All-in-One Mum

When the fog lifts

2021-03-07T12:29:00.000+00:00

I've been meeting a therapist via Zoom for the past few weeks who has been helping me talk about my father's death and to put it all into perspective. Her calming approach and genuine desire to help (not all therapists are born equal!), really caught me off guard. I've seen therapists before who didn't probe enough into the real underlying issue and left me no better off than where I was at the start.

I have begun to make time to focus purely on myself, trying to understand and put into words what it is that I am actually feeling and look back to when this cloud wasn't hovering over me. I've also started to allow myself to feel and allow emotions to flood back in, which I've been absolutely terrified of doing. So much so that my body freezes at the thought and I would catch myself holding my breath.

Isolating this has been a very big worry as it's been such a muddle in my head for so many years that when I finally pinned it down, I heard an audible sigh come from my body, feeling my shoulders drop the tension that they had been carrying. I know that this isn't in any way connected to my dad passing away, but it has an immense effect on how I approach situations, grieving being one of them.

I'm finally able to rise above and make sense of tiresome journey that was left me mentally and emotionally drained. I'm feeling my strength and emotional and mental ability return to where it once was.

This in itself would make my Dad proud. He was my biggest supporter and I miss the conversations that we would have when it was just the two of us in the room or with no one around to hear the phone call. He got me and for a very long time, I thought that he was the only one that truly understood and saw me for who I was. He would listen to me and help me rationalise situations, calling me out if I needed it but in such a subtle way that I hardly realised it at the time. To have that degree of support taken from you is heart wrenching to say the least, but I know now that I've had it in me all of this time. I just lost my way a bit and he was slowly but surely guiding me back to the person who know I could be.

I'm looking at a photo of my Dad as I type this, my eyes burning as happy tears are flowing. Showing emotion is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength. Thank you for teaching me this, Dad. Wish I'd realised this when you were around but as you always said, "no regrets".

The Upward Turn

2021-02-02T06:58:00.003+00:00

Today feels different. I feel different. For the first time since Dad passed away, I've woken up feeling refreshed, energised and really happy. A little bit excited for the day, possibly. Something has changed within me and it the sense of freedom I am feeling is overwhelming.

My sleep routine was the same; no alcohol the night before, in bed at a good time, alarm set for the morning and then white noise playing in the background while I meditate on the day. It's in my nature to try and analyse the situation, but I think I'm just going to start to accept that sometimes things just are.`

Time is moving at a normal pace again. Life is good.

Home Schooling Day 1: The Release of the Memes

2021-01-06T12:01:00.004+00:00

It has begun! The memes are circulating on every conceivable social media platform as well as the 1,000,000 WhatsApp groups you belong to but can't remember asking to be added to and don't know what it's actually for. Most people generally stay in these groups so as not to be seen as "the one that removed themselves". God forbid you actually have the balls to stand up to the madness of it all. I highly recommend muting the latter for 8 hours or for all of eternity if you want to retain even an inch of sanity.

I have to say though, I am in awe of the staff at my children's school. They have put together a home schooling schedule in essentially a day and it's actually realistic and achievable for working parents. I definitely breathed a gentle sigh of relief when I saw the updates come through on Seesaw and Google Classrooms after spending a night of fretful sleep and teeth grinding in anticipation of a military style learning schedule having to be implemented at my end. So, to all of the teachers, I applaud you! I think I might get through day one with no tears or alcohol!

Anyway, let's see how we go from here, shall we. Dun, dun, dun!

Lockdown v3: 2021 Winter Showdown

2021-01-05T14:33:00.003+00:00

As I sit in my freshly decorated bedroom which is rather more Zen than the previous shade of blue. I can happily report that all living creatures (5 x dwarf hamsters and plants included) have managed to survive the first day of pre-lockdown lockdown.

School timetables have been sent out, the kids know what they are doing and I can crack on with work as usual. Childcare and support bubbles are still in place with my food order all ready and set for Monday. I think that it's actually going to be alright. I even have pasta, hand soap and loo roll! Absolutely winning!

A completely "Dry January" may not be wholly on the cards as I will have to toast to my Mom on her birthday, although I guess this could be of the non-boozy variety. With new coping mechanisms and a better structure in play than when the Government first attempted to keep people indoors, I'm filled with a bit of hope that we might come through this sooner rather than later. Hardly about to start placing bets on anything but I'm definitely feeling more positive whilst staying home and avoiding all forms of life that are not in the shape of my children or ex husband or childcare bubble.

I am very sure that I will generate some more rather random musings, with the likelihood that absolutely no one will read any of my drivel. I find it rather therapeutic, putting words out in the open and getting them out of my rather cluttered mind. It helps me make sense of it all. What "it" is, I am still working on but at least I feel like I have greater direction.

With a Client meeting scheduled for early this evening, I must now drag my still sleeping gear clad body to the Room of Refinement to start the process of making myself "fit for human viewing" on Zoom. It's a rare honour bestowed on only the rare and important few.

END.

This f*cking sucks. That's it. Plain and simple.

2021-01-04T23:45:00.007+00:00

Christmas was a bit of a shitter this year. Covid took my Dad from me just six days after being admitted to hospital. He was fine on the Thursday before, and gone on the Thursday after. Even typing this makes me want to be physically sick. The thought of him slowly bubbles up from somewhere deep down in my belly, crashing from side to side as it fumbles its way to the surface. My body instinctively stiffing as my brain causes me to jolt and recoil, thrusting any idea of him actually being dead back to the dark place that hoards the thoughts and memories that I don't want to entertain. I can't do it just yet. I will one day, just not yet.

My Dad adored my Mom. The relationship that they had was the most beautiful story of love and devotion that I've ever known. Of course they had their human moments amongst it all; everyone has feelings and to be happy and bouncing off the walls 24 hours a day is somewhat insane. I've watched The Notebook more times than I care to imagine and they have nothing on my parents. Kudos to anyone that is, but I digress...

My Mom adored my Dad. A part of her has been taken that can never be replaced. I know that she is surrounded by friends who can support her (from a distance), but there will always be this void from the larger than life space occupied by him. My chest feels like it's being clawed at just trying to put myself in my Mom's shoes for one minute as its a love that I am yet to understand, although I've had a glimpse of it once.

We are now about to go into Tier 5 lockdown here in the U.K. due to the fact that this virus is starting to thrive on human misery. I'm not overly joyed at the idea of homeschooling, but I've done that before. I moaned about it enough the last time and made a mental list of all the things I'd do differently, so I just need to actually put everything into place and carry on.

I hope and pray that people can just stick to the rules this time. The idea of being stuck in this constant loop of a shimmer of hope followed by tumbling over your laces onto gravel just isn't doing it for me any longer.

