Newsworthy

After suffering unsightly stretch marks during my pregnancy which haunt me to this day, I was excited (and annoyed it wasn't invented 5 years ago) to read about a band that 'stops' stretch marks. 

A study found that pregnant women using the band and creams (picture below) did not have stretch marks by the end of their pregnancy, compared to two-thirds of wonen who did not use the band and creams in the study who did have stretch marks at the end of their pregnancy. 

I am a bit dubious that this would work, some people get stretch marks when pregnant and the lucky ones who don't (for example; most celebrities) and surely there is more to stopping stretch marks than a band and a bit of cream? 

However, there is clinical evidence that it works so if you want to give it a go log onto www.secretsaviours.com 

The bump survival pack is £69.95 

Obviously I am not pregnant, so I won't be testing it anytime soon. If they could invent a band to remove stretch marks though, I would be the first in the queue to give it a go (with the dubious part of me thinking it's just a fad and I only have myself to blame for my stretch marks. Eating for 2? I thought I was eating for 4!)

Also in the news today...

A head of a boarding school in Berkshire has said that children going to school for the first time have the communication skills of a 2/3 year-old as parents have 'pacified' them with iPads. 

I for one believe that iPads and mobiles should not be given to children, let alone to toddlers (much to Scarlett's annoyance) I don't think there is a 'right' age but in an ideal world I wouldn't want Scarlett to have one until high school. 

I know that sadly in this day and age I will have to give in a lot sooner so Scarlett can be like the rest of her friends. I am aware that iPads are used regularly in all years in primary schools (which is sad as I don't own one, let alone played on one and I'm 25. Scarlett is 5.) 

Then I saw this...

While it is not a new 'thing' it is shocking. When I first saw it I thought that it wasn't that bad and then I thought...

'How the hell long does a child need to be on a potty to use an iPad?!' 

Then there is the thought of a child using a potty, then touching the iPad...all kinds of gross. 

Parents are also saying it is lazy parenting and that is time that could be spent more wisely by actually talking to your child (Shock horror! Talking to your own child!!) 

It's sad that the parents who are 'pacifying' their children will not realise what they are doing as rather than reading a paper, they will be watching Jeremy Kyle while their kids sit on a potty in the corner playing Angry Birds.

Tomorrow is my favourite day in the food calendar (unless there is a chocolate cheesecake day I don't know about?) 

It is....

British Yorkshire Pudding Day!!!!

I will be attempting to make a batch from scratch (and buying some Aunt Bessie's just in case!) 

Someone put the fire brigade on standby please...

Scarlett's blog 31.1.15

It snowed again! But it had dissapeared before I could get a picture, or should I say before Mummy could. 

She did promise to buy me a camera of my own but back tracked and doesn't know if it is 'appropriate.' 

Some of the kids in my school have their own iPads and mobiles, my Mother lives in the dark ages. 

She said we need to interact with each other by playing games and talking to each other. I threw a 'whatever' in her direction and walked out of the room. 

We went to see night at the museum 3 this morning (after we had been for a fry up- nice diet love!) at the end she chocked back a tear, she is such a wuss sometimes! Of course they bring the museum to life again at the end...oh sorry for ruining the ending :/ my bad. 

We then went shopping, it was so cold I tried to get Mummy to carry me but she said 'you're 5 not 5 months so you can walk!' So I walked...at a snails pace. 

I did persuade her to buy me these though... 

Are they not just the cutest slippers you have ever seen? If I catch Mummy putting her elephant feet in them again (like I did earlier) she will be in trouble. 

I'm thinking that putting her phone down the toilet would be an appropriate punishment, it's not like she hasn't had it down there before. 

Oh and in the spirit of communicating we bought this...

It's minion frustration! (Ignore the crisps in the corner, you can guess who ate them.)  

I have the magic touch, I got 6 after 6 after 6 on the dice, Mummy hadn't even got one of her pieces out and I had 3 home! Totally awesome, I think I caught her looking at pink cameras after she shouted:

'Ive had enough of this game!' 

LOSER! 

I'm off for a long hot bath now as all of this winning malarkey has exhausted me! 

