Jess's 2nd Birthday Haul

As you might know on the 15th September Jess turned two I know where had my baby girl gone now she is a grown-up little toddler who loves been super independent. On the run-up to her birthday, I have been reading up on what other people had been purchasing for their toddlers because as you might know, Jess is rarely at home because she is in full-time nursery and this means she does not actually get a lot of time spent at home to play with toys.  So I thought I would share with you what Jess actually got for her birthday.

I am not bragging about what she got because I know she is a very lucky little girl people did not have to spend any money on her however they did and I am sharing with you the lovely gifts she got.
First of all is the card which we actually got Jess usually I wouldn't include cards in a post like this, however, I had it specially designed from the lovely handmade_by_bubblestorm on Instagram. Jess is paw patrol mad and I had been trying to find one which was paw patrol with daughter on with no much success so when I found this lovely lady I knew I had to purchase. I think either the crayon and colour of Skye it was £5 as part of an offer she was conducting one Friday. I would recommend checking her store out because she does amazing cards.


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Mum Guilt- Skipping Two Trimesters

You must have know you was pregnant? I thought it only happened in the films and TV shows where people did not know there were pregnant for a long period of time? No I can tell you that it doesn't only happen in these settings I did not know that I was pregnant till 26 weeks. 

It is not something that I will ever forgot I knew I had been getting more tired but I put this down to working part time being in the last few weeks of the second year of my degree. Meaning a lot of late nights making sure that the deadlines were completed so I thought nothing about it is and just took more naps during the day which is normal for students to do anyway.

Due to the fact I had been working on a project instead of going on work experience it meant that I had not seen a couple of friends for a few weeks I think it was about 4 weeks. One of them when I saw them said oh wow when did that happen I knew I had gained a little bit of weight but it was only a small amount and I put that again down to the poor diet I had because I was so busy and too tired to cook. I thought she was referring to the weight that I had gained in the last couple of months and ignored it. It wasn't until a few days later that I felt some almost like pops of air in the bottom of my stomach that I started to be concerned. I realised that this point that it had been about 2 months since I had a period TMI I know but because of stress I did not think anything of it.

I remember vividly going to superdrug purchasing a pregnancy test and then going to the university library because that was were my friends were at the time to do the test. I text one of my friends to come to the toilet with me to do the test because I was scared to do it alone. I purchased one of the the ones which tells you how many weeks I remember it saying 3+ weeks my first thoughts were OH SHIT.

I had been out partying only that week because I was a student who was enjoying been care free and having a few drinks and a few more was part of my life back then. It was a good way to socialise with friends. One of the first things which came into my head was like I am going to have to sort this I can't have a baby I need to finish my degree and be more settled before I can have a child. As some of you might know if you have read my birth story I told Joe on his 21st Birthday which meant he got really drunk. We spoke about everything and decided that our best option was to try and have an abortion or have give the little one up for adoption

At the time we didn't know how far along I was or anything so I booked in to see a doctor as soon as I could be cause of the situation I was in I wanted to have an abortion should it be possible. I didn't think I would be past the 12 week cut off.  I booked my appointment with the abortion people and a lovely friend who I am so thankful for them through the whole of my pregnancy because  I don't know if I could have done it without them. I went for a scan so that they could see how far gone I was I remember them saying are you sure you have not had any feelings of movements and I explained about the ones the popping of air. The lady I clearly remember saying well you can not have an abortion your over the legal limit you are around 26 weeks.

This is when we went down the route of speaking to the relevant people about adoption. I spent a lot of my pregnancy with social workers because I had to do all of the medial forms and everything ready for the when baby was born. There was a foster family ready so that there was people to look after her before a forever family was found.

This is where the mum guilt gets me because I didn't want to be pregnant I wanted the baby to be born so I could go back to my own life as horrible as it sounds. I didn't take pictures of my bump I don't have any scan pictures because I made them turn the screen away from me. I feel guilty because of the fact that that I had been drinking I know how dangerous that could have been. I blame myself now when she is crazy it is because she know she has all ready been drunk.

I feel guilty that the majority of the clothes which she got when she was a baby were picked by other people. I only actually purchase her one outfit and then after we decided to not go through with the adoption my cousin went out and purchase everything. Don't worry my family actually paid her to do it and it is something which I am forever grateful for.

One thing which eats me is that Jess is never going to be able to see the scans of her or what she was like as a bump. If we should go on to have another child I think I would take bump pictures and have scan pictures.

Has anyone else found out there where pregnant later than normal. If so do you have this mum guilt?

