Pumping pregnancy

I was reading an article in today's Fabulous magazine called 'exercise caution?'

It is about women exercising during pregnancy but I'm not talking about a couple of lunges here and there, these women are taking on marathons and weightlifting a few weeks away from their due dates, one woman Sally Dixley was weightlifting 215lb (over 15 stone) two days before her due date! 

When I found out I was pregnant exercise was the last thing on my mind, however according to Babycentre, three quarters if women who have a healthy pregnancy do not do enough exercise. 

Dr Hiliary says:

'...every pregnancy is different, so the main thing is to listen to your body and try to reach a happy medium."

I would say my happy medium is a couple of lengths in a pool and a Mc Donald's after. 

If I do find myself pregnant again though, I will think about a fast walk around the park. Mind you I haven't got rid of my baby weight from 5 years ago, so I should probably start now. 

I did just sit at a table bench at the park and the otherside has lifted off the ground. Best start my fast walk away from the park now. 

Chop chop! 

Cosmo discussion

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Scarlett's blog 29.11.14

It's nearly Christmas which = presents, lots of presents! 

Grandma says it is about baby Jesus and gave me a figurine of Jesus and his Mum and Dad with a donkey on a beach with a palm tree. I hid it and now can't remember where I put it. Mummy said I had better find it before Grandma comes round on Monday, Oops. 

Mummy had me hunting around the park for sticks (and twigs) this afternoon as I had to find and count them for homework. Mummy said it's ridiculous but she was the one going into the bushes hunting for the 'perfect' stick/twig. 

On the way home I saw a pink car which was sooo cool! Mummy asked if I was going to drive her around when I'm older. I said I would drive her wherever she liked, she said: 

"Round the bend."

But I'm sure I can drive her a bit further than that. 

Xoxo

How long is it appropriate to stay at the park?

I'm sat freezing cold desperately wanting to leave the park. We have only been here about 15 minutes but I want to leave already. 

How long is it appropriate and fair to stay at the park? 

Till the time it takes to drink a coffee? 

When my child pushes another child off the swing as it's "my turn."

When you spot an ex with his child? 

After updating your Facebook status to 'At the park with my beautiful baby' to show you spend quality time with your child, yet no one knows you are walking out of the past as you post it? 

After 10 minutes when your fingers have turned blue? (as you have been using your phone...see above.) 

When you have tried to quietly bribe your child with sweets if they leave the park now? (But you know all of the other parents heard by the judging looks in their faces.) 

I'm going to try...

"Scarlett if we leave now, we can do your homework when we get home." 

Then I will be praised by the other parents for being a fabulous mother and they will congratulate me on my perfect child as we walk into the sunset. 

Ha yea right, I'm using the sweet bribe. 

What is the difference between a twig and a stick?

Scarlett's homework for the weekend is to find 20 twigs/sticks. 

If it isn't bad enough that my poor 5 year old has home work, or as they call it a 'home task' I now have to try and figure out what the difference between a twig and a stick is. 

What happens if we pick up just twigs? What happens if we just pick up sticks? What is the dictionary difference between the two? Will my child be judged by her classmates if we don't pick the perfect twigs/sticks? Am I thinking about this too much? 

I'm all for helping my child learn and she won't even realise what she is doing but come on, give the kids a break, homework at 5 years old?! 

Being the good parent that I am, I spent my afternoon rummaging around the park like a mad woman looking for the perfect stick/ twig and checking my pile battling between what is a twig and what is a stick. 

Scarlett was as useful as a stick as she was just shouting at me for leaving her scooter while she ran around the grass. 

As if life wasn't hard enough! 

Oh, they look so pathetic! I'm going to have to get some more tomorrow.

 

Me and my brother #adoption

My brother and I are still on strange footing. The ground is shaky and neither of us are too sure how to take each other in regards to jokes and each other's lives. 

We may be brother and sister (half) but trying to build an adult relationship having missed out on each others childhoods is proving tricky. 

I knew I was adopted from a young age and knew I had an older half brother who still lived with my birth mother but accepting that fact is a challenge in itself. 

