Pride comes before a fall

Heather @ Notes from Lapland was a star as usual and said that she was nominating my blog for the Best Looking category for The MADS.

Now my lovely blog is all wonky. I am trying to fix it but everything is wrong, and the comments are missing and well, quite frankly it's all gone tits up.

Watch this space.

Update: Looks like it might just be Firefox / Mac / Blogger weirdness. Am off now to drink the rest of the wine and get over the excitement. Who knew this little corner of the internet meant so much to me?

The Gallery: In our garden

The prompt for The Gallery this week is 'Outside'. So, here are 4 photos I took of our garden last week. I am planning to trying to take four photos from the same spot every couple of weeks so we have a record of the garden this year. I will say, I have nothing to do with it. It is Mr C's baby.

It is looking a bit bare and sorry for itself but if you look closely there are signs of growth and I have a greenhouse conservatory full of little seedlings that Mr assures me will fill it up very soon.I can't wait for summer days spent playing with Piran on the lawn.

Me in the 70's

Noble Savage is having a giveaway of a Sesame Street DVD. Who wouldn't want a Sesame Street DVD? Well I would. So that is why I have posted the above photo of me. She requested one of me in the 70's and this is the only one that I have on the computer. I believe this is 1979. You don't get hats like that anymore.

As an aside, That orange plastic rabbit I am sat on was my favourite thing in the whole world and if you know where I can get one, please let me know.

The summer of 2004

This started as something else, and has turned into my submission for this week's writing workshop. Not only has it done me the power of good and reminded me of how lucky I am I have managed to incorporate THREE prompts, when I started out just wanting to tell you about a job I did once upon a time. I hope you enjoy:

When I was 25 I was made redundant, but I quickly found a job with a new company. I was at the end of a relationship that lasted 2 years but should have lasted 2 months. One evening I was out with friends in the pub and I had the sudden urge that it was time to move home. I called my mum and she told me that my brother was moving out of the studio flat she owned so I had somewhere to live. It felt right. A month later my worldly possessions were in my car and I was back in Cornwall, almost exactly 4 years to the day that I had moved to Brighton in the first place.

I woke up the next morning at my mum's and I checked my stars in the paper as I was enjoying a nice breakfast. It said that today was the day to sit back and let things happen. I knew I needed a job but thought I would leave it one day, just relax and see what happened. My stepdad came home at lunchtime and offered me a job. As a skip watcher.

Quite frankly, the next three months were some of the best of my life. I lived in a studio flat by myself. In the day I would drive to a new village, sit in my car and watch a skip! I would have to make sure that people did not put certain items in the skip (like TV's, batteries, paint). I would help people put their rubbish in the skip, I would chat to people, I was outside all summer. I had a deckchair in the back of my car. I wore old clothes and a cap. It used to be busy for the first couple of hours then I would be there until it was full. I read so many books, it was wonderful. I scribbled in my journal. I listened to music. After years and years of being in an office I felt free. I drank tea from a thermos flask. If it rained I got wet but I felt so alive. I was thinner and healthy. I decided I needed an evening bar job and got the first one I applied for. I worked nights and weekends there, my days were long. I worked 60 hour weeks. I was tired but happy. I was making enough money to get by though which was great. I was home with old friends. I saw my mum all the time.

Then September came and reality set in. I couldn't earn enough money to support myself unless I worked two jobs. It was okay short term but wasn't going to work long term. I made the decision to look into moving back to Brighton. I called my old boss and the very same day someone that she had employed had not turned up to start the job so my old position was free. She offered me the position, all I needed to do was have a meeting with HR. A friend's brother was away and agreed to rent me a room short term. Then within a week of returning one of the new people in my old 3 bedroom houseshare not only handed her notice in but said that she had no plans to stay there during her notice so I could move straight in. I walked back into my old job, my old house (although a different room!), my old life as if I never left.

