Mummy & Me - December





Wow, we are at the end of December! How did that happen? Noah and I have taken many selfies this month, they aren't the best quality but I love them none the less. 

The first photo I took when I cut and donated my hair to The Little Princess Trust earlier this month. I can't help but smile when I see that photo, our expressions are priceless! The second and third photo we took on the eve of Christmas Eve. Noah was giving lots of kisses and lots of cheesy smiles too. I think he was on his good behaviour as he knew Santa was on his way.

We've had a wonderful December and Christmas, I hope you have too! 


Nicola... Life Through My Eyes

Project 365 - Week 51 & 52


13th December - 26th December / Week 51 & 52


Sunday 13th December
We met up with family and decided to go on a Christmas trail at Towneley Park. Noah didn't understand much of what was happening but he did enjoy it so much! We found Santa at the end of the trail too which was fantastic! 


Monday 14th December
We had a super lazy Monday as we knew we had lots planned for the week. I just love this photo of Noah playing with his two favourite toys, Woody and Buzz! 


Tuesday 15th December
As we had such a lazy day on Monday we just had to get out and about on the Tuesday so we caught a taxi over to our local soft play centre. There wasn't many kids about so Noah had free run of everything really! He loves climbing, throwing himself about and jumping on the bouncy castle. I took my eyes off him for a moment and saw him really high up in the jungle gym! I had to dash up to get him which he found absolutely hilarious! 


Wednesday 16th December
My Mum came over to visit for the day on the Wednesday as it was her day off work. It makes Noah's day when he spends time with his Nanna and we had a great day, relaxing and playing about. 


Thursday 17th December
I found Judy chilling out on the fridge!


Friday 18th December
On Friday it was Noah's Christmas party at his playgroup. They had a children's entertainer on called Mr Dazzle who brought a long with him two bunnies which Noah adored. It was a bit much for Noah to have to sit on my knee for 45 mins to watch the entertainer as he naturally just wants to be running about playing so he soon got frustrated. We visited Santa at the end of the show and he got a little present and his photo taken. He seemed to be a bit out of sorts but I just thought it was down to him wanting to play but come evening I knew something wasn't right. He had a sky high temperature and was irritable and off his food. I then noticed some spots on his bottom and he seemed sensitive to light. I was in on my own as Nick was out on his Christmas party and I was in a panic as I had no one with me to reassure me or share their opinion. I managed to get Noah's temperature down but he was very restless and didn't want to sleep.


Saturday 19th December
When Noah woke the next morning we could see he wasn't well. He had a slight temperature, spots on his bottom and sores in his mouth. He couldn't eat, drink, have his dodo or talk much. It took a while but we realised it was hand, foot and mouth and I think he came into contact with it when I took him to the soft play centre earlier in the week. We ended up taking him to A&E as the calpol, neurofen, anbesol and bonjela just wasn't working at all and the sores in his mouth were excruciating. We waited in the waiting area for almost 3 hours, until 1am and it was just a waste of time. We knew they couldn't prescribe anything for it but we thought they maybe able to offer some advice as our son was in pain and there was nothing we could do about it but nada, waste of time.


Sunday 20th December
Noah didn't feel any better come Sunday, he probably felt worse. He had only eaten 2 mini milk ice creams the day before as his mouth hurt so much but Sunday he couldn't manage anything. He would hold our hand and take us into the kitchen and ask for food because he was hungry but he literally couldn't eat anything and he would cry in hunger. Anything that we offered that he probably could eat he just wouldn't try, it was so upsetting and frustrating. We just couldn't wait for him to be better and was so worried he would be ill for Christmas.


Monday 21st December
Noah slept in my bed on Sunday night as the previous night he was waking lots and needing lots of comfort and his medicine topping up. Thankfully he had a good night sleep and woke feeling a little better. He was still struggling to eat and drink but I saw a big improvement and I starting thinking he would feel better in time for Christmas!


Tuesday 22nd December
Noah had a really good nights sleep and woke up chirpy. I asked if he wanted breakfast and he said yes yes yes! He ended up eating 2 whole bananas, raisins, shredded wheat and white chocolate and I was so relieved! The illness was almost gone and he was finally able to eat again. It's so worrying when they are unable to eat or drink, especially when it's down to pain and they want to eat but can't. It felt amazing to see Noah back to his usual happy self and I literally let him eat anything he wanted all day as I was just so relieved to see him able to eat again after a few days of eating hardly anything. 


Wednesday 23rd December 
With Noah finally feeling better we were able to start enjoying the Christmas activities I had planned. On Weds we read, played games and made a gingerbread house. We then went out for a walk and Noah enjoyed splashing about in muddy puddles! 


Thursday 24th December
Christmas Eve! Noah was fully better and we had a lot planned for the day. The morning and afternoon we spent babysitting our nephew, we made a trip to the tip and then took the boys out for hot chocolate, which they loved! Noah sat there a good ten minutes dunking his gingerbread man into his hot chocolate! In the evening our Nan put on a Christmas Eve party and we all had a blast enjoying one another's company and great food! 


