Dreaming of A Jet Plane

I am sure that I am not alone when I say I am sat dreaming of hotter climates while I spend a lot of time on the commute because as all know January is a month where most of us travel when it is dark in the morning and arrive home when it is again dark. Without factoring in the weather, we have had snow, ice and rain already this month. Some of us can not wait to have some sun on our backs in the summer in the UK is not guaranteed, and it seems months till people jet off on their summer holidays. Why should you have to wait that long when your children's have a break from school next month in February or are you lucky like us and are not tied down to school holidays yet.

I am dreaming of jetting off on my a holiday soon because it is dark as I have mentioned when I am commuting it is always dark which never makes you feel amazing. I have a hell of a lot of work which is causing me stress because as some of you know, I am only around 4 months away from completing my degree. I feel like being able to spend a week with Jess and having a lot of quality time would make me feel less stressed and I could always work when she is sleeping on a night.  I also need to make sure I take a break because otherwise, I will become ill when I finish because the amount of stress will come down fast. This is something which happened at Christmas which is never good because it almost ruined quality family time which is never good and increase my mum guilt. 

It was not until I actually thought about it we have not been on a family holiday as a family of 3. The first summer Jess was born we went to Norfolk with Joes's parents so even though this was a holiday it was not a pure family holiday. Then last year because Joe was deployed we did not actually have a family holiday this is something which I really want to change very soon. I feel like we would have a lot of family time which would create some amazing memories which we could treasure for the rest of our lives.  Of course, this would be Jess's first time on a plane and I have not been on a plane for over 5 years which is not great when you love to travel and explore new places. 

Just because it is February does not mean that you have to travel hours on a plane to somewhere like the Carribean for hot weather which you might not want to if you have young children. This for sure is not something which I would want to do with Jess yet because I know she would not sit for that long.  You do not have to break the bank either February half term holidays deals can be found I found a holiday to Crete for only £123pp with the weather likely to be double the temperature of the of the UK. I think that travelling in February/March time is a good time to travel as it will not be as busy as in the summer which may night suit you should you have young children like Jess.  Also, it will not be too hot which could be a problem should you go in the height of the summer.

Have you ever travelled in a half term?

Charlotte xxx

This post is sponsered by Holiday Gems

5 Money Saving Tips Online Shopping

I know that when you are thinking about saving money you are trying not to so be a lot however we all know that we have to spend money. Whether it be gifts which you need for people such as people having birthdays or items which you need to replace.

I am for one a person who prefers to shop online because it does mean that I don't have to interact with humans and I can do it in the comfort of my own house. Of course there is a lot more temptation to spend more money when you are shopping online the reason behind this is because you do get a lot of emails when sales are on and you might be tempted to shop online. However you might know the sale was on without this so today I am going to share with you 5 money saving tips for when you are shopping online. 

The first one is use sites which as quidco which is a cashback site there is also top cashback. I personally have only used quidco and in the past year I think I have had over £100 back on purchases which I have made and would have made anyway. I use google chrome web browser and have been able to add it so that when I go to a site which quidco gives cashback on it tells you so that you do not miss out on the cashback. It is amazing to see how much money you can get back I even got some money back from car insurance and hotels it doesn't have to just be normal shopping which you can get cashback on.

Click and collect is something which saves my life because of the fact that I am never at home to get the deliveries. A lot of websites do actually charge you to have items deliveried as well however if you have a store close you might be better if clicking and collecting the item most stores do this so you still can shop in your pyjamas if you would like to. I did the majority of my Christmas shopping this year and never had a bad experience. Most websites charge around £3.95 however it might be cheaper for you to click and collect over the year you could save a fair amount of money. It is actually sometime in quicker for you to get things via click and collect I know Debenhams is one of these sites where you can get it in store within 24-48 hours for free however you would have to pay extra to get the item that quickly. 

Check returns policy's before you purchase recently I gave noticed a number of the clothing sites which I have been using charge for returns. This is something you might want to be aware of because if you are like me you might order things in a couple of sizes because you do not know which one is going to fit. However if it is charging you to return it is something to be aware because it may not be as cheap as you think for example if the item is in the sale it might be more expensive than you would have paid. I know sites like misguided used to charge £4 returns I do not know if they still do this but it does put me off ordering sites like this because it can be costing me to try clothes on which I could not actually try on in a store.

Avast safeprice tool bar is something which Joe told me about list before Christmas this is a tool bar for your computer which tells you if a product you are looking at is cheaper on another website. This is so useful because who doesn't want to save money on a product that they are going to purchase anyway. I actually found Jess's new pram £20 cheaper than I was going to pay thanks to this toolbar I just googled avest safeprice in order to be able to install this. This is something which I could see myself using a lot and saving even more money which is always looking at items. They sometimes are for sale cheaper on sites which you would not have thought of using for example the pram was in symths toy store not a place which I would have thought sold actual pushchairs. This is a free toolbar so why not go install it now.

The final tip is a page which I got recommended by someone it is a page on Facebook called Present Hunter.This is a page which shares offers and deals for all kind of items I have purchased a lot using these deals for example I got a desk light on Amazon which was £35 but I got it for £3.99 which is amazing thanks to this site. This is something which we needed and may have purchased anyway they also purchase misprice items which usually is on Amazon and only last for a short period of time. This page I know is going to be really handy when we are looking for household items. They have posts such as clothing both for children and adults at the moment they keep posting character Pyjamas for children for only £6 from places such as Tesco. 

How do you save money when your shopping online? 

Charlotte xx

Commuting With A Toddler

For most people this week will have seen them getting back into their routine which means that everyone has to be a little bit more organised as we all have to be out of the door with our children at some crazy early time. As some of you may know if you have read my blog for a long, you will know that I go to university an hour away from my house and commute on the train. This is something which common for some people because house prices are so high in York that it is cheaper for a lot of people to commute into the city.

Something which may shock you I take my two-year-old Jess on the commute as well the reasoning behind this is because I have lectures which start at 9 am and currently have to get the train around 6.30-7.20am depending on which station I get on at. If you have children who go to a private nursery, you may know that you can struggle to find one which is open before 7 am I think the ones around here there is only one of them which I know about. Another factor is that I can have lectures until past 5 pm and would have to ask a member of my family to pick her up which would make me feel like I was not part of her nursery experience. Whereas at the moment I can pick her up most nights and her Daddy works in York so can pick her up if I am unable to due to finishing too late.  

