: What's on Your Mind

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 29 is: What's on your mind.

What's mostly on my mind at the moment is that I have the day off, and a million things to do. All the things I've been putting off while S and I were on holidays are starting to pile up, and I need to sort them.

Here is a taster of my to-do list for the day:

• Write outstanding review posts
• Look into the pros and cons of being self-employed
• Speak to the health visitor because I was too disorganised to get S to clinic to see her while we were off
• Write articles for two websites before they are late
• Research local goings on for my blog on the local paper website
• Do a ton of online work for a client
• Research and write a report about how children believe things float for my final assessment in the Child Development module I've been studying.

As well as doing the laundry, cleaning etc. And to be honest, I'm so knackered lately all I want is a nap.

Blog Every Day in August: When I Grow Up

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 28 is: When I grow up.

I still have this thought all the time:

Hmm, maybe I'll do that when I grow up...

... And then I realise, oh wait... I am grown up.

Despite being a single mother, managing to maintain two blogs and write articles for several different sites, working part time for a local company and just about keep my house clean enough to keep the rats at bay... I don't feel like a grown up!


When I grow up...

• I'll be organised
• I won't feel like I'm playing house when I sort the washing
• I'll be able to manage my finances without running out of money in the last week of every single month.
• I'll have a career, not just a job
• I'll be sensible enough to spend my evenings studying for my degree instead of making stupid lists like this which only serve to prove just how not grown up I am! 

Wordless Wednesday: Our Week in Instagram

Blog Every Day in August: Wish List

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 27 is: Wish list

Oh my, where to begin...

I think being a parent means my answer to this question could go either way. On the one hand, there are a million things I'd like to have. I'd like to be earning enough money so as to not rely on tax credits and housing benefit to survive. I'd like to live somewhere I can leave the windows open at night without being woken at 2am, or where the steps to the door don't constantly smell of pee. I'd like to be able to take S out and do fun things with her. I'd like to be able to drive so that I can take her places. And so on, and so on.

On the other hand though, I don't need anything at all. I have S, and we are happy together, and we don't need the latest new gadgets or designer labels to make our lives any better. Realistically, my wishlist has only one item on it: for my daughter to be happy and healthy. As long as there's a smile on her face and she's healthy with it, we don't need money or a car or anything else.

Review: The Green Earth Pan by Ozeri

Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter will already be aware that I was given a frying pan to try out for a review, since I've been making pancakes for the last week!

The Green Earth Pan by Ozeri is made with something called Greblon ceramic coating, and contains no PTFE or PFOA. The blurb on the box also says that it'a made with durable, scratch-resistant ceramic which emits no harmful fumes when heated.

The cooking surface has a honeycomb pattern which apparently helps to prevent food from sticking and makes it easy to clean. It also "creates air pockets which distribute heat underneath food to enhance cooking."

After much deliberation and consulting with Facebook and Twitter, I decided the best way to test the pan was to make pancakes. Lots of them. Every day.

I blogged our favourite pancake recipe here.

As you can see, the pan is a good size for cooking three reasonable pancakes, or one large one.

So far, nothing has stuck to the pan. Even when I got distracted by a crying toddler, or making some coffee, or just random shiny things, the food will burn but still not stick. It's also really easy to wash.

The pan is larger than most frying pans I've used before, and also has high sides - meaning that you could cook something like risotto or sauces in it without worrying about them sticking or spilling.

At the time of writing, the Green Earth Pan was £28.95 on Amazon. If you don't cook much that requires a non-stick frying pan, that's probably a bit much to fork out for an occasional usage. But I have to say, since this pan was delivered, I've not had to find it a space in the cupboard - because as soon as it's washed up, I'm using it again to cook another meal in. In that way, it's worth the extra money - because I'm getting a lot of use out of it.

Disclaimer: I was provided with the Green Earth Pan free of charge in return for writing this review, but it was not dependent on my writing a favourable review. All views and words are my own.

