Sunday, May 28, 2017

One For the Lonely Mothers ♥

Oh hello there.

I'm going to presume you stumbled or clicked onto this blog post because you feel lonely.

Please don't be embarrassed, you're not alone. I feel exactly the same way and have done for awhile now...

Like you I wish I had friends, like proper friends, who I could have some drinks and chats with and call up when I just want to talk about the stupid stuff that's on my mind. I'd also love to have a friend to have a laugh with, a proper good old belly laugh... because I haven't had one of those in quite some time now and I miss being fun and carefree.

In all honesty, just one friend would probably do, a best friend, like other people have and I wish I was as lucky as them. Don't you?

It's funny isn't it, how you can feel so lonely yet not get a minutes peace in a day? The baby's babbling and the four years old amazing stories just don't make up for the lack of adult conversation though do they, no matter how cute they are.

Since having my sons my social skills have almost gone into extinction and I've become so socially awkward - made even more awkward by the fact that my four year old is the friendliest little thing going, it's like he's forcing me to speak to people. So believe me when I say I know how hard it is to try and talk to the other mums and dads, but God am I grateful when it actually goes quite smoothly and I get to chat to another adult for awhile - one who isn't my partner. Not that there's anything wrong with him by the way, but it's nice to speak to someone in the 'outside world' for a change, isn't it?

I love bumping into the friendly mothers at my son's school. The ones who are a bit older than me and probably know I'm awkward and lonely because they probably felt this way at some stage too, so they make the effort to help me join in. Do you know the ones? I hope you have those school gate mums in your life too, because they're a lifeline in a long day of being by yourself with small children.

Did you ever even think it would be like this? Being at home all day on your own, clung to your phone because it's your only source of chat with other people, albeit 'virtual people', but people nonetheless. What would have done if we were mothers back in the 90's with no internet or a smartphone? I dread to think, because if we still feel lonely with all these 'sources' of communication then is there any hope for us at all?

It's not real communication though is it? Nothing beats speaking to people face to face does it? I miss my girly nights out and mid-week meets ups with my friends for water (I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't drink hot drinks), chats and gossip. Those were the days... I miss those girls and somedays I'd love to get in touch, but when so much time goes by I think I'd just look like a food getting in touch out of the blue now.

Do you hate weekends too? I see them as just being two more days to have to find somewhere to go on my own with the kids whilst my partner works. I wish I had friends with kids too to meet up with and chat with while the children played. Instead I put up the teepee in the garden, make 'picnics' for them and sit out with them whilst I comment on people's pictures on Instagram... It's not ideal but it'll have to do, there's no one else to talk to.

Loneliness is the worst feeling in the world and I'm sorry that you feel just like I do. I'm sorry we don't both have the friends we wish for. I'm sorry that this feeling is part of our adventures in motherhood. I wish things were different for us both.

I'm not going to tell you to join a baby and toddler group, go to a gym class or any other social suggestion that other people make in the effort to try and get you to go out and make friends, because if you're anything like me then you couldn't think of any worse places to go on your own. What I will tell you though is that you're not alone.

So in those moments of sadness when the kids are running you ragged and you wish you call someone up and organise a night out... you're not alone. There are thousands of us that feel the same, so don't be embarrassed.

Hopefully one day our paths will cross with some of these people and we can have those chats and friends we so wish for. Until then, take care of yourself. You're just as important as your little ones. Hang in there mama.

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Birdwatching With Children | A Beginners Guide ♥

Birdwatching is one of the best activities for getting children of all ages outdoors and exploring, simply because birds are everywhere and the little ones really do get excited when spotting new birds flying about or foraging for food in bushes and on the ground.

When I was a child, one of my jobs at home was to refill the bird-feeders every weekend. Our garden was always full of birds and I loved spotting them coming to get some food or building nests in the many bird houses and nooks we had around our garden and yard.

In primary school, we were shown videos about birds, were taught all their names and what they looked like. I'm not sure if nature is such a big subject on the curriculum now, but looking back, it's lovely to think that my first school years were so wholesome and we were being taught to love and admire the world around us.

My mother told me from a young age that robins are a sign that someone you love who has passed on is around and I remember taking delight in spotting a robin when I was a little girl. This is a little saying I now say to my own sons and I really do love when we come across a robin or two on our outdoor adventures - as does my eldest, who now loves to pick berries off trees to scatter on the ground for the birds. Whether the birds actually eat them or not is another story!

