So firstly, my apologies for being utterly cack at keeping up with this mini series. Life just gets so busy. Still at least having such a break allows me a plethora of small but wonderful things to choose from! Here are a few of my favourites:
• My daughter crawling to me when I ask her. At first I thought this was a fluke but over the past week it has become a daily occurance. It's just the best feeling to watch her wobbly crawls towards me whilst she beams at me with her dribbly giggly smile.
• Getting out into the garden. I have one of the most overlooked gardens in the world (seriously) but I love getting out into the garden and having a potter. Being a bit of a fairweather gardener has meant that I've been lapping up the dry and slightly sunny weather and spent time planting roses, a lilac, some irises, alstromeria and a few other goodies. I've been deadheading my gorgeous roses and weaving honeysuckle, passion flower and clematis onto my new trellises. It's one of my favourite hobbies as I can completely detach myself from the stresses of life and just be.
• Free dental care whilst on maternity leave. I don't particularly enjoy visiting the dentist, (although I do find it amusing to listen to her and the dental nurse answering the radio 2 quiz whilst I'm sat in the chair) but I have been fortunate to be able to coincide some expensive dental treatment with maternity leave which means its free! Wahoo, I don't have to pay to be terrified and in pain!
• New clothes. With lent over and the pregnancy weight slowly coming off (about half a stone so far) I have delighted in buying myself some new clothes and taking full advantage of the spring sales :-)
• The slow cooker. A brilliant invention that allows me to chuck a load of meat and veg into a pot, bathe it in red wine and herbs and create a delicious and low fat dinner that looks like I've made loads of effort when I really haven't :-)
Any small but wonderful things happened to you this week?
Monday, 28 April 2014
Thursday, 24 April 2014
My inner rebel
There has always been a part of me that has wanted to be a bit unique and a bit cool. I don't really think that I am either of these things. The person who tries to be cool and unique generally isn't but I have given up any attempt to be either and opted for just going with what I like.
I often envy the image of the yummy mummy. You know who I'm talking about, the mum who owns a multitude of bretton stripes, skinny jeans and trainers. The mummy who still manages to do her hair and make up as well as ensure that the children are immaculately turned out. I am not that woman. I am never immaculate. Unless I am going somewhere really special, the most styling my hair gets is a quick blow dry and a brush through. My daily warpaint is a slick of mascara and lip balm. I'd love to be a yummy mummy but I'm not. This doesn't mean that I don't want to look ok when I leave the house so when the opportunity for a haircut appeared today I jumped at the chance.
I have a lovely hairdresser. Luckily I've known her for years so she's well aware of the fact that I do nothing to my hair. Everytime I walk in I remind her to cut my hair in a way that requires no styling. She must despair of me :-)
So today I walked in and really fancied a different cut. I've had a bob for a couple of years and it seems to work pretty well for me but it feels a bit boring now. So I opted to shave a chunk of my hair off. Bye bye boring hair! For the first time in a while I felt a bit fashionable and a bit edgy. And it feels good (perhaps I need to buy some new clothes too?).
One of the conundrums I am increasingly facing is how to be a mummy and still be me. Why do I feel like the two are difficult to marry? Why do I feel like I have to make myself fit into the 'yummy' category?! My new hair feels like part of this journey as I remind myself that I am still Kate and also a mum. And being both is great!
P.s I am writing this as I am cooking sausages. Either the blog or sausages will probably suffer at this multit-tasking. Apologies for any mistakes but I don't want a burnt sausage!
I often envy the image of the yummy mummy. You know who I'm talking about, the mum who owns a multitude of bretton stripes, skinny jeans and trainers. The mummy who still manages to do her hair and make up as well as ensure that the children are immaculately turned out. I am not that woman. I am never immaculate. Unless I am going somewhere really special, the most styling my hair gets is a quick blow dry and a brush through. My daily warpaint is a slick of mascara and lip balm. I'd love to be a yummy mummy but I'm not. This doesn't mean that I don't want to look ok when I leave the house so when the opportunity for a haircut appeared today I jumped at the chance.