Blog Every Day in August: A Role Model

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 26 is: A role model.

Sally Pearson is an Australian hurdler. She won Gold at the 2012 Olympics for the 100m hurdles. When you read her bio on Wikipedia though, under "Personal life" it tells you that she was raised by a single mother, who worked two jobs to support her athletics career.

With so many people who were raised by single mothers, you hear "oh, she sacrificed so much to allow me to dance/sing/go to college/whatever."

I've been thinking about that and really, I don't want that for S.

The last thing I want is for her to grow up thinking I've given things up for her. I don't want her to look at me saying "look at what she sacrificed for me..." I want her to look at me and think "wow, I want to be like my mum."

I want to be successful, and lead by example, and for her to see that being a single parent is not a handicap, not something to endure or tolerate, not something that defines you and means you can be nothing but. I will also sing along to Coldplay before I allow my being a single mother to define S and what she can achieve in her life.

Of course, I would give up everything I have or will ever own for her; I would scrub toilets with a toothbrush to get money to buy her nice things; that's just what you do when you're a parent, and single parents the world over have sacrificed all manner of things in order to allow their children "the life I never had..."

But I want to be someone for S to look up to, not someone for her to pity or feel guilty about. I don't want her to look back on her childhood and think, wow, my mum could have been this, or done that, or gone there, but she didn't because she put me first. I want her to look back and think, we were happy. I had a good childhood. I want to be like my mum.

Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen...

Recipe: Apple, Oat & Raisin Pancakes

Because our mornings are usually a mad rush, I try my best to give S a breakfast that's reasonably healthy, but also not too messy. For the last two weeks, we've been on holidays, so I've been experimenting with messy breakfasts. She's been enjoying honey on toast, peanut butter on toast and porridge.

And then we were sent a frying pan to review, and I decided the best way to try it out was to make all sorts of pancakes. These were the ones that were quickest, easiest and tastiest...

We started off with this recipe from Life Love Laura, and messed about with it a bit because I've never been any good at doing as I'm told.

Ingredients

100g plain flour

100g porridge oats

1tsp baking powder

1tsb cinnamon

as many raisins as you fancy - we love raisins, so I put tons in.

1tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)

2 eggs

250ml coconut milk (I love coconut milk and use it in everything. If you don't fancy it, just use normal milk)

1tbsp oil (I olive oil because I couldn't get the lid off the coconut oil)

A good squirt of runny honey (optional)

6tbsp stewed apple - I have this in the house any way, because we have it in everything. If you don't have any, and don't fancy messing around with it, you can get a pouch of apple puree baby food, or just chop up an eating apple into small pieces. 

Method

If you have an electric hob that takes a while to heat up (like I do), put the hob on as high as it will go, and sit the pan on it while you prepare the pancakes.

Sieve the flour with the baking powder. Add other dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and whisk until they're all mixed nicely.

Make sure the pan is hot. The hotter the better in my experience. Add a little oil, then put spoonfuls  of the batter into the pan.

When the pancakes start to get little bubbles around the outside, flip them over and cook the other side. 

That's pretty much it. The end result looks something like this:

They're super easy, and really tasty.

The batter we did made around 12 of these small pancakes. The good thing is they also taste good cold, and you can freeze them and then just pop them in the toaster to defrost/heat them up. I've made a big batch ready for when we go back to work and nursery next week.

S seems to really like them, and usually clears her plate, which is a bonus - especially considering she's teething at the moment!

Do you have a favourite pancake recipe?

Do you fancy trying this one, but tweaking it a bit?

Please share your recipes, photos and experiences either here or on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. I'd love to see them and find new ideas to try out!

Summer Holiday Shenanigans #2

Following on from this post about last week, here's what we've been up to this week:

Monday 19 August
Up early and off to Longleat for the day with my friend C and her son H. Fabulous time had by all, including two trips into Postman Pat's village to press buttons and generally run around having fun.
The thing about taking two grumpy 1 year olds out for the day is that if one isn't grumping, teething or due for a nap, the other one will be - so we didn't see all of the park, and missed out a lot of the animals. We drove around the safari, but S was crying for the first half and asleep for the second. It didn't matter though; we all had a fantastic time running around, and C and I had a good old natter at nap time.

