Author: Charlotte

Date Ideas For Busy Parents

- Charlotte Leave a comment

Going on dates is something which all of doing when we are dating, however, once you actually have children it is hard to find a lot of time to go on dates. This is because you either are doing things which are related to them, for example, we now spend a lot of our weekends spending time doing toddler-friendly things such as going to museums or the park which might not be things we did if we didn’t have a child. Doing housework is something which you spend a lot more time doing because toddlers as we have found make more mess which means you have to spend more time cleaning and tidying.

 Today I have decided that I am going to share with you some tips which busy parents could use as date ideas because as we all know Valentine’s Day is upcoming and we all want to woo that special person and show them that the love is still there despite having a child.
The idea is why if your schedules allow instead of having date nights have date days, for example, Friday afternoon is a time when both of us are usually free. We have found that we actually can go to restaurant Wildwood which is a chain. They do food which Jess would eat, however, I know I would feel very uncomfortable their should she kick off which is why we do not eat there with her. There is a branch in the York which is only 20 minutes away from Jess’s nursery which means should she need collecting she could be very quickly. If you have not read the review which I did I recommend going to check it out. Of course, you can go to a restaurant that you enjoy maybe one which you have been to pre-children.
There is no need to leave your own house you could actually get a dine-in meal that m&s became kings a few years ago because you get a bottle of wine a main, side and deserts for between £10-20. This is something which you could do while your child is upstairs sleeping meaning that you do not actually even need a babysitter. As we all know they can be hard to come by. To make it even more romantic you could burn candles and play romantic music like you are actually in a restaurant.
If going to the cinema is something which you liked to do pre-children. Why do you not get some snacks such as sweets and popcorns from the shop and stream a movie because you now do not have to wait as long as you used to in order to see films on DVD. For example, I know that the most recent Thor movie was available within 3 months and this is not that long compared to what it used to be a few years ago. As some of you might know things do not seem to be at the cinema for as long either which is not great when you have to plan trips rather than a spontaneous trip. Also, it can be a lot cheaper than going to the cinema which is always great if you are saving for a house like me.
If you can actually get a babysitter you could book a weekend away it does not have to be somewhere that is a distance away. For example, Newcastle is somewhere which I am visiting at the start of April which is only about an hour and a half away. Make sure that you have someone to look after the children because it is illegal just to leave them at home when they are so young. Exploring a new place and creating some amazing memories is something which would make a special date. Even if you do this once a year this may be worth it, for example, I have a post coming up about something which we have done in order to have a date weekend.
What do you do to still have some romance while being a busy parent?
Charlotte xxx

Just Because I’m A Young Parent

- Charlotte 1 Comment
Young Parent

The amount of times that I have had people stare at me or judge me because I am a young parent is shocking. I have had occasions when I have heard people bitching about me when on public transport. One time a lady sat a couple of seats away from me was like oh look she can’t control her child she shouldn’t have had her I’m guessing she was a mistake. The reason that Jess was kicking off was that she was overtired after a long day at nursery and the train was rather warm.

I was 20 when I gave birth to Jess so you could say that it is young to become a parent.  I was at the end of my second year when I had her 3 weeks off starting my final year of university. So as you can imagine from my circumstances I was not really ready to become a parent I was living in uni accommodation. A week after giving birth I moved over 100 miles back home to live with my parents in order to give her the best start in life.

Just because I am a young parent does not mean that I spend all of my time at home as a stay at home mum claiming benefits. Due to the way, the academic year falls I had to do it for a year before I went back to university in September 2016. I knew that it was a short-term situation and since then have not been on benefits I do get child benefit like everyone who has children as well as extra student finance due to my situation.  Jess has never been a child that will go without anything that she needs she always has enough clothing, food, toys everything which a toddler needs. Having a child young for us doesn’t mean that we are not giving her everything she needs while we save for a family house.

Young parents have no ambition is something else which I have heard well I think I just prove everyone wrong with this at the moment I am in the last few months of my degree. I really want to continue and improve my self by studying in order to give Jess the best childhood I can.  I really do not want to be someone who is in a job which they hate possibly on minimum wage not that there is anything wrong with that. For me, I want to be a positive role model for Jess showing her young mums and women, in general, can be anything they want to be. As long as they put their mind to it.

Another thing which I hear a lot is that young parents are more likely to palm their children off on grandparents.  I am very lucky that my parents will offer to have Jess overnight maybe once a month so that I can have some time off Usually this time is spent either doing uni work or sleeping nothing crazy at all. I know a few people at least who have children who are younger than Jess and they seem to be out every single weekend sometimes during the week as well drinking. Just because they are doing it doesn’t mean every single young parent is doing the same. I for one know that when Jess is away it is time to recover and try and distress I can not think of anything worse than battling a hangover.

