Monthly Archives: June 2014

What’s wrong with being a “mummy blogger” anyway?

30 Monday Jun 2014

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Mummy bloggerWhen I tell people I have a blog, their first reaction is often, “Oh, what’s a blog?”, swiftly followed by, “And what do you blog about?

I never know how to answer the second question because, the truth is, I blog about almost everything. Politics, Michael Gove rants education policy, my outfits, interiors style, life as a working mum, parenting struggles, opinions on current affairs, pregnancy, relationships… the list goes on.

I started this blog for two reasons: to have somewhere to air the thoughts that were in my head as I pushed my baby on never-ending walks in her pram, and to create an online portfolio for my writing. But, mainly, I wanted a voice. Somewhere to say stuff.

And say stuff I have. For the last three and a half years I have said a lot of stuff. In that sense, this blog has most definitely served its purpose. More than that though, people have responded. I’ve made genuine, real-life friends with other mums who also blog (hello Jane, Gemma and Emma!) and we’ve agreed and disagreed on all sorts of topics. It’s one of the things I LOVE about being a “mummy blogger”.  Continue reading »

Four lessons for my daughter on her fourth birthday

27 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Motherhood

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Either I’ve spent the past four years in some kind of foggy haze or time has speeded up to a ridiculous extent and, somehow, I appear to have a four year old.

An actual four year old. Four is SO much bigger than three. Four is school and, and – it’s nearly FIVE for goodness sake. And what comes after five? Six. And that’s PROPERLY old.

Anyway, while my child was busy turning from this:

Newborn Frog

Into this:  Continue reading »

Blogger Bump Club Week 7 #BlogBumpClub

26 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by in Pregnancy

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Blogger Bump Club

This week I’ve realised just how different this pregnancy is to when I was carrying Frog. It’s not the fact I’m far more knackered, already having a young child to run around after and juggling motherhood with work and general life stuff. It’s the fact I now blog.

Without wanting to sound like a total blogging cliche, starting this blog has had a huge effect on my life. I’ve learned new skills, made new friends (real life friends who I see and spend time with – not just Twitter mates!) and managed to gain new freelance work from it too. Who knew, when I trained to be a journalist 8 years ago that blogging would become a valid string to my freelance bow?!

When I was pregnant with Frog I did all the usual things: went to an antenatal class, Googled stuff about pregnancy, got excited about buying baby clothes. This time, I’m doing all that and more. As well as the odd Facebook status update (sorry non-pregnant friends – I know, I’m a baby bore) I have this pregnancy documented good and proper. Continue reading »

Dressing the bump for summer

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

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Dressing the bump for summer

One of my favourite things about being pregnant is indulging in a brand new wardrobe. I know it’s frivolous and maternity clothes aren’t forever, but if I can find something to wear that helps me feel like less of a hippo and more of a graceful earth mother, then I’m OK with that.

My main problem with dressing a bump is my own warped perception of my body. In my head, I am Gwen Stefani or Gisele – lithe, thin and with no evidence I am pregnant other than a perfectly round, football-shaped bump perched beautifully on my middle. The reality, however, is somewhat different.

I never looked like Gwen Stefani or Gisele before I was pregnant so goodness knows why I suddenly think I’ll look like them at six months gone. Instead, I am a great deal shorter shorter at 5ft four and three quarters (don’t forget the three quarters) and two dress sizes bigger, at 10-12 rather than 6-8. Continue reading »

Labour and kids: to sugar-coat or tell the truth?

23 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Pregnancy

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baby kicks

Before I begin, this is not a post about Ed Miliband, or indeed any member of his party.

I wish. For that explanation would be far, far, easier.

“Mummy, how is your baby going to come out of your tummy”, asked my almost-four year old the other day.

Like all questions of this nature, she threw it in casually when we were doing something totally unrelated. A bit like, “Can I have some chocolate buttons? Oh – and where do you go when you die?” Continue reading »

Do you Child-Proof?