Of course, taking your toddler on the commute comes with challenges, of course, one of the first ones is that you have to make sure that she is ready in the morning which can be hard when she wants to stay at home and play with toys. Instead of getting ready for nursery which is not going to arrive at for a couple of hours but I think at the moment she is pleased to do it because they have a lot more toys there that I can ever give her at home. I know this is something which could change because at the moment loves going to nursery but over the summer when Daddy was away this is something which she struggled with.

Regarding being able to keep her entertained while she is on the train of course when it is bright which at the moment is it not very often, we can play games like what can we see outside the windows. We are lucky there are some different places which have animals on the side of the tracks so we know where to look for horses, sheep and chickens this is a game which Jess loves to play. Of course because some of the year like at the moment when we get on the train it is dark and this is not a game we can play we play peek a boo where she throws a blanket over her head and pretends that’s she can not see me which is always a fun game.Sometimes this can go on for the whole hour, and we have even had people who sit next to us join in.

Since she has gone upstairs into the big room singing is something which they do a lot more of so, of course, we have to have renditions of songs such as the wheels on the bus and old MacDonald. She does seem to get very annoyed if I get the words wrong I love been able to watch her grow up and learn more new songs some which I am surprised she can sing as they are complicated. Once she even got a random lady who was sat a few rows behind us kept joining in on the songs. 

Apps are another great way to keep her entertained at the moment she is still really enjoying playing on the Appelsin Town app which I reviewed way back in the summer. She has now learnt how to do more things on the app which means she is enjoying it a hell of a lot more than she was previously. I am always looking for apps which are educational for her I have an iPhone so it does mean that she can play on my iPad which means she does not drain my battery or use my data because for sure I know she would try and get on youtube or Netflix and watch either Peppa or paw patrol.

Do you commute with your toddler or frequently do train journey's how do you keep them entertained.

Charlotte xx

18 Goals For 2018

January is a month when I like to start planning what I want to achieve in the upcoming year and it give me a complete year to be able to smash the goals which I have set. I do like sometimes changing and updating my goals throughout the year when I have managed to achieve them.

I was tagged by the lovely Sabrina from The Mummy Stylist to write my 18 goals for 2018. I have done them in no order these are just all random things which I would love to complete this year

1. Complete my undergrad degree

In the summer I finish my degree I think my final hand in will be around May time so at the moment I really need to put all of my effort in to completing my work to the highest standard. This is in order to come out with the classification I want to and then this may allow me to complete a masters.

2. Apply for a physio masters

Continuing my studies is something which I want to do I feel like my time of studying is not over yet and would love to get the grades and experience in order to be able to continue and study physiotherapy I would love to stay at York St John which is where I am currently studying. I would not be starting this till January 2019 because of how the academic year goes for this programme but I would love to be able to apply for it this year.

3.  Attempt Trailwalker 2018

If you have not seen my latest post you may not know about this I am taking part in trailwalker 2018 which is a challenge to walk 100km over a 30 hour period over the South Downs. I will be doing this the 13-15^th July. I am not going to say that I want to finish it because I do not know if this is achievable for me but I am going to attempt to be able to do this.

4. Purchase a house

Living together as a family of 3 is something which we never have been able to do at them moment we are currently saving to purchase a house. We have enough money for a deposit on a house and have been to the banks to speak about mortgages however, it will not be till the summer months which we actually fully look and hopefully get the keys to our own place this is something which we have been dreaming of for a long time and it might become possible this year.

5. Improve my photography

I am happy how much I learnt using my Cannon G7X Mark II however, I would love to learn more and maybe actually not have to shoot everything on the manual mode I know there are classes which you can take. This is something which I may look into in the future when I have a bit more time as I love taking pictures.

6. Print more pictures

Printing off pictures is something which I need to do more of because of the fact that I know I actually do like looking back at pictures from my childhood however, I feel like this is going to be something which we will not be able to do with Jess if I keep not printing pictures. A couple of weeks ago I managed to get a beautiful photo album from Paperchase and would love to have one of every year of her life this is something which I could start now before she gets too old and it is too much work to start.

7. Be more organised blogging wise

There was a stage where I would be a couple of weeks ahead on my blog posts which meant that I had some posts in reserve should I become really busy and not have time to write however, this is something which tapered off towards the end of the year. I need to get back organised I now have a blogging planner which is from Dot Creates and I know that with my dissertation coming up on me I need to be more organised so that my blog does not go dead during my busy uni months.

8. Go out everyday

I will admit there is some days where I do not actually leave the house usually one day in the weekend I will have a day where I do not end up leaving. This is something which I want to change because I feel like I need to get my steps up in order to be able to do trailwalker as well as been in the outdoors does make me feel better even if it is only for a period of a half an hour I will feel better by been out.

9.  Drink more water

I need to drink more water because this is going to help me feel better as drinking is supposed to make you have more energy because of the fact you are not dehydrated this might mean that I do actually get more work done in a day which means that I will not have to work as much on a night and I can do blog things then. I have a hydrate8 from home bargains which was only £2.50 in order to improve my water intake.

10.  Make time for me

This may sound a really strange on to some people but I am constantly on the go I sometimes need to make sure that I do make enough time for myself. I am determined to give myself an hour a week at least where I do something just for me this could be something stupid like taking a bath or painting my nails which is something I love to do but rarely have the time to do at the moment.

11. Explore New Places

Whether it be days out with Jess to places that we have never been or whether it is weekends away exploring is something which I would love to do more of this year. For example despite living in Hull I have not been to The Deep and this is something which I would love to change this year there is also places like the Chocolate Story in York which I would love to visit this year.

12. Save Money

Saving is something which I am addicted to doing at the moment this could be due to the fact that I know that moving house is going to cost a hell of a lot on top of the deposit but saving as much money as I can and making sure that we have money for furniture and this like that is important to me because I want this house to be a home and somewhere where Jess is really happy because it is going to be the first time she has her own room.