Whether spending time in your own garden, strolling through your local parks or gardens or have a woodland adventure, this handy beginners guide to birdwatching by experts Kennedy Wild Bird Food has everything you need to know to help your little nature lovers embrace the love of a new hobby and interest in birdwatching.


*This is a collaborative post.

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Friday, May 26, 2017

5 Income Making From Home Ideas For New Mums ♥

Now that your baby has arrived, it may be hard for you to work from a distant office at least for some time. However, given the pressure of life, you cannot just sit down at home until you wean your baby. There are several income generating ideas that you can try as you take care of the young kid. Here are some of them.

1. Open a Daycare Center at Home

If you love taking care of the young children, you may bring some more from the neighborhood and take care of them together for a fee. In fact, most of your neighbors would appreciate having their kids taken care by someone they can trust and one who lives in the immediate area.

Many local authorities allow you to start a daycare center and enroll a given number of children without getting a license. Therefore, you can start with bare minimum items and grow as the number of kids increases. It is an easy business to start if you have some space in your compound. Moreover, you can make it a full-time business should you get high demand for daycare services.

2. Creating and Selling Handicraft

If you had learned something about knitting, beadwork, batik, or interior design, you could set up a home office where you make attire and handicraft for sale. There are many online resources that you can use to learn and hone those skills. You can sell the items online or collaborate with the local antique or handicraft shops. As the business grows, you can diversify to several forms of items to open up new markets for your goods as you take care of the small kid at home.

3. Make Money Freelancing

The gig economy is the perfect description of the future of work. This where you sell your skills to companies that are in need of such services online. Almost every skill can open doors to the freelancing world. You can create content for websites and blogs, transcribe audio to written scripts for businesses in your area, offer marketing advice online, and make cash by taking part in surveys, among other tasks.

Evaluate yourself and determine the area in which you can fit in. You may visit a few companies and make an offer or use freelancing sites such as Fiverr, Craigslist, and Upwork. Consider approaching firms in your locality to write content for their blogs and sites or manage their social media accounts. You can then work on the tasks assigned from the comfort of your home.

4. Make Money in Online Forex Trading

Stock and binaries trading are attractive methods of making money that offer better returns than keeping your cash in savings and long-term accounts. Despite the risk of making losses, you can make a substantial amount very fast by investing money wisely.

When getting started, look at reports on market trends to help make informed decisions. There are regular stock reports online, which can give you a preview of how the market looks like. After this, open an account with a trading website such as CMC Markets from which to buy and sell stocks or binaries.

You can the start trading online by buying and selling your stock as per the trends in the market. After that, it will be possible to increase your investment as you learn the ropes.

5. Work as a Virtual Assistant for your Employer or Another Firm

If you were employed before you gave birth to your kid, propose to your employer to hire you as a virtual assistant. The tasks here include reading emails, responding to them, handling customer complaints online, processing orders, or maintaining the company blogs.

You can also look for a virtual assistant job for freelancing websites. This job gives you the flexibility of working while nursing as long as you complete the number of work hours you have agreed with the client.

You can combine two or more income-generating activities as long as you do not push yourself so hard that you lack time for your baby. Just like in any other work, deliver beyond the customer’s expectations to keep getting more clients in your trade. Moreover, keep learning and perfecting areas where you may be weak.
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Thursday, May 25, 2017

Family Holiday Ideas | An Ocean Cruise ♥


I've shared some lovely family holiday ideas on the blog before, as well as our own family holidays over the years, but today I thought I'd write about a holiday we haven't experienced yet, but one which I think is ideal for families - ocean cruising.

Our annual family holiday is something we look forward to all year round - from the moment we get back from the holiday we've just had actually. Travelling is something we really enjoy and we believe that it's important to share the joy of travelling with our children, after all, what better way to learn than experiencing the world?

We live in one of the most popular cruise ports in the world and seeing the big, luxurious ships come into and dock in the harbour on an almost daily basis during the summer, has left me longing to take my family on some ocean cruises of very our own and experience a different kind of holiday, at sea.

