Yummy Mums To Be Blog Hop

I started this blog hop as a way of connecting all us Yummy Mums To Be! If you've found me, I can only assume you too are expecting a new addition, so congratulations!  If it's you're first time, you're about to enter a whole new amazing world and if it's you're second or third, you're as mad as me!

Although  entering the fabulous world of motherhood is single handedly the best thing I've ever done, I do seem to have lost a bit of myself in the process.  My mission to be a Yummy Mummy is not about being vain but feeling and looking the best I can.  I guess it may be a bit self indulgent but I am a calmer and happier person if I feel physically and mentally good about myself. 

I decided therefore during this pregnancy I am going to make every effort to look and feel as good as possible.  Believe me when I say I am no super model, just an average size 12, with a softer bum and boobs than I had ten years ago! I'll be on the look out for fabulous finds to dress my bump, moisturise my skin, hide my bags or maybe even strengthen my pelvic floor.      

To join in, all you have to do is follow this blog and the first and last blogs on the linky and share at least one of your pregnancy fashion, beauty or general health tips.

I look forward to hearing from you all

Donna x

Week One
Week Two

Fabulous Finds to Dress your Bump

At present I most definitely do not feel yummy.  Now 18 weeks pregnant and still suffering the dreadful effects of hyperemesis, all I feel like doing is rolling up in a ball and hiding away from the world.  However unlike my first pregnancy, I now have a toddler to care for so must make every effort to function as best I can.   No matter what I do I am sick so I may as well do it in style, rather than in my pj's or tracky bottoms!.  The two items below are currently in the Mamas and Papas sale and are an absolute steal, both under £15.00 each.  They are perfect for the cooler days now but will also function at the latter stage of my pregnancy during the autumn months. Click on the link above and have a look for yourselves.  I can highly recommend them both. 

Multi Way Cardigan

Grandad Cardigan

Happy  shopping, Donna x

Listography

I popped over to KateTakes5 blog this week and came across her list of five products she could not live without.  After a little deliberation I came up with the following:

1. Chocolate... This is my main staple and is consumed on a daily basis  for medicinal purposes. I  prefer t good quality chocolate with a high cocoa content, however, given the choice of a corner shop white chocolate mouse or nothing, the mouse would most definitely get it!  

      2.   My Laptop.... Having finally admitted I am a complete and utter social media addict, my laptop is 

            is something I just can not live without.

      

      3.   Maternity Pillow... With or without a bump I just can not sleep without my lovely pillow and I'm 

            one of those people loves sleep....mmm lots of lovely sleep...

     4.   My Oven........Yes I know it's sad but I love to cook.  Whilst we renovated or flat I cooked on an

           electric wok for 2 years and now I love my oven more than ever!

     5.   My Mascara....even if I don't have the energy to put a full face of make up on I always try and wear
           mascara.

So there you have it.  The five products I could not live without.  For other great lists click on the link below

Donna xx

Friends, Pens and Sudocrem

This post is part of the Blog Hop competition sponsored by Dirt Devil

For those of you who follow my blog you will know I'm nearly 16 weeks into my second pregnancy and plagued with vomiting.  Rather than wallowing in self pity (which I have been doing) I've given myself a kick up the bum and have been finding ways to try and cheer myself up.  However today it took no effort thanks to my cheeky little monkey and his best buddy Harry, who simultaneously caused mischief and managed to make me cry with laughter.

It all began this afternoon whilst engaging in my normal pm activity..vomiting! William was stood on his pooh stool next to me, happily playing with empty bottles and water in the sink.  Then he disappeared, not such a problem until he went quiet......oh so very quiet.  I could not get to him as the bouts of sickness kept coming but I knew I needed to.  I dashed in when I could, only to find this!.................

Cream Mummy!

Mmm Did I miss any bits Mummy?

Top to Toe in Sudocreme

Very funny indeed.  Once cleaned up I rang my friend to tell of the hilarities and she filled me in on her day.  She was unable to leave the house as no matter hard she tried she could not remove the pen from Harry, her son and William's best buddy.  Harry had decided to dabble in some body art of his own and ended up looking like this.......

After several attempts of removal

All in all a very funny day thanks to William and Harry, AKA the Princes!