When the Time is Right for You

2020-09-18T11:06:00.005+01:00

When changing career and getting divorced in the same year, one of an absolute multitude of things can happen. You can thrive and never look back. You can thrive but live with a bit of regret. You can feel utter despair and regret but at the same time feel short term happiness, like when you stick your hand into a winter coat and pull out a tenner.

With most things in life, the combination of emotions is absolutely limitless but at every point, that is where you are in that moment. You sometimes have to accept it, plain and simple. What happens next is totally up to you, whether you are happy with the situation you are in or if you actually need, want or have a burning desire to change your future and the environment that you are in.

Looking back now, there are an astounding number of small events that I would alter but even then, they have made me into the person I am today. I'm not back to the (kind and respectful) ball breaker that I used to be and I am totally aware of that. The difference being is that instead of saying "I wish I was back to the old me" and feeling all bloody pathetic about it and not actually knowing who that actually was from a mental strength perspective, I can hand on heart actually see and hear my old inner voice. It is truly the most bizarre feeling when you can see a version of you poking around in your head, waving at you as if to say, "Hey, you! Hello, gorgeous! I'm still here! Time to get your act together! You aren't alone!".

I'm hardly about to start jumping up and down on the world's largest soap box and burning bras whilst staging the most fabulous "I'm a divorced mum of two, look at me, blah blah blah" event ever seen. Don't get me wrong... I'm sure I'd be fabulous at it but it's just not what I'm wanting to do right now.

What I'd relish to see is more group support that is less legal minded and actually addresses the cultural stigma of divorce and feelings of doubt, loneliness and general fear that both women and men can sometimes feel after a split. Groups that are out in the open where people don't have to feel any shame for what they have been through and don't feel any judgement. Private groups are absolutely amazing too, please don't get me wrong. From my own experience, I need to be more open with my feelings and thoughts.

No two divorces or separation agreements are ever the same and I will never pretend that they are. One thing that I have begun to notice is that there are a myriad of emotions that some people go can go through; elation, self-doubt, joy, freedom, loneliness, new found energy, feelings of regret, the desire to change, the worry that we can't. It's not in a logical order as sometimes there can't be. So many factors influence all of this and just as you are recommended to take out mortgage protection or life cover when you purchase a house, I think that every person should be offered support from a local network once they separate from their previous partner. Not everyone will need it nor want it for that matter, but I think it could save so much potential future heartache and mental anguish if emotions and situations are addressed sooner rather than later and the person is given a chance to thrive in their new world.

What I'd like to hear about is your experience of separation and how you worked through or continue to grow. Was this from your own experience as an adult or child? Do you know of any support groups and would you recommend anyone in particular. Are you still struggling and in need of support? Be anonymous or use your name; that is wholly your choice to make.

Strength in numbers and not keeping it all in is so incredibly important. Remember, you are never alone and there is always support out there even when you think there isn't.

Stay strong.

Nothing quite like a five year absence

2020-09-05T12:36:00.004+01:00

Earlier this week I was asked why I had stopped Blogging? There are a number of reasons, to be honest, all of which seem extremely trivial right now given everything that's happened in my life and in the world between October 2015 and September 2020.

Writing gave me the freedom to express myself in a way that I hadn't been able to for many, many years. Just as I could get lost in stories created by some of my favourite author, the words and imagery that they created, sweeping me off from my own reality and making me feel their every thought and emotion as if they were my own; this is what writing was to me.

Here is a brief rundown of the last five years...

2015

- to be fair, it's pretty much a blur.

- youngest was 1, oldest was 5. Working full time and trying to be a Mom, Wife and run a business and run a home. School. Nursery. Night feeds, nappies, tantrums, different needs, parties, work highs, work lows, social events, being normal, pretending like everything was fine. Blah, blah, blah.

2016

- Husband flew off mountain bike and shattered both elbows. Had to feed him for three days. Couldn't drive for 4/6 weeks. That was fun

- Mother-in-law fell in town in May. Found lump in chest (lung cancer). Passed away 6 months later.

- Cat (Snickers) had to be put to sleep. Terrible problems with stomach, etc. that couldn't be cured by medication or surgery. That just added insult to injury and my heart broke even further that day.

- Not the most fun year of my life.

2017

- Sold house and moved somewhere bigger. Was lovely to have a garden of our own and for the kids to have more space.

- Expanded and invested in the business.

- Made the decision to listen to my head and heart and start the path for a career change in Financial Services.

2018

- This is where the true fun starts...

- Marriage started to break down even further. In truth, it should have ended just before my 30th birthday if I had actually had the balls to get out of it and not just bitten my tongue and lived a lie.

Word of advice... if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. Also, even though some says it's your fault, sometimes it honestly isn't.

2019

- Husband moves out.

- Tried dating but wasn't ready.

- Started retraining for new career. Met some amazing people who I will call life long friends.

- Upped anxiety meds and took beta blockers to cope with the changes.

- Tried getting back together with husband (thought I still loved him and he could change and we could change) but he'd moved on and didn't want to and let me know by text message. This was after I'd once again "not shown him attention" after spending an amazing four days in Portugal with a friend I'd known since I was 21 and not seen in 16 years. Real hero move. that one.

- Mentally destroyed even though I'd spent years being gaslighted and still wanted to be with the man. #stupidwomanalert

- 2019 had equal highs and lows, but still sucked a bit.

2020

- Started new career.

- Covid-19 started to spread throughout the world and caused and continues to create utter devastation.

- Went to Spain in March. Got Covid. 10 days spent completely on my own, barely being able to breath at points but not bad enough to go to hospital. Have to use an inhaler now most days to help with shortness of breath and tight chest.

- Stupidly stopped all anxiety medication.

- Found out who my true friends were.

- Mental struggle with being alone when not with kids and not having anyone around due to social distancing.

- Trying to make a dent in career but struggling with drive and motivation and felt really low.

THEN...

- Decided to focus on me and being the best Mom I can.

- Decided to get help and find mechanisms to change my way of thinking; to find the old me that loved to write, that was more confident and outgoing without having to be forced.

So, here I am. Trying things one day at a time, not hiding from my past and not being a victim of it either. No two divorces are made equal, that's for bloody sure. Some people might think it's a shame that it happened, but no one truly knows what goes on behind closed doors, and those doors are now shut.

Onwards, and upwards and on to happier moments and new memories.

Crochet me Crazy: 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day

2015-10-05T17:33:00.001+01:00

My sister never had any interest in crochet or knitting when we were growing up, so image my surprise when one day she started churning out masses of crochet squares and then eventually, entire blankets! Turns out it was all for "67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day". At the time I had not been resident in South Africa for early nine years so I had no real idea about what the real driver was or who the beneficiaries were.