 

Keeping Organised On My blog

- Charlotte Leave a comment

Keeping organised is something which I have to do as you know I am a Mummy, Student and blogger. This can take up a lot of time meaning that being organised is key. Today I am going to share how I keep organised on my blog I am thinking about doing posts on how I keep organised in other elements of my life in future posts,

The first thing which I spend a lot of time doing is scheduling tweets. I try and do at least 3 days worth of posts because it means that more of you lovely people are able to read my blog.  I can see a lot of you come from my social media pages. Currently, I use buffer which allows me to schedule all of the tweets along with Facebook.  One thing which I love is that I can use the app which means that I can schedule my social media when I am on the go which as you know is a lot. There is also hootsuite which you can use instead of buffer however, this is not something I have tried.

Planning is something which I have to do because other use I would never be able to get my posts up. I currently have the dot creates ultimate blogger planner. This does have the days of the week and you can write the posts you want to be able to get up. It also has a to-do do list which allows you to tick them off as you have done them which is amazing it makes you feel like are actually getting somewhere which is something.  It also has weekly stats for your social media which is good because I am someone who does not think that I am growing on social media.  This element allows me to see that I am actually growing on a weekly basis. I might do a whole post on my planner and how I actually use it let me know in the comments if this is something you would like to see.
I try and write at least a little bit per day because then it does not feel like it is so daunting when you know you need to get a post up. Some of the posts I write can take 3-4 hours which I do not have time to write in one sitting. I have found that using the app called blogtouch pro is a savour because I can write on my phone a draft. Then when I use a laptop I can edit and add pictures which saves me so much time. I do a lot of the posts sitting on the train which means that it is not time wasted. It does save me looking out of the window a lot of the time.
Taking pictures in bulk is something which I do because it means that I have pictures ready for when I have time to write. Due to the fact that I am hardly at home, it means that I have to take all the pictures on the weekend. I do not have time to get my background out and lights on a night. This also helps me know what I should publish in the next couple of weeks because I already have the pictures so I can post ASAP or schedule it to go live. Scheduling is something which I have to do . I try to make sure that I am a couple of weeks ahead should life get crazy busy it does mean that I have content going up.
How do you get organised if you are a fellow blogger?
Charlotte xx

Joie Every Stage Car Seat Review

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When you have a child one of the most used things which you will need is a car seat I think this is something which we used nearly every single day. Around 18 months ago we had to replace Jess’s baby car seat and I did a lot of research into finding the best car seat for us because of course, it has to be something which works for you all. Jess spends a bit of time when she is going around in the car.  We chose the Jolie every stages car seat in the black colour this is one which is going to last her until she is around 12 years old or 36kg which is scary because it is such a long time away.

One of the reasons why we chose this car seat was because it has 5 different reclining settings this allows you to reface until 18kg which is around 4 years old.  You do have to wait till your child is around 9kg to forward face which approximately is 9 months old.
We didn’t reface once we got this car seat because Jess was a nosy child and she actually wanted to look out of the window we actually let her do this even though we know the benefits of having your child refacing for a longer period of time. There are another 4 settings which allow you to forward face which is amazing because this means that once your child is kicking the back of the actual car seat and this could be annoying to others you may want to change the setting.
 
Due to the fact that this car seat can last till your child is 12 you are able to adjust the headrest, it has 10 different settings and this is something we have found is pretty easy to be able to do. The sides also can widen which allows your child the room they need within the car seat. Of course, this is not a full car seat when they become older it becomes a high backed booster which fits in the guidelines within the UK when this occurs the 5-point harness gets tooked away and you use the normal seat belt which means that it is not in the way. Currently, we have to use the actual seat belt in order to keep the car seat safe meaning that it does not move. 

 This car seat can actually be stripped down and the covers thrown in the wash which is something which we have had to do in the past because Jess can struggle with car sickness. This is handy as well if you have a small child in the car who could do the same I have also had to wipe it and found it drys pretty quickly which is amazing because if you are like us you are always using it. This car seat is very easy to actually install into your car and can be done in only a couple of moments which is great if you are like me and you might need to take it in and out to either put it in someone else’s car or due to the fact that there has been a spillage. 

 Jess must find this comfortable due to the fact that on more than one occasion we have found her sleeping in this for long periods of time while she has been travelling which proves this claim it even comes with thick padding on the shoulder straps and buckles meaning it is even more comfortable for the child. For sure this car seat is very well padded as well as being secure. 
 
I would recommend any parents who are looking at either purchasing their child’s first car seat and are not bothered about been able to click it onto a pushchair. Or patents like us who were looking to upgrade their original car seat to purchase this item. I know it does seem expensive at close to £200 however it will last your child a long time and you can not put a price on their safety.  If you are not interested in rear facing you could look into the Jolie elevate 123 car seat another car seat I own foe a different car which I will do a review on at a later date.
 