Charlotte x

Choosing The Right Nursery For Us

As I am sure many of you know if you have read my blog previously Jess goes to nursery full time and has done since September.  She was a year old when she actually went into childcare that she did not go earlier was the fact that I had to wait for the start of the next academic year to be able to continue my studies.

I made the choice after Jess was born that I wanted to return back to university to finish my degree at this stage I had already completed 2 years. I think I was 3 weeks of returning to complete my final year when Jess was born if you don't know we were thinking about getting her adopted it was not until I saw her for the first time I realised that I could not longer do it.

It was about this time last year when I heard back from York St John telling me that I had a place there to complete the rest of my degree. I transferred from Chester as there was no way I could look after a one-year-old with no support from my family while I would be in the final year. Hull was the ideal option for me as I do not live that far from the campus told me I would have to start again completely and do all 3 years where York St John told me that I could just do two years and graduate.

Then came the problem thatYork St John, unlike some university, did not have a nursery which Jess could attend which mean that I had to research where Jess would be going when I had lectures.
The first issue did I have her in a nursery in Hull or York. I could have had her at nursery in Hull which would have meant that Jess would not have to commute with me every single day, however, if I had a 9 am lecture it means I have to get the train at 7 am and nurseries do not open before 7 am. This would have meant my mum would have had to drop her off which would not have been fair.Also, should Jess become ill it meant that I would have to leave university and have to travel an hour home before I could pick her up this is not something I would have wanted. Looking back and seeing how many times she has been sent home since starting I think she has been sent home around 3 times which could have cause problems should she have been based in Hull.

When I decided that she was going to have to commute to York with me this means me googling nursery because I had no clue where the nursery where and I needed them in the city centre because I needed to be able to drop Jess off easy. I started emailing nursery and could not believe that some of them had huge waiting lists of around 6 months I think I was told.

I found two nurseries which would have been suitable locations I would recommend going to visit them because you can a feel of the nursery make sure go when the children are in as you can see how it is every single day.By visiting them we found that we liked one a lot more than the other due to the fact that in the nursery she is in the under 2's are actually allowed to go and play in their outside session whereas at the other nursery they did not have an outdoor section which means they had to take them on walks to get fresh air and they were not available to play out.  Being able to go outside is something which Jess now loves as you know so this is a huge benefit she can play out.

Another thing which swung it for us it the fact that she actually gets her meals included in the price of a day which may sound really stupid to some people but when you are paying around the £45 mark and it does not include food it meant that it was going to be another £2 for food per day which we was in it means that it soon adds up. For us both of the nurseries which we looked are were going to include wipes however, we have to provide the nappies and any cream which we want to use on Jess. We also have to provide suncream in the summer months as well.

Another factor which put me off the other nursery which we did not choose was that the under 2's would have been upstairs which for some of you may not seem a huge issue but when you do not have a lot of time in a morning.  The last thing you want to have to do is go to another room which is full of children. Also they did not have a separate sleep room which meant that when the nursery put them down to sleep it was basically like putting them on yoga mats which is something which did not please me massively. I love that Jess has a variety of rooms to play in and I always find her in a different one. The staff at the nursery are amazing and help so much like they even said to me that if I didn't want her to make a Father's Day card with Joe been away she could just do a picture.

Hopefully, this post is helped you if you are looking for nursery to send your little one. These are just some things which helped me decide which nursery we sent Jess to and I love our nursery so if your looking for one in the York area let me know and I will tell you which one it is

Do you have any tips for helping choose a nursery?

Charlotte x

Dear Dada- The House of Virus

Dear Dadda

Well, this week has been super eventful after having to run for the train from Nanny's to York literally we got out the lift as the train was coming. Jess decided that she was going to throw up 3 times between Retford and York. I think she knew that she was going to be poorly though because she managed to lean forward avoiding her whole pram and herself and threw up all over the actual train. Sorry, Virgin I did not have anything that she could be sick into.

Due to the fact that Jess was not getting any better, it meant that we had to take a trip to the doctors because she did not want to eat a lot which as you know is not like Jess. She wanted a hell of a lot of cuddles which meant that we couldn't get on with a lot because of fo the fact that I constantly had a Jess attached. During this week I think I watched enough Paw Patrol for a life time no joke I actually think I got sick of it.

