accidentally, kle

Little Party People

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000Z

Emily's first birthday is almost here. Ignoring the little screaming person inside my head who cannot for the life of her understand how this year passed so quickly, my logical side set itself to organising a party. Thanks to plenty of photos, I "remember" my first birthday party. I remember my red velvet dress and white knee socks (it was the 80s, so sue me!) and I remember there being many people and all the family and lots and lots to eat.

Naturally, I want to give Emily the same memories. Parties were always huge in my childhood. If there was one thing my parents did well (they did many other things well too), it was birthday celebrations. So I was never going to be one of those people who celebrated Emily's first birthday with a couple of close friends. I don't think any less of people who choose to do it that way, but it isn't for me.

So my next task was to establish what sort of party to have. We considered doing something at home. No, not enough space. Maybe renting a function hall and organising catering and entertainment for the little people. And we considered inviting some of Emily's little friends to have some fun at a soft play centre. There was also the issue that the grandparents will be coming all the way from Malta for the event, and I didn't really want them to be coming to watch some toddlers have fun while they watch and aren't really able to participate in the party themselves.

What to do, what to do?

Solution: two parties. Oh dear.

But hear me out.

Over lunch, there will be the little people party at a soft play area (which worked out far cheaper than renting a hall and sorting all that out - and best bit is I don't need to organise anything other than the cake!). Then, after a well-needed nap, there will be a little gathering at home for close family and godparents. And during that, Maltese tradition will be upheld in the form of a "quccija" - a funny little custom in which a baby supposedly chooses his or her destiny.

I cannot think of a better way to spend Emily's first birthday. There will be photos - many, many photos - which maybe she will one day love as much as I love the photos of my first birthday party, especially knowing now the thought and effort my parents put into it for me! We are all so excited!

Amber

2012-01-25T10:30:00.000Z

Teething. Don't we love it?! The crying, red cheeks, streaming nose, fever, nightmare nappies. The list goes on. Emily seemed to start teething when she was 2 months old, before she could even hold a teether to her mouth. Her first tooth eventually showed up at 7 months. They say there is a lot of movement below the gums before teeth actually cut through. It's a long process, and not a fun one by any means.

I started looking for tips early. Teething powder was high on everyone's list. Teething gels are well known. Trusty Calpol and Nurofen always come to the rescue. But sometimes it's just not enough, and I don't like pouring medicines down Emily's throat constantly! So from an early age, having researched it's safety and a reputable place to purchase from, Emily wore an amber necklace. For centuries throughout Europe, Baltic amber has been used for healing and wellbeing. When worn, the warmth from the body releases the amber's natural oils into the skin, soothing the misery of teething aches and pains offering a completely natural teething remedy.(1)

It started as one of those things I put on for her on the off-chance that it made a difference and helped her even just a little bit. The only time it comes off is for bathtime.

But once, I forgot it off after bathtime and all of the next day. I couldn't for the life of me understand why she moaned and whinged so much that day. I knew she was teething that week but why the sudden change? It was when I realised the amber necklace wasn't on that it occurred to me that maybe it did make that much of a difference.

I have since changed her necklace to an anklet (despite necklaces being safe, I felt more comfortable with the idea of an anklet at night), and a few weeks ago again, forgot it off after bathtime. The night that followed was not restful (to say the least), for Emily or for us.

Could it be, then, that it helps that much? I am quite sold at this point and am more than happy to recommend amber to other parents. After all, if it can't harm the child and might very well be giving a helping hand, the question very simply is: why not?

(1) Information Source: Dino Daisy

Safer Internet Day: Kaspersky ONE Competition

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000Z

There's no doubt about it, the Internet is taking over the world, which means it's getting harder to protect yourself and your family online. With this in mind, Kaspersky Lab in collaboration with accidentally, kle are offering you the chance to win a copy of Kaspersky ONE, worth £79.99, ahead of Safer Internet Day on February 7th.

Kaspersky ONE Universal Security is the easy, one-license solution to protect your PCs, Macs, smartphones and Android tablets. Based on award-winning Kaspersky Lab technologies, Kaspersky ONE delivers real-time protection against dangerous Internet threats with security optimised for each device. So no matter which devices you use to bank, shop, surf, or chat online, you know you're always safe.

For more information on how to stay safe online, check out these top tips from Kaspersky Lab's senior security researcher, David Emm.

1. Got protection? This may seem obvious, but security software is the new "black". It helps you stay fully protected against malware, spyware, hackers and identity theft. And don't forget to perform regular updates and scans.

2. Password strength matters. Use secure passwords – a different one for each Internet service. Set passwords to include 8-14 upper & lower case characters and numbers. Don't use any words that are in the dictionary — they're too easy for hackers to guess.

3. Protect your family. You stop your children from talking to strangers on the street – you should do so online too. Be aware of the potential dangers of the net from online bullying to paedophiles. Take parental control over the sites you don't what your children to look at by using the parental control feature in your online security product – it's an easy way to avoid disaster.

4. Click with care. If you're checking your email or talking over instant messenger, make it a practice to avoid clicking on links in messages from people you don't know. These links could lead you to a malicious website and result in malware installing on your computer.

5. Practise safe online shopping. When you're going to buy those new killer shoes or the latest toy for your tyke, make sure you purchase from a reputable online retailer. You always look for a URL that starts with "https" and has the lock symbol when entering your credit card details or other personal information.

6. Socialise safely. By now, we've all had a bad link or two sent to us over our favourite social network. Utilise your social network's security settings to their optimum level. Do you really need to display every detail about your life? And perhaps more importantly – do your children?

7. Keep your privates, private. A good rule of thumb: Don't post anything online that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of your local newspaper! This includes your personal phone number, email address and street address, your holiday plans – and maybe also your bikini-clad, beach holiday pics.

8. Stomp out spam. Most Internet Service Providers & security software programs have anti-spam technologies. The spam blocker will help prevent fraudulent emails from showing up in your Inbox tempting you with fake lottery wins or promising certain body-part enlargements.

9. Be careful how you surf. Open wireless networks are called 'open' for a reason: anyone can connect, including hackers. If you do have to use one, use a password manager to store passwords and enter them for you automatically. This will prevent data being captured by cybercriminals using a keylogger. And only enter personal information on secure sites – look for the "https"

10. Handle personal information with care. Beware of online sites that ask you to enter too much personal data. Read the small print – they may be selling on your personal details to third parties resulting in even more email spam and cold calls.

How to enter the competition to win a copy of Kaspersky ONE worth £79.99.

1. To enter, leave a comment on this post with the answer to the following question: Where are Kaspersky's headquarters located? Please ensure you leave some form of contact be it via a blog, email, twitter, etc. [Note that I will be unable to accept entries that do not include some form of contact details!]

2. For additional entries, you can do one or more (or all!) of the following:

+ follow @accidentallykle. Leave a comment saying you have done. If you already follow, then mention that too - it counts!

+ tweet the following: "I have entered the @kaspersky competition on http://www.accidentallykle.com to win a copy of Kaspersky ONE worth £79.77 via @accidentallykle"

+ follow @kaspersky. Leave a comment saying you have. If you already follow, then mention that too.

+ like accidentally, kle on Facebook. Then comment here saying you've done so. If you already "like", then mention that too!

This competition is open to UK readers only [updated: apologies to anyone outside the UK who's already entered].

Winner will be drawn via a random number generator on the 7th February - Safer Internet Day.

Best of luck to you all!

A Matter of Time

2012-01-20T10:37:00.000Z

In 8 days, my tiny baby turns one. Tiny baby is not so tiny any longer. She weighs over 20lbs and has hair long enough to pull into a ponytail (I toy with the idea but haven't yet). She has a little collection of words that she uses on a regular basis. She is now mobile and cruises around the living room like she owns it. Her favourite spot, however, is her bookshelf. Early on, I cleared one of the wall unit shelves and filled it with her books. She has recently discovered it and takes pleasure in inspecting her books over and over again until they all end up at her feet. She'll then hang out at the shelf and "read" a book or two of her choice.

I could watch her for hours.

But yesterday saw her first "accident". She slipped and hit her mouth against the corner of the tv unit. There was so much blood. I generally pride myself on keeping calm during situations like that. I'm usually really, really good. (It's needles that scare me, not blood.) But this time... oh I was mostly calm, I did everything right, but there were moments of panic where I struggled to keep it together. My baby was broken. She was bleeding and all I could do, really, was wait to see whether the bleeding would continue.

It didn't. But the afterwards looked pretty scary. My top and her top full of blood splatters, kitchen towels soaked in blood, a cup I'd used to give her water to wash her mouth with also streaked with blood. It wasn't a pretty sight.

She was fine long before I was. I sat her in her highchair and offered her a couple spoonfuls of ice-cream (I figured the cold would help?!). She slept for 3 hours after that and it took almost that long for my heart to return to it's normal rhythm.

It still races just remembering.

Crowning Glory

2012-01-18T11:30:00.000Z

I was born bald. When my hair finally grew, it was very fair. I now have dark hair. My mum often mentions that I was her fairest child and yet I am now her darkest.

But hair colour is not what this post is about.

Some of you know me as she of the curly hair. If you fall into this category, you probably went to school with me or knew me before I turned 17. Many of you have no idea I have curly hair.

My hair is curly. And very frizzy. Over the years, I have subjected my hair to several treatments in an attempt to make it less so. All to no avail. My hair remains curly, which technically I could live with. But to my horror, it has also remained frizzy.

Cute on a (grumpy!!) kid, not so great on an adult.

Washing my hair is a huge event. Wet hair will always be followed by approximately 45 minutes of drying time. My hair gets tugged and pulled and straightened to within an inch of it's life so that I can, until the next time I need to wash it (or the next time I forget an umbrella when it rains), pretend that it is actually naturally not frizzy. It is for this reason that hair washing needs to be planned. Scheduled. It can not simply happen on an ad hoc basis.

I could never be a person who washes her hair every day. It would eat into my week too dramatically. This has, over my lifetime, impacted things that anyone else may never think of, like exercising. There was a time when I was getting into running quite a bit. Part of me would have gladly gone out running every evening. I loved it and the time it gave me to be out, feeling the wind against my face and just enjoying my own company. But alas, a good run works up a sweat. After which I would need a head-to-toe shower. Problem.

I won't lie: it's not the first time I've gone to bed with a sweaty head. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to deal with my hair.

I hate that I am not able to walk in the rain without a care in the world. I hate that rain turns me into a fretful "must cover my hair lest it detects humidity" bimbo.

There are times when I attempt to "wash & go". Each time, I hope that maybe - just maybe - my curls have been visited by the frizz fairy and they will magically look like this once dry (that's the closest image I could find to what my hair might look like sans frizz). Or that something clicks in my head and I am suddenly able to look at myself in the mirror and not care. Each time, I regret it. The frizz fairy is about as real as the tooth fairy and my hair still thinks it's a bona fide Jackson Five hairstyle. And I still hate it.

(I should clarify at this point that "wash & go" in my case should not be taken literally. It involves a plethora of sprays, creams, lotions and potions that I have tried over the years. Some things have worked for a few weeks. But ah, my hair is smarter than that.)

Is there a point to all this? No. I simply needed to vent. Because at this point - even carrying an extra 30lbs that I am desperate to lose - if you had to ask me what I'd change about myself, I may stop to think about it, but ultimately I know that my answer would be my hair. I would give anything not to have this silent dictator seemingly ruling my everyday life. /rant

Group Hug!

2012-01-16T10:30:00.000Z

On Saturday, we attended the first birthday party of a fellow NCT baby - Emily's good friend, Joshua! The babies mostly spent their time hogging the ball pit and there came a point where someone (it may have been me) had the great idea to try and get an updated group picture. On paper it was simple. In reality, it looked like a giant baby pile-up. Us parents found it quite hilarious... I'm not entirely sure the little ones were as amused ;)

From this (Feb 2011), to this...

A January Christmas Recap

2012-01-11T22:03:00.000Z

I blinked and it is almost mid-January. Seems a bit pointless now to be talking about Christmas, if I'm honest. All the decorations are down and packed away for another year and all I can think about now is Emily's birthday. January will never again be an anti-climatic month. I didn't expect it, but I was far more eager to de-Christmas the house this year - and there can only be one reason. Emily's birthday is even more important to me now than Christmas is. I never thought I'd say it and yet there it is. I've typed it out. It's true.

But for posterity's sake, Christmas was perfect. Emily was thrilled to finally be allowed at the gifts and she even loved opening her stocking. I had thoroughly expected her to only be interested in the paper, but no... she was frustrated at the paper. Because it was keeping her away from the goodies hidden underneath it.

Her stocking contained a Waybuloo DVD, a set of hairbands (her hair is growing fast!), two packets of Milky Buttons (she'd never tasted chocolate before Christmas, ignoring the time she stole a bite off my KitKat but that's another story), some bath toys, a little racing car, That's Not My Snowman touchy-feely book, the Hungry Caterpillar soft toy, and a soft Robot doll. It was a full stocking, I don't deny that. But her favourite was the Waybuloo DVD. She'd put it down, pick up something else, and then go back for the DVD. She just gazed at it most of the time with a silly, lovestruck look on her face.

As for other gifts, we limited that to two from us, and two from Santa. Then there were another three from the great-/grandparents, and a few others from friends (not to mention the huge amount that flooded in once we got to Malta!). By the end of the morning, it looked like a toyshop had crashed into our living room.

Lunch was nothing special. I went all out last year for exactly this reason - I knew that this year, it would be the last thing on my mind. I didn't want to miss out on a moment of Emily's first Christmas.

Unfortunately the excitement of the morning meant her nap ran almost an entire hour longer than it usually does and as both David and I felt it would be wrong to eat dinner without her, we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And by the time she was up, the turkey wasn't impressed to have been left waiting and as a result wasn't the juiciest it could have been. And as we had nibbled so much cheese to keep us going until she got up, we had no appetite. So in the end, Emily ate more turkey than David or I did and the Banoffee Pie I'd bought for dessert became our midnight snack. It was all quite confusing but it did make me realise that it was silly of me to be cooking turkey for tradition's sake when, if I had to be completely honest, I don't even really like it. So next Christmas I shall be making a delicious lasagne.

But back to the point. We then sauntered over to my sister's where - Emily could hardly believe it - more presents awaited.

(Have you been keeping up with The Pretty Walrus?)

And that was pretty much it really. There was almost no time to really enjoy the spoils of Christmas Day as early the next morning, we were off! But that rainbow kept its word, so it was all worth it in the end.

You can see our Christmas and Malta photos here.

Quiet Words

2012-01-09T14:18:00.001Z

While in Malta over New Year, we had our usual family gathering where my extended family got to catch up with us and see Emily. Just before leaving, my grandmother made my day when she said to me: "I'm very proud of you for the way you're bringing up your daughter."

I can't quite express how much that touched me and how proud it made me :)

Thank you Nanna x

Related post - Can you guess which grandmother this is?

[image taken in June 2011 in Malta]

Flash Competition: Win Westfield Stratford City Ice Rink Tickets!

2012-01-05T13:51:00.000Z

Here's a little "new year" surprise for you all: a special and very exclusive competition. For the next few hours only, you can try your luck to win a family ticket (2 x adults and 2 x children) for a skating session at the ice rink at Westfield Stratford City this weekend.

The outdoor real-ice rink sits against a stunning back drop of the East London skyline and the Olympic stadium and is only open until this Sunday 8th January, which is why this is such a special opportunity.

1. For a chance to win these amazing tickets (normally £31.60), all you need to do is leave a comment on this post letting me know just HOW much you want these tickets! Please also include your email address.