67 Blankets all started when Zelda la Grange, who was Personal Assistant to the late former President Nelson Mandela, approached philanthropist Carolyn Steyn in December 2013 with the challenge of making 67 knitted or crochet blankets for Mandela Day on 18 July the following year. Carolyn soon realised that this was no mean feat and reached out to friends, family and the S.A. Facebook community to ask for their help reach their ultimate goal of creating 67 blankets. No monetary donations and no blankets were to be bought; just blankets created with their own two hands for people throughout the Rainbow Nation that were in need of warmth and care.

The response received was immense, with hundreds of people answering her call and pledging to make blankets. Earning themselves the title of "KnitWits for Madiba”, these generous individuals spread not only across South Africa bu far and wide across the world in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Cyprus, London, the US and India, had started something short of miraculous.

On April 21, 2015, to mark 21 years of democracy in South Africa, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day smashed the Guinness World Record for the "The Largest Crochet Blanket in the World" measuring 3,377 square meters at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa. Something very amazing to see!

I started my 67 Blankets journey earlier this year and am now an Ambassador in Hertfordshire, creating squares, sewing them to make blankets and taking delivery of squares and completed blankets made my other Knit Wits. Donations of yarn, hooks and needles are also very welcome and graciously received.

The people that will benefit are U.K. based charities and hospices. Requests from charities and hospices for baby and single bed blankets are extremely welcome and once approved by 67 Blankets in South Africa, blankets will be sent out from the U.K. as soon as they are received from the Knit Wit community.

If you are an individual, school, craft group, corporate foundation (the list is endless!) and would like to get involved, please do contact me through Twitter or the 67 Blankets U.K. Facebook group for more information on where to send your completed articles and donations to. Join the UK Facebook page for more information on events and Knit Wit gatherings, to see what people have created, donated and received.

These are the dimensions for the many squares and blankets needed:

• squares - 20cm x 20cm
• single bed blankets - 140cm x 180cm)
• cot blankets - 90cm x 110cm

Stitch by stitch we pledge to keep thousands upon thousands of people less fortunate than ourselves warmer over the cold winter months, in the name of Nelson Mandela.

Love Ally xx

Wonderful sites to follow:

I mentally replied...

2015-09-09T22:01:00.000+01:00

To be honest, technology has actually become a bit of a shit. Where are the days of learning your best friend's telephone number off by heart, communication by letters and post it notes and actually speaking to someone in person if you had a gripe with them?

I now e-mail, text, Whatsapp, Facebook message, Viber, Skype people. The latter is the only form (I'm beyond finding out and caring if Viber can) have actual human emotion in them, because the poor individuals on other side of the call can actually get to see your real life mug. I do of course speak to people (yes, face-to-face). I'm not a bloody robot.

I remember days gone by where I would write detailed and heart felt letters to friends about the very exciting and riveting (bloody boring and mundane by modern terms) weekend that I'd had and wax lyrically about some or another nonsense that was important to a 16 year old girl at that time in the 90's. I can only image what that would be like now. In a feeble attempt in my 30 somethings, I think it would look something like this...

"awesum wknd! Wht u get u2? U r my bestie 4eva!"

Really? Okay, so that is a bit crap, but you get the gist of it. Where is the feeling, where is the heart? Where is the tone? How the heck do I interpret that? So, if we had a huge fight on the weekend but the flat text that you just send me with absolutely no acknowledgement of the English language says something along that the lines that you are okay, is it really okay? Good luck in your future love, as a cashier...

One of my biggest faults of late is 'mentally replying'. How that works is, one person sends me a Whatsapp, Facebook, Text/SMS message, e-mail and because I read even faster than I speak or type, I reply just as fast. Mentally. Yes, in my mind. I replied to you without feeling and in my brain I composed a whole response that I would like to say to you but in my new generation laziness I just don't reply. I know that I can reply to you later. No immediate response actually needed.

I would rather speak to you in person because then I can say the exact same thing in one or two words or a million words (if I was feeling that way inclined) to you over the phone or face to face instead of me sending a few words over some blank surface for all meanings and sub text to be taken out of complete context.

That and because I'm just lazy and I know that because the initial correspondence is coming from a source that is indirectly through a human entity, it can actually wait for a few minutes before I respond.

My whole gripe with this is that people are lazy. I'm lazy too, so hands up to that. People are too busy to be people and actually do things that people did not even ten years ago. Writing a letter, leaving a note or picking up a phone is not archaic. Neither is having respect for the basic foundations of the English language and taking one or two extra minutes to create an entire sentence in a language that all generations can actually decipher.

Clearly I am showing my age but you know what, at least I can remember a time when people actually spoke to each other and the other person knew exactly what they meant without mincing their words (says the woman, writing this in a blog post...).

Ally x

Keeping it together as an All-in-One Mum

2015-09-07T12:38:00.002+01:00

Well, there is nothing quite like nearly a years' break from an actual blog post created by me in person.   Now that child 2 is nearly 13 months old and that I am more or less in tune with the lack of sleep and extra juggling of having another mini-me around the house, I think its time that I start writing again.

Over the past year I have learnt that trying to be an All-in-One Mum is actually bloody hard! For those people who think I have it all together, I can tell you that I let the balls drop many a time. Picking them up quickly and in some sort of crazed orderly fashion did help but it wasn't always doable at the time.

When you have a child in reception, a new born, a full time job and a personality where you simply can't still for two seconds without having your hands busy and a mind that never shuts off, it is sometimes hard to get the balance right.

The "hairs of no pigment" on the top of my head had started to increase in number and I decided that enough was enough. I now make less lists and try not to think about the lists of lists of things that need to be put on lists that I have not done. It's a waste of time. I live more in the moment and relax with the things that are not a priority and when I do have the time available I stick to a strict routine so there is order in the chaos. I also gave in and arranged for a cleaner to come in for a few hours a week because I wasn't able to just do it all and keep my sanity.