Luckily she managed to perk up by the end of the week because at one stage I thought that she would not have been able to go on her holiday which would have been horrible because I know how much your parents no doubt have been looking forward to their time with her.  I really don't know where this week has gone maybe it is because I have been at home all week and been keeping myself busy by doing jobs that I have not had time to do in months. I have even started listing some of Jess's old clothes on eBay because of the fact that she has a lot of clothing which has started not to fit her so I want the room as well as some pennys for all these adventures we might go on this summer if Jess is lucky.

The end of this week was really challenging because as you know I love purchasing Jess clothes so it means that even at the tender age of 1 she has a better wardrobe than her mummy. I struggled to know what to pack for her because I currently don't know what fits her as it has been a while since we have has some nice weather so I found some bits I could pass on to other people.  As well as the fact I do not know what Jess is going to get up to while she is away. Another thing which I struggled with was getting in around 11pm at night on Friday due to the fact we had rugby and then having to be dressed and ready for your parents coming at 9am which they end up turning up late and you know this is something which I hate.

Saturday I ended up chilling with a friend and staying over because why not when you haven't got Jess you can go back to your old lifestyle. Meeting people having takeaway, drinks and late nights.
The next week is going to be hard because it is the longest time that I have gone away from Jess usually I get pictures when she is with you and we know that this is not going to happen.  Let's hope Jess has an amazing holiday and makes some great memories with the grandparents

Love you Dada

From Charlotte & Jess xxxxxx

Dear Dada- I Don't Know About You I'm Feeling 22

Anyone week without you has past woo this means we are another week closer to been able to see each other. Not much has happened this weeks but I am sure as soon as I start writing this loads will have come back to me.
This week has seen me pass 3 exams woo only my manual and exam to pass and I will be a qualified sports massage therapist. Meaning I can go massage at the big sporting events hopefully get to go to the marathon next year and earn some money.  I wish it was as smooth sailing but my client ended up in hospital so I had to massage someone who I had never met before who was high up in uni l.
Jess has been a superstar this week we haven't had that many tantrums. We just get Dada a hell of a lot like Friday she wouldn't believe me you as not hiding in bed when we got to your mums. I think she was dreaming about you as well as she kept crying in her dreams so I might have let her come into our bed. I didn't like how huge that double bed feels without you  I soon regretted it when she was kicking me all night. Damm that girl can fidgit.
As if you wasn't amazing enough buying me an brand new camera for my birthday. Which I told myself I couldn't use till it was my birthday. For anyone who knows cameras he got me the Cannon G7X Mark II which is like gold dust. After a cheeky hint in last weeks post I didn't get one birthday card nope I got two. Yes I did think you would forget loved the ps bit in Jess's. As if that wasn't enough the ballon you see in the picture he also bought me god knows how I'm going to get that back home.
Saturday Jess was convinced still you was in the house we might have had to hunt the whole house to try and find you. All I say is your bloody good at this hide and seek game. While I write this post I'm on the train to Newcastle well you have been gone a while now I need some eye candy it's my birthday after all.  I shouldn't have bothered the team didn't bother to turn up but at least it was a fun day with some amazing cake. For someone who doesn't like cake it was amazing.
Your little princess is off to the zoo near Lincoln today which we found at Easter. Don't worry Nan is going so there will not be a murder sounds like it is going to be an amazing family day and some nice memories may be made. I am sure Jess will love it because we know how much she loves Chester.  Oh talking of our Nan I think she actually loves me I got a granddaughter card see the love is mutual she has adopted me.
I am unsure what we are going to end up doing tomorrow/ today as you read this. I must be crazy I am getting the train at like 9am on a Sunday.  Hopefully we will end up doing something because I have to keep busy now otherwise I might start to miss you.
Jess is only going to nursery 4 days this weeks we have now made Friday a mummy and Jess day. This week she managed a 3 hour morning nap I think this girl is starting to love her sleep again. Taking of that next Saturday sees her go away for a week with your Mum and Dad one whole week away for memories to be made. Saying that they could come later to pick her up they plan on arriving at 9am on a Saturday. Do they not know I like to be lazy one day a week. Gosh it's going to be strange without either of you. Might have to keep even busier to not miss you both I think they are going to Chapel at least they are going somewhere new.
Hope your cold has started to go away. We both miss you so much looking forward to seeing you online soon.

Love from Jess and Charlotte xxxxxx

Top Tips To Deal With Chicken Pox

If you follow me on social media just before Easter Jess got chicken pox.  This is something which she really suffered with as you can tell from the picture above she does not actually look like herself her eyes looks so dark and she looks so out of it. That is apart from been covered in really bad spots as you can see the one near her boob looks really angry I think this was one of the worse ones which she actually got.