2. For an additional entry, tweet the following: "I'm hoping to win a family ticket for an ice skating session at @westfieldstrat in a one-day special competition on @accidentallykle!" (Leave a second comment saying you've done so.)

Hurry, enter and spread the word!

The competition closes at midnight GMT so get your entries in! Winner will be drawn using a random number generator. UK only.

Good luck! x

Congratulations to Chimere Douglas (@chimmydougie), winner of the family ticket!

When a Rainbow Makes a Promise

2012-01-04T19:18:00.000Z

Hello and welcome back! My bloggy break was well needed and I am happy to be starting the year feeling fresh and looking forward to writing all about Emily's first Christmas and our visit to Malta over New Year. A special thank you to Hannah, who when I was feeling confused as to whether to continue blogging or not, stepped in to say she loves reading and that was all I needed to keep me going. To everyone who reads, thank you - and Happy New Year!

Our last holiday in Malta was less than wonderful. A lot less. We got home feeling so stressed, I didn't want to consider going back anytime soon. The fact that we had already booked our December flights was not a great feeling. So when I uploaded our holiday photos onto Facebook back in October, I joked about a picture of a rainbow I took when we arrived at the airport. I said that the rainbow was there to reassure me that next visit would be better.

We flew out on Boxing Day. I was already not pleased about this as I wanted to be at home on Boxing Day, to be able to soak up any left over Christmasness and not have to pack on Christmas Day itself, and for Emily to have some more time to enjoy her new toys. We initially wanted to fly out on the 27th but when we booked flights, the 27th was £400 more expensive than the 26th was, so really there wasn't much to consider. We booked the 26th and I dreaded it each time I thought of it.

On the morning of the 26th, we set out a bit too late and almost missed our flight. I had already written off the holiday and just wanted to go back home. But we made it and it was actually an excellent flight and Emily napped well. Things started looking a bit more positive.

When we landed, the weather in Malta was awful. Grey and rainy. But once we got out of the plane, the sun came out. And there, again, was a rainbow. Call me silly but at that moment, smiling to myself, I thought that maybe it was true: this holiday would be better.

Oh it most certainly was!

(I'll write about Christmas itself later x)

How Lovely Are Your Branches

2011-12-23T11:09:00.000Z

Our tree (as you may have seen from previous snapshots) isn't exactly a colour theme, or an anything theme for that matter. It's filled with fun, quirky or plain pretty decorations. Many of them have come from David's childhood, and I know he looks for these once I've set up the tree and the little boy in him is always over the moon when he spots four particular red teddy bears hanging off the branches.

Here are a few of my favourites - and his - and why they're there.

I bought two of these from the Christmas shop at Bluewater this year. I fell in love with how delicate they look and the fact that they are full of stars. I love stars. I also wanted to add some white to the tree and these two are it (for now).

There had to be something related to Emily so when Sarah of Hollyberry Boutique said that she was making personalised tree decorations (amongst other things), I pounced. It's lovely to have a handmade touch on the tree.

This is one of a set of snowmen and other Christmas-related figurines that David's mum passed on to us. I love the snowmen in particular. They have that extra bit of detail, like the bells on this one, and another one has a little knitted cardigan. I just think they're so adorable.

This silver heart came all the way from Denmark via @annfenech - three of these hearts and two little figurines dressed in Danish Christmas clothing were sent to me as part of the Ornament Exchange I featured last month.

I love this wooden stocking. It makes me smile every time I look at it :)

These are also new. They are part of a set of clay ornaments that I bought from Lakeland - yes, they are breakable and yes, they will break at some point or other. But until then, their cuteness is irresistible!

Remember those red bears I mentioned earlier? This is one of them. He is by far the most battered of all four but, while David loves them all equally, I have a soft spot for this fragile one. I can only imagine how many hours this bear spent in David's hands as a boy to have reached a point where he is now on the verge of losing an ear. And even then, I suspect he'll still make it onto our tree.

Did You Know?
Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods and was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could share this story with his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lit in honour of Christ's birth.
(source)

I'll be taking a little bloggy break over Christmas and the New Year. This will be a special one for us - Emily's first - and I don't want to feel like I need to be keeping up with my blog, as much as I love it any other day of the year. Rest assured though that you'll hear all about our Christmas upon my return in 2012! Until then, the very best to you all. May your Christmas be everything you want it to be, and 2012 start with a smile, and lots of love.

Charge!

2011-12-22T12:27:00.000Z

Last Saturday, I brought the gifts out of their hiding place (it wasn't much of a hiding place to begin with, they were just out of Emily's sight) and put them under the tree. Emily hadn't shown much interest in the tree so I thought it would be safe.

And I can't say I was wrong... as long as Missy E is kept an eye on. She did however try and get her dangerous little fingers on the gifts. Everyone's gifts. Here is how it happened.

Attempt Number 1 (as caught on camera)
"I've figured it out... Wait till Mummy's not looking, then ransack the pressies!"

*note the guilty facial expression*

Attempt Number 2
The next day she really lost her cool and began making mad dashes for the tree in plain sight. Sorry baby, no matter how fast you are, I'm faster.

Attempt Number 3
"If I just hang out in the vicinity of the tree, looking innocent, Mummy won't be suspicious..."

Attempt Number 4
"Maybe if I take some toys with me it will look less conspicuous?"

Attempt Number 5
"A-ha! I'll pretend it's just the ribbon I'm after..."

... later ...

Maybe it was just the ribbon she wanted (not surprising, seeing as how she has no idea what's under the wrapping!) That, or she's just given up and is making do with her spoils of war. Sunday is going to be FUN! :)

PS. My sight is back baby! :D

PSS. Emily now has a blog! Check it out!

Pretty

2011-12-21T12:20:00.001Z

Yesterday morning, with a packed day ahead, I popped Emily into the pushchair, ready to go out. Before I'd even strapped her in, I was howling in pain. Her ever-pointing finger and my eye collided. After some panic (wouldn't you if you suddenly couldn't see out of one eye at all for a few minutes?!), I splashed some water on it and headed out to run my errands, well hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

I told myself it was nothing and it'd pass but I cancelled my afternoon plans as they involved driving and my sight was way too blurred to be able to do that! So Emily and I played on. She was determined to get her hands on the Christmas tree, so I thought I'd beat her to it and introduce her to the pretty baubles directly.

Here is a short clip of her investigating, and if you listen carefully, you will hear her say "pretty" when she catches sight of herself being filmed towards the end! (She's a modest baby...!)

It was moments after I stopped filming that the pain in my eye suddenly became unbearable and I gave in and called NHS Direct, who strongly advised that I get it looked at in A&E.

Cue a flurry of plans and my sister and her hubby saving the day by taking me to hospital and keeping Emily. David left work and met me in the A&E waiting room, where I apparently looked like someone had punched me in the eye. (Well yes, a baby.)

A&E was impressively efficient, seeing me in under an hour (I suspect I wasn't down as a minor case). The lovely doctor anaesthetised my eye (oh to have had that last longer than 30 minutes!) and checked it out, and sure enough there was a scratch over the cornea, narrowly missing my pupil. I was given some antibiotic drops to prevent infection and told it should be better in about 3 days.

Meanwhile, I sit here grateful for my touch-typing skills because when I look at the screen all I can see really are little letter-sized shapes, which as you can imagine is extremely frustrating. The unfortunate thing is that my injured eye is my good eye. My other eye is a lazy eye (just not the wandering off sort) in that it doesn't focus. I rely almost entirely on my right eye to read and see clearly, and you guessed it - Emily scratched my right eye. I thought I had bad eyesight before...

At the moment, if you had to ask me what I want for Christmas, I'll be happy with being able to read a sentence without guessing at the letters and words again! x

Just Us

2011-12-20T10:30:00.000Z

I haven't openly admitted this but until last week, David and I hadn't yet been out together - ie JUST US - since Emily was born. There were a couple of times when we said we might but we never quite "got round" to it. But last weekend, when my brother was over, we took the opportunity to really try and get out once Emily was asleep.

Typically, that week, she'd started being really unsettled after bedtime - sometimes waking up screaming and needing to be comforted to go back to sleep. But my brother was confident he could handle it, and we decided to go ahead with our plans.

It was just up to us to decide what we wanted to do. The one thing we miss most from our pre-Emily life is the cinema. We really, really miss it. So we both wanted to go to the cinema, but then couldn't decide on a movie (we only had one shot at this - it HAD to be a great movie!!). So the cinema became just a drink. Then we almost cancelled the night out. Then it became a walk. Then, again, maybe we just won't bother. And in the end, we called up our favourite restaurant at 20:10 and made a reservation for 20:30, I quickly painted my face and were there just 5 mins late.

We had a fabulous three course meal with a bottle of what tasted like the best wine we've drunk in years. We chatted and planned holidays and generally enjoyed each other's company and when it was over, we walked (I stumbled, noisily) home, satisfied and talking about doing it again soon.

Emily, on the other hand, was not too impressed with our behaviour. After sleeping through the night again recently, she chose that night to wake up at midnight and refused to go back to sleep until 02:30. Trying to rock a fretful baby to sleep when tipsy isn't something I'd like to repeat any time soon... so maybe a bit less wine next time!

[image source: unknown]

Pork & Apple Braise

2011-12-19T11:00:00.000Z

I am always in search of warming winter meals and the other day I came across a delicious one. And - you know the drill - it was easy and quick and therefore it's now here on the blog for you all to enjoy (and for me to find quickly when I want to make it again).

You will need:
500g pork tenderloin
1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
2 tbsp olive oil
1 apple, cored & cut into thin wedges, skin on
300ml chicken or veg stock
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
some chopped parsley

1. Cut the pork into 2cm slices and coat in the seasoned flour. Heat 1 tbsl of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the pork, then remove and set aside.
2. Fry the apple, then slowly stir in the stock, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Return the pork to the pan and add the bay leaves and mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 mins, adding a little water or more stock if necessary. Stir in the parsley before serving.

I served this with rice. The original recipe (click image) says it's for 4 people but maybe we eat loads and it was enough for just David and myself! I've made it twice so far and it's never disappointed. Let me know what you think if you decide to try it! :)

From 101 One-Pot Dishes (BBC Books)

Weekend with the Girls

2011-12-14T10:05:00.000Z

Spent a few precious days with two of my bestest friends last weekend. They popped over from Malta for a flying visit (made shorter by a misunderstanding on the part of the taxi company who caused them to get to my house three hours later than planned), but it was an excellent weekend. Some highlights:

1. Emily pointing at things and saying "pretty." Everything she likes is now pretty. Daddy is pretty, the walrus in her bath book is pretty, her milk is pretty. You get the picture.

2. A much anticipated girlie dinner.

3. A (quite hilarious) Fruit Ninja marathon.

Lesson Learnt

2011-12-13T10:41:00.000Z

Emily was born with lots of black hair. Whenever anyone met her, their first comment was always "Oh wow, so much hair!" Then it thinned out, as newborn hair does, and she had a semi-bald phase, which was later replaced by beautiful brown hair. Lately her hair has thickened and grown. It's almost like she has suddenly developed an explosion of hair.

Because there's always been so much of it (relatively speaking, even during the semi-bald stage!), sometime during the summer I purchased some really lovely hairclips from an online boutique called Daisy Dots.

They looked so pretty holding her hair off her face and I loved the fact that she didn't ever realise they were there, meaning it felt a little bit safer to put them on for her. Despite this, I'd never leave her alone wearing one. If we were going somewhere, for example in the car, I'd remove it as I knew that if she were to find it and begin experimenting, I'd never be able to get to her in time to stop her from swallowing it. What would happen though was that I'd never remember to put the hairclip back on once we got to our destination so technically, we never really used them and I stopped bothering.

When she was unwell last week, with mucus almost constantly streaming down her face (and she was also teething so there was a huge amount of saliva too - yes, it was a lovely picture, poor child), her long hair would inevitably end up caked to her face. So one day, I brought out the hairclips again and problem solved.

What didn't occur to me was that in the few weeks since I'd last used the hairclips, she has become so much more aware of things, she now knew that there was *something* on her head and she chose exactly the point when I turned my back to wash some dishes, entirely oblivious to the fact that there may be danger lurking, to investigate.

Of course, I had my eye on her and as usual, she was chewing on her fingers with huge amounts of dribble pouring out of her mouth. And then I realised that the clip was no longer on her head and nowhere to be seen. No, it was entirely inside her mouth.

I fished it out (appalled look from her!) and all was well. Now, I'm not a very overprotective parent. She's crawling but I haven't baby-proofed the house to an extent that many might. I believe that different babies will gravitate towards different dangers so I am working on a "play it by ear" basis. And I am in no way shaming Daisy Dots Boutique (they include a safety statement too), but let's just say that at this point, if it were a choice between hairclips - as absolutely adorable they may be - and Emily's hair being all over the place (I don't really like headbands and they wouldn't last a minute anyway!), I'm going for the latter!

[image]

'Tis the Season...

2011-12-08T11:45:00.001Z

...to be germy, fa la la la laaa la la la laaa

December arrives and with it, as it does every year, comes the dreaded lurgy. Emily and I have had horrible colds and coughs for a week now, and there seems to be little hope of respite. Every day we seem to wake up feeling worse. But I am trying not to be a grumpy old sod about it (although I'll admit it's sometimes felt like a bit too much to handle & I shall be having a word with Mother Nature about it one of these days...)

Which explains my silence these last few days. And if being ill wasn't enough, Emily has now also learnt how to crawl (backwards and sideways mostly, but we call it crawling). It took her precisely 10 months to get to this point, and one day past 10 months, she began. And within 20 minutes of her unleashing movement upon me, I began going slightly insane. Nothing is now safe (although strangely, she hasn't made any attempt at the Christmas tree yet), and yes I know I wanted this to happen and I know you all told me I'd kick myself for wishing it and you were right but it is cute.

But other than chasing after Emily and then stopping to catch my breath for half an hour, blowing my dose every 3 minutes (no that wasn't a typo) and begging Emily to let me at least wipe hers (cue screams - lots of them), there isn't too much happening. My sister and her family moved to the area last week and we've barely been able to spend more than an hour together. Visitors from Malta arrive tomorrow and I know for a fact they will be returning with coughs and colds too. My special Christmas gift to them.

*mutter*

Bah humbug, who wants to be healthy anyway?!

[image]

2000

2011-12-05T09:30:00.000Z

Oh Deborah, do you recall?
Your house was very small,
with wood chip on the wall.
When I came around to call,
you didn't notice me at all.

I said let's all meet up in the year 2000.
Won't it be strange when we're all fully grown.
Be there at 2 o'clock by the fountain down the road.
I never knew that you'd get married.
I would be living down here on my own on
that damp and lonely Thursday years ago.

They played Pulp's Disco 2000 on the radio this morning. Release date 1995.

Back in 1995, I was 12 going on 13. It was the year both my grandfathers passed away, followed by a summer I'll never forget. It was the year I became a "young lady" (which prompted my mother to call EVERY member of the family to let them know - thanks ma). It was the year of the Aussie cousins, and what will forever be remembered as my "hormone attack" (no, I will not be telling that story). It was the year I first went away to Girl Guide Camp. It was the year we bought a new house and my sister got sick. In many ways, 1995 was the year that started turning me into the adult I am today.

I remember thinking that 2000 was so far away, it would probably never happen. And yet here we are, soon to be raising our glasses and waving farewell to 2011. How, pray tell, did that happen?!

Cars do not hover, air is not pure, robots have not replaced half of humankind, and Space is still not a holiday destination. Hah. Fancy that.

