Today You Turn 4

Four years ago today at 6.14am I was handed the most beautiful baby boy and our lives were to change forever. That day was the day we became parents and that is the day our lives were filled with love we never knew existed.

I didn't know what to do, I was scared as I now had this tiny little human that relied on me and my husband to feed him, love him and build him a life he deserved.

This tiny little human that I couldn't believe was ours was Finley. He had been named for a lot of my pregnancy but still in labour I wasn't too sure if that was to be his name but as soon as I saw him I knew, he was a Finley. He was going to be cheeky and mischievous with a big bag of love thrown in. We chose his middle name as soon as we found out we were having a boy and that was to be my late gramps name, Arthur. Now he would have loved Finley so much and they would have got up to all sorts together in his garden.

Here is a little letter to the birthday boy.

To Finley,

Happy Birthday baby boy.

From the moment you were placed in my arms I knew we were going to have an adventure.

Now you cried, and I mean cried a lot. Daddy and I found it hard but the love we felt for you and for each other got us through. Your smile made all the sleepless nights, like actual sleepless nights, worth it and your big kisses made the day better.

I can't quite believe you are 4. You have done so much in 4 years, you have learnt to crawl, walk, talk and you have become the most beautiful little boy. Yes you are strong willed and hard work at times but I wouldn't change you or our journey for the world.

Your smile brightens up a room and your cheeky laugh is just infectious. You make me laugh and cry on a daily basis but that is parenting for you. You have filled everyday with such happiness by just being in it.

I look forward to what the next year holds for us. We are moving and then you start school, and I can tell you now I will be a blubbering mess watching you disappear through the classroom doors.

Your my first born and you have made me the parent I am today. I hope I have done you proud.

I love you with every bone in my body Finley - thank you for showing me what life is all about, family and love.

Love from Mummy xx

My Sunday Photo 27/09/15

My Week At A Glance 19/09 - 25/09

Another great week here, full of fun and laughter and some much needed down time thrown in.

Saturday we had a chilled morning at home in our pyjama's. We then saw my Mum and Nan in the afternoon and in the evening I was cooked for by my husband. Now he has only cooked for me once in our whole 11 year relationship. Yes he has made me the odd bacon sandwich but I was being cooked a full on meal, and it was delicious! I was impressed and he has said he will cook more often for me, so watch this space.

On Sunday I was lucky enough to enjoy a spa day with some old school friends, we drank Prosecco, ate lovely food and generally chilled out while catching up. While this was happening hubby and the boys had a day together. We have discussed getting them Scalextric but decided on waiting until we have moved, but he had other ideas and treated them on Sunday - naughty Daddy!

The weather on Monday was shocking but we all know staying in with two toddlers can get stressful so we headed on out in the rain. We got on our wellies and the boys had their all in one rain suits on and jumped in muddle puddles at Westonbirt Arboretum, it was so much fun.

Tuesday was a preschool and Tumble Tots day, the boys then enjoyed having tea at their friends house, a little treat.

On Wednesday we spent the day with my best friend and her little one. We started off with soft play then chilled out at ours in the afternoon, as the boys had had a cooked lunch they had a picnic tea in the living room. I then spent the evening at my friends nail salon eating pizza and catching up with friends, and it was a huge pizza and a lovely evening!!

Thursday was preschool for Finley, so Noah and I did some jobs and once we got home the for sale sign had been updated to 'sold', exciting times! Finley then enjoyed his first Martial Arts lesson, you can read about it here.

On Friday both boys had preschool so I did my usual of rushing around for 3 hours doing all the jobs that aren't that easy with two toddlers in tow. We then spent the afternoon at Westonbirt with a friend and her little boy.

Now next week is going to top any other week I have had this year as we are heading to Disneyland Paris, I apologise now for the photo spam!



Just Another Linky #22

Another great week of blog posts linked up that I really enjoyed reading. Thank you to each and everyone of you that has taken the time to link up and comment on others posts.

