SnafflesMummy

Review: YHA National Forest & Great Discount Offer

2012-05-28T21:32:00.000+01:00

A recent spot of birthday weekend accommodation googling had me land on the youth hostel association website. I was pleasantly surprised to find a variety of accommodation from small to large, some with on site restaurants. There seemed to be a mixture to suit everyone. With family rooms available it hopes to provide the perfect break on a tight budget.

In fact there are also some available for exclusive bookings which is what I shall be doing with a group of friends to celebrate my 30th later this year.

So, I was very pleased to be offered the opportunity to review their National Forest hostel in Swadlincote. A great location in the Peak District and within easy reach of Conkers, Drayton Manor and Twycross Zoo.

National Forest is a newly built eco friendly hostel. It has family en suite rooms, licensed bar, restaurant, self catering kitchen and eating area and an outside dining area.

Arrival:
We set off straight from school on Friday so arrived late and with two tired children. the hostel was easy to find and is very eye catching in design. We were given a warm welcome, a quick run down of what was where, directed to our rooms where a cot was waiting for Munchie and then we popped to the dining area for an evening meal.

My instant impression was how relaxed it felt. No snobby receptionists with the usual forms to fill in, keys to register and credit cards to authorise like you often get in hotels. The other guests were friendly and didn't seem put out by having two tired children downstairs later than usual.

Our Room:
You need to have realistic expectations, you are getting budget accommodation, not 5 star hotel treatment. I knew what to expect and was pleasantly surprised.

The room was bigger than I expected. The rooms were basic but had the essentials, bunk beds (don't worry the parents get a bottom double bunk), en suite shower room and toilet, wooden lockers, under bed storage, a chair and a mirror.

Even with a cot in our room there was still floor space for the boys to play.

Bedding is provided but you will have to make the beds up yourself. Cots are available upon request although you do need to take your own bedding for it. You also need to take your own towels.

We didn't miss the lack of a TV, a portable DVD player kept Snaffles entertained after his 6am wake up!. However the very English me does need a cup of tea in the morning. I would have loved to have had a travel kettle in the room, I would happily provide my own tea and milk.

We didn't sleep great, that was more the grumpy hot baby's fault than the beds or room though.

Despite all the treats and days out activities that we did over our two days the bunk beds are apparently Snaffles favourite thing he did on holiday!

Food and drink:
The food we ate was very nice. It tended to be pub food type meals. I do feel it was a tad over priced, however under 10's eat free so it probably works out about the same as a pub meal anyway.

The children had the option of eating from the children's menu or having a smaller portion from the adult menu.

As part of the review we had a 3 course evening meal included each night. The Key Lime Pie Ice cream was to die for.

The restaurant is self-service, you will be expected to clear your own table, however the restaurant was very quiet and the staff were more than willing to assist us with clearing our table.

After a long drive on Friday night Mr C was ready for a pint from the licensed bar.

Breakfast was included within our review. The price of breakfast is usually £4.95 per adult and £2.95 per child. Breakfast was well worth this price. There was a full English breakfast, cereals, toast, cereal, yoghurt, juices, tea and coffee.

The hostels are even able to provide packed lunches. These contained sandwiches, crisps, fruit, water and snack bars. The cost is £5.75 per adult and £4.75 per child. We simply ordered our preference of sandwich filling and what time we needed it ready for and collected it on our way out for the day.

Things to do:
There is a large living area downstairs with a computer and TV. There is plenty of outside space and also a small park on site. There is lots to do in the surrounding area. Twycross Zoo, Llama trekking, Drayton Manor and Conkers.

We had a great time at Conkers, lots of walks, discovery activities, tree top walk, adventure play area and a great barefoot walking experience where you can walk barefoot over tree trunks, sun baked rocks, straw, cobbles and wiggle your toes in the mud.

Overall:
We had a great time. Very impressed with the whole hostel. throughout our weekend stay there was one girl on duty the whole time, she worked like a trouper, she was receptionist, barmaid, waitress, cook and yet she still found time to chat to us and talk to Snaffles. Anyone that knows the name of his transformer is a friend for life.

The fellow guests seemed far more relaxed than the guests we have encountered in hotels. Everything was just so relaxed. People chatted to each other and seemed happy to have children playing among them.

The accommodation is very basic but provided that is what you are expecting I think you will be very surprised. The on site kitchen helps you save a few pennies if you need to.

I do feel the hostel could benefit a little from some toys for the children, even if it is just some paper and colouring crayons to help keep them sat still for a while. There was a giant connect 4 outside but it was broken.

Overall though we would definitely recommend staying at the National Forest Hostel, its clean, well located, friendly staff and affordable.

If you want to try a YHA break for yourself then this summer you can get a family room for 3 nights for only £99. Simply go to http://www.yha.org.uk/snaffles-mummy to book your break by the 12th June 2012 (for stays between 7th July and 12th September) and enter your offer code of FAMSTAY-029.

Disclaimer: Our room, meals and tickets to Conkers were all paid for. However all views and opinions expressed are our own.