Jacek has already been on a cruise around the Mediterranean and he can't speak highly enough about it. He's made it all sound quite whimsical - being on one holiday on a big, beautiful ship, but waking up in a new destination almost every morning - sounds wonderful, right? This all sounds so appealing to me, because although I do love travelling, I'm not overly fond of the whole transport of it all - taking young children on busy trains and long bus rides isn't a joy of mine. So the ease of cruising sounds amazing to me.

I think an ocean cruise holiday is something we'd all enjoy. Having a cabin to relax in, pools and other attractions to enjoy on the ship - all in close proximity so the children would be well entertained and being able to explore the different destinations that we sail into. It sounds so idyllic to me and the perfect holiday option for a family.

The Caribbean would be my ideal destination for a cruise, stopping by all those beautiful white sand islands would be an absolute dream, but I also love the idea of a Norwegian fjord cruise - like the one Hayley from Sparkles and Stretchmarks and her family enjoyed, would be amazing too. Imagine the photo opportunities of that beautiful landscape!

Also, with ocean cruising, there are cruise destinations all over the world, meaning that if you and your family already have an area or destination that you'd like to explore in mind, you can almost guarantee that it's covered by a cruise route (unless it's inland of course!).

An ocean cruise is something we're definitely going to experience as a family for one of our holidays one year. It's just something that we have to save up for and I know that the experience, luxury and adventures we'll have, will be well worth the money.

Have you and your family ever been on a cruise? Can you recommend any beautiful destinations?

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The Garden of My Dreams ♥

These days I always seem to spend my time wandering around gardens - whether it be my own, my parents or local gardens open to the public. My love of flowers and nature always has me wanting to get out and about, discovering new beauty spots and pretty plants and flowers to photograph.

I think it's so important to get some fresh air every day, especially for the little ones and as I'm now a mother of two very active and playful little boys, I think having a lovely outdoor space for them to enjoy is so important.

We currently live in a rented house with a pebble covered garden - not exactly ideal for little ones or very comfortable for sitting out in during the summer months, hence why I always prefer to go out to my parents huge garden on sunny days, it's beautiful out there and is very close to how I would envision my dream garden to be - very cottage inspired, full of flowers and lots of places to explore.

I've spoken on the blog before about how I'd love for us to grow our own fruit and vegetables as a family, so a greenhouse would be a key element in my dream garden. I'd also love a cosy seating area with a veranda on top, possibly to have wisteria growing on as I think that's such a beautiful flower and love how it hands down.

Although I would love some neat lawn in my dream garden too, I've also envision having a wildflower meadow of sorts too - perfect for me to gaze at and a perfect photo opportunity spot too. I think some quality landscape design would really help me create my vision.

I like gardens with a bit of chaos to them and love seeing a carpet of wild flowers with splashes of different colours in flowerbeds. My dream garden would have lots of poppies, giant daisies, lavender, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths, all of which make for perfect photo opportunities in the different seasons, as well as being pretty to look at too.

So those are the things that would feature in the garden of my dreams. I hope one day when we have a house of our own that we can make all these things a reality and have an outdoor space that we can all enjoy.
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017

12 Months of Beau Samuel James ♥

I've taken a picture of this beautiful little babe of mine, every month on the 19th ever since he was one month old. I love having all of these together to look back on and even though the pictures aren't as perfect as I hoped or envisioned, I love that I have these keepsakes of him and how he changed each month in his first year. I love this cheeky, happy little babe so much.
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5 Ways To Beautify Your Outdoor Space ♥

Outdoor home decoration is every bit as important as interior decoration and as an outdoors lover I definitely stand by this.

When a person approaches your home first thing he or she will notice is it's surroundings and garden (if you have one) and for the majority of us, keeping the outside of our houses looking lovely is just as important as having the inside looking beautiful.

Everyone knows I'm a flower lover and after becoming bored with how drab the outside of my house looked, I decided to invest in some beautiful pink window boxes and pots, to plant some beautiful seasonal blooms in.

I can't even begin to tell you the difference it now makes to me, pulling up outside my house and seeing some pretty flowers outside. I've even received compliments on the look of my house and they're really lovely to hear.

It's been proven that quality of life improves significantly if you are living in a clean and neat environment and I know I'm always a lot happier when my window boxes are in full bloom outside and the house is clutter-free (which is quite rare, I do have two small children after all...).

I thought I'd share some simple yet effective ideas on how to spruce up the outside of your house and your outdoor spaces.