13. Be more body confident

This is something which I have struggled with since having Jess for some reason I have not been very proud of my body and I love to keep it hidden within baggy clothing because I am ashamed of it for some reason. I have gained around 10kg in pregnancy and since having her this is something which I would love to lose but at the moment I will take just been more positive and actually liking my body

14. Read more books

I think in the whole of last year I actually only managed to complete 3-4 books which is something which makes me sad because reading is something which I used to do for pleasure however, in the last few years this is something which I have neglected. I am not going to put a number on the amount I want to finish this year however, I would like it to be more than the number I completed last year.

15. Work with more amazing brands

I would love to work with more amazing brands on my blog in the last couple of years I have been able to work with some pretty amazing brands of course there is plenty more who I would love to work with in the future as well as some who I have worked with in the past who I would love to work with again. I don’t have a number of brands I want to work with this year however, as long as the fit is right for both of us it could happen. I already have a few in the pipeline.

16. Gain Work Experience

In order to be able to apply for my masters is does mean that I have to gain work experience shadowing a physio this is something which I am going to have to do this year at the moment been able to find someone who is willing to do this is not easy however, I am sure if I set my mind to it I will find someone who will allow this.

17. Attend more blogging events

I think in the whole of 2017 I ended up attending 2 I would love to be able to attend more even though I get super nervous before attending I feel like they are a great way to meet fellow bloggers. There are a number who I would love to be able to meet this year maybe if I am in their area I should get the confidence to ask if they are free to meet up.

18. To be healthy

I am not going to say I want to lose any weight that would be nice however, I will say I want to feel a bit fitter than I already do because sometimes I feel like I am just fat so I want to cut down the amount of fizzy drinks that I consume because I know this is not doing me any good as well as I would love to up the amount of fruit I consume.

What are your 2018 goals?

Charlotte x

Blogging Goals 2018

How is it already 2018 it only seems like it was a couple of weeks ago when I was writing my goals post which I hoped to achieve within 2017. Today I am going to share with you the goals which I want to achieve within this year there are some which are blogging related and then in the next few days I am going to share with the lifestyle ones which I want to achieve this year.

I would love to work with some more brands this year I do have a list of brands which I would love to work with this year however, this is not something which I am going to share for now but of course should I end up working with any brand this year you guys will be one of the first to know. Last year you may know I managed to work with some amazing brands and make some great contacts who I may connect and collaborate again with this year.

I would love to improve my photography skills because as the time goes on taking photos of Jess is something which I want to do even more of because she is growing up so fast which is not something which I am actually loving at them moment. As you can imagine because she is an active toddler she does not want to stay still and pose for me and I do not want to force Jess to do things which she does not want to do.  I am sure looking back at pictures of herself is going to be something which Jess will love to do.

Growing my blog is something which I really want to be able to do this year because of the fact that if I am able to continue writing posts of course even if it is just one more person reading my blog it will mean so much. I apricate every single one of you that take the time out of your busy lives to read my little blog.

I also would love to be able to grow my social media because of the fact that I would love to be able to interact with more of you this then allows you to feel like you know me more on a personal level. It also allows you to tell me what you actually want to read on my blog because what is the point of creating content that nobody wants to see. I currently have around 1400 followers on twitter which is something which I would love to increase to around the 2000 mark by the end of the year. This is something which I could do should I actually interact a hell of a lot more this was my goal for the year of 2017 but I did not manage to achieve it.

I have decided that posting on Instagram stories a lot more is something which I want to do because of the fact that I would love to be able to create youtube videos however, I know I do not have the time to edit these videos at the moment so creating stories is something which I would love to do. I feel like this is a great way to be able to interact with people who follow me. I really would love to be able to achieve my goal of hitting 1000 followers this year and have found when I post more on my stories that the number of followers does actually increase. I think that I have not set this target too high and it is actually achieveable this year if you do not already follow me it is @cuposfcharlotte on both Instagram, facebook and twitter.

Do you have any blogging goals for the year?

Charlotte x

A Review of 2017

As we approach the end of 2017 I thought I would reflect on the year as a whole this year has had something which has had a number of highs as well as a couple of lows which is not something which I have shared a lot of on my blog. This is not even a post I know that I am going to post for all I know I might bottle it and this ends up sitting in my drafts and this something which you never end up reading which is something I have done with a few posts recently.

At the start of the year it saw us lose someone who meant so much to use as a family she has been ill for a short while however, had been unable to communicate with us for a few years now, however, she meant so much to use and I am glad that she meant to meet Jess. When Jess went to visit her face always lit up and she laughed which is something I took to heart.  I am glad to say that she did have a very long and happy life I hope she has found peace and is happy up there and is watching down on us and my little family.

Very early on in the year, I managed to smash my Facebook page target which I had set up only a couple of weeks before this mean so much to me because I did not know that, so many people would want to follow me. It still amazes me that people want to follow me and my really boring life. It does mean so much to me and I hope you all know how special you are to me.

When the weather becomes warmer we actually managed to explore and take trips to the park as a family which is something which I loved to be able to do and can not wait till the weather is a little bit nicer and we can do it again. It is currently a currently a little bit cold to be at the park even if te ends up wrapping up. For sure in the next few weeks, we will be heading to the park because it is something which Jess loves doing and it burns so much energy which is amazing because she is a fireball of energy all of the time.

2017 saw us explore a few more places we went over to Chester for the first time since Jess was born of course we had to take her to the zoo because she does love animals. It is amazing that she can get her fix by watching the show the secret live at the zoo which is something which she loves to do. The zoo is somewhere which I would love to take another trip too this year when the weather is a bit warmer than it currently is. I can’t wait till they are on summer opening times which means that we can spend the whole day there.

While on the trip to Chester we also managed to pop into Liverpool which is home to Mattel play which of course is somewhere which we had to make a trip to. This is something which I have done a blog post on if you want more information, however, this is a place where I might have to go to again because Jess has massively got more into fireman Sam since our visit. I now need to research whether there is a paw patrol world or something similar as this is for sure something which she would love to go to.

Travelling on trains is something which has occurred a lot during 2017 as the fact I have been completing even more of my degree which is scary because I only have a couple of months left now which scares normal people let alone someone who has been studying for their degree since 2013/ I now need to be able to get some work experience  which might help me be able to get on my masters. I actually want to continue my studies and do a master in physiotherapy this hopefully will be in York as well because it is a city which has my heart at the moment. This year has actually been special because it has meant I passed my sports massage course which meant that I am qualified to give sports massages which is something I am thinking of doing in the time between obtaining my degree and starting on my masters as there is a period of 6 months where I will still need to be earning.