Xoxo 

Scarlett's blog 30.1.15

I do apologise that our encounters are sometimes few and far between, however I am such a social butterfly that I barely know where I am going to be from one day to the next. 

I am now at home with Mummy, so I am back for tonight at least. 

I would tell you what I have been upto this week but it's mostly just school and studying with a sprinkle of playtime as I am trying to focus on my career as an actress. 

I've done some head shots...

Mummy is beyond useless with a camera! I told her to get a professional but she wouldn't listen. 

Don't mind the reward chart in the background, it's null and void. Mummy used it for about 2 days before abandoning it, I now use it to practice my writing as that is what I want to do next...write a play. 

The plot would be, well basically about me and my fabulousness. I suppose Mother could have a walk on part if she is lucky, she could play the part of my cleaner. 

Haha just kidding we would be stars together a 1 woman, 1 child phenomenon. 

I can hear Hollywood calling already! 

She would have to slim down a bit though, those Christmas puddings are not going to fall off on their own!

She made a measly attempt at running today, I scooted while she did a pathetic half run/half limp. 

Bless her for trying though and she did say she had already been on a run before she picked me up. Yeah, like I believe that! 

Best get sleeping as Mummy said she will challenge me to a run/scoot off on the seafront tomorrow. Bring your video phones! 

Xoxo   

Run medium sized girl, RUN!!

I am a runner.

I am envisioning marathons, triathlons, even the Iron Man challenge. I am ready! 

This is what I did today...

And I am still alive! Well that could be because I have formulated a plan (I may have seen it in a magazine ages ago but I'm claiming it as mine now) it's so simple even I can do it and I am still alive! 

Step 1. Accept that Mc Donald's is not a suitable place to have breakfast every morning. 

Step 2. Dig out the really expensive running shoes that you bought on 2nd January and put them where they should be...not in the cupboard, on your feet. 

Step 3. Delete all rubbish pictures and download the new NOW! Album (I have no storage on my phone, damn me for being a cheapskate, oh and for breaking my decent phone.) 

Step 4. Dig out gym gear from the back of the wardrobe and put it on. Do this before step 2, I would swap them but I can't be bothered. 

Step 5. Download a running app (I used Runtastic as it was the first that came up in my App Store and it is free.) 

Step 6. Put in your headphones, turn up the music and take a deep breath. 

Step 7. Walk for 1 minute at a brisk pace. (I love the word brisk. Brisk, brisk, brisk.)

Step 7. Run for 1 minute (I say run, I mean jog. Oh, unless you have downloaded the running app which has zombies chasing you, then RUUUUN!!!)

Step 8. Walk again for 1 minute, then run for 1 minute and repeat until you have completed a total of 20 minutes. 

Step 9. Walk for 10 minutes to cool down, then if you have timed it right, you should end up at your front door (give or take a minute.) 

Step 10. Do a few leg stretches and arm stretches (stretching to the biscuits oh I mean to the fruit bowl, doesn't count) and check you are still breathing. 

Step 11. Pat yourself on your shrinking bum and have a bath. 

I know, I am a fitness guru. 

Today was just the start, Rosemary Connely better watch out! 

I have to go to bed now as I am exhausted. 

Night! 

Smoking rewards

If I said I would give you £400 to quit smoking when pegnant, would you think that was a bribe or would you willingly latch onto my offer? 

A pilot study has found that pregnant women were more likely to quit smoking if a financial reward was offered. 

Well obviously, who doesn't like free money?! 

In The Sun it states 'over 600 took part in the trial - mostly funded by taxpayers. Researches said 23 per cent stopped when offered vouchers, with 15 per cent still not smoking a year on. But just 9 per cent who were not offered the reward managed to quit, falling to 4 per cent after the birth.' 

I will admit that I did smoke during some of my pregnancy, I stopped when I was 6 months pregnant on my own with no help, or vouchers. 

However, if a reward was offered to quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant, would I have taken them up on it? 

Yes I would have but I'm sure I would have failed miserably as when you are a smoker you can't quit until you are ready to quit, regardless of if you are pregnant or not.  