A few things that I have added to my list of 'bits of random knowledge' gained over the past year are:

NEVER put off to tomorrow, what you can do today. EVER! NEVER EVER! It won't get done tomorrow. Something else will happen. If you don't do it now you will end up kicking yourself for the whole of the next day (and possibly the rest of that week).
If your baby is restless and won't sleep and is waking up the rest of the household, co-sleeping is actually okay. If it means that you get an extra few hours before you have to wake up, just do it.
If you co-sleep, they will sleep in their own cots (when they sleep through). Well, child 2 does and we've reached a happy medium with fewer disturbed sleeps and bags under the eyes.
Boys wriggle. A lot. A freaking hell of a lot! Slap down those sticky tabs of their nappy so they are out of little hands reach AS SOON AS you undo it. If you don't, the shit could quite literally hit the fan, or the wall as happened in my case.
Boys will find their rod and tackle and they will enjoy fiddling with them at every available opportunity. They will yank and pull and stretch. They will do it with pride and a huge smile on their face. Telling a 13 month old that it will fall off if he pulls harder, only makes them laugh harder and yank with more enthusiasm. Just let it go...
If you bottle feed and can afford it, buy a Perfect Prep machine. I have horrific eyesight (-8.5 in both eyes), and I can make a bottle with no mess, in under two minutes at 4:00 a.m. without my glasses on and it comes out at the correct measurement at the perfect temperature. I do this in my half asleep daze, take the bottle to baby, wait for him to finish and then go back to bed. Five minutes, tops.

You can only be the best mum that you can be at that moment in time. I like to think I do a good job (even when child 1 tells me otherwise) but I'm sure she will thank me later. There is no point in thinking that you are doing a better job than anyone or a worse job for that matter, because as sure as dammit, there is someone out there that feels the exact same way as you!

I bid you all adieu as I finish my porridge oats that was meant to be for breakfast, at 12:30 p.m.

Ally x

Guest Post: "I took him for a haircut..." by Caroline Saunders of The "Hood" Club

2015-02-18T19:28:00.000+00:00

I'm a mum of two gorgeous little boys, 3 and 6 months - both pickles in their own right.

My husband and I moved to Australia about 18 months ago where we have been lucky enough to establish some good rootes and we are starting to feel settled. We are both originally from the South East of England, Kent but left in search of a more outdoor lifestyle which we have certainly found here.

My husband runs a tour business and I am writing a children's book whilst continuing my hobby of writing poems and parodies for adults. I'm hoping to maybe publish some of them in the future so "liking" my page may help me when selling myself to potential publishers or magazines if I ever take my poems down this route.

The main aim however is just for people to be able to read my poems and laugh at life. Those with kids can laugh with us and those without can laugh at us. Because laughter really is contagious. Let's brighten up Facebook and the struggles of parenthood.

Join "The Hood Club" and smile today!

I took him for a haircut...

I like to think

I can cut my sons hair.

But my hubby informs me

I'm not quite there.

"Look I did layers.

Doesn't it look great?"

"It looks like a pudding bowl."

"Don't exaggerate!"

So I drove to the hairdresser

through stubborn gritted teeth.

My son was so scared

he shook like a leaf.

"This will be fun.

Let's cut your hair!"

My son looked straight at me

With a horrible glare.

The first hurdle was

getting him in that big chair.

How should I entice him

to sit nicely there..?

"Here's a lolly.

and a little iced bun."

Then she plunged at him with clippers

on a number one.

"Erm...Stop! What ya doing?

I asked for a trim."

The panic rose up me

and really set in.

"Just short at the side please

and still long on top."

Hair was now sticking

to my sons lollipop.

"Mum it tastes yuck!"

He let off a sneeze.

I tried to distract him

with my front door house keys.

His hands looked like yetties

from where the hair stuck

to his young sticky fingers

just my rotten luck.

So I pull out his iPad.

"Look, Ben and Holly"

That worked so much better

than a sticky old lolly.

A pang of guilt hit me

as his locks hit the floor.

An emotion unexpected.

One I couldn't ignore.

Was it an attachment

to my sons golden hair?

I'd made each one of those

and she didn't even care.

She kept on chopping

and I felt quite ill.

To my surprise

my son sat so still.

He marvelled at his reflection.

Proud of his new hair.

Beaming with joy

and hardly a care.

A success in the end

I rather suppose.

"That's 25 dollars please"

I stood there and froze.

25 dollars?

I think that's a lot...?

And he'll only get bed hair

when he wakes from his cot.

But I paid the money

and ran out the door.

Dreading the time

I would visit once more.

Loved this? Read more on Facebook: The "Hood" Club

Nappies, inspiration, epiphanies and random trains of though

2015-01-08T12:32:00.002+00:00

It's rather bizarre where you can find inspiration and finally get out of that writing slump, one which I've been in for nearly 6 months!

On my way to the kitchen, plodding down the stairs in my aubergine M&S slippers (I'd wear them all day if I could plus my white robe), I had a half dressed baby in one arm, baby gros, jogging bottoms and towel covered in yellow, toxic and possibly glowing baby poo under the other. A nappy sack with one of the most vile yellow nappy disasters known to man dangling from one of my free hands was the new accessory of the moment.

That's when it hit me! If I stock piled nappies that were quite of this ferocity then I could ship them to South Africa where they could use them, along with all the other rubbish generated, to produce an extremely potent methane gas to help generate electricity. Shedding a load to shed the load shedding, so to speak. That was my one and only 'wow' moment of thinking during the day so far. Possibly the last?

Once I went through my pile of freshly washed baby clothes, I dressed my son in his cute baby gear. He dribbled on it almost instantly. That's what babies do to clean clothes. My then biggest worry was what to feed him for lunch. Could I be bothered to make something from scratch or would I take the easy route of feeding him from one of those Organic food pouches. Someone had taken the time to create the recipe (not exactly rocket science) and put it all together and I had paid for it, so I went down the route of the pouch.

The telly then showed an advert for children in third world countries with no food, so as my son ate a few mouthfuls before deciding it was vile and by far the worst concoction known to man, instead of chucking it in the bin I ate it myself. Waste not, want not right? I'm actually not surprised why he didn't want to eat it to be honest, which basically set my first world problems straight as I decided that I would make instead of buy the food. I'd done that for my daughter and she never had an issue when she was being weaned so why had I tried to invent the wheel? I am now also compelled to give money to a charity in Africa to help fight starvation as a result of my disgusting and very apparent first world problem.

The nearly six month old dude is having his lunch time kip upstairs so instead of drivelling on, I am going to sit back, enjoy a HOT cup of coffee, fold the washing at my leisure, check up on e-mails, make baby food and dinner for hubby, daughter and me, source a new energy company that isn't trying to rob me blind and then probably end up sorting out toys and bits that my children have grown out of and no longer need, and pass over to charity. What ever happened to just doing nothing for two hours? Oh yes, I had kids...

Ally x

Competition: Guess Baby D no.2's Birth Date and Weight!

2014-06-29T20:58:00.000+01:00

Just for a bit of fun I thought I'd do a quick competition where one lucky person can win a £10 Amazon voucher by guessing 'Baby D no.2's' arrival date correctly along with having the closest correct guess to his actual birth weight!