This year has also seen us complete our first deployment as Daddy went away in May and did not return until November. Which of course was a challenge I am lucky that I had a lot of support from my family which meant that it went pretty easy. Jess was amazing throughout because you do not know how much it actually affected her because her Daddy was away it did make her very clingy because she was scared that I was going to leave her as well. Hopefully, this year does mean that it does see us been able to have a whole year as a family even though we know there is going to be some exercises hopefully there will not be a long deployment like last year.

Joe did manage to actually come home for Jess’s birthday which of course was special I think this might have meant more to her than actually getting her presents. We managed to get a day out for her actual birthday we went to Yorkshire Wildlife Park we adored it because there are animals and there is also Polar bears which is not something which you see a lot of within the UK.  I think this is going to be a place which we end up having to go to again within the next few months and it is not actually very far from where we live an hour ago from it.

We have managed to have a fair few normal days which is good because when you are constantly on the go like us you sometimes need to take a break because otherwise, I find this is when you actually become ill. I have found that during this Christmas break I have managed to become ill a couple of times which is never good I think this is one of the reasons why I need to take more breaks. Maybe I should start watching a series and then this may mean that I have something to binge watch.

Thank you for following our journey in 2017  I hope you follow along with us in 2018 as we have a lot of exciting things coming up which are already planned and I am sure there is going to be a lot more in the pipeline.

What did you do this year?

Charlotte x

Tips For Dealing With Nappy Rash

It is horrible seeing your child have sore bum because you know how painful it would be if it were to happen to yourself. Today I am going to share with you some of the tips which I have done in order to help prevent her from suffering from a nappy rash and also what I do when she does actually get in because you can do everything to avoid it, however, sometimes this is not enough.

The first tip is to make sure that you change their nappy regular this might sound silly, but as they become older and closer to potty training when they are not filling nappy’s as often, this can become something which you can actually forget. It is recommended that you change either nappy every 3-4 hours which they are wake, of course, the last thing you want to do is to wake a small sleeping child.  Of course, should your child have a dirty nappy or have a full nappy you will need to change it and this could be more often than the recommended time. I will sometimes admit when I am busy whether it is commuting or on a busy day out I forget that she needs to be changed this often. At the moment we are potty training which means that she is not going in nappies as often which keeps them cleaner.

Make sure you get fragrance free baby wipes because adding too much fragrance to a babies bum can cause them irritation which is never good and can be a cause of nappy rash. It is recommended that you do not use too many baby wipes, however, keep their bum as clean and hygienic as possible. I use a mixture of brands ranging from Pampers, Huggies to ever supermarkets own brand and am yet to find a brand which has made her bum sore I would recommend all the ones which I have listed above.  I wipe at every change and of course when it is a dirty nappy I have to use more than one. It is recommended that you do use water and cotton wool but as we all know this is not convenient when you are on days out or change nappies where there may not be running water . For example I change Jess in the front room and would have to make trips to the kitchen while she would be laid on the changing mat.

I try and allow Jess to have some time when she is sore when she does not have to wear a nappy as this can make it worse. I know it is not always possible but letting her even 5-10 minutes per day when she has no nappy on can give her massive benefits when she is struggling with nappy rash,. Since we are doing potty training at the moment it does mean that we can actually give her a little bit longer because of the fact she usually tells us when we need to put her on the potty.

Finally I would recommend getting some kind of barrier cream such as sudacream or bepanthen  I have used both of these creams which have worked wonders when I think Jess if coming out with some nappy rash. I have been known to apply it when she is not even suffering with in order to keep her bum in the best condition which I can.  You can actually purchase everything you need in order to treat nappy rash from this section of Chemist4U- Nappy rash products

What are your top tips for avoiding nappy rash?

Charlotte xx

This post is in collabration with Chemist4U howver, all words are my own like always 

Give The Gift Of Prestige Flowers

Don't panic if you still have not found the perfect gift for that special someone in your life. I might be able to help you there because today I am going to share with you a website which delivers fresh flowers to your loved ones they are great because if you are like us and have loved ones who we do not see on the big occasions such as birthday's, anniversaries and Christmas until after the occasion sometimes it can be weeks or months after when we see them. However, sending them flowers which will arrive on the special day or as close as you would like to is amazing they even deliver on a Sunday.

I was sent a medium bouquet of flowers from Prestige flowers they are the pure delight bouquet which you can find here. They are £30 for the size which I was sent and due to the fact that it is close to Christmas, they have sprayed the leaves gold which I think is an amazing touch to make it a little bit more festive and brighten up a home as it is something different to what you normally see. Within this bouquet, you get lilies which for me still arrived in bud and have later flowered meaning I got more pleasure from them they also have avalanche roses and yellow carnations with solidago and pistacia.

Once I unwrapped this amazing bunch of flowers which actually came with a glass vase which I know is an added extra, however, they are the perfect for the size of the bouquet which you get because for one I know there is nothing worse than having to spilt a bouquet into two different vases because of the fact that you do not have one large enough. It is recommended that you top up the water every single day which if you do like I have has seen me have these flowers for way over a couple of weeks now and some of them look still as new as the day we received them. Which is great if you are sending them for a present because you want them to last as long as possible. 

Another element which makes prestige flowers stand out is the fact instead of been a company which charge you extra for chocolates which is usually a price but nice extra. When you order from this company you do actually get them for free which is something which I like because of the fact I think this is a nice extra touch and this does mean it does look like you have spent more money than you actually have on the gift. 

The flowers come in with water wrapped around them which mean that they are not going to dry out while in transit to you or who you have sent the gift to. This means that they should be the same quality flowers when they leave the company as when you receive them which is always a bonus. 

This is for sure a company which I am going to be using in the future. What company do you use should you need to send flowers to a relative/friend who lives a fair distance from yourself?

Charlotte x

These flowers were sent to me in return for a review, however, all thoughts and words are my  own 

5 Areas to Declutter This Festive Season

This time of year everybody seems to be trying to make more room because we know that most of us, if you are anything like us, do not have a lot of space for the impending gifts which will be received no doubt at Christmas by Jess. Over the last few weeks, it may even be months I have been trying to make more room by getting rid of items which she no longer wants or needs. I am not trying to be minimal at all because I know I could get rid of more and this is something which I plan on doing before the festive period is upon us.