During this period of time I when Jess was struggling I was given so much advice on what people to me would help get rid of the pox which is something I needed to do because of the fact that we were going away a few days after the pox came out .I think it was around a week after she got sent home from nursery. I am going to share with you what I found worked when she was struggling.

• Bicarbonate Soda baths this is something which Jess had multiple of during this time. This is supposed to help the healing and stop itching I did not want to use body washes or anything during this time cause I did not want to irritate them you can pick this up down the baking isle in the supermarket.

• Making sure that unless she needed to we kept her out of clothes she had her dressing gown on so that she did not get cold. The reason behind this is I did not want Jess to scratch the scabs as they form when they are healing. I didn't want to prevent the healing stage because we wanted to get her back to full health as soon as possible. 

• Pirition is something else which Jess used because we wanted to stop the itching because I am sure that if we had let her she would scratch them. I think she only got caught scratching a couple of times and I think that this could be a reason why because they were not itching as much.  Children who get chicken pox over the age of one can use this however, you might want to check with a pharmacy before you give your child this product. 

• I was recommended to use calamine lotion but I found it so hard to apply to Jess because it was always cold and she did not want me touching her. Let alone stay still long enough for me to apply it. I actually was lucky to get sent a tube of Care Virasoothe which is a gel that provides cooling and soothing relief reducing the urge to scratch. It also claims that it helps prevent scarring. This is something we loved because Jess allowed us to apply it and actually I think she looked forward to the relief as some of the worst spots were around her nappy area. 

•  Make sure that you have some calpol on hand we found that it was a godsend because it took any of the pain which she may have been in away. Due to the fact that Jess still had chicken pox when she was pretty young, it meant that she could not tell us we only knew she needed some relief when she was piercing screaming.
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• Make sure that your child is getting enough fluids because when you are ill it is easy to become dehydrated. Offer them juice more often than you may normally do because they may not want to eat a lot if they are anything like Jess was when she had them. For sure I had to make sure that she was really drinking a lot more than she would normally do in order to prevent her becoming really poorly

These are my top tips do you have any others to parents who may be dealing with chicken pox?

Charlotte x

This post contains a PR sample however, this does not affect my opinon 

Little Angels Comfort & Protect Nappies Review

A little while ago I was contacted by the lovely PR team who look after Little Angels to see if I wanted to review some of their new comfort and protect nappies. Of course, I did as you may remember I reviewed some of their nappies way back in December, and Jess has also used them all of her life.

Little Angels Comfort and Protect are amazing nappies which provide up to 12 hours dryness which is something which I justify for because overnight Jess can have them on for around 12 hours and she never seems to leak which is amazing as I have heard other people say other brands leak after around 6 hours.

These nappies feel super soft as well which helps because as you may know if you follow me on Instagram Jess has had the chicken pox recently and they were that soft that they did not seem to irritate the pox which is great as I know the smallest thing can irritate them.

As you might see from the picture above there are elasticated leg cuffs which are meant to help prevent leaks as we have mega absorbent gel beads which apparently can absorb their own weight which is amazing because we do not want them to leak. Leaks can actually cause a lot of clothing changes which is not great. I have found that leaks are not common with these nappies they only occur if you let your child drink a lot of fluids or keep them on for longer than 12 hours.

As you know Jess spends a lot of time on the train and this means it can be hard to change her but we have found using these we only have to change them when she is getting soggy and when she has had a poo.

Little angels also have a unique colour coded waistband which allows us, parents, when to move them up as size. When the tab goes to the white area you need to move them up a size which is amazing because I have found without this I would not know when Jess really needed to move up a size so this does help me.

If you used the Little Angels Comfort Dry and Supreme protection nappies these are the ones which are going to replace them so you will need to purchase these instead.

The new Little Angels Comfort & Protect range is available in sizes 3, 4, 4+, 5, 5+, 6, and 6+ and are priced from £3.50 per pack. I love that Jess who is in size 4/4+ she can purchase packs which are 84 which means that I do not have to purchase packs as often and do not have to take them to nursery as often which is great because I am always forgetting them.

Have you tried the Little Angels Nappies?

Charlotte x

This post includes a PR sample however, all views are my own as always 

Tesco Spring/Summer Clothing Haul

I have decided that I am going to share with you today some bits which I got a while ago but I know that these items are still available because they are part of their spring/summer ranges. I hardly ever actually go to Tesco to have a look at their clothing because it now is not somewhere we go to shop if this makes sense.