Friday 25th December
It's Christmas!!!! Noah didn't wake until 10am so we got showered and brought breakfast upstairs before taking him down to see the presents. Once we got downstairs and he noticed the presents he was straight in there! He's never really been interested in opening presents before but did do this Christmas! His favourite toy from us seemed to be Rex from Toy Story, when he opened it he roared! We spent the early afternoon opening presents and then my Mum, her partner and my brother came over to exchange more presents and stay for Christmas dinner. It was the first time Nick and I cooked a Christmas dinner and the first time I've cooked for so many people! It was a little stressful but we did it and it was delicious! After dinner we then headed off to Nick's families house to exchange more presents and to have a little Christmas party! I had quite a few glasses of wine and did get a little merry! All in all it was an absolutely wonderful Christmas!


Saturday 26th December 
We awoke to floods surrounding most of the Lancashire area which was a shock. Fortunately it hasn't affected us but we did worry about it and our family. We had our annual Boxing Day party at my Nanna's to get to and after attending every year of my life I really didn't want to miss it. After a few hours of wondering if we would be able to make it the flood warnings were lifted and we got there. It was a great evening and Noah had a blast playing with my younger brothers and pushing my Nanna around in her wheelchair! 

Sunday 27th December
Christmas is always such a busy time for us so we decided to have a lazy Sunday but we did venture out in the cold as Noah was asking to go to the park. Once you are there chasing a toddler about you soon warm up! 


Monday 28th December
I have to admit that Monday was a rather lazy day too. It involved a lot of shopping and wandering about. Nothing really exciting! 

Tuesday 29th December
On Tuesday we decided to drive over to Preston to take Noah to Toys R Us to spend his Christmas money. On the way we stopped for lunch which at the moment is always a little hard work with a toddler in toe. Once in Toys R Us he was running and wild and made a beeline for the Toy Story toys! He wanted another Buzz, ha ha. He didn't get one but we did buy him a little wooden easel, a booster seat for the table and some other bits and pieces. 


Wednesday 30th December
On Wednesday we nipped into town to buy some board games and to get mine and Noah's passport photo's taken. That's about it really!


Thursday 31st December 
New Years Eve! We decided to throw a little family party at our house this year. Noah's grandparents, great grandparents, uncle, auntie and cousin came. We enjoyed some nibbles and some wine and then the grandparents left so the rest of us ordered a takeaway. We did try to put Noah to bed around 9am but he wanted to stay up with his cousin and carry on partying so we let him. We all did the countdown together and then I gave Noah a big kiss when the clock struck midnight! Mwah!


Well, this is the end of Project 365 for 2015! I've decided to carry on next year but will be doing it a little differently! Happy New Year!

Preparing your home for Christmas




It’s getting to that time of year, the most wonderful time of the year but the messiest and most cluttered time of the year too!

I absolutely love Christmas. I think it brings everyone closer and it’s a time to really unwind and spend quality time with one another. I have to admit I do love the presents too but one thing I struggle with year after year is where to put all the gifts once Christmas is done and dusted.

We have a large family and the amount of presents we give and receive is crazy! We received far too many gifts back when we were just a couple but now we have Noah I am literally in a panic over where everything is going to go come Boxing Day.

This year I've promised myself that I am going to be ready for it, bring it on! I'm going to have designated areas, plenty of storage and places for these presents to go. 
I want to be organised and I don’t want to be fretting about clutter and mess. 



Here are some top tips for preparing your home for Christmas-

Donate - I like to donate new or next to new goods every so often and Christmas is the perfect time to do so. Not only are you freeing up space for all the presents and gifts but you are also donating to a good cause and most charities need the extra help in the holidays.

Storage space - On thing my house is lacking is storage space and I've recently been looking at modern storage solutions for my home not just for Christmas but for all year round use. A big storage unit in the dining room could solve so many of my storage issues as bits and pieces could easily be stored inside. 

Tip trip - My biggest tip is have one big trip to the tip! I have gone through the house and thrown out everything I don't want or need. We have taken numerous trips to the tip over the past few weeks and it feels great to be a little more clutter free. I feel like we now have so much room for all the gifts we will receive.

Are you prepared for Christmas? Do you have any tips you would like to share?

Project 365 - Week 50 - 50/52


6th November - 12th December / Week 50

I usually date my photo's with what number day we are on but sometime during the last few weeks I have mixed them up so going to date them instead, ha ha! 

Sunday 6th December
Our day started at 2am as Noah decided he didn't want to sleep and was complaining of a sore tummy. I gave him a good stomach massage and it seemed to ease it a little but then he didn't really want to go back to sleep.


Monday 7th December
On Monday there was a Christmas Craft session in the afternoon at Playgroup. Noah has so much fun making Christmas cards and decorations though he was confused at why the car cars weren't out and did keep asking for them. We had a great day but that evening Noah dropped a toy on his already sore toe so we had to take him A&E. They did an x ray but his toe was fine, just bruised, swollen and very sore. They bandaged it up and we were on our way.


