Family • Wellbeing • Adventure

Wednesday 31 December 2014

Best of 2014


2014 has well and truly been good to us. It's the year we finally got to say "I do" and have our first holiday as a family of three. We both have had exciting opportunities with our work lives and my blog has grown this year too (thanks to you guys). 

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Monday 29 December 2014

The Little Blogger


For this Christmas Santa (aka Mummy & Daddy), decided to bring Darcie her own blogger tools so she can follow in her mummy's footsteps! Darcie is always trying to imitate me whilst I take photos and tap away on the laptop, so thought it would be nice for her to have her own so we can "work" together.

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Sunday 28 December 2014

52 Week Photography Challenge - Introduction


For 2015 I really want to try and hone in my photography skills and so I have decided to make my own 52 week photography challenge.  This has been inspired by other popular photography challenges but I have altered the weekly subjects to reflect (and inspire) my own interests. 

If you would like to take part, I would love for you to link up with me. I will be posting my photo every Sunday along with a link up (if I can get my head round it that is!!), and think it will be a fantastic way of sharing each others creativity and special moments. 

The challenge will start next Sunday and the first subject is 'Beginnings'.

Have you ever took part in a photography challenge?

Mummy B xoxox
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Saturday 27 December 2014

Christmas 2014

Christmas 2014 

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas, spending time with loved ones. It has been a very special one, which has seemingly topped off one hell of a year for us. 

We spent this year at home, with all our immediate family coming to us, it was hectic and fabulous all at the same time! Jamie's brother & wife, Kristina, came to stay with us for a couple of days. Darcie loved every minuet of their stay, they are two of her most favourite people! We spent the morning sharing gifts, playing with endless toys that Darcie was lucky enough to receive and preparing Christmas dinner. 

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Friday 19 December 2014

#HintList with Beaverbrooks

Can you believe Christmas is literally just round the corner? I know I certainly can't! I have been so busy I haven't even stopped to think  about what Santa may bring me! If you are a regular reader you will know that I ordinarily love to do wish list posts, but this Christmas they have certainly been lacking. My other half even mentioned this when he started Christmas shopping!

However, this afternoon I have been leaving hint (some very obvious ones) for my hubby for some gorgeous jewellery I have fallen in love with at Beaverbrooks. 

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DIY Plans for the New Year


When it gets to this time of year, I spend an awful lot of time thinking about next years goals. We of course, got married this year and a lot of our time, energy and money went towards the day and the honeymoon, so all other plans kind of went out the window. Next year we want to focus on our home a little more. We have contemplated moving house, whilst we love our home, it is a touch on the small side. But the cost of moving, stamp duty and solicitor fee's have put us off for now. So we are looking to do some home improvements. There are so many benefits to deciding to improve your home, especially at this time of year where you can get so many good deals.

One of our big plans is to build a shed, hopefully to offer a little bit of storage space and a place for Jamie to potter and work on his bike. Our garden is relatively small, but we are determined to make it work. We would also like to hardscape some areas in the garden, due to our darling doggy lady, ruining the grass... . 

Next on the list is to change the flooring in our living room and hallway. When we bought our house we thought cream carpets where clearly the way to go. One dog and one baby later we were sadly (obviously) proved wrong. There are stains all over and no matter how I try and rearrange furniture or scrub the carpets, it just makes the room feel horrid. What I really would like is wooden vinyl,  we currently have that in the kitchen and I love it. Not only that, but painting the living room and hallway is high on the agenda too as it hasn't been done since we moved in - I can't stand magnolia anymore! There are also a couple of divine furniture pieces that I have my eye on in Next, but that may have to wait.


Lastly is to get out bathroom completed, we made a tiny dent purchasing a nice new bath panel. However, we still need to paint and I would love to change our radiator to a towel warmer. I have found some beautiful towel rails at  My Bathrooms


Do you have any DIY plans for the new year? I would love to hear all about them.

Mummy B xoxox
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Tuesday 16 December 2014

Top tips for the perfect night's sleep





Getting the perfect night's sleep is a fantastic way to put you in the best mood, making you ready for whatever the day throws at you. I have to admit, sometimes I find getting a good night's sleep hard work. I stay up too late, replying to emails, sharing blog posts, engaging with readers, which all means that I often don't go to bed when I originally planned. Then I often get awoken by a two year old wanting a cuddle at 5am. You get the picture. 
Here are a few ways, to ensure you switch off and get the best possible night's sleep.