The first item which I picked up is this pack of 5 trainer socks in these lovely pastel socks which are going to go with some of the other items which are included in this haul. I remembered when I was in Tesco that Jess has some normal socks some of which are getting tight on her feet because she is always growing and then she doesn't own trainer socks when she does actually own a pair of trainers. I love the colours because they remind me of the spring/summer period which we are going into and these were a bargain as I managed to get this pack of 5 for only £3. I am sure that she will be getting plenty of wear out of these in the coming months.

Leggings are something which she owns a fair amount of the reason behind this is because I find them so easy to put on when she is going to nursery as all you need is a nice top. She does have a few pairs in the next size up which is 12-18 months but I saw these pastel ones and was drawn to them for some reason I know that they will go well with some tops which she has in 12-18 months. I am sure that these will get plenty of wear because as I said you can use them for nursery when it is sunny or even when it is raining which is more likely in the UK, In this three pack you got a pair of pink and white stripped ones, a pair of white and a pair of mint ones. For these 3 I only managed to get these for £6 which means that it is only £2 a pair. This means that it does not matter to me as much should these get ruined with paint or something at nursery,

With summer coming up I decided that I would pick up these plain denim shorts I think these are going to be teamed with tights and a top. I can style her like this for both nursery and when we go on family days out. They have elastic in the waist which means that they are going to have room for when she grows without digging in and becoming tight. These shorts were only £6 I have seen similar ones in Gap for £20. Jess already has a couple of pairs of shorts in 9-12 months the size which she is currently in and she seems to love them so I am sure that they are going to get plenty of wear out of these.

The next item I picked was this 3 pack of vest tips which have flowers on the top half I choose these because I found that they are simple enough to wear with leggings which could be classed as busy yet they look amazing even with plain leggings. I love the mint green colour because it is not a colour which you see a lot of girls clothing in. Within this pack there is also a white which is the same design as the mint one on the front. The one on the back is actually a really busy flowery print however, this is going to be one which is amazing with some plain leggings so that it does not clash. This 3 pack was only £7 if it does not get warm enough this summer for short sleeves these can always be teamed with a cardigan.

Can you tell a team when I was shopping I wanted it to be the summer I decided that Jess needed some more of the vest tops these ones are ribbed and they have some amazing lace details on the arms however, apart from that it is plain. I was drawn to the pink and the yellow because these are colours which are not found commonly in Jess's wardrobe.  I will be teaming these with leggings and shorts depending on the temperature again if it is not that warm she can always put a cardigan over these. I could not leave them behind because for the pack of 3 it was only £4 which is a bargain so again I am not bothered should they become ruined at nursery.

Grey is a colour which I love to see Jess in for some reason and I love these skater kind of dresses. I find them so easy because all you need to do is put some tights should it be cold or bare legs if the summer ever come and then you look stylish. Every size Jess has been in I have had to have a couple of these style of dresses they are similar to the ones which you can get from Next. I love the rabbits as I feel like they are grown up because an issue I have found as because she is 1 1/2 she is still in the baby section and they can make her look stupid.  This dress was only £4 as you can see from the picture and I am sure it is going to be one which gets a ton of wear out of. I might have to go back and see if they have anymore like this.

Talking of similar dressed I managed to find this dress which is the same style as the one which I just showed however, this one is pink and floral. As you may know if you know me pink and floral is not something which I would wear myself but it is something which I think suits Jess so well her hair just really goes with light colours of pink. I am hoping these dresses are going to be ones which wash really well because I am sure they are going to be ones which she is constantly wearing as soon as they are out of the wash.

Do you shop in Tesco's for clothing?

Charlotte x

 

Living Arrows #11- Becoming Creative

For Christmas I purchased Jess these bath crayons but we have not used them until recently this means that you can drawn on the bath and even your skin as you can see she has some blue colour on her face. These have seen us have so draw some amazing pictures on the bath this is something which we have has so much fun doing because of the fact that the it allows us to be creative without having to make too much mess which is good because of the fact that I am not a huge fan of mess. When Jess is in the bath she is having so much fun with these I think I might have to purchase more when these break. I think that they are only are around £3 of amazon so it is worth checking out if your looking for these.

This week has been one of the longest for Jess for some reason as you can see this picture is taken of her on the train. She was so tired and usually goes for a nap as you can see she has her really comfy blanket which makes her sleep because of the fact at the moment it means that it gives her some comfort she seems like she is now getting into the teddy bear stage as well because on a night when I go to bed and check on her I have noticed that she is always cuddling her build a bear.  This weekend she has managed to sleep more which means that she is not as tired.