Win 1000 Tesco Clubcard Points

2012-05-23T21:57:00.003+01:00

GET YOUR FAMILY READY FOR SUMMER WITH SUMMER EXCHANGE

The sun is shining, the bees are out, it can only mean one thing. Summer may be about to finally happen. To me one of the great things about summer is all the fantastic family days out we spend together. Our days out would be far fewer if we didn't have our Tesco Clubcard points to treat ourselves with.

Bringing up a family on a budget can be tough and with summer approaching, parents need support more than ever which is why Tesco is offering them the chance to turn £5 of Clubcard vouchers into a £10 Exchange token.

Parents will be able to spend their Clubcard Exchange tokens on all of their favourite baby essentials as well as hundreds of products families will be buying for summer, including clothes, toys, bikes, cameras and much more. The Exchange will run between 14 May – 13 June 2012 and parents will be able to redeem their Exchange tokens until 19 June.

Tesco is making it easier for parents to take advantage of the Exchange by allowing them to exchange their vouchers online and print their tokens at home so they can arrive in store with their tokens in hand. By increasing the value of Clubcard vouchers parents’ budgets can go further by offering huge savings on a fantastic range of baby and toddler products.

Simply enter below.

The competition will end at midnight on the 30th May 2012. Winner must have a tesco clubcard and will be required to provide their clubcard number to receive their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This competition is now closed. This winner is a Zoe Howarth.

Munchie's First Steps

2012-05-14T20:07:00.002+01:00

Munchie: Aged 1 year and 2 weeks old.

Munchie has had no interest at all in standing unaided. He wont even stand up while you try and pull his trousers up. However, in the ultimate bedtime delay tactics he decided to make his debut just before bedtime on Friday. Since then there is no stopping him, walking is pretty much all he wants to do and he looks so pleased with himself.

Just seeing him toddle along makes me smile but somehow a walking child feels very much older than a crawling one.

Review - Marshmallow Madness

2012-05-14T12:16:00.000+01:00

I have to admit making marshmallows scares me. Anything involving gelatin scares me.

So when asked to review Marshmallow Madness I was understandably scared. I had made marshmallows once before and it was very nerve wracking.

To me there is general baking where a little bit of fluctuation in measuring doesn't really matter and then there is the more scientific kind of baking where measurements matter. To me, these fell into the latter.

But look at the pictures, these look so pretty. How can a girl resist making such pretty things, especially where there are cocktail marshmallow recipes involved in the book?

I have struggled with these, it is not the book or the recipes, I have struggled to get hold of Corn Syrup which is the main ingredient. After trying two Tesco stores and also Asda it seemed I had to accept that I wouldn't be able to locate any. I attempted making my own corn syrup after the help of Google but it didn't really resemble syrup and the whipped mixture did not resemble marshmallow texture. I could tell by the look of it that it would not set so the it went straight in the bin.

Those that know me will know that I can not walk away from a project without finishing it. My inability to make fudge still frustrates me. I was tempted to give up though.

A bit more Google research suggested using golden syrup as a corn syrup replacement. I was not convinced this would work but equally I didn't want to abandon my mission.

Amazingly it worked, it hasn't seemed to effect the colour at all and I cant see it makes a great difference to the taste either. It seems to be an excellent replacement.

So, onto the book.

The book is bright, colourful and interesting. There are a variety of flavours and styles and I can see how these could make beautiful gifts. The recipe is broken down into three sections, the bloom, The syrup and the mallowing. This looks daunting at first, but once you read the ingredients and what you need to do with them it really is very easy. A bit of boiling of the syrup and then some whisking and hey presto. If you substitute the corn syrup for golden syrup as I did then it is pretty much just store cupboard ingredients. You do need a candy thermometer though.

I tend to bake when the children are around and stop and start depending on if the children need me. However, marshmallows require very hot temperatures, precise timing and are very sticky and gooey whilst making so I wouldn't recommend making them if you are alone with the children as things could get very sticky.

I loved:

The bright colours,
The interesting flavours (particularly some of the more savoury flavours)
The helpful tips (such as buying baby puree instead of making your own)
The slight adaptions to recipes to alter the flavours - (changing the vanilla marshmallow into cookies and cream with the addition of Oreo's)

I wasn't so keen on:

Recipes using cups as the measurement
The gooey sticking washing up

Here are my cookies and cream marshmallows. They are delicious.

I am so glad I didn't give up, they are worth the wait. I can not wait to have a go at the more adventurous recipes now. They would make beautiful gifts and great party bag favours.

Me, running, no really!

2012-05-01T12:18:00.001+01:00

There are some things in life that I know I will never do, things I have no desire to achive, for instance a bungie jump is one.

This time last week I also thought running was on that list. I had never had a desire to attempt running. However, I had watched the London marathon, followed dawns marathon journey realised that despite a few hardened athletes they all generally looked like normal people, people with jobs, family's and some carrying a spare tyre just like me.

I decided this running lark might be worth a go. Now steady on, I'm not talking of a marathon type mission but more of a few leisurely miles maybe.

The NHS couch to 5km app was recommend by a friend. Starting with intervals of 60 seconds running and 90 seconds walking seemed manageable.

Both Mr C and snaffles had a shocked look on their faces when I suddenly announced I was going for a run.

I have now completed week 1, three 'runs', that's 90 minutes of excercise last week, 24 of which were running. It doesn't sound like much to some but to me its 24 minutes of running I never imagined I would achieve (even of they were in 60 second bursts).