[image]

December Spotlight: Winter Wonderland

2011-12-01T10:30:00.000Z

This month, with the winter chill so decidedly upon us, I couldn't think of one reason not focus on winter itself!

Pictured Above
A Winters Day Snowflake Necklace
'Thick Blows…' Reclaimed Wood Print (Coulson Macleod)
Petal Fairy Lights
Peaches and Cream Hot Water Bottle Sweater

Other Ideas
Lily-Flame Snowfall Candle in a Tin
Sequin Cable Scarf
Snowflake Earrings
Francesca & Florence Snowflake Candles

Pictured Below
Ice Queen Choker Necklace
Mug Cosy in Snow White

Wordless Wednesday: Little Cousins

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000Z

Product Review: Lindam Flexiguard

2011-11-29T10:26:00.000Z

I was sent a Lindam Flexiguard recently to review. The Lindam Flexiguard is a lightweight and portable alternative to conventional safety gates. Incorporating the Lindam quick release pressure fit handle, Flexiguard can be fitted in just one click for complete ease of use. This collapsible gate 'twists and folds' into its own carry bag making it ideal for travel. It retails at £27.99.

As we know, Emily is not yet walking. She isn't even crawling. (Yes I know I should count my lucky stars, and I may regret saying this at a later date, but I am dying to see her do something new!) So I have no urgent need for safety gates as yet. However, I babysat my niece Gabriella a few days ago. Gabriella is 18 months old and has been walking since she was 10 months old (*cough*Emily*cough*) so she is well trained in the art of toddling... which is why I thought that a good occasion to try out the Flexiguard.

First Impressions
The gate is smart to look at. I like the fabric element - Emily found it hilarious to look at me through the mesh. Despite being collapsible, the gate feels sturdy. The travel bag that comes with it is well-made and presentable.

Installation
Unfolding the gate was pretty straightforward (as long as you've read the instructions). The gate is extendible and adjusts to fit openings between 71cm and 92cm, and it is easy enough to extend or retract. Installation itself is fiddly but once it's been done properly, feels quite sturdy. However do note that it is not advisable to install the gate at the top of the stairs as too much pressure (a child leaning on it or running into it) may easily move the gate out of place and cause an accident.

My Opinion
Why anyone would install this gate in a stairway in the first place is completely beyond me. Because what I came to realise a few minutes after opening the box was that this is not in fact a gate, at all. It is a barrier - a static barrier. If anyone needs to get past the barrier, the "gate" needs to be removed and the entire process repeated to re-install the barrier.

Personally, I cannot think of anywhere that might call for this sort of barrier. If a child needs to be kept out of a room entirely, I'd close the door. If I were using it as a barrier between two rooms that are often in use, for example kitchen and living room, I'd want a gate that can be opened and then quickly and easily closed behind me.

There's the travel element, you say? Yes this is true. This clever gate folds up completely, for easy storage and travel use. However, why I'd spend £28 on an item that will very possibly be the reason I'm 2kg over my luggage allowance, to then be a possible cause for an accident when I try and fly over it in an attempt to get in or out of a room in a hurry (because we all know I'd be tempted to try and jump over the gate to avoid having to remove and then re-install the barrier at some point)... well, I wouldn't! I'd sooner get creative with furniture or other makeshift barriers while on holiday - or simply keep an eye on my child. And there is still nowhere I can think of in the house that would warrant a barrier that does not allow anyone through easily. So unless you have somewhere very specific that needs blocking off but doesn't need regular access, this will probably be a frustrating purchase.

Conclusion
I'd recommend considering other Lindam gates!

-----
This was a sponsored review and my very honest opinion.

Energy Saving this Christmas

2011-11-25T11:08:00.000Z

Just a month to go until Christmas Day. How many of us have already decorated? I'm itching to and will probably give in over the next few days. Can't wait! Meanwhile, I received this in an email recently and thought I'd share.

Top Tips for Energy Saving this Christmas

1. Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when buying a new appliance this Christmas. Only the most energy efficient products are entitled to carry it, saving you energy and money simultaneously! Check out the Energy Saving Trust’s online database of Energy Saving Recommended products, launched in partnership with shopping comparison site PriceRunner.co.uk.

2. When decorating your Christmas tree and house, switch from conventional to LED Christmas lights to reduce your energy consumption by 90%

3. Turn your Christmas lights off when you go out, and when you go to bed. And when the Christmas lights are on, try turning off your main room lights to maximise the lighting effect

4. A fibre optic decoration can light a whole tree from a single bulb, and is just as effective as a whole string of Christmas tree lights

5. More family and friends in your home over Christmas will make it easier to keep warm so turn the thermostat down by a degree or two

6. Consider turning the heating down or off whilst you cook Christmas dinner. The excess heat from the kitchen will help warm surrounding areas

7. Make sure you switch those new gadgets and appliances given as gifts off standby before you go to bed. Appliances such as televisions left on standby still use energy – a 20watt residual energy use equates to 2.5kg of CO2 emitted over the holiday period

8. Buy yourself some rechargeable batteries and a charger so that all those new toys keep working beyond Boxing Day. This not only saves you from tantrums by the kids but also a trip to the shops to buy batteries on Boxing Day!

9. Be conscious not to leave electrical appliances charging unnecessarily, e.g. laptops, mobile phones, mp3 players, handheld games consoles etc.

10. Make sure that radiators are not obstructed by decorations, Christmas trees or re-arranged furniture as it reduces the heat radiated

11. Always fill the dishwasher fully before putting it on after Christmas dinner as it will be more energy efficient

12. When you decorate your Christmas tree, make sure you plug the lights into a socket that’s easily accessible. If that’s not possible, an alternative is to buy yourself a radio controlled socket to turn the lights on and off

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Wordless Wednesday: Laundry Elf

2011-11-23T11:08:00.000Z

I'll Be Honest

2011-11-21T10:24:00.000Z

Lately, to the large extent, life's been a great, big, steaming pile of crap. Since around the 29th October we've barely had a whole night's sleep. Between teething, an ear infection and God only knows what else, Emily has been up almost every night for hours at a go.

Some nights, even thinking of her smile, her chuckles, her general adorableness hasn't cut it. Some nights have pushed me so far, I've ended up in tears not wanting to go into her room for fear of losing my temper with her. Some nights I've despised her.

Luckily I'm surrounded by some great friends who, while they can offer no solutions, assure me that feeling this way is normal. (Equally, there have been "friends" who have offered no support whatsoever, instead trying to make me feel like the worst mother that ever lived. Always nice, that.)

Days become equally as hard. I'm so tired I'm listless, unmotivated and verging on depressed. Housework has severely fallen behind. I then look at the mess around me and feel even worse. Some days I have no energy to hold a conversation with anyone and avoid meeting friends or socialising at all. This plus my husband's very long work hours sometimes makes for very unfulfilling days, meaning things are already not great at bedtime, when we then need to gear up for the possibility of yet another tough night.

My point? Not sure there is one. But if any of you think my life is a bed of roses all the time....? Not so much.

[I wrote this at 3:30am this morning after having been up for 3 hours, 2 of them trying to get Emily to go back to sleep, one of them trying to get myself back to sleep. Apologies if it sounds somewhat desperate. I was.]

---

Update, 22nd November @ 20:50

I have learnt that when I reach rock bottom, I feel the need write about it. And after that, the only way is up. However, thanks to my writing about it and in this case making it public, you've all made it that much easier to find the way "up". Since yesterday's post, the amount of love and support that has come FLOODING in (here, FB, Twitter, email, text, whatsapp, you name it!) is amazing, and so moving. I am in such an immensely different place today - and it's all thanks to you. I am once again able to look at Emily and feel pride and overwhelming love for her, and when she moaned a bit this afternoon, it didn't feel like the end of the world. We just had some cuddles and sang a few songs, and she was happy again. I couldn't do that recently, it's felt so hard, like I'd become a rock, incapable of feeling warmth towards her. We had a really great day today. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you <3

Guest Post: Outdoor Autumn Activities for Kids

2011-11-17T10:11:00.000Z

By: Isabella Woods

Yes, it may have turned colder in the past few months, but it’s still mild enough to get the kids outdoors – especially if they’re wrapped up warm. So turn off the games console, switch off the TV, and head off into the great outdoors for adventures galore. After all, autumn is far too beautiful to be seen through murky double-glazing.

If your kids are far from the outdoorsy types and they throw a tantrum at the mere thought of going on a country walk, you’re going to have to get creative. Ok, so a standard walk might not float their boat, but add in some fun elements and you’ll have them begging for another outing asap. Read on to discover our favourite outdoor autumn activities for kids…

Orienteering

If you’ve got a dog and you take him on regular walks in a local park you probably won’t have to do much prepping for this. Ok, so it’s not full-on orienteering, but it’s a start.

You’ll need to plot five to ten sites for your kids to find – the number of sites you decide on should depend on the age and energy levels of your kids (if they’re not used to running around outdoors build them up gently). Mark these points down on a piece of paper in the order you want the kids to find them and work out (take a compass on your next dog walk) whether they’ll need to go north, east, south or west for instance to reach this particular site. Give them simple steps to find each site from the previous site and you’ll have an easy orienteering game your kids are bound to find fun.

Tip: Try it out yourself and once you’re sure it works, hand it over to the kids. If they’ve got friends over, get them involved too – team work is a lot of fun and everyone loves a bit of competition. Do it just for the thrill of finding all the sites or incentivize them with the promise of a treat for the winner. Make sure your kids enjoy this activity during daylight hours as otherwise, in all the excitement, they might end up trampling over your dog leaving you to fork out on the best pet insurance out there.

Animal Tracking

Even in the most built-up cities, wildlife still manages to survive. Get your kids interested in the animals that live around us by introducing them to animal tracking. Go for a walk in some nearby woods with a magnifying glass and turn the walk more into a hunt for signs of wildlife than a stomp through the woods. See what paw prints they can spot and identify different animal droppings (maybe one boys will enjoy more!). Once you’ve got them interested, you can carry on the fun back at home. Simply find a container, dish, or tray and fill it with sand or mud. Then add a bit of food – like some chopped up carrot or lettuce leaves – and leave it outside in your garden for a few days.

Hopefully you’ll be lucky enough to have a visitor to your garden and they’ll leave their paw print embedded in the sand or mud. Your child can then make a copy of the mark and use a wildlife book or the internet to try and find out what sort of animal the paw print belongs to.

Autumnal Art

Take a leaf out of the squirrels’ book and get foraging. Autumn is a great time to hunt down nature’s bounty and while there might be plenty out there to eat (chestnuts, mushrooms and so on), for kids we recommend foraging for art materials.

At this time of year, leaves come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and in a gorgeous array of greens, browns and reds. If you’ve got a child who’s particularly arty get them outdoors with a bag and they’ll soon have plenty of wonderful things to create a stunning collage with. Leaves, tree bark, twigs, conkers, chestnuts and pinecones all make great material to get arty with. Use them on their own or add in things from your home like dried pasta shapes and bits of colourful fabric. Add in big sheets of paper and some glue and you’ve got an activity to keep them amused for hours – and a piece of art to treasure for ever.

Toughie

2011-11-15T19:42:00.001Z

The weekend was not quite the one we had in mind. I was unwell on Thursday and Friday, and so desperate for Emily not to catch whatever I had, I went a little bit mad on Thursday evening disinfecting toys I'd touched throughout the day, the kitchen, and the "13 hideouts for icky germs." It probably didn't exactly aid my recovery. But while David ended up getting sick over the weekend and is still recovering, Emily didn't get sick. So yay me.

What she did have was lots of teething pain. Loss of appetite, a runny nose, a few very toxic nappies, and on Saturday night, a fever of 101 degrees. I stripped her down to her vest when she woke us up to find her that way at 2am on Sunday and I could feel her burning through my nightclothes, her thighs red with the heat. My heart went out to her.

David moved downstairs to the sofa and Emily came into bed with me. But she never quite settles to sleep in our bed, and that night was no different. Eventually we ended up back in her room, snuggled on the armchair until she fell asleep at 4:30am, finally (a little bit) cooler.

Short of bulging gums, there is still no sign of the wretched teeth. But today she woke up suddenly knowing how to clap, and she's loving it. She's been trying to clap for weeks and weeks and couldn't quite get her head around it and finally, she's figured it out and she is SO proud of herself, it's tangible.

There have been many cuddles and snuggles over the last few days, many tears and much screaming (silent on my part), along with a good (but never sufficient) dose of patience and counting-to-ten. Bear with me if I am not around much this week, my energy is being spent elsewhere!

Cliché

2011-11-10T09:30:00.000Z

When I was pregnant, people would tell me not to wish it by too fast. I didn't. I was determined to enjoy every moment and despite being sick for over six months of the pregnancy, I think back with a smile on my face and butterflies in my tummy. It was a magical time and I made the most of it the way it was.

When Emily was about to be born, people told me to enjoy my sleep and my restful nights while I had them. They advised me not to wish them away too fast - once she arrived, I wouldn't be getting any sleep. I disagreed: I was already losing sleep, Emily was making a point of that, using my bladder as a pillow and testing how far exactly my hips would stretch. I wanted to meet my princess on what would be the most important day of my life. It had been a long enough wait, and much to my delight, she arrived 5 days early. I don't feel I lost out on any sleep because of it.

When she arrived, they said "Enjoy her, they grow so fast." A cliché in every way, but each day that passed, each week, each month, I just found myself thinking the same thing. They grow so fast. At some point around four months (or it may have been five), Emily lost her newbornness. She became a baby rather than a newborn. Now, despite making no attempt at toddling, she looks more like a toddler than a baby. She is so far removed from the fragile newborn I held moments after she was born, it's hard to believe it's only been - realistically - a few months. She really has grown fast.

For once, "they" were right.

Wordless Wednesday: In Silhouette, Richmond Park

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000Z

Christmas Ornament Exchange

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000Z

With Christmas less than 50 sleeps away, it's time to get planning! Here's a fun idea - SnafflesMummy is hosting a Christmas Ornament Exchange. Do you want to join in? Here are the details...

The Rules:

1. There is a maximum spend limit of £5 (before postage).

2. It can be just one ornament or several if that’s what you want to do.

3. The ornaments can be bought, homemade, baked or a combination.

4. It is a ‘secret’ exchange so no reveal until you send your ornament. Please include your blog address and a card so that the recipient knows who as sent these lovely decorations to them. (To make it more fun don’t forget to gift wrap the ornament)

Timescales:

•Deadline to register your interest is 18th November 2011 (see below for details on how to enter).

•Details of your secret exchange will be sent to you by the 20th November 2011.

•Deadline to mail your ornament is 4th December 2011.

•SnafflesMummy will post a link after this date for everyone to share their goodies.

How To Join:

Send SnafflesMummy an email at snafflesmummy1@googlemail.com. She will need the following information:

•Your name and address

•Your blog name and address and a twitter name if you have one

•Favourite colour or colour you decorate in

•Do you have a holiday theme? Or collect anything? (i.e. snowmen, Santa’s etc.)

•Are you happy to post over seas?

Blog, tweet, facebook it... let's get a whole lot of people involved! Any questions, please refer to SnafflesMummy's post here. This will be fun! x

[image]

My View: Autumn Edition

2011-11-04T09:30:00.000Z

Who remembers this?

Walking along the other day, I just couldn't resist but snap an updated picture. This is my fantastic view this Autumn:

The little princess's hands get cold very quickly, and it was a particularly cold afternoon so I whipped out the mittens. She didn't quite appreciate them being put on but once she was warm, she sat there and enjoyed the ride like a proper little lady... bear.