When I was 18, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I found who I though was my brother on MySpace. I sent him a message saying my mum knows ur mum blah blah and after a couple of messages I admitted I thought he was my brother. 

He replied:

"Yes, you are my sister." 

That was about 3 years ago. We messaged each other for a while on and off, then last year we took the plunge and agreed to meet. 

I was very hungover as I was petrified and thought the best idea would be to get horrifically drunk the night before I met him. 

I got the train up to London on a hot, sticky summers day and met my brother at Victoria station. 

I recognised him instantly from his profile picture and recognised his voice from the drunken phone calls we had been playing tennis with at the weekends. 

He is a 'Proper Londoner' and laughed at my 'posh' accent as I had grown up down south, by the sea. 

We had a few drinks in a bar and in my hungover state shouted that I could see a green man (maybe I was still a little drunk.) 

We had a general chit chat about life and probably looked like we were on a date as we were so awkward. Awkward silences (hence the green man comment) awkward looks and awkward questions. 

As he lived with my birth mother we both knew I was going to ask about her and we tap danced around the conversation for a while, then with a sick feeling in my stomach I asked if I could see a picture of her. He said he didn't have one, I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed. 

We ended our first meeting as a had begun it, a little drunk but happy. 

A couple of months later I took my daughter with me to meet her Uncle. Again it was a little awkward but having a toddler nattering away helped fill the silences. 

After our second meeting, our goodbye was a sad painful one. My brother is in the RAF and was being posted to Afghanistan. He joked about sending an arm or a leg to me if they got blown off but reality hung heavy in the air around us. 

It could be our second and last ever meeting. 

He called me the night before he left and we talked for over an hour about everything and anything. When I put the phone down my heart weighed a tonne. 

Every day he was in Afghanistan I panicked. I watched the news and scoured the paper, petrified something had happened to him. He called and send letters and postcards when he could but though it sounds morbid, I worried I would not be told if anything did happen to him as no one knew we were in touch. Especially not my birth Mother. 

We decided it would be best for her not to know as we needed to build our relationship and to be honest, I didn't have anything to say to her. 

I wish her well but when I was about 13, me and my birth Mother sent a couple of letters to each other. Well, I sent 2 and she sent one. Her last letter was from social services and said she didn't feel like she had anything to say to me. I promptly shredded the letter and turned into a tearaway. 

Luckily, I have grown up now (sort of) but I have no desire to meet her at the moment. 

However back on shaky ground....My brother called me today and said I never answer his calls (he has called me twice in the last 6 months both times I was in the bath and said I would call him back. He said not to bother, so I didn't.) 

The trouble with our relationship is that we just don't know each other, we don't 'get' each other. I don't know when he is joking or understand the things that he does and he doesn't with me. 

Some say the hardest relationship we have is with our parents, mine is with my half brother. I just hope one day we 'get' each other. 

Wine key

Just read this in today's Sun newspaper...

I, as a white wine drinker am apparently a team player and generous. 

It is true, I am a team player and generous but if it's got anything to do with a bottle of white wine....it's mine, all mine! 

Katie Hopkins and the real world...

Has anyone else read Katie Hopkins' page in The Sun today...?

On the left she slates Kate Silverton for saying she thinks we should bring our children to work with us. 

Katie comments...

'How would this work for the rest of us in the real world?'

Ha Katie Hopkins living in the real world? Come on now, don't make me laugh.

No, I didn't finish reading her column, I was too busy laughing. 

As for Kate Silverton's comments on taking our children to work, well she is just as ridiculous. 

I do agree with Katie when she says Kate needs to take a peek into the 'real world' though I fear Katie's world looks incredibly different to the rest of 'us.' 

One foot in front of the other...

One smashed phone and one nearly smashed laptop and I am back. For some reason my mobile phone always bears the brunt of my anger and last week was no different. It is actually quite nice not having a phone, no one can get hold of me and it gives me time to think away from other peoples influence. I have come to the conclusion that friction in life is necessary. Friction causes fire, which in turn creates burning and a feeling of passion and life. I may be talking gibberish to you but I have felt emotions over the past week that I didn't even realise I had available to me. I'm not going to go into the in's and out's of it all. I got hurt, I cried, I grew, I accepted and I got over it. I am not a person who holds grudges in life, if an apology is said to me and I believe it, then who am I to drag out others mistakes? I have sure as hell made enough of my own mistakes and they say you should not throw stones if you live in a glass house. I don't ask people to understand the decisions that I make but to accept them (even if it is grudgingly.) So let's all move on.

