tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39062576107733694282024-03-13T01:09:29.594-07:00ELEANOR SUSANA LIFESTYLE & MUMMY BLOGElliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-14118927097195253992019-04-17T14:49:00.000-07:002019-04-17T14:49:46.873-07:00Easter Theatre Review: Where Is Peter Rabbit? <br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last week we were lucky enough to be invited* to see <i>'Where Is Peter Rabbit?'</i> at Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. We went with my sister, mum, niece Mia (6), nephew Gabriel (2) and of course Oliver. We were intrigued to see how engaging the show was across different ages. Gabriel in particular had never been to the theatre.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We opted to go on the underground and walk from Leicester Square, which is about 5 minutes from the theatre. That was perfect as we were a bit worried about trekking around London with two children and a toddler.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The show itself was a retelling of the traditional Beatrix Potter's tales, using a mix of puppets and live actors. Without spoiling anything, Oliver particularly enjoyed the scenes with Mr. McGregor. All of the children loved it and we didn't hear a peep from them throughout the performance, even Gabriel who we were concerned wouldn't sit through it. At the end they all said they wanted to watch it again! I would definitely recommend the show to anyone who is looking for a fun, sweet Easter performance during the holidays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>'Where Is Peter Rabbit?'</i> is on at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until Sunday 25th April.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*we received the tickets free of charge but all opinions are my own, as always.</span></div>
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<br />Eleanorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10789221930915438661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-12671404120181568682017-05-22T11:19:00.000-07:002017-05-22T11:25:32.352-07:00ONLINE DATING: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE GHOST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For the last few months at the suggestion of friends, I have been actively trying online dating. In this time I have met a number of interesting people, learnt some valuable lessons and recently come to the conclusion that I am just not cut out for the modern age of online dating. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first site I tried was Tinder but I quickly came to the realisation that we weren't meant to be. Too much of it seemed to be based solely around appearance and to be honest, it all felt incredibly shallow. This, coupled with the fact that most of the men I met just seemed to be looking for a quick hook up, lead us to part ways. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Feeling discouraged, but not entirely without hope, I then moved onto Plenty of Fish. I preferred this to Tinder as you were able to fill out a profile of yourself, as well as read what others had written on theirs. There seemed less room for crossed wires as you could specify exactly what you were <strike> <i>and weren't</i></strike> looking for. Upon completing my profile I was inundated with messages, with it becoming patently clear that most hadn't bothered to even read what I had written about myself. The other high proportion of messages I received were overtly sexual and a tiny minority messaged with something insightful to say in response to what I had written. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During my time online I went on nearly a dozen dates, most petering out with mutual agreement after the first date. Some men I would see for a while before being ‘ghosted’ or it would quickly become clear that they were only after one thing, despite what their profiles had stated. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The thing I struggled with the most were all of the unwritten rules surrounding online dating. I was continuously told that I should expect the man that I am dating to also be seeing multiple women at the same time, as well as sleeping with them. To expect anything else and I was far too highly strung, as well as archaic in my approach. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But when did it become normal to be seeing multiple people at the same time for months on end? When did it become unreasonable to expect someone to only see you after a certain period of time? At which point should you expect them to stop shopping around? We're not talking about marriage proposals or moving in together here, just simply concentrating on one person at a time and seeing where it goes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I hated the sweet shop mentality and the fact that you are only as interesting as it takes them to click on another profile. I would be seeing a man for a couple of months and think things were going great, only to see them back on the dating site scouting out other women.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> I'd find myself getting silently annoyed if the man I had been seeing intimately for what I considered to be a substantial amount of time, was still perusing dating sites and hooking up with other women. But if I mentioned this to anyone I </span>would be shot down with words such as 'desperate' and 'clingy'. It used to be a given that you only saw one person at a time out of respect; now the expectations have reversed and if you dare to begin taking something seriously after a good few dates or months, you are positively insane. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Above all what I disliked the most</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> was the fact that I was beginning to be </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">influenced</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> into changing my standards and morals. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’d go on a couple of dates with a seemingly lovely, genuine guy but I would find myself slipping back into browsing through profiles thinking I could find someone that </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bit</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> more attractive or intelligent. If everyone else is doing it, then why </span>shouldn't<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> I?