A year ago today...

This day last year I was doing the final checks on my hospital bag (and yours!) before my induction that night. I had no idea what the future held for us both. All I knew was that I was ready - ready to meet you and see your wee face, ready to stop the Ranitidine, ready to walk like a human as opposed to a farm animal. More than anything, I was ready to start being a mummy to you.
After a 24 hour labour you arrived and my God, you were perfect. The minute I held you a lot of things became insignificant. As twee as it sounds, you became my whole world.
People tell you that the first year flies by but I cannot believe how quickly it has went! It only feels like yesterday that I carried you out to the car eager to get home and have everyone meet you. I've watched you grow from a tiny, helpless little baby  into a loving, funny, strong willed, cheeky wee boy.
If this year is an indication of what the rest of our years together are going to be like, I can't wait!

Jellycat

There is plenty I want to say about Jellycat & their products but I'm trying not to waffle. :-) I was offered the opportunity to review three of their toys: the Bashful Beige Bunny, Clicketty Walter Whale & Octavia Octopus Jitter.

First off, the packaging of these toys is just too cute. They come in their own wee branded drawstring bag and my son had just as much fun with those as he had with the toys inside. He's at that age now where filling & emptying provides him with endless enjoyment.


Onto the products:


Bashful Beige Bunny - Small £11

This is one of the most plush soft toys I have seen on the market. I have a basket full of soft toys that my little boy has received since he was born, he is 11 months old now. He loves rubbing them on his face as he's going to sleep & he also loves giving them kisses/cuddles. This bunny is no exception. I have put him down with it at nap time most days since it arrived & he loves snuggling up with it. As I said before, its very soft & its easy to manipulate so he can hold it when taking steps (he's just learning to walk).
The only thing I would say is that if you're wearing dark coloured clothes the bunny tends to "moult". I don't think that's a massive issue though, a quick rinse in the machine would probably sort that out.


Octavia Octopus Jitter - £11

I know I only have the experience of these three items but they all seem to be made incredibly soft, with tiny little hands in mind. This feels like a soft-knit, that's the best way I can describe it!
My little boy is quite content to sit in his buggy & look around but I always like to have toys hanging from his pram to entertain him in case I run into an unexpected delay. This toy kept him perfectly entertained one morning while I was in the bank. He spent the entire time pulling the octopus by the legs causing that jittery sensation, which in turn made my little man laugh his head off. :-) I love how the babies can pull on the body or some/all of the 8 legs...whatever they find easiest to manipulate. He's now getting to grips with holding one end & pulling the other when we're at home. :-)


Clicketty Walter Whale - £11

Another soft to the touch toy! While O loved all of the toys I think this was the one that held his attention for the shortest amount of time. I think this was basically down to the fact that his development is beyond this toy now. He knows he can move the rings. He knows that they make a noise if he shakes Walter so he does it once or twice then moves onto the next toy. As a mother I can't fault the toy though. Its maybe something I would buy for a younger baby when they initially start to take an interest in the items around them & are just developing their grasp.

Now that I know Jellycat exists I will definitely be visiting the website when my friends have babies. I was surprised at how reasonably priced they are & they have a varied selection of toys. I would love to buy O some of the Farmyard collection.

Have any of you bought from Jellycat?

What did you think of their products?

Much love. xx


Lisa
@latte_fiend on Twitter












While I received these products for free for the purposes of the review, my opinions on the products are entirely my own & honest.

Cheeky Wipes

When I was getting ready to have my son last year I was going through the usual decisions a mum-to-be has to make. What steriliser? Do I breastfeed or formula feed? What type of Moses basket should I get? The list goes on & on.
At the time I also thought about reusable nappies/wipes versus disposable nappies/wipes. Being a single mum-to-be I decided there was no way I'd have time to look after my new baby, plus do a mountain of nappy laundry as well.
I try to do my bit for the environment so it has always stuck in my craw that I'm using disposable nappies and wipes. That's not to say I'm judging those that do! I just felt like I should have at least tried reusables, but when that wee bundle arrives you just get caught up in him/her.
I'm finally in the process of making the switch now, only 11 months late! :-) I'm still trying to decide on which reusable nappy to go for but I've made the switch to reusable wipes, namely Cheeky Wipes. 

Just recently I had the opportunity to try out the Cheeky Wipes All-In-One Kit. After using the wipes for a while now, I really don't know what I thought was so daunting about reusuables! Cheeky Wipes makes the whole process so simple.