#Starvethebitch

'If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.'

Roald Dahl 

Best foot forward

With the Christmas party season approaching, it means it is time for beautiful sparkly shoes to be worn...it's a rule! 

The hardest part is not buying them all. Best hope for a Christmas bonus! 

www.boohoo.com

£25.00

www.missguided.co.uk

Was £29.99 now £14.99

www.newlook.com

£22.99 

www.very.co.uk

£20.00

www.ikrush.com

Was £24.99 now £14.99

www.shoecloset.co.uk

£19.99

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

Let's get suspended.

Dressing up and feeling sexy doesn't mean you have to look like a page 3 model, all you need is a suspender belt.

The following are the crème de la crème of beautiful suspender belts to make you look and feel sexy. 

Let's get suspended...  

www.stockingshq.com

Roza Fifi Suspender Belt £22.99 

www.figleaves.com

Pour Moi? Spellbound Suspender £14.00

www.stockingsdirect.co.uk

Classified Lace Suspender brief £12.50

www.thebracloset.co.uk

Lapel Lara Suspender Belt £14.00

www.annsummers.com

Isis Waspie £20.00

Feeling pants

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Post baby sex

After having a baby, sex will probably be the last thing on your mind but for me it was one of the most daunting parts of life after a baby so after my experience, I have come up with some points to help you. 

There should be no rush to have sex again once you have had a baby. You need to feel relaxed and ready but when the time comes and YOU feel ready, take these points into consideration...

• Find yourself. 

Your body had just been through the most intense experience and you may think that things down there are not the same. Pelvic floor exercises will have been drilled into you from all sides (and you may remember to do them once a day, but it's not guaranteed. You have a newborn to think of first) but take the time to explore yourself again. 

When the thoughts if sex creep back in (which may be after 6 weeks or 6 months) run yourself a nice bath, light some candles and explore down there. 

Try tightening your pelvic floor muscles while touching yourself. Some women can orgasm alone from just squeezing their pelvic floor muscles but if you are not one of the lucky ones (who are they?!) try combining squeezing your muscles and stroking yourself. 

You may still feel tender and not ready but when you feel pleasure again it will make you more relaxed and less tense. 

• Slip into something a little less comfortable. 

No you may not like the sound of it but trust me you will feel better. Instead of laying there and 'getting it over with' put some effort in. 

Yes I know the last thing you want to do is have sex for the hour that the baby is actually asleep but don't think of it as a chore. Think of the reward you can get out of it and the bond between you and your partner when you can enjoy each other again as a couple and not as Mummy and Daddy.  

Get him to have the baby and get it to sleep while you get ready. Have a bath, shave, shave, shave, and when you get out, use that baby oil to moisturise all over. 

Put on the sexiest outfit you own and the ridiculously high stilettos at the back of your wardrobe (you won't be walking far) and spent some quality alone time just you and your man. 

Just be careful you don't wake the baby back up. 

• Use a Lubricant. 

And lots of it. The smoother and the sleeker, the better. 

• You don't HAVE to have sex. 

Try just using your hands and mouths. You can both still both enjoy the benefits and feel satisfied without full penetration. 

• Watch out for nips and slips. 

First time sex after a baby will definitely be a new experience. There will be leaky bits, wobbly bits and sloppy bits but just relax and remember you are an amazing woman. 

• Don't forget your man. This is a journey for both of you and sex is a part of your relationship which you should both enjoy and while he may need to learn to be more patient when it comes to sex, don't forget to make him feel loved too. 

Motherhood may seem like an impossible task at times but YOU can do it! You don't have to do all of the above, do what feels right for you and enjoy it! 

Sex dilemma...my advice

'I feel guilty pleasuring myself when my boyfriend is not around.'

It is natural to feel guilty but it is the best way to get to know your body. If you don't know what you like, how do you expect him to know? 