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It dawned on me this past weekend that I </span>shouldn't<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> be changing my standards, nor </span>lowering<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> them to fit someone </span>else. Actions speak far louder than words and this couldn't be more true in regards to online dating. Maybe I will find myself back online at some point, but for now I am keeping my dating life firmly <i>offline</i>.</span></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com118tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-88810019946455437232017-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:002017-01-04T03:39:16.451-08:00WINTER WALKS<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is something really special about going for a walk during winter. I love seeing the frost on the grass and hearing the crunch of the leaves on the ground, especially at this time of year when everything feels fresh and new. We love spending time outdoors as a family and we are lucky that we have so many beautiful parks around us. One of the best things about the age Oliver is at now is that he is taking an interest in <i>everything</i> around him. It's so lovely to be able to see the delight and wonder on his face at the changing scenery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oliver is becoming so independent now which is both amazing and sad. Seeing him explore the world and learn new things everyday makes me feel so proud. But I can't help but miss my tiny little newborn. It seems like since he turned 2 a couple of weeks ago, he has become a proper little boy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What activities do you enjoy doing with your family in the winter?</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(P.S. I am totally obsessed with this red rain mac, which I purchased <a href="https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=534414425&pid=uid5129-35953627-97" target="_blank">here</a> from Topshop)</span></i></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-7533640019869003752016-10-27T03:58:00.001-07:002016-10-27T03:58:03.817-07:00THE PUMPKIN PATCH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We love to spend time outdoors as a family and visiting the pumpkin patch is fast becoming a tradition of ours. I always considered Halloween as an American holiday that wouldn't pick up in the UK, but I am so pleased to see that it is becoming more mainstream over here. We took Oliver pumpkin picking last October but he was a little too young to get involved being only 10 months old at the time. This year he was in his element, he loved racing around shouting 'mumpkin'<i> (he hasn't quite mastered the 'P' pronunciation) </i>and helping us pick the best one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We ended up settling on one large pumpkin for carving and a smaller one for Oliver. As Oliver is still a little too small for actual carving, I thought he could paint and use glitter to decorate his pumpkin. If you haven't taken your children to a pumpkin patch before I would highly recommend it. It's such a fun and inexpensive day out, best of all the pumpkin you pick gets to come home with you to carve or decorate. So a 2 for the price of 1 activity, which is great for those of us looking to have family fun on a budget!</span></div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-24569984335964367782016-10-03T02:52:00.000-07:002016-10-12T06:36:53.407-07:00BLACKBERRY PICKING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In celebration of the beginning of Autumn <i>(yay) </i>we went blackberry picking. Autumn is my favourite season; I love the cold weather, cuddling up on the sofa under a blanket and the leaves changing colour. There is something so pretty about this time of year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fruit picking has become one of our favourite things to do as a family because it gets us outdoors and is a relatively inexpensive activity. Oliver absolutely loves helping us to pick the berries and place them into the carton. One of the sweetest things is to see him picking a berry and shouting 'berry daddy!' as he races over to Steve to give it to him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you watch our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/eleanorsusan" target="_blank">weekly vlogs</a>, you will know that I love cooking for my family. One of the most satisfying things is going out and picking our own fruit, then coming home and making something with it. I made a blackberry pie which came out much better than I was expecting considering it was my first attempt. </span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recipe: </span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blackberries <i>(we used one full carton pictured above)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Demerara sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plain all purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pre-made shortcrust pastry sheet <i>(or you can make your own)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1.</b> Combine the blackberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon on a low heat. I didn't measure out the quantities as I prefer to taste until it is to my preference, I kept adding more sugar/flour/cinnamon until I was happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2.</b> For the pastry I used a ready rolled shortcrust pastry sheet (shh don't tell anyone) and simply assembled in in a round 9" pie dish. I brushed the top with egg and sprinkled a little sugar on the top to sweeten it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3.</b> I baked for around 35 minutes at 200C, but again I didn't follow timing religiously as I prefer to just check every 5 minutes or so to see if it has browned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And voilà</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, a really quick and simple blackberry pie!</span></div>