I am away for the week as of Monday, to Disneyland for Finley's birthday! I am so excited its unreal lol. I'm going to take a week off from commenting this week but I know Beth will do a great job.

Next week I wont have a featured post as I would have scheduled next weeks link up before we head off on our 6 HOUR journey.

Now onto this weeks linky.

Meet your hosts

HOST - Beth | Life-As-Mum | @lifeasmumblog

C-HOST - Kirsty | SomethingCrunchyMummy | @crunchy_mummy

Rules

- No more than 2 posts a week

- Comment on at least 2 other posts

- Giveaways, reviews and sponsored posts allowed

- Link up a blog post not just your homepage

- Grab the badge below so everyone knows where to find us

We would really appreciate it if you could grab the badge below and pop onto your post or blog, or even just a link somewhere on your blog would be great!

Feel free to tweet your post along with the hashtag #justanotherlinky and tweet your hosts @lifeasmumblog and @crunchy_mummy and we will retweet you.

By linking up to this linky you are giving Beth & Kirsty the right to copy one of your photos if you are chosen for Featured Post of the week.

Linky is open every Saturday from 12am until Wednesday 11:55pm.

Featured Post

This weeks featured post comes from Morgan at Morgan's Milieu and her post How Another Woman's Stare Empowered Me. It was a great post and reminded me there is no need to hide my body after having children, we should all be proud!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Confidence

I want my sons to be confident, something I am not. Since having the boys my confidence level has increased but I'm very nervous talking to new people and doing things I don't normally do. I hate that feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I'm out of my comfort zone, like a sickie nervous feeling of wanting to do something but far too scared to.

I want the boys to grow up knowing they can do anything and to have nothing holding them back. 

Yesterday Finley had his first martial arts class. A friend of mines son goes to a class and she said it has been great for him with confidence and discipline. Both of these are something I feel Finley would benefit from and when a leaflet dropped on our doormat I thought we would give it a try. 

We arrived and there were 5, including Finley in the class. The other 4 were dressed in their martial arts kit and I really hoped he didn't feel left out. We filled out the forms and then they called for the children to start. Finley was so excited.

They all stood in front of the instructor and were told what to do, Finley wasn't too sure what to do and just looked around and bit his lip. He was the youngest there and I think the other 4 children were school age. He kept looking over to me and tried to join in but wasn't sure what to do and very nervous, even though the instructor was trying to help him. He was pulling at his jogging bottom strings and pulling silly faces as to say 'I don't know what to do'. They were so good with him, they asked them to jump and Finley literally lifted his feet off the floor by a millimetre but the instructor high fived him. I wanted to hug the instructor for this as Finley was very closed and I could tell he was feeling nervous.

They then moved to do some things on  the mats, Finley followed but didn't join in again as was very unsure, this is where I thought he was going to cry, but he held it together and when he looked at me, I gave him the thumbs up. They were then asked to run around so he ran to me and asked for a wee. While in the toilet he said to me he wanted to wear what they were all wearing, so even at a young age he felt left out as he didn't have the uniform. This made me feel a little sad as I never want him to feel left out.

They then moved to have a little chat where they all had to sit down, legs and arms folded and listen. He did his very best with the odd wiggle and looking around to me. It was then onto the belt presentation. As Finley was new he didn't receive anything and looked at me a little disappointed, I wanted to run and give him a hug and give him a pretend award.

They then took him aside and worked with him alone on the basics. To start with he didn't want to do it and kept looking at me but after some thumbs up and big smiles from me he started to do it. And when he did he was pleased with himself and the instructor high fived him every time. The instructors praise was amazing and Finley squealed with joy every time he picked something up from what he was asked to do. 

At the end of the lesson he sat with all the other children and told the instructor he would be back. And as they all got up to go to their parents he told the instructor it was his birthday, which is next week. He had really warmed to the instructors and it was lovely to see how confident he was with them.

