Thursday, May 31, 2012

{31} Why I Blog

I first started blogging when I was pregnant with Ollie.  I had been keeping a pregnancy journal and James suggested I blog about it instead.  I started up my blog and never looked back haha!  I started blogging because I wanted to keep a journal of my pregnancy.... later turning into a journal of my life as a mum and wife and now as a wife and mum to two!  It is so easy to forget the little things, but looking back through my posts, there are amazing things documented.

I enjoy writing.  I find writing a good old blog post is kinda therapeutic... I've always kept a diary and this is just the same, but public!

I've also 'met' a lot of lovely ladies through having a blog... and I love that!

Thank You all for taking part in the challenge!  I think you enjoyed it, so I am putting my thinking hat on and trying to come up with something... maybe something weekly?  How many of you finished the whole thing???

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

{30} In My Makeup Bag


{29} Where I've Travelled

I've been to:

Tunisia: I was about 3 and went with my mum and dad.

Malta: This photo was taken at the set of the Popeye movie!

Spain/ France/ Andorra: I went to Spain, France and Andorra with my family and then I went to Spain with a school friend!  I can't believe my mum and dad let me go to Spain on my own with my friend and her family.  It was so much fun!

Virginia: I went to Virginia as an Au Pair for a little 3 year old girl when I was 18.

Cape Cod:  We holidayed in Cape Cod while I was in America.

Amsterdam: Mine and James' first holiday together.

India: Our first BIG holiday together!  This photo is of me at the Taj Mahal.

Cuba: Our honeymoon!

Apart from the above, I've been to many places in Ireland, England and Scotland.  I also went to Belgium on a school holiday but I don't have any photos of it!

Monday, May 28, 2012

{28} I'm Looking Forward To...

In the near future I am looking forward to Ollie's 4th birthday.  That's in a week and a half.  We aren't having a big party this year but rather we are taking Ollie out for the day next Saturday... we have tons of things planned.

Then I am looking forward to my birthday!  James is off the week before and then the day of my birthday (a monday) so I am hoping we may be able to go somewhere for the weekend or go camping or something.  I normally get at least 3 days to celebrate my birthday ha!

Ollie starts school in September!  I'm so excited because I know he is going to love it!  I'm really looking forward to everything he is going to learn and the stories he is going to come home with to tell me.  Part of me is also looking forward to having alone time with Nate!  Ollie had me to himself for a few years and now it's Nate's turn while Ollie is at school.

That's all in the immediate future and I'm sure I could go on and on about things I am looking forward to in the future but I could write for hours on that, and I really have to get to bed!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

{27} A Favourite Recipe







                                                     Source: simply-delicious.co.za via Emma on Pinterest


This simple spaghetti with chilli, garlic, lemon and anchovies is AMAZING.  It's not fishy in the slightest... not too salty etc.  I've made it a few times now and always wish I'd made more!  I love it.  There are only a few of the recipes I've pinned that I have actually tried but this one is the best!


Well Split Me In Half!

That's what I wish I could do.  It's so hard at the moment with James being in London and Nate teething really badly.  He wants held A LOT and cries for a lot of the day.  He fusses taking a bottle so giving a bottle takes a lot longer than normal and it's sods law that Ollie wants to play as soon as Nate starts a screaming fit.  It's horrible having to tell him to wait, that I'm busy... that I can't play with him because his brother is upset.  I'm not entirely sure what to do in those situations.

Until now, parenting two kids has gone ok.  I've been lucky in that Ollie was very understanding when Nate came home.  He was rarely jealous or put out and was so well behaved but this last week, in between bouts of ADORABLE behaviour.... his behaviour has become worse.  I don't know if it's James being away so much that has unsettled him, or if Nate needing so much attention at the moment is the problem.  He was upset yesterday when Nate hadn't stopped crying for a very long time.  I'll not go into details of the naughty things he has done, but they are definitely out of character.

I'm not sure how to change things at the moment with James away for another week.  I'm hoping Nate's teething calms down (or a bloody tooth pops through!) asap.  When Nate has been napping I've been making more of an effort to do something special with Ollie... sitting quietly and snuggling together and reading as many books as he wants etc.  I don't want him to feel like he is less important etc.  I do tell him every night before bed that he is so special and important to me and that he is the best big brother Nate could ever wish for...I don't know if I am doing enough though.  I think Ollie and I need to go on a date (and get Nate minded!)... hot chocolate and the cinema come to mind!

How do you divide yourself between a little one that needs immediate attention, and an older one that needs you there for them too.  It's hard to juggle!!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

{26} An Old Photo

I love looking back through old photos!  James and I scanned in all my old family photographs (more than 1000!) so that they were all somewhere safe.  I love seeing the comparisons between my brothers and Ollie and Nate... the comparison between me and the boys, but the photos also bring back a ton of memories that I had forgotten.  I love seeing ones of me and my mum... we're super close and I love seeing the bond we already had when I was tiny!


