Playdates

Last week I drove a considerable distance to play date with a friend of mine.  Her second child was approaching 6 months and I got the impression she might be a little lonely.  She had also never been to the wonder that is playgroup.  I have been singing the praises of playgroups to my friends from the moment I started going in March.  I mean what's not to love about a place you and your child(ren) can go to for £1 where you get given a tea/coffee and biscuits and your child gets to play with a ton of different toys with a bunch of his peers? My son literally leaves me at the door as we walk into the place! 

Anyway, my friend has never been to one before and I thought this was the perfect opportunity, so I accompanied her to her local group which was practically at the end of her road.  The mums were lovely and from the moment we got in there they started chatting to us.  Better still my son and my friend's son were off from the moment we walked in the door, loving every moment of their new play space.  My friend sat there in shock sipping her hot tea, being able to use both hands without a child in either.  She couldn't believe it was possible for her to have free time like this and most mums don't.  I know she was probably thinking right now her daughter could be napping, her son playing in his playroom and she could be ironing/cleaning/doing laundry.  Something other than taking time for herself.  I dread to think the last time she had a cup of tea that wasn't cold.

I managed to make conversation without awkwardness or feeling like it was hard work, my friend on the other hand barely spoke and sat quietly taking it all in.  This was the same friend who had told me when I was pregnant, that you need to go to antenatal classes so you have some mum friends even if you don't listen to what they have to say (we didn't bother going to antenatal classes by the way).  I have four mum friends from classes I took my son to, plus my sister-in-law and a couple of other "original" friends who now have babies, I really didn't feel the need to force it and I still don't now.   I couldn't help but think though, if this were a year ago would I really be so comfortable? I was almost in awe of myself, speaking to other mums as if it were nothing and being relaxed for a change and it was amazing to feel a little more in control. 

I'm hoping though now my friend has been (and she is kicking herself she didn't go sooner), she will continue to go without my son and I.  She deserves the break even if she doesn't think she does and she might even meet new people who live in her area.  I don't think I will ever feel truly comfortable meeting new people.  I still carry that shy and socially awkward girl from two years ago but one thing is for sure, I'm slowly but surely coming out of my cocoon and I can now see the progress. 

~AB~

Quick update

The last couple of weeks have yet again been a whirlwind.  So much is changing and happening at home and I really haven't had the chance to do much on the computer (no we do not have a laptop) so everything has taken a bit of a back seat.  

So the bad news is, our TV broke and Great British Bake Off had only aired one episode, so typical! We will be shopping around for a replacement very shortly I'm sure as my husband is already feeling uneasy about the whole thing.  Also, an iPad screen does not do it justice although Mel and Sue are still hilarious regardless of what medium you watch it on.

The good news is, I have managed to sort out my son's birthday party already and an itinerary has been drafted, although no one but my husband and I understand it.  It will be train themed and I am very much looking forward to it! I have also planned a little soiree at our house afterwards for the rest of the family to join us which will be Chinese themed party food and Christmas cocktails because I mean what could be better than that?  I will ordering the party food from here (queue dribble...) and I have found some amazing cocktails on this site which I will definitely be making. 

I have also been very busy on the meal front.  I'm determined my son should eat healthily and I refuse to give up because of pressure about me being cruel.  My friend who is also my trainer told me about The Body Coach a couple of months ago and whilst I was in awe of some of the recipe videos and her subsequent pictures of the meals she'd prepared using the videos, I did nothing about it till last week.   I am now following him on Instagram and I am even more in awe of what I have seen.  For those who haven't heard of him, The Body Coach is a personal trainer from Essex who posts HIIT work outs and recipes (Lean in 15) that take no time to make.  He has his own books, has his own "plan" for weight loss and has had a TV show as well.  Following him makes me truly see how easy it is to make healthy meals including a variety of veggies which my son will actually eat and will in turn help me lose weight.  I'm not going to try and oversell as I'm in the very early stage, but I'm not endorsed and if you really think being lean and healthy is for you, just take a look and see! I will never fad diet again! Here was last week's meal plan: 

Our meal plan for the week

And these are a couple of raw photos (they tasted better than the photos make them look!) of the meals I have made:

Cajun chicken sausage jambalaya and rice

Turkey and kale meatballs with bolognaise sauce (and spaghetti) - this was all we had left! Although the recipe went a long way!

And one my husband made (which he is mega proud of and rightly so):

 

Chicken stuffed with mozzarella and bazil and wrapped in parma ham with spicy cauliflower cheese

 I cannot tell you how excited I was that both my husband and my son ate kale for the first time without realising, I had my smug face on for at least 20 minutes after the meal.  If you have ever tried kale you will know what a strong smell and flavour it has.  

I cannot wait to be 'lean' and take care of my family at the same time.  Oh course there is a time and a place for cake and eating these meals I now won't feel so guilty when we all eat them!

~AB~

Toddler Room Ideas

My son is fast approaching his second birthday and while it makes me feel a little sick inside that this time has passed so quickly, I'm in awe of the person he has become.  He has learnt the cutest and cheekiest little smile and although I should hate him saying no, the way he says it is so matter of fact and cute.  He's his own person and every day brings something new.

That being said, with all of that growth comes the need for space.  My son's nursery, as I'm sure you can gauge from past posts is not the largest of rooms.  It is suitable for a baby but probably not a toddler although it is neutral enough to stay the way it is should the need arise for him to stay there.

We currently have a guest room laying unused since we all decanted when my son was around 9 months old.  It has been decorated with beautiful textured wallpaper from Graham & Brown which was inspired by a hotel interiors.

Sadly (for the room), I fell pregnant before we got the chance to really use the room for guests and understandably people don't feel comfortable staying over when the family have a baby so it has been largely unused till we moved in there when my son was born temporarily as it keeps heat better than our room.   The previous owners had a single bed in there and I can only imagine the amount of space their daughter must have felt like she had so my son will be no different if we moved him in there.

My loves his cars and trains and buses and literally any mode of transport.  Don't get me wrong, he has a kitchen and enjoys pretending to make and drink tea from his "peatot", he loves making music by drumming on things and singing along to his own tunes and he takes care of his toys making sure they are fed and eat what he eats because we're teaching him to "share share" but he will always come back to transport.  Maybe not even transport, it literally has to have a wheel on it or something that will spin and he will be happy.  Whilst this makes designing his room a little bit easier, he may not be into cars forever and so I get that he will need something a bit more mature to live with till maybe his teens. That being said, my son really loves climbing and the outdoors and animals and I have always thought I would get him a mid-bed rather than a novelty one.  So here are some of the ideas for the car theme:

The images to the right will be a mural as I like the idea that my son would wake up like he's driving into the sunrise (I need to find better pictures but these show context).  I'm still in two minds but there is still the presentation to my husband and asking his opinion (yes that's a thing) before anything goes ahead.

I'm excited for this new chapter in my son's life but a little sad he won't be my tiny baby when it's finally done though. 

Tell me what you think, is there something I'm missing? Maybe you have seen some ideas you think might be better? 

~AB~