The first thing which I have done is made sure that I completely emptied her toy box as you can see it is actually still pretty full and I wish it still looked as neat as it did this day. When I had all of her toys out I took out some items which I knew that she no longer played with and hadn't do so for a period of a few months. I actually took them to the charity shop in order for someone else to get some more use and love out of them I think I removed at least 5 cuddly toys. In doing this it allows her to play with toys which she may not have seen for a while and also allows you to give toys a trail so if for example she does not reach for some of them in the next few weeks I will be removing them from her toy box and getting rid of them.

DVD's are something which I had a fair few of, however, now in the age of being able to stream a film on sites such as Netflix and Amazon both which I have subscriptions too. I found myself no longer reaching for my physical copies. I am sure that there is many of you like this and complain that you do not have a lot of space. If you do not use them what is the point of having them. I did actually keep some like box sets and a couple of films which I may find hard to find online. However, I think I managed to get rid of something like 16 DVD's all which were taking up space for no reason and have not been touched since before Jess was born. You could sell them on sites like Music Magpie I know this is what Joe did when he got rid of most of his collection.

Clothes are another area which no doubt if you are a little bit like my family an area which you can declutter. I still have things which I have not worn since having Jess which I now no longer like so I have bagged them up and sent them to the charity shop I know this is something which I should do more often because I have way too many clothes which I no longer wear and then wonder why I have no space at all. Since the weather has changed why not got through your winter clothing and get rid of bits which either no longer fit you or that you don't like who knows you might earn something on Ebay for your troubles.

Decorations these are not something which we as a little family have a lot of but every year when my Mum gets the decorations out there are always a few which she is like oh gosh I do not know why we actually kept that one. Usually, the reason she is staying this is due to it been past its best so this year before you put the decorations back in the loft the ones which you are not using why not check if they are still in a good condition or if you still like them because if the answer is you do not like them why not declutter them and make some precious loft space again. I know this is something which I will be doing most years when we get our own house together.

Gifts you do not want that are still in the packaging I am sure there is a few of those sitting around in your house. Either ones which you have been gifted or ones which you have purchased for other people and then for some reason never ended up giving them. This is something which I have done in the past and it means that you can save some money which is something which I feel like people want to do this a lot if this time of year. I have once it with beauty products which I have not loved for it sample I have split them and given them to multiple people because I know that I would never actually use them. Make sure that you do not regift to the person who you gave you it because I feel like they might actually realise what you have done.

What areas are you looking to declutter before the festive season is completely upon us?

Charlotte xx. 

Cheesy Bacon & Mushroom Pasta Bake Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I actually was cooking for my brother and Jess one Saturday night and of course, they are both people who love pasta and cheese so of course I have to use these items so this when I decided to create a cheesy bacon mushroom pasta bake. This is something which would keep us warm on a cold autumnal night because after all it is something which felt super hearty and that is always something which you want at this time of year.  So today I thought I would share with you the recipe and pictures so that you can make it yourself. 

The ingredients for this recipe is:

5-6 White Mushrooms

6 Slices of Bacon

Cheese

200g Pasta

A Jar of pasta bake source

Water

A shallow ovenproof dish

Pan

The first step I did was cut the bacon and I had to cut the fat off the bacon because this is something which I can not stand. Of course, I had to make sure that the bacon chunks were not too big because I was feeding a toddler and sometimes she decided that she does not want to chew food up even though she really should. I fried it till it looked like it was all cooked it doesn't matter if it not fully cooked as it will go in the oven later. 

What are your favourite recipes to cook in the autumn/winter months let me know. As cooking is something I want to do more.

Charlotte xxx

I then stir in and made sure that it all of the pasta was covered because this is what is going to give it the flavour. It is at this stage I added the mushrooms which have been washed and sliced you could actually purchase them this way if you wanted to. I think I added about 5-6 mushrooms into my recipe. I also added the bacon I forgot to take a picture when I had added the bacon but this is when I did this. I put it on gas mark 5 I think it is for 25 minutes

 

This is a picture of the pasta bake at halfway you need to remove this from the oven after 25 minutes this is the stage where you need to make sure that you stir it. Make sure that the pasta is all over covered in the sauce and if you want the cheese to add this to the top. Of course, I had to add a ton of cheese because these people are cheese fiends Jess would have it all the time if she could. You need to then put it back into the oven for another 20 minutes.

And this was the finished article I promise it did look a lot nicer than it actually it looked. This was something which I think Jess enjoyed because she asked for more and this must mean that she really enjoyed it. For sure this is something which I would cook again even though it takes 45 mins plus prep time. It might have to be something which I would cook when we were having a couple day at home.

What are your favourite items to cook in the autumn/winter months because cooking is something which I want to do more and hopefully get Jess involved in the future. Please leave your recipes links in the comments.

Charlotte xx

Dear Dada- It's Over

Dear Dada

Wow look how much I have changed in the last 6 months you have been away. I know you will feel guilty because you feel like you have been missing out on so much of my life but you really haven't don't worry. We can make a lot of memories now you have been back, and you have my weekly updates to look back on. Don't worry now I will hand Mummy her laptop back after this update, and I can go back to colouring like a good girl.

The last 6 months have been so strange without you because I had got used to seeing you so much, and then I had to go an extended period of time without. The only contact we have really had in all of this time is skype once a week, and you know how sometimes I get too excited and do not want to talk to you. I love being crazy with you I am sure this is something which is going to happen which is going to happen more because we have a lot of making up to do. I know you love me so much and will not mind me been crazy. In the past 6 months, I have done a hell of a lot of fun things, I have had many dressing up days, a few family BBQs, I have had day's out to the park and a couple of trips to see animals. I have been such a big girl and the dummy has now gone forever because I do not need it anymore, I have even moved upstairs at nursery.

I have been on hundreds of trains since you left shock horror I have been going on the bus a few times which is nice because I never seem to go on them. I have eaten a few meals out because I am a spoilt little princess and been such a good girl and I couldn't have done it all without Mummy and my grandparents. They have allowed Mummy to have a break when she needs it because you know I can be a handful sometimes which is never good. Grandma had been like a second mummy to me because I know solo parenting must be super hard on top everything else she has to do which is never great.