Don't let solo time take time away from your partner when you have satisfied yourself. 

If you find a new trick in the morning, introduce it to him in the evening.

You won't be the only one benefiting from  finding out more about yourself. 

It's ok to be selfish once in a while. 

#Starvethebitch

'Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.' 

John Wooden

Children's party guide

Children's party guide....

Going to a child's party is fun for the kids but can be daunting for the parents so I have made a simple guide to help you get through and not make the mistakes that I made today. 

• Figure out where you are going before hand. Don't bumble along the road blindly trying to figure out where you are going. I looked like a little lost lamb today  trying to find a leisure centre hidden down a street I had never heard of before with Scarlett moaning: 

"Walking is boring!" 

• Figure out your introduction and figure out the child and parent of the party you are attending as soon as you can if you don't know. I walked into the party today and announced: 

"This is Scarlett." 

To which the birthday boys mother said:

"I know." 

A better introduction would have been:

"Hello, I'm Becky, Scarlett's mum, where is the birthday boy?" 

• Be organised (unlike me.) 45 minutes before the party began I was scrambling around Mortisons supermarket trying to find a present and a card, then I had to get Scarlett to sign the card as soon as I had paid for it...

Sorry about the blurred face, I was in a rush! 

• As above don't stick a fiver in a card if you can't find a suitable present. Buy something and if you don't have time to wrap it, pop it in a gift bag. When Scarlett handed over her card and no wrapped present, we looked a bit stingy. I wanted to say:

"There is money in it, I promise!" 

• Try and keep an eye on your child throughout and apologise to the party boy/girl when your child elbows them in the face. (This may only apply to my child. I was an accident, I think. I'm sure it wasn't because Scarlett wanted the presents.) 

• Try not to laugh when your child throws things at the entertainer. Poor Spider-Man had balls thrown at him and at his own special balls. It was funny though, it physically hurt holding my laughter in. Maybe not as much as Spider-Man hurt though.  

• Try not to look too bored and interact with other parents. I'm blogging as a parent is sitting next to me. (Must follow my own advice and get chatting!)

• Don't eat all of the children's buffett, sausage rolls are lovely but if you eat 7, you will be judged by the other parents. 

And finally...

• When the party is over and your child is fast asleep after a busy afternoon of screaming, run a long hot bath and relax. You have made it through another party! 

Cosmo dilemma this month...my advice

'Too shy to initiate sex.'

My advice to this dilemma....

Relax.  

When you are laying in bed at night, spoon him. Let you fingers explore his body. Start by gently stroking his arms, chest and lower torso. 

Kiss the back of his neck and concentrate on nothing other than your breathing and being in the moment. 

Move your hand down further and let the good times roll. 

Overeaters Anonymous

I was reading my magazine earlier when I turned to the help page and read this....

Sorry, it's wet as I was in the bath but I was shocked to read the advice was:

'If you can't cut back on your own Overeaters Anonymous (oagb.org.uk) can offer great psychological support to break bad diet habits.' 

I laughed that the advice was to go to Overeaters Anonymous and then I started thinking about my own eating habits. 

I started a new diet yesterday, I did 100 squats, 100 lunges, 100 sit ups and a 10 minute tummy tone DVD. I was so proud and determined to carry it on until Christmas so then I didn't have to worry about stuffing my face on Christmas Day (I say worry but it would be a fleeting thought while I reach for the Quality Street.) 

Anyway, today I walked to work (don't all cheer at once, it's 5 minutes from my flat) and I dodged the chocolates that were offered this morning and I only ate the first chocolate from my advent calendar on my desk. Willpower. 

After my lunch of fruit and not much else, I went back to work and hid my advent calendar under my desk as it was staring at me. An hour later it was screaming at me to eat more, so grudgingly I ate the Mars bar behind door number 24. Then I ate the chocolate from door number 2.

I stopped and flipped the calendar over and worked out I would consume over 600 calories if I ate all of it, so I kicked it back under my desk (to finish tomorrow.)  

I had beans on toast for dinner and then gave Scarlett a small kinder bar as she ate all of her dinner. Well, I ate all of my dinner so I are a kinder bar too. Oh no, I mean two, I ate two as they are so small. 