A Happy 5 Years!

Happy Anniversary to my handsome husband, James...who is as lucky to have me as I am to have him! 5 years of marriage has given me the most perfect family I could ever wish for!




Friday, May 25, 2012

...Thoughts On Friday

Ah!  Today is GORGEOUS outside... 22 degrees to be exact!  How often does Belfast get this sort of weather.... RARELY.  We are really enjoying it.  Ollie is loving the freedom of having the door wide open and being able to come and go as he pleases into the garden.  We've got the suncream, sunhats, shorts, lemon water in the fridge...I hope it lasts!

Nate is teething horrendously!!  It's crazy how much different he is teething to the way Ollie did.  Of course Ollie had some grizzly days, but nothing to the extent of the screaming that Nate does.  He SCREAMS one minute and then the next minute he will happily, quietly guzzle his bottle.

As you can see I've changed the name of my blog.  I wanted a custom domain and unfortunately Boy Oh Boy was already a site (of the pornographic nature............), so anyway, I played around a little with different names and finally found a blog name with a domain available... so welcome to outMUMbered!  I wanted something short and to the point... I'm a mum outnumbered by a male dog, 2 sons and a husband!

I've been eating salads all this week!! Marks and Spencers have gorgeous ones on offer at the moment and they are all really healthy and filling.  I've also started drinking water in an effort to break my coke habit.  I made lemon water this morning and it's lovely!  Maybe the weight will start dropping off soon!

I'm single parenting again at the moment.  Gah.  It's hard doing it all alone, but that's the way the world has to work sometimes.  James is back in London since last week... was home the weekend, this week (not home this weekend even though it's our anniversary) and all next week.  He will be home on Friday.  I've found this week harder than other weeks because Nate's been so upset and I kind of feel like I've been neglecting Ollie.

That's all the randomness at the moment I think.

{25} Blogs I Love

I thought this would be a really good challenge today so that we could all discover some new blogs.  I have 100+ blogs in my reader so choosing my 5 favourites is really hard!  Here they are in no particular order!
  1. A Beautiful Mess: Full of cute pictures, craft tutorials and lots of lovely things
  2. Motherventing: See for yourself... she don't take any crap!
  3. Baby Makin Machine: Blogged about her journey first time TTC... now she is doing it again!
  4. Smitten Kitchen: Amaaahzing recipes!  
  5. Little Chief Honeybee: A bright and cheerful blog full of cute fashion and lovely things!  She's getting married!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

{24} Favourite Childhood Book


When I was little I LOVED Lady Lovelylocks and The Pixietails.  It was a wonderful girly girl book.  I remember dreaming and wishing that I had a dress like Lady Lovelylocks and her little pets, with their gorgeous multicoloured tails.  I still have this book in our loft.  I was hoping to pass it down to a daughter but I got two sons, so I may well have to keep it with the possibility of maybe one day having a granddaughter!

There are some books that Ollie reads now, that I used to read when I was little.

Snail Mail Friends

I was just wondered who has snail mail penpals.  I want a snail mail pal having had a lot of penpals when I was little and I loved it.  I loved exchanging things in the mail and loved getting letters to read.

Would any of you be interested in finding a penpal?  I was thinking I could gather everyone interested and put a page together on my blog, listing everyones location, likes and dislikes etc and you could all get in touch....

I was also wondering if any of your kids have penpals.  I would LOVE for Ollie to have a penpal from a different country, similar in age to him.  Obviously I will write what he asks me to, as he hasn't learnt to write yet... but I thought it would be super fun for him (and his recipient) to be watching out for the mail!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

{23} Dream Job

I didn't know what I wanted as my career until last year.  Growing up I wanted to be a nurse, a teacher, an actress.... the list could go on for miles.  One thing I have always had an interest in is photography.  I come from a long line of family photographic and journalistic tradition, and I don't know why it only struck me as the perfect career choice in the past year.

I never want to work in an office again.  I've been out of that environment for 4 years already, it would be very hard to go back to working in such a small space... and I've my two kids to think about.  I would rather look after them myself when they are not in school so feel like I need to choose a career that is flexible and I can be self employed.

I LOVE the thought of taking photos of children, newborns, maternity, weddings... capturing amazing life events for people.

My camera is still not being used to it's full potential... I've to study and figure out how to do everything, and then practice and practice to get anywhere near good!  I'm giving myself time though... I've said I would like to be on the road to earning money by the time Nate starts preschool!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

{22} Best Thing This Year!

Without a doubt, the best thing to happen to us this year was the birth of baby Nate.  From my post a couple of days ago, you will know that it took us along time to get where we are now... his birth was amazing and fast and we couldn't believe it when he was really here.  Last year started off with a miscarriage and this year started off with a birth.  Definitely a good start to the year!

Nate has really settled into our family and I love being a mum of two more than anything else in the world.  I'm pretty lucky.

We still have so much of the year left so I am really looking forward to what it might bring!