I have a lovely hairdresser. Luckily I've known her for years so she's well aware of the fact that I do nothing to my hair. Everytime I walk in I remind her to cut my hair in a way that requires no styling. She must despair of me :-)
So today I walked in and really fancied a different cut. I've had a bob for a couple of years and it seems to work pretty well for me but it feels a bit boring now. So I opted to shave a chunk of my hair off. Bye bye boring hair! For the first time in a while I felt a bit fashionable and a bit edgy. And it feels good (perhaps I need to buy some new clothes too?).
One of the conundrums I am increasingly facing is how to be a mummy and still be me. Why do I feel like the two are difficult to marry? Why do I feel like I have to make myself fit into the 'yummy' category?! My new hair feels like part of this journey as I remind myself that I am still Kate and also a mum. And being both is great!
P.s I am writing this as I am cooking sausages. Either the blog or sausages will probably suffer at this multit-tasking. Apologies for any mistakes but I don't want a burnt sausage!
Monday, 21 April 2014
The end of Lent
So Easter weekend is drawing to a close. Chocolate has been eaten in abundance. Churches have (or haven't) been attended and those of us took part in lent are sighing breaths of relief (and gorging on whatever they had denied themselves for the past 40 days).
As you know I decided to give up 3 things during lent - buying clothes, nosing at properties for sale online and watching trash tv. I only succeeded in giving up one for the whole of lent (watching trash tv) but have learnt a few things along the way....
• In the past I have spent way too much time looking at and day dreaming about houses for sale. I managed nearly three weeks of not looking at properties online and eventually caved in. I didn't realise how much of a habit I had developed. Although I didn't manage the whole 40 days, I have looked online less which has given me back some time and (slightly) lessened my jealousy at what others have.
• I am thinking more about the clothes I am buying. I have never really been into 'fast fashion'. I struggle with the ethics around it and try to buy items that are a bit more timeless and better quality but I am partial to an impulse buy and am pretty good at justifying impulse purchases. Following lent, I realise even more that I don't actually NEED any more clothes so I am planning to properly wear out what I own and if i do buy something it should go with what I already own or replace something that has worn out (my new acid yellow shoes WILL go with things I already have!).
• I really don't miss trash tv. I have replaced trash tv with films and feel slightly more enriched watching them than I would watching a bunch of irritating women arguing over the fact they have to share a bedroom with their friends on holiday (trauma!).
• I need to develop my will power a bit more. Sticking to my lent committments was harder than I thought and I think in some cases I gave up too easily.
Must try harder next year.
As you know I decided to give up 3 things during lent - buying clothes, nosing at properties for sale online and watching trash tv. I only succeeded in giving up one for the whole of lent (watching trash tv) but have learnt a few things along the way....
• In the past I have spent way too much time looking at and day dreaming about houses for sale. I managed nearly three weeks of not looking at properties online and eventually caved in. I didn't realise how much of a habit I had developed. Although I didn't manage the whole 40 days, I have looked online less which has given me back some time and (slightly) lessened my jealousy at what others have.
• I am thinking more about the clothes I am buying. I have never really been into 'fast fashion'. I struggle with the ethics around it and try to buy items that are a bit more timeless and better quality but I am partial to an impulse buy and am pretty good at justifying impulse purchases. Following lent, I realise even more that I don't actually NEED any more clothes so I am planning to properly wear out what I own and if i do buy something it should go with what I already own or replace something that has worn out (my new acid yellow shoes WILL go with things I already have!).
• I really don't miss trash tv. I have replaced trash tv with films and feel slightly more enriched watching them than I would watching a bunch of irritating women arguing over the fact they have to share a bedroom with their friends on holiday (trauma!).
• I need to develop my will power a bit more. Sticking to my lent committments was harder than I thought and I think in some cases I gave up too easily.
Must try harder next year.
Sunday, 13 April 2014
The small but wonderful things part 1
As I have previously mentioned, I want to take more time to appreciate the simple things in life. There are loads when I think about it but here are some highlights from this week...