Enjoying pressing buttons in Postman Pat's Village

Tuesday 20 August
Lazy day. Didn't make plans because we had to go to the health visitor at lunch time. Now that I'm back at work I can only see her when we're on holidays... A walk in the morning, followed by a nap, then a mad dash to the other side of town... only to find that we had the wrong day, her clinic had been moved to Monday. So we did some pootling around town, then came home and played with the toys and made a mess.

Having a little run around in the bedroom

Wednesday 21 August

Walk in the morning followed by a nap; S is teething pretty badly, so lunch was a bit of a non event. My sister A came round and played with S for a while, building Duplo models and giggling. We went into town to do some shopping and feed the ducks, then came all the way home only to remember we'd not put any money on the electricity key, so we went straight back out for a walk to the shop. Once we were home, S spent a long time running up and down the hall, laughing like a maniac and generally having fun.

Having a little walk together

Thursday 22 August

Another fairly lazy day. A long walk in the morning, followed by a nap, and a visit from my sister A. We went to the Cathedral Close and S spent an hour exploring, wandering around the grass, then along the paths, and into the stones next to the entrance. She enjoyed stepping between the different surfaces and finding her footing on the stone. I had to draw the line when she started rubbing her hands in the stones though, as she was making a bit of a mess and I wasn't entirely sure it was safe. We also spent a fair bit of time walking between the lights that are set into the ground around the cathedral. She loved to stand directly on them, turn around, and then move onto the next one. It's safe to say we'll be going back to the Close again soon!

Sitting on Auntie Af's lap

Friday 23 August

Another long walk in the morning followed by a nap; am trying to get her back into some sort of routine before returning to nursery so we've tried to do the same thing as much as possible where naps are concerned. My sister Z finally had her baby, so in the afternoon we popped up to meet him. You're not really meant to take children onto the ward, and S was not in the mood for sitting still, so we didn't stay long. We left and had a nice long walk along the hospital corridors instead, before catching the bus home. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing with as many toys as possible, often at the same time. We played catch with the big yellow sensory ball, read almost all of the books, and practised hanging upside down. S's latest thing is to investigate how things look from a different angle. So she'll lean backwards over the side of the ball pool to see what the TV looks like from that angle, and loves to be dangled upside down by me. Easy win for some giggles!

Leaning over the ball pit to see the TV from a different angle

Blog Every Day in August: A Wonderful Day

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 25 is: A wonderful day.

S and I have been on two weeks' holiday from work/nursery. I was very keen to make sure that we did lots of fun stuff, so that she wasn't just spending two weeks waiting for nursery to start again. But on the other hand, I don't have much (or any) money.

Guess what, turns out you don't need money to have fun.

This is what we did on our first day:

Had a late, lazy morning cuddling with Tigger and playing with toys in the bedroom

Started and won a fight against the beanbag

Sat by the front door and demanded to be allowed out to play

Had a super long nap, then woke up and read a book. Upside down.

Did some messy play with cake dough, which you can read about over on Edspire

Played with crazy soap (we were not amused)

Played with the flannels being used to clean up the cake dough (we were more amused by this)

Played catch with the sensory ball and two of S's aunties

Multi-tasked with the drum and teething

Went for a walk with the trike, and hugely pregnant Auntie Smooch, who tried not to have her photo taken

Fed the ducks

Discovered the joy of playing drums in the bath.

I think the total cost of our day was... £1 for the cake mix for cake dough, and 35p for some bread for the ducks. We had a wonderful day, and it set the tone for the rest of our fortnight!

Silent Sunday 2013-08-25

Blog Every Day in August: A Quote to Live By

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 24 is: A quote to live by.