In case anyone's interested, her hat is from George at Asda, mittens from JojoMamanBebe.

Rubber Ducky

2011-11-03T23:00:00.000Z

Dear family of duckies from various walks of life,

I can't not thank you. You provide Emily with hours of bathtime fun. You make squeaky noises, squirt water and look cute, and for this I thank you.

What I'd love to know, though, is WHY DO YOU NEVER FLOAT UPRIGHT?!!!!

That is all.

One Little Strawberry

2011-11-01T11:46:00.000Z

So Halloween came and went and we had not a single trick or treater. This means that it is now down to David and myself to get through the (thankfully small) bucket of sweets we had prepared just in case. We know we don't usually get trick or treaters around here (we've had one little group come by since 2007!!) but I always prepare some sweets - you don't want to be caught without! Plus, it's so much fun! I'm always left quite disappointed when, yet again, the doorbell remains silent. Bah humbug.

But we still got to have some Halloween fun. We had a little NCT Halloween party over the weekend. Not a massive turnout there either as many people couldn't make it or were away, but it was fun for the four little ones there. And Emily went as.... a strawberry! Here are some pictures, enjoy the cuteness!

James and Emily

Myself with Emily, Joseph and Joshua, Joshua again

xx

November Spotlight: Brown Paper Bag Art

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I bought a set of note cards in a beautiful box. The blurb told of the artist, Naoko, who has always been fascinated with creating things on used paper. After long experiments with paper and inks, she established a way to draw on used paper bags without losing their colour and texture. Her "brown paper bag collection" combines the rebirth of something old into new, creating images that project the beauty of life.

Serene Night Story

Good Night

The rest of this beautiful collection can be seen on Naoko's website at brownpaperbagcollection.com, or prints purchased at Naoko's etsy shop.

Eat, Drink and Be Scary

2011-10-31T10:29:00.000Z

Source: Halloween via clare on Pinterest

Happy Halloween!

I do wish they 'celebrated' properly around here!
Still, our NCT Halloween party was a great success
and pictures of Emily in her mystery outfit will follow soon...

A Story of Nines

2011-10-28T09:30:00.000+01:00

Today is Emily's 9 months in, 9 months out day! (Simply put, she's 9 months old.)
So, to recap, because 9 is one of those numbers that seems important in a baby's life...

...here's a glimpse of Emily (then known as Bean) 9 weeks into the pregnancy...

Then suddenly I was 9 months pregnant.
(No, not the most flattering of pictures, but in my defence, this was precisely 7 days before Emily was born...)

And this is my little Bean today, 9 months old.
My headstrong little smiler. She's suddenly craving independence in every way.
Hates that she can't yet crawl. Hates being fed. Hates being strapped into her pushchair.
Loves music and her daddy. And banana and bread and anything she can eat with her hands really.
Desperately trying to speak to fellow humans but for now makes do with speaking to her toys.
Everyday I think I can't love her anymore than I already do.
Everyday, I do.

Emily is "wearing pink" in support of Breast Cancer Campaign.

Works Every Time

2011-10-26T09:01:00.000+01:00

Source: honeyyyimhome.tumblr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

My First Birthday

2011-10-24T09:29:00.000+01:00

...as a mummy that is.

I turned 29 over the weekend. (Although I still think that someone miscalculated something somewhere along the way and I've only just turned 20 really.)

I'm big on birthdays. October is always an exciting month for me, even if just because towards the end of it, nicely enveloped in beautiful autumness, is my special day. But this year, it almost escaped me. October hasn't been that great and my birthday almost seemed to surprise me. Suddenly, there it was, a few days away. So there wasn't a huge build-up. I barely had any time to plan anything.

This year, a tiny person is more important than my birthday.

So it arrived, a plain day with the potential to be as plain as every other. But instead, it was a magnificent day. Over breakfast, David and Emily gave me my presents in the form of a treasure hunt and had me running all over the house eagerly looking for gifts cleverly disguised in different wrapping paper and hidden under or beside everyday objects. One was even buried inside Emily's toy basket.

Then we went out for an early lunch. We had friends coming over later to join us for some champagne tea ;) Oh yes, are we posh or what?! After which, we went for a walk in the perfect October weather (this week has been nothing short of glorious), and then stopped by the swings. Emily had a go on the baby swing (have you seen her very first time?) while one of our friends and I had a go at the see-saw.

Nothing like acting like a 5 year old on your 29th birthday.

Oh did I say 29th? I meant 20th.

By the end of the day, I just wished it didn't have to end.

And if anyone's curious, this was what my real first birthday looked like...

Ah, the eighties. Check me out in my knee highs.

[Special thanks goes to my Daddy (now sans huge specs) for scanning these in for me over the weekend :) xx]

Autumn Leaf Testing Procedures

2011-10-21T09:30:00.000+01:00

We went for a walk through the park the other day and I was thrilled to see the ground covered in shades of rust.

I handed Emily a leaf to feel and touch.

The leaf was then put through a series of rigorous tests.

Overall, our tester was very pleased with the quality of Autumn 2011.

The Gift of Language

2011-10-20T10:13:00.000+01:00

Malta is a bilingual country. The national languages are both Maltese and English. And despite it being a very small country, there is somewhat of a divide - the people who primarily speak Maltese and the people who primarily speak English. This is often down to schools attended. Some teach in English, others in Maltese. If I'm honest, it is slightly confusing and messy, but that's the way it is. Most people are perfectly fluent in both. Personally, while I adore languages, I'm not very good at them and having been brought up speaking English, my Maltese has suffered slightly along the way (though ironically it seems to have improved since I left Malta).

David on the other hand is perfectly fluent in both, as well as in Italian. He can also communicate well in French and Spanish to an extent. He is one of those lucky people who is amazing at languages. My mother is similar (imagine her disdain when I turned up!!).

Enter Emily, who was born in the UK. She is still Maltese (although we intend to get her to dual-citizenship status at some point) but has very limited exposure to the language. We know that the best way to raise a child to be bilingual is for each parent to speak a different language to the child. However this works easiest when the parents are actually from different countries. With David and myself it feels unnatural as we speak to each other in English (with the odd Maltese word thrown in... it's a Maltese thing!). So what to do?

I could be wrong, but I have a funny feeling Emily takes after David in this respect rather than me. Her understanding of most of what I tell her is already very clear. She has known what "milk" means since she was about 5 months old. She also knows what "sleep", "nappy" and "bath" mean. We communicate well: I say the word (within a sentence) when I think it's time for whichever and she will smile or snuggle if she wants to sleep, for example. If she is not interested, then there is no reaction. It's a system that works well.

Seeing as how David was raised in Italy and England as well as in Malta, his parents spoke to him in Maltese to ensure that he never loses his Maltese. We thought it would be fitting for them to continue this with Emily. It's not the same of course but there'd be visits and Skype, and later on, phone calls and overall we thought it might give her more of a reason to want to learn the language. Sadly, it would appear that they'd prefer not to. It seems a pity, but it is ultimately their choice. We will teach her some basic vocabulary and she will have special story books in Maltese, and perhaps when she's older she'll make the choice to pursue it further.

Ultimately I feel it is important to give her at least a basic understanding of part of her heritage. And that much, I will strive to do.

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Wear It Pink

2011-10-18T09:45:00.000+01:00

wear it pink is Breast Cancer Campaign’s flagship fundraising event and always takes place on the last Friday of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year’s event will be held on the 28th October and hundreds of thousands of people from across the nation will be donating money to wear it pink, either at work, in school, at home, anywhere! The event raises around £2.5m each year to help fund vital breast cancer research and is noted as a key activity within Breast Cancer Awareness Month. wear it pink has been running for eight years and is currently supported by Vanish.

What You Can Do

Everyone can get involved in wear it pink day - whether you fancy dressing head-to-toe in pink for the office, discreetly slipping on a pair of pink socks under your desk, or getting friends and family round for a pink party. Whatever you do, make sure you have fun whilst raising money! Register here for your fundraising pack.

And if you can't quite see yourself doing all that, then just do this: Donate as much as you can and spread the word!

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New Rules

2011-10-17T09:30:00.000+01:00

Some things need to change around here. Therefore I am setting these new rules:

No laptop use while Emily is awake.*
All she ever seems to see me do is use the laptop while she plays. More time will be spent playing with her, therefore also increasing the possibility of her learning that there is more to life than a computer. I am a very computery person, but I had a varied childhood and I really don't want her to be one of those kids who only know how to turn to a computer for entertainment. Children see, children do. For this same reason...

Read more.
I was a total bookworm right up until about the 28th January 2011. Since then, I think I may have read one book (I'm not entirely sure) and skimmed through a few magazines. I need to read more for me, because it focuses me and it calms me, and I need to read more for her, because she needs to see that reading is something that's good to do.

Establish storytime.
Currently our most successful storytime is during bathtime and involves waterproof books. I do not think this is acceptable. I need to find a time when she is awake enough to tolerate it, and bedtime is not an option - I am generally yelled at if I dress her too slowly, let alone pause the entire process to read a story. What can I say, the child loves her sleep! So if anyone has any advice or suggestions as to a little storytime tradition I can set up, please share!

Get out every day.
Even if it's just for a walk around the block. I was really good at keeping to this rule until about a month ago when Emily and I were both unwell and I made an exception for a few days because I had such little energy, and since then I just haven't been able to find my mojo again. Mojo must be located. Emily loves being outdoors, the fresh air is good for us both and God knows I need the exercise.

* This rule can be broken under certain circumstances (eg if I am desperate to place a grocery order) but then use must be quick and to the point. Use of my phone is still allowed because I trust myself to be somewhat balanced with that (and if necessary can be hidden behind a magazine...).

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Also, have you spotted the new blog badge? Emma of Emma's Diary has announced her brand new blog - and I will be one of the contributing bloggers! So join, follow, subscribe, do what you have to, but don't miss a thing! It's going to be good :) x

Big City Lights

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000+01:00

I've always loved a night scene. Something about a lit-up city scene makes my heart flutter. When it comes to the view I'll take a night flight any day - and I'll be taking the window seat thank you very much. I love Christmas for several reasons but the lights are one very good reason.

I don't know whether these things can be passed on, but Emily has loved lights from day one. Her favourite toys mostly involve flashing lights and she'll stare at the kitchen lights for ages. When she was just weeks old, she adored the chandelier in our bedroom. She's a lights baby, there's no question about it.

So when constrained by a mini seat belt (which she eventually gave up trying to eat) on the flight back from Malta on Sunday, as we circled and circled Heathrow, I was dangerously close to losing my voice after singing far too many nursery rhymes in an attempt to keep Emily entertained. She hates having to sit down on us for long periods of time, she'd much rather be bouncing around but the seatbelt sign was on for ages.

And then she caught sight of the lights of nighttime London (the sparkling sight never fails to take my breath away) and there was no need to entertain her any longer.

She stared, mouth agape, transfixed, until we landed.

I can't wait for Christmas now that my little cherub is around to share - and add to - the magic! Just over 10 weeks to go... and I don't expect there's more than about a month to wait until the lights are up! *much excitement*

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Pregnant Halloween

2011-10-11T10:30:00.000+01:00

Last year, some friends and I decided to meet up for Halloween and do it properly. Costumes, themed food, etc.

I was 6 months pregnant at the time, and I was faced with a very limited pool of ideas for pregnant halloween costumes. Run a google search and the same few ideas pop up over and over. There's the pregnant fairy, pregnant Roman empress, pregnant devil, pregnant nurse. Yawn. I really didn't want to do the pregnant nun thing either. I'm not religious, but that strikes me as downright offensive. I wasn't about to go there. But do you have any idea how difficult it is to come up with an idea for a pregnant costume that has a direct link to the pregnancy and isn't cliche?!

Impossible.

I did eventually find a few decent options. Many of these options involved using body paint on Bump, but that would have meant a bare bump, which I didn't quite fancy seeing as how it was winter.

So here were my options:

Bun in the Oven (ok, also cliche, but honestly... impossible!)

The great benefit of this costume is that if you're feeling self-conscious of your changing, growing body, it pretty much covers it all. Add any top and a pair of comfy leggings and you're good to go!

Pregnant Cat

I came across this one on a forum. It's a very cheap option. Wear black clothing. Add cat ears and tail. Glue six brown bottle teats to your top over your bump. Done!

Juno

This is a great one for couples, but works just as well alone. You get to be comfy in your maternity clothes (just don't forget the messy ponytail and a sulk), while your other half walks around in short shorts, high socks, sweatband and wristbands. Hahahaha. Love it!

In the end, our plans fell through and I didn't end up dressing up or making any yummy treats. We are dressing up this year, but that's another story for another day... ;)

Plenty To Go Round

2011-10-10T09:59:00.000+01:00

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Two Little Clowns

2011-10-06T09:22:00.000+01:00

Gabriella and Emily at Pizza Express last week...

Perspective

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

And just like that, it's our third wedding anniversary. I'm sure David would agree with me that this year is possibly the most special so far. This year, it's not just a wedding anniversary. It's a celebration of all that has happened to us since the day we met: the long-distance relationship, the early engagement, the life move to another country, the crazy wedding planning, the building of a home, the (almost?) perfect wedding day...... fast-forward to the arrival of an amazing little girl who now gets to share this day with us, and is, honestly speaking, the realisation of everything David and I dreamed of since some point very early in our relationship.

Three years ago, my biggest problem was the weather, my dress not fitting well and a certain speech getting out of hand. I'm not saying that those things would not have worried me had things happened in reverse (I haven't changed THAT much!), but it certainly puts things into perspective.

David is still as supportive of me as he was then, still as much my voice of reason as he was when he called me up the morning of the wedding to assure me that from where he was standing, he could see the end of the storm (the black cloud was moving away) while I was still seemingly surrounded by it, pouring my eyes out because I thought my beautiful wedding was ruined.

Sigh.

Here's to many (multiples of three) more wedding anniversaries.

(D, love you & thank you x)

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October Spotlight: Plum Baby

2011-10-03T10:00:00.000+01:00

I taste everything Emily eats. If it comes out of a jar/pot/can/pouch, I want to know what it tastes like because I think it's somewhat presumptuous of me to be telling her something is "yummy" and encouraging her to eat if I don't even know what it is that I'm offering her. And so I taste everything.

Some brands of baby food amaze me in that the contents of every single jar seem to not only taste the same (bland), but also look the same, despite the labels claiming them to be different flavours entirely. The mind boggles.

So it was a pleasant surprise when, after receiving a (very generous!) sample box of Plum Baby Stage 1 purees, I had a little nibble and discovered that Plum Baby's purées actually taste like the stuff it says on the label!

"All the recipes have been created by our founder Susie and tested by an army of hungry little mouths, making sure that every single recipe - from our savoury meals and desserts, to our cereals, yogurts and snacks - is just as good as homemade if not better!"

Because of the different tastes, of course, Emily has rather more specific favourites than with the above-mentioned other purées. I don't mind this as it is my opinion that weaning is all about introducing a child to the wonderful tastes of the world, and if everything has the same bland taste, they will never develop a distinction between foods, never have a favourite food or one they totally refuse to eat (after all, don't we as adults all have one of those too?).

These yummy purees come in very conveniently sized (and good enough to keep and re-use!) plastic pots, as well as handy pouches, and they are very competitively priced. My only negative comment would be that there doesn't seem to be too much of a selection of meals available for Stage 1, but perhaps some new options will be added in time.