How to enter

Compulsory option:

Leave your name and e-mail address and/or Twitter name at the bottom of this blog post along with the date when you think 'Baby D no.2' will arrive and how much you think he will weigh.
Share this blog post by clicking on any of the 'Share This' buttons at the bottom of this post.

None compulsory options (but you'll be one of the first to know when I run another competition or giveaway if you do these!):

The competition is open from 29 June 2014 and will run until midnight on 9 July 2014 or until when 'Baby D no.2' is born, which ever date comes first.

The person who guesses the birth date correctly and gets the closest figure to the actual birth weight, wins! If there are two people with the exact same winning date and weight, the person(s) who has liked All-in-One Mum on either Facebook or Twitter (or both!) will win. If both or neither of these options has been selected by the entrants, the identical names will be put into a hat and a Winner picked at random.

Happy guessing and l'm looking forward to seeing your guesses!

Ally x

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Participants can leave only one compulsory answer entry in the comments section of the All-in-)ne Mum competition Blog post. The competition is open to UK residents only. Entrants must be over 18 to enter. The competition will commence on 29 June 2014 and will close on 9 July 2014 or when 'Baby D' is born, whichever date comes first. The winner will be picked at random by All-in-One Mum based on a correct arrival date answer and the Winner giving providing the closest guess to the actual birth weight of 'Baby D'. If there are two people with the exact same winning date and weight, the person(s) who has liked All-in-One Mum on either Facebook or Twitter (or both!) will win. If both or neither of these options has been selected by the entrants, the identical names will be put into a hat and a Winner picked at random. The winner will be notified by e-mail and/or Twitter once picked at random and announced shortly thereafter by All-in-One Mum. An e-mail or Twitter reply is required from the winner within 72 hours of being notified of their winnings in order to claim their prize. If no reply is received within this time frame, a new Winner will be chosen at random based on the next correct arrival date answer and closest guess to the actual birth weight of 'Baby D'. The prize is one £10 Amazon voucher from All-in-One Mum and is in no way affiliated to Amazon or any of its Partners. Prize will be dispatched as soon as a valid postal address is provided. No cash alternatives.

What would you make and create from the May Degustabox?

2014-06-01T20:07:00.001+01:00

Yay! The May 2014 Degustabox has arrived! I'm always like a kid at Christmas when the monthly box lands at my door. This month's box includes these great products:

Elizabeth Shaw Dark Chocoloate Cocoa Crunch Flutes
Crawston Press cloudy apple juice (delicious, by the way!)
Taylors of Harrogate Blackberry and Elderflower tea
Sweet Potato Kettle Chips
Hornsby's crisp apple cider and strawberry and lime cider
Garofolo Elicoidali pasta
Raw energy sugar free gum
Finn Crisp original crisp bread
Dr. Oetker cake release spray
Cirio La Classica Passata
Cirio tomato puree

For just £12.99 a month (including delivery) you can have your very own Degustabox delivered to you. Each box contains 10 to 15 fabulous new food products on the market from new and well known brands. Great as a gift or just as a treat for yourself, this great value food subscription box doesn't tie you into any lengthy contracts so you can unsubscribe at anytime, although I highly doubt anyone would want to use this option!

Use discount coupon code 9VVWV when you register with Degustabox for a £3.00 discount.

I'd love to hear what you would make from this months wonderful selection of food items! Leave a comment below.

Ally x

Find Degustabox here...

Website: https://www.degustabox.com/en/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegustaboxUK

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DegustaboxUK

Note: I was sent this food box to sample. All views are my own and not bias.

Baby Bundle Giveway from Argos

2014-05-29T21:25:00.002+01:00

Are you pregnant or do you know someone that is? I've just come across a great giveaway from Argos where one lucky person stands the chance of winning a great bundle containing the following 7 must have baby items:

BabyDan Danchair Natural Wooden Highchair
Apramo Gaia Group 0+ Car Seat Infant Carrier
Angelcare AC1100 Digital Video, Movement and Sound Monitor
Onaroo Ok To Wake! Portable Owl Nightlight and Sleep Trainer
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Newborn Starter Kit
BabyBjörn babysitter Balance Bouncer
Mamas and Papas Apple Bobbin 4 Piece Nursery Bedding Set
Clair de Lune Waffle Moses Basket with Pine Stand
Baby bath time support from Angelcare

Click here to enter. The closing date is 3 June 2014.

Good luck!

Ally x

Chocolate Hot Cross Bun Pudding

2014-05-04T09:48:00.002+01:00

I actually meant to post this last week but got distracted with an attempted nesting clean of my lounge. I did actually succeed to a degree. If you saw it this week you may not agree...

Before said spring clean I found three packets of hot cross buns in my cupboard. I had bought too many after a trip to the shops where they were clearly pumping their hot and spicy scent through the air vents, rendering poor pregnant women helpless but to buy them.

As I didn't want the buns to go to waste and I felt like have pudding after my dinner, I decided to make them into my version of bread and butter pudding, layered with Nutella and spices. I had to make a rather large custard mix to coat the buns as best as I could. It wasn't full to the brim but about 2/3 of the way but the buns still soaked it all up beautifully.

The finished product was absolutely delicious especially with the generous lashings of custard and general sounds of quiet and contentedness from hubby and daughter. So, here is the recipe. One to save for next Easter!

Ingredients

Butter for greasing (plus about 25g extra if you want to use butter on the buns)
50g Nutella (use more if you want it be more chocolaty)
8 hot cross buns (I used 10 which was just too many)
2 tsp cinnamon powder
700 ml/12fl oz whole milk
100 ml/2fl oz double cream
4 free-range eggs
50 g/1oz granulated sugar
nutmeg, grated, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.

Preparation method

Grease a 1 litre/2 pint pie dish with butter.
Cut the hot cross buns in half lengthways. Spread each slice with a generous helping of Nutella on one side. Add a layer of butter first if feeling extra decadent! Cut into triangles if you need slices to fit into any of the four corners of the dish.
Arrange a layer of buns, chocolate-side up, in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, then repeat the layers of buns and cinnamon until all the buns are used.
Gently warm the milk and cream in a pan over a low heat to scalding point being careful to not let it boil.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add three quarters of the sugar and lightly whisk until pale.
Add the warm milk and cream mixture to the eggs and stir well, then strain the custard into a bowl.
Pour the custard evenly over the prepared bun layers and sprinkle with a dusting of nutmeg and the remaining sugar and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Place the dish into the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown. My oven cooks quite quickly so ovens may vary.

Eat warm and enjoy!