The All-In-One Kit contains the following:

- 25 soft cloth baby wipes, 15cm x 15cm. You can choose from cotton terry, 'Ultimate' cotton & cotton velour or microfiber.
- 'Single-Clip' Fresh Baby Wipes container.
- 'Single-Clip' Mucky Baby Wipes container - with mesh bag insert.
- Cheeky Wipes Fresh Baby Wipes waterproof out and about travel bag.
- Cheeky Wipes Mucky Baby Wipes waterproof out and about travel bag - with mesh bag insert.
- 10 ml bottle of Fresh Baby Wipes Essential Oil Blend. You can choose from Lavender & Chamomile, Mandarin & teatree or Rose & Rose Geranium.
- 10 ml bottle of Tea Tree & Tea Tree Lemon Mucky Baby Wipes Essential Oil Blend.

Onto using the wee system! :-) I'll speak about the Fresh Wipes container first. Its so simple! You literally fill the container up with water to the fill line and add a few drops of your Fresh Wipes essential oil, I have been using the Lavendar and Chamomile one and it smells fantastic, not overpowering, just really clean. Then you pop your clean wipes in and turn them now and again to soak up that fragrant water. :-) That's it! There's a single clip on each container so everything is nice and secure. My son still tried to get into it but I'm pleased to say, he failed. :-)

Cheeky Wipes suggests that every two days you pop any unused wipes into your machine just to freshen them up. Plus, you don't need to wait for the laundered wipes to dry - just pop them back into the Fresh Wipes container with some fresh soaking solution.

Now, onto the Mucky Wipes container. Same thing again, fill it up with water to the fill line and add a few drops of the Mucky Wipes essential oil. Then attach the mesh bag insert to the wee hooks in the box and you're good to go. 

I particularly loved the Mucky/Fresh Wipes waterproof out and about bags. They don't take up much room in your baby bag for a start and if you don't like the idea of touching the "mucky" wipes at the end of a day out then all you have to do is loosen the drawstring on the bag and pop them in the machine. I love that!

You can wash the wipes anywhere from 30-70 degrees but Cheeky Wipes do suggest washing them once a week at 60 degrees. I just bung them in with my towel wash.
And just to add, the All-In-One kit is £39. You might want extra wipes if your baby is smaller but 25 wipes is more than enough for my wee boy now that he's older.
My only regret is that I didn't go with them from the beginning. I can only imagine the money I would have saved & no faffing around with cotton wool & cool boiled water in the early weeks!

Have any of you tried Cheeky Wipes? How much did you love them? :-)

Much love. 

Lisa. xx

 

@latte_fiend on Twitter. 

~ This product was sent to me for review purposes ~ 

17 minutes free time?

Last week Netmums said that recent research would suggest that mums get just 17 minutes "me time" a day. 17 minutes! 

As a single mother, I can definitely concur with this, assuming that they're not counting once the babies are in bed?

From the moment I wake until the moment I put the little man in bed it's all go go go. Baths, cooking, nappy changes, mum & baby groups, library visits, grocery shopping, cleaning, playing with baby, reading to baby, daily walk to get fresh air, popping in to check on elderly relatives & so on.

I don't resent this though. This is what I signed up for & while some days are exhausting I wouldn't have it any other way. As the baby grows up I will inevitably have more & more "me time" & I'm not sure that I'll be ok or happy with that option.

My "me time" comes in the evenings. Little man goes to bed at 7.30pm. I spend the next hour cooking myself a bite to eat, tidying away toys, dishes etc. Once that's done I spend a few hours doing things for me - a glass of wine, a hot bath, trashy tv, catching up with friends & passing time on various social networks. 

Realistically, I probably do get more than 17 minutes "me time" a day but it's still down in the low numbers. I just try to use my time efficiently during the day because time to myself in the evenings means more to me than a snatched few minutes during the day. 

If you're a mum, how much "me time" do you think you get? 

New Year, New Resolutions?

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." - Hal Borland
2013 has been the most life changing year for me. I gave birth to my son and have experienced a love I never knew existed. I have also learned a lot about myself along the way. 

I'm now on the road to becoming self employed so that I can spend more time with him - something I have always wanted to do but never been brave enough. Keep your fingers crossed that it all pays off! :-)
I have also learned that some friends are only friends because the 'conditions' of the friendship suit them. This has made me appreciate all those genuine people in my life even more so.
Onto the new year and potential resolutions. :-) Why does it take a new year to make resolutions? For some unknown reason it seems like a new year rolling around is the perfect time to make changes.
In recent years I have decided not to make resolutions. They seemed pointless, one month later I would be back to old ways.  Why set myself up to feel like a failure?
Yet, this year I feel compelled to make a few resolutions and I feel determined to stick to them. Who knows if it's just a fleeting feeling...only time will tell. :-)
The resolutions are:
1. I will diet and I will lose weight.
2. I will appreciate the here and now, not dwelling on the past or daydreaming of the future.
3. I will open a savings account for my son and make sure it gets regular contributions.
4. I won't let other people's attitudes/negativity rub off on me. They will live their life how they wish, as will I, I will chose to be positive. Hippy dippy enough for you? ;-)
5. The last but the most important is that I will enjoy every single moment with my gorgeous wee boy. When it comes down to it, it's all that matters anyway.
Are any of you making resolutions?
Love. x


@latte_fiend on Twitter. 
 