Emily's absolute favourites so far have been the Squash & Sweet Potato, and the Apple & Blackcurrant. I quite liked that one too ;)

Checking In

2011-09-29T09:30:00.000+01:00

Earlier this week TripAdvisor published a list of "weird hotels". See the list for yourself here. In that list is a dockside crane (Netherlands), a wigwam motel (California, US), and a dog-shaped inn (above, Idaho, US).

It got me thinking that that can't possibly be a comprehensive list. If people can come up with hotel rooms and inns like that, there are bound to be more. Here's what I found:

Das Park Hotel, Linz, Austria - renovated sewage pipes (well at least they recycle!!)

Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin - this is all-out weird. Choose a theme: coffins, lion cages, padded cells...

The Hobbit Motel, Woodlyn Park, Waitomo, New Zealand - LOTR fans FTW

Null Stern Hotel, Switzerland - zero star, anyone?

A simple google search will show far more. I'll admit, there were some I wouldn't mind exploring. None of them are in this list, although I'm sure I could think of a friend or two who would probably fancy staying at that Hobbit Motel. I digress. One of the places I wouldn't mind trying out is Beckham Creek Cave Lodge, Arkansas, USA, for example. Central heating, jacuzzis, all set in 530 acres of rock. Yes it's not your "safe" average hotel, but if I had to try different, this would be it.

I don't suspect I'll be too adventurous in the near future however.

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Yup.

2011-09-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

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Winner: Gumigem Competition

2011-09-26T18:57:00.000+01:00

The Gumigem Necklace competition closed on Sunday night and we have a winner (using random.org)..... *drumroll*

Kara of Innocent Charms Chats!

Congratulations Kara! From what you said in your comments on the competition post, your Gumigem necklace will be put to good use!

Kara has been contacted and will be sent her necklace via Jenny at Gumigem soon. Once again, thank you all for participating!

Daisy Chains

2011-09-26T09:00:00.000+01:00

Last month, our little UK-side family met up in Canterbury. Growing up in Malta, we were very close to our cousins. We met up regularly and did all sorts of things together. So it is one of the most important things to me and my sister that our little ones have a similar experience of family. Most of the family is still based in Malta, but as there are two of us here in England, we can give the kiddies as good a dose of family as often as we can.

There is just an 8-month age gap between Gabriella and Emily. (Remember Gabriella?) I had no idea when she was born that I'd soon have a little peanut of my own! The age difference is huge for now, Gabriella is walking and can say a few words. She blows kisses and tries to hug Emily (who fights her off). Emily can only look on in frustration. But soon the gap will seemingly shrink and I look forward to a day when we can watch them interact on equal terms.

For now, they just watch us act the fool :)

Reminder

2011-09-22T10:00:00.000+01:00

Just a little reminder that the Gumigem competition closes on Sunday, so get your entry/entries in while you can!

Sleeping Baby

2011-09-19T19:53:00.000+01:00

There are a few things happening.

Emily's second tooth will be here any day now (at least I bloody well hope it is!) so nights have become quite difficult again.

She is fascinated by my clapping hands. She holds them in an attempt to clap herself too. She'll get there eventually.

Her Godfather visited this weekend. She kept leaning in to him and snuggling whenever he held her.

So life is good. Just a bit tiring, and quiet.

Until I feel chatty again, I leave you with this adorable collection of pictures. Hope you're all smiling and well x

(& more here)

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Indulgence (A Little Piece of Heaven)

2011-09-16T09:39:00.000+01:00

I don't get to enjoy shoes too much anymore, so allow me this little bit of beauty here on my blog...

"Shoes like these should not be locked in a closet! They should be living a life of scandal, and passion and getting screwed in an alleyway by a billionaire..."

"When I feel down, I like to treat myself. Clothes never look any good, and food just makes me fatter, but shoes always fit."

Have an excellent weekend! x

[Images from here and here]
[Quotes from In Her Shoes]
[Post inspired by Alison of AlisonDee]

Lemon Chicken and Spinach Puffs

2011-09-15T09:04:00.000+01:00

We had a difficult start to the night on Tuesday evening when Emily was rudely woken up by her blocked nose and became furious that she was not able to get back to sleep. She did eventually get back to sleep but yesterday was spent mostly catching up on lost sleep, and recuperating. Meaning I had some time to myself.

So I opened the fridge.

In there, there was a Jus-Rol Light Puff Sheet which I bought to try out. No better time. (I wasn't that unwell.) There was a recipe on the side of the box, which I tweaked (quite) a bit as I didn't have everything it needed. But the result was OMGdelicious. And since the entire preparing and cooking process only took 40 mins, here is a new addition to Clare's Quick And Easy Recipe section (or at least it should be called that).

You will need:
1 Jus-Rol Light Puff Pastry Sheet (this)
1 skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp lemon juice
grated zest of half a lemon
some spinach (I used 2 frozen cubes)
3 mushrooms, chopped
3 tbsp milk
1 beaten egg to glaze
salt & pepper to taste
cup of grated cheddar

Then...
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius (or 200 if fan-assisted)/Gas Mark 7
2. Unroll pastry sheet & cut into 4 equal rectangles. Place on a well oiled/lined baking tray.
3. Cut chicken into thin strips, mix with lemon zest & juice, spinach, mushrooms, milk & salt/pepper if using.
4. Spoon onto the pastry pieces, spreading in an even layer and leaving a 1cm border all around. Top with cheddar.
5. Brush the borders with the beaten egg, pinch corners, twist outwards and bring up the long sides to fold inwards slightly, making a little wall along each side. Brush pastry with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and pastry is golden.

The smell of them cooking alone is worth it, but the puffs themselves are deliciously tangy and juicy! Let me know what you think if you decide to have a go at these! I'm going to buy some more pastry rolls and try out different combinations. Mm.

Wordless Wednesday: Sick Bay

2011-09-14T11:32:00.004+01:00

meh.

Cast & Crew

2011-09-13T09:16:00.000+01:00

I thought, perhaps, you'd like to be introduced to Emily's team... get to know her very favourite toys - the ones that, no matter what, will get a smile out of her. Very often even a chuckle. More than anything, hours of entertainment. So I cheekily borrowed said toys from her and - under her hawk-eyed scrutiny - photographed each one (while feeling like a total dork).

To begin, let me make one thing clear: there is no distinction between a teething toy and anything else. In Emily's eyes, they are all teething toys. They all get gummed and drenched in drool until they're silently begging to be tossed aside in exchange for something - anything!! - else. So I will not bother to mention this fact in my introductions lest I end up repeating myself.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great amusement that I introduce you to... Emily's Cast & Crew.

McBoingBoing
This bunny was a sale purchase, £2.50 (if not less) from ELC. She's one of the Blossom Farm animals, probably last season. She's called McBoingBoing because when you press her tummy, she makes a Boing Boing sound. Emily loved this from day one, and McBoingBoing (a combination of an old cartoon and too many episodes of Grey's Anatomy under our belt, she was given this name by David) has somehow become a "highchair in the morning" toy. I guess it's because we know that no matter what mood Moody McMooderson (Emily) has woken up in, McBoingBoing will always lure a smile out.

Mr Happy
...is an old toy, a long-suffering survivor from my childhood (!). He squeaks and Emily has taken a huge fancy to him. He is almost always the first toy she reaches out for when she's on her playmat. He frustrates her no end because he keeps rolling away and she can only stop him from doing this if she manages to wrap her fingers around one of his little arms - not always easy when your fingers are teeny and those yellow arms are even teenier. I guess it's a love-hate relationship that she has with Mr Happy but I do think they will go far.

Violet and Baby Tad
Both are LeapFrog educational toys. They both play songs, Baby Tad teaches colours and shapes, while Violet is more your playful companion. She comes with a USB connection which allows you to input your baby's name, favourite colour, food and animal and then uses the information in little phrases and songs. It was thanks to Violet that we confirmed when Emily knew her own name. It was a magical moment: Violet sang out Emily's name and Emily spun round to look at her in a mixture of surprise and shock. Violet quickly became a firm favourite as did Baby Tad (when we showed him to her at Toys'R'Us, she didn't take her eyes off him until he was safely in a carrier bag with us as new owners). Personally I prefer Violet (can you tell?) but both are great to have around.

Er... Ball?
Yeah, let's just call this one Ball. Emily loves this because it's so easy to keep hold of. And it jingles, which is a bonus. Not really much else to say about a ball although if she could speak, Emily would probably be more than willing to sing its' praises! It's by Bright Stars. (Baby Einstein also do a very similar one)

Penguin
We (ok, I) love Lamaze toys and own a number of them - all of which are greatly loved by Emily. This little squeaky penguin, however, takes the biscuit. In fact, he lives in the little bag of toys in the pushchair basket - for those moments when we are out and about and in need of emergency entertainment. I get the feeling that she loves everything about this little guy - the texture, colours, sound, you name it. Poor penguin has seen much better days!

B Block
A very recent addition to the crew, I bought this set of 3 Fisher Price blocks off ebay. She has taken a huge liking to the B block - not A, not C. Just B. She literally looks at it and laughs. I'll try and get a video of it sometime. It's priceless!

So there you have it. Realistically, I could say something about many more of her toys: the plush lion that sleeps beside her at night, the sensory ball she loves to touch, the Nuby bug-a-loop teether she just adores, her Lamaze firefly, her Vtech crawl and learn ball (which she tries to hold down when it moves away)... but let's leave it at that for now!

Happy Friday!

2011-09-09T09:41:00.000+01:00

A little thought for the weekend x
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10 Things You May Not Know (About Me)

2011-09-08T09:09:00.000+01:00

A while back, I was tagged by Beautiful Boy's Mummy over on Dear Beautiful Boy and her 10 Things You Don't Know About Me post (closely followed by Tina of MotherGeek in her similarly named post). It seems to be a well-known fact that this sort of post unlocks Writer's Block like you wouldn't believe. Which is why it's taken me weeks to complete it. But finally, here it is - hope you enjoy reading :)

1. I used to dance Flamenco.
I did Spanish Dance and Flamenco for 3 years in my early 20s. I loved it, with a passion. And I was good at it. And then for some daft reason, I stopped. And have regretted it ever since.

2. I love travelling but hate sightseeing.
It's the essence of a place that I want to experience, not a list of places that a book recommends I see. I hate the crowds, which makes the main tourist attractions all the more of a nightmare. Suffice it to say that one of my favourite afternoons when we were in New York was spent chilling in Barnes & Noble while the rain poured down outside.

3. I once had an imaginary friend called Gaga.
Long before Lady Gaga came along, I was 3 years old and I created an imaginary friend and named her Gaga. I apparently had conversations with her when I was sat on the loo. I believe that was the point when my parents decided I needed to go to Kindergarten and make some real friends. There was also an imaginary cat, who was fed on imaginary plates on the kitchen floor and inevitably got stepped on by everyone who then got told off by little imaginative me.

4. I love filling in forms.
I'm a bit of a nerd like that. I like lists and ticking boxes. I like order and things to look neat. I like filling in boxes in very neat handwriting. I then like folding things perfectly and putting them into clean envelopes. I love sending letters too (yes, even if it's just paying a bill - although this is in no way linked to liking giving my money away). Paperwork with me is a form of art. Like I said, I'm a ~~nerd~~ perfectionist. I don't deny that.

5. I hate not having been able to breastfeed Emily. (link)
And yet I have no regrets. I suspect it's mostly to do with my not being a fan of failure in general. I expect a lot of myself, and I expect myself to succeed at everything and hate when I don't. So I say I'm ok with it, and in truth I am. Formula worked for us (to the extent that I might just do the same with another, future child). But underneath, I hate the failure. I hate that I don't know why it happened. I hate that some people judge me for it.

6. I have hit a person with my car.
Funny story, that. I'd just started to drive and we lived on a slight incline. Having far from mastered the delicate balance needed to reverse without tipping slightly forward first, my then-boyfriend made the mistake of standing in front of my car to direct me into a parallel parking space. He ended up pinned between my car and my mum's car behind him. I panicked and ran back into the house to call my mum to come and "save him" as I was too scared to try and reverse without paralysing him forever. He lived to tell the tale, fully mobile, and didn't even dump me afterwards (well not over that anyway).

7. I cannot eat garlic or fresh onion.
Ok, many of you actually know this (and have had to tailor meals accordingly). My blood pressure is very prone to plumetting so if I eat garlic (you know, the stuff they give people in pills to lower their blood pressure), I end up "in a state." The worst that has happened was migraine, limp limbs, slurred speech, swollen glands. Basically, drunk without the fun bit. Fresh onions do something similar.

8. I would like Emily to have a brother or sister.
Just the one. But not yet.

9. I am married to a local celebrity.
Oooh he'll hate me for this one! (not really: he suggested it). Back in the 90s there was an accapella group called 6th Above. The group consisted of six friends, one of whom was David. They sang in the Eurovision Song Contest and eventually even had their own TV show on one of the local stations. I knew who he was when I met him but feigned ignorance. Wouldn't have wanted fame getting to his head! (LOL)

10. I love TV adverts.
I remember being quite taken by a good advert from a very young age (not that there were too many of them back then). David is always amused when I burst out laughing at a good advert (over and over again), and I get very irate when he channel-hops during adverts. Grr.

Now. I tag:
More Than Twelve Short Stories
Laura Lite (@lauralcharles)
Island Fairy (@mau555)
New Mum on the Blog (@sairycake)
All About G (@allaboutg)
Cup of Crazy (@josephafarrugia)
(Ladies, do this is you fancy it, no pressure. To everyone else, these blogs are worth a visit, so do!)

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Wordless Wednesday: One Chocolate Biscuit

2011-09-07T09:12:00.000+01:00

[Disclaimer: that was a baby biscuit!!]

Guest Post: Raising a Reader

2011-09-05T10:06:00.000+01:00

By: Kathleen Thomas (Primrose Schools)

It's a simple fact that children who are well read, who enjoy books, who have interactive, social experiences surrounding their reading almost invariably do better in school and in life. So many studies have gone on to prove this thesis that it's hardly even worth the effort to cite them. Sadly, many parents neglect to impart the value of reading. For those who know better, they may wonder when to get their kid hooked on books. The answer to that is simple: from birth.

Interestingly, these earliest experiences are hardly about reading so much as they are about imparting a fondness for books themselves. By teaching children of the wonders and joys found in books, the exploration of other worlds through the printed word before preschool, they are a step ahead. When reading to very young children, it's as much about putting on a show as telling a story.

While much of Doctor Spock's research has been outgrown by child psychologists who have come since, few will dispute his claim that nurturing a young reader must start from a very early age, and Robert Needlman, M.D. confirms the belief that all parents should take the time to share in books with their children.

Selecting the right book is very important. There are certain tips to keep in mind, for instance, clear, bold, easy to read illustrations, rhythmic language and simple stories, but it's most important to choose a book that you like, personally. This will ensure that your enthusiasm rubs off on the reading and on your children. If you find a book dull, your kid will see right through your reading and they'll grow bored with the book, and reading by proxy. Choose books that you like and turn your kids onto them.

We'll conclude with some bullet point tips on getting your kids hooked on reading. Keep these in mind and you should have few problems raising young readers.

• Keep books all around the house. A full bookshelf that your child can explore on their own will allow them to pursue their own interests in reading. Most young readers will go through James and the Giant Peach, Winnie the Pooh and, eventually, more mature works like Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye by simply growing and reading at their own pace.

• Read to children daily until, and after, they've learned to read themselves. The only way to get them hooked is to make it look like fun.

• Keep books in the car. It nothing else, this will teach them the value of literature as a cure for boredom.

• Get some recommendations on books from their teacher at school. This will make learning a lifelong passion, and not just something that happens at school.