To top it off my husband showed me this lovely video of William walking Louis.  He might be a gun dog in the making but I think his main duty will always remain as William's best friend

Hope you enjoyed this much brighter post from me.

Donna x

Silent Sunday

Donna x

First Night Without a Sleep Sack

This is a really blurred picture but is the first snap shot of William sleeping with a duvet and not in his sleep sack.  He has learnt to undo the zip and even before he is asleep I can hear him playing in bed and like Houdini himself, slips out of his sack and neatly places it at the bottom of his cot.

With this in mind I though the time had come to introduce a quilt.  Initially William was convinced it was for playing "peek a boo" under and kept giggling and hiding, so I undertook operation duvet and showed him in my bed how grown ups sleep.  We snuck under the duvet and pretended to sleep.  William patted me gently, like they do at nursery to ease them to sleep if they are unsettled and seemed to quickly get the gist.

When bed time came he didn't even ask for his sleep sack like he usually does, instead he was climbing up the cot ready to slip under his new duvet.  With not one but two Quiet Lions tucked neatly under each he looked like the cat that got the cream!  We'll have to see which way up he is in the morning and if the duvet managed to keep even a little bit of him covered.  Another sign my toddler is growing up.

Donna xx

Review - Orvis Dog Bed

Our cocker spaniel Louis is an integral part of our family,  it's therefore only right when considering the things we love to think of his needs too.  One of the best things we have ever bought him, is the microfibre bagel dog bed from Orvis 

Initially when I saw the cost of the bed I was bit reluctant as the prices range from £49.00-£149.00.  A little expensive I hear you say, but please don't be put off by the price tag.  I am not the sort of person who would usually ever consider spending such money on a dog bed but in my opinion it is so worth the cost.

Louis relaxing in his favourite bed ever!

Louis posing in his favourite bed ever!

So Why Do We Love it?

From the dogs point of view it has the most comfortable rebound cushioning imaginable.  Louis likes to sleep curled in a ball and this bed provides the perfect little nest for him.  But the best part is definitely the benefits for the humans living in the house.  The cover is completely machine washable and can even go in the tumble dryer.  Not only that but it comes up like new every time I wash it, which is as regularly as I wash my families bedding.  This really does make a difference as it keeps it smelling fresh and hair free and is particularly handy when visiting friends or relatives and we take the dog with a nice clean bed.  I can not believe after a year the bed still looks like new.  I will genuinely only ever buy Orvis beds in future.

What Don't We Like?

The only suggestion would maybe to have more colour and variety in the designs.  I appreciate Orvis is country chic but think there could be whole new market for families like mine who have slightly more contemporary taste but love the quality of beds Orvis offers.

We give the bed an enormous 10/10 and would highly recommend it!

Hope this helps if you're considering buying a new bed for your beloved hound

Donna xxx

Week 15 - Trying to Keep my Chin Up

The nausea and vomiting seems to be continuing and over the past few weeks I've noticed a change in my mood.  Usually upbeat and happy with my glass half full, I have been experiencing a dark cloud of doom which I seem unable to shift.  Everyone has been reassuring me it's simply the vomiting taking its toll, but its pretty frightening feeling so out of sorts.  It has given me a greater understanding of how depressing it must be to have a chronic illness, something many of my patients have to permanently live with.  I am so lucky really.  For me this is temporary and I will be all worth while when my little bundle arrives.   I have an awful lot to be grateful for as these lovely pics of my family show.

First Ice-Cream

Mummy and William

Breakfast on the Go

  Fingers crossed week 16 I will be feeling much brighter and the vomiting will have stopped

Donna xx

 

Thursday Blog Hop

Good afternoon I have decided to hop along to this newTerrific Thursday blog hop to meet a few more friendly faces and discover some new bogs.  Click on the link below to join in,

Donna x

Any Good or Good to Go?

Firstly I would like to congratulate all the lucky people who were short listed by Geoffrey and  the team at Toys R Us to be Toyologists, especially my wonderful sister Would Like to be a Yummy Mummy . A very nervous wait for them all I'm sure, good luck for the next phase!

And so on to my other thoughts for today.  Over the past few years I have developed a love of writing and have been jotting down some short children's stories and poems. I have thought about doing something with them but if I'm honest have no idea where to start or whether any of it is actually any good.  I know it's incredibly difficult to get published, so thought as I've started blogging I would put a few snippets out there in hope of getting some honest feedback. 