<br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-16294949004802043112016-09-25T09:22:00.000-07:002016-09-25T09:34:20.682-07:00HELLO AUTUMN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Outfit details:</span></b></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">White long sleeve top <i>(Primark)</i> - <b><a href="https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=514183286&pid=uid5129-35953627-97&site=www.shopstyle.co.uk" target="_blank">SIMILAR HERE</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Burgundy cord pinafore <i>(Topshop)</i> - <b><a href="https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=539074831&pid=uid5129-35953627-97&site=www.shopstyle.co.uk" target="_blank">SIMILAR HERE</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ankle Boots <i>(ASOS)</i> - <a href="https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=535968973&pid=uid5129-35953627-97&site=www.shopstyle.co.uk" target="_blank"><b>SIMILAR HERE</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Silver Hoop Earrings <i>(ASOS)</i> - <b><a href="https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=533712080&pid=uid5129-35953627-97&site=www.shopstyle.co.uk" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We have been loving the autumnal weather recently and have been making the most of the last few days of sunshine. Oliver has been fascinated with the brown leaves and the crunchy noise he can make with his hands and feet. We also found some pinecones which we are going to spray paint gold and silver for homemade Christmas decorations. I love this time of year, I feel like there are so many activities you can do with your little ones. On our list of things to do is blackberry picking, visiting the pumpkin patch and conker hunting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What have you got planned for this autumn?</span></div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-30450974190730760102016-09-20T01:13:00.000-07:002016-09-20T01:22:52.203-07:00HOW TO GET YOUR BABY SLEEPING THROUGH FROM 6 WEEKS<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the best shot I could get of Oliver whilst trying to be quiet and sneaky, he's a big time belly sleeper!</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wanted to share with you all how we managed to get Oliver sleeping through the night from 6 weeks old. Since then he has always been a fantastic sleeper, usually doing around 11-12 hours per night unless he is ill or teething. Obviously part of it is down to your baby - some babies are naturally good sleepers, some cry more than others, some have problems like colic. Oliver was also bottle fed, which I know can lead to babies sleeping earlier than those who are exclusively breast fed. However, I do believe that routine also had a massive part to play in why Oliver slept through from such a young age.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From the moment Oliver was born he had a routine. During the day time he would typically have his bottle, have his nappy changed, some cuddles and then be put down in his moses basket. We <i>rarely </i>let him fall asleep in our arms or rocked him to sleep. From being a newborn he was used to being put down in a moses basket on his own to sleep, so he never knew any different or longed to be held to sleep. We also made sure he knew the difference between day and night. During the day he would be put in a room that let in some light and we were never conscious of noise. We wanted him to learn that during the day time was when people were awake and moving about, where as night time was for quiet and sleeping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At night time we had a different routine. Starting around 5pm he would have a bath, then a bottle, then be placed down in a dark room to go to sleep. We did this even when we knew he would be waking up in 3/4 hours for another feed. He began to feel secure in his routine because he always knew what was coming next and at 6 weeks old he slept through from 10pm until 6am. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At around 12 weeks old he began sleeping for longer periods and he would have all of his bottles during the day, effectively dropping the night/evening feed. It was at this point that we moved him into his own room. I know a lot of people advise that you wait until 6 months to transition them into their own room, but we did what we felt was best for our baby. As he was in bed by 6pm, we found we were disturbing him when we had to come into the bedroom to get ready for bed, grab something or go to sleep ourselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He did fantastically well in his own room and because he had never become accustomed to co-sleeping, being held or rocked it was completely normal for him to go to sleep on his own. I know some people love co-sleeping and it works really well for them, but it was never something we considered. I am an extremely light sleeper and also very paranoid, I know I would have been terrified to be in the same bed with him. On a more selfish level, we also wanted our evenings back. Time alone and as a couple is so important, I really cannot stress that enough. I didn't want to have a baby who wanted to sleep with me 24/7 or needed to be held all the time. Of course if he had been the sort of baby that wanted to be cuddled a lot we would have done that, and he had his fill of cuddles in the day time, but I didn't want to be sleep deprived for months as that isn't healthy for anybody. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oliver also has a dummy as his main comforter for sleep, but we rarely give him it during the day unless he is ill. We will be weaning him off his dummy fairly soon so wish us luck for that one! </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hope this post has been helpful if you are having a baby soon/have a child that is reluctant to sleep. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let me know what your top tips are for getting babies to sleep in the comments.</span></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-65924620347157402182016-09-17T02:18:00.000-07:002016-09-17T02:18:50.242-07:00FAREWELL SUMMER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So the time has come for us to put away our summer clothes and get out our winter coats, and truthfully I am glad. Autumn and winter are by far my favourite seasons, I love Halloween and Christmas especially now we have a toddler to excite with the magic of everything. I am very fickle in my relationship with the sunshine - I enjoy it when I am on holiday and the rare days we get in the UK but anything above 28 degrees is a total no go for me. I hate feeling hot, sweaty, being unable to sleep amongst other things. Trying to entertain a toddler who is grumpy from being roasted for days is not fun either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bring it on Autumn!