The final picture which I am going to share with you is this one where Jess looks really grumpy I think this she was so grumpy due to the fact that she was so tired and she needed to nap. I love some of the pictures where she actually looks grumpy because it shows to me that I don't only take pictures when she is happy and wanting to remember the amazing times I want to remember all of the times,

Have you done anything amazing this week

Charlotte x

Jess at 18 months

Dear Jess

It's hard to believe that 18 months ago today you was still inside me now you are not a baby you are becoming such an independent little lady. I wish you would slow down because Mummy for one is not ready for all of this you are still my little girl. You have become such a friendly and confident little girl strangers always seem to come up to you which makes you laugh and you want to play peek-a-boo with them,.

You have no trouble when it comes to eating you always manage to steal food off other people and call it sharing. I think we are still yet to find something you don't like there is no calling you a fussy eater.  Banana's, Yogurts, Ice cream and Strawberries seem to be some of your favourite foods at the moment I am sure that it is because it is the spring/summer and these foods are always available.  You are still using your highchair like a big girl and now have mastered using cutlery which shows your growing up even though sometimes you do need reminders.

You are doing so well with your sleep as well you go to bed between 6-7pm later if we are not home yet from York.  You have set this time yourself which is something I wanted you to. You sleep all through the night and then  I have to get to you up at like 5.45am in order to get everything done so we can get on the train.

You have really come on with your speech we have a fair few words now and you have become such a chatterbox. The words you're always saying are:

Stuck- When you have got trapped somewhere and you want someone to rescue you

Dada/ Daddy- Constantly do I hear this when you want Daddy even when he is not there

Shoes-  This occurs when you want to put your shoes on or when you want them off

Jess- Your often caught saying your own name

Mama- That's what you seem to be calling me at the moment

Ook - This is what you say when you see a book

Uck-  This is currently a duck

Yes- I always hear this

Woof Woof- this is when you see a dog and you really do love them,

I am sure these words will develop as you grow we have a fun few weeks planned with a lot of adventures I am sure which we will be sharing with you. I am sure we are going to have an amazing and busy summer. I can not wait for you to watch you grow up.

That's all for now Jess I will write back when your 2

Love From

Mummy x

Living Arrows #10 - Brum Brum

I don't know about you guys but I can not believe how fast this year is going 10 weeks have already flown by and before we know it it will be Christmas. This week I have not been feeling the greatest it is for a couple of reasons but I think that I will share that at another date. We have not done a lot this week because I have been at university and it is getting close to my deadlines which means that I am becoming a little bit stressed. As a treat on Saturday we decided to go for a walk around a local retail park just to make sure that I got some fresh air and then Joe decided that he was going to treat me and Jess to a cheeky Mcdonald's just look at her face how happy she was when she knew that she was going to get some chicken nuggets.

As a result of doing to the shops we ended up locked out because silly mummy forgot to take her keys out which means that we had to wait for either grandad or grandma to come home because of this Jess decided that she was going to try and drive the car for the first time do this is her with her hands on the wheel . For any of you wondering no she does not have the engine on at all so it is safe she could not do anything. She was such a natural she knew were to put her hands straight away I don't know if this is something I should be proud of or something I should be concerned about all the amount of time we spend in the car.

I think that this picture has to be one of my favourites that I have ever taken of Jess because we only pointed at the gear stick and straight away we saw her put her hand and check the road in front. I am sure that once this little girl turns 17 we will not be able to stop her leaning to drive and she might even have her test passed in no time. I say this because I think she is such a natural but I know that only time will tell. I am not wishing her life away

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

Charlotte x

Next March Sale Haul

I know that one of my most viewed posts are when I share what I have purchased clothes for Jess I have a feeling that this is because everyone seems to love baby/toddler clothing.  As I think I have mentioned in previous hauls Jess is not in the clothes which she should be for her age she currently is in 9-12 months even though she is 18 months old.

The first item which I have purchased for Jess is these beautiful coral shorts I am well aware that they look more red on the picture I realise. These I picked up for the bargain price of £3 and I got them in 12-18 months this then means that she will be able to wear them in the summer when it is warm. These will be great for either day when we go out to the park or the beach even nursery because she loves to be outside.

I also purchased another pair of shorts however these one are in a light blue colour which have a little whale on them, The reason why I purchased them is because I know that when the summer months come Jess will need a lot of shorts because she loves been outdoors which means that she needs bottoms which are really practical. These are in the bigger size because of when we want to use them I think they will look beautiful with pattern tops or either really plain ones which could be bright. These again were only £3.

