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.
| search engine by freefind | advanced |
Posted on
Swimming is a big part of our life.
Swimming is a life skill.
Swimming has helped make new friends.
Swimming has helped build confidence.
Swimming has helped to build a strong bond with Nanny and her youngest grand daughter.
Swimming has given me peace of mind
A picture can tell a thousand words.
Posted on
I am saying this in very hushed tones but do you remember those sleeping problems we might have mentioned once or twice last year? Well *whispers* we "may" have cracked it!
I vaguely remember a time when people would look at the little one and say "she is always sleeping" and I would smile that smug new mom smile.
But then that gorgeous little baby decided that sleep was for the weak.
We have looked at behaviour, routine, "training" (I don't like that word), more sleep, no sleep but ultimately comfort is what won the day. It was beginning to drive me a little insane, the constant waking in the middle of the night and the regular "third" person in our bed, wanting snuggles from Mommy or lying across Daddy like she did when she was little.
I am not adverse to co-sleeping but I am not a massive fan of sleeping with a child that resembles a star fish! She has a tendancy to push her arms and legs out to the furthest point possible which was clearly waking her in her cot so she would come into our cozy bed with its memory foam mattress. Ridiculous as it sounds, she clearly wanted a bed with no sides.
So she has a bed, a quilt and a pillow and guess what? We have a happy sleeping toddler! I have always loved my bed and I hope that she will too, especially when I have shown her beds fit for a princess!
As for those who use the term "sleep like a baby", I am quite convinced they have never actually had one!
Disclaimer : This post was brought to you in association with Carpetright, who I was surprised to learn do much more than carpets! All thoughts and non sleeping toddlers are our own.
Posted on
There has been a distinct lack of writing on the Lilypad blog lately, mainly due to taking a Christmas break but also due to a small problem with my hand that has made any kind of writing at all pretty difficult. The doctor has told me to rest (like that is ever going to happen) so this weeks Wednesday wishlist is brought to you by my eldest daughter.
I asked her to write a wishlist, not for material things but for the things that would make her happy today.
Here it is ....
My wishlist for this week is to get my hand functioning normally.
What's on yours ..... ?
Posted on
For the past two years I have not made any New Years Resolutions. This is partly due to the fact that I break them but mainly as I prefer to reflect on the past years achievements rather than set, sometimes unrealistic, goals for the next 12 months. (such as the ridiculous idea of giving up chocolate!!)
Last year I started the post with my favourite quote of the year, so here is my favourite of 2013 : "If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair, you're fooling yourself. That's like expecting the lion not to eat you because you didn't eat him"
So here are my Reverse Resolutions for 2013.
1. I have forced encouraged my girls to continue with their swimming lessons this year. This may not sound like a spectacular achievement but trust me, on a Monday evening when a certain 8 year old does not want to go swimming and a 2 year old wants to get in the water instead, this is a particularly amazing achievement. Or when said 2 year old decides she no longer wants to go under the water, perserverance has definately paid off ...... and the daily bath time soaking session is testament to this. Although I have to give a nod to Water Babies for their amazing encouragement every step of the way.
2. Helping my youngest daughter make the transition into nursery. This was always going to be emotional. She has always been at home with me, daddy, nanny or her god parents, so taking her into a new enviroment was as much difficult journey for me as for her. My baby is growing up, I had to allow her to do it.
3. I stepped out from behind my laptop and went to three blogging conferences this year. So many people think I am a confident person but its all a facade and going and introducing myself to new people is totally out of my comfort zone but I did it, three times and guess what? I had a blast and met some amazing people.
4. I write a reflection of the last 12 months on my blog without actually mentioning the blog. The Lilypad blog and social media presence continues to provide fantastic opportunities, great collaborations and the chance to meet truly inspirational people. How can I not be proud of that?
5. Getting Engaged! Now I accept that this would not necessarily count as an achievement but it is so darn exciting that I had to include it and if I have one goal for 2014, it is planning an awesome and very personal wedding!
So going back to my favourite quote of the year, my mum always taught me to "play fair", so am just kind of hoping there are no lions out to eat me in 2014 as I am really looking forward to what it brings!