</span></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-26648588806894482462016-09-15T10:31:00.003-07:002016-09-15T10:35:30.602-07:00DOES YOUNG MUM = BAD MUM?<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a topic I have wanted to discuss for a while, but as yet I haven't been able to articulate it well enough to turn it into a video. As you guys will already know, I became pregnant with Oliver aged 19 and had him shortly after my 20th birthday. Although I’m not the youngest of ‘young mums’ and actually gave birth when I was no longer classified as a teenager, I still fall into that category. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And its been tough.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’m not going to sugarcoat it, being a parent is hard. It has the most amazing moments yes, and I wouldn't change my life for the world, but it is hard. One of the hardest aspects of parenthood for me has been constantly feeling like I have to prove something because of my age. I have to prove I am a responsible parent. I have to prove I am earning money to support my own child. I have to prove I am a good mum. The media loves to perpetuate this stereotype of all young mothers being these awful women who have no intention of working, go out partying every weekend and dump their children with ‘grandma’ whenever the opportunity arises. I am sure that there are some young mothers that behave in this manner, but I also know that there are older mothers that do the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The truth is <i><u>I have yet to meet a single young mum who fits this stereotype</u></i>. Yet I felt the need to prove I wasn’t what society expected. I went back to work part-time when Oliver was only 2 months old, a decision I now look back on and regret. It wasn’t for monetary reasons that I went back to work, although that was nice, it was because I felt as though I had to show everyone that I paid for my own child. That I was the one funding his milk, nappies and clothes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve felt a tremendous amount of pressure since Oliver was born to show that I am just as capable as a 30+ year old mum. I’ve had other mums comment, trying to be lighthearted, that they wouldn't take my parenting advice because of my age. I had a girl from my secondary school see me in town whilst pregnant and ask me ‘are you happy about that?’ As if I should be unhappy and hide myself away in shame. I’ve had trouble forming friendships with other mums partly because of our differing ages and partly because of my own defensiveness. And that is wrong. I shouldn’t feel like I have to be on guard all the time or like people are judging me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know that I love Oliver and that Oliver loves me back in equal measures. I know that I am a good mum. I just wish that the media would spend a little less time portraying all young mothers as being burdens on the state, because I would hazard to guess that it isn’t true for the majority of us. </span></span></div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-74350473012617651462016-09-13T08:23:00.000-07:002016-09-14T04:05:14.901-07:00BLOGGING AND YOUTUBE FULL-TIME<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some of you may know if you watch my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL89RCc4KtI" target="_blank">weekly vlogs</a>, that I had a great dilemma recently over whether I should quit my job and do youtube/blogging full time. Well, last week I came to the decision that I really want to pursue what makes me happy and what I enjoy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before I left my job I had been working for 6 years doing the same thing week in week out. Whilst that isn’t a bad thing, I did enjoy my job, I felt it was time for a change. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, I felt like I would be letting people down if I left, but I know it was the right one. If I didn’t have a real stab at it now, whilst financially we were able to support it, would I ever get the opportunity again? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Steve has officially started training to be a teacher and as his course is full time, it meant I would have to work on the weekends giving us no full day together as a family. I was getting stressed out and anxious at the thought of looking after Oliver by myself during the weekdays and then going to work on the weekends. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy looking after Oliver because I really do and I am so lucky that I am in the position to, but I need some time with Steve, time as a family and time to myself. Carrying on with my job just wouldn’t have allowed me to do those things. As soon as I had made the decision to leave and had let my employers know, I felt a huge sense of relief. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have been making videos on and off for 3 years and at the beginning of this year I decided to be more consistent with it. I’ve uploaded at least once weekly for the past 8 months and it has made me so pleased to see my channel grow. My blog has been very neglected and I am so upset about that. I did English Literature as an A Level, I love reading and writing but unfortunately I just didn’t have the time to dedicate myself to it on top of everything else. I feel so positive about what I am doing at the moment and I am so excited to get started filming, writing, taking photographs and creating a schedule for my content. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith and do what you love.</i></span></span></div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3906257610773369428.post-60695854275296319012016-07-11T02:10:00.000-07:002016-09-15T11:44:11.989-07:00DIY TODDLER ROOM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am a huge fan of DIY and finding inexpensive solutions to what could otherwise be an expensive project. When we transitioned Oliver from his nursery to his 'big boy bedroom' we decided we would redecorate to reflect his interests as a toddler. These are some of my favourite parts of Oliver's bedroom - I absolutely love how it has turned out and so does he. The bookshelves are actually Ikea spice racks that we painted ourselves and they display his books beautifully. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7RAbxvMo08" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><You can watch Oliver's full toddler room tour here></span></a></div>
<br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10314152073671996635noreply@blogger.com0