There are now 6 wrappers in front of me, a box of empty jelly babies and a half eaten packet of Drumstick chewy sweets.

Suddenly, the Overeaters Anonymous website looks appealing... 

The first thing that strikes me on their website is that the paper people logo has people on it that are too thin for an overeaters group but they are colourful. 

There are 12 steps, which is 11 too many for me. 

I clicked on the bit relevant to me:

'Do I have a problem with food?'

Hmm, not really food but chocolate, I have a problem with chocolate as it tends to fall into my mouth and stick to my tummy and thighs creating wobbly bits. 

There are 15 questions to determine if I have a problem with food. I answer no to the majority but number 13 asks: 

'Are there certain foods you can't stop eating after the first bite?'

Erm, yes. 

I don't think I am on the journey to a 'compulsive overeating problem' chocolate and women tends to go hand in hand but the questions are definitely interesting. 

I have put down the remaining 10 bars (they are mini) of Kinder chocolate and will put them at the back of the cupboard but if they creep back out later on, I may just have to look at the steps to recovery.

Are you an overeater? Log onto:

www.oagb.org.uk

 

 

Can I give my child's presents away?

Pants....that's how I feel....pants. 

One good thing about not doing a lot today means...it's blogging day! 

Well, almost nothing. Scarlett has a party this afternoon which is about half an hours walk away. I don't want Scarlett to miss it, so I am determined to go but it my head doesn't stop banging and this cough doesn't let up then we won't be going. Not that Scarlett is helping. 

I'm trying to relax in the bath for ten minutes to get rid of my headache but Scarlett has turned up the TV to full volume and just came in, went for a wee and slammed the toilet seat down. 

Oh and then she saw I had put my yoghurt pot in the sink which I had just eaten and she said: 

"You have to put your yoghurt pot in the bin."

Me: "I will in a minute when I am out of the bath. Or could you do it for me please?"

Scarlett: "No. You have to do it on up your own."

She slammed the door and managed somehow to turn the TV up even more. 

Ten minutes, that's all I want! 

Best go and buy a present for the party this afternoon, shame I can't give him one of Scarlett's presents from last week. Don't think he would like a pink dress though. 

Just kidding obviously I would never give my child's presents away as other children's presents...

Got to go Scarlett needs to use the toilet again. Great. 

 The picture is just to embarrass her a bit more. 

#Starvethebitch #Day3

Whoever is happy, will make others happy too. 

Anne Frank. 

#Starvethebitch #Day2

If someone annoys you, don't bitch, laugh...

#Starvethebitch #Day1

Official day 1 of #Starvethebitch

Today's bitch starvation diet quote is: 

'We don't have to be defined by the things we did or didn't doing our past. Some people allow themselves to be controlled by regret. Maybe it's a regret, maybe it's not. It's merely something that happened. Get over it.'

Pittacus Lore

#Sober365 #Day? #Hour?

I am not doing very well with this not drinking malarkey. 

I think I am starting it at the wrong time of year, I'm not strong enough. 

I thought I could do it but I don't think the time is right. 

It's not you alcohol, it's me. 

I'm upset and I need chocolate. Where are those chocolate liquors? 

#Fail

#MaybeJanuary? 

 

#Starvethebitch

I am a bitch. I'm a woman, it happens. We all bitch, don't pretend you are innocent. 

After hearing people bitching constantly today and me bitching myself I have decided to start a revolution:

#Starvethebitch 

Instead of getting up and bitching before the day has barely started, we should get up and challenge ourselves to starve our inner bitch and start the day as we mean to go on with a PMA (not PMS.) 

Positive

Mental

Attitude

Let's stop moaning and groaning each day and be more grateful. 

At the start of each day I am going to post a positive quote and each time the bitch in me wants to come out I am going to starve her and repeat the quote until my bitch has subsided. 

I challenge you to do it too.  

There is a few hours left of today so I am starving my inner bitch from now. 

"If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."

Zig Ziglar. 

#Starvethebitch 

#Day1 

 

Struggling to find my Christmas Cheer.