Now on to week 2.

Tots100 Book CLub - Breaking The Silence by Diane Chamberlain

2012-04-24T16:00:00.000+01:00

As part of the Tots100 book club, in association with Tesco Books, the lovely Yummy Mummy Flabby Tummy reviewed Lorraine Pascal’s Home Cooking Made Easy and nominated me for this month of the Tots100 book club.

I love books almost as much as I love wool. That said you can’t really take your crochet in the bath or to a spa so perhaps books have the edge. Mr C also knows how much I love books and I think was becoming a tad fed up of the expanding piles of books so bought me a Kindle. This has only increased my love for a good book. I seem to be reading them even quicker now.

One of my favourite, recent reads is Breaking The Silence by Diane Chamberlain. This is my first Diane Chamberlain book and it certainly won’t be my last.

“Laura Brandon's promise to her dying father was simple: to visit an elderly woman she'd never heard of before. A woman who remembers nothing—except the distant past. Visiting Sarah Tolley seemed a small enough sacrifice to make. “

I need thrill and excitement in a book, I don’t have much time for reading so if I am giving up my time for a book it needs to be good, in fact better than good. I don’t like predictable.

The chapters are split between Laura’s journey and also that of Sarah. Just when you think you know what the next chapter will hold something comes along to give you more to think about. Each time you figure out how the book may end new events unfold and more details click into place.

You will be hooked until the end.

I am recommending this book to Mummy's Moments, time to put her feet up and relax.

If you fancy seeing what other books people are recommending why not check out the Tots100 book club.

Dear Munchie - Aged One

2012-04-23T21:13:00.000+01:00

To My Darling Munchie,

A year ago today you turned our family from 3 people into 4.

In less than 30 minutes we went from arriving at the hospital to having you in our arms.

I can still remember Daddy making the phone call to Snaffles to tell him he was a big brother and him arriving as your first visitor. I am afraid you were not very entertaining to a 4 year old.

You have slowly changed from that little newborn baby, reliant on us for everything into a little person all of your own who knows what he likes and dislikes.

You like baths, soft play, flapjack, music and hiding under the table. But most of all you love Snaffles. He is the one you seek out, the one you search for on the school run and the first room you crawl to in the morning.

You dislike car seats, nappy changes and sleep.

You have 8 teeth, you can cruise along the furniture, you can get from room to room with your walker. You wave bye bye and give big kisses. You can say ma ma, da da, hiya, ta and Ooh Oh.

You can play peek a boo and pretend you are an Indian by patting your hand over your mouth.

But my favourite thing is when you put your arms up to be picked up and snuggle into the side of my neck, a special place that seems to uniquely designed to fit together with you.

Love you to the moon and back
Mummy
xxxxx

Bye Bye Stabalisers

2012-04-12T15:17:00.000+01:00

Do you ever wake up morning with a crazy idea? I awoke on the first day of the school holidays with the crazy idea of teaching Snaffles to ride without his stabalisers. I wasn't sure if this was achievable or sensible but hey ho, we can but try. I thought it would be cool to work on it over the holidays and surprise Mr C with it.

I clearly didn't think this through fully, I expected Snaffles to be very wobbly and I expected to be running along side him the first few go's holding onto him.

However, I got him on, steadied him, we got going and then off he went. He literally took off. Going faster seemed to make balancing easier but it made running impossible.

So, now we have one Snaffles on a bike for the first time, one mummy a considerable pace behind him and the slight issue of mummy being over eager to get him on the bike and forgetting to explain how to stop. Oops.

I was totally amazed at how quickly he picked it up. He has figured out stopping also. We still need to work on him starting unaided but the rubbish half term weather hasn't really given us much chance to practice.

Looking forward to some more sunshine so that we can get back out on our bikes.

Dusting Off The Sewing Machine

2012-04-02T15:55:00.001+01:00

It has been a while since my lovely sewing machine got the chance to dust itself off and stretch its cogs.

A very special birthday required a very special gift and my beautiful Singer was just the thing to make it.

Last summer I made a friend a picnic blanket at her request, it has since become her festival blanket and toured the country with her. Ever since then another friend had lusted over it so I thought her special birthday was the perfect opportunity to give her one of her own.

I had forgotten how much I loved my patchwork blankets, they are not perfect (but are improving) but they are defiantly labour's of love.

I love how plain economic fabrics are transformed with a splash of more expensive fabric.

I love seeing the flashes of colour as the blanket passes through my machine.

I love watching the corner joins line up and the rows of pattern start to materialise.

I love how the blanket hides behind the wading, peaking through and teasing until the grand reveal when turned back the right way around.

I love seeing the final blanket.

I love seeing it all folded up awaiting a sunny day.

I must get my machine out again soon

Saving Energy With Your Children

2012-03-28T20:22:00.003+01:00

This is a sponsored post

Teaching energy saving to your child

With rising electricity prices and green energy dominating the current discussion on how to best meet our energy needs, you can imagine that this topic will be even more important for your children to understand once they grow up. But you don’t have to wait until they are adults to get them involved in what is being called the way to power our future. Start teaching energy conservation and green energy practices to your little ones now, and they’ll be more than equipped to lead the discussion in the future. Here are the best ways to introduce energy saving to your family.