I have had a couple of visits to see the other set of grandparents and spent two whole weeks with them which is nice and cause they remind me of you. I am sure we will be seeing them a little bit more now that you are home. Now Mummy does not have to be as strong because she has someone on hand to help parent with me when I am crazy, or I am throwing a tantrum. I am sure you can not wait, and because Mummy should be a lot less stressed now, we might get to explore more on the weekends no doubt after Christmas because we will be so busy. I have to start behaving because I know you will end up spoiling me even more if I do and Santa is coming very soon.

I can not wait to give you a huge hug and kiss when I see you tonight because I missed you so much it has been two whole months since I last saw you can you believe. I love you so much Daddy you are not going to be allowed out of my site for days don't worry about it.

See you very soon Daddy.

Love from Jess xxxxxxxx

Dear Dada- The week of Charity

Dear Dada

So another we passes and we are now only 3 days away from your return. Not that we believe it till you actually get on that plane we are not actually getting our hopes up that you will be back on Wednesday. Even I keep saying it's 10 days till your back so maybe I know something that you don't.
This week has been a strange one mummy has the week off however that did not mean a week of lounging around in our Pyjamas and watching paw patrol or whatever else I can force her to watch on nick jr. Nope we headed off to York for 4 days so that mummy could smash some more of this work that she seems to have stacks of at the moment. I swear she must be miles ahead of anyone else
students are meant to be hungover and party animals right I don't think mummy is that anymore.

This week saw me take a lot of things which we no longer wanted to nusury for the shoebox appeal. I know I am a very lucky girl to have so many toys and nice things and some children have nothing I donated some brand new tights, socks even hundreds of pencils so that they can draw pictures like me. I have been told if I keep doing nice things like this that if I am lucky I might get some Christmas presents.

Thursday was a day which I helped Mummy we stayed at home all day. I didn't even get out of my pajamas and we cleaned the worst room in the house. A teenage boys room we uncovered so many gems even a peppa pig cuddly toy that mummy got for her 18th birthday which I have now claimed. While sorting out we managed to find a lot of things which we didn't need anymore so we put them in a bag for for the charity shop and on Saturday took 3 bags full of donations to help raise even more funds. This included things such as DVDs and books but mummy still has about 200 books to read so don't worry we will still be needing a good bookshelf when/if we get a house.

Friday saw me do something else charitable it was Children In Need. Of course, this is another excuse for me to dress up at nursery this year I rocked a pudsey Tshirt and dotty skirt which you saw in a haul a week ago and the pudsey bow. Of course I smashed it and nursery couldn't believe how good I looked of course I couldn't have done it without mummy we know she puts together my outfits.

This weekend we have had a pretty chilled one to be honest we took the charity items on Saturday which gave us a walk. On the evening I watched my first film on Netflix I watched the postman pat movie. I haven't seen pat much before but I loved the film even though the cat is called Jess and is a boy what's that all about. Sundays at the moment are a pretty chilled day of course I had my standard bath so I am clean for the start of the week. Mummy ordered a few more Christmas presents gosh she is smashing it not many more I think and she will be done even though she says she hasn't bought me anything yet.

Anyway Daddy I better go before mummy catches me using her laptop. I love you and hopefully will see you very soon.

Love your princess Jess xxxxxxx

Dreaming of Winter Sun

This week I have been lucky enough to have a week of university so you would think that I have been doing fantastic days out maybe even taken a trip on a plane to somewhere warm. No instead I have been cooped up in the library trying to get ahead on assignments to take a little bit of a break for Christmas to enjoy it with friends and family and not be as stressed out as usual. I hopefully will be able to study a little bit less when Joe comes home next week you have him to thank for the amazing picture in this post. I am not jealous at all he got to meet penguins. My parents have also just returned from a week away in Lanzarote, and they have come back so suntanned I look like I don't belong in their family. It's hard to believe as a child who travelled abroad so much every single year I was lucky to be jetting off to a warmer climate it had been 7 years I think now since I left the UK.

This is something for sure I want to change next year I would love to be able to take Jess on her first holiday abroad and feel some of the  Sun on our backs. I am sure she would enjoy the pools because she really does seem to be such a water baby.  That reminds me we should take her swimming a lot more when Daddy is back, so she gets used to it again. Recently as my stress levels have risen and the temperature has plummeted, I have found myself dreaming of warmer climates. It is so tempting to take a week of uni and just go let's forget I don't have a valid passport at the moment.

The best thing about being able to go on holiday is that I could have so much fun in the pool with Jess and actually spend some quality time with her something I feel like I haven't done since September.  I might actually be able to read something which is not academic and do it for pleasure I think I have around 200 books to read and I plan on moving house hopefully next year, and that's going to be a lot of transporting.

Places such as Tenerife, Lanzarote are places which I would love to visit. I have been to Tenerife multiple times as a child and had so much fun over there. Visiting places such as Loro park and Siam park is something which I would love to do as it is something I haven't done in the past. I think I would be tempted to only travel a maximum of around 4 hours at the moment on a plane because it is a whole new venture for Jess.

I can keep dreaming about the winter sun because currently, I have no time to pack my bags and jet off. Fortunately, I do have a weekend away break coming up in around a month, and it will be amazing to escape everyday life for a few days.

Many 2018 will be the year I get a new passport and one for Jess and explore the world again. For now, I am going to stay focusing on my studies and exploring places a little bit closer to home.
Have you got any winter sun breaks planned if so where? Or are you super organised and already booked your summer getaway for next year?

Charlotte xx

Dear Dada- Hurry Up Home

Dear Dada

I think you need to hurry up home because the as the weeks go on the bad things which keep happening to us keep growing. This week saw me break another replacement pram the back wheel came off again so I had to get a pram which I was way to big for really but lucky on Saturday I actually got mine back I have really missed it as it has been 3 weeks and there is nothing like your own comfy pram.