Focus on flowers
Although most homeowners prefer having a neat lawn, it can sometimes come across as quite plain - I know I pass houses on a daily basis and notice the lack of colour in their gardens. It's my dream to have a wildflower garden someday, so I'm definitely not a fan of the neat lawn look.

Planting flowers is a simple way of making your house stand out and inject some personality into your garden and the great thing about flowers that you can remove them and plant something else if you get fed up or want a seasonal look to your outdoor space.

You don't even need to have a garden to grow flowers or plants. Window boxes are a great option, as are plant pots outside your door and I think the whole of London has photographed that fab house in London with the wisteria climbing up it's wall and gates (house of dreams!).

Hedge's can help as well
Like flowers, a hedge surrounding your property can be a great way of giving a beautiful look to your garden, however, there is another and better reason why you should get one - privacy!

If you don't want prying eyes looking into your garden (who does?!) then this is a great way to seclude yourself and close off your space, making it perfectly private.

A hedged garden is also a great option for those who have young children. A hedge helps to close off the garden and keep children in, leaving them able to play safely without wandering off - I grew up in a house with a hedged garden and it was the perfect play area.

Get a pool
Now, for someone like myself, having a pool is the stuff of dreams, but for most homeowners the thought of having a pool can have a lot of negativity - they can be expensive, they need a lot of maintenance and fixing over time and things such as pool pumps and accessories can be really troublesome.

Regardless of this, pools are something that should always be considered even if it’s only a dream. A pool can be an amazing focal point for a back garden and the rest of your garden can then have some landscape design to compliment the pool area. They are great for kids and for swimming and I know a pool would definitely be something we'd get if we ever had the money.

Pretty patios
Most homeowners see a patio as space where you put several tables and chairs and where your family can get together for drinks or meals al fresco, but a patio can also serve as something else.

It can be a special, semi-covered area of the backyard where you can retreat during summer. It is the best way to enjoy the sun and breathe fresh air. I've seen so many pretty patio ideas on Pinterest, with people using lights and verandas to create cosy, beautiful spaces and I would love to have a space like that in my own garden.

A lick of paint
Paint colour choices for your house and front door can make a big impact on the look of your home. My dream house would be pale pink with white windowsills and a white door, but I've seen rows of pastel houses and ones with shocking pink doors which look absolutely amazing!

It's amazing what a lick of paint can do to totally transform the look of your home - inside and out.

I hope I've given you some inspiration for embracing the outdoor areas of your home and making them a beautiful space for you to love and enjoy all year round.

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Saturday, May 20, 2017

Beau's 1st Birthday ♥

 On May 19th 2017 our beautiful baby boy Beau turned 1!

I can't quite believe that I have a one year old again. This past year with our cheeky, dreamy little love has gone by so quickly.

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Monday, May 08, 2017

Kiddy Guardianfix 3 Forward-Facing Car Seat | Review ♥


Beau is now almost one, meaning we've had to move him to a forward-facing car seat. We decided to give him Tyler's seat as it has a good recline feature - perfect for a baby who always falls asleep in the car. This, however, meant that we were left needing a new car seat for Tyler.

When Kiddy got in touch and asked if we'd like to review their Guardianfix 3 car seat (€329) - the newest of their Guardianfix series, I was delighted. Their offer came at the perfect time as we were just about to get Tyler's new car seat and when I read about the safety features the Guardianfix has and the longevity is offers, I knew it was ideal for us.

The Guardianfix 3 is a 1,2,3 group car seat and can be used by children from 9 months to 12 years or 9-36kg. This is the only car seat Tyler will ever need and as a parent, I'm delighted by that fact.

 The Kiddy Guardianfix 3 with the backrest and seat fully down
The Guardianfix 3 can be used with an impact shield with smaller children and also features a removable cushion to give them added comfort. Tyler is now 4 and quite a tall boy so we don't use the impact shield or the cushion with him, however, it's great to know that even without these added features, Tyler is fully protected and comfortable within the car seat.

The car seat has a handle on the backrest which allows you to position the backrest up or down depending on your child's height. This is super simple to do and with the eye level indicator, you can ensure that your child's height is tailored to the seat position. As the backrest goes up and down, the sides of the seat move outwards or inwards, making the car seat perfectly comfortable and safe for your child.