I also purchased some blush jeans which I think look a little bit less harsh than the typical denim jeans in the summer months. These feel a little it think which means that they will be great for the cooler days wich we know we have in the summer months. I am sure these could be dressed up in the summer with means that this could be paired with a really nice top which would be perfect for a family mean as because of the fact that she is doing really well without getting super messy when eating it means that this could be an option. These jeans I think were £10 I am unsure because they no longer have the tag on but these were not a sales purchase but I purchased at the same time as when I picked up my sale items.

This cat Gillet was purchased because Jess loves animals so I thought that it would be perfect for when it is a little bit chilly but you do not want something on your arms,  This is something which is a little bit thick but I am sure this is going to be used a lot in the late summer/autumn because me and Jess do leave the house early in the mornings and this will be perfect for this. I love the mint colour I feel like we should have more baby clothes in this colour because it is one of my favourite for little people. This I picked this again up in 12/18 months so that it is something which will be used in a few months time, I picked this up for the bargain price of £8 instead of £16.

Bottoms are a thing what with Jess I can't seem to get enough of for some reason she seems to always have them changes. I know I said that I preferred the blush jeans that is true but I decided that Jess did need some of the actual denim ones. They are super smart or I think that they are and they can be made really casual if this is something that I want to be able to do. These are the again in the size 12/18 months which means that they will probably last till around the Christmas period if she does not have a growth spurt. Again I think that these were around the £10 mark which for me is not bad for jeans which I know are going to last because they are from Next.

I don't know if these pyjamas may look too festive for people I have purchased these in the size 12/18 weeks I think they may actually be the size above which means that they are going to fit her in the winter months. They are very nice cotton bottoms which are something which I have loads of if I am honest I adore the checked print of these I wish they did the bottoms in my size.  The top is a cream thick and fluffy top on the outside, however, it is a little bit thinner inside which means that she is not going to boil when she is sleeping because Jess is the kind of child who is always really warm if this makes sense. I am unsure on the price of these however, I think that they were close to the £8 mark however, I could be incorrect.

The final item in this haul is something which you may have seen because it is in 9-12 months. It is a beautiful grey stripped tunic/top it has bunny on the front which has rabbits on with butterflies and has a couple of mushrooms on. I picked this top up because it is actually dull as such as it sounds bad but it is not because Jess has some really bright leggings it means that sometimes I want duller tops so that Jess does not look too bright and stand out.  Jess loves this one for some reason maybe because it has animals on and we know that Jess loves them. This top was onlu £4.50 and I think that this is one of  favouite ones in the warerobe at the moment she has been wearing it a lot recently and it's perfect for the spring weather we are having because it is long sleeved which means that she can deal with the chill in the air.
Did you pick any bargins up in the Next sale?

Charlotte x

Living Arrow #9- Time to Dress Up

This week saw us celebrate work book day and due to the fact that Jess goes to nursery we had to get an outfit. With her name been Jess we decided that we was going to send her as Jessie from Toy Story I am unsure if it is actually a book now.  The picture above was taken on the way home from nursery because she was becoming very bored on the train so I had to detract her by using snapchat. So Jessie turned into a bunny which I think is adorable I love how you can see the nose on her ear as well from the filter.

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Living Arrows #8 - Dada Dada

Dada Dada are words which I swear the words which I have heard so much this month no matter what Jess is doing at the moment she seems to always want her Daddy. I think that this is because they are best friends but I know how much it hurts her when he goes away which is something which she is going to have to deal with a lot in the next few months, As you can see from the picture above sleeping seems to make Jess better when she is missing Daddy maybe this is because of the fact that she knows the more she sleeps the quicker she see's him. I swear I end up saying Friday as she sees's him on the weekends because during the week we are so busy. She must really look forward to the weekend so much because she gets to see both her parents which she does do a lot during the week.


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Living Arrows # 7- Radio Silence

Another week has past and shock this is a whole week which Jess has managed in Nursery as you may know if you have been reading my previous weeks she hasn't managed to do many of them since the start of the year. Maybe we are at the end of the bugs we can only hope. This picture which is above is one of my favourites I have taken this week it was taken on Friday when Jess was shouting for Dada. She has not been able to talk to him much this week at all it was not until shortly after this picture she was able to talk to him on Friday which I think made her week.