On top of having to travel home from York with a back wheel missing from the pram this week with the grandparents away, Mummy thought it would be the best time to become ill. I don't think she actually planned it because she has to take 3 days off uni and spent them on the sofa with a blanket. She must have felt horrible as you know she doesn't like to stop usually but she had to despite this she was still completing work and has managed to do the first draft of an assignment due in December. I am sure this is something which we should be proud of because a lot of people wouldn't have done any work at all.

This meant that I have only been to nusury 2 days this week which means that have spent a lot of time watching tv. Just because it keeps me quiet and happy as I can't really play outside when it is cold and mummy is unwell. I now love Peppa pig and Fireman Sam. I think Mummy is happy about that because she can watch Sam so easy and finds it a good easy watching programme.

On Saturday we had to go collected the pram so we took a trip to some bargain shops which saw us purchase a few more sneaky Christmas presents. Don't worry I will not tell you who for or even what they were because I am an evil person like that I know secretly you love me. I finally managed to pick up a Children In Need top for Friday because it's a dress up day at nusury and you know how I love to smash the occasions. Well I secretly think it's mummy who loves to do it nearly as much as me.

On Sunday we was hunting out shoeboxes and small items which we did not need anymore because we are doing the shoebox appeal at nusury. I understand that I am a very lucky girl who has a lot of things whoever there are some people in the world who do not even have a toothbrush. I think we managed to get 6 shoeboxes and some things so we can help these people. I think nusury will be very happy about me been able to help them do something so special.

This week even saw me were my poppy bow which you might have seen mummy posted a picture on Facebook of the bow. I was such a good girl and managed to complete the minutes silence multiple times because we watch so much sport and that have been doing them for a couple of weeks. I even know why we do it and I am proud to have you as my Daddy because I know that without you we might not be here and safe.

I love you and miss you so much Daddy. Promise I will see you in only 10 days now.

Jess xxxxxx

Small Random Home Bargains Haul

Randomly a couple of weeks ago I was near a home bargains store so I decided that I was going to pop in it is not a store which I go in a lot because I never seem to be close to one which is annoying because I love it. If you have not see what Jess wore for Halloween that outfit was actually from home bargains if you have not seen what she wore it is on my Instagram that whole outfit only cost me £5 which is very impressive or I seem to think so. I will be checking out their seasonal items are because I forgot how nice some of their items are. Anyway on to some of the other items which I picked up.

The first item I picked up was these Aspire drinks if you remember at the start of the year I was sent some of these too review and have only seen them in shops such as Holland and Barrett so when I spied these for only 39p each I knew I had to purchase some. These are great when you want a cool drink but you do not want it to be too super fizzy I love these in the summer but I am sure they are going to be perfect when I am really warm and need something to cool me down. I hope that they have them in the summer as well because they are something which I will be stocking up on. I defiantly recommend these ones and they have both flavours which is always a bonus. 

The next couple of items which I picked up are for Jess and they are the Heinz biscuits which are peppa pig that are strawberry and peach and the paw patrol ones are peach and apricot. Jess sometimes does not have a snack in the afternoon at nursery which means that she needs a snack when she gets home to go with her milk.  These are perfect because they are very small biscuits which means that she can always have a few in a little bowl and they were only 69p for this pack which is great as they are resealable because you can save them for other nights. Jess does like them because in nearly a couple of week Jess has managed to eat a pack I recommend these if you have a toddler. I think I will be going back to see if they have any more of these because she adores them and it is always great to find something which she loves. 

Cotton pads are something which I do not love to spend a lot of money on at all so I picked up these amazing Johnson ones because at the moment I have an ear infection which means that I have to put cotton wool in my ear in order to get the junk out. I also love to remove my make up with make up remover and cotton wool and this pack was under £1 and I needed some of this so I thought I would pick these ones up. I would recommend them but I do not have a favourite brand or anything. 

The next item I picked up is some of these no kink hair bobbles. I have managed to break some of the ones which I have had previously however, I do not find that they do not leave my hair kink free so I thought I would try some of these cheap ones I think they were about 69p. I do not spend a lot on bubbles because I either snap them or end up losing them I am sure any girl has this problem. I will let you know how I get on with these bubbles. I do like it keeps my hair up and off my face which is something I want from a hair bobble. 

The next items some Heinz ready meals for Jess as I said sometimes she does not have snack at nursery or for some reason she is not eating with us and we need to fed her quickly so I picked up these for £1 each. I got the spaghetti bol, sweet and sour chicken and hot pot. Jess has had one and seemed to love it so I think I might stick up on these as they are handy to have in the cupboard when you have a busy life like us. They only take 1 min in the microwave and then this is ready to eat which is always great if you have a toddler screaming that she is hungry you do not want to be waiting a long time for food to be ready. 

I picked up this little lunch bag which comes with a plastic box this comes with an insulated bag which means that your food will keep cool which is not something I need at the moment as the weather is not very warm at the moment. This bag only cost me £3 I think it was I need a new one as I had left my old one in the library a couple of weeks ago which I know was stupid and from then on my sandwiches were getting squashed which is something which I was not loving. I have been using this and the only thing which annoys me is that the box takes up nearly all of the bag which is kind of annoying as you can't put much in more than a couple of sandwiches. 

Any student will tell you that they need energy when it is coming up to this time of year some of the deadlines are coming up which means that we have to spend hours in front of a computer team this with late nights and early mornings like I have and Monster is your best friend. So when I saw these were only 89p when in stores they can be around £1.50 so I has to pick a few up because it means that I can save the pennies which is important because it is Christmas very soon.  They have a couple of different flavours like the no sugar one so if you like monster it might be worth a trip over to home bargains. 

 Yes I have not gone crazy I actually purchased 3 of these toothbrushes and they are the wisdom toothbrushes for the little people between the age of 0-2 years which Jess is still in. These are perfect because she can try and brush her own teeth because she is such an independent little lady. She brushes her own teeth and then I go over and do them again the reason we needed 3 is because they are so much cheaper at home bargains than we have found anywhere else she needed a new one for at home as hers needed changing the same could be said for the one which she has at Daddy's house and I thought I would pick up a spare one because you never know when she is going to need one. I think these are something like 69p and I have only seen them for around £1.29 now and they are something which Jess loves so I decided to stock up and let her continue these toothbrushes. 