1. Explain why saving energy is so important. First things should come first, so begin with an honest but not overwhelming discussion about why it is important to save energy. Your children may be swayed by the argument that it costs mummy and daddy less money, but they’ll probably relate better to how using less energy is better for the environment. If you can successfully explain that the way we use electricity now is making the Earth sick, your kids just may catch on quicker to your new energy habits. Try looking up some colouring sheets or kids’ activities online to make it easier on both you and them.

2. Talk the talk, and walk the walk. Once you’ve gone through all of the explanations, it’s time to show the kids how they can be hands-on with saving energy. Set up an energy ‘obstacle course’ in your home by leaving on lights and running the tap. Then, walk them through and show them how to flip the light switch when the room is empty and turn off the tap when it is not in use. For older kids, you should also show them what position the thermostat should be in to keep the home at a comfortable temperature without wasting money. It would be far easier and quicker to just make a list of all of these actions, but showing is better than telling.

3. Be the example. Once you stress the importance of energy conservation, be sure to follow your
own example by making energy-efficient improvements to the home. Add insulation in drafty areas,
for example, or install a programmable thermostat that takes the work out of heating and cooling the
home. And be sure that your kids are watching so that they see how important it is to save energy.

4. Reinforce everything they’ve learned. After you start your energy-saving practices as a family, keep it fresh and make it fun by getting the group together to make reminder signs and brainstorm more ways to cut down on the energy bills. One idea that you could use is to have the kids come up with a colourful chart of ‘energy chores’ for the family to participate in, such as cleaning the air conditioner unit and the refrigerator coils to keep these appliances working efficiently.

The most important thing to remember when teaching energy saving to your child is to make it
interesting and relevant. If you keep those two objectives in mind, you’ll be able to beat rising energy prices, and your child will be on the path to a brighter, greener future.

Review - The Ministry Of Letters

2012-03-28T20:02:00.001+01:00

What child doesn't love getting their very own post? Snaffles was most excited to So, a top secret package from the Ministry of Letters was very exciting.

The Ministry of Letters is a government department where all the words in the world are made. It’s so secret, that only The Queen, The Prime Minister and spies know about it.

In the pack, Snaffles found some sticker sheets, a certificate, an alphabet poster, and the Operation Alphabet book.

Operation Alphabet is about a little boy who has just started school called Charlie Foxtrot. Charlie is finding it hard to learn the alphabet. Two exclamation marks notice his troubles, and alert the SAS (Special Alphabet Service). The SAS live in a little red post box somewhere near Big Ben in London with the Ministry of Letters. The story follows the SAS on their mission to help Charlie with his alphabet.

At first the book looked a little advanced. However, the book has a great, fun and retro style about it. The pages are filled with lots of cool looking letter characters which are great for encouraging Snaffles to find the various letters and name them.

Operation Alphabet is nice relaxed fun way of helping children to learn the alphabet and sounds that the letters make. They also have a great website where you can meat the letters, hear them talk and recite words beginning with that letter, it is very amusing.

Operation Alphabet is available on Amazon for £6.37.

Dalani Home & Living - Twin Competition

2012-03-26T16:40:00.000+01:00

I hadn't heard of Dalani Home & Living until recently. Dalani is a leading UK shopping club. . All products are carefully curated by their style team and buyers who strive to source the best homeware brands for members.
Membership is free and they offer daily sales with upto 70% off the manufacturers’ RRP. Simply sign up here and not only will you receive daily emails with their latest offers, you will also automatically receive £15 to start you off on your shopping spree.

Dalani are offering two great competitions.

Competition 1

One of my readers will win a £50 voucher to spend at Dalani (in addition to the £15 voucher you will receive on signing up) simply by signing up with them here and then answering the following question:

What is the name of the brand in the sale at the top of the Dalani homepage?

To enter, simply email me the answer to snafflesmummy1@googlemail.com, including Dalani in the subject line. Entries must be received by me before 9am on 2nd April 2012. One person who emails me will be picked randomly to win the £50 voucher.

Competiton 2

Dalani are offering 2 lucky people the chance to win a £250 voucher in this competition which is being hosted across 36 participating blogs. In order to enter you need to visit the Dalani website and choose which items you would spend the £250 on. Once you’ve decided, leave a comment below letting me know what items you would choose. For example I would start with the Delta Black Whistling Kettle and the Black Numeral Wall Clock. it is hard to decide how to spend the rest as there is too much to choose from.

Dalani will then select two winners from all the comments posted across all the 36 participating blogs. Comments must be posted by 9am on 2nd April 2012.

This is a Sponsored Post

Congratulations to competition winners:
Competition 1: The winner was Kathleen Hooper
Competition 2: The winners were Kate Rampersad who commented on All Baby Advice, and Rhoda who commented on White Lily Green

Munchie Meets The Garden

2012-03-24T16:29:00.002Z

Its the weekend, its sunny, it would be rude not to spend the day in the garden with my family.

Today has been all about firsts.

First cut of the grass this year and Munchies first day in the garden and his first little bounce on

the trampoline.

Seeing Munchie crawling about in the mud and grass made me feel very happy today.