The setting at which we have the car seat for Tyler
The Guardianfix 3 uses the Kiddy K-Fix+ system, letting the car seat naturally slide sideways in a collision - getting the child out of the direct impact zone. This is such a great safety feature and it's amazing how far Kiddy have gone to ensure that the safety of children travelling in their car seats is at maximum.

The material on the Guardianfix 3 is made of a high-tech material called Honeycomb 2 which is designed to absorb energy during impact, offering even more protection to your child.

The car seat was super easy to fit too. I have an 03 Opel Corsa, which is also a 3-door (all the challenges when it comes to installing car seats!) and the car seat simply clicked into the ISOFIX points at the back of my back car seats. Once the seat was connected I was able to pop Tyler in, tailor the seat positions to his height, belt him up and drive off!

At €329 I would have said that the Guardianfix 3 is on the higher end of the price scale when it comes to car seats, but honestly, and I know it's cliché to say, you can't put a price on your child's safety (or comfort) when in the car. Also, I think €329 is actually a great price when you consider the fact that this is the only car seat your child will ever need from age 9 months to 12 years. It offers such great value for money and all the safety features are priceless for a parent's peace of mind.

*We were sent the Kiddy Guardianfix 3 car seat for the purposes of this feature, however, as always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
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Saturday, May 06, 2017

A Few Hours In London ♥

Yesterday Jacek and I spent a few hours strolling around London, after attending an blogging event (details of which I shall be sharing in a future post) which we both thoroughly enjoyed.

It's very rare that we get any time to ourselves, so when the opportunity for Jacek to accompany me to London came about, we were both delighted that we could spend some quality time together and be tourists for a few hours, visiting the historic sights that the UK capital has to offer.

We were pros on the tube - we didn't get lost or mixed up once, which I'm quite surprised about if I'm honest! There's nothing like going to a big, busy and bustling city to make you realise just how much of a country bumpkin you really are.

I was in awe that people were only on the tube home from work gone ten o' clock at night, or that the streets were still so busy so late at night - it's a place that never sleeps and that's so alien to me. I'm a 'tucked up in bed at half nine' kind of girl.

I can honestly say, after our travels around the city, that the city slicker life could never be for me. I'm far to fond of wide open spaces, green fields and nature - although I was surprised and delighted to encounter some beautiful nature right in the heart of the city.

We had lunch in Natural Kitchen on Marlebone Highstreet, were we ate probably the healthiest plate of food we've ever had in our lives. I tasted halloumi for the first time - it was absolutely delicious! Their OMG smoothie really gave a strong kick of ginger and the raw chocolate and orange cake was to die for.

After our tummies were full of goodness we caught the tube to Piccadilly Circus and walked to Buckingham Palace. It honestly was so lovely strolling along by St. James's Park in the sunshine holding hands, I may have felt young again at that moment in time...

We didn't walk right up to the gates of Buckingham Palace, the place was thronged with tourists and we had better views being stepped back anyway, but it was great to see - I had been there once before but I was only 13 and can't quite remember my visit.

We then walked to Westminster, passing Downing Street on our way and making our way to Big Ben. I have to admit, before my trip I was very anxious about visiting London again, especially after the recent terrorist attack, but when we got there and I saw how busy and full of life the city still was I felt reassured.

I even felt brave enough to walk to the spot on the bridge where those poor people lost their lives and were injured, and although the bridge - a prime photo taking spot with Big Ben - was a lot quieter than other parts of Westminster, it was good to see people there taking pictures and being happy again in a spot which had previously been filled with so much sorrow. Life goes on and it was great to see positivity after such horrific events.

Our final strolls around London were had in the beautiful St. James' Park, where we witnessed nature up close and personal, with little squirrels and herons coming right up to us.

We spotted lots of adorable baby ducklings too, some were tucked under their mothers wings, others were roaming around on their own, feeling brave. It amazed me that such nature existed right in the middle of such a busy city, but all the wildlife seemed so content in their surroundings. London really does offer something for all!

The flowers there were absolutely stunning too, so vibrant with all the colours mixed together - I of course had to find flowers somewhere in the city, they are my 'thing' after all...

The views over the lake in St. James' Park were stunning too, with one way facing Buckingham Palace and the other facing the London Eye and Big Ben - a real 'Instagram worthy' spot of pictures.

I really enjoyed our few hours in London. It was amazing to experience a new place with the one I love and get some quality time together too - although I did really miss our boys. They'll have to come with us on our next visit to the UK.

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