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Ella's Kitchen- Filling Your Child Up

Breakfast is one of the areas which we kind of struggled a little bit when it came to weaning with Jess. We are lucky because she actually loves to eat fruit, however, when we are going on long days our when we are commuting to nursery I worry that maybe she has not eaten enough and she is actually going to be hungry for the rest of the day. I know mummies are always worrying I could give her toast as well but I do not want to give her too much bread as she has a lot of it at nursery because we have found that she now has a lot of sandwiches and wraps so I do not want to give her too much.

We had tried a range of cow and gate cereal, however, this only goes up to around age 10 months and then they stop I could give her this, however, there is not a lot of different textures and that is still classed as "baby food".  I know some of you may wonder why I don't just give her other children food which is designed for toddlers and old people. The reason behind this is because that these can be high in sugar and salt and these are really not something which I want Jess to be addicted to.
When on the hunt for something which was suitable I for my needs I found Ella's Kitchen have some amazing breakfast food and they soon have become Jess's favourite.  I feel like they only have a range of 3 kinds of cereal due to the fact that I have not seen any others and I have been to a range of supermarkets.

The three which they have are the following the wakey wakey round ones which remind me almost of cheerio's however, they are suitable for little ones these are something which Jess will eat either with milk or without and pick at them like a snack, however, we only give her them at breakfast because she would have them all of the time if she could.

Another product which she loves is the banana and cinnamon muesli which sounds really nice as this is not something we have in adult ranges it is like oats and then has some chunks in it which makes me think of something which I can not think what it is. You can serve this hot or cold so sometimes like when it was super cold in the winter months we did heat it up for Jess and she seems to like it either hot or cold because she is always handing us an empty bowl back.  

The final cereal which we have is the strawberry and raspberry porridge no joke you can actually smell the strawberries in it I wish I could eat it sometimes but I am sure that Jess will moan at me.  These, of course, are something which has to go in the microwave so are great for these colder mornings which we are having. This is porridge is one which is made with milk because this allows you to get milk into your child instead of having to give them in a bottle format or a cup.

I have found this cereal a really good way to fill Jess up when she is having a long day, I do give her some fruit so she can have some otherwise she may get grumpy because she really does love it.  The only thing which I wish that they were a larger range because this would allow us to vary what Jess has for breakfast.

What do you give your child for breakfast?

Charlotte x

George - Character Tee Haul

Does anyone got to the supermarket notice that there is a sale on clothing for me it usually it children's and then end up getting sucked in and having to purchase something if there is anything worth having.  Since having Jess in nursery we have noticed that she can go through sometimes 2/3 tops a day because she can end up getting so messy and then they end up changing her. As a result of this, it means we need a lot of basic and cheap more so because they end up painting multiple times a week now and this can ruin clothing. A couple of weeks ago I popped into Asda and noticed that they were having sale so I picked some up in 1-1/2 years because this is the next size which Jess will be going into one may be the size above this as well so she can grow into it more. 

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Living Arrows #6 - zzzzz Sleeping

This week ended again with Jess been poorly she managed to get her first sickness bug which again resulted in a day off nursery she has only managed to do one full week this year. Jess decided that she wanted a lot of cuddles when she was poorly and this meant that we did no do a lot this weekend because it is what she wanted so the weekend consisted of cuddles and naps. This did mean that we have had to scrap the plans which we kind of made for valentine's however, I am sure that we will end up doing something else at a later date.


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Living Arrows #5- Week of Fake Pox

This week has been one of the toughest as my life as a parent this is because of the fact that Jess got sent home from Nursery on Monday and was not allowed to return and she was fine the next day, She got sent home and we got told we needed to get a doctors appointment for her because she was covered in a rash according to them. When we got her to see a doctor we found that she had an eye and ear infection as well a common cold and Chicken Pox. Yes, she was a walking infection as one of my friends described her.  This meant that she had to spend a bit of time with Daddy because of the fact I still had to attend my lectures but everyone else was at work and of course he is lucky to get time off when Jess is sick and need looking after.  Would you believe the fact this picture above is taken a day after she got this diagnosis she does look a little poorly but I think in total she managed to get about 5 spots so we are unsure if it was actually chicken pox or if it was a viral infection.


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What We Did in January

I have decided that I am going to share with you hopefully every single month a reflection of the month and sharing with you what we have been up to. The reason behind doing this is because I love been able to look back and seeing what we were doing at a certain period of time. It also allows family who may not see Jess a lot to see what she has been up to as we can forget what we have been doing when we have not seen them for a long time.


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