A child is born wanting to learn. Unfortunately, many perpetuate the myth that learning is a chore. Between teachers who don't know how to do anything but lecture, parents who never bother to impart the importance of loving to read and the distractions of modern media, children have a lot of challenges to face in maintaining their natural curiosity and passion for learning. A parent who teaches the value of reading is a parent who raises intelligent, passionate young adults who are eager to learn and eager to accomplish whatever they see fit in their lives. Knowledge is power, and attaining knowledge needs to be fun and exciting. Teaching reading as a pleasure ensures that your child will not come to see it as a chore.

September Spotlight: Funky Giraffe Bibs

2011-09-01T09:22:00.001+01:00

This beautiful collection of bibs and soap (review to follow) was sent to me by the lovely people at Funky Giraffe Bibs after I saw that they wanted mummy bloggers to try out their bibs - and I am so glad I did!

Emily has been teething since she was 2 months old. She still has no teeth but is more or less permanently teething. The amount of dribble is atrocious. Left bibless, she soaks her clothes through, no matter how many layers of clothing she's got on. It's obviously very uncomfortable for her and therefore has a bib on at all times.

I also love to dress her up. She's my little doll when it comes to clothes. So to cover up all that prettiness with an awful huge bib just irks me no end.

Enter Funky Giraffe Bibs. Not only are they the perfect size, they are really gorgeous to look at, and are available in a multitude of colours and patterns with many more to come!

Even if I had to ignore aesthetics and be practical, these bibs are the best I've tried. They have a double layer of material, with a fleecy lining which - and I've checked on several occasions at the end of a dribblesome day - is never wet. No matter what, Emily's clothes stay dry, as does her neck.

The bibs have two popper buttons on the back (for different sizing), no faffy velcro which sticks to everything and becomes really rough on the skin.

Ultimately, I have nothing bad to say about these bibs. Pricewise, they are cheaper than renowned competition such as DribbleOns (which I also own a couple of, and they don't even begin to compare to Funky Giraffe Bibs. At. All.)

You can buy 4 Funky Giraffe Bibs for £8.50
or 10 for £19.50 (incl free UK delivery)

I can tell you from now that once you look at the range, you'll be considering more than 4... and once you try them out on your Little One, you won't regret it either.

Wordless Wednesday: Dancing Baby

2011-08-31T08:50:00.001+01:00

Welcome to the Hood

2011-08-29T08:35:00.002+01:00

Motherhood hits like a tonne of bricks. In baby form. As I painted my nails last night my mind drifted back seven months. "They" are right when they say nobody can prepare you for motherhood. Words do not capture the emotional nature of the change. They can not capture the enormity of it, no matter how much you try. But the little daily changes to my life, I can try to describe.

Seven months ago, painting my nails was a memory of part of a life that no longer existed. A life where, in most recent memory, I sat on the sofa all day, with a huge belly, surrounded by all the things I might need (to ensure I didn't have to climb the stairs more than necessary), thinking I've had it hard because I was sick for almost seven months of the pregnancy, yet there I was, relaxed and chilled and my only worry was whether I might be snowed in when the time came to have the baby.

Then she arrived. I still spent my days on the sofa. But I no longer painted my nails. Or dried my hair. Or put on make-up. Or wore fresh clothes every day. Or had a leisurely bath. I speed-showered. I wore the same pair of shoes every day. A manicure was a splash of soap and water (just the one hand because the other was holding a baby), and I'm not even going to mention my feet. A sexy bra felt like a thing of the past. Along with sleep.

Desperation developed a taste, a smell in the air. And alongside that, everything smelt of "baby" (which is not, for the record, that Johnsons' smell that everyone associates with babies, it's a MILK smell... and usually regurgitated milk at that).

Then slowly and mostly without my noticing it, things began to change. As Emily and I got to know each other better, I learnt to do things at lightning speed while she slept. So the laundry was always under control. The dishes were mostly always done.

So seven months on, it may be encouraging for some new mummies out there to know that I sit here typing this with not-just-dried-but-also-straightened hair; trimmed, buffed and painted nails; a subtle amount of make-up on my face and dangly earrings adorning my earlobes (which Emily will later try to tear off, no doubt).

There are still some things that I suppose you lose, after all we are shaped by our experiences. My love for high heels, as much as it is still present, no longer translates to wearing them any chance I get. My perfumes sit mostly unused - I just haven't gotten into the habit of wearing them again.

In time I've begun to re-establish my identity. I've only mentioned superficial things here because as I said earlier, the emotional side has to be experienced to be understood. So yes, motherhood has changed me. But I'm a better person for it.

Happy 7 months to my beautiful baby: seven of the most challenging - yet happiest - months of my life x

[And to those new (or old) mummies, I dare you to read this and not find yourself agreeing throughout... - thanks Frannie!]

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The House That Jack Built

2011-08-25T09:52:00.001+01:00

He didn't really (Jack), or if he did, I don't know about it. But yesterday, the house I grew up in was in the Maltese news. Very exciting to see a picture of your old house in the news. (Not so great to read that the adjoining bridge is falling apart, but let's not go there).

This is the house I spoke of in my post Lines of Light and Dark. I loved that house. It holds so many beloved childhood memories.

Afternoons spent playing dress-up with my sister (sometimes by candle light if there'd been an electricity cut - all the more authentic as our games were inspired by Road to Avonlea where there was no electricity anyway).

Hours spent sulking at the dinner table in a battle of wits with my parents when I refused to finish my dinner (I was a very fussy eater).

Fantastic birthday parties, girly sleepovers and boy crushes. Evenings spent moaning over my French (or Italian or Maths or...) homework.

Our first computer. Our pet cats. All hundred of them. My grandparents living upstairs. Treasure hunts in the garden. Hose pipe fights in the summer. Throwing shredded paper onto the banda from the balcony during the festa. Bulging stockings hanging off the fireplace on Christmas Day.

The house is the one behind the bridge. Well, the only house you can see - with jade green windows. My fancy arrow points at mine and my sister's bedroom window. I am convinced that the reason I am such a deep sleeper and can literally sleep through anything (can be confirmed by David at 3am on certain nights...) is the amount of noise we regularly slept through that was amplified by that bridge.

The bridge that is now falling down.

That Post I Wrote

2011-08-23T10:54:00.001+01:00

The one about my post-pregnancy body. I wrote it in a way as therapy, a necessary evil. I wept as I wrote it, and when it was done I thought I should probably not post it at all.

But something made me post it. Part of the "therapy" I suppose.

And since then, all your comments - verbal and written - have told me that it was the right thing to do. So many of you have thanked me for writing it. I was not expecting that! So many told me they know exactly how I feel, and can totally understand where I'm coming from. You made me glad that I posted it.

This is precisely what keeps me blogging, and for that - for you - I am grateful.

Little Lessons

2011-08-22T08:15:00.001+01:00

She's only gone and done it again! :-)

The amazing Nataliya (SuburbanMummy / Akira Photography)
took some "6 month" pictures of Emily a few weeks ago.
(Needless to say, they are all stunning.)
She then wrote a touching post thanking Emily for inspiring her.
To keep going, not to give up.

Claire over at BeakTweets wrote a similar post about her daughter the other day,
observing her sheer determination to learn things.

We forget, as we grow older, how easy things were when they were simple.
When there were no masks, no pride, no complications.
These little ones just get on with things, at their own individual pace.
And even when they fall, they get up and (perhaps a few tears later),
they smile a brilliant smile, light up our worlds, and carry on.

We could do worse than to learn a few things from these amazing little people!

In Memoriam

2011-08-19T09:02:00.002+01:00

We received some bad news this week. Uncle Alan passed away. If you've read my History page, he is the uncle I refer to. Although he wasn't really my uncle, we called him that because him and his wife and daughter have been family friends of ours since I was 5 and therefore, they were our Uncle and Aunt.

They were the first people we ever visited on holiday as a family. They were the people I stayed with the first time I ever travelled alone. They visited us every summer. Sometimes even in winter. They are in almost every childhood memory. We moved to England and live 10 minutes away from them. But I haven't seen him in a few years. 10 years ago he suffered a series of strokes and lost his boisterous, chatty qualities. Conversation became limited and I guess it became slightly awkward.

I cannot put into words how saddened I am that I never made more of an effort to see him, to talk to him. To say he deserved it is an understatement. But such is life. You're left with your thoughts and regrets and memories, and those memories are good ones and they are plentiful. Throughout my teenage years, he was like a second father to me, and he knew that.

It is with a very heavy heart that I say farewell. And I'm sorry.

Wordless Wednesday: (Wannabe) Ladies Who Lunch

2011-08-17T09:16:00.000+01:00

Simple Things

2011-08-15T15:35:00.001+01:00

Every now and again, Emily and I have a picnic, just the two of us. Last week we had a picnic in our garden at home, it was lovely. We had far more toys to play with than when we go to a park and Emily played away, covering everything in remnants of the biscuit she was nibbling on, and generally had a blast.

The other day my sister sent me a link to an article called 60 Ways To Make Life Simple Again. Having picnics with Emily feels like one of those simple pleasures and therefore reminded me of that link, which made me go back and read it again.

Here are a few of my favourite suggestions, but do have a read of them all. It's worth the click :)

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds. Don’t make other people try to read yours. Communicate.

7. Get off your high horse, talk it out, shake hands or hug, and move on.

8. Don’t waste your time on jealously. The only person you’re competing against is yourself.

11. Get rid of stuff you don’t use.

14. Don’t try to please everyone. Just do what you know is right.

15. Don’t drink alcohol or consume recreational drugs when you’re mad or sad. Take a jog instead.

21. Don’t steal.

32. Stay out of other people’s drama. And don’t needlessly create your own.

35. Smile often, even to complete strangers.

36. If you hate doing it, stop it.

47. Don’t eat when you’re bored. Eat when you’re hungry.

54. Take it slow and add up all your small victories.

Note: Emily's amber teething necklace is from DinoDaisy!

Weaning: How It's Going

2011-08-11T09:00:00.001+01:00

It's been a few weeks now since we began weaning on a daily basis and it's going very well - if I'm honest, far better than I ever expected it to go this early on.

And it's benefiting not just Emily, but David and myself too. We were aware that our diet wasn't the healthiest, but the extent only became clear when I realised that there was not one meal or snack that I could have shared with Emily. Something needed to be done. With the help of The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook (hugely recommended!), I've put a rolling two-week menu together. This makes things easier in two ways: it's easier to shop for groceries as I actually have specific dishes in mind that I need to prepare for (our shopping list has changed dramatically since we started weaning), and secondly it ensures that we don't turn to the toxic ready meals in the freezer as snacks because there's always something good available.

From Day 1, when I placed food on Emily's highchair tray (and expected it to get no more than a glance or a prod), she picked it up, explored it with her fingers and then popped it straight into her mouth, sucking and gumming it.

She loves food, she is genuinely excited to get her hands on it when we sit down at table for lunch, and gives me the biggest grins when she (eventually) takes the food/spoon out of her mouth. She is crazy about chicken and beef (click for video), hates bacon, quite likes her veggies and gets frustrated at pasta (because it slips out of her fingers).

However, I have also begun giving her some purées. There was just something so perfectly "Mummy" about sitting down with a spoon in my hand and her looking at it excitedly, I couldn't resist. And she is really enjoying it too. So we are now mixed weaning - purées and finger food.

And as long as I am armed with her twenty thousand bibs and a big packet of wipes, even the mess doesn't bother me! I cannot for the life of me describe how much I am loving this.

Wordless Wednesday: My View

2011-08-10T09:09:00.001+01:00

Look Again

2011-08-09T10:01:00.003+01:00

I have to face up to something that's hard for me to accept. Since having Emily, my body is different. Sometimes, it feels like it's not my body at all, but some other woman's body that I've been thrown into. I have marks that weren't there a year ago, and clothes I always knew I could fall back on no longer fit well (if they fit at all). I have never been good with exercise, but that's not all of it. Pregnancy changes a body, and it feels like beyond recognition.

For months now I've fought it. I've worn baggy and loose-fitting clothes because I can't bear to look at my new shape in the mirror, a shape that isn't me. I've spent whole days going back up to the bedroom to change my clothes yet again because I'm just not comfortable with how I look.

This is not to mention the fact that there are some clothes I've had to accept I'll never wear again. Some tops and dresses have my boobs making a run for it (if they weren't big enough to begin with, they're even bigger now). Some trousers just won't close any longer... and if they do, there's that awful extra skin that was a once much-loved bump hanging over the waistline.

Shopping isn't easy with a baby, either. I have never had much patience with changing rooms and now with Emily around, it's all too easy to avoid trying things on entirely. But I also know I can't quite get away with not trying things on any longer. Therefore, I just don't shop. (Instead, I shop for her.)

But the other day I had a slight revelation. Why not just embrace it as the new (temporary??!) me? I still hope, and keep hoping, to get to a point where I won't look at myself in the mirror and cringe (or be reduced to tears and/or a foul mood for the rest of the day). But until that day comes, perhaps I'm just making life more miserable for myself by hating the way I look.

The time has come, perhaps, to simply get on with it and carry myself with pride. Hold my head up, push my shoulders back - I am a mum. I've done it, I'm where I've always dreamt of being (just not as the second Elle Macpherson I somehow always pictured myself as...). I have a great life, a husband who loves me and an amazing daughter who obviously thinks the world of me whether my clothes fit me well or not. The rest can come later.

And strangely, since that day, when I started wearing more shapely clothes, not going out of my way to cover up every extra curve, I've felt better. I like myself more in photos and I've had comments about looking like I've lost weight. Go figure.

While on the topic, a friend and fellow mum has begun blogging about a challenge she's set herself: creating a capsule wardrobe. It's beginning to sound like a really good idea, I'm very eager to watch her "journey" unfold. It's not easy, so do pop by and offer her some encouragement!

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Playing with Fire

2011-08-08T09:37:00.002+01:00

Last December, I wrote about my sister who was travelling in Asia. She returned to Malta a few months ago now and is putting all her newfound skills to good use.

One such skill is poi - she did actually do this before her travels but she is EVEN better now. She "performed" for Emily when we were in Malta (sans fire that time!) and Emily was enthralled by the movement!

Care to have a (fuzzy) look at her and some friends in action?

[images]

Friday Giggles

2011-08-05T09:52:00.003+01:00

I am aware that most of you have probably seen this by now, but it is such a classic baby moment, I never get tired of it.

It so reminds me of Emily... she is frightened so easily and although there is the odd time it leads to tears, she generally finds it so funny, she just giggles and seems to be asking to be frightened again!

(Having said that, she seems horrified when I blow my nose. Stares at me for ages with this very concerned look on her face. No smile at all. No sirree!)

PS: to the person who googled "baby being sat on" and landed on my blog, you're not going to find any of that here!!! #justwrong

Spag Bol Adventures

2011-08-03T09:52:00.001+01:00

The other day, I made Spaghetti Bolognese. You know what's coming, right?

I stripped Emily down to her vest and leggings, put on a bib (fat load of good that did) and sat her in her high chair. Things will never be the same again, especially for that vest and those leggings, although if I'm honest I expected worse. Much, much worse.

She had a bath early that day.

Notebooks

2011-08-02T09:54:00.002+01:00

For a month starting tonight, there will be a special event on at The Palace Hotel in Sliema, Malta.

'Notebooks' is a collaboration between photographer Kurt Paris and poet Miriam Calleja. It is a work in mixed media portraying themes of melancholy, nostalgia and love. Each frame represents a moment in time, a snapshot of a unique memory. By combining the script and image, the artists aim to tint the viewers' perspective and stimulate their imagination.