Ally x

Blissful Pregnancy Massage with Helen Brown

2014-05-03T09:48:00.002+01:00

After I had my daughter in 2010 I swore blind that if I had any aches or pains, SPD or sciatica in my next pregnancy that I would get them seen to instead of suffering in relative silence.

In this pregnancy I'd put on quite a bit of weight in a short space of time and I was still running a few times a week up until about four and a half months. The combination of these two had sent my lower back into mini spasms which desperately needed to be seen to by someone who knew exactly how pregnant women should be massaged during their pregnancy.

I had my first treatment session with Helen Brown of Helen Brown Pregnancy Massage Therapy when I was five months pregnant and believe you me, it couldn't have been at a better time. Helen, an ITEC Holistic Massage Therapist who works from the comfort of her home in St Albans, Hertfordshire, is specially trained and qualified in Pregnancy Massage Therapy and a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT).

Helen's treatment room is was blissful. It was warm and comforting with calming music in the background which made me feel completely at ease. After an initial consultation and brief medical history I was given time to set myself up on the massage table, propping myself up with the necessary pillows under head and between knees, covering up with soft, fluffy towels. The bed was warm from a heated blanket (it was cold and wintery then) and if I had closed my eyes for too long I could very well have had a long nap!

The treatment focused not only on the problem areas around my lower back but on my back as a whole as well as arms, legs, feet and face giving me the relief that I so desperately needed as well as some longed for relaxation and pampering time.

My subsequent sessions take place at four week intervals and focus on maintenance of the problem areas but also giving me an hour to myself where I was able to stop and take a break from my normal routine; a must for all mums to be I feel. I may even increase this in the final month or so as I have an incredibly active baby who tends to

Treatments last for either a half hour or hour, dependant on personal needs.

Contact Helen for further information on prices and availability.

Ally x

Further details on Helen Brown ITEC, MFHT

web: http://www.helenbrownmt.com
e-mail: helenbrownmt@gmail.com
tel: 07908 517 522

Note: My first session was complementary but all subsequent sessions have been fully paid for, and very happily at that!

11 more weeks and counting...

2014-04-27T14:06:00.001+01:00

Either the baby brain is really kicking in or this is just the longest pregnancy in the world. With my first I was clearly excited for her to be born but with this pregnancy, I just can't wait for it to be over!!

I keep reminding myself that this will be the last time that I carry a child inside me and that I need to enjoy every second, but the constant wriggling around leaves me feeling battered and bruised and topping that with simply delightful heartburn/acid reflux, I'm just not really feeling the love at the moment. Love for baby of course but no love for mommy. I feel a bit pathetic actually. I naively thought that the worst thing that could happen to me second time around was that the morning sickness would be worse and having had SPD and sciatica, I knew I could deal with that if I got it again. Clearly slightly delusional in that regard.

I didn't even get morning sickness this time but instead I am getting to spend the majority of my time trying not to bend over so that I can avoid that sickly feeling in my throat. I sleep sitting up and have a stash of Gaviscon (note to self...buy shares in Reckitt Benckiser/Gaviscon) in my office, at my bed and in my handbag. I'm also five years older, with a four year old and a different job and working for myself which just leaves me feeling rather shattered at the end of the day, hence the lack of blogging and general creativeness.

The past week sent me into a bit of a free fall when a friend of mine who is just over a month ahead of me went into false labour. There was the sudden realisation that 'oh, shit, I'm going to have a baby!'. Yes, I wanted a second child and now I'm going to actually, physically have one. We aren't talking about it anymore and there isn't any reversing of the process!

It's a reality where we are going to have sleepless nights and dirty nappies and baby sick and crying in the house once more...but do I really remember how to deal with all of that?! I hold newborns now so gingerly as I feel like I am going to break them because of their tiny size and the fact that they are so 'new'. It must be like riding a bike where once you've done it, you never forget how to do it even years later. It is like that, isn't it?

So all of this prompted me to go to the library and take out a few books on things like being a mom to boys and being pregnant with your second child. It was also to calm myself a bit because I'm actually a bit nervous about the birth this time whereas last time I didn't know what to expect so had nothing to compare it to. The only book I had with my first was 'What to Expect When you are Expecting' which I gave to my sister. I didn't think that I needed to read about something that was just so natural.

Now that I'm contemplating and possibly thinking about a hospital bag it could be a good time to see who will look after my daughter when the time eventually comes. I've had offers from friends but need something more concrete which is hard when you only have one set of family (in-laws) living in the same country who work full time and don't drive a car. It's times like these when I really miss having my mom around to share these things with me and also to rely on her to just be there for everything and anything. She doesn't taken any nonsense, is great in a crisis and would literally sort out my whole house blind folded leaving me just to concentrate on what I need to do.

Oh well, hopefully I'll get my act together some time in the next few weeks. I know you can only plan so much of it and that things don't always go according to plan anyway but it could be a very interesting event if I don't have some of the basics covered!

Ally x

Silent Sunday 23 March 2014

2014-03-23T10:28:00.000+00:00

Fabulous Foodie Degustabox

2014-03-23T09:55:00.002+00:00

If you are a foodie or simply love trying new and exciting products, Degustabox is just what you have been looking for.

Now into it's third month in the UK, Degustabox is a monthly subscription service that offers subscribers the chance to sample 10 to 15 exciting new food products on a monthly basis. Some of the products in the food box are new to the market and the joy of having a food delivery put together like this is that all the food products work out to be less than their advertised retail price.

The service is £12.99 per month which includes postage with no commitment necessary as long as you cancel before the 10th of the month.

One of the most recent boxes contained some delicious times from Dorset Cereals, Zico, Jules Destrooper, Amy's Kitchen, Alice and Oscar's, Go! Kombucha, Goody Good Stuff, Maggi. What I loved about this selection is that there isn't anything in there that I wouldn't eat or give to my family.

I love that the majority of the products in this food box are focused on a healthy diet. The Goody Good Stuff treats are perfect for vegetarians as they are gluten free and my daughter loved them. Also having seen the Maggi SoTender cooking range advertised on TV I was intrigued and really wanted to give them a go and had the chance to do this (very yummy by the way!) because of the sample in my food box. Fabulous!

Included in the box was a lovely card giving two delicious recipes using products in the food box itself. The back of the card gives information about the products at a glance which is really handy when you are unfamiliar with a product and trying it for the first time.

The money off vouchers are a great touch too as they are relevant to products within the box as opposed to being for items which are completely unrelated which I often find a bit senseless.

Degustabox makes a wonderful gift, especially for those who have everything or for friends and family who just love their food. It's also a great monthly treat for yourself. Food boxes arrive at the end of the month if you purchase before the 20th or before the 8th of the following month if purchased on or after the 21st.