• Chocolate cake. As someone who is trying to lose weight, I am trying to avoid those naughty but totally delicious foods. I'm not doing too badly but after feeling a bit naff for a few days, I was presented with the opportunity to wolf down a rather large slice of homemade chocolate cake. With butter icing. It was AMAZING. And I don't feel guilty about eating it all.
• Time with friends. This really encompasses lots of small but wonderful things (watching films, eating beans on toast, having a good moan ) but time with friends is never to be underestimated. Time with good friends is balm for the soul.
• Nosing round gardens with my mum. My mum has been green fingered for as long as I can remember and as I have gotten older I have started to get more interested in gardening. I have a small patch of garden which is a work in progress but when a local house decided to open its garden for charity this weekend, mum and I jumped at the chance. Thrown in with a bit of sunshine, a good natter and the previously mentioned chocolate cake and a cracking afternoon was had by all (well me and my mum).
• Nighttime indoor picnics. As I've previously discussed, the arrival of a baby significantly affects one's abilty to go out for an evening. In some ways it's not a problem. My husband and I are usually so tired that we just sit gormlessly in front of the telly but this Friday evening needed something slightly different. So we put a blanket on the floor and had a picnic of fajitas whilst watching a film. It was bloomin' lovely.
A pretty good week all in all.
• Chocolate cake. As someone who is trying to lose weight, I am trying to avoid those naughty but totally delicious foods. I'm not doing too badly but after feeling a bit naff for a few days, I was presented with the opportunity to wolf down a rather large slice of homemade chocolate cake. With butter icing. It was AMAZING. And I don't feel guilty about eating it all.
• Time with friends. This really encompasses lots of small but wonderful things (watching films, eating beans on toast, having a good moan ) but time with friends is never to be underestimated. Time with good friends is balm for the soul.
• Nosing round gardens with my mum. My mum has been green fingered for as long as I can remember and as I have gotten older I have started to get more interested in gardening. I have a small patch of garden which is a work in progress but when a local house decided to open its garden for charity this weekend, mum and I jumped at the chance. Thrown in with a bit of sunshine, a good natter and the previously mentioned chocolate cake and a cracking afternoon was had by all (well me and my mum).
• Nighttime indoor picnics. As I've previously discussed, the arrival of a baby significantly affects one's abilty to go out for an evening. In some ways it's not a problem. My husband and I are usually so tired that we just sit gormlessly in front of the telly but this Friday evening needed something slightly different. So we put a blanket on the floor and had a picnic of fajitas whilst watching a film. It was bloomin' lovely.
A pretty good week all in all.
Saturday, 12 April 2014
The working mother conundrum....
Since before O was born, I have been trying to bury the fact that I have to go back to work. I have taken as much maternity leave as I can afford and am in the process of arranging the finer details of my return. Despite my attempts to surpress thoughts around work, it has never been far from my mind. I work in a busy and demanding job running a local charity and know that I won't have any time to readjust to working life before dealing with the numerous demands that will need to be addresssed. I will have to deal with the changes that have happened in my absence, the move of premises and the employment of new staff as well as just learning to be back in a working environment and carrying out my usual duties.
Before O arrived I assumed that I would have no problem going back to work, after all I like my job. Turns out I was wrong. I find myself with more problems than solutions as I try to negotiate a working pattern that suits both me and my employer. I find myself plagued with questions about what going back to work will like, how I will feel leaving O and whether I can work and be a good mother. I'm sure that all of the practical issues will be met with solutions but feelings can be so much more difficult to resolve can't they. How do I address the guilt at being away from O, the guilt of relying on others to care for her? How do I address the fear that I am likely to miss some of her firsts because I am not there and how do I still put in 100% at work when my priorities have so vastly changed? I feel totally daunted at the prospect of balancing work and parenthood and have found a genuine appreciation for those working families who manage to find that balance.
I am sincerely hoping that I am making a bigger deal of this than it will actually be, that being back at work will actually be easier than I am imagining it will be. What if it isn't?
Damn! Another question!