I am so proud!! Like unbelievably proud as I know how hard that lesson was for him, I know how he felt but he carried on. My little 3 year old grew his confidence in that one lesson. Watching him wriggle when asked to do something and he didn't know what to do was so hard to see and I wanted to run and hug him. But the fact I didn't would have made him more adamant to do it. 

I know next time he will join in some more and he will feel like he fits is with his white martial arts kit. They know it's his confidence and discipline I hope to improve so they will work with him on that.

When I got home and once the boys were in bed I told the hubby all about it, I ended up in tears just repeating how he was. It was so hard to see him struggle and not be by his side but I was there watching on and I got to witness something fantastic in a 3 year old.

My Captured Moment #35

Brothers. Best friends.

Throwback Thursday #3

 

Throwback Thursday time and this week its right back to September 2014 to my first born, Finley's, first journey home. I can remember how nervous I was sat in the back with him, telling my husband every 2 minutes to remember to go slow and to watch every corner.

 

He turns 4 next week, I'm not entirely sure where the last 4 years have gone.

 



 

Wicked Wednesdays #34

These look yummy right - WRONG!! They would not bake inside, all soggy.

Am I A Bad Mum?

I question a lot of things that I do as a mother as I want to do things right for our boys. But one of the main things I do question is the food that they eat.

From the weaning stage I wanted to prepare their food myself. Not sure why as I don't think the pre made food is bad for them, I just wanted to. I think I needed to feel like I had a purpose, as silly as that may sound. They did have jars, they didn't eat EVERYTHING homemade as that would have been near impossible but I did my best. Sweet potato, broccoli, Parsnip - the list goes on.

I fed them everything and I let them try everything but this has still made them rather fussy eaters!

They eat a lot of fish fingers, turkey bites, potato waffles and spaghetti. Why? Because they actually eat it. But I ask myself, Does this make me a bad Mum?

The reason that they have this for their tea most days is because if I am totally honest, I am fed up of making them food that they don't eat. Which means they hardly eat any tea. And really eating fish fingers for tea is better than eating nothing!

I will freshly prepare a roast or a pasta dish or maybe some lovely looking dish from one of my cook books. Sometimes it takes a good while to make it and I will be so proud of it, to then put it in front of them and they turn their noses up at it. They won't even try it and tell me that they don't like it. So all that effort had gone to waste and it ends up being thrown in the bin as it is so mushed up from the many attempts at them trying to eat it.

But when I place fish fingers and waffles with tomato ketchup in front of them they will polish the whole plate off.

I make sure they eat fruit and veg, they will eat sweetcorn (one by one) and they will happily eat a punnet of blueberries in one sitting. So they get their 5 a day but they just don't have 5 star, restaurant style meals because they just don't eat them.

Am I going for the easy life and should I be persevering with 'normal' meals like lamb meatball pasta or fish pie? Does it make me a bad mum for letting them eat turkey dinosaurs 4 days a week?

I just want my children to eat and if they are happy eating the food they are then I am a happy mummy to see them eating. I am hoping one day they will start to eat 'normal' meals but until then I want a fight and stress free mealtime so this is how its going to be until otherwise.

   

My Ultimate Dinner Party & Competition To Win A Finish Bundle

As I get older I don't really like to go out on the town, trawling around bars and then ending the night with a greasy kebab, I prefer a night in with friends enjoying yummy food and having lots of laughs. I have never held a dinner party as if I'm honest our house really isn't big enough to but I am hoping when in our new house that we can hold lots of dinner parties.

When I was asked what my ultimate dinner party would be, my mind when wild, who I would invite, what I would cook, what music would be playing in the back ground.

Where?

I love alfresco dinning so it would have to be in the garden on a hot summers evening. The garden would be decorated with fairy light, because who doesn't love fairy lights right, and there would be candles dotted around. I love candles and I find they set a chilled and relaxed atmosphere as well as omitting some lovely smells.