First Christmas With Little Man

Well, its Boxing Night and I have done nothing but overindulge for the past two days. Its been great! I thought I would take this quiet moment to write a post since I have been neglecting my blog recently.

This Christmas was a Christmas of firsts for me.
- My first Christmas as a mummy.
- My first Christmas with my gorgeous little man.
- My first Christmas preparing for Santa.

I have loved every single minute of it and cannot wait to do it all over again next Christmas. I had a "Baby And Me" day on Christmas Eve. We woke up, had breakfast together, napped together, opened LM's (Little Man) Christmas Eve box, had a walk together where we fed the ducks and deers, watched The Snowman together (well I watched it while he glanced at it now and again and rolled around on the sofa!) Then we decamped to my parent's house to spend a few days with family.

Waking up on Christmas morning to my son's smiley little face seemed to encapsulate in that moment everything that Christmas is about...love, family (& I don't just limit that term to those related by blood), happiness, the small, simple and insignificant things. Yes, we all like to receive nice things but Christmas is about so much more than that. 

My son eventually understood that the wrapping paper came off his gifts and revealed the toy inside. His favourite toy was still the mountain of discarded wrapping paper though. :-) He was overwhelmed at times, I think our excitement was rubbing off on him but he had a fun filled day which is what matters.

I couldn't help but get involved in Sarah Millican's #JoinIn on Twitter. So many people were alone (and lonely) this Christmas and something as minute as a hashtag seemed to make them feel loved. You could get a real sense of the spirit of Christmas through that timeline. I'll definitely be dipping in and out next Christmas too. 

I hope everyone else enjoyed their day and continue to enjoy the festive feeling for a few more days. 

Love. x

@latte_fiend on Twitter.

Life is so short

Apologies for the absence but I have been busy moving myself and baby boy into our new house. I now fully understand why they say that moving house is one of the most stressful things a person can do...

At least I thought it was one of the most stressful things until I got a bit of perspective.

I write this as I await news about a baby I know in respiratory failure. The doctors are using their last option to help him, after that there is nothing they can do for him. I look at my son, who is just a little bit younger, and I cannot imagine being faced with that. How do you even begin to prepare yourself? The thought alone kills me. Life is so very cruel sometimes. I still hope against hope that this little boy will be the one to make a miracle recovery.  He has so many people rooting for him. 

All of the above, that's real stress. Not "shopping" for a new house moving boxes around. It's sitting by your babies hospital bed not knowing what's around the corner.

It shouldn't take things like this to make you take stock of your life & appreciate what you have but unfortunately most of us lose our way a little.

I don't think this particular blog post serves any purpose other than for me to say - sit down, think about everything you have & be thankful. That's what I intend to do. 

Love. 

@latte_fiend on Twitter 

The Hard Parts

 

This saying has rang true for me on so many occasions this year. It has been the most enjoyable/exciting rollercoaster I have ever been on but it hasn't been without its hard parts and its those hard parts I want to write about for this post. As with most of my posts, I can only talk about it from the perspective of being a single mother but I'm sure some of the things I'm going to talk about can ring true for any parent at some time or another, single or otherwise.

The loneliness. My baby boy is the best company! Even though he has me awake at 5am most mornings, the day seems to fly by and before I know it its 7pm and time for bed again. That said, when he goes to bed I can sometimes feel the loneliness set in. In order to stave it off that's when I normally throw myself into cleaning, cooking something to eat and paperwork. It means that I never really relax.

No other team players. Not so much now but in the earlier weeks/months I found it hard not having anyone to hand the baby over to. I found myself bathing at 2am on some occasions because I knew it would be my only opportunity. Sometimes my first proper bite of food would be midnight. People are very happy to talk about "helping" but what they really mean is they'll hold the cute baby while you bust a gut doing something else.
Now that my son is crawling and climbing up on everything, I find I can't take my eyes off him for two seconds. So once again I find myself longing for someone to be there just to keep an eye on him while I make him lunch/dinner etc. without worrying that he's swinging from the chandelier! ;-)
I also sometimes wish there was someone there to take their turn at getting up at 5am while I catch up on some much needed sleep. I have never lusted after anything, or anyone for that matter, like I lust after a full/long nights sleep.

Nobody to tell me I'm doing a good job. Ok, this one is a wee bit self indulgent but we all like to hear that we're doing a good job, don't we? After a tough day or long night its sometimes just the boost you need to hear to keep you going.

Sleep deprivation. This one is the b*t*h. There's a reason some countries have used this as a method of torture....it works! It affects how you think, how you feel and it makes you become someone that you don't recognise.