This too shall pass

I've written before about the breakdown I had in 2010.

While I was in the depths of my despair, I remembered this Buddhist quote, This too shall pass. It struck a chord with me. It seemed to say to me: you might feel like shit, but this will pass in the same way as the good times that came before did. You won't always feel like this; this too shall pass.

I clung to that phrase so much while I was sick, that I had it tattooed on my wrist, under my watch strap. I still look at it every day, and it reminds me: of the bad times that have come and gone, and the good times that are still to come. 

That's my quote to live by.

Saturday is Caption Day

When I get a coffee, I get it double-cupped. It stops it burning my fingers on the walk home, and helps it to stay hot for longer. When I remember, I take the spare cup off the bottom before I throw the empty cup away. They're great for practising putting things into, stacking, pretending to drink from... And apparently balancing on one's head.

The question is: can you caption this photo?

Blog Every Day in August: Why Do You Blog?

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.

Day 23 is: why do you blog?

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

I could sit here and tell you that I blog to be a voice for single mothers, to show people what it's like to be a single mother, to highlight mental health issues. But really, those reasons are just by-products of the real reasons I blog.

When I had S, I had zero self confidence. I was lonely and miserable and unsure of every single thing I did.

One day last September, I wrote something about how you never know how strong you are until it's the only option you have. I posted it on Facebook, because I didn't have anywhere else to publish it, and it felt like I wanted someone else to read it. A friend commented on the post, asking if I'd considered blogging.

I had a blog before, on Livejournal about 10 years ago. I used to fill it with memes and daft pictures and stupid questions, and every now and then an angsty, whiney post about my life. When my friend suggested blogging, this is what came to mind - lots of funny pictures of cats, and some whining about trivial life problems.

But then I remembered that when I had my breakdown, I retreated to my Livejournal to try and write about how I was feeling. And also when my dad got sick and died. It was my refuge when I didn't know where else to go, who else I could turn to. I used it to order my thoughts and make decisions.

So I started a blog. 

When I first became a mum, because I was so unsure of myself, and because of the things S's father was saying about me to anyone who would listen, I was always very careful to ensure people like my health visitor and GP were always happy with what we were doing. We went to the health visitor's clinic every other week for S to be weighed and checked - not because she asked to see us (she kept telling me I didn't need to come so often) but because if anyone questioned my abilities as a mother I knew I could pull out S's red book and say "look, see here, we see our health visitor regularly and she has no problem with us." I did everything my health visitor told me to do, so that she never had any reason at all to doubt me. The same with the GP (except for the suggestion I go back onto my medication); I discussed things with her, kept her informed, took her advice. 

I think perhaps these days my blog is a part of that. It's my way of being very transparent in my parenting, making sure I'm very open about everything. Not so that I can show off  "oh, look what a fabulous mum I am!" but so that I can say "see? I'm coping. We're ok."

I blog because It's proof that we are surviving. 

Blog Every Day in August: Time For Change

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.

Day 22 is: time for change.

I was properly stumped with today's topic... but it sounded familiar, like it might be a slogan for something... And then I remembered.

Time To Change is about removing the stigma attached to mental health issues. 

You know how someone says they've been ill with stress, or depression, or they're bipolar or have had a breakdown, and suddenly the room goes silent, shortly followed by "oh look, a shiny thing, all the way over there... bye..."

Time To Change is about making it ok to talk about mental illness.

When I had my breakdown I found that I lost a lot of friends. A lot of people seemed to avoid me because they just didn't know what to say to me. Many people didn't understand why I couldn't just pull myself together and get on with it. My own family still doesn't really speak about mental health issues, despite the fact that at least 50% of us are completely barking. I've lost count of the number of conversations I've managed to stop dead in their tracks, both when I was ill and since, by daring to mention my mental health. And if I mentioned the medication I was on... well... 

And then there are all the women I know who have suffered with PND, while their friends, co-workers and even family members have stood there, completely stumped as to what to say to them. 