Do you own the Jolie ever every stage car seat if so what are your thought? 
 
Charlotte xx

Dreaming of A Jet Plane

- Charlotte Leave a comment

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

Beauty Product I Have Been Loving

- Charlotte Leave a comment

Today I thouight I would share with you some of the beauty products which I have been loving over the past few months I could not tell you how long some of them I have been using however, these are the ones which I have been reaching for every single time I have been wearing make up. As you can see from the picture some of these are actually tools which I have been using rather than an actual product.

The first product which I have been using to apply my foundation is actually a beauty sponge I think this one was part of a pack which I purchased from Primark a few months back. I know this one is in deprate need of a clean this is a job which I really need to get done at some stage soon. I think the pack which I got had around 5 different make up sponges and I have been using the pink one which you can see in the picture as well as a smaller orange one which I use under the eyes.This pack was around the £2 mark and for sure is somethng which I can see myself purchasing again in the future. I love the way it makes your foundation look it does not make it seem like it is cakey at all instead it is more of a natural finish and this is something which I am always looking for. Recently I have acutally got the beauty blender that this is a dupe for so I will be intrested to see how the this compares to the orgainal.

Real techniques brushes are something which I have used for a long time now it must be at least 4/5 years and it is not until you try another brand of brushes that you realise how amazing these ones are. They are not too weighty which I find amazing because frequently will I have to travel with them they also I have found do not allow you to apply too much make up. The eye brushes allow you to blend out eyeshadow making it look like you have made such an effort and spent a long time blending when this is not the case at all. I think my favourites out of the ones which I own is the blusher brush is very soft and easy to clean which is great for busy people like me however, the element which I like the most is the fact that you can blend which does save you looking like a clown for sure a look that nobody wants at all.

All these early mornings and late nights end up taking their toll which means that I need a concealer which is going to make me look like I am wake and full of energy even when this may not be the case. My trusty Rimmel Wake Me Up Concelear for sure make me look like I have had hours of sleep of course I have to blend this out with the beauty sponges which I mentioned. This for sure hides the those tired eyes by lightening them up this is a concealer which I would only recommend using under your eyes. The reason behind this is because of the fact that it is a highlighting concelear which means that it would make spots even more obvious something which nobody wants at all. This is a product which I will continue to repurchase because we all know more sleep is something us mum’s and students always need this product will not break the bank because I think it is only around the £5-6 mark and I find that a tube of this last me around 3/4 months depending on how tired and how much I reach for it.

Boujous healthy mix foundation is another product which makes me look like I have had a bit more sleep than I have an that my skin is more healthy and radient than it actually is. It is like putting on some magic cream which makes you look a lot more awake a look which I think most of us need in January when it is a bit grim outside. I find this foundation is medium/high coverage which means that it covers all of the blemishes and the majority of spots which I get however, if I get a bad spot I sometimes do need to still use concelear to hid it. This does have a natural dwey finish which I know may not be to everyone’s taste but for me I think it looks like my skin but better and this is the look which I would rather be achieving. This is a foundation which is actually under £10 and will not make you look orange at all which is a bonus for me because this for sure is not a look at would want at all.

Who doesn’t want better eyelashes for me I always want them to look like they have more volume and a little bit more length than they actually do. For the past couple of years I have been using the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara which I have found has always been doing the trick some how it manages to make your lashes longer and give them volume without making them look like spider legs. I have found that on day which I have not been wearing mascara I look like I am very tired because my eyes look less open therefore looking less wake than I actually am. Again this product is not one which is going to damage the old bank balance too much as it is around £5-6 but this does start to dry out after a few months however, I do actually prefer it when it is drying out. I know you are meant to replace your mascara every 3 months however, I have to admit this is not something which I do currently.

Rimmel 107 is a shade which people were raving about a few years ago for me it is one of the most perfect winter shade it is a kind of dark red colour which I always seem to reach for at this time of year maybe because I think that it suits been with a paler skin tone something which I have to rock at this time of year. |For me it does look like a berry tone red shade this is a lipstick which I have found to wear evenly which means that you do not end up having lines where it has worn away again thsi si a lipstick whcih I can wear for 3-4 hours without having to reapply this includes me eating and drinking throughout this time. I can not remember how much this lipstick is however, one thing which I am aware of is that it is actually under £5.

Seen as most of these products have been around the £5 mark I thought I would share with you a couple which I have been loving which have not fallen into this bracket. The first been the Benefit Goof Proof eyebrow pencil for sure this is something which I love it allows me to make my brows look a little bit neater in between getting them wax or threaded I love to have neat but natural brows. I did get colour matched by a lovely lady called Sian who matched me to shade 4 I feel like I never have found a pencil which is so soft and you can actually work with. The spoolie on the other end means that you do not have to carry one around with you which is always a bonus when you want your brows too look neat.