I had been jaded, unsure if the direction my life had taken was the one for me. I had moved to Brighton with a boyfriend in the first place and stayed when we split up. At the start of that summer I did not know who I was anymore, what I wanted, where I wanted to be. I had needed a break from real life. I am a control freak, and I have to know what is going to happen and when. I need a plan, and I don't like it when life deviates from that plan. But for those three short months I let go. I trusted my instinct and let life take me along for the ride. And what a perfect, wonderful ride it was. I was someone else for a while, and in the process realised that I had been exactly where I was meant to be and I got to go back. As if I never left. What an amazing, crazy, wonderful thing that was.

I cannot imagine what I would have missed if I had not come back. It was meant to be. I found the man of my dreams who was working in the very same office as me. Our romance is a fairytale and I now have a family here. I am so glad that I let everything go for just a little while.

Stokke® Review - Tripp Trapp

Initial thoughts: When our Tripp Trapp arrived I was very excited. I had already decided that I wanted a Tripp Trapp for Piran so getting the chance to review one was perfect. I received one in Natural wood (left) and it looked great in our dining room, we loved the design and there is definitely a colour available for every room. My husband really liked the solid construction of the chair too. Putting it together was simple, even for me! I did wonder if it would be comfortable for Piran, and so we made the decision to purchase a cushion for it as well. We chose a wipeable one, and I am glad that we did!


We liked: Piran is 8 months old and I started baby led weaning just before six months. We love having Piran up at the table with us, and we have quickly realised that he eats a lot better when we are eating together as a family. The Tripp Trapp is fully adjustable, growing with the child all the way to adulthood (I know some adults who love to sit in their own Tripp Trapp!) which is a bonus as I have not come across many other chairs that would last this long. I particularly like the footrest, I feel that Piran seems more secure in the chair because of it and he always sits up straight. The chair itself is very easy to wipe down and keep clean.


We didn't like: For us, the main issue we have is the lack of tray. It is great that Piran is at the table with us but hard to give him the messier meals that baby led weaning can entail. We have tried various mats but nothing seems to stick to our table. I know that there is a table top tray available but unless it sticks down firmly Piran just loves to lift it up, and I am not keen on spending £45 on something that might not work either. So at the moment Piran just eats of the oilcloth, and messy meals are restricted to our bebePOD which has to be on the floor. The only other problem I have is that you need to undo the chair slightly with the allen key to get the cushions on and off if you want to give them a good clean. Update: Sian @ Mummytips sent me her top tip for this: Stand at the side of the chair, hold the bar from the baby set and pull it gently towards you - the wood gives a little and it will pop our without using your allen key!


Overall: I am a fan of this highchair, and feel that the price is worth it when you see how it grows with your child, and the fact that you get a seven year warranty. I love the look of it and everyone who has seen it has commented on how nice it is. It is simple and easy to adjust when the child has grown. If there was just a tray available for the early stages of weaning that would make it near perfect for us.


For more information:
Check out the Stokke® Website.


RRP £195 (includes baby set) but shop around - I have seen the the chair for £110 on one website.

Piran examining his broccoli in his Tripp Trapp

Disclaimer: I was provided with a Tripp Trapp high chair free of charge for the purpose of this review.

Review: Peekaboo Farm! by Emily Bolam

We have received another book for the Mummy Bloggers Book Club. I have added this review to the site - please pop over and take a look at the other reviews as well and become a follower.

Peekaboo!

Who are you?

We received the Peekaboo Farm book to review, a board book with flaps and animals for baby to discover. We had such fun with this book!

This is a lovely board book, with bright vibrant colours. It has all of the great appeal of baby's first book - repetition, peekaboo, animal noises and pictures and a mirror surprise at the end. Piran really enjoyed it and I spent time helping him to open the flaps and look into the mirror at the end. 

He laughs when I make the animal noises, and liked seeing himself in the mirror. I liked it because we know the signs for each animal as well so I was able to use it to reinforce the signs that we already use. All in all a lovely book, and one that I would happily recommend. I will be looking out for the other titles in the series - Peekaboo Pets! Peekaboo Jungle! & Peekaboo Park!