Before O arrived I assumed that I would have no problem going back to work, after all I like my job. Turns out I was wrong. I find myself with more problems than solutions as I try to negotiate a working pattern that suits both me and my employer. I find myself plagued with questions about what going back to work will like, how I will feel leaving O and whether I can work and be a good mother. I'm sure that all of the practical issues will be met with solutions but feelings can be so much more difficult to resolve can't they. How do I address the guilt at being away from O, the guilt of relying on others to care for her? How do I address the fear that I am likely to miss some of her firsts because I am not there and how do I still put in 100% at work when my priorities have so vastly changed? I feel totally daunted at the prospect of balancing work and parenthood and have found a genuine appreciation for those working families who manage to find that balance.
I am sincerely hoping that I am making a bigger deal of this than it will actually be, that being back at work will actually be easier than I am imagining it will be. What if it isn't?
Damn! Another question!
Wednesday, 9 April 2014
A night away from the littley
One of the things that happens when you have children is that your social life changes when I say changes, I mean pretty much ceases to exist (particularly after 7pm when the baby has to go to bed). Now I was never one to be spend my entire week out 'on the razz', ( I like my bed too much) but I used to love spending an evening with friends going
out for dinner, having a drink in the pub or going to the theatre/gigs. Since having O, this kind of stuff is a rarer occurance and evenings are generally spent feeding and bathing baby, putting her to bed and then watching telly whilst I wait for the last load of washing to finish. Jealous huh?! In actual fact I quite like this new super relaxed pace of life but whenever the chance to go out for an evening happens, I jump at the chance!
Last Saturday offered such an opportunity so J and I packed O off to nana and grandad's for a sleepover. Not only did we have a baby free Saturday night but also a baby free Sunday morning!
Until you have children (or look after them for any length of time) it is difficult to understand the sheer joy of being able to shower and get ready at a leisurely pace. There is no fear of having to attend a screaming baby mid shower or having to hurry your make up, making you look like something out of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. You no longer have to worry about holding your baby away from you to avoid sick or bits of food being smeared over your nice outfit or hair. I tell you people, it's an absolute luxury and one that I celebrated with new make up and deliberately allowing myself two whole hours where the only thing I had to worry about was getting ready.
So armed with a face full of new make up, a new frock and a sequin covered handbag, I went off for a night of dancing, food and friends. Followed by a sleep that was not dictated by the routine of an eight month old. Bliss!
Now, I really did miss O, she's amazing and so much fun! In her absence, I had so much free time and a very quiet house and it was great to feel a bit like the old me again. The me, that goes out and dances at parties, the me that sleeps in late on a Sunday without interruption, the me that talks about things other than babies.
I wouldn't change being a mum, but sometimes it's brilliant to be baby free and dance the night away :-)
out for dinner, having a drink in the pub or going to the theatre/gigs. Since having O, this kind of stuff is a rarer occurance and evenings are generally spent feeding and bathing baby, putting her to bed and then watching telly whilst I wait for the last load of washing to finish. Jealous huh?! In actual fact I quite like this new super relaxed pace of life but whenever the chance to go out for an evening happens, I jump at the chance!
Last Saturday offered such an opportunity so J and I packed O off to nana and grandad's for a sleepover. Not only did we have a baby free Saturday night but also a baby free Sunday morning!
Until you have children (or look after them for any length of time) it is difficult to understand the sheer joy of being able to shower and get ready at a leisurely pace. There is no fear of having to attend a screaming baby mid shower or having to hurry your make up, making you look like something out of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. You no longer have to worry about holding your baby away from you to avoid sick or bits of food being smeared over your nice outfit or hair. I tell you people, it's an absolute luxury and one that I celebrated with new make up and deliberately allowing myself two whole hours where the only thing I had to worry about was getting ready.
So armed with a face full of new make up, a new frock and a sequin covered handbag, I went off for a night of dancing, food and friends. Followed by a sleep that was not dictated by the routine of an eight month old. Bliss!
Now, I really did miss O, she's amazing and so much fun! In her absence, I had so much free time and a very quiet house and it was great to feel a bit like the old me again. The me, that goes out and dances at parties, the me that sleeps in late on a Sunday without interruption, the me that talks about things other than babies.
I wouldn't change being a mum, but sometimes it's brilliant to be baby free and dance the night away :-)
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