"Holidays are coming, the holidays are coming..."

I saw the Coca Cola advert on TV for the first time today, the John Lewis advert has been released and that can only mean one thing....IT'S NEARLY CHRISTMAS!!!! 

I'm not one to usually get excited about Christmas (bah humbug) but I did feel I tiny twinge of Christmas spirit before shouting at the TV:

"It's too early!" 

We are in the 2nd week of November, the pumpkins from Halloween have barely been put in the bin and already there is tinsel being shoved in my face when I do my food shopping (oh, I didn't mean to moan but I've started so I will finish.) 

Christmas seems to creep into the shops earlier and earlier every year and I don't know about you but by the time Christmas Day arrives, I'm already Christmas-ed out. 

When I was growing up the first deck to be put up in the house was a few days before Christmas (and disappeared as quickly as they were put up.) 

I overheard someone say today that she had done all of her Christmas shopping, written all of her Christmas cards and her decorations are going up this weekend. 

REALLY?! 

Maybe it's because my parents never really seemed that enthused about Christmas as I got older but I can't help thinking that people need to calm down about Christmas. 

Maybe I am a stone, emotionless and a proper 21st century Scrouge, I didn't even bother writing Christmas cards last year and 2 years ago I had a half thrown together Christmas tree which stayed in my living room until late January (that's a bit of Christmas cheer right? Keeping it up that long? Oh laziness, is that what I can hear you saying?) 

Maybe this year I should try and embrace Christmas a bit more. Of course I will be putting out a carrot for Rudolph and one for Santa (he is getting a bit chunky so don't want to encourage his overeating) for Scarlett's sake but even saying that I am struggling to find my Christmas cheer.

I think I need to make an early resolution and see the positives about Christmas and try and embrace it with a warm woolly hug. 

Here goes....

I love Christmas because....

• It's a day about love and Family 

• it's a time to dust off board games and have a laugh while drinking a cheap bottle of red wine that I will probably buy my Dad. 

•It's a day about food, I LOVE food and those delicious pigs in blankets which for some reason only make an appearance at Christmas. 

•It is almost like a 'national sprout day!' Everyone embraces sprouts at Christmas.  

•Mince pies, mmmm. Mince pies. 

•I always have smoked salmon and Buck's Fizz in the morning. (Yes another point about food.) 

Do you know what? I feel better already, I'm going to dig out my box of Christmas cards and get cracking on them. 

"The holidays are coming!" 

I'm all cheered up. 

 

#Sober365 #Day?

Does having a white wine sauce count as alcohol? 

#Fail #tryagaintomorrow 

#Sober365

Day 1 again. 

Shhh! 

I did it!

Though it has taken me until now to get over the tiredness, saying that, I'm still cream crackered! 

Scarletts party went off without a hitch...almost. 

First the people at the party (they were lifeguards not party planners so I can't really blame them) didn't even know there was a party happening. 

They thought we were just stood outside gazing at the deflated bouncy castle just for fun. So after some major huffing and puffing the bouncy castle was erected and the party was ready to start...except there were no children. 

Half 1 rolled around and there were only 2 children at a party which was due to start at 1.15pm. 

There was general confusion when I asked my mum who booked the party. She varied the times between 1pm and 1.30pm and even the day before she said she 'thought' the party was at half 1. 

By ten to 2 children had started arriving and I was moaning that they were all late. (Ha I know says me, but it was my daughters birthday so I did not think it was ok for anyone to be late.)

At half 2 it was food time and I learnt a valuable lesson...do not have 21 party horns around 21 children as it equals a headache when they all blow them simultaneously. 

Apart from that, the party was great, though next year I will just take a select few out to Mc Donald's I think oh and not let my mother write the invites. Turns out she had told everyone the party started at 1.45. 

I know you may think it's my fault for not writing the invites myself but my writing is horrific so everyone would have ended up in Southend rather than Splash Point. 

Scarlett did make a good pirate though... 

I was not happy on the way home when she moaned and said:

"There's rubbish in my party bag!"

Me: "It's cake wrapped in a napkin!"

Scarlett: "Oh." 