Peekaboo Farm is published by Campbell Books and is available now.

ISBN: 978-0333998120

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review.

The Gallery: Me

The prompt for The Gallery this week is 'Me'. I looked at plenty of photos of me but really, I am not a fan of any of them so here is the comic book version of me, thanks to the magic effects of my webcam.

For more about me, the lovely Babyrambles interviewed me for Blogger on the Spot last week, so to know what is inside the silly outside, pop over for a read.

Update: The ever so clever Leslieanne has been playing about with this for me:

The art of answering back

Firstly can I just say congratulations to my giveaway winners. @kikicomp won the blanket, and Magic Mummy won a tea cosy. Thanks to everyone who entered.

I have been mentally writing a post on comments for weeks and weeks now. I have never really replied to comments on this blog. When I set up my first blog it was with Blogger and I have stayed ever since. I like the system, I find it easy to use and that it can be as simple or as complicated as I like. I have learnt bits about HTML and played around with my template, learning things from sites all over the net and trying them out here. But my only real complaint is the comment system is clunky and you are not able to do the things that I want to be able to do.

Time is a real issue when it comes to replying to comments. I read every comment that I get, but usually from my phone when I am away from the laptop. Commenting on blogs, including my own which would be the only way to reply to comments, is too difficult from my phone. I read blogs via Google Reader on my phone, starring the posts that I want to go back and comment on. Then in the limited time that I have on the laptop I try to comment on the posts that I have loved.

I feel that it would mean more to people to get a comment on their blog from me than a reply on mine. I am not sure if that is true but it is the conclusion that I have come to. However if someone asks me a question I will reply, I just try and do so by email if I have their address, or on Twitter. My last resort is through my own comments. I wonder, do you go back and see if someone has replied to the comments that you leave for people? To be honest, when I leave you a comment I very rarely go back and check your reply, unless I have asked a direct question. So, does that mean by replying you are wasting your time? I know I am not offended if you don't reply.

The thing that solves all of this is a comment system that I can use to reply to you directly via email. It solves all of my issues. I do like it when I leave a comment on a blog and get an email comment in reply.

This is all a very long winded way of saying that I have installed Disqus for my comments on my blog. One problem right now is I seem to be unable to import all of my old comments. So, I am trying to just set it up to start taking comments from now to start with.

I would love your opinions on replying to comments: Do you reply? Do you go back to check if someone has replied to you? Do you like the Disqus system?

The added bonus would be that by leaving me a comment you will be really helping me to test if I like the system too.So thanks!

He's coming home, he's coming home......

Mr C is due back from his trip this evening. I have managed to clean the house, get Piran to bed, prepare bottles for tomorrow and do the dishes so I am all set to enjoy a lovely long weekend with my wonderful man and boy. Except Saturday when I am taking a good friend to London to visit the Queen go for lunch and see Legally Blonde.

However, the swollen tonsil is getting worse and I am afraid that the sore throat is a bad omen. I have survived this week and so I shall be rewarded by sickness I am sure. So I am going to try and head it off and stop it in its tracks with liberal application of hot water bottles, medicine and bed. Just as soon as Mr C walks through that door!

So, just quickly, have you entered my giveaway yet? You have until tomorrow lunchtime, after that all names will be put into a suitable hat shaped receptacle and the draw will take place. Will do the announcing soon afterward.

Also, Sandy has pulled off the most amazing blogging carnival I have ever seen (with babies that are ill at the same time no less). I am getting a bit nervous about May now when I am due to hold it. There are a lot of entries.

Enjoy your evenings. I am off to drink tea and think happy, healthy positive thoughts.

Green, take 2

I found this application online for editing photographs. Called the TiltShift Generator. You can also get it as an app for the iPhone but I played around online. I have no idea about any of this but I tried some bits with the telephone box and now it is really green!