22 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by in Family

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The first time we considered actually child-proofing our home, our daughter had already reached the age of 19 months old. We lived in a charming cottage that was 500 years old, complete with slate floors, tiles, lots of sharp edges and a rickety staircase. It wasn’t until she nearly fell down those rickety stairs that we invested in a stair gate.

Our plug sockets were uncovered, our coffee table remained a hazard, in all its modern, sharp-cornered glory and don’t even mention the lack of a fire guard on the huge log-burner.

Looking back, it was a mixture of luck, constant vigilance and much “No, no, no! Hot, hot, hot!” that kept our bouncing baby safe in her first few years of life. Continue reading »

Blogger Bump Club Week 6 #BlogBumpClub

19 Thursday Jun 2014

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Blogger Bump Club

This week has been one of those weeks where I’ve been torn between doing the best thing for my bump and doing the best thing for my child. It’s reminded me how different pregnancy is when you already have a child or children to look after (something I wrote about in more detail over at Babycentre this week).

Anyway, after an accident on a trampoline, we now have an almost-four year old with a broken leg who’ll be in cast for at least four weeks. It means there’s much carrying around and lifting, things I’m sure aren’t always the best for the bump, but I don’t have much of an alternative option at the moment (Stannah stair lifts are out of our price range!).

Besides the cast drama it’s been a good week bump-wise. No more bleeds and, despite the lugging around of my surprisingly heavy child, I’m feeling in pretty good shape. There are a few products that have helped me feel better recently – if you’re in need of a lift you might find this post useful.

I’ve also been attempting to take a few more photos of the bump this time around, mainly involving hastily-snapped bump selfies in less-than-glamorous places. Excuse the awful hair, black bra with white top and loo roll in the background of this pic taken last night. I was just about to get in my PJs, so I’m not exactly looking my best… Continue reading »

The cast diaries

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Family, Health, Motherhood

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Leg in cast

I’m not being a drama queen when I say the last few days have been intense. Incredibly, stressfully, sometimes tear-jerkingly intense.

In fact, if it wasn’t for my parents whisking Frog and I off to their house for the week, I’m not sure how I would have coped. I imagine the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine would have returned from work and found me rocking in a corner somewhere, my broken child crying even louder than her mother.

I expect no one would describe having a child in a cast as “fun”. Add being 25 weeks pregnant to the mix and you have a whole new level of physical challenge, carrying an almost-four year old around in a heavy leg cast while feeling particularly bulky yourself. And add the demands of work on top of that and you get a picture of where I’ve been at stress-wise the past few days.

I didn’t start this post to moan though. Well, kind of. But I mean, I know there are plenty more people far worse off than us and, ultimately, a broken leg will mend, so we are lucky.  Continue reading »

The month of June

18 Wednesday Jun 2014

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[This is a sponsored post]

Blue skies

June is an important month in our house. It’s the month of our daughter’s birthday, which also means it’s the month our lives changed forever.

Over the past week it’s felt like summer has officially arrived. We’ve had more blue skies than grey and, at times, the sun has been positively HOT. It all makes me yearn for a cold Pimms and a sunny pub garden, if I’m honest.

It’s funny, because at this time of year I always get flashbacks to the couple of weeks before Frog was born. I can still vividly remember bumbling around our cottage, cleaning things, hanging up baby-grows, well and truly ready for our baby to make an appearance.  Continue reading »

My healthy pregnancy addictions

17 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Pregnancy

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Bump

Being pregnant when you already have a child to look after is a very different ball game to first time around. There’s no time to Google each stage of pregnancy, for starters. I also find it really tricky to squeeze in the same amount of exercise I did when pregnant with Frog – mainly due to work and mum duties taking up every spare minute of my day. But there are a few things helping me to feel pretty good at the moment. It’s fair to say these are my healthy pregnancy addictions.  Continue reading »