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Difficult times
I am half hoping nobody reads this as I feel awful about keep going on and on about the tough stuff. I know so many people are facing harder times but we are struggling a bit to keep upbeat all the time with this so-and-so ing redundancy situation. We have both had redundancy situations in the past but always because of funding issues in the charities we worked for. That is hard but not hurtful as in the current situation where the Royal British Legion have dumped my husband after so many years of loyal service and whilst recruiting other staff to do very similar roles (they would argue that…
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The Best Bits Of BritMums Live
What are the best bits of BritMums Live? Yesterday I told you all the worst bits of my BritMums Live weekend so here goes with the really good stuff in no particular order. 1. I got a night away with Him Indoors whilst the little darlings went to stay with my step-daughter. So whilst other bloggers were out to dinner, I was making the most of the hotel bedroom and remembering why we got together in the first place and hoping the walls were thick. 2. I got to meet Ruby Wax and she signed my book and spoke my name. Be still my beating heart. How wonderful of BritMums…
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How To Be On Trend – Groovy Mums
How do I start a post when I am still a little in shock from yesterday’s events? For those who missed it, we held a Twitter party using the hashtag #groovymums. If you are a #groovymums you are officially on trend according to Twitter. The original idea was to acknowledge that the Groovy Mums blog hop and online support network established in September 2011 was 6 months old. I thought most of the participants of the groovy mums blog hop would take part and maybe a few interested observers. I was amazed to see loads of people joining in and some very interesting debates and chats taking place. At some point in…
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Dark Day
I am picking up now but for much of the day my mood was so low. Black clouds weighing me down. I hate how even with post-natal depression long gone (years ago), I can still be right back in the depths. I am not a nice person to know at such times. I get taciturn and solemn. If Him Indoors is around, I get angry and raise every real or imagined sin with him. What were the triggers this time? The weight gain this week and the malfunctioning scales. I have felt so in control of things for the last couple of months and then suddenly the scales were telling…
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I Am Feeling A Little Tense – Thinking About Pre-Menstrual Tension
I had a pleasant evening last night and fell asleep on the sofa. When I woke up towards 11pm, I was in a foul mood. Nothing had changed apart from how I was feeling. An argument with Him Indoors ensused. I had an idea that I was pre-menstrual but when in the grip, it makes far more sense to rant at the world and its husband in general. When I am like this, I am very insecure but instead of seeking reassurance, I lash out with wild accusations based on nowt or nowt much. This does not make for marital harmony. I am less patient with the children and animals…
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My Five Favourite Blogs – Britmums Prompt
Britmums ask us about pleasure this week and as part of that we are to highlight the 5 blogs we love and why we like them so much. I have so many blogs that I read and enjoy that it is so difficult to narrow it down So here are 5 blogs that do different things for me and thereby bring me a pleasure of sorts. I have avoided mentioning those who have mentioned me as it would be too obvious and I will cover them in a feature I am planning for later this year. I have also not gone on about the wonderful women who do the world-famous…
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Action On Post Natal Depression – Please Support
Currently the Mental Health care support for many women suffering with PND is totally inadequate and there needs to be a change. This is what the petition says: My wife Joanne (Joe) Bingley died on the 30th April 2010 when our beautiful baby girl, Emily Jane, was only 10 weeks old. She was suffering and being treated for Severe Postnatal Depression. The “Independent Investigation” into my wife’s death resulted in 21 recommendations being implemented across Yorkshire and Humberside. 10 years ago after the death of Dr Daksha Emson a panel of inquiry issued recommendations that should have lead to improvements across the UK. The Health Minister at the time, Rosie…
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The Best Day I Spent With My Family
I am joining in with the Britmums Prompt this week where we are asked to tell you about the best day with our family. When I became a mum, it felt like a lovely two had become a wonderful three. My son was a bonus, adding to an already fun and lively couple. Yes folks, once upon a time I was fun and lively. We had great days out at the seaside, in the countryside, at car boot sales, at airshows and even figured out ways of my son accompanying us on trips with work. They were really happy times. When you become a mum to two, things get more…
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The Best Thing That Has Happened To Me As a Result Of Blogging
Lots of great things have come my way since I started blogging. Blogging has helped me actually do what I want to do which is to write every day. Blogging has helped me deal with the emotions surrounding my mum’s illness and death. Blogging has introduced me to a new network of cyber friends. Blogging has brought a number of freebies my way. However, the most important thing that blogging has done for me is to make me feel less alone and different. Before going to school, I was the adopted child so different to those in the local community. At primary school, I had really old parents so was…
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How to get your groove back
For those who do not yet know, the Getting Your Groove Back Blog Hop is for mums who want to rediscover the woman they used to be or to reinvent themselves altogether. The aim of the blog hop is to share stories and to celebrate changes in our lives however small. Last week, we had 14 contributions and that was so heartening to see. I also loved reading all the diverse posts from very different women with very varied methods for getting their groove back. I hope you did too. We had nudity and burlesque along with healthy eating and exercise plans, people looking into courses, people admitting they are…
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How to be a happy mum
How to be a happy mum is a question that torments many of us at various points of the parenting journey. Last week, I started a new blog hop/meme/linky, call it what you will, concerned with helping Mums to have a bit of a personal revival and get their groove back. It is all about recognising that the individual woman sometimes gets lost a bit in the business of being a mum and trying desperately to juggle it all. I was delighted to see seven lovely mums joining in and hope even more will write a blog post and link up this week. I also got so many comments that…
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Holiday in Cornwall
I was not at all sure what to post about for the Gallery theme of A Happy Memory this week. Wedding, babies, erm … Then out of the blue yesterday I got an email from Him Indoors telling me he had found a memory stick at work with some photographs of our holiday in Cornwall I have looked through and decided to go with some of these partly because looking back, I think this holiday marked my exit from the horrors of post-natal depression so if anything they mark a time when I remembered how to be happy again. Number one son was happy as the holiday involved riding on…
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Is it time to rest?
Is it time to rest? Today is 29th February and social media is telling us we have an extra day. I wonder what most mums have done with that day. My guess is that most will not have taken it as a day of rest. I imagine mums across the world doing their usual mix of juggling a whole heap of stuff – parenting, work, friends, partners, caring, commuting, running a business and housework. I am on happy pills to treat depression. They keep me on a cheerful and happy keel. I am thankful for them. One of the most important things they do is to ensure I rest when…
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The Playground Mafia – book review
The Playground Mafia is a book I received as part of my membership of the BritMums Book Club. I love the club as it leads me to read books that I would not normally select. It is so easy to get stuck in a rut with our reading choices. The Playground Mafia: The Essential Guide to Observing, Identifying and Managing Playground Mums (and the Occasional Dad) was just released by John Blake Publishing. I have mixed feelings about this book. At best it is a bit of fun that certainly can lead to a smile or two. Watch yourself identify with one of the Mum Types and then realise you…
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How to become a confident parent
Are you a confident parent? When did that feeling kick in? Taking a new baby home is a milestone in itself. I remember the lovely outfit I had bought for my son whilst pregnant being way too big when it came to the time to put him in his car seat for the first time. Car seats can be a challenge too for sure! I am the first to admit I was not the most confident new mum having not spent any time around babies before. My husband who had children from previous relationships seemed to know how to do things so much better than I did. The first nappy…