The Gallery: Green

The prompt for The Gallery this week is colour. I was thinking that I would get out and see if I could finally photograph some daffodils in bloom because yellow in spring just makes me so happy but I decided to drive home from Eastbourne on Monday the long way so Piran would sleep and I suddenly remembered that I would be driving past this and it seemed like fate.

The green telephone box is in the Seven Sisters Country Park at Cuckmere Valley. The photo is not the best because I had to snap and run as Piran was sleeping in the car. I tried to find out more information when I got home but Google has let me down this time, I cannot find any interesting facts about it. There is no telephone in it and some of the glass has been broken. It is the only green telephone box I have ever seen, although I know there are more in various parts of the country.

I'm dreaming

I'm dreaming of yellow, of swathes of daffodils dancing in the gentle spring breeze. Of primroses and crocuses, buttercups and dandelions glowing in the sunshine.

I'm dreaming of the smell of cut grass in the sun. The sound of lawnmowers and children playing outside. The sound of chatter drifting over fences, of people sitting in the sunshine.

I'm dreaming of blankets and rugs. Of soft springy grass on which to lay them and soak up the suns rays. Of picnic food and crumbs. Plastic beakers of juice and cups of tea in polystyrene cups. Sandwiches and cakes, ice creams and melting chocolate.

I'm dreaming of fat, bare baby legs crawling around sticking out of a vest. Of splashing in pools of glinting water. Of chuckles and squeals. Of chasing with suntan lotion and wrestling with hats.

I'm dreaming of the perfect morning, opening the doors and stepping into the stillness of the garden with a steaming mug of tea in my hands. Of breathing fresh air. The silkiness of dew draped grass on the soles of my feet. Of silence and planning of the day ahead.

I'm dreaming of shared meals alfresco. Of dusting off the table and chairs, anchoring the umbrella, and finding that perfect spot. Of perspiring glasses of rosé wine. Crisp salads, refreshing fruits and meals made with the spoils of my husbands work in the garden.

I'm dreaming of pottering in the sunshine. Of walking between the raised beds full of growth and life. Of stealing peas from pods. Of deadheading flowers and breathing in the sweet scent of a trellis of sweet peas. Of water splashing on legs and feet as I try to water hanging baskets.

I'm dreaming of adventures. Of taking off with the wind streaming through open car windows, sunglasses protecting our eyes. Of discovering new places and interesting things. Of watching a small person grow and learn every day. Of bringing home treasures to show Daddy.

I'm dreaming of time spent in the garden as a family, watching my husband garden and teach Piran as he goes. Of teaching our baby to walk out on the lawn. Of smiles and laughter and big family hugs. Of quiet time as a couple when Piran is in bed, sharing wine and planning and dreaming.

I'm dreaming of holidays in Cornwall. Taking Piran to the beach. Building sandcastles and padding in the ice cold sea. Of sharing a pasty, chasing seagulls away from our chips. Sleepy worn out boys in pushchairs. Salty kisses between my husband and I. Of Piran getting to know his Grandparents and being spoilt rotten.

I'm dreaming of a million memories yet to be made.
I'm thankful for everything that I have.

Want to know more?

Review: Busy Harbour by Rebecca Finn

I adore books so I was thrilled to be asked if I would like to review books for the Mummy Bloggers Book Club.

I have just added my first review to the site - please pop over and take a look at the other reviews as well and become a follower.

In the harbour it's a busy day. 

"Hoist the sails, we're on our way!" 

The first book that Piran and I received to review is one of the 'Busy Books' illustrated by Rebecca Finn. It is a board book, including interactive action with things to pull, push or slide too add to the fun.

Click here to find out what we thought.


Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review.

Mums, Mother-in-laws & Motherhood

Today started off well, Piran gave me a lovely card and a beautiful silver bead for my Trollbeads bracelet which has a P and a heart on it as a present. But then all too soon Mr C was packing and showering and getting ready to leave for Germany. He did cook us a lovely breakfast, had a nice cuddle with Piran and then disappeared off, leaving us in our pyjamas missing him already.

