January blues...

I I don't think I will be alone when I talk about the "January blues" with all the excitement of Christmas behind us, no sign of spring coming any time soon and the obligatory "healthy eating" January can really drag by. 

Earlier this week I found myself feeling quite out of sorts, Harry had yet another cold and we were house bound once more. I absolutely love being at home and can happily spend a week and not leave the house, however if the choice is taken away and I have to stay at home I get a real case of cabin fever. So I thought I would put together a little list of things that you can do for free or on a budget that will help get rid of the January blues. 

1. Get some fresh air, we have three Labradors that need plenty of exercise so it's time to get those welly boots on and go for a good long march around, it never fails to boost my mood and Harry's! 

2. Eat well, I find the whole healthy eating a bit of a mission, I'm far to tempted by chocolate biscuits! However I have found that eating 5 a day plus having the odd treat too realy helps me to feel happier during the winter months. This week we have eaten loads of spinach and both myself and the Husbando have really felt a difference. 

3. Take naps!! This is something that I find rather difficult but I have been working on it. Obviously if you work full time or your baby refuses naps this can be hard but if there is a nap opportunity then take it! It always makes me feel happier and more able to deal with the lack of daylight and how cold it's been. 

4. Embrace winter! Look at the positives of winter, snuggly nights in,

Comfort food (cassaroles with loads of veg are a personal favourite of mine) watching films and staying in your pjs at weekend! None of these things are the same during the summer months so make the most of it now. 

5. Being spring into your home. Fresh flowers always make me happy so I try to make sure I always have some. And if your on a budget morrosons sell daffodils for just £1! Perfect to cheer up your home. 

6. Make some time for you, it doesn't matter what this is for me it's painting my nails or reading a book. Take an hour and just spend it on you. As a mother I don't get much time to myself but when I do I sure make the most of it! 

7. Have a date night with your husband/partner this never fails to make a long hard week with a teething baby seem better. I think it's so important to make time for each other with no phones or distractions just the two of you. We don't go out much so often have date night at home. We get party food and listen to music and dance around the lounge! Perfection. 

I hope you like my ways to avoid the winter blues... What are yours I'd love to know? 

Our Wedding Day

Today I thought that i would do a non mummy post and write about our wedding day instead.

My husband (Matthew) and I got married on the 28th of September 2013,  it was a perfect day, the weather was beautiful and warm, all our guests were wonderful and the most perfect thing of all, I got to marry my best friend and soul mate.

We had a small wedding, just 26 people including us! For us we felt that we wanted it to be personal and quiet, neither myself or hubby are very sociable people so just a small gathering of close friends and family was perfect. The ceremony was held on a small estate in a beautiful barn, we wanted a shabby chic feel and little fuss. I had never dreamed of a big wedding or ever getting married at all, however when my husband and I got together (after 4 years of fancying the pants off him) I knew straight away that I wanted to marry him....luckily he felt the same!

The ceremony was beautiful, very romantic, funny at times and I don't think that anyone had a dry eye, I cried on and off through happiness and laughter the whole way through! We didn't get married until 4pm, what a wait that was! I think that if we could change one thing about the day we would have done it earlier, so we didn't have to wait so long to tie the knot!

I got ready at my parents home with two good friends, we didn't have anyone out to do our makeup but my hairdresser did wash a dry my hair along with putting flowers in my hair. Getting ready with these girls was so much fun and I loved it. Then it was a quick emotional moment with my dad before hopping into his land rover defender and off to the venue!

After the ceremony we ate cakes drank champagne and generally just enjoyed everyones company, Matthew and I just swooned over one another and enjoyed keeping our secret (I was 6 weeks pregnant with Harry) as the afternoon rolled into the evening we had a quiet walk around the estate park with our photographer, before going back to the venue for roast beef!

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about our wedding day, this and the day Harry was born will always be the best days of my life, but best of all I've been able to do it with Matthew, yes we argue sometimes and of course we get on each others nerves from time to time but none of that matters, being married to him is perfect and I look forward to us looking back on this day when we are old and grey and have lots of grandchildren.