So here goes, this is one of three similar short stories..........

Grumble, Bumble and Bombely Boo

look after children who are feeling blue

They live in the pond on the big lily pad

and only come out when someone is sad

They find lonely children and  sing them a song

til they smile once again and they too sing along

When children are crying they tell funny tales

til they roll with laughter giggles and whales

When children are worried they hear what they say

they listen and take all their worries away

If Grumble Bumble or Bombely boo

Are going to help when you feel blue

You must smile and be grateful for all that you have

and only be glum when you’re truly sad

Although you can’t see them they know where you are

you’re never alone, as they’re never that far.

So what do you think? Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

Donna x

Review- Goldbug Harness Buddy

Prior to having children we always vowed never to use reins as considered them to be too much like dog leads. That was until our little monster found his feet.  Having reconsidered we tried three different types of reins and eventually settled on the brown faced monkey, harness buddy, manufactured by Goldbug.

The company claim the product doubles as a harness and safety pack and has a secure clip attachment.  Three points which we completely agreed on.  We found the main benefits are; William's sheer delight and willingness to wear the reins, the double strap stopping the pack from slipping and the fact that the rein attachment is at the bottom of the pack which also stops the pack slipping up and choking William when he from time to time inevitably falls over.

Always happy to wear  monkey!

Perfect Fit!

The backpack harness retails at approximately £19.99 which we considered really reasonable for such a useful product.  It is machine washable and literally came up like new when I last washed it. It also comes in a huge range of designs.

Overall based on function, durability, safety, price and ease of use, we rate the Goldbug Harness Buddy a massive 9/10.

Hope this helps anyone who is considering buying reins for their children.

Donna  x

Teething Pains and Sneaky Sleepy Photos

Poor William had a terrible day at nursery. He ran in happily, waved me off and didn't seem to have a care in the world, but on collection my husband was informed  he cried all morning and only slept for 10 minutes.  I could see immediately he was flushed and tired and intuitively checked his mouth.  The problem was evident....a brand new shiny tooth!  So far we have  been lucky with teething and more often than not the only way I know he's actually cutting a tooth is if he has nappy rash or is a bit grumpy. For five days I keep him topped up on calpol and nurofen and that's always done the trick. I felt so guilty that he was in pain for the day, for him to cry it must have been really bad.  I hope my next little bundle sails through teething like William.  It must be heartbreaking to watch your child in pain and not be able to relieve them.

On  a lighter note I have been utterly blessed recently to capture a few sneaky sleepy photos of my gorgeous boy. He has always been a light sleeper so I very rarely see him sleeping.  These really are cherished moments for me

Sleeping Beauty!

Two Quiet Lions and all his pals!

Donna xx

Silent Sunday

Not Enjoying Prgenancy, Selfish or understandable?

I am at last moving swiftly past the 12 week mark but unfortuantely the vomiting is not easing up.  I'm not feel as dreadfully unwell as in previous weeks but am still struggling to control the sickness.  I'm immensley grateful for being pregnant so therefore feel guilty for genuinely despising the physical sides of pregnancy.  I would love to feel radiant, blooming or whatever other way the media and books tend to portay it but the reality is I don't, I feel pretty dreadful most of the time.  When I have spoken to friends we all seem to agree on one point, even though childbirth  and pregnancy are natural processes, they can cause considerable strain on our bodies and sometimes permanent irrepairable damage, that at some point we have to come to terms with. That's to not say its not worth it, because without a doubt William is the most precious thing in my life but he came at a cost, as no doubt our new little addition will too.  I feel its important for women not to feel like they are failing if they struggle to manage during the not so pleasant and certainly less glamorous sides of pregnancy and childbirth.   I am incredibly lucky to have a fabulous sister http://wouldliketobeayummymummy.blogspot.com/ who supported me thoughout my first pregancy and once again this time.  She warned of potential problems (some more graphic than others) and prepared me as best she could for the unpreparable!  Something I'll alwys be grateful for.  Hopefully now i'm in the second trimester the symptoms will ease up,

I'll Keep you posted

Donna x

Toyology Review - The Scuttlebug

My household is brimming with excitement as the opportunity has arisen for ten lucky families to become Toyologists and join Geoffrey and the team at Toys R Us.  The rules are simple. Entrants must submit a review of a toy/game under one of the following three themes; family, outdoor or rainy day fun.  Mummy's little helper and I decided to review the Scuttlebug  Dragonfly Trike, manufactured by the global sports and outdoor toy company, Mookie Toys under the Outdoor and Rainy day heading.