Here are some ideas of what you can say to someone when they are going through mental health issues:

• how are you?
• can I do anything?
• I'm in the shop, do you need anything? I can drop it at your door without stopping for an uncomfortable chat if you'd prefer.
• don't be stupid, you can't jump off that; there's a cage all the way around it to keep people in! (my friend S said this to me when I told her I'd been planning to jump off an aerial balloon
• I'm free this morning/afternoon/evening if you want someone to come and watch a movie with you; we don't have to talk if you don't want to.
• I understand
• It doesn't matter if you don't feel up to doing this thing we said we'd do together; I am still your friend.
• You don't need to explain
• Have you seen Penny from Accounts' new hair cut?! It's awful! (mental health problems don't mean you can't appreciate a good distraction from time to time) 

Things to remember about a person with mental health issues:

• they are still the same person, with the same likes and dislikes. Being depressed does not mean they will suddenly enjoy musicals, if they never liked them before - same as if they'd broken their arm.
• any mental health issue at all does not suddenly make you stupid. Unless the person was stupid beforehand. A person's IQ remains largely unaffected by their illness - same is if they'd broken their leg.
• don't take it personally if they don't want to see you. It's not something against you (unless you're a really crappy person); they just might not feel up to company - same as if they had the flu.
• they can't just snap out of it - same as if they had anaemia, or a tooth ache, or liver failure, or any other physical ailment.

Review: Edushape Sensory Ball

I was offered a sensory ball to review by Lloyds Pharmacy, which was quite exciting!

From the photo, I was expecting something quite small to be delivered, so I was surprised when there was a knock at the door, and a rather large box was handed to me! The sensory ball is actually about 20cm across. It's covered in little bumps, which means it's fun to feel and hold as well as to play with like a normal ball. I think the bumps also make it easier for little hands to grip and hold. And it's very bouncy - but the bumps mean it usually bounces once, making an awesome sound, and then stops. Which is handy for those of us with some breakables left after a few months of mobile toddler.

S loves this ball. Because it's so big, it's easy for her to throw and catch, and I often find it next to the front door where she's been rolling it up the length of the hall way. If I instigate a game of catch with the ball, I'm guaranteed a fit of giggles every time the ball comes towards her. 

The blurb on the box says:

Sensory play for little superstars! Children will love this unique textured ball. It is soft and stimulating. enhances gross motor and tactile skills, encourages crawling and coordination.

I do wish we'd had this ball earlier, as I think S would have loved it when she was younger too (though it's not suitable for babies under 3 months).

The ball also came with a leaflet from the RNIB, and would be great for children with all kinds of learning disabilities as well. They come in several bright colours, and the texture means the ball is fun to just sit and play with. It can also be fun for adults - I often find myself just sitting playing with it when I'm supposed to be tidying the toys away!

The sensory balls cost £9.59 at the time of writing, reduced from £16.61.
If you said to me that a ball cost a tenner, I'd laugh at you. But actually, for this ball, I think I'd be quite happy to pay that for it. It's not just a ball; it's a sensory toy, it's the perfect size for practising catching, and until S gets more forceful with her throwing, it's perfect for playing with indoors. For all the fun we've had playing with it, and the time it's kept her entertained while I just put the washing on/did the washing up/popped upstairs to put the washing away, it's definitely worth it.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a sensory ball free of charge in exchange for this review, but that was not dependent on my writing a favourable review. All opinions are my own.

#SSAmazingAchievements

This is a photo of S "on the phone."

She's really getting into the whole pretend play thing lately, and a big part of that is being on the phone. Anything vaguely phone shaped will do; she'll hold it up to her ear and chat away to them.

Quite often, she'll take my mobile to play phones, which is super cute, but I can never get a photo of it (because I take my photos with my phone).

S's vocabulary these days consists of "duck*," "uh-oh," "oh dear," and "whoopsie!" (think perhaps that says something about the words she hears most commonly at home) and this is what she says in between babbliny on the phone.