I started moping around but then I gave myself a good verbal kicking. I am lucky to be a mum. I am lucky that I have a husband who loves me and looks after me and our son. I have a friend who has a baby six months older than Piran whose husband died suddenly when their baby was three months old. We are all healthy and happy. I have no right to mope or complain. So I changed the sheets on the bed ready for me to enjoy this evening and made a little list of all the good things about Mr C being away for five days:

• Less washing up
• I can sleep starfish style in the middle of the bed
• Less tidying up
• I can watch what I want on TV
• I can spend every evening on the internet and not feel guilty
• No one will know if I don't do the dishes
• I can go to bed as early or late as I like
• There will be no snoring
• If Piran is up in the night we can watch TV in bed
• I will not get annoyed when things are not where they belong
• I can eat as much chocolate as I want
• No smelly farts
• No waiting for my turn to brush my teeth
• No strange half conversations
• I can tweet to my heart's content

Now, don't get me wrong I will miss him like crazy. I hate sleeping without him. Piran's bedtime is so much nicer when we do it as a team. I may end up talking to myself like some crazy old lady. Talking to him on the phone will make me miss him even more. But, he is staying in a fancy hotel with room service, breakfasts, beer and no baby to wake him in the middle of the night so I don't feel guilty about that list. I know that he will miss us too so we will all be very pleased when he is home late on Thursday night.

Once I had my positive mental attitude in place I got Piran and I dressed and we took a mosey on round to the inlaws for lunch, which was nice and meant less cooking and washing up for me today which was good.

I remember the first time I went to meet Mr C's parents, I was very scared. He had been the whole way to Cornwall and met mine already but I had not yet gone the 10 miles to meet his. We went for lunch and dinner, and bizarrely we popped to Tesco and did our food shopping in the middle, very strange. I was rather scared of his Mum, and kept joking that I would curtsy and call her Mrs C. It was fine, and now I am happy to go round all by myself, they only live round the corner and I see her quite a bit during the week. She is a lovely woman, and I know that I am very lucky, although I hope I never get on her bad side! It became apparent quite how lucky I am when I took Piran home to stay with my Mum and she asked me why I was doing every little thing with Piran and would try and get me to change his routine, let him stay up later, a million little things. It made me realise that Mrs C had never criticised or questioned anything to do with the way that we are looking after and bringing up Piran. I am very grateful for that fact, that she is so supportive. I know I am a very lucky person.

I am always a little sad on Mother's Day when I am here and not with my Mum. My brother is a boy and therefore quite useless at all this stuff. I want to be in Cornwall. I would have taken Piran to church with Mum and we would have collected the daffodils they hand out for mums and given her hers. I phoned this morning to tell her I would miss that. I know when you become a mum yourself the day becomes about you too but I still want to be around to spoil her. I made up for it though, as I won a wonderful prize from Bringing Up Charlie of a Gluttonous Gardener Rose-Box which my mum thought was fabulous, although she is a little flummoxed as to what she should do with the rose water.

I thought about writing a post about my mum, but she does not know about this blog, and she is also a little unsure of the internet I think. I don't know how she would feel about me writing about her too much here, and it would feel odd writing a post to her, about her that she would never read. She is coming to visit in April, and I think that I might show her my little part of the internet when she is here. I think this is something that needs to be explained and demonstrated face to face. I do not think her introduction to the fact that I write about my feelings and that strangers read it and comment on it should be done via a link in an email, and trying to explain on the telephone will make my head explode. Seriously. So, I will just say that my mum is amazing. Strong, loyal, slightly odd, loved by many. She brings light and joy into my life. If someone tells me that I get more and more like my mum the older I get I feel honored. I want to be like her. She is my hero.

Finally, earlier today with the help of my glamorous assistant Piran I drew five names out of the bowl to win a copy of Motherhood on DVD.

I have sent a direct message to each of the winners on Twitter, but if you see this first please drop me a line with your address and I will arrange for the DVD to be sent to you. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Update: Bumbling Along had already won a copy elsewhere so I got Piran to pick a new name and it was Potential Mummy B.