New toys to master

A new environment to investigate and explore. New textures, sounds and spaces to discover.

But sometimes even excitement and freedom can not keep a baby from his sleep. Hopefully the sun will continue to shine and we can escape to the garden again soon.

Review - Music Magpie

2012-03-23T13:24:00.003Z

Thanks to advances of Ipods and Love Film we suddenly have cupboards full of unwanted CD's and DVD's. We have docking stations and tend to play our music via our Ipods and so CD's just sit there unused and we have computer games sat unused from our pre-children days.

We need the space and the money so getting rid of them makes sense. Car boot sales generate little profit and Ebay is quite frankly more hassle than its worth.

I haven't considered online music/DVD/game sale websites before. I have used similar sites to sell old mobile phones so doing the same with our CD's and DVD's seemed sensible.

Music Magpie offers good prices and costs you nothing.

It really is as easy as 1.2.3.

1. Either type in the barcode or use your webcam to scan the barcode. If you have an I-phone you can also get the Music Magpie app and use that to scan your barcodes.

2. Sending your items to Music Magpie is free. You can either use freepost labels or arrange for a courier to collect them for free (if you are unable to print your labels you can ask for them to be sent to you)

3. You can be paid by cheque or e-voucher.

A few DVD's, CD's and computer games soon add up in value and before you know it you will soon have enough to treat yourself to something nice. It has definitely encouraged me to get inputting my huge box of unused CD's.

Although, it seems my lack of taste has been spotted my Music Magpie as by AbbaMania CD received no offers.

If you want to sell unwanted computer games or sell unwanted DVD's with no hassle and no listing fees then Music Magpie is as easy as 1.2.3.

This is a sponsored post.

Better Than The Budget

2012-03-21T20:32:00.001Z

I love my manual singer sewing machine but so far the only foot I have been brave enough to use on it is the standard sewing foot.

I knew there was much more it was capable off but with them being so old, parts and instructions are difficult to come by. There are many singer feet for sale on ebay but they are often sold as mixed lots, are vague as to what feet are included and then there is the issue of what model machine the feet fit.

Buying a mixed lot from ebay has its risks. You need luck on your side.

Quite some time ago I got brave and bought this mixed lot. I have also managed to source an instruction leaflet which is still in good condition.

So, nap time today started out with me attempting to appear well informed and educated and watching the budget but after quickly realising 1. It's very dull and 2. I hadn't the foggest what most of it was about I decided to better spend my time playing with my singer.

The result being, I remain confused about most things in the budget but I have now mastered my gathering foot. Lots and lots of pretty gathered tulle for me to use for a fancy dress costume which is needed for a special friends 30th birthday party which has an 80's and superheros theme.

Project 365 - 79 Days In

2012-03-19T20:39:00.000Z

At the beginning of this year I one of my hopes was to capture a picture of each of my boys every day with a Project 365 for them both.

My hope was that over the course of the year I would see quite a change in my boys. What I didn't expect was to see a change so quickly.

Gone is my little baby who depended on me for milk, didn't sleep and had started to pull himself up on furniture. He has been replaced by a baby who climbs stairs when you are not looking and who steals food from whoever he can work his charms on.

Gone is my little boy who was settling into school life. He has been replaced by a little boy who is gaining in confidence and building strong friendships.

It is hard to believe how much they have changed in such a short amount of time. Whilst it makes me a little bit sad that my babies are not staying babies for long. It also makes me excited for what the rest of the year holds for them, the places we will go, things we will see together and memories we will make.

The Holy Grail Of Sleep

2012-03-04T20:24:00.004Z

After 10 months and 1 week we finally had our first night of what I can begin to call sleeping through.

The hardest part of having a baby is without a doubt the sleep deprivation. It is truly horrible and as my health visitor pointed out "there is a reason it is used as a form or torture".

During the last 10 months I have ranged from exhausted, grumpy, irritable. Suffered with dizziness and headaches, walked into door/door frames through exhaustion and even questioned whether I needed to see my GP about post natal depression.

I resisted the GP, not because I cared what he diagnosed but because I knew the first thing he would do would be to slide a depression questionnaire over the desk to me and I knew that grief and a lack of sleep would have me answering yes to every single question. He could prescribe me whatever he wanted but until I got some sleep nothing was likely to improve.

Thankfully I was put in touch with a lovely lady through my health visitor, one who had suffered endless nights of sleeplessness and understood its impact on a mums life. She agreed that a good nights sleep would clear my head and allow me to consider whether I needed to visit my GP.

After discussing a range of approaches and attempting everything I could to encourage Munchie to sleep for longer than 90 minutes at a time it soon became apparent that he had serious sleep associations. He could not get to sleep without either a dummy or me feeding him. Without a doubt one of my biggest regrets from breastfeeding was feeding on demand and allowing Munchie to fall asleep whilst feeding. I had made a rod for my own back.

There is only so long anyone can function on so little sleep. The prospect of returning to work and driving 80 miles a day on that amount of sleep was not only terrifying it was also dangerous. There was no way it would be possible and yet not working was equally impossible.

I know many many people are hugely against controlled crying. All I would say to these people is no parent wants to let their child cry. Listening to them upset breaks your heart but just imagine how low and desperate a parent must feel to reach a stage where they are ready to try controlled crying.