Monday, May 21, 2012

{21} 10 Favourite Foods!

This list is easy as I LOVE food!  It won't take me more than one minute to compile the following list I'm sure!

In no particular order:

  1. Prawns
  2. Avocado
  3. Pesto
  4. Indian food
  5. Goats cheese
  6. Barbecue ribs
  7. Lobster
  8. Duck
  9. Burnt bacon
  10. Sushi
That was easy!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Nate is 4 months old

At 4 months old:

Nate weighs more than 15lbs
Is teething horrendously
Giggles for me now... easily
Loves being tickled
Has started on purees...
...and so far enjoys banana and carrots
Has started to hold onto things properly...
and reaches for things too
His hair is growing back...
and it seems to be dark still!
Is learning to sit by himself...
...and is crazy strong!
Chomps his fists and growls as he does it.
Loves his big brother singing to him...
and loves his daddy talking silly.

{20} A Difficult Time

The hardest thing I've ever had to deal with was losing two pregnancies.  I never ever imagined that I would have a miscarriage.  When I fell pregnant with Ollie it was something I just never thought about.  I guess I was slightly naive.  I got pregnant fast with Ollie and the pregnancy went by with no problems.

When Ollie had turned 1, we started talking about adding to our family and we started trying again in the August.

Again we fell pregnant very fast.  We were ecstatic.  Our second baby was due to arrive a couple of days after Ollie turned 2.  A perfect age gap.  Unfortunately, 7 weeks into the pregnancy I started bleeding.  We were scanned and were told that the baby was only measuring 6 weeks but they couldn't confirm yet whether or not the pregnancy was ending.  We had to come back in a week to be re-scanned.  The whole week was awful.  I went through feeling hopeful and positive, to negative and as if my world was crumbling.  I had another scan which confirmed that there had been no growth and no heartbeat.... and I lost the baby that night.

We were broken hearted.  I swore I never wanted to try again.  I couldn't understand why it was happening to us... you don't imagine bad things happening to you and when they do it's a shock.

James and I started trying again.  After falling pregnant twice, rather fast... it came as a shock when it took more than a year to fall pregnant for the third time.  I couldn't get my head around why it was taking so long and worried that maybe there was something wrong and maybe we would never have another child.

We found out we were pregnant after Christmas, after trying for about 15 months.  I couldn't believe our luck.  It was such a relief knowing that we could in fact get pregnant.  Our joy was short lived though as one week into the pregnancy my symptoms disappeared and I took a pregnancy test which came up negative.  Just a week before I had had symptoms and a positive test... what had happened?  I lost the baby a week later.

I went for tests at my Dr. to first of find out if everything was working ok and she referred us to the fertility clinic at the hospital.  The appointment was made to rule out any problems there might be, why it had taken more than a year to fall pregnant and to question why I had miscarried twice.

The appointment date came through for April, blood was taken, questions were asked... and a followup appointment was made for August.  We didn't need the followup appointment...

At the end of April something must have clicked because I found out a week into May that we were pregnant for the 4th time.

This time, nothing went wrong... I was on tenter hooks the whole pregnancy but that's exactly what I got... a WHOLE pregnancy and a baby born on 18th January 2012.  My little Nate.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

{19} I Collect...

Pandora Beads!

I LOVE my Pandora bracelet.  James bought it for me a few years ago and it's definitely one of my most prized possessions.  I love getting new beads for it.


I have beads on it for when we bought a bouse, Ollie's birth stone... a boy bead for Ollie, my initial E, a monkey holding a baby monkey, a knot from James.  I have still to get another boy bead for Nate and his birthstone also.

(Sorry this post is so late!)

Friday, May 18, 2012

{18} My Blog Name

Boy Oh Boy

The posts on this blog go right right right back to my very first blog (I imported posts each time I moved blogs).  My first blog was called Bump, Baby, Beyond.... my second was called Toddler Awesome and now I have this one.  I changed the name first of all, because Ollie was no longer a toddler and secondly because I would soon have TWO boys.  I used the phrase Boy Oh Boy because I have the two boys and sometimes they drive me crazy!

I'd love love love my own domain but it just so happens that Boy Oh Boy is actually a gay porn site already.... (just add a .com in there) and I couldn't even use boyohboy.co.uk just incase my readers typed the .com address by accident.  I wouldn't want people ending up there!!  Goodness knows what to do about a domain now!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

{17} My Proudest Moment

I have many things that I am proud of with regards to the boys and with regards to my husband.  All 3 of them make me proud every day.  I am interpreting this prompt as what am I most proud about with regards to myself!

I am proud of myself because I did BIRTH... and not just once but TWICE... and the second time I did it, I did it using the pain relief of a birth pool.... that's all!!  Birth both times was SCARY but I did it and I have Ollie and Nate as the result.  


GO ME!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

{16} Top Of My Bucket List

There are a few things at the top of my bucket list that aren't in a particular order.

One of them is to live in a different