The final product which I have been loving is the Diesel Loverdose perfume this is the scent which I can be found wearing on the weekend more than when I am just at uni. This is actually like no other scent which I have found previously to me it is a little bit dark this could be due to one of the key notes actually been liquorice and rich vanilla. This is something which I can smell for a long time after applying it usually I can smell it when I go to bed which is at least 10 hours after applying it. I adore the bottle of this as well I think this is one of the first reasons I picked up this perfume for sure you could attract all of the men wearing this.

What products have you been loving recently?

Charlotte x

Days Out – Eureka National Children’s Museum

- Charlotte Leave a comment
Eureka National Children’s Museum is somewhere where I visited as a child. I can still remember elements of so when we found ourselves with a spare free weekend with no plans. We decided that we would take Jess for an amazing day of hands-on fun. There is always a lot to play with the look and of course, learn about. Just because it is a Children’s Museum, it does not mean that it is not suitable for toddlers. At 2 Jess had so much fun as you can see from her face on the pictures.  Halifax is only around 1-1 ½ hours away from where we are based. Which means that there was not too much time spent in the car travelling.
When we arrived, there is a large car park which is next to the museum which we found pretty easy to park in.  I think it cost us around £4 for 4 hours. I did not think that this was too expensive. The museum is opposite the train station, so if you are travelling by train this is a bonus. You need to make sure you keep your eyes peeled as you can miss the building. Outside the museum there is a large play area which has sand pits. However, when we was visiting it was snowing. This means that Jess was unable to play outside. I am sure when we visit again this is an area Jess will have so much fun in.
It could have been due to the time of year when we visited it was the start of December.  It was pretty quiet we did not have to queue . One thing which does make me happy is that there offer annual pass tickets as part of their normal entry price.  Which means you pay once and can visit as many times as you want within 12 months. This for sure is something which is going make us want to visit again. We are already planning to go back when Jess is a little bit older maybe in March/April time.
The first area we saw was the all about me gallery which is one which is one of the areas which I would say is the most interactive. This is an area which I would say is great for all ages as there is so much to play with.  Of course due to Jess’ age it does mean there were some of the things which she was not interested. This is because it went over her head. There is so much that under 5’s can do as you can see Jess was brushing her teeth like she does at home.  There is a maternity area which you can scan a doll’s tummy which shows you the baby in the tummy like a real life baby scan.  This would be great if your little one is about to become an older sibling. Jess at the moment is starting to like babies. She is always playing with the dolls which we have at home now.
The areas which Jess loved the most is the  living and working gallery on the bottom floor.  This has  kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, a garage which even has petrol pimps and a working car wash. If this is not enough, there is also a Mark’s and Spencer’s which is just like the real shop. There is a post office, building suite and a Halifax bank.  The bank has a million pound chair, bank volt and cash machine which is available for the young ones to play with. As you can see Jess loved the shop. I think we had to do the whole weekly shop in the little M&S. After pretending to be a millionaire sat on the chair.
The rest of the areas is split into 6 areas which desert garden, town, ocean, jungle, country and ice garden.  These are areas which Jess adored because there was a lot for her to do. It is made for the under 5s so it did not go over her head like the other areas. I think Jess loved the desert more because you can put the balls then turn the wheel and the ball came out the other side. She was playing this for a long time she was having the time of her life.
Downstairs there is a SoundSpace and Soundgarden this is an area which we did at the end.  So we did not spend a lot of time in because our car park was running out. I think this area was a little bit too old for her. This  something which she might enjoy more in the future when she grows up. There is a soft play area in the corner I think it is meant to be for those who are under 5.However, it seemed to babyish for Jess it was better for those who could not walk. This was very buys and full of children who were over 5. This meant Jess did not want to play in this area as older children can scare her.
Eureka is for sure worth the money it is £12.95 for adults, and because Jess is under 3, it was only £5.25. Of course, you get the free annual pass for the end of the year. Jess was so tired at the end of the day she did not make it out of the car park before been asleep. I can see you been able to visit till your child is at least 10. Even though we visited on the weekend it was not too busy. Jess still got to see everything she wanted. I love how child-friendly it is and they change parts of the museum every 3 months. This does mean it can be very different when you visit.
For sure I would recommend visiting Eureka, and I know we will be back in the next 12 months. Have you visited Eureka if so what were your thought.

 

Charlotte xx

5 Money Saving Tips Online Shopping

- Charlotte Leave a comment

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

- Charlotte Leave a comment
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.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. This 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

- Charlotte 1 Comment
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 13-15thJuly. 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