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Dear Daisy, It is your first day at school...

Getting Creative in the Play Room*

As you will all know by now we are currently having some major renovation works done at our house and a big part of that was in Alex's bedroom. We extended out the dormer that was already there to transform an existing box room (that was a pretty odd shape) into a nice sized bedroom with ample room for playing as well as all the furniture a toddler boy needs.

Now that it is almost finished it is time to try and make the space work and fill it with some nice, interesting pieces to make it really feel complete.

bungalow extension work
Very much work in progress!



bungalow roof light


We decided to paint our whole upstairs in the same grey tone, mainly for ease but also for a consistent look. We then have added splashes of colour and design into each room to make them look a little more interesting and exciting.

In Alex's room I really want to go with a bright, geometric theme with splashes of aqua to make it feel young, colourful and perhaps a little scandi. Wall murals are a great way of doing this easily without having to start drawing random lines an shapes on you wall in the hope it may look okay-ish at the end of it! I really am not overly artistic, so the ease of these murals and the fact that they're pretty inexpensive too really does suit me! 

Wallsauce.com have some great designs to choose from such as the below patterns that I have chosen out for potentially Alex's room, which is your favourite? I love all of the designs they have on their of animals and maps but I really just had a vision in my head of what I wanted this specific wall in his bedroom to look like and these would match perfectly.



Wallsauce.com is one of those websites that once you start looking you’ll be browsing for hours without noticing, I somehow lost 40 minutes this afternoon! Procrastination at its best!  Also, this is super cool, you can use your OWN image! So if you’ve taken a nice family picture or maybe a favourite photo from your holidays then why not get it on your wall at home! It is something a little different to your standard photo frame isn't it?!

Hayley x

*PR Collaboration but all opinions are my own

It Is Okay To Be a Working Mum & It Is Is Okay To Be a Stay At Home Mum Too

When will the criticism stop?

The bashing of us women who work, the bashing of those who don’t? And the majority of the time by those women who don’t actually have children.


It Is Okay To Be a Working Mum & It Is Is Okay To Be a Stay At Home Mum Too



I’m not even going to give the woman in question on this particular occasion airtime, but we all know which “fake it until you make it” celeb I’m talking about this week. I’ve never been a writer to get personal about other people, this space is about me and my experiences. My thoughts and beliefs. But that doesn’t mean it really didn’t hit a nerve. I just cannot get my little blonde head (okay, with really bad roots!) around the fact that there is a woman publicly stating how awful it is for a mother to put her child into some kind of childcare so she can go to work.

Unfortunately my love most of us have to work. Childcare isn’t merely an off the cuff decision we made one evening, it’s not something we think lightly of and it certainly quite often isn’t a choice as such. It’s a choice in that yes, we don’t have to work, we could scrape our pennies together and try to survive on very little and spend every second with our babies but is that realistic? In a lot of instances, absolutely not. We have bills to pay, roofs to keep over our heads and we want to give our families everything we can.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. What about those of us who work for our own sanity, it’s okay to admit that we need challenging from time to time, that baby talk and toddler negotiation isn’t enough every day for some people. I’ll put my hands up and openly admit that I couldn’t be home with my babies every single day, I need space to be the other side of Mum, something else to engage in and the empowerment and satisfaction I get from being a working mum. I also want to be a role model for my children, show them what they too can do one day. That’s not to say I wouldn’t drop another day if I could as I know the time before my children start school is precious and I love the time I get with them during the week on my day off, but I couldn’t give up work altogether. It’s not the same for everyone, this is just me personally.

lauren goodger bashes mums


Our children need to know it’s okay to work as a parent, it’s okay to pursue a career if you choose to.

And bashing those mums who do stay at home? Just as ridiculous as the bashing of those who do go to work. It’s their choice. If they can afford to why wouldn’t they? What if they have no other choice? No one else to help with the nursery runs, the nursery fees etc. Not to mention many other reasons why someone may CHOOSE not to work such as their health or their personal situation.


We are all doing our best, doing what we feel is best to provide our children with all that we can. It’s all about balance, and as if that balance isn’t tricky enough to get right without women like you trying to tip it up at any opportunity. 