Yes that sounds incredibly selfish and I thank God everyday that I have a healthy child with no problems due to my selfishness. I didn't smoke 20 a day while pregnant and I usually only had 1 or 2 cigarettes a day but I know that was wrong of me and I admit that. 

I have walked down the street and seen pregnant women smoking and looked at them in horror and then sympathy as I know how hard it is to quit. 

I did take up smoking again gradually, I smoke a few cigarettes a day and can go for days at a time without touching one but I am not going to lie, I enjoy smoking and I don't want to quit, don't all gasp at once. (I struggle gasping as I need all the oxygen I can get in my lungs.) 

This new incentive, bribe, bit of blackmail or whatever they are calling it, is due to be rolled out to pregnant women in London, Nottingham, Belfast and Lanarkshire. 

They will get a £50 voucher after setting up a meeting with an NHS advisor and setting a quit date, which seems like an incredibly easy way to get £50 without doing anything apart from (probably) half heartedly saying 'I promise I will quit' then running off to Argos to buy a hideous bit of cheap jewellery. (Wouldn't vouchers for Mothercare be more appropriate? - I will email them to see if they are.) 

Another £50 will be given to them if they are smoke free for 4 weeks. Again, this seems pretty easy. I may even think about becoming pregnant again as this free money sounds appealing. 

Then £100 will be given if they get to 3 months without smoking. Where is my nearest sperm bank?! 

The final £200 will be given if they make it to 9 months without smoking. I feel a bit sick (maybe I AM pregnant?!) 

The 'experts' think this will save money and reduce miscarriages and stillbirths, the last 2 are valid points but the first?! 

We are too softly, softly in this country and the government and 'experts' think they need to toddler us to get us to behave and do what they want but why don't they try to go the other way and fine pregnant women who smoke? 

If I was told I would be fined if I didn't quit smoking while pregnant, I would have stopped there and then. Thinking about money being taken off me would be more of an incentive than if I could just get given something for free. 

Besides, if you really wanted to quit when you were pregnant then surely you wouldn't need an incentive to quit other than the fact that you were pregnant? 

It's time this country stopped fluffing everything up and throwing money at a problem. Just deal with it, get tough and move onto the next problem as this country is full of them.

Sleep

I fell asleep!!! I have no time to blog before work but I have started:

'Should my child say sorry?'

Ponder the above and I will let you know what it is all about tomorrow... 

Turning 30

This is my latest read...

Like the title suggests, it is about a guy who is about to turn 30 years old and is at a place in his life that he didn't think he would be when he imagined turning 30. 

30 to me seems like a zillion miles away but I will be knocking the big 3-0 in just over 4 years. AHHH!!! Now that is scary. 

They say life passes you by so I have made a list of things I want to accomplish by the time I am 30. Then in 4 years I can look back and think 'oops, I haven't managed to do one of those things but at least I had dreams.' 

What I want to do before I am 30...

• Finish my books and send them to publishers. (To probably be rejected but look a J K Rowling now!) 

• Abseil down the Spinniker Tower. (I nearly did this last year but it rained and I didn't re-book it. Wuss.) 

• Complete a half, if not full marathon. (I ran for 10 minutes this morning. See, I'm already in training!) 

• Do more volunteering and be more useful to society. 

• Eat at a really fancy restaurant. (Instead of Pizza Hut.) 

• Complete a journalism course. (I have paid for 2 online courses and never completed them. Oops.) 

• Get a boob job (it's not about vanity, it's about my child murdering my beautiful pre-baby boobs.) 

• Live in a house. (As opposed to a 1 bedroom flat.) 

• Own or run a pub (wine, wine and more wine! Maybe I should run a wine bar...) 

• Still be blogging and vlogging. (I want Scarlett back as I want to vlog with her again and I have to wait until Friday afternoon!) 

• Be a better cook. (Not burn practically everything.) 

I'm sure there is more to add to the list but I can't think right now, my run has knackered me! 

I best get cracking on my list as this blog post has put me 10 minutes closer to being 30! Ahhhhhh.