Blog : Little Lilypad Co

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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.

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Category: Christmas

  1. The Christmas Onesie : Is it on your wishlist?

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    I have this strange relationship with the Onesie, I think they are great, I think they can be practical, I think that they are warm but I also think they would look silly with heels, so they are not really for me.

    That said, they seem to be in all the shops at Christmas time and I love to buy them for all my friends and relatives. Shopping is a big thing for me (this is clearly not a secret), and it is always about the "right" outfit or in this case the right "onesie" but finding a good selection is always part of the challenge, so when I was introduced to Mary Jane Fashion, I knew I could find something the perfect Christmas oneside for my friends (plus dresses, shoes and accesories for me).

    Which One(sie) would you choose?

     

    The kids love them and a new onesie is definately on my eldest daughters Christmas wish list (and she wears hers all year through) but is it on yours? Or will you be coveting a Bridget Jones style Reindeer Christmas jumper this year instead?

     

  2. My "Early" Christmas Wish List

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    I know it is only the start of November and a Christmas wish list may sound a little presumptuous but let me tell you why. The last week has been a merry go round of illness. The littlest member of the Lilypad family has been poorly and once again sleep deprivation has hit. I can never fathom the saying "sleep like a baby", as babies rarely sleep soundly, especially when they are in your bed resembling something akin to a starfish.

    So my Christmas Wish List is very simple (albeit a little predictable) but all I wish for is a Silent Night ....

    Unfortunately, this may mean a bigger bed and I have been stalking the internet looking at things to add to my wish list. My mood board from TJ Hughes is a work in progress, especially as I am always changing my mind but I love that we could all snuggle up in this bed on a weekend morning and let the children watch their shows while I grab an extra 5 mins *cough*, I mean read the morning papers.

    My Early Christmas Wish List

    I always say that you can cope with anything if you have had sleep ...... I just need to rid our house of this horrid bug and remind my girls that their own beds are just as nice as ours! Or maybe I should just get some children's bunk bed's so that they can sleep together!

    Do your little ones want to sleep with you when they are poorly?

    Disclosure : This featured post is brought to you in association with T J Hughes. All moans about sleep deprivation are our own! 

  3. 8 weeks to Christmas : 8 things to do to save money

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    As of today folks there are exactly 8 weeks till Christmas.

    I know I am mentioning the C word again but 8 weeks folks! 8 weeks!

    So what can you do in 8 weeks to create a few extra pennies to spend over the festivities?

    1. Don't get coffee or sandwiches from anywhere other than your own cupboards and fridge. It is amazing that so many people spend over £10 a week on lunch and coffee. If you saved this money over the next 8 weeks, that is £80 you will have saved in time for Christmas!
    2. Reduce the Christmas list. Agree with certain friends that you won't exchange gifts this year, or set a price limit for family presents, particularly those for adults. Alternatively, have a "children only" rule, or set up a Secret Santa, which is kind of exciting as well as helping you to save money.
    3. Create a Christmas cupboard, then pounce on the biggest discounts. Don't waste time and money, Decide on who you need to buy for and what you want, make a list, get a Christmas cupboard ready to put stuff in, then search for the cheapest price. christmasgoodies
    4. Make the most of your vouchers! Whether it be Tesco Clubcard, Boots Advantage or Nectar Card Points, work out the best deal, don't just use them at the till, it maybe better to convert them into vouchers to get the best value.
    5. Sell your Stuff! I know that this sounds obvious but it is amazing how many people have clothes that they have grown out of or gifts that have been put in a cupboard and forgotten about. I recently blogged about doing a car boot sale to get rid of our old dvd's and "things" cluttering up the house but I wouldn't necessarily recommend that now the weather has changed but there are still sites like Ebay that allows you to sell from the comfort and warmth of your own home.
    6. Meal plan. We are all guilty of buying food on impulse. Don't. Set out your shopping into meals.Baby Budget
    7. And if you can't do that, walk down the reduced / whoops aisle. It is amazing what you can pick up to cook the same day. If you have the time to pop into the supermarket every day, you could easily save another £10 a week or more, which is another £80 towards Christmas.
    8. Be social media savvy! Get on Twitter and follow money saving experts such @myfamilyclub @familybudgeting @pennygolightly and @moneymagpie for sales hints and money-saving tips.Twitter

    Do you have any other money saving tips?

  4. My Reverse Resolutions 2012 - 2013

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    Best quote of the year : "Dont be the person who could juggle but just didnt have the balls"

    Last year I decided that rather than start a list of New Years Resolutions, that would probably be broken by the second week in January, I would do a reverse list of all the things I have achieved in the last 12 months.  2011 was an amazing year and it made me realise that I dont need a list to aspire to but I just need to aspire to be the best I can be, whether that is mum, daughter, friend, business associate (or indeed juggler).

    So on reflection, here are my reverse resolutions for 2012. 

    1. I was nominated and subsequently named one fo the Top 100 Mumpreneurs by the national network, Mumsclub.

    2. The Lilypad Blog was nominated and a finalist in the first Women Inspiring Women awards.

    3. The Lilypad Blog has developed its own identity this year and has been a great platform to work with amazing brands like Fisher Price, Plum Baby and Groupon.

    4. I have been able to give both daughters a new life skill through swimming. The eldest can now swim competently and the little one is enjoying the water with Water Babies classes. As you can imagine, bath time is hugely amusing in our house with neither of them being afraid of being splashed and dunked!

    5. My love of blogging and addiction to social media has resulted in new opportunities and the start of some exciting new working partnerships.

     

    The start of the year was a haze of breastfeeding and nappies, so I was probably wasnt focused enough to make any achievable resolutions but on reflection, the girl did good!

    Watch out 2013, I have the balls and I am ready for some juggling!

    Top100 winner