She has been given lots of beautiful presents, mostly Frozen themed, though she may be a bit 'frozened out.'

I asked her yesterday is she wanted to watch Frozen and she said:

"No. I want to watch Rugrats." 

There is no pleasing some kids! 

 

I need a healthy breakfast

I need a healthy breakfast to set myself up for the day....

What?! They have got orange in them! 

Time to get cracking, it's nearly party time!!! 

What do I want my child to learn at school?

I don't usually get involved in politics as I don't know a lot about it and didn't even vote in the last election but after reading an article on what the politicians think our kids should be learning I think it's about time I paid politics a bit more attention. 

While some people may be shocked when I say that voting doesn't really bother me, I wouldn't be surprised if I was just one of a majority of people who don't bother to tick their ballot paper, but as a parent I have a duty to my child to make sure she is getting the best education and politics plays a big part in that. 

According to Cosmopolitan magazine:

'Labour has pushed for an amendment to the Children and Families Bill that would make sex and relationships education (covering issues such as domestic violence abuse) compulsory - but was defeated by the government. And it took a petition fronted by 17-year-old student Fahma Mohamed to persuade the Education Secretary that all students should learn about female genital mutilation.'

I was completely shocked that my daughter could be educated on these things when she is older. 

Domestic Abuse is a taboo which should be discussed, but I believe it should be discussed at the parents discretion along with female genital mutilation. 

These issues are incredibly sensitive and important but I don't think that a teacher is qualified to read from a textbook and educate our children on these issues. 

I don't think everything that goes on in the world needs to be discussed in a classroom and I believe discussing these topics could open up a can of worms, particularly with the issue of domestic abuse. 

I know my child is only 5, so at the moment my only concern is helping her write her name and her learning about the horrific things that happen in this world are a long way off but it got me thinking about what I do want her to learn about throughout her younger years at school? 

In an ideal world I would like her to learn about:

• Money and Debt

• The importance of having a positive body attitude, learning about diet and positive role models not just 'celebrities.'

• Real life experiences...not a week of work experience (the majority of cases in the company where our parents work.) I think one day a week throughout year 11 work experience should be compulsory.  

• Taking care of the community, for example beach cleans and volunteering. 

• A day in the life of...educational talks from professionals from all walks of life paramedics, doctors, scientists etc. 

• Making things and having sewing lessons as this seems to have been dropped from some schools. 

• A new language. The majority of schools no longer have learning a second language as a must by year 11.  

I agree with teaching children at home and in the classroom, we as parents can teach children about what we want them to know.

I'm  no expert but here are a few things that I do with my child to encourage her learning and educate her:

• What we did at the weekend diary to encourage her to write about what we have done. 

•Get a bucket and find 20 pebbles on the beach so she has to count them one by one until she has 20. 

• Copy letters and numbers. Scarlett loves being able to write her own name and is perfect for thank you cards. 

•Puzzles and games night. For 2 hours last night the TV was off and we played board games. She learnt counting, sharing and cheating! 

• 3 money pots saving, charity and pocket money to try and encourage saving and sharing. 

(We haven't decorated or filled them much yet!) 

• Read every night at bedtime, even if it's a really short book. 

All of the above are pretty innocent but maybe I should be thinking about more serious issues which I may need to discuss with her when she is older. 

I've said before I'm not running for 'Super Mum of the year' or anything, I just try to do my best and in doing that I think it's about time I educated myself more on politics because I want to have a say in what I want my child to learn. 

Don't you?  

 

Scarlett's blog 7.11.14

I am 5!!!!! Don't I look different?!

Oops wrong picture....

I look more grown up, I feel more grown up, I'm nearly an adult! Ok, not quite but I do act like a teenager according to Mummy. Ha all good things come to those who wait, I'm going to have such fun winding her up when I'm a teenager, even more than I do now. 

Today Mummy asked me what I did at Daddy's for my Birthday yesterday, I said:

"I don't know." 

My memory is really not that good and sometimes I can't be bothered to answer her. The other day when she was babbling away I just told her:

"I've had enough of talking." 

She does go on. 

It was hilarious in Mc Donald's earlier, Mummy just say down with our food so I decided it was a good time to tell her I needed the toilet. You should have seen her face! She tried to cover the anger with a smile but I knew!