Understandable I reached that stage. It was the last thing I wanted to do but I was at breaking point. I was not "damaging him for life" I was teaching him a new skill, how to sleep and also improving the quality of life for myself, Mr C and Snaffles. We all needed sleep.

It has been long and hard and dropping the feeds has been key to reclaiming sleep. Dropping the middle of the night feeds worked to a degree, Munchie has been sleeping from 7pm until around 4am from the end of November. However since going back to work these early morning feeds are killing me. Getting back into bed at 4:30 am and knowing your alarm will go off shortly makes returning to sleep near impossible.

This week I have weaned Munchie off his early morning feed. He now only has a bedtime feed from me. Finally this weekend Munchie slept from 7pm until 5:30am. He woke up happy and shouting for Daddy and more than made up for the lack of a breastfeed with 3 bowls of porridge!

Yes it has taken a little crying to get here but we're happy, he's happy. That's all that matters to me.

Horray For Boobies

2012-03-01T20:39:00.001Z

1. Why did you choose boob over bottle?

The benefits for both mum and baby made it seem like the best choice. It also sounded so easy and simple when it was recommended by every health professional I came across during my pregnancy.

2. How long did you breastfeed or are you planning to breastfeed?

We have now been feeding for 10 months as as much as I love it it is, and always has been my aim to wean Munchie off the breast by around 12 months. After only succeeding in feeding Snaffles for a very short amount of time I knew how hard and exhausting feeding was so I have always had a one day at a time approach with Munchie. 1 day, 1 week, 1 month. Initially I secretly hoped to make it to 6 months with Munchie but after hitting 6 months, getting over the pain, the latch issues, the sheer exhaustion it kind of felt a waste to stop feeding now when I had worked so hard to establish feeding.

3. What is the best thing about breastfeeding?

Convience. Anywhere, any time I can fee him. Hunger, tiredness, illness, teeth, I can make Munchie feel better through all of these with a feed. Holidays, days out, camping, there are a lot of things that I do not think we would have done with a newborn baby had we not been breastfeeding, it would have been just too much hassle.

4. Did you have to overcome challenges on your breastfeeding journey?

Thankfully we have been thrush and mastitis free. For this I know we are very lucky and I am very thankful that we haven't had to experience these. Our only issue was a very painful latch at first. Despite having midwives, health visitors, breastfeeding friends and peer supporters check my latch it seemed that I just had a painful letdown. Tow curling into carpet painful. Those first few sucks of every feed were agony.We fought through this for the first 6 weeks and then feeding just settled down. I know they say feeding should not hurt but in my experience it does.

5. Who supported you the most with breastfeeding?

I can not choose one specific person. My breastfeeding journey has only been possible thanks to a collection of amazing friends and family. Mr C who looked after the house, Snaffles and me to allow me the time and rest necessary to concentrate on the feeding. Leaving me snacks and drinks in the nursery during the night. Both Mr C and my mum were fantastic in their words of support and encouragement. They knew that when I doubted myself I did not want to quit and that I just needed a confidence boost to get me back on track.

Two of my best friends are fellow breast feeders and were great for asking questions, having a good moan about the sheer exhaustion and a good old whinge when needed.

The peer supporters at my local breastfeeding support group have also been fantastic support, swapping stories, seeking advice to feeding problems and generally helping with confidence in feeding.

I have been very fortunate to be surrounded with fantastic friends. I have been made to feel entirely comfortable with my choice to feed Munchie, both when friends and partners were at our home and also when I have visited their homes.

6. How did you feel when you first breastfed in public?

This was one of my biggest fears. When I had Snaffles I was not confident in feeding in public. I honestly think that you will struggle to succeed in breastfeeding if you are not willing to feed in public. Particularly in the early weeks feeding is frequent and unpredictable. If you are not willing to feed in public you are unlikely to ever succeed in leaving the house in those first weeks. This was one of the major factors in me not continuing to feed Snaffles.

With Munchie I made sure to face this fear early on. With Mr C there for support we chose a quite cafe, chose a fairly secluded seat and attempted our first public feed. It went ok, I felt like everyone in the cafe was staring at me when in fact I doubt anyone even noticed. I felt proud of our first feed and since then have lost count of how often we have fed in public. Occasionally I still have a wobble and feel self conscious but know that usually it is all in my imagination.

7. Have you been questioned for breastfeeding?

Thankfully not. I was ready and armed though and ready for anyone who dared say anything to me. Any questions I have had about feeding have been well meant questions out of curiosity from fellow mums.

8. Has breastfeeding made you feel different about your body?

Breastfeeding leaves me feeling very conflicted. I look at Munchie, I see him growing and gaining weight and I am in total awe that he is here and thriving because of me and my body. However, my early weeks of feeding came at a difficult time in my life and my choice to breastfeed Munchie left me conflicted. He needed me at home to feed him but my Grandad was very poorly in hospital and I wanted to be there with him. It was hard feeling tied to Munchie and I knew that formula would give me the freedom to be at the hospital where I needed to be.

I also do not enjoy feeling like a feeding machine, nor the cow to a milking machine when expressing and as for my poor empty boobs. Well, they are never going to be the same again!