What we would eat

So with the venue decided it is onto what food I would serve, you need things that everyone likes and that suits everyone's taste. I love to cook and rustle up new dishes, especially homemade from scratch. I would start with some nibbles to go along with the pimms I would serve on everyone's arrival, these nibbles would be light crisps and nuts. We don't want everyone to get too full on nibbles before the main event.

For a starter as it would be hot, I hope, I would serve pate. Now I have to be honest I wouldn't make the pate I would shop buy it but I would serve it with home baked bread and some chutney. For the main course I adore pasta and a favourite in this house is lasagne. And as I know how to make this hopefully it wouldn't go wrong, I would serve it with homemade garlic bread as no pasta dish is complete without garlic bread. Now for desert I would serve strawberry cheesecake, homemade! You cant go wrong with cheesecake and I love it so im being a little bit selfish. I would then serve tea and coffee with homemade biscuits, that's if everyone isn't full up!

I would have a selection of drinks from beer to wine, pimms to gin and tonic, something to suit everyone's taste.

Background Music

Music sets a tone and is a great thing to have on in the background to bridge any quiet moments and during eating. The music would be a little clue as to who I would invite, it would be a selection of take that songs and Michael buble!

Who would I invite?

My husband would obviously be there, my best friend, Sam, and her husband, my best friends sister and here husband and my brother and sister in law. The reason for this because we all get along so well, and when we are together we have such a laugh. I would then add some sparkle to the dinner party by inviting two very special guests, Gary Barlow and Michael Buble, I love their music (and them!!)

Now to make sure the dinner party is perfect all the dinner ware would need to be pristine. Now to make sure this happens we would use Finish Dish and Glass Protector in the dish washer as this offers a great dish and glass protection with no cloudiness or tired looking dinner ware.

Competition Time

Now to make your dinner party sparkle, Finish are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Finish prize bundle which includes:

2x Quantum Max Shine & Protect lemon 30 tabs

1x Performance Enhancing Dishwasher Salt 1kg

To enter just click on the Rafflecopter link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions

UK residents only.

A winner will be chosen at random via rafflecopter.
There will be one winner of this bundle.

Competition starts at 12am on 21/09/15 and ends 12am on 28/09/15.

The winner will be announced within seven days of the competition closing.

The winner has 28 days to claim their prize. If the winner fails to claim their prize within 28 days an alternative winner will be chosen.

My Sunday Photo 20/09/15

My Week At A Glance 12/09 - 18/09

Another week under our belt and what a lovely one it was!

On Saturday we spent the morning with my Nan at a country fair in the village I grew up in. The boys had so much fun on the fun fair rides and also riding some horses, something I never thought I would see Noah doing with him being so shy with animals.

Sunday we spent the day as just us four at the Emergency Services Show, you can read about our day here.

Monday was a shocking day weather wise so to make sure we didn't go too crazy we went to soft play, to my surprise it was just us, but it was 9.30am!! The afternoon was then spent at the hospital for Noah's eye appointment while Finley had an afternoon playing at my best friends and eating birthday cake.

Tuesday was a preschool and Tumble Tots day. After Tumble Tots Noah and I met my husband for lunch before going to pick up Finley, a nice relaxed day.

On Wednesday we had a morning shopping with my best friend and her little girl, a McDonalds lunch followed by an afternoon of playing at a great play centre near us. I then went for a run in the pouring rain but felt rather refreshed by it.

Thursday was preschool again so Noah and I headed over to a friends for lunch, and a very yummy lunch at that!

Now Friday was Noah's second day at preschool, he was a complete star and so was Finley by looking after him. I did the food shopping before going to pick them up and heading to Westonbirt for a lovely afternoon. 

Just Another Linky #21

Another great week of link ups. I love this linky as the posts are so varied and there are so many subjects. I relate to some, learn from others and then drawl at the food posts!

We had 73 link ups last week, a record on Just Another Linky, so thank you to you all!

