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I have taken a little break recently, a break from the blog, from social media ...... from the laptop and had time to actually appreciate the little things around me. This post maybe a little self indulgent but having time with great family and friends reminded me that I should be thankful for :

1. Having two beautiful, happy, healthy girls.

2. Having a fabulous, supportive man .... who lets me have a lie in when I am tired.

3. Having brilliant friends who understand that a toddler may wake them at silly oclock on holiday.

4. Being very proud that my girls are confident and excited in the swimming pool (thank you Water Babies).

5. Being able to survive a 7 hour car journey without wanting to throttle any member of my family.

6. Having great neighbours who will look after our crazy cat (!!)

7. Sunshine ..... when we were expecting artic conditions.

8. Manners ..... they cost nothing but mean a lot (and makes me proud when I hear my daughter using them!)

9. Delicious food (and thrown together snacks)

10. Happiness .... why wouldn't you be thankful for that?

 

What makes you proud or thankful?

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I have unintentionally taken a little break from blogging over the last week mainly due to the house being full of poorly people. It wasn't just the little ones either, in fact I seemed to be the only "semi" normal one amongst us. I cannot tell you how many loads of washing I have done or how many times I have bleached everything to try and rid us of this horrid virus that has gripped my little family. Thankfully we seem to be out of the other side and whilst waking repeatedly in the night time, sleeping on my youngest daughter's bedroom floor and being permanently attached to one of my children wasn't how I pictured my weekend panning out but my mum reminded me that it was just a moment in time.

This is one of my mums favourite sayings but seeing a poem on Facebook today reminded me once again. The author is unknown but I wanted to share it:

I won't always cry, Mummy,

when you leave the room,

and my supermarket tantrums,

will end too soon,

I won't always wake, Daddy,

for cuddles in the night,

and one day you will miss,

having a chocolate face to wipe,

You won't always wake to find my foot

is kicking you out of bed,

or find me sideways on your pillow,

where you want to lay your head,

You won't always have to carry me

in asleep from the car,

or piggy back me down the road,

when my little legs can't walk that far.

So cherish every cuddle,

remember them all,

Because one day Mummy,

I won't be this small.

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I remember a time when I would arrive promptly for a dinner date, an appointment .... work and look haughtily at those that arrived looking hassled or, in some cases, disheveled. Today, I have to admit that there are days when I am that person.

I asked our Facebook fans what were their top time saving tips for mums and here's what they came up with.

• Prepare. Always prepare the night before if you can. Those extra few minutes in the morning may prove valuable when one of the children spills something down their front first thing in the morning. (Insert juice / breakfast / toothpaste - as appropriate).
• Have a routine. Children thrive on routine and hopefully, if you do the same things often enough, they should become a habit for them. (Disclaimer ... this doesn't seem to apply to making their own beds)
• Dont iron unless you absolutely have to! (This one made me giggle).
• As long as the children are perfectly groomed, have some great hats and you can forgoe doing your own hair!
• Have an "emergency" bag by the front door, with nappies, wipes, change of clothes and snacks .... just in case you have to dash out anywhere.

Now finally, my personal tip is to find long lasting make-up. I have used the same liquid eyeliner for years (yes, I accept that I am a creature of habit), so I was devastated to find that it had been discontinued. However it has been replaced by "tattoo eyeliner" which  lasts for 48 hours, unconvinced I thought I would try it and guess what .... it works!

So my time saving tip is to buy make up that you only have to apply every 2 days :-) 

Do you have a tip to share?

 

As mums, we are lucky to find a few moments to ourselves, let alone find time to exercise too! Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have the post-baby bodies of Victoria Beckham, Reese Witherspoon, or Beyonce? The trouble for most mums is finding the time to take regular exercise. While celeb mums have personal trainers who can whip them back into shape and nannies who can take care of their kids while they do it, the average mum has her hands full taking care of the kids and keeping the house in order. Cosmetic surgeries like tummy tucks and breast lifts may seem like an easy way out, but the risk of complications and medical negligence for these procedures is higher than what you may think. Instead, find time to squeeze fitness into your hectic schedule by following these tips: 

1)    Multi-task. 

As a busy mum, you simply may not have the time in your schedule to do a thirty-minute workout at the gym. But you can get some basic workouts in while you’re taking care of the kids, doing household chores, or running errands. Squeeze your glutes while you’re standing over the stove cooking dinner, do a few vertical push-ups each time you go to the toilet, and do some light weightlifting when you’re watching a television programme with the kids. Have time to spare when you’re waiting to pick up the kids from school or football practice? Keep a resistance band in the car to help keep you fit.

 2)    Take advantage of early mornings or nap time. 

If you have younger children, you can use nap time to fit in a quick at-home workout. Stream a fitness programme from the web or pop in a fitness DVD and get moving! Even a fifteen minute cardio workout will help you burn some calories. Mums who can’t seem to get a minute to themselves during the day may be better off trying to fit in a workout before the kids wake up; resist the urge to hit the snooze button and commit to waking up a few minutes early each morning.

 3)    Get the kids involved.

 While your kids will likely be bored by your pilates or yoga practise, they’ll be thrilled about high energy activities like dancing or swimming. Turn on some music and have a dance party in the living room, play a game of tag at the park, or take the kids to the pool to splash around with them one afternoon. If you have an infant in tow, push them in a stroller while you power walk or jog behind them.

 4)    Find a gym with childcare 

Can’t find the motivation to work out on your own? It may be time to head to the gym. Since it’s probably unrealistic to find a babysitter each time you want to work out, joining a gym that offers childcare services will allow you to enjoy a worry-free workout. 

We thought that these tips were pretty useful ..... hope you did too?