Literally switch off
I think we are all guilty of spending a little bit too much time on our phones. For me, running a blog it comes with the territory, but once me and Jamie do get to sit down to relax, I always try to just put my phone away. It's good to disconnect from the world sometimes. Lots of people have tried "blackout" evenings where phones, laptops, social media are not allowed to be used, I think it would be nice to adopt that in the New Year. Having said that, one of my favourite ways to relax is to watch one of our favourite TV series in bed, falling asleep whilst watching something, always leads me into a relaxed and deep sleep.
Have a bath
I know quite a few people who would say "no thanks", and I just don't get those kinds of people. Having a bath, is one of my ultimate relaxations. I just let all my stress melt away, pampering myself or reading a good book. Perfect!

Create the perfect setting
Everyone loves that new sheet feeling, you always get that wonderful "ahh" moment when you slip into bed. I love to treat myself to new bedding every now and then, it can literally change the whole feel of a room. We keep thinking of changing our mattress to something a little more luxurious, to help us fall into a deeper sleep, which is so beneficial to your health and mental well-being. There are some amazing mattresses out there, Sealy  has developed their mattresses to give greater support where it is needed and softer in other areas, such as the hips - all to help align your spine to reduce the aches and pains you can get from other mattresses.


Talk
It may seem a strange one, but sometimes if I'm lying in bed and I can't sleep, it's because I have lots of things on my mind. I find talking to Jamie, my Husband (never gets old calling him that!) can help me relax enormously. Just getting everything off my chest, talking through my worries, how I'm feeling at that particular moment or even just deciding what we are going to do the next day, really helps me to unwind. If you don't have anyone to talk to, like me when Jamie has to work a late shift, I find writing things down helpful too.
Ultimately, it's really important that you get the right amount of sleep. Too much or too little can both then go onto effect your day, I'm guilty of the latter. So now, as I have finished writing this post, I am now going to head to bed and read my book - I'm currently reading 'Gone Girl'. 
Night Night folks.
Mummy B xoxox
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Sunday 14 December 2014

My Christmas Wrapping for 2014


One of my favourite parts of this festive season, is to spend my evenings  sat in front of some crappy TV and wrap presents for our family. I find it somewhat therapeutic and satisfying to see a pile of beautifully wrapped presents. Tell me I'm not alone on this?!

I thought I would share with you our "look" for this year. It is a long a similar vain of our previous years, but I really love the simplicity of brown craft paper and parcel string. In previous years I have added coloured ribbons to add a splash of colour, but this year the colour has been kept quite minimal. 
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Saturday 13 December 2014

#HappyEggTasteMakers


Today, whilst in town doing a spot of Christmas shopping, Darcie asked if we could have cake. I told her that was a fantastic idea, but even better it we baked our own. A huge grin spread across her face and replied "yes please mummy". With that we headed home to bake. 

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Thursday 11 December 2014

Keeping on top of finances this Christmas

Make savings using Voucherbin when online shopping


With Christmas literally just round the corner most of us are probably nearing the end of our Christmas shopping. But for many, including myself, there are still people I need to tick off my list. We all know Christmas can get expensive. It so easy to lose sight on finances, with things like store accounts and credit cards, but if you are sensible you can still treat your loved ones without it costing the earth!

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Monday 8 December 2014

5 ways to create a Winter Wonderland

5 Ways To Create A Winter Wonderland

Today I have a fantastic guest post from Mary - a retired landscape gardener who has continued her passion for garden design to help others improve their outdoor spaces. 

Christmas is a magical time for the little ones and recreating that festive feeling at home is essential to making the best memories. Although we cover our home in beautiful lights and tinsel, our poor gardens are often left forgotten, as we hibernate away during the winter months. But our gardens can be just a part of the Christmas magic as our homes, and letting the little ones burn off some steam in the great outdoors is a perfect opportunity for some family fun. So I’ve collated a guide to making a winter wonderland that will have them enjoying the wonder of nature once again. 

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Sunday 7 December 2014

Santa Fun Run



This morning Jamie participated in a Santa Fun Run which was 10k in total, to raise money for the special baby care unit at Norfolk & Norwich hospital. It was a family affair as my step mum was participating too and my Dad marshalling. The event was aimed for people of all ages, with a 3k running as well for ammeter (I should of had a go really...) runners or children - the whole event was well organised (by Mick Glynn (MG Fitness Studio)) and had a fantastic atmosphere!

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Tuesday 2 December 2014

Preparing for Winter


There is definitely more of a chill in the air (at last), and I for one, am loving it! The colder months carry some of the most special memories, the build up to Christmas is one that I cherish - especially since having Darcie. However, with the cold comes the chance of snow, another element I love of the winter. Some hate it, especially the chaos it can bring. But as with most things, if you're prepared than you can minimise the chance of disruption. 

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