Mummy Must Have's (0-9 months)

Hi everyone I'm so sorry that I haven't blogged in what seems like ages! I feel as though I have been so busy yet have nothing to show for it! I thought that I would write a blog post about the things that I have found essential with a baby from birth up to 9 months, I read a similar post while I was pregnant with Harry, some of the things I read about were great, others didn't work for me so please take what you wish from this post but, I'm sure that you other mummy's out there will have other rings that you find "essential" and please feel free to leave a comment as I always love to hear about new products!

My No.1 essential for having a baby has been my husband, without him I really couldn't be the mother that I am. He has given me so much love and support over the last 8 and a bit months. I'm also very lucky that his job and hard work has enabled me to be a stay at home mum and that is truly just the best!

 No.2 essential is this (pictured below) we call him Freddy firefly and Harry has loved him from when he was about a month old, and he still loves playing with him now. I adore these Lamaze toys, not only are they reasonably priced but they also keep babies occupied for what seems ages!

 No.3 essential is the co sleeping bed (I don't have a picture as it has now been packed away) we brought a beautiful mosses basket for harry to sleep in but he hated it! I would have such a job putting him down in it that after 3 days of persevering we stared to scan the internet for an alternative. We found our co sleeping bed on mamma's and Papa's website, although I think that mother care are also as a stockist. The bed cost around £150 and it attaches to your bed so that you can feed your baby and then simply slide them into their bed! It was a life changer and Harry slept in it right up until the week that he turned 8 months, he has since gone into his own bed in his own room without a problem! I would recommend this to anyone especially if you breast feed!

No.4 essential isn't a product but more a state of mind. RELAX!!!! Don't put pressure on yourself to be the worlds best mother! So many mums find it almost a competition, its not all mothers are in this together and it doesn't matter what you do as long as its right for your family it doesn't matter! I got very uptight in the first few weeks to have a clean house, be dressed, walk the dogs, be on top of the laundry, none of that matters! just snuggle your baby and then once you've found your feet then you can try and have a routine. So to anyone who is a new mum don't feel guilty about the housework and certainly don't compare yourself to any other mums. despite how you feel you will be doing a great job.

No.5 essential is this (pictured bellow) a jumparoo! I swore that I would not have a house full of plastic crap, but alas I do and the jumparoo although big and ugly is brilliant. Harry started to use it when he was 4 months and he still loves it now! He will happily bounce in it for an hour at a time, enough time to cook dinner our just sit and have a cup of tea! Brilliant invention! I would really recommend getting one if you haven't already.

No.6 essential is nipple cream, if you breast feed you will get through quite a bit in the first few weeks! I tried several different brands but the one I found the best is Lansinoh HPA Lanolin nipple cream, its quite expensive but its worth every penny! It was the only cream that I could find that you didn't have to wash off before feeding your baby. If you are planning on breast feeding then I would try this as it made sic a difference.


They are my 6 essentials from 0-9 months, I would love to know what you couldn't live without, please leave a comment and let me know what your essentials are.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I promise that I wont leave it so long before I blog again! 

Current daily routine

I have always enjoyed reading daily routines on various different blogs so I thought that I would give it a go and write my daily routine. I would just like to say that this is just the routine if it's a normal Monday-Friday day when my husband is at work. Obviously the routine is different at weekends or holidays.

7-7.30.

Wake up and either go to Harry who is already awake or I wake him, I don't like to let him sleep longer as it then puts the whole day out of rhythm! 

I then go downstairs turn on the lights and open the blinds, arrange some toys for Harry to play with while I put the laundry on and empty the dishwasher. 

8.30.

Breakfast.. I always try to eat all my meals with Harry or Harry and Matthew if he is home from work. I was brought up to always sit at the table and talk about plans for the day etc. 

at the moment Harry is having half a slightly mashed banana and a baby biscuit or rusk for breakfast, I have porridge with half a banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon a cup of tea and a pint of water. 

9-9.30.