300

Can you believe it? This is post number 300 for this blog. I started posting regularly here in July 2006. I have had my ups and downs with blogging but in the past year I have rediscovered my love and I am so happy with this little place of my own.

I promised a giveaway when I reached 100 followers but Piran got ill and I had assignments due and all sort of things like real life got in the way. Anyway time to stop procrastinating and just get on with it.

So, as I have over 100 followers and this is my 300th post I have decided to do a double giveaway! So, you can either win the fleece lined blanket / playmat (approx 120cm x 100cm) or a nice teacosy. The blanket will be the one below, I will give the winner of the teacosy a few choices and they can pick the one that they like, the ones below are some examples. All handmade with love by me!

To be in with the chance of winning a copy please leave me a comment on this post. Please mention if you would like the blanket, or teacosy or either! Earn extra entries by:

• Following this blog (mention in your comment if you follow already)
• Blogging about the competition with a link to this post
• Tweeting about the competition with a link to this post

So, up to four entries available per person. To keep it simple if you do anything to earn extra entries please mention it in your comment. Closing date Friday 19th at midday. Good luck.

Wordless Week: Thursday

It's done!

Wordless Week: Webcam pictures

9th September

21st September

10th March

Where did my baby go?

The Gallery: Five

I am cheating a little this week in my submission for The Gallery. I have two photos.

From the top of Trencrom Hill in Cornwall you have the perfect view of Cornwall's thinnest point - just a mere five miles wide. On one side you have Penzance - that bump in the sea is St Micheal's Mount.

On your other side youhave views towards Hayle (the big beach you can see) and St Ives (hiding down below on the left. The little white dot is Godrevy Lighthouse.

These are not brilliant photos but this is one of my favourite spots and I wanted to share. The views in other directions are fabulous too, but I just love that you can see both coasts from this one spot.

Wordless Week: Monday

Quiet

This week I need to save my words, I have three pieces of writing to do for my OU course.

So, taking inspiration from here I plan on having a Wordless Week.

How to make Piran laugh

This is our entry to the first ever Just Vlog It challenge.

I am incredibly thankful that Piran is quite so cute, as that distracts from me! Happy weekend everyone.

Guest Post: The Children's Craft Showcase

Hi All, I am MummyMad and I usually blog over at TheMadHouse and I am privileged to be doing a guest post over here at Kelly's hiding place. I will start by telling you a little bit about me. I am a SAHM of two fantastic boys, Maxi who will be 5 in two weeks and mini who is 4 in June. We live and love in the NE of England and love spending time together.

I would like to introduce you to The Children's Craft Showcase.

Inexpensive Mothers day Present

Materials
Terracotta Plants Pots
Emulsion paint (we got some tester pots, as we only have cream in the house)
White acrylics paint
Pencil with eraser in the end.
Varnish
Plants

Method

Paint each of the plant pots and allow to dry, some may need a second coat, but this is pretty fast work.

We chose to just pop white acrylic as spots all over the pots, this way the boys could do it themselves and they really enjoyed it. By using the end of a pencil with an eraser on it was pretty simple. Now if we had more time I would have let the boys decorate each pot as they wish and we have additional pots for that they can for my mothers day gift.

Again leave to dry, then cover with a layer of varnish.

We made sure that we painted the top of the inside of the pots too.

Then we added a primula in to each, et voila. A simple, easy and very effective Mothers day gift. Oh and it cost all of 30p for the pots, 59p each for the plants and a little paint and time. If you would like to see how nice this can look then visit the Pom pom emporium.

If painting pots isn't up your street, but you are still looking for an idea for mothers day then how about having a look round the local Charity shops for bowls or cups and saucers and placing some bulbs in them. This small bowl was 50p and the bulbs £1.00 from the market.

I want to thank Kelly for inviting me to her blog and hope to see you over at TheMadHouse sometime soon.

Walk