Happy discovering, eating, cooking and sharing!

Ally x

Web: https://www.degustabox.com/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegustaboxUK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DegustaboxUK

note: I was sent this box to review with all views being my own.

What's your perfect day?

2014-03-16T09:30:00.003+00:00

A friend of mine posted a link to a short film on Facebook recently featuring an acclaimed photographer, Jerry Ghionis.

Jerry poses the following question to a room full of photographers. "What is your perfect day?". A simple enough question to answer you'd think but if you actually took the time to mull it over, it's more than just spa days or track days, an extra few hours in bed or an hour to yourself in the day. It comes right down to the root of who you are, what your needs are as a human being, what you want from life and what you want to achieve from it.

So after watching the video and then discussing it with a few friends over the weekend and telling them what I thought was my perfect day I actually stopped talking and started listening. The day that I had described simply wasn't true to myself and was something that I could honestly do on any given day of the week if I wanted to.

I spent the best part of midnight to 2.00 a.m. having a debate with myself and then realising that as I was creating a story in my mind, seeing it laid out on the page, that the only person I was kidding was myself. My perfect day isn't one where I'm being pampered and having a story book day with my family but one where I am by myself, where it is warm and the sun is streaming in through a window and I have my computer.

These three key factors all lead to one thing. Writing. I love to write, plain and simple. It's a time where I can really be me with every thought being released out into the open through my blog. How I choose to express myself is up to me and if people read and enjoy what I've composed that is an added extra but not the sole purpose of this creative outlet. I find it cathartic with my blog being a small sanctuary; something that is completely mine that no one can take from me, that is never right or wrong and lets me be exactly who I am.

The big question that you are probably wondering is why then, if this is my nirvana, have I stopped writing for the past few months? The simple facts are as follows:

I'm now 23 weeks pregnant with my second child. I've been kidding myself that my tiredness has taken over and actually stopped me from writing. It just isn't physically possible be a working mum to one, a wife and be pregnant at the same time and then still have a life, or so I told myself.
I think I should be doing vast amounts of housework as a spotless house (which will only look like a disaster area in a few hours) is the answer to all my prayers. My husband knows all to well that this is one of the biggest lies I tell myself each day.
For some irrational reason I've become afraid to write. I see other blogs with people spurting out new and fresh ideas on a near daily basis which threatened me. To be honest, I'm not trying to compete with anyone or win any awards so why should this bother me?
I think that I'm being selfish by taking out a few hours at night or even on a Sunday morning like I am doing now. I don't want to not spend time with my husband and feel even more guilty for shipping my daughter off to my in-laws just so that mommy can spend time on the computer, writing random and seemingly meaningless articles, putting them up on to her blog.
I felt uninspired; like I couldn't create with the pressure from some completely unknown source making me feel like anything I wrote would be worthless and not worth the time taken to push the publish button. I was aiming to please a completely unknown audience but scared of the my posts being ridiculed or having some sort of bizarre backlash at what I'd composed. This contradicted my views at every turn.

After thinking about all these seemingly stupid excuses (because that is all that they are) I stopped to ponder them again...

If this is what makes me happy then surely I must be a better person to be around when I'm writing and being creative?
Why should I feel guilty for taking time out from my family? Before I was a wife and mother I was me, plain and simple. Losing sight of that is probably one of the biggest makes I could be making.
How can my daughter and husband respect me as an individual if I just give up on doing something that makes me feel alive? I don't believe in doing things that are at the cost of others but out of the 168 hours we are given each and every week, taking 8 of those or less to spend time doing something you love is hardly a hardship.
Do I honestly care about competing with other people. Do I want to be the same as all the other 'mommy bloggers' out there. A simple answer to this is 'no'.

Well, here I am. I'm writing and it has probably been the best 30 minutes of time spent so far this week. Just me and my thoughts being poured out into my blog.

I also often say that I'd love to write a novel but then push the idea aside thinking that there isn't much point as it will probably be a load of rubbish and no one would want to publish it anyway. I've basically kicked the idea to the curb before I've given it a chance, making excuse after excuse after excuse to persuade myself not to do something that I've always dreamt of doing purely based on the fact that I think I'll fail before I've even started. I'm not saying I'm going to start putting all the cogs in motion tomorrow but the time for excuses is now over.

Watch this video and take from it what you want. It made me realise that I was the only person stopping me from having my perfect day was me and no on else. No more excuses for why I can't allow myself to do what I love and allow myself the chance to be this person too.

Ally x

New App Review for Pre-Schoolers: Jonty - The Dinosaur Who Could Not Go to Sleep

2014-02-04T13:00:00.000+00:00

My daughter has been testing out a beautiful new App called “Jonty – The DinosaurWho Could Not Go to Sleep”. When I first saw the title I felt like replacing ‘Jonty’ with her name, to be honest!

This is a very cute story about a lively young dinosaur that has trouble getting to sleep at bedtime. The story is fully interactive so your child can help to get Jonty to sleep, encouraging ‘invisible learning’ while having fun at the same time.

My little one, who is 3 ½, loved that she could get involved in the story and make the characters move and interact with other items on the page. I can’t really count the times that we’ve played it but the fact that she goes back to it over and over again, finding new things to do each time is wonderful. She loves me to read it her as well as have it read to her by the narrator. For her, getting to interact with the characters on the page really brings the story to life.

You can interact with the app in these four ways:

Choose to have the story read to you by a narrator.
Read it yourself. If your child gets stuck on reading a word you can tap on individual words to have them read out by the narrator.
If you would prefer to not interact with the story at all then you can select the ‘Auto Play’ option.
In the creative ‘Add To Story’ mode, you can drag and drop additional items onto the page, such as a rainbow or a robot. For each page, you can also record your own audio in this mode.

We used the app on an iPad Mini and my daughter finds it very easy to use and interact with. I like that even in the ‘read to me’ mode, you can press on the words which are highlighted briefly and then read back to you. This means my daughter can say the word out aloud and learn to recognise it too.

The animated images are lovely and perfect for both goys and girls. The interaction throughout the story also helps your child with problem solving skills as they actively help Jonty to get to sleep.

No personal information is collected via the app and it contains no ads or in-app purchases. This really appeals to me because I don’t like the idea of my personal information being shared with 3^rd parties and in-app purchases really ruin game play. The fear in the back of my mind that she will somehow learn my iTunes password and download apps and ring up a huge bill is also put to rest.

I would highly recommend this App for little ones who are just learning to read. It is especially good for children who don’t like to read as it encourages them to interact in a very different way whilst still learning new words and holding their attention at the same time. I really hope that there are a few more of these to come as they are really lovely and are a great way of introducing the skill of being able to read to a pre-schooler.