Why We Would Love To Be A Simpson Travel Ambassador #Simpsontravelfamily


I was busy reading one of my favourite blogs whilst having my morning coffee break (in my day job, not just having a quick siesta away from the kids!) and came across a post where she was applying to be one of Simpsons Travel Ambassadors, and I thought why wouldn't I apply too? It would be the perfect match for us!

As a family we LOVE travel. We travel  several times a year, usually heading to Europe somewhere for a couple of weeks, a city break here or there and then throwing in as many camping trips as the British weather will allow.

I have a whole section on this blog devoted to our travels but you can also see all the hundreds of photos I share om my Instagram too. Both myself & Ben absolutely love photography, and a little videography thrown in too. I will share some images below but there are so many more over on my blog for you to see.

We have two children, Daisy who is almost 4 and Alex who will be 2 in May. Both who love to travel as much as we do! I am not saying it is ever easy with two children under school age, but they have both travelled since they were a few months old and for us the holiday experiences and memories always outweigh and stressful times sat on that plane or trying to catch your transfer! My blog is all about sharing our experiences as a family and encouraging other families that just because they now have children it doesn't mean they can't travel. Your'e simply travelling slightly differently (usually this meaning more luggage!), having a different mindset and most importantly seeing the world through a new set of eyes.

Simpsons Travel would be perfect for us, offering various different option for accommodation and locations mean that we can adventure and try out a new place. We have stayed in various different accommodations such as villas (meaning we can be home away from home), hotels, complexes and slightly off the beaten track too. Although we often book all of our flights separately to our hotel etc it doesn't mean that I Don't LOVE  that one booking sorts out all the travel arrangements, so much less hassle. There isn’t the boring trawling about for the best or cheapest flights and hotels. Now a days we often have to try and find prices that work around tight budgets, so to be able to have some luxury thrown in too would be a dream!

I don't even know where to start as to why I would want to be a Simpsons ambassador..  I could write about your incredible looking accommodation options, the beautiful villas and apartments. I could also start to write about how your locations make my heart sing, all of the beautiful spots we have learnt to love.  I could also talk about how you make yourselves an incredible one stop shop to suit everyone needs and requirements.

On to childcare...

I have never used childcare abroad, it has always worried me a little, I am not sure what it is but it has never left me wanting to try it. However,reading through your information I can see that your childcare crèches are provided in family-sized villas environments rather than hotels or apartments. This sounds just too goo to be true, if that is possible?  Your childcare is available from 6 months to 10 years old children so you cover a wide age group there, . This is perfect for Ethan & Evelyn, (who are 6 & 3 years old), to have fun at your wonderful kids’ clubs. It is such a peace of mind when I also learn that the clubs are provided by First-class, Perfect for busy families who just need a few hours break here and there. Maybe this would mean it was a holiday to think of ourselves for a few hours too as well as just pleasing the children, ensuring they're supplied with enough ice cream, sun cream and chasing them around for some shade! This could be a family of firsts...


Why We Would Love To Be A Simpson Travel Ambassador #Simpsontravelfamily
Cyrpus


Lake Garda 

Wales

Cornwall

Rhodes, Greece

Venice

Italy

Cornwall



Menorca


France


Cyrpus



Prague

Home <3

And if those photos don't let you get to know us a little better then please do check out some of our latest travel videos to get a real feel for what we are all about :)

Best of 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy4Y_-nIGz4

Cyrpus Villa Fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKytSijixqg


Berlin With Babies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1PwLBjStC0&t=11s

Prague in 3 Minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjT1nZRMWpw&t=118s

Please consider us!!

x

Living With One Hand | An Update | Adapting Her Bike

Many of you will know one of the reasons I continued to write was to share Daisy's progress and how we found living with a limb difference, in Daisy's case no right hand. I wanted to share awareness, share successes and also share our experience so that one day it may help some one else who perhaps was about to / is going through the same thing.


Bike adaptations



Daisy is almost 4 and starts school in September and I can honestly say that there has been very few instances of upset or frustration from Daisy or those of us close to her. There really has not been much, or in fact anything really that she has not been able to do or found upsetting.