Last night, after bath time we had a little play in the bedroom before bed. S took my phone and started chatting away.

And then she did something she's never done before.

She said "okay!!" and hung up! She's never done either before.

I fully appreciate that for anyone who is not S's mother this is really not a big deal. But for me, it's really rather awesome.

* I said DUCK!! We go to see the ducks a lot, she has a book with a duck in it that she loves to read, rubber ducks in the bath, we pass some duck figurines on our way to town...duck. DUCK.

Blog Every Day in August: Promises

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 21 is: Promises

If you wait for me
then I'll come for you
Although I've travelled far
I always hold a place for you in my heart

If you think of me
If you miss me once in awhile
Then I'll return to you
I'll return and fill that space in your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

If you dream of me
Like I dream of you
In a place that's warm and dark
In a place where I can feel the beating of your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

I've longed for you
And I have desired
To see your face your smile
To be with you wherever you are

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
Please say you'll be waiting

Together again
It would feel so good to be
In your arms
Where all my journeys end
If you can make a promise
If it's one that you can keep
I vow to come for you
If you wait for me

And say you'll hold
A place for me
In your heart.

Wordless Wednesday: Our Week in Instagrams

Blog Every Day in August: You Need to Read This.

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 20 is: You Need to Read This.

I deliberated about this post for ages. For days, I've been seeing it coming up and thinking, ergh, what do I tell people they need to read? Do I tell them something personal they absolutely have to know about me? (there is nothing); Do I choose a newspaper or journal that reports cutting edge stories and politics? (how would I know which one that is when I rely on the BBC website for my news?); Do I tell people they need to read my blog in an ever-so-clever twist on the theme?

And then, right at the last minute, it came to me.

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The first time I came across this book, I didn't realise it was this book. A local boy committed suicide when I was a teenager, and his mother wasn't religious. When his death was announced in the local paper, she quoted The Prophet:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.

At the time, I remember reading the passage over and over again, trying to figure out what it meant. When I finally understood, it was a real moment of clarity for me.

Years later, a friend gave a copy of The Prophet to my then boyfriend for Christmas. He wasn't massively into reading, but since it looked like a quick, easy read, I read it. When I found this passage again, I instantly recognised it.

The book was written in 1923 by Gibran, a Lebanese writer. Amazon refers to it as "a timeless masterpiece" and apparently it was very big in the 1960s. Don't let any of these points put you off though; at the end of the day, it's just a really nice read. Philosophical. Kind of like reading the Bible, without all that religion business, if you get what I mean.

I find that in times of unrest or trouble, this book helps to calm me. I love to pick it up and read either one chapter on its own, or the whole book from cover to cover as it's only a short one. 

I read it when my dad died, when I had my breakdown, and last year when my life seemed in such a mess... but I've also read it when nothing particularly huge was going on in my life; I just felt a bit like I'd lost my way.

Also, while I was researching this post, I found that it is only £1.86 on Kindle!

Review: Gin Gins BOOST

When I was contacted to review Gin Gins BOOST from the Ginger People, I jumped at the chance. Not because I suffer from travel sickness (which is what they're really aimed at; a "potion for the motion"), but because I have a cold. Again. And because I'm still breastfeeding, I can't take any of the usual medicines to get rid of it. Ginger is supposed to be a good remedy for colds... 

In fact, modern research has apparently confirmed that ginger can be an effective treatment for nausea, flatulence, flatulence and dizziness.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret here... I have IBS. And I've also had a fairly stressful few days. The two combined mean that I have suffered with more than one of the things on that little list there... Ideal opportunity then, to crack out the Gin Gins and see if they work as well as they say they do!

The big thing about these ginger sweets is the amount of actual ginger they contain. They contain 30% fresh ginger, and two per day contain the same level as was used in recent US trials. When you eat them, you can taste the ginger. It hits you. It's quite nice!

