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21 essential resolutions for new mums
21 essential resolutions for new mums come to you from a less than perfect mum who learned some of these lessons the hard way. Take is as it comes 1. I will not have any set ideas about how my parenting journey will turn out 2. I will follow my instincts 3. I will ask for support clearly as soon as I need it 4. I will ensure I build in time for myself and my partner 5. I will say when people cross my boundaries telling me what to do with my child Ask for and offer support 6. I will recognise that most mums struggle in some way…
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Pregnancy surprises revealed by one mum
I thought I would kick off the blogging week with a response to the BritMums prompt on expectations around pregnancy by letting you know some of my pregnancy surprises. Here are the things that surprised me. 1. I bonded with my first child as soon as I sensed I was pregnant. I can remember talking to him all the time particularly on the way to work. 2. I was amazed that my partner continued to find me attractive throughout the pregnancy and beyond. 3. I had never experienced heartburn prior to pregnancy. One of the rotten side effects of pregnancy. 4. I thought morning sickness would feel like normal nausea. It does…
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Will You Take The Challenges With Some Lovely Mums?
Do you sometimes feel a bit stuck in a rut? Does the juggling of everyone else’s needs mean you get neglected? Would you like life to change and are you staring to realise only you can take charge of that? In September, I set up an initiative where women who felt like the above could support each other and share how they were getting on. It is called #groovingmums and we have a lovely badge. Every Tuesday, I post some challenges and I have decided to list them all here in the hope they might act as a catalyst for change both for myself and other mums out there. Will…
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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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Great Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work
Regular readers will know that the first thing I do having seen Him Indoors and the children off to their various Monday lives is to get weighed. I am very good and only get weighed once a week and at the same time. Here are my great weight loss tips that work I am delighted to report that this week I have lost 5 pounds. I am over the moon. In fact I am so excited that right now I cannot be bothered to work out exactly how much I have lost and in how many weeks. I will probably keep that till tomorrow when I do my #groovingmums post.…
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What Does It Feel Like To Be Adopted?
What does it feel like to be adopted? I intend to blog about adoption issues every day this week and hope to cover various viewpoints. It is one of those life issues that affects many people, rippling out down the years and across boundaries. So there are many voices – adoptive parents, birth parents, adopted people, siblings of adopted people, wider birth relatives, partners of adopted people, children of adopted people. If you would like to submit your voice, please send me some writing to mums-the-word@live.com this week for hosting on my blog. I recognise that it is all too easy to judge and that many in the mix have…
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How to write a birth plan and be ready!
Birth plans seem like such a good idea when you first hear the concept whether you want natural birthing or as much intervention as possible to relieve pain. As a mum-to-be we have a vague idea that birth might involve a lot of pain and screaming so surely it is best to have a plan. Here is how to write a birth plan and some other reflections from one mum. Before I experienced the reality of childbirth, I thought the pain was a rite of passage and that mums were exaggerating the level of pain involved. I dutifully went to antenatal classes and read books galore on what to expect.…
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Jo Cox – a letter from another Yorkshire lass
Dear Jo Cox When you were killed someone contacted me as they thought I might know you. I didn’t and as far as I know was never in the same room as you. You were clearly an incredible woman and you should still be here. I wish I had met you. I think we would have got on and perhaps more importantly got each other. I was raised in the same area as you. That place has so many problems including generations of poverty and what Theresa May can write off so lightly as “just about managing”. Adversity creates strong communities at best and a pride in your roots. I…
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In the mood for dancing with Frubes
Are you in the mood for dancing? Perhaps you are inspired by Strictly Come Dancing? I had a look at the dictionary definition of dance. Apparently it means to move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps. Of course some of us have more natural rhythm than others. My parents danced a lot from waltzes to sequence dancing to the Slosh! I was encouraged to dance as a child and my Grandad wanted to send me for lessons but that never came to anything. I would love to be able to dance in the uninhibited way I did as young child to “Rock around the clock”…
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Strong bin liners review – highly recommended!
Strong bin liners are not the sort of thing I expected to get excited before becoming a wife and mother. They were about as interesting as warm cardigans and storage solutions. How times change! I get excited by such things now so here is my strong bin liners review. Like many women, the bulk of the housework falls on me even though I work. I resent this and even rant about it on occasion but pretty much to no avail. The children buy things and lose interest quickly and I think they might get that from me with my charity shop obsession. When I try to declutter, you can bet…
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Pedigree dog food review – woof!
Pedigree dog food is always the brand that I have associated with quality. However, I have also associated it as not the cheapest brand on the market and wondered whether it really can make a difference to a dog’s mental and physical health. I am pleased to give some solid information in this Pedigree dog food review. So I have tended to go with working dog brands and was excited when Pedigree sent us a range of dog products to try including wet and dry and Dentastix. I did not really think we would see any difference in our dog if I am honest. I could not have been more…
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The Peanuts Movie review – great for families
Snoopy and Charlie Brown brings back fond memories so I was delighted when I was given the opportunity to share the joys of these characters with my son Ramsey. Here is our The Peanuts Movie review. The Peanuts gang make their feature film debut in Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie, and we were asked to give our verdict. The first thing I was loved was how this film was safe to share with children. There were no dire warnings of foul language, sex or violence on the back. It made me realise how rare it is these days to share a film with kids without checking and double-checking…
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Pedigree dog food trial with Stan
Mumsnet and Pedigree have asked us to record our nutrition journey with our pet as we take part in the Pedigree dog food trial. My husband attended the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition this week to find out more about Pedigree products for dogs. He had a tour of the facilities followed by some talks and had the opportunity to ask questions. We have a pet Beagle named Stan and we are keen to ensure he is looked after well. Over the next few weeks, we will be trying out a range of Pedigree products and reporting back our findings on the blog. I asked my husband about his…
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Celebrity Mom fun quiz – who are you like?
Celebrity moms are always in the news and some of us aspire to be more like them. Which celebrity mom are you most like? Mums are individuals so some will want to follow a certain style icon whilst others will be inspired by celebrity moms who campaign for good causes. Do you admire a particular celebrity mom. With Mothering Sunday just a few days away, I wanted to let you know about fun quiz from My Voucher Codes. Looking at the photographs of moms on the quiz, I spotted Katie Holmes who is of course desperate to be just like me, her namesake. Are you most like Madonna, Victoria Beckham…
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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. Here is The Playground Mafia book review. 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…