Nap time! I give Harry a milk feed (I am still breastfeeding) and then put him in his cot, he is usually still awake, he will cry for a couple of minuets and then go to sleep. 

Now I run around like a mad woman and tidy the house, clean the kitchen and bathroom,  vacuum and have a shower. This usually takes me just over an hour, I then either write a blog post, play with the dogs, do any extra cleaning like the fridge or even some cooking if I can prepare for the evening supper.

11.

Harry wakes up and I go up get him dressed make the beds and give him another milk feed. We then go and play for a while before I prepare lunch. 

12 .

Lunch time, Harry is currently having either some fruit puree or one of Ella's kitchen baby food pouches. I was very negative about these pre made baby foods however Harry won't eat anything I make for him especially if it contains meat! Not sure what that says about my cooking! 

Generally I have either a bagel with ham and cheese or tuna a few slices of cucumber and a few cherry tomatoes and a yoghurt for pudding. 

1.30

Usually around this time Harry will either take another nap at home or we will go out and he will sleep on the journey, if we are at home this is the time where I have a cup of tea or coffee and read. He will nap for about 90 minuets.

3.

As soon as Harry wakes up he has a nappy change and a milk feed, then we head out for a walk with our three dogs. Tilly bongo, Kai and jake. They are Labradors that live outside (in an insulated kennel) all three of them are working dogs so need plenty of exercise. 

4. 

By now my husband is normally home and he plays with Harry while I get dinner on, we aim to eat around 5.30 (ish) 

5.30

Dinner is served! This is one of my favourite times of the day, all three of us eating together talking and making Harry giggle. It's quality time, no phones, no TV, no interruptions. Absolute bliss! If not a little messy! 

6.15 

Harry has his bath and a bedtime story.

7pm 

Harry's bedtime! He has a milk feed and then gets put down in his cot in his own bedroom. He usually talks to his teddy bears for 5 minutes before falling asleep. 

7.30 

Our time! This time is treasured, just me and my husband, time for chatting watching soaps (unfortunately I'm addicted to emmerdale and eastenders) or just generally relaxing. This time for parents is bliss. 

10.30

Bedtime, by this time I'm exhausted so it's off to bed and ready to start the day all over again. 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my daily routine, I'd love to hear yours, please leave a comment! 

My first baby...

I thought I would do a blogpost on my first baby... Well fur baby anyway! I've owned Demi my gorgeous Irish draft x Dutch warmblood mare. I've now owned Demi for 10 years! She is the product of my blood, sweat and tears. When I got Demi I was 16 and she was 6, Demi was a real handful, she bucked, reared, bolted and basically did anything she could to try and kill me! I was a fairly experienced rider at 15/16 and wasn't scared of anything, until Demi came into my life.

Demi came to me after my first pony - a trusty new Forrest pony called twiggy. Had died, I was as you can imagine heartbroken, and I most certainly didn't handle it in the best plops single way! However I had found a horse to go and view to buy to take my mind of things. Off we went to try this horse out, she was lovely but really didn't light that spark that I was looking for. When we got back to the yard I noticed a slightly crazy looking horse, I wondered over and instantly fell in love. The owner said that she was also for sale and that I could try her if I wanted... So I did! I fell off twice and fell in love, we took Demi home that same day. 

We have had our ups and downs, not to mention trips to A&E! But we are partners, when I ride her I feel like there's nothing I couldn't do. She has been therapy, a confident and at many times my only friend. I could never part with her, she is on loan while Harry is small, but I look forward to having her back one day and continuing our journey. 

10 years on our lives have changed a bit, Demi is with a lovely loan home (I could never sell her) so that I can enjoy being a mummy to a non fur baby, I miss her and all the time I used to spend with her, but Harry and my husband come first, although I look forward to having her home one day. Demi is now a safe good natured horse, she is kind and loving a little crazy and most definitely a drama queen! 

       (Sorry this pic was taken on my phone hence bad quality) 

I hope that you have enjoyed this post, please let me know what you think and if you would like to hear anything else on my blog.