If you like ginger, these sweets are perfect. They're chewy and have a caramel taste with the ginger and certainly went some way towards unblocking my nose. They seem to have settled my stomach somewhat as well. 

I love that they are all individually wrapped in the packet as well - there's nothing worse than rummaging through your bag to get your sweets, then finding the packet has opened, and your sweets are in the bottom of your handbag, covered in something suspicious and fluffy.

Gin Gins are available from Holland & Barrett stores nationwide. At the time of writing cost £1.45 per pack. Each pack contains 12 sweets, meaning you're paying about 12p per sweet. So they're not sweets you would buy just to munch on. But if you suffer with any sort of stomach complaint (or have a pain in the arse cold you'd like to sort out), I really would recommend these. I will be keeping them in my cupboard for if the stomach ache returns as they seem to have done pretty well with that!

Disclaimer: I received a free pack of Gin Gins BOOST in return for writing this review, however this did not depend on my writing a favourable review. All opinions are my own.

Blog Every Day in August: Things You Should Know About Me

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 19 is Things You Should Know About Me.

Here's a list:

• I hate Coldplay. In a way I cannot describe, I just detest them. So much so, that when one of their songs came on while I was in labour, I stopped my contractions. I point blank refused to allow their drivel to be the first thing my child heard (S was born about 10 minutes later, to John Parr's St Elmo's Fire)

• I hate to be called Hun or Hunny or other stupid, condescending pet names. I am 32 years old and managing perfectly well in my life, thank you. Do not talk down to me. I have plenty of other nick names you can choose from: Vicky, Bubbles, Plum, Stix. Not bloody Hun.

• I am terminally messy. There are no two ways about it; my house is perpetually a tip. Every now and then I have a massive tidy up, clear out all the crap and vow everything will stay this way forever. It lasts a maximum of two days. Since I went back to work, this has got a lot worse - there's just not enough time for tidying when I could be playing with S or sleeping!

• I love my blog. Love love love it. I love to write in general, and I love the fact I now have a blog on my local paper's website; but this blog is my second baby, and I love it.

• I have five brothers and sisters, but only three of them talk to me. The best three, obviously. In a normal family, the reasons the other two don't speak would never have occurred. But my family is far from normal.

I'd better leave it there before I get a bit TMI. What are the things we should know about you?

Magic Moments: 19 August

My Magic Moment this week is a really simple one.

Yesterday I had a fairly horrible, stressful morning with family trouble (my family specialises in this). I ended up having to get S and I up, dressed, breakfasted and out of the house to catch a bus I knew left "around 9-ish."

We rushed around like the proverbial blue-arsed flies getting ourselves ready, and rushed into town... where we arrived at the bus stop approximately two minutes after the bus had left.

The next bus wasn't for over an hour (have to love that Sunday service), and I didn't want to go home and let S play for a few minutes before we had to leave again, so we went to the park.

Our weekend tradition is to go to the park, but we usually go to one close to our house, where the flooring is woodchip and difficult to toddle on, and there's really only the swings to be playing on.

The park we visited today was on the other side of town and very exciting! I thought it would be packed, since it usually is on the weekend - but it was 9am and empty. S had the whole park to herself and she loved it.

She went on the swings as usual, but then had a good old wander around the rest of the park.

There is a roundabout thing there which is designed to be used by disabled children as well, so it's wide and flat with a safety bar around three quarters of the outside and a little bench. S is too small to get onto the bench so she held onto the safety bar while I pushed it round. I thought she'd hate it, but she was grinning away! When I stopped pushing her, she moved to the other side and I pushed her again. We must have spent about 20 minutes on that roundabout!

Next she tried one of those things that are on a giant spring in the ground. This one has high sides and a bar on the front to hold onto, so there's not much falling off to be done. Again, I thought she'd be scared, but she loved it and stayed on for quite a while, and even went back after a quick wander around the park to check she wasn't missing anything anywhere else!

I think we've found a new park to visit on the weekends!