I'm looking forward to reading some great posts again this week but then next week I will be taking a break. It's Finleys 4th Birthday and we are off to Disneyland so it will be all go for the week.

Now onto this week.

*Please note there are some changes in the rules*

Meet your hosts

HOST - Beth | Life-As-Mum | @lifeasmumblog

C-HOST - Kirsty | SomethingCrunchyMummy | @crunchy_mummy

Rules

- No more than 2 posts a week

- Comment on at least 2 other posts

- Giveaways, reviews and sponsored posts allowed
- Link up a blog post not just your homepage

- Grab the badge below so everyone knows where to find us

We would really appreciate it if you could grab the badge below and pop onto your post or blog, or even just a link somewhere on your blog would be great!

Feel free to tweet your post along with the hashtag #justanotherlinky and tweet your hosts @lifeasmumblog and @crunchy_mummy and we will retweet you.

By linking up to this linky you are giving Beth & Kirsty the right to copy one of your photos if you are chosen for Featured Post of the week.

Linky is open every Saturday from 12am until Wednesday 11:55pm.

Featured Post

My featured post this week is by Rachel over at Mummy in Training with her post Post-Natal Anxiety & Me - I'm Sorry. It was a very personal post and I admire her for sharing it with us all to read.

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An InLinkz Link-up

REVIEW - Aqueous Bath Drops & Aqueous Cream From Bennetts

My boys both have very sensitive skin, Finley will goes blotchy so easily and Noah suffers with eczema. At the moment Noah's skin is ok with only a few patches of eczema on his shoulders, teething used to flare it up and with all his teeth now through I am hoping that was the only trigger.

When I received an email asking me to review some products from Bennetts I jumped at the chance. We are always looking for skin care products for the boys to help control their skin, we do have prescribed products but I would prefer not to use highly antibiotic creams all the time. The products that they thought would be great for us was the Aqueous Cream and Aqueous Bath Drops. We don't normally put anything in the boys bath so I was looking forward to giving them a try.

Here's a little bit about Bennetts:

'Established over 50 years ago, the Bennetts range has been formulated by a pharmacist, helping to care for you and your baby. Bennetts for Babies is the best-selling baby care product in South Africa, keeping your baby happy and healthy and is currently available in the UK at independent pharmacists, Amazon, Morrisons, ASDA, Superdrug.com and soon to be found in other major retailers.'

The products arrived very quickly and we couldn't wait to start using them. We have now been using them for 2 weeks and love them!

We started off with the Bath Drops in the boys bath that evening. I was pleased to see that it didn't make the water oily as that is one thing I hate with some bath products because they then make the boys skin all slippery when they come out of the bath. The drops make the bath a little cloudy which is to be expected when your adding an aqueous product to the bath. The drops are described as fragrance free and that they are.

The Bath Drops retail at £3.99 and this is great value. As I said we have been using them for 2 weeks now and the boys have a bath every night and there is still half the bottle left. You put a few drops in the bath and that is enough.

After the bath we applied the aqueous cream to both boys. We don't plaster them in it we put it on the areas in which they suffer with their skin. With Noah as I said it is the tops of his arms and after using the cream for two weeks it has softened up the skin and made it not so dry. With Finley he suffers from dry skin on the tops of his arms and legs, after applying for two weeks they have also softened up.

The cream is not greasy and like the bath drops is fragrance free. Some creams can leave their skin all slippery but thankfully this cream doesn't. The aqueous cream retails at £3.99, it is a huge tub and as long as you don't use to much on each application it will last you a good while. We still have loads left.

I was really impressed with both products and we will continue to use them. I would recommend these products to anyone with children that have skin problems, they are also good just to maintain good skin in children and adults.

Bennetts also sell baby bum cream, baby burn cream, nipple cream and a lot more. There is something for everyone whether you are pregnant, have a baby or an older child. Check out their website for more products and details.

*I was sent a bottle of Aqueous Bath Drop and a tub of Aqueous Cream for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions are 100% my own.*