Mummy's little helper was given the Scuttlebug for his first birthday.  An immediate pro point was the lack of  assembly required. It has a simple three step folding system, which can be opened and closed in seconds.  It's packaged in this folded form so amazingly all that's required to do is; box open, Scuttlebug out, one, two three hey presto ready to go! Its also unbelievably light and compact, making it portable for outings and easily maneuverable by even the smallest little helper.

The manufacturers' claim its specifically designed wheels will allow a quiet and smooth ride, another point we completely agree on. With solid wood floors throughout the Scuttlebug allows Mummy's little helper to scuttle up quietly and catch Mummy quite unaware!  

The narrow neck of the Scuttlebug we found particularly useful in the early days, around age one, as it allows little legs to more easily climb on promoting independence and confidence, whilst the front wheel steering and ergonomically designed handle bars assisted Mummy's little helper to develop balance and steering skills.  

Now at 19 months Mummy's little helper loves "scuttlebugging" more than ever. Indoors and out it genuinely provides hours of entertainment whilst unwittingly helps to develop essential motor skills. 

The Scuttlebug comes in a variety of lovely coloured bug designs and retails at between £25.00 and £30.00.  An exceptionally good price for a product which no matter how hard we tried we could not come up with any negative points, only that it could benefit from extendable legs to allow for height adjustment.  

In our opinion the Scuttlebug is a complete hit and we would recommend it without hesitation to anyone from one year plus. 

So go on, get your children Scuttlebugging and enjoy watching them has as much fun as Mummy's little helper!

Tuesdays Blog Hops

I can't believe it's Tuesday again already. This week I'm joining in two blog hops and will be spending time this evening checking out some of the new blogs I find. Click on the links below to join in

Donna x

Igniting Passions or Interests

I have kindly been asked by Mummy And The Beastie to join in this meme set up by Multiple Mummy. When I read the accompanying blog post I sat nodding in agreeance to each and every point made. It is so easy to become wrapped up in our fabulous families and easily forget who we are and what we love doing.

So after a little self indulgent imaginary time I came up with the following:...........

                                       

                                                           TRAVELLING

I have always yearned to travel the world and immerse myself in the kind of cultural experiences I currently only get to watch on TV.  To travel across Africa and observe animals in their rightful habitat and explore indian markets for delightful treasures and finely woven brightly coloured fabrics. If I'm being really honest, I would love to have the courage to travel alone,  if only for a short holiday to be utterly selfish and see and do all the things I actually like, rather than always pleasing others.

                                                             COOKING

I Love to Cook. I do not profess to being as good as Nigella or as creative as Jamie, but I enjoy everything from buying the ingredients to producing and eating the end result. This is something I should and could dedicate more time too and once I'm over the pregnancy sickness will definitely make more of an effort to do so.

                                                    SEWING

I think I have a creative side and I want to somehow nurture and develop it. You can therefore imagine the excitement when I received a shiny new sewing machine for my birthday this year. I have absolutely no idea how to use it, but can't wait to learn to "wind the bobbin up" and make some blinds for my sash windows (ok so maybe I'll make a cushion first!)  

                                                       STUDYING

I never really excelled at school.  I am not a natural academic and was almost always average at everything, that was until I became a nurse.  I enjoyed my initial training but really seemed to really come into my own when I did my Bsc in District Nursing which I somehow managed to pass with first class honors. I enjoyed the stress of the deadlines, the endless books and journals I had to read, but most of all I loved gaining more knowledge about things I am truly interested in and feel passionate about.  Hopefully I'll be able to do my masters one day,but I might have to stop blogging in order to find enough time.

Which brings to my last point, BLOGGING.  I love it.  My name is Donna and I am addicted to blogging! Enough said....... 

I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed igniting my passions once again,

I've  tagged these three fabulous blogs to come along and join the fun

Domestic Goddesque

A Scandinavian Sojourn

Joe and Harry

Donna x

Silent Sunday

Donna x