For her last birthday she had a bike and she was absolutely over the moon with it. It didn't take her long to get the nack of pedalling it and she was soon moving about. However over time we noticed she somehow couldn't quite coordinate the steering whilst concentrating on the pedals and vice versa. We realised this was because steering was difficult, she couldn't quite gain the control she needed over the handlebars to be able to ride properly. It is quite clear to see that this is because her right arm- hand distance to the handle is shorter as she doesn't have the length that she has from the left hand, which leaves her naturally bending forward and putting weight awkwardly on the handlebars, which just means her steering is a little one sided and well, off balance.

We decided that before it because a frustration that we would speak to her OT (Occupational therapist) and ask for some help. This was the first time we had asked for any kind of help or support, up until now we had done just fine between us. I am going to write a post how I personally feel about this and the emotions involved but for now I will just say it wasn't easy, as in emotionally but for selfish reasons really. I knew that Daisy would thrive with a slight adaptation on her bike, that it would mean she could really put her all into riding her bike and hopefully enjoy it rather than finding it hard work and tedious.


How to ride a bike


We have had our appointment with the prosthesis team that will build her an adaptation for her handlebars and she has had her hand cast for the size and shape. Hopefully it should be just be a matter of weeks before we get to take her bike back there to see if its fits. The idea is that it will be almost like a cup that her hand will slide into, giving her the length she needs to balance and have good posture whilst also being able to control the bike effectively. I will no doubt share some more information about it once we have it and once we know how Daisy has reacted. So far she is pleased with the thought that they are "fixing her bike" so she can ride it good with her "little hand".

She did have a quiet moment whilst they were casting her (think of plaster cast like when you break your arm!) as i just think it dawned on her that something strange was happening, but she handled it like a champion! I am sure she is going to adapt to it well and be proud of it.


Hayley x

A Cure For Eczema In Babies? Childs Farm Review


I have mentioned before on here and my social media how Alex has always had slightly dry, sore from time to time skin. We have been prescribed various lotions and potions by the doctors, most of which do seem to help his skin out. However I do like to try and find more natural, luxurious (not quite the word I am looking for, but you know a nice smell rather than chemically), fun products for him.

Products he can share with his sister. So for his bath he has been prescribed oils and emollients that although they leave his skin feeling smooth and moisturised they leave the bath more slimy, milky and most importantly (for my children's fun rather than skin!) with no bubbles. Both of my children LOVE bubbles and you can see the disappointment on their faces when they have to have "milky" bath rather than a bubbly one.


johnsons versus childs farm

I was recommended Childs Farm by a few people and I have actually tried it before when Daisy was a baby. I remember liking it but thinking was it really worth the hefty price tag back then. As a bit of perspective Daisy has always had skin with no complaints so sticking to the usual every day named brands wasn't an issue. Where as the likes of a Johnson's bubble bath just doesn't do Alex any favours and can leave him a little dry and itchy. 

I spotted this bubble bath when doing my shop in Boots a few weeks ago and thought I would give it a go, I had forgotten about the brand actually so was pleased to have been reminded about it. I immediately popped open the lid to smell it, it really is the smell of the more medical products that really turn me off them. This though smell AMAZING! Tangerines, it just smelt good enough to eat. I should say that this post is in no way sponsored or gifted, I just wanted to share what I had found and my thoughts. But yep I could have had a sip from the bottle it smelt so good, I obviously didn't though!

But I thought the test really was in the bath time itself. It produced lovely bubbles, perhaps not as bubbly as some brands but enough to keep my babies happy. And the smell left the upstairs of the house smelling beautiful for ages! Alex's skin has been great since using it, although I am continuing to use his Cetraben and other creams when  needed so I can't put it all down to the bubble bath. 

I would love to try some of the other products from the range but it is just getting my hands on them that I struggle with. I don't tend to wander about the stores so spotting it isn't at the forefront of my mind. But I really do need to go and seek more out. I notice when looking up more about the brand that they do suncare products which may be a good place for me to start! 

A little quote from their website " We only use the best, naturally derived ingredients & fresh smelling essential oils to make mild, kind and safe products for babies and children. 
We believe that every child should feel happy in their skin – even it’s sensitive or eczema prone – so all our products are suitable for everyone even newborn babies. We call this our Happy Skin Promise™"

A Cure For Eczema In Babies? Childs Farm Review

Which products, if any, have you tried?

Hayley x