Tuesday 8th December
After a late night at A&E we had a lazy day and Tuesday started with Breakfast in bed which made Noah very happy! Crumpets, banana's and a cup of tea (for me) while we woke up, talk about bliss! We spent the rest of the day playing and reading. 


Wednesday 9th November
I did it, I finally did it. On Weds I finally had all my hair cut off to donate to the Little Princess Trust. This is something I had been wanting to do for years and I am so glad that I have finally gone and done it. I've not had hair like this, ever so it's taking a while to get used to it being so short but I love it and I feel good about it too!


Thursday 10th December
My sister emigrated to America a few months ago and on Thursday she married her partner over there. It's sad we couldn't be there but we were able to watch it live via Skype which was amazing! 


Friday 11th December
Friday was a rather lazy day as not only are Noah and I still full of colds but the weather is so horrible out, constant rain and so bitter cold. We did visit family and went out for a meal in the evening though which was nice. 


Saturday 12th December
The weather was awful again as there's a lot of flooding near us. We aren't affected thankfully but we do have a lot of rain so there's not much we can do outside. We decided to do a spot of shopping and visit the family and then had a take out when Noah was in bed. I love this photo of Noah and Milo, he's such a little animal lover.

How has your week been? 




Christmas presents from my Childhood



With Christmas right around the corner I have been focusing a lot on Christmas gift guides and idea's when it comes to the blog but last night I had an idea. I am a sucker for nostalgia and I thought I would put together a post of all my favourite Christmas gifts that I received when I was a child. Some of which aren't around any more, some of them are and some are making a comeback and that's so exciting because it means I can buy them again for Noah and relive my childhood! 


Furby

Hands down my favourite gift, probably ever was my Furby. My Mum bought him for me one Christmas as I had been wanting one all year. I remember opening the present and seeing this white fluff ball with brown eyes staring right at me and it was the best! He was like my best pal and I would take him to the park with me, round to visit my Grandparents and I even took him into my SAT's with me and my teachers sat him on the window sill to bring me good luck! I know the original ones are long gone now but I love the fact that they are still going and I just have to buy Noah one someday!

Skate shoes
Moving onto possibly the coolest gift of them all, my Proline Skates - The Heely's! Who remembers those? I do and the skates on offer these days are ten times better than the ones I had when I was a kid. I remember zooming down the street in them as fast as I could possibly go and literally felt like the coolest kid in town!

Sylvanian Families
Another favourite of mine has got to be Sylvanian Families. I didn't have many as a child but the few families I had I absolutely adored. I still have one of the hedgehogs 25 years later and it makes me so happy that the brand is just as popular now than it was back when I was little. 


Tamagotchi
Now my list wouldn't complete without one of these, it's got to be the Tamagotchi. Another toy that is still going strong all these years later and rightly so, they are legendary! I remember they were stickily banned from school so when the bell rang my Mum would put mine in her bag and she would look after it all day for me while I was at school, haha!


What were your favourite gifts as a child?




Supporting (RED) with aden + anais - Competition



Every day, more than 700 children are born HIV positive. We can get that number near zero. Treatment exists that costs as little as 40 cents a day to prevent the transmission from mother-to-child.

(RED) charity was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to help prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child. 
The charity provides crucial antiretroviral medications to inflicted mothers in Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. 

about the charity -
MISSION: (RED) is a simple idea that transforms our incredible collective power as consumers into a financial force for good. (RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands to create (RED) products and moments.

HISTORY: (RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage the private sector in raising both awareness and funds to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

The aden + anais (RED) collection will help deliver an AIDS free generation with the special edition musy 3-pack. 10% of the retail price of every aden + anais Special Edition Item will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.





To raise awareness for the campaign and for the chairty aden + anais have kindly offered a pack of their limited edition (RED) musy muslin squares for me to give away on the blog. If you would like to help support the cause and be in the running to win a set of these beautiful muslin squares then all you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.






a Rafflecopter giveaway

t&c-

1. 1 prize to 1 winner.
2. Prize supplied directly from the PR.
3. Competition ends 04/01/16
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.

Designing our dream bathroom


We managed to get onto the property ladder last year when we were able to buy our first home. Once we bought the house we spent six whole months renovating it before we could move in. There was so much work that we needed to do as we basically had to scratch from scratch with every room. 

Although the renovation process was hard work, exhausting and expensive work it did have a silver lining and that was being able to design each room ourselves.  



When it came to the bathroom I knew what style and look I wanted to achieve from the get go. I wanted the entire bathroom to be tiled, both floor and walls. I opted for spotlights as I wanted an even distribution of light and find them to feel a little warmer. I also wanted a four piece bathroom, a free standing shower, separate bath, toilet and sink.

The only issue we had when renovating the bathroom was which tiles to go for. There are simply so many to choose from and with them being so expensive we had to get it right. We deliberated for weeks on end before we decided to go for travertine effect tiles because we loved the colour and size. 


A year on and our bathroom is complete but there are still a few tweaks I want to make, such as bathroom furniture and perhaps a few potted plants to really complete the look.

What does your dream bathroom look like?