The little things in life...

What is it with little people (as in children?) and their sleep patterns? One minute they're settled and sleeping a solid 12 hours, and the next day they refuse to sleep any longer than an hour or so. I can not tell you how frustrating it is, mainly just because you know they are capable of sleeping through and there is no physical reason why they should be waking so often! 

I know they go through development stages and sometimes need reassurance, and I am happy to give it to her but that doesn't mean it doesn't frustrate me too. 

When you look up "toddler sleep regression" you get mixed results. One camp is saying how it is all behavioural, you need to train them into sleeping properly again, basically letting them cry out and act out until they give up and drop back off. This is so difficult, I am in two minds on it. Part of me wants to let her do this (to am extent) but she screams the place down and will do things like head butt the cot headboard, which I obviously don't want her to do but on the other hand does she think if she does that then she will get picked up and cuddled? 

And then even further down the line, she thinks she can come into our bed for a few hours sleep. The monkey sleeps like a dream cuddled up between us. Which is difficult because it is so tempting at 4am when you just want sleep and you know she will easily sleep until 8am in our bed!! 

The Babysleepsite (which I visit often at 4am!!) states the following:

• Teething (many toddlers are cutting their 4 canine teeth around 18 months)
• Separation anxiety (this tends to peak and be at its worst from 10-18 months)
• Growing sense of independence (18 month olds are learning to exert their own wills, and are likely to resist doing something they don’t want to do — like going to bed)

Exactly as it says on the tin, working away and having to stay away can be really difficult.

I am lucky in that I don't do it as often as I used to, but that doesn't mean it comes easy to me!


Lots of love,
Hayley xxx

You would expect me to start talking about Daisy here wouldn't you? Well I am afraid this post is all about me!

I just wanted to know if I am alone in this, does anyone else experience such weird behaviours since having children?!

So when Daisy was first born I would quite often wake to check she was still there in her moses basket, I would dream she was in the bed with us or that I had lost her. I have heard this is quite normal, who knows.

Anyway now she is older I now jump up and think she is walking into our bedroom, or maybe across the landing. I leap out of bed to check the stair gate is shut and to check she is okay, only to find her fast asleep in her cot! Of course. She is a clever and very daring little girl who would love to scale her cot to escape but it is really is not possible, so why would I dream these things and then even more weirdly, act upon it?

It drives my husband mad!!! I am sure I scare him to death!

It does tend to happen on nights when I am really shattered, when I have had a long day or maybe a rubbish nights sleep the night before. Does anyone else experience this? I have always been a chatter in my sleep, and have often had conversations while sleeping! But this is just annoying!

Lots of love,
Hayley xxx

So I have always blogged about Daisy and how it was to discover that she may be born without her right hand.

A few weeks ago I decided to do a little video all about it. This was done for a project I am working on but has sat dormant for a while, so I thought I should just be brave and share it with you!



Lots of love,
Hayley xxx

Well summer has just about had its last day now and autumn is creeping in slowly.

I am actually looking forward to the cosy nights, the evenings drawing in and snuggling in big jumpers and blankets. I would have liked a few more sunny days, but you just can't have everything I guess!

A few photos from our week...











Hope you enjoy!

Lots of love,

Hayley & Daisy xxx

Not so long ago we were set a task of building a den or reading corner (or something on those lines) for Daisy to enjoy. The idea being that you can build something like this from things you may have around the house already or that you can easily get hold of at a store, like Dunelm.

We were kindly sent a voucher to go shopping for anything we may need to create a cosy little snug. Before I went I had in mind that I would use some garden canes and a pair of curtains that could easily be rouched around the top with some twine and that would build us like a little teepee.




I had forgotten how expensive curtains actually are! It seemed an expensive idea for a bit of a den so we abandoned that idea sharpish!!

I wondered the store for a while looking for other options and trying to think about what I also had at home that I could utilise. I took my mum along with me as she is pretty good at things like this too. We finally decided on a bed sheet as they were inexpensive but big and that would cover a vast area!

We were lucky in that we found some nice vintage, white washed poles in store in the summer sale section. Otherwise I was going to use some canes that I already had in the garden shed! well, actually we were pretty lucky full stop with the sale! The double bed sheet was from the sale area, as well as the canes, fairy lights 92 sets), bunting and the teddy pink throw (which is amazingly soft by the way!).

Anyway this is what it looked like and how we built it:







So what did we need:

• Canes / poles (at least 3 if you wish to have teepee shape)
• Double bed sheet/ cover
• Tie top sheer panel (ours has pretty birds on but they did all kinds and so cheap!)
• Pegs - standard pegs would do the job!We had lovely little bird shaped ones for the novelty factor but plain would be fine
• Battery operated fairy lights to pretty up (just make sure they are not a strangulation risk for your child!!)
• Bunting
• Cosy things like cushions, throws and soft toys! 