Some of you may know Miriam as one of the Ms behind the culinary blog Pass the Pepper.

Knowing Miriam personally, I couldn't resist but ask her for her personal thoughts behind the exhibition. I "interviewed" her by email, due to the few hundred miles between us, and now that I've read her replies, I'm all the more disappointed about not being in Malta to see the exhibition for myself.

kle - How did you come up with the idea/inspiration for this exhibition?
Miriam - I've been wanting to do something with my writing for some years now. I've been writing for half my life and I have stacks of notebooks just sitting there, literally gathering dust. Very few people knew that I wrote at all to be honest. I was secretive and private and, most of all, shy about my writing. Exhibiting or publishing was something I'd only dream about; I had never set the wheels in motion and quite honestly, I didn't know how to go about it. Then one day it all just clicked into place. The best ideas mostly seem to happen that way. I'd been watching Kurt's progress [kurtparis.com] with photography with interest. Even to my untrained eye, his photography skills blossomed at a pleasantly alarming rate. He mostly photographs people - moments - and I mostly write about the same thing. Then, on a random Friday night in a bar I approached him with this idea. He seemed as eager as I was, so we were off to a good start. We had to wait till the time was right but that time did eventually come. And here we are. We scratched our heads for quite a while. Combining media can be tricky and we wanted to do our best to make it appealing and interesting. Above all, we wanted to make the most of our respective passions or talents and to create a good portrayal of this through 'Notebooks'.

kle - Did many people contribute to the Notebooks project?
Miriam - Kurt and I have contributed all the art. Having said that, I know we wouldn't have gotten very far without the immense support of his wife Caroline [carolinestyling.blogspot.com] and my partner Matthew. Aside from making time and generating patience for our project, they have also been full of brilliant ideas and opinions. They have shared our frustrations and our joys. I use the term 'frustrations', but in reality our time together was peppered with humour and good food. I'm going to use this opportunity to also thank my dear friends Bertrand (inthevestibule.com) and Joseph (sogalerie.com) who were generous with their time, brains and company. If we were to be technical, the people I wrote about also contributed. Now one can only speculate.. !

kle - How long did it take to put the exhibition together?
Miriam - We've been working on the exhibition since last March in our free time. It hasn't been straightforward; we both have demanding jobs and are busy people in general. It has involved a certain amount of sacrifice too. Having said that, watching it all come together has been immensely rewarding!

kle - Will there be similar exhibitions in the future and are there plans to expand on the concept?
Miriam - I hope so. My writing has been a constant and a solace to me. I feel like I owe 'it' this much. Will they be similar? I really cannot tell where this journey will take us. There are several possibilities and at the same time projects like these also depend on people's response. It is an unusual concept and people are curious, so I'm quietly hopeful.

kle - Do you have a favourite piece?
Miriam - Yes and no. I like different pieces for what they represent to me. It's impossible to explain how each one makes me feel; one would have to walk in my shoes and see through my eyes. I'm as tied to my good memories as I am to my bad ones, simply because they have made me who I am today. I wouldn't want to eliminate the bad memories of experiences at this point because they have taught me so much. I also like the pieces for how the marriage between the photograph and the writing works. In my head the pieces all have a different kind of harmony - taste, light and sound - and so it is impossible to choose.

If you are fortunate enough to be in the area, stop by. It promises to be something different and unforgettable.

The exhibition is on between 2-31 August 2011 at The Palace Hotel, Sliema, Malta. For more information, visit muchadoaboutnoting.com and the facebook event page.

August Spotlight: Baby Sensory Nappy Balm

2011-08-01T09:50:00.005+01:00

I was contacted by a lovely lady at a PR company the other day, asking me if I'd like to try out the new Baby Sensory Nappy Balm. Not one to shy away from a good freebie (and genuinely interested as I'd heard good things about this already), I accepted.

It may be Nappy Balm, but the first thing I did when it arrived was use it on my hands. (OK, I sniffed at it first - nothing surprising there, it smells waxy which you'd expect since it contains beeswax). But back to my hands. Since Emily was born, I've used so much antibacterial hand gel, my hands have suffered from dry skin. A lot. So I'm not very used to having really soft hands. But this Nappy Balm managed it, leaving me quite impressed.

But I digress. It is after all a nappy balm, not a hand balm. But having seen the impressive effect it had on my hands (and seeing that it is a completely natural product), I had no hesitation to try it out on Emily's little baby bottom.

She often has a small amount of redness by the end of the day. I'll admit however, we haven't really had any problems in that department (perhaps I just change her nappy that often), so I've rarely bothered to use anything as a barrier or similar, because as much as I love Sudocrem's healing powers, I don't quite enjoy the white stickiness it leaves everywhere.

But Baby Sensory Nappy Balm is absorbed by the skin so easily, there's no sticky mess left over.

I've used it as it was intended to be used - as a Nappy Balm - every day after her bath for over a week now, and that redness is always gone by morning, even after 12 hours in the same nappy.

It's fast becoming one of my staple products and since it spreads so easily, you don't need to use much, meaning it will likely last a good while (even if you do use it on your hands too)! I suspect this may be good to protect little chins from dribble rash during teething and several other things too.

Baby Sensory Nappy Balm can be purchased from the Baby Sensory website, £5.99 for 50ml.

"Baby Sensory is the only provider of baby development classes designed specifically for babies from birth to 13 months. The classes are run in over 200 locations throughout the UK and in 12 countries including the US, Australia and Spain and has most recently launched in China. The Baby Sensory programmes have been developed in the UK by Dr. Lin Day (PhD. M. Phil. PGCE. BSc. Dip. Ed), who has worked with babies and young children throughout her career. All activities are excellent for developing physical, social and emotional, and language skills, co-ordination, awareness of the world, a love of music and the concentration needed for further development. The programme is also suitable for babies with physical or learning impairments.

Currently one in 75 babies born in the UK attends Baby Sensory classes."

Emily and I will be starting classes in September!

Just When...

2011-07-29T11:04:00.001+01:00

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,
it became a butterfly.

Thanks to Steffe for this x

[image]

Six Months of You

2011-07-28T10:18:00.004+01:00

Dear Emily,

You're six months old today. No matter how many times I repeat that to myself, I can barely believe it: Just six short months ago I was meeting you for the first time, a face I'd longed to lay eyes on for what felt like a lifetime. Your lifetime.

Six months ago I carried you easily in one arm. You weighed 3 kilos and were barely as long as my forearm. Now you're quite a bit bigger, seemingly taller every day and nearing 8 kilos!

Back then, we slept with the lights on, scared to disturb your sacred sleep with the turning on and off of lights as you lay snuggled in the Moses basket beside our bed. Now you're in your big bed and in your own room, loving the space, arms stretched out as would your legs be, I know, if they weren't confined to your sleeping bag.

For weeks after you were born your Daddy felt like a taxi driver - I sat in the backseat with you. You hated the carseat and wailed whenever you were put into it. Slowly you adjusted (assisted by my realisation that it was the newborn head support that you hated!) and began to love car rides, only to come full circle - you currently don't fancy car rides again and this time, there's no headrest to remove! (But now I sit up front near Daddy.)

Back then we timed our outings to fit between your feeds. We aimed to avoid feeding you out of the house as much as possible as we weren't sure we'd remembered to take everything with us. Your Nappy Bag has now become streamlined to perfection. There's a backup for everything in there, it's hard to go wrong.

We know you like the colour lilac and things that light up. You're ticklish almost everywhere - but especially your neck! - and you're developing a brilliant sense of humour. You squish your nose up to smile, just like I sometimes do, and your eyebrows are always on the move, wiggling about, full of expression. Your beautiful grey eyes take in everything, your little fingers explore whatever they can grasp, tongue trying to taste anything that gets close enough. You gaze up at us in awe, hands reached out feeling our faces and stroking different textures: skin, hair, clothes. Then I nuzzle your neck and you giggle, eyes begging for more.

I will never stop being thankful for you, my happy-go-lucky, beautiful little bundle of joy. I could not have asked for more.

Mummy x

Dear Self,
Well done. You've survived six months.
Me

Wordless Wednesday: A Weekend in Brussels

2011-07-27T09:59:00.001+01:00

Naa

2011-07-26T10:48:00.002+01:00

I knew, when I got pregnant, there would be lots of baby shopping to be done. I knew that once Emily was around, I would magically find myself in the baby section in every shop that has one, whether or not I went in meaning to end up there. And I knew I'd need to hold myself back from buying everything. Often.

And I do well. I've been very practical so far. I only buy clothing that I know I am comfortable having her in. I try and ensure she doesn't have a gazillion pairs of trousers that she'll never wear simply because they're cute. And when there's something I truly can't resist but I know that her current wardrobe is not missing anything, then I buy a size up (or in one case, because it was very much a summer item, I ended up getting it in a size 18 months...)

But there has been one thing that I have found myself losing my practicality brain cell over.

Blankets.

There is something, just something, about blankets, that I love. It may be the fact that Emily can never actually grow out of them, although there are some that a 20 year old may, perhaps, not be able to get away with. It might be a spin-off from my airline blanket kleptomania. It may just be a whimsical, nonsensical thing. But blankets are my weakness (and no, I don't steal them).

Cotton blankets, fluffy blankets, plain, patterned, even cellular blankets. Pink, cream, and even blue blankets. It makes no difference. They can't escape me.

Some of my current favourites:
Meadow Blanket - No Added Sugar
Starry Night Velour and Jersey Pram Blanket - Babies R Us
Baby K Knitted Blanket - Mothercare
Made With Love Woven Blanket - Mamas & Papas
Cotton Baby Blanket - Not on the High Street
Blossom Jersey Blanket - John Lewis

(The title of this post, Naa, is the name of the blanket that belonged to one of my little sisters. It was that blanket that she took everywhere, used winter and stifling hot summer, and wouldn't allow into the washing machine. She called it Naa because it was her way of saying "Nice", and her blanket certainly was that - in her eyes, anyway.)

Taylor, The Latte Boy

2011-07-22T09:03:00.000+01:00

My little sister introduced me to this a few weeks ago. She later performed it herself, but she'd probably murder me slowly if it was a video of her singing that I posted here... So Kristin Chenoweth will have to do ;)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Baby Equipment Reviews - Part 3 - Travel Edition

2011-07-21T09:22:00.014+01:00

This post lists a few items used during our trip to Malta and our long weekend to the Isle of Wight in April, and my opinion of their usefulness and functionality.

Samsonite Pop-Up Travel Cot
Knowing that I am somewhat incapable of travelling light, I didn't want a cot that added another 7kg or so to my luggage. This cot is a pop-up cot (you just need to push 4 rods into the seams, very easily) and the entire thing, in it's bag, weighs just 2.17kg.

It's a nifty little thing, and takes up far less space than the traditional travel cot. However it is at ground level, so you may want to keep that in mind if you have back problems.

The mattress is included but is in my opinion too thin. What we did was fold a blanket underneath it for extra padding and Emily happily slept in it for over a week in Malta. There is an inflatable mattress you can buy but it is expensive and adds weight and I have not read a single good review, so I opted out!

As for the cot itself however, I highly recommend it. It comes in 4 colours: Cafe Creme, Lemon&Lime, Aubergine, and Baby Pink. Insect nets are in-built and the cot is basically a little insect-proof bubble, thanks to the zipped "door" on the front.

Oasis Disposable Sterilizer Bags
It is things like these that make me thankful I am no longer sterilising bottles. Don't get me wrong, they're very handy bags to have when going on holiday. They're made of tough plastic with a drawstring and a sterilising tablet ready inside the bags. All you need to do is add water and bottles/dummies and they are sterilised in 30 minutes. What's even better is that you can keep using the same bag for 24 hours, then just start a new one.

However, needless to say, when full of water, the bag is HEAVY. There is no way I'd happily hang it off a door handle as it suggests. Also, being a plastic bag and therefore not solid, makes the whole thing involve a bit more faff. Water can splash out easily and you can't expect more than a couple bottles to fit into the bag at the same time (although I do use Dr Brown's bottles which are larger than most).

Having said all that, there really is no easier alternative. It's certainly lighter than carrying a steriliser (steam or cold) about with you. They work - and they work well - but just be ready to need some patience when using these bags!

[While I'm at it - should anyone be interested in buying these, I'm selling some here.]

Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym
This isn't really specifically a travel mat, but while we were away, we wanted to have something for Emily as entertainment (other than just random toys). She loves lying on her playmat but there was no way we could take our Rainforest one (which is also brilliant and she loves the lights on that one!). A friend had bought this Infantino mat for her son and when I saw how easily it folded up, and how much Emily enjoyed it, we got this as a second playmat and then also took it with us to Malta.

Sure, it still took up a lot of space in her suitcase, but the point is it DID fit in the suitcase, along with everything else I needed to take along for her. I would recommend it as a travel mat, as well as a space-efficient option! It's so easy to hide away when not in use, and then so easy to open up again - even with just one hand.

The downside is that the toys aren't very interactive but you can always add some more to the spare loops. However, even with this in mind, Emily really loves the toys that came with the mat. I guess the detailed patterns on the materials used intrigue her. It's also very pretty to look at :-)

Mothercare Spin Travel System (further review)
I've already reviewed the Spin and had some very good things to say about it. I do not retract any of the comments I have previously made.

However...

When it comes to travelling, Travel Systems are not ideal. Especially if, as in the case of the Spin (and most other travel systems around, admittedly), the chassis and the seat come apart in order to fold the pushchair down. Airlines will (perhaps somewhat begrudgingly) provide you with two tags to attach to the separate parts of the pushchair, however it is always going to be easier, come time to fold it up FAST with a queue of people waiting behind you, if the pushchair simply folds into one compact thing to be handed over to luggage handlers.

Instead, you have two rather bulky items. Luggage handlers always assume pushchairs come in one piece, it seems (we were made to wait while they looked for the second part of ours on the plane upon our return).

Also consider public transport when travelling. Are you going to need to collapse the pushchair when getting onto buses/metro/etc? How easy is it going to be? In the case of the Spin, near impossible.

Another negative point to the Spin that has come to light recently is that, in pushchair mode, the seat reclines fully but does not sit entirely upright. Emily is a very alert baby, loves sitting straight up, but is unable to in the Spin and gets very frustrated - pushing against the harness in protest! - as a result of this.

We have since purchased a more compact stroller, review will eventually follow!

Wordless Wednesday: My Everything

2011-07-20T09:19:00.001+01:00

The Discovery of Taste

2011-07-18T10:13:00.005+01:00

Weaning age guidelines are a little bit confusing at the moment. 3 months, 4 months, 6 months... you hear different versions. I held off on giving Emily any traditional puréed foods, even when she reached 4 months. By then I'd read up on Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and was entirely sold on the idea. When I first heard about it, all I could imagine was mess. And yes, mess is most certainly a feature. However, there are also so many benefits to letting a baby guide the way to the introduction of food. So I waited.

Emily has been chewing on toys and her hands for a few months now. One day in Malta, we handed her a raw carrot (washed, sliced in half lengthwise) as a teething aid. I figured it was hard and cold and might help. She grabbed onto it and sucked on it like her life depended on it.

I hadn't given it to her as "food", but her reaction got me wondering whether she might be ready (despite the fact that David and I are not - preparing for BLW has made us realise the huge amount of junk that we eat on a daily basis and we are desperately trying to change that, but it's far from being an overnight process!)

I still wanted to wait until she was 6 months or older so I didn't try again. But later on that same day, as she sat on my lap while I ate (tried to eat) a piece of Maltese bread, she lunged at it, mouth wide open and arms outstretched. I was slightly taken aback at her enthusiasm.