The App costs £2.99 and is available via the Apple App Store. An eBook version, for Kindle fire and Apple devices is also available.

Ally x

Find out more here:

Web: http://jontythedinosaur.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JontyDinosaur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonty-The-Dinosaur/695484187144737

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/118350041472549246195/about

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jontydinosaur/

Note: We were sent the App free of charge for my little one to put through it’s paces and give her views on. All opinions are our own.

It's true. No two pregnancies are the same...

2014-02-03T21:12:00.001+00:00

We waited for over three years before thinking about trying for our second child, and in the one month that we weren't trying, I fell pregnant. Shock was the first reaction along with utter disbelief. That lasted for the best part of the first month. Waiting for something for such a long time and then suddenly having it is a very surreal feeling.

So, now at nearly 18 weeks pregnant I am still stunned by my every expanding belly and my voluptuous upper body. Other than extreme tiredness, a bit of swelling and my bump, I've had no 'real' symptoms. I was sick from just after 5 weeks until 11 weeks and 4 days (yes, I remember it well), twice a day, if not more with my daughter. I could barely eat never mind how I felt when I caught a whiff of something my senses now decided to despise.

This time round I couldn't eat enough. I was like a machine in the first three weeks after I found out, shovelling everything and anything in to try and satisfy the most ridiculous hunger that couldn't be appeased easily. This all went straight to my thighs. Awesome.

I now also have a belly that is growing at rate of knots, so much so that I feel like I need to use Bio Oil three times a day in order to ease the itchiness and make it feel less like the living daylights are being wrapped out of my skin. I must look like a bit of a crazy person, holding onto my belly at one second and rubbing it in a moment of love and adoration for my growing child, and then scratching the heck out of it the next as if my life depended on it. All I want to do at the end of the day is come home, layer on enough oil to make me greasy enough to win every slip and slide challenge known to man and enjoy the freedom of chilling out in my underwear while my skin breaths. Bliss!

I now have insomnia some evenings (but I'm tired, right?!) and the inability to get comfortable at night even at this early stage is definitely new. The snoring is apparently another addition to the list of firsts. Whilst it doesn't bother me I'm sure my husband is plotting his revenge as I type, and I can see myself waking up on the floor on morning, cuddling on to my pregnancy pillow.

My husband has started to refer to my pillow as my 'anti-roll bar' or 'contraceptive barrier'. Once you get comfy in that thing, sleep or no sleep, there is no letting go of it. Better than having to use the excuse of having a headache I guess? "Sorry Hon, I'm tucked into my preggy pillow. Can't get out of it now, you know. Took me a few minutes just to get comfy!"

My memory seems to fail me and random words slip into sentences. I know what I'm saying but often am at a loss for words. This definitely didn't happen this early on, so now that I feel like a bit of an old fart, I can use the excuse of actually thinking about what I'm saying before I say it, because I often am.

All things said, it's pretty smooth sailing this time. I've felt movement from about 12 weeks; the little butterfly feelings, and just yesterday I got my first real kick from the outside, which was out of this world. Energy levels during the day are good though but I do find that if I stop and rest on the couch, I somehow lose about an hour or two of my day and suddenly it's dark. Amazing how you can close your eyes for one second and that happens?!

I'm pretty much convinced on what the sex of the baby is, which is being confirmed in the middle of this month. To be honest, I'd be happy with either sex as long as baby is strong and healthy. My daughter wants a brother so baby, you had better be a boy!

Ally x

Limerick: Ireland's City of Culture for 2014

2014-02-03T20:41:00.001+00:00

Named Ireland's City of Culture for 2014, Limerick is playing host to a programme of events this year. Straddling the River Shannon, it's a traditional Irish city with a gritty but intriguing past, as seen in the famous book Angela's Ashes, that hasn't lost any of its working class charm in the years since its modernisation.

As a small city, it's easy to navigate on foot - or perhaps you'd prefer to hire a bike and see the city at a somewhat faster pace? With friendly locals, a great café culture, traditional pubs, a historic castle and a great art gallery, there is much to be found here.

Visit St John's Castle, the ancient stronghold built by King John of England between 1200 and 1212, as his military and administrative centre in the region. Take in the stunning architecture at St Mary's Cathedral, founded in 1168, where parts of the 12^th century building still survive to this day. Or perhaps visit Limerick City Gallery of Art, which showcases a stunning collection of pieces by artists such as Sean Keating and Jack B Yeats.

Take a walk along the West Bank and see the treaty stone, the place at which the Treaty of Limerick was signed, or join a walking tour of Limerick, guided by local experts. These tours are a great way to learn about the city from the people who know it the best - you'll see the sights and learn about the history of the area. Perhaps you'll choose a tour of a Medieval English Town, the People's Park tour, the Georgian House & Garden Tour or maybe the tour of the North Munster Masonic Centre.

It's worth keeping an eye on the event calendar after booking your stay at one of the Travelodges in Limerick - with 2014 being such a big year for the city, there is so much going on that you won't want to miss it.

Note: This is a guest post.

Degustabox Review: Fab new monthly foodie subscription service

2014-01-14T22:03:00.000+00:00

Degustabox is a great new monthly subscription service where you receive a surprise box of 10 to 15 fabulous food products each month, many new to the market, straight to your door.

For £9.99 per month (delivery not included) your carefully packaged food box will arrive with you between the 25th and 30th of the month with texts and e-mails sent to you to ensure you are around to receive your box of exciting food products.

The box that I received contained Drink Me Chai (delicious!), Levi Roots cook in sauces, Oxo Shake & Flavour, a selection of four Bisto gravy pouches and stock melts, Green and Black's choccie, Yu! Healthy Snacks (great for a mid morning snack and flipping yummy!), Belvita breakfast biscuits which I now need to hide from my daughter, as well as a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic Bavaria drinks.

I can safely say that I either used or am still in the process of eating all of the products in the box. There is nothing in there that I wouldn't try at least once and I am now also a fan of the Yu! Healthy Snacks, which I didn't know about before I received my food box, so I'm pleased that I was exposed to trying something new.

Great to liven up your end of month food stores and also sharing new products with you each month that you may not have previously tried or heard of, it's a lovely subscription service to treat yourself to or give as a gift to a friend or family member. There is no long term commitment meaning that you can stop and start your subscription at any time if you wanted to.

For a nice little discount of £3.00 off your first order, use the code allinonemum999

Ally x

Find out more about Degustabox

Website: http://www.degustabox.com/en/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DegustaboxUK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DegustaboxUK

Note: I was sent a Degustabox for the purpose of this review. All views are my own.