9. What do you wish you had known before making the decision to breastfeed your baby?

I think knowledge is definitely power when it comes to breastfeeding. If you don't know about cluster feeding you will doubt your supply, if you don't know how breast milk is made up and how easily it is digested you will doubt whether your baby can be hungry again. If you are surrounded by friends with babies who sleep through the night you will question whether your baby would sleep better on formula.

It is hard and exhausting at first but when you find your feet it is fantastic, easy and such a special time.

If you are reading this and are a fellow breast feeder then consider yourself tagged. You can also head over to Mummy Alarm and join in her linky.

Back To Work

2012-02-22T19:28:00.003Z

I appear to be having a major dip in energy levels. In part I suspect this is due to my body's crazy iron and B12 issues but mainly it is as a result of my recent return to work.

Going back to work after maternity leave is daunting and nerve wracking enough let alone starting a new role at a new place of work. I am still finding my feet, learning the ropes and trying to remember everybody's names but I am getting there. I have gone from thinking I made a huge mistake in leaving my old job to starting to see that it was the right move for me.

I get to spend time with both of my boys before work.

This is the first year I have been able to make Snaffles pancakes on pancake day. I am usually out too early and back to late because of the commute.

I can now be involved in the nursery run, I see Munchie at nursery, see him playing with his friends and get to know his carers.

I now travel 8 miles a day to get to/from work instead of the previous 80 miles.

Petrol now costs me £50 a month instead of £250 a month.

I get lots of time with my family after work. We have time for baths, giggles, dancing, playing. I can share a bath with Munchie after work if I want and we are able to eat before the boys go to bed leaving my evening free to spend with Mr C.

When the evenings are lighter we will have time for evening walks, bike rides or trips to the park.

I also get to do the school run for Snaffles twice a week. Its not my ideal but unless we win the lottery it is the best I can manage so that is good enough for me.

These may sound like small things, things many of you already do but these are the types of things that I missed out on in my old job.

I can not help but feel a little guilty for having missed out on all of these things so far.

Review -Bananagrams Products

2012-01-31T19:44:00.001Z

After watching a few other bloggers compete with virtual games of Bananagrams I was excited to be offered the opportunity to review some of Bananagrams products.

Fruitominos

A more child friendly and appealing game of dominos. Snaffles has recently started playing dominos but tends to get overwhelmed by all the black tiles and white dots. Sometimes he can't see what numbers he has for all the dots. Fruitominos replace the white dots with fruit. We loved the white ceramic tiles, the fruit made the numbers easier to recognise and a zip up case is much more practical than the traditional domino box.

A big thumbs up from Snaffles.

Appletters

Snaffles has just turned 5 (yesterday) and is in reception year at school. He knows his phonics and is at the stage where he is learning to join letters up to form words. To play Appletters you make words beginning or ending with the last tile played. We have been playing this with the words Snaffles thinks of and I try and incorporate the school wordgs he is supposed to be learning. He struggles with words ending in a certain letter so we stick to words beginning with. Thats the simplicity of it. It's a bag of lettered tiles, you play to suit your age and ability.

Great educational fun. Again, we loved the zip up apple shaped storage bag.

Bananagrams

A similar concept to scrabble but no board. Fun, portable and addictive. Snaffles is too young for this really. Mummy isn't though.

What better way to test it out than to join A Mother's Ramblings January Bananagram challenge. Pippa has a special set of Bananagrams which are magnetic. I am tempted to put magnets on mine but little fingers and mouths mean I can't at the minute. You know your addicted when you make it your mission to use every tile (which I achieved).

For the hard core addicts who possess Apple products there is now a Bananagram app.

Great games for all the family.

40 Week & 6 Days

2012-01-31T16:29:00.002Z

Dear Munchie,

For 286 days I carried you inside me. I kept you safe, calmed you with my movement, lulled you to sleep as my heart beat against you. In return you reassured me that you were ok with your gentle movements and kicks.

Every day I wonder where the time has gone and where my baby has disappeared to.

You have changed so much recently. As hard as I try, I can not help but compare you to your brother. You are growing more and more alike to your brother in your looks yet to me you are so very different. Your temperament, mannerisms, development, such a very different personality.

At this age your brother was just learning how to rock on all fours. You have been crawling for a few months already and are now confidently cruising around the furniture.

Your brother was so cautious, careful and considered in his discovery of the world. You are so care free, brave, adventurous and mischeivous.

Your brother would sit, concentrate and play. You are inquisitive and intruiged to go in search of new things.

Munchie, there are things which you do that are yours and yours alone. Things that I remember for you and not for comparisons to your brother. Your hands reached upwards for mummy to scoop you up, your waves of delight when we come into the room, your curious frown at the door when daddy and Snaffles leave for work and school.

Despite this it is your brotherly bond that makes my heart both melt with love and swell with pride

Hearing your first vocal expression of the morning be directed to your big brother
Hearing his footsteps across the landing as he goes into your room each morning to see you. Footsteps which used to head to us have been replaced with a new path each morning.
Watching you turn to him when we collect him from school.
Watching you crawl down the hallway each morning as Snaffles and daddy leave for school and work.
Watching you crawl into Snaffles bedroom to seek him out.
Watching Snaffles look out for you as you are playing, passing you toys you have dropped.
Watching his patience with you when you are taking toys from him which you shouldn't.
Watching him sing and pull faces at you in the car when you are upset.