I handed her the crust. Within minutes, it was reduced to mush and she was looking for more.

For several days, this didn't happen again so - especially as she'd only just turned 5 months - I didn't push it. But this week, I've begun offering vegetables and other items off my plate at lunchtime (when she happens to be awake for it!), simply placing them on her highchair tray and letting her get on with it if she wants to.

So far, she's tried some banana, parsnip, green bean, courgette, more carrot, plain spaghetti, tomato, and is already beginning to show preference (probably based on colour!). Her interest is not consistent but I am certain it will increase as she gets older.

It's an exciting time and watching her face register new tastes is magical. I am looking forward to the journey beginning in earnest.

Should anyone be interested in learning more about BLW (I know after mentioning it on twitter that it is not common knowledge to the extent I thought it would be), this is a book that has really helped: Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food.

I've also found these blog posts helpful and inspiring and I genuinely urge you to have a read:
- The Nursery Nurse on BLW: Getting Started and Tips for First Foods
- Dawnie Brown on BLW: Our Experience
- Mummykins on Starting BLW and several other posts
- Suburban Mummy on BLW & Self-Weaning and Dinner-Time

Eleven Days, Part 4

2011-07-15T09:00:00.005+01:00

We'd initially booked an 8-day holiday. But when that was almost up, we decided we were having too much fun relaxing and since Emily had taken so well to the heat and the holiday in general, we should extend by a few days. So we did.

Return

And then all too soon, it was time to go home. And I had to pack. I hate packing. And when in Malta, we somehow end up with far more to take back up with us than we came down with (there's always the "oh yes, I meant to take that up with me five years ago" item...).

On the way down, we somehow managed to keep to our weight limit. Entirely unexpectedly, of course - I was sure we were a good 10kg overweight. But in the end, we stood at the check-in desk feeling like naughty teenagers, the numbers being added up, and we were at 50kg. Exactly our allowance: not a kilo more or a kilo less. We wouldn't have managed it better had we tried.

Considering, we were only 3 or 4kg overweight on the way back and the very kind check-in clerk let it go.

Also, note that Malta International Airport doesn't seem to have any restrictions on baby food. I didn't even need to taste the water in my flask this time round. (When one member of the security team pointed the flask out to her superviser, she got a pat on the back for spotting it on the x-ray machine and we were simply waved through.)

Air Malta, however, have no policy allowing families with children to board first, which is a little bit annoying when your baby is FAST ASLEEP and you know that having to board with the crowds will wake her up. This is something we intend to follow up on, however, as even Ryanair and Easyjet enforce this policy when flying out of Malta. Why not Air Malta?! A letter will be written!

Having said that, we were somewhat relieved to see that the policy is enforced for wheelchair users. We couldn't quite work out how that would otherwise work, not to mention it being entirely unfair.

So she woke up. Thus began the exhausting mental challenge of trying to (quietly) keep a 5-month old entertained while sitting down in a very tight space on an aircraft. It worked for all of four minutes.

Then I tried to give her some water for take-off and got screamed at (by her) as it was not milk. As previously mentioned, her feeds are somewhat predictable but this was completely unexpected. She'd drunk 7oz just 2 hours before! So we quickly threw together another feed and then she was happy.

Dinnertime on the plane involved David eating with two dinners on his tray while I entertained. He then held Emily high up over the trays while I quickly transferred the dinners onto my tray and he continued the entertainment while I ate.

We changed her nappy on our two open trays, with the small of her back over the gap.

I know we could have changed her in the loo, but there was something more fun about our way. Besides, I am the nappy changing queen. I can change a nappy quicker than you can say "she might pee everywhere" (she didn't), and I'm sure no one actually noticed.

And then, right on cue at her bedtime, she fell asleep in my arms, in a seat that was probably the only seat on the entire aircraft that was faulty and couldn't recline *shakes fist*.

An hour later, we landed and got off the plane and she woke up as the pushchair was unloaded and handed to us. And then there were the pretty ceiling lights again and she stared at them and at us with this huge silly grin on her face all the way to passport control.

We weren't worried, we knew she'd fall asleep in the car - and she did.

The next day, she was very obviously thrilled to be home. She seemed to be re-familiarising herself with every toy/piece of furniture/wall in the house with a huge amount of concentration all day.

We did very little else. She needed to catch up on sleep, I needed to catch up on laundry. It worked for us both.

I've got me a great baby.

Eleven Days, Part 3

2011-07-14T09:32:00.005+01:00

We have learnt, in the 24 weeks since Emily joined us, that there is only an extent to which you can control life with a baby. Routine is important, but cannot be the be all and end all. Some fluidity is important too. When we tried to keep to a rigid routine, all that happened was that life became hell.

Routine

So instead we have a "pattern" which we keep in mind and attempt to keep to, for Emily's sake. We know that at the moment she naps approximately 3 times a day, one short nap in the morning, a good 2-hour (ish) one in the early afternoon, and sometimes another short one late afternoon. They ebb and flow, but the general pattern is always there. Her feeds are also somewhat predictable. Her bedtime is what we keep to with more determination. She bathes at about 6:30pm, and is asleep by 7pm. When this is not the case, it often results in a meltdown on her part which has her up and screaming until 11pm (something that we wish we'd recognised when she was 2 months old).

So while in Malta, we kept this in mind. Her naps did suffer slightly until she got accustomed to sleeping in her pushchair since we were out most of the day (she usually naps in her cot), but her bedtime remained sacred. More often than not, she was so exhausted from the bit of "swimming" she'd done, that had we wanted to keep her awake we'd not have been able to anyway!

She was asleep by 7pm every night. And on some nights, we transferred her from cot to pushchair (having seen how very deeply she sleeps at night!) and went out for a walk along the promenade with our parents, and there was ice cream to be had in that sweet summer, waterside breeze.

There were a few nights she even slept through. Again, I put it down to the huge amount of stimulation and activity she suddenly had added to her days. And she was loving it!

Wordless Wednesday: Night in with the Girls (& a Baby)

2011-07-13T09:52:00.003+01:00

Eleven Days, Part 2

2011-07-12T09:30:00.006+01:00

Our 11 days in Malta (our longest visit since we left 5 years ago!), was a hugely successful holiday. Our trips back usually involve us darting from one lunch date to another, followed by a couple dinner dates, allowing us very little swim or chill time, resulting in us needing a holiday once the "holiday" is over.

This time we were determined it would be different. Now that Emily is here, trips to Malta need to be mainly about her spending time with family and some very close friends. We did organise a generic "Meet Emily" party which was a huge success, but after that, our individual time was dedicated to family.

Swimming

We were lucky enough to have access to a private pool this time round, which also helped a huge deal. We were able to relax and enjoy the cool water in the hot sun while also enjoying family.

It was also to be Emily's first swimming experience. We weren't too sure what to expect as she has never quite been a fan of cool water. Her baths are nothing close to the recommended temperature... much, much warmer. I'd even go as far as to say hot.

So I wasn't too sure how well cold water would go down. But we were determined. She is Maltese after all, she can't not swim?! So we excitedly got her all dressed up in her full-body swimsuit, chuckled at how ridiculous and yet cute she looked, lathered her in sunblock, blew up her Zoggs ring, and pink fluffy towel in hand, headed towards the water.

Toes in. Face unsure. Splashed some water onto her legs. Face very unsure. Lowered her into the water some more. Face entirely unamused, frown growing by the second. But she wasn't crying so we brought the ring in and tried to get her into it. She was even less amused by that, especially when it turned out that despite saying it's for age 3-12 months, it was entirely too big for her and therefore completely useless. Zoggs ring was put to the side and not used again.

Back in our arms, she still hated the water. That day, her "swim" didn't last very long.

The next day, we tried again, this time armed with several of my niece's old sand and sea toys, but especially a bright red swimming lobster which she loved to bits. The bright colours kept her distracted while we lowered her further and further into the water until she was in up to her neck and not complaining.

She realised what we were up to a short while later and made it known that she was in no way amused and we were forced to take her back out.

Day three, I decided, on a whim, to use a regular swimsuit (ie not a full-body one). I am not sure whether that had anything to do with it, but that day, toys weren't even necessary. She was in, splashing and kicking away, loving it, for almost an hour!

Although the lobster was never very far away...

There was no turning back after that. We all swam every day, and she loved it every day. Our little water baby in the making!

Eleven Days, Part 1

2011-07-11T09:30:00.007+01:00

At the end of June, we ventured abroad for the first time with Emily for what would be her first visit to the "Homeland", Malta. Everyone was excited to meet her, expectations were high. I was just glad the flight was a short 3-hour one, and not any longer. My expectations didn't really exist past that flight. I just wanted to get through it sane and preferably not hated by every other passenger on the plane. Having been those people who begged God and anyone else who'd bother to listen to ensure we were not seated next to a baby on a flight, we were about to be The Parents of Infant on Flight... the same people the old us shot poisonous thoughts at. (I might be exaggerating a little.)

In the end, it wasn't so bad. And it turns out many people are far more patient than I expected them to be.

Getting There

We chose to drive to Heathrow to be able to use our own carseat for Emily. The baby equipment used on this trip was planned with military precision. David's parents managed to get their hands on not one, but TWO, carseats Malta-side for Emily so we only needed to take our own pushchair (and had we wanted, we had one of those in Malta too, we just chose to take our own for comfort's sake).

Now let me make one thing clear. Travel Systems are the very antithesis of travel systems. They make travel harder and do not, in the slightest way, deserve the name. We've come back from Malta researching strollers, but that's another story.

Our flights completely clashed with Emily's usual bedtime. We did as much as we could to keep to her routine and left the rest to chance. Come 7pm, of course, she wouldn't sleep. There was far too much going on in the exciting, lit-up ceilinged airport to want to sleep. So we got onto the flight at 9.15pm with a wide-eyed, grinning baby being cooed at by everyone who passed.

Then she realised she was overtired and disaster struck. All the cooers ate their words and turned to the heavens for divine intervention for a quiet flight. The stupid air hostess came over to me and asked me if she could do something to help with the baby. I passed a snarky comment which she completely didn't get. What did she expect to do? Knock Emily over the head with a lifejacket to make her sleep?

She did sleep eventually, about 10 minutes which felt like a lifetime later, as soon as the engines turned on (yes, that's right - we hadn't actually left yet!). And then she slept for the entire flight on David's deader-by-the-minute arm.

She slept through the ~~idiots~~ idiotic applauding when the pilot DID HIS JOB by landing the plane safely. She slept through the loud Mediterranean journey off the plane. Through passport control near the Italian desperately looking for his lost sunglasses (how could an Italian survive without sunglasses?!). Through the conveyor belt's loud beeping to let us know our suitcases were on the way. Through the two moustached security guards' calling Gary Neville (he was on our flight) across the terminal to ask if they could get a (very early mobile phone camera) picture with him. Through the family welcome and obligatory terminal catch-up at 1am. Through the battle with the carseat (we are somewhat spoiled with our Isofix here in the UK and had no idea how to secure the seat using just a seatbelt... yeah).

She eventually stirred when we got to the flat in Sliema and I transferred her to David, who gave her a quick bottle while I set up the travel cot, we laid her down and that was that. She got up at 7am the next morning.

All in all, I'd say it was a very good first experience!

Notes: I was very confused about how to take her feeds onto the plane, and was hugely reluctant to waste anything. I decided against taking cartons of ready made milk, instead taking a flask of boiled, cooled water, and powder in a dispenser. I'd heard so many "horror" stories about getting feeds past security, and official advice seems to change by the week. I only needed to take a small sip out of the flask and we were through.

However, should push come to shove, and you need to use shop-bought mineral water air-side, just try and ensure that the sodium (Na) level is less than 200 milligrams (mg) per litre, and the sulphate (SO or SO4) content is not higher than 250mg per litre. (more here)

Courage

2011-07-06T10:04:00.000+01:00

I've always loved this.

The Malta Bus

2011-07-04T08:52:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was an important day in Maltese history. It was the day the traditional Maltese bus stepped down, replaced by its modern Arriva counterpart.

Loved and hated in equal parts, the orange buses - some of which dated back to the 1950s, if not earlier - were an integral part of Maltese roads (read into that as you wish). There would always be one close by, ready to hoot it's obnoxious horn at anyone who dared get in the way. Having one close by, however, did not necessarily mean that you were guaranteed a lift if you were waiting at a bus stop. Sometimes, drivers would simply choose to keep driving.

The buses were driver-owned, which - amongst other things - meant that they could decorate the vehicles according to their personal (usually, religious) preference. Song lyrics also often adorned their huge windscreens. "No woman, no cry" for whatever quizzical reason being a favourite.

They were also, however, dirt cheap. I remember a time when a basic ride cost 11c (26 EUR cents/24 GBP pence). Prices did increase since the last time I used a bus on the island (I'm not entirely sure when exactly that was!) but fares were never what you could call expensive.

The new Arriva system has been greeted with mixed reactions. Some resent the inevitable fare increase, others look forward to a somewhat efficient public transport system on the island - even if just to relieve the country of some congestion on its roads (in 2010, there were almost as many cars on the island as there are people), the bus drivers themselves are none too pleased to have their beloved buses taken away from them. Others just look on and mock.

While it's high time for an efficient service to be introduced to the island, it is sad to see the big orange hulks go. They were a tourist attraction in their own right - for many, a visit to Malta may never be the same again.

[Read: The Final Journey]

[image]

July Spotlight: Elisa von Brockdorff

2011-07-01T10:40:00.000+01:00

I love Elisa's whimsical photoshoots and conceptual art.
See more on her website here.

Wordless Wednesday: No Sock is Safe

2011-06-29T10:55:00.001+01:00

Chocolate Goodness

2011-06-28T10:42:00.001+01:00

There's something very satisfying about that smooth, untouched surface of a
new jar of Nutella, foil freshly torn away, and then plunging a spoon into it.

No other spoonful tastes quite the same.

[image]

Bittersweet Liberation

2011-06-27T09:04:00.003+01:00

Emily is 5 months old tomorrow. How did that happen?! Last week, she became able to play on her own without needing me to constantly provide her with entertainment. She happily babbles away in her cot in the morning, enabling us to have a "lie-in" (6:00 - 6:45am!!), playing with anything within her grasp - be it an actual toy, or possibly her muslin cloth, or even her feet. Fascinating things, those feet.

I always thought that it would take a great effort on my part to accept a baby being entirely and solely dependent on me. I thought I'd get frustrated, and sure I did a few times when she'd cry the moment I left her side as she wanted me to continue playing with her and my mind would have moved on to the next thing on my neverending to-do list. But truly, I loved every minute of being her entire world.

However I've found that I need to be far more disciplined with myself now that she doesn't need me as much. It's so easy to let her get on and play for hours (ok, not hours!) on her own while I catch up on the gazillion other things I need to do*. It's much easier to forget about her, so to speak, when she doesn't need me every moment of her waking day, even if she is SO much more fun to play with now!

A part of me is quite saddened by this, another part liberated. Somehow I need to, and I will, find the balance.

* Always leaving her in a safe place and most of that other stuff I have to do involves me being in the same room as her!

Dear Lily

2011-06-23T09:52:00.000+01:00

Customer Service: We complain about it, sometimes it goes as far as ruining our day. But every now and again you come across someone who isn't just trying to brush you off, not counting the minutes until it's time to go home. This was doing the rounds on twitter yesterday, and I just had to share.

I love the fact that a little girl was determined enough to want to send a letter to the supermarket to begin with. But then they replied...

Love it!