I did get some lovely presents though, most had a Frozen theme obviously...

Mummy wrapped up my Frozen Elsa Bear...

Cheeky monkey, though she did say it was a Birthday present so I will let her off. 

I have to go to sleep now as I have even more present opening tomorrow!! 

It's my party and I'm so excited!! 

Happy Birthday to me :) 

Xoxo 

#Sober365 #Day4

I had this today....

Looks like alcohol, tastes like alcohol, it's not alcohol...

Sparkling peach water may be the key to my year of sobriety. 

It takes like peach schnapps and when I put it in a wine glass it totally curbed my itch for a drink. 

Could this be the answer? 

#Day4  

B day...

Tomorrow is Scarlett's party and after spending on £70.00 on food, I got home and realised I have forgotten the staple of any child's party....sausage rolls!! 

Well it's too late now, the party is tomorrow and it's 10pm, I'm got my hair dye on as the Philip Schfield greys were creeping in again and there is no way I'm sausage roll hunting after. 

I am pretty prepared apart from that though. 

The party bags are done....

All 24 of them! 

There are 21 children coming but I did a couple extra just in case (it's actually because I want one and because my friends might!) 

I picked up Scarlett from school this afternoon, excited to hear the details of her birthday and she just said:

"They sang happy birthday and clapped 5 times." (At school.) 

When I asked what she did at Daddy's, her response was:

"I don't know." 

I then took her to Mc Donald's as a treat (and because the mozzarella sticks are back mmmmm.) 

As soon as I had sat down with the food she said:

"I need a wee!" 

I jumped up and hurried her as quickly as possible to the toilet as I was paranoid someone was going to throw our food away. 

I then told Scarlett she had to hurry and eat as we had a hairdressers appointment. I was actually dreading it as I thought she would have a screaming match with me and cry and say she didn't want her hair cut. I told her there were car and spaceship chairs to sit in and she got all excited so I thought:

'Result!'

When we got to the hairdressers, everything was dark. I called and listened to the phone ring through the glass door and left an angry voicemail. I saw there was hair on the floor so thought there must be someone around. 

When a BMW pulled up I presumed it was the owner but the BMW driver was actually a nightclub owner who told me they hadn't been open for a week and it looks like they had gone. 

Typical, I finally persuade Scarlett to have her hair cut and they close! 

So we came home and opened presents instead....

Scarlett is now tucked up in bed in her new nightdress...

And excited for her party tomorrow. I'm feeling....I'm not really sure? Scared? mainly scared at the thought of being surrounded by 21 little screaming people. 

I hope they don't demand sausage rolls!!! 

Guilty.

I'm still catching up on last months Cosmopolitan magazine #Guilty. 

According to this article 96% of women feel guilty at least one a day. 

Is that it?! I have a daily to do list of guilt. Today...

• I feel guilty now while laying in the bath instead of doing the housework. 

• I feel guilty that I haven't bought the Frozen book my daughter wants. 

• I feel guilty I am not at work today as I have the day off (approved by work.) 

• I feel guilty I don't speak to my friends and family as much as I should. 

• I feel guilty that I haven't started my new inspirational blog post #starvethebitch.

• I feel guilty I am going to have a bacon sandwich for breakfast. 

• I feel guilty that this barely touches the actual amount of guilt I have. 

And do you know what I'm going to do? 

Sing. 

"LET IT GO!"

We all put far too much pressure on ourselves these days to be 'perfect' but unfortunately we all lead individual lives and life throws obstacles at us every day. 

Instead of beating ourselves up for not doing things, we should praise ourselves for doing the right things. 

• I praise myself for having a bath at 8am just because I can.

• I praise myself for having a bacon sandwich because I don't have one everyday and they are delicious. 

• I praise myself for having the day off to get the house ready for my daughters tea party after school. 

• I praise myself for watching the real housewives of New Jersey because I'm keeping them in a job #nottrashtv

If you have things to do today and it's all getting a bit much, step back, take a deep breath and smile. Write it all down and do one thing at a time. 

SYM-ple advice :)