Nobody to share the amazing moments with. In quick succession my boy started to sit up unaided, then started to creep, then crawl and he's pulling himself up on the furniture now. He's doing a combination of baby led weaning and traditional weaning. He's about to move into his own room (I don't want to talk about it! lol) So many moments like these have passed by and each one has brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. I couldn't be more proud of this little bundle. I don't miss my ex (not in the slightest), I don't miss that life and what it done to me but I do miss the notion of having someone there to dance around the room with me when my child has reached yet another milestone. Instead I phone family and close friends and they do a brilliant job of being just as elated as I am. :-)

How have you other single mothers found things?

Love. xx

@latte_fiend on Twitter.

What I've Learned So Far

I'm a single mummy. Its the best job I've ever had, its rewarding and makes everything worthwhile but its hard. Its not all sweetness and light but then most parents have learned that little titbit, haven't they? :-)
While pregnant the label "single mother" scared me. Were people going to judge me? Were they going to think that I was someone that had messed up? Were other women going to think they were better mothers than me because they had managed to "keep their man"? Granted, a lot of the doubt was down to hormones but still, I'm sure I'm not the only single mother that thought those things.
My baby is 8 months old now and I've learned quite a few lessons so far. This is what this particular post is about.

No regrets. When I split from my ex I wished I had never met him, I regretted that I had wasted so many years of my life in an abusive, dysfunctional relationship. Then my baby boy was born and the moment I held him I instantly realised that the past is just that, the past, over, gone. I never need to repeat it. I've learned my lessons and I'm moving forward. I'll never get to the end of my days and think "I wish I had spent more time looking back".

A couple with a baby doesn't make them happier than me. I've met some mummies through baby groups etc. and some of them are miserable in their relationships, others are as happy as me. Its taught me that having an other half might make the load a wee bit lighter at times but it doesn't make their "happy tank" any fuller than mine.

Not all families look the same. I've always known this but being a single mummy brings it to the forefront. Baby boy and I are still a family, a unit. I'm glad that things have changed so much over the years. As my son grows older he will be able to look around and realise that families are all very different - 2 mummies, 2 daddies, different nationalities, races, 1 mummy or 1 daddy. I'm not saying the nuclear family is bad - I'm just glad that there are many different variations now.

Trust my instincts. People offer lots of well intentioned (but often uninvited) advice when you have a new baby. Everyone seemed to want to offer me advice, even though it was the last thing I needed. The baby thing has always been easy. I've worked in childcare for 15 years so a newborn baby didn't worry me. Though, when you have just given birth your hormones are raging, you're running on adrenaline but you also feel quite vulnerable. Because of this, the "advice" started to make me question the decisions I was making. Maybe I was doing things incorrectly? I had a moment during a night feed and decided that from then on I would smile sweetly when offered advice & then do things the way I wanted to. There aren't many people that I trust as much as I trust myself. :-)

How to be frugal without being miserable. I have to be smart with my money for obvious reasons but I've learned to make it go quite far without having to be miserable. Only buying what I need, making lists and only buying what is on the list, freezing the food I can't use before their date, batch cooking etc. I'm still learning. :-)

I'm extremely proud of the job I'm doing. I have a baby who is happy and more loved than he could ever imagine. We're just at the beginning of our story but I look forward to the next page.

 

What are your thoughts and experiences?

 

@latte_fiend on Twitter

 

Single Mum & Dating - Where To Begin?

So I've been single for a long time now. I split from my ex at the end of last summer & was 7 weeks pregnant at the time. My priority was to heal after my that relationship & prepare for my baby to join this wonderful world. He arrived in March & its been everything I thought it would be & much much more. In one word, its been magical. An adventure. Though I digress. Baby is now 8 months old & we've found our groove together.

While I don't think I'm quite *there* yet, I am beginning to think about dating. The question is, where do I begin? In my adult years I've been in 2 serious relationships that both stemmed from friendships so I don't really know how to "date". I cringe at the thought of it if I'm honest but how am I to ever meet anyone if I don't date?

I also need to get over this overwhelming sense of guilt at the notion of leaving my baby while I go out with someone. This is why I say that while I'm thinking about dating, I'm not quite *there* yet. I'm a big believer in the idea that if it doesn't feel right, its probably not right. And dating right now doesn't feel right....but maybe in the future.

I've spoke about it with friends & they seem to think I won't feel guilty if I arrange dates for times when I know baby will be in bed. That way I can still do the bedtime routine (which is so precious to me) & I'm not giving up any quality time with son because he will be snoring his gorgeous little head off.

The whole dating scene seems like a minefield & I don't know if I'm cut out for it. That said, while I'm not overly eager to start meeting new people at the moment, I also don't want to be alone for the rest of my life either. That's exaggerated but you get the idea....

I never thought this would be so hard to ponder over. Or maybe I have too much free time on my hands.......as if. :-)

Love.

@latte_fiend on Twitter