My boys, so very different children yet both the apple of the others eye.

And Then You Were Five

2012-01-30T12:03:00.000Z

Dear Snaffles.

Happy 5th birthday my handsome little boy.

This is the first year where you will spend your birthday at school with your friends instead of at home with Mummy and Daddy.

Long gone are the nappies and pushchairs, I suddenly seem to be mummy to a very grown up little boy.

Full of questions, eager to discover and learn new things, excited to run around outside exploring but still happy to cuddle up to mummy after school.

You have discovered Lego, Starwars and Scooby Doo.

You like bike rides, pyjama days and hot chocolate.

You are now old enough for cinema trips, theme parks and camping.

You are confident and outgoing with your friends, gentle and caring with your little brother and will forever be our loving little boy.

Love and hugs from
Mummy and Daddy

A Sad Goodbye To Daytime Nursing

2012-01-26T20:11:00.000Z

Tomorrow Munchie will have his last ever daytime breastfeed.

A combination of new job, returning to work and Munchie's refusal to take milk from anything other than me means its time to drop his only daytime feed.

He will continue to have his early morning feed and bedtime feed from me but in the day he will now survive on food.

My feeding journey has been very emotional. Initially I worried whether I would manage to feed this time. I then counted time as an ascending amount of time, 7 days, 10 days, 2 weeks, 1 month.

However, this ascending time soon began to feel like a burden, tied to Munchie for every feed, unable to leave him for any substantial amount of time and the only person who could tend to him during the night. I soon moved to counting down until when I could stop feeding altogether.

My aim to feed until 6 months was extended to 12 months. Its rewarding, its beneficial, its one of my favourite times with Munchie but it is also hard and draining and your body is not your own.

I have been counting down for so long that I am surprised to find myself feeling sad and emotional about dropping his last daytime feed.

I will miss our public day time feeds, no longer do they make me nervous, I feel confident, liberated and embrace the public feeds. I have surprised even myself. We have fed in parks, on beaches, camping, in theme parks, cafes, restaurants and in a tent in the middle of "Go Outdoors".

However, it is time. Time to begin to reclaim my body, time to teach him to feel safe away from Mummy, time for us to start a new chapter together. For him to begin to appreciate mummy for her tickles and smiles and stories and not for what he can take from my body.

So, tomorrow afternoon I will snuggle on our bed with my baby boy and we will share our final daytime breastfeed.

Nine Months

2012-01-25T08:17:00.001Z

Munchie is 9 months old today.

He has changed so much already in his 9 months with us. He is no longer my newborn baby boy. he is now a little adventurer learning new things every day.

We had waited so long for him to enter our lives, dreamed of the time we would one day become a family of four. We had imagined a future together but never had we understood that the most special person in his world would be his big brother Snaffles.

Their brotherly bond makes my heart both melt with love and swell with pride. It is hard to picture one of them without the other.

Hearing Munchie's first vocal expression of the morning be directed to his big brother.

Hearing Snaffles footsteps across the landing as he goes into Munchie's room each morning to see him. Footsteps which used to head to us have been replaced with a new path each morning.

Watching Munchie turn to his big brother when we collect him from school.

Watching Munchie crawl down the hallway each morning as Snaffles and daddy leave for school and work.

Watching Munchie crawl into Snaffles bedroom to seek him out.

Watching Snaffles look out for his little brother as he is playing, passing him toys he has dropped.

Watching Snaffles patience with Munchie when he is taking toys from him which he shouldn't.

Watching Snaffles sing and pull faces at Munchie in the car when he is upset.

My boys, so very different children yet both the apple of the others eye.

Miosolo - The Verdict

2012-01-22T20:46:00.000Z

First here are a few facts about reusable nappies that struck me the most;

On average a baby will use 5000 disposable nappies compared to only 48 reusable nappies,
Reusable nappies can save you up to £700 on your first child and up to £1000 for subsequent children,
By swapping just one nappy to a reusable per day you would save approximately 912 nappies,
The average cost of washing reusable nappies for 2.5 years is £102.19
A child is 5 times more likely to suffer with nappy rash if wearing a disposable nappy,
Councils across the UK often offer cash back incentives. (My council offers 50% cash back, up to a total of £50)

Despite numerous challenges I have failed to find fault with the Miosolo. It has also impressed everyone who has seen it this week and even swayed Mr C more towards reusable. Munchie's bum clearly does not agree with chemicals and the lack of wipes and disposables has his cute little bum rash free again.

Obviously the environmental, financial and rash free benefits are fantastic but they also make Munchie look even cuter than he did already.

Would I recommend the Miosolo? Well, the proof is in the purchase. I have now ordered a batch of Miosolo's and will be converting to reusable nappies on my 3 days off and also on the day my Mum has Munchie should she choose to use them.

If you are looking at purchasing the Miosolo's then there is a fantastic offer on until the 22nd January 2012. You can purchase the Miosolo with 25% off, a free nappy cleanser and also free delivery. Simply enter the discount "challenge" at the checkout.