Does anyone else find weaning a royal pain in the A**?  I really do. I can't even begin to tell you how hard I find it. Rewind 6 months or so when we first really started weaning properly and I thought it was going to be a doddle. Daisy would try anything and eat 90% of what I tempted her with, whether that be spoon feeding or baby - led style. 

Fast forward again back to now, and she will probably eat around 50% of what I give her, on a good day! She has so much attitude that I am sure she doesn't eat her tea or lunch just to show me who is boss. Some days she will eat everything in sight but it really is on her terms. I have read so much literature and so much advice on how to not make a big deal of food, but my god is that difficult!! When you have mashed potato or carrots flying full throttle towards your face or your favourite curtains it is hard to remember to count to 10!! 


At nursery she will not eat full stop. That is really frustrating!!! Luckily she only does short days but when I start to put her in for a full day will she starve?! It really plays on my mind. At first I thought it would be a case of getting her used to nursery and settling in, but it seems that it is still going on. It is now an ongoing joke, "what did you have for lunch? Oh of course you had nothing!"

Any tips are hugely welcome! 

I moan about Daisy's eating habits but one thing I am thankful for is that when she does eat fruit is at the top of her list, and she will eat pretty much any type. Veg is also welcome to her, she definitely prefers it in smooth texture but as long as I make it easy for her she will eat it. It is the protein based items we struggle with! 

I think we have it easy with these items because I have always made them accessible to her, she can pick them up and put them down, play with them and try them as and when she likes to. I started her on pureed fruit and veg and she always took well to them. I am a bit of a cruel mother in that Daisy doesn't have chocolate or sweets, her first snack option will always be fruit or something savoury. Yes Crisps are a good go to as well in her diet, but at least she eats them! Daisy has such a sweet tooth that I just know if she has anything like cake etc then everything else is out of the window. She has cake after her tea quite often or something sweet, but quite often she will point to the fruit bowl instead!! Which is really nice to see :) 

Another good thing to do is grown your own. Now I am not talking a full on allotment, no one has time for that! But we have strawberry plants on the patio and down the garden which she loves to go and help herself from. It is a bit of a race to garb it from her little mitts to wash it before she eats, but at least it is a good habit to form! Eating fresh and natural! 



If you have read my recent posts in collaboration with Organix then you will know this, but as a reminder:

Firstly I am not sure if Daisy still counts as a baby, or maybe she has moved onto being a toddler? What ever, it doesn't matter anyway, the same principles will apply I am sure.

Those of you that follow my YouTube channel or instagram will know earlier in the summer we went to Cyprus for a few weeks and this was Daisys first trip abroad on an aeroplane! I am sure you will have seen all of the holiday photo spam! I thought I would write a little about our holiday and maybe a few little tips that i will use in future but also that may be useful to someone else who is thinking about or who is taking their little one with them on holiday soon.



So for the flight:

• Make sure you take a change of clothes for them - we had only just left home and Daisy was sick everywhere. I'd have had to root around in our suitcases if I hadn't packed a spare sleepsuit with us for travel. Or I dread to think what I would have done had it have happened on the flight! Especially having to share a seat with her all the way, yuck! 
• Take lots of snacks and food. You can take as many snacks and pouches etc with you as you see fit when travelling with a baby/ toddler. Be prepared to try some random bits at security if asked though! I was lucky enough not to have to on this trip, although I wouldn't have minded too much to be honest. I am not sure I would have fancied trying my breast milk or even formula though had I have taken any of that!! I actually took two bottles of milk through with me, a couple of Ellas Kitchen pouches, lots of Organix snacks like Raisins and carrot sticks and her beaker of water too. You are allowed to take baby milk and food on board, if it is for your babies use for the duration of the flight, and it CAN be over 100ml. Baby food and milk is exempt from the 100 ml liquid rules. This includes; sterilised water, breast/powdered/ cartoned milk of all kinds, and baby food of all consistencies and packaging. 
• Take Calpol with you. Again you can travel with baby's medicine no problem. Luckily I didn't need this but always good to have with you. In future I will take the little sachets though, I was panicking constantly about smashing the bottle! 
• Take lots of interesting things to play with and look at. I went to the pound shop before we left and got some random little things for Daisy as mini presents in her flight bag. It was more so they were things she hadn't seen before and so kept her attention longer! Books are always a winner with us!
• When booking a flight try to look at times if possible. In the past we would have just hopped on the cheapest flight going but this time we really had to look into flights. I wanted to make it as easy for her as I possibly could! 
• You will in most cases be able to take your pram/ stroller right up to the gate so you don't have to lug baby around the airport and your hand luggage etc. If your stroller is in the aircraft hold, then you will generally collect it at the baggage belt, where you collect your suitcases.

So you've probably seen the debate or press hounding at least over dummy's this week or pacifiers, mainly featuring the bullying by the media and do gooders of David Beckhams daughter, Harper.