It's September and many of you will be thinking about the new academic year in one way or another.
For me it's time to put my study head back on.
I started studying my undergrad a few years ago at the grand old age of 32 but first pregnancy then a non-sleeping baby resulted in me first delaying then stopping my course.
Now life is a touch more predictable and I've settled into being a Stay at Home Mum I have decided to venture back into the world of academia.
Unlike last time though I am taking a slower route. I've opted for the Open University where I will be studying on a 50% workload rather than the intense 75% I was doing. This essentially means I will take 6 years to complete the degree.
Being a SAHM for many seems like the end of their personal ambitions. For me it's the start.
Saturday 3 September 2016
Thursday 1 September 2016
Nappy Bag Adventures - Episode 1 (or what's in my diaper bag)
It's funny looking back on these photos from when A was first born. I was using disposable nappies then although I'd planned to use cloth the ones I'd bought didn't fit him.
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| Babymel Soho Messenger |
This is the Babymel Soho Messenger, kindly bought for me as I wanted something fairly unisex but other than that I didn't have a clue.
And it was a good bag. It held everything but I hated it. The fabric felt funny, it was soft structured so collapsed in on itself if I even thought about using the pockets.
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| Nappy Bag Innards version 1. |
Middle row: case for dummy, nappies, hand cream, anti-bac wash, sun lotion and tissues
Bottom row: Nappy sacks and wet wipes.
At the time I was still expressing so I would carry bottles of breast milk as well as spare breast pads. I never took my pump out although I should have because the rooms for feeding are always in the toilets.
Tuesday 30 August 2016
Living with a Picky Eater
It's a phase most children go through and, with tastebuds changing daily, it's often their refusal to eat previously enjoyed foods that drives parents insane the most.
I have no advice, I'm still working my way through this phase with a toddler that only reliably only eats PN&J on 50/50 bread, sausages, chicken goujons or fish fingers (but only batter).
Instead I'm going to mourn the lost art of the packed lunch.
Before having A I'd been eagerly looking forward to the chance to make his lunches, envisoning lovely picnics with pinterest worth meals.
Instead I got this:
Honestly, which would you rather eat?
I really can't wait until this phase ends.
I have no advice, I'm still working my way through this phase with a toddler that only reliably only eats PN&J on 50/50 bread, sausages, chicken goujons or fish fingers (but only batter).
Instead I'm going to mourn the lost art of the packed lunch.
Before having A I'd been eagerly looking forward to the chance to make his lunches, envisoning lovely picnics with pinterest worth meals.
Instead I got this:
Beige.
There's no other way to phrase it really.
In comparison this is mine
There's no other way to phrase it really.
In comparison this is mine
Honestly, which would you rather eat?
I really can't wait until this phase ends.
Monday 29 August 2016
Let's Talk about Aunt Flo
It sounds pretty gross to the modern ear but until fairly recently this was how all women dealt with their period. Thankfully the modern era has improved this area as well and there are many benefits to swapping to reusables. Many women report these benefits to be:
Not all women get all of these benefits but, anecdotally, it seems many do.
Options for reusable sanitation can be as simple or as complicated, cheap or expensive as you like. Products include:
Like many it was cloth nappies that turned me onto other cloth products. I had my child in 2014 and decided to cloth nappy for both economic and environmental reasons - we were losing a second income and the cost savings just made sense. While pregnant I had the inevitable leaks while coughing, sneezing etc and I took to wearing panty liners. Hating the cost of these slim items I figured there must be a better way and asked in Ravelry.com, a knitting forum, I was pointed towards Earthwise Girls and promptly purchased a handful of liners. This was life changing, they were actually prettier than the pants I put them in and so I started looking further afield.
As a novice seamstress I decided to make my own and 3 years later I'm still using them. The pattern I used is from Amy Nix, who also has some fantastic youtube videos that show you, step by step, how to make them. Lunawolf is also very popular but most facebook groups have free templates to use.
As you can imagine there is a facebook group for both making and buying pads so I'm going to post a few links below:
Facebook Groups:
YouTube
- Shorter periods
- Less pain
- Less PMT/PMS
- No or less smell
- Cheaper
- "cleaner"
- Less irritating
- Cloth Sanitary Towels/pads
- Cups
- Sea Sponges
Not all women get all of these benefits but, anecdotally, it seems many do.
Options for reusable sanitation can be as simple or as complicated, cheap or expensive as you like. Products include:
Like many it was cloth nappies that turned me onto other cloth products. I had my child in 2014 and decided to cloth nappy for both economic and environmental reasons - we were losing a second income and the cost savings just made sense. While pregnant I had the inevitable leaks while coughing, sneezing etc and I took to wearing panty liners. Hating the cost of these slim items I figured there must be a better way and asked in Ravelry.com, a knitting forum, I was pointed towards Earthwise Girls and promptly purchased a handful of liners. This was life changing, they were actually prettier than the pants I put them in and so I started looking further afield.
As a novice seamstress I decided to make my own and 3 years later I'm still using them. The pattern I used is from Amy Nix, who also has some fantastic youtube videos that show you, step by step, how to make them. Lunawolf is also very popular but most facebook groups have free templates to use.
As you can imagine there is a facebook group for both making and buying pads so I'm going to post a few links below:
Facebook Groups:
- Sewing Cloth Menstrual Pads
- Menstrual Cups Worldwide
- WAHMs who make CSP Cloth sanitary protection sales group UK
- Amy Nix Cloth & Cups YT Group
- 'Fluffy vagina blankets': How reusable sanitary pads became a period phenomenon
- I used reusable sanitary towels and I liked it (and you should too
YouTube
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