The final item I picked up was this travel mug because it is getting colder in the mornings and I need coffee to be able to function. I actually dropped my costa one in August and this means that I could not use it any longer I have been debating purchasing another one. I actually saw these when I was in the store and it was around £3 which is very cheap as the costa one is around £5. I have actually noticed that since I have been using it the rose gold dots have started to wash off and I have not been putting this in the dishwasher. I do think this does look a lot like something which you would have in Kate Spade I know that the quality is not as high as a Kate Spade one however, this was only £3 which is a fraction of the price. 

I think this is a store I need to visit more because you really do seem to be able to pick everything up in there and so much of it is so cheap but good quality which is always important to me. 

Have you had any bargains from Home Bargains recently?

Charlotte x

Dear Dada- The Week Nothing Goes Right

Dear Dada

A couple of weeks ago Mummy was telling me all about Friday 13th and how people claim everything goes wrong on that date and you have bad luck. Well, I think me and Mummy have had a couple of weeks of the bad luck I can't wait for our luck to change.

It started last week when I got ill and mummy had to take time off which she really could have done without because I know how super busy she is. Then on Friday, the bus decided to break down on the way to nursery which meant that we were late and you know how much been late stress Mummy out. I think it was about half an hour late so that was never good. The train has been late a few times recently in the morning which and that she has been getting there 5-10 min late which doesn't help. I keep telling her there is nothing that she can do about that.

We had to take my pram back so it could get sent off because the wheels have started to play their tricks again which is not something which pleased mummy as pushing me got even harder. We got a replacement pram while it is away and within 20 mins of pushing it the back wheel has come off great when you have a commute like us. We managed to cope and get back to the station after nursery and take it back to get it swapped for a new replacement, however, I think mummy is scared it is going to happen again.

This week mummy realised she didn't send her ethics for her dissertation off when she thought she did instead she saved them which means that they are not going to be marked for another 3 weeks. Instead of being able to massage people she is going to have to continue reading around the topic. Then to top it off it took us 3 hours to get home on the bus on Friday this is one reason you need to get your bum home. I think mummy's week was complete when you told her that you were not coming home for another 3 weeks. She might have actually cried even though she will never admit it. I think we need to do some serious cheering Mummy up when you are back.

This weekend because of all of this we had a pretty chilled on I don't really think we left the house because mummy just wanted to catch up on some jobs which she needed to do. I know she went through some of my toys and clothing because I have so much and it is nearly Christmas again. So she needs to make room for all the new things which I am going to get if I am a good girl.

I hope I made your day when we Skype today and I was super cute at the end blowing you kisses and telling you I miss you. That is the truth Daddy I really miss you and can't wait to see you now. Don't worry this week will fly by because it's Halloween I can't wait to show you my outfit next week and if I am a good girl mummy might find somewhere to take me to see fireworks at the weekend for bonfire night.

I miss and love you so much Daddy

Love Jess xxx

Dear Dada- Oh No I'm Sick

Dear Dada

This week has not been the greatest I decided that I was going to pick up the winter bug which saw me throw up all over nursery on Monday. Of course this meant that I could not go back for the next 48 hours which is not ideal when mummy had lectures and nobody to look after me. So she had to miss them and work from home in order to look after me which is always fun. A bonus for her is that she got cuddles and I am not a cuddly person anymore and I think she missed that from me. Maybe it's a hint we should get a puppy or a baby sister/brother to cuddle mummy.

I am finally feeling better I think I felt a bit better on Wednesday because all I did was watch peppa pig on mummy's iPad. She has told me if I keep watching she might turn into a bacon sandwich I think I watched it that much mummy was fed up. I was that poorly that I had to put my duvet and pillow on the sofa so I could sleep and mummy could get on with work which she had to do.
I did manage to go back to nursery on Thursday and have a good couple of days without been sick. I still do have smelly nappies and I am sure your name is mud sometimes when mummy has to change them because of the fact that you are missing them. You might have to do a fair few when you get back because do the fact you have missed hundreds. It did take me till about Saturday to start wanting food again which as you know is not like me.

Saturday saw use celebrate Grandad's birthday so we sent him to watch city and we headed into town so that mummy could get a new railcard. As well as take my pram back because it is back making silly noises and I know you wouldn't like it if you came back home now. Don't worry they have sent it off and hopefully it will be fixed before you get home.

Today has seen us have a chill day something which I think we need more than once a week. Mummy has really bad earache which means that I have to trying to make too much noise because it hurts for her. I demanded we had a tea party today so this is something which happen check our Instagram to see the picture. Mummy watched the f1 while I slept I think she enjoyed the race.

I can not believe how close we are to having you back. I love you and miss you Daddy.

Jess xxx

Dear Dada- All the fun of the fair

Dear Dada

This week has been super crazy mummy has had two deadlines which means that she has been a little bit stressed but don't worry she managed to smash them because she is super awesome as you keep telling her. Don't worry I keep telling her how proud of her we are and I am been her little cheerleader like you told me to when things get hard and she is struggling.

This does mean that I have been spending more time in nursery this week so that's he can smash her work out. You know this is not something I mind doing because it means I get more time to play with my little friends and of course this is always good. This week I have been spending time with my key worker and while she does work on the computer I have been sat next to her again claiming I am doing my work. Clearly, I see mummy spending too much time studying and working because I think I need to start now. Mummy got a report of the manager who said that I am a great 2 year old and everything is fine with me which always make mummy feel a little bit better because I know she hates the fact I am in nursery so much.

Due to the fact that I have been such a good girl this week mummy and grandma took me to the fair. I loved seeing all of the bright lights and even been able to have chips with curry which is a treat for me before I went on a couple of rides which I choose. I went on a  plane which you can see and I adored I was so focused on driving and smiling. I went on a horse as well because you know I adore them I loved it again and I kept smiling my head off. I can't wait to be able to go to the fair with you again next year I will be a bigger girl which means that I will be able to go on, even more, things which will be so much fun.

This weekend mummy had to go to work on Saturday which meant that I spend a day with grandma which is always fun. I can't believe it is the last grandma Jess day till Boxing Day I going to miss them because I always have so much fun with them.

Next week should be fun at nursery because of the fact that it is a baking week and we are going to be making things for parents buy every single day. So we raise money for children in need so this is going to be fun.

Hope you having a good time only 1 month and then you back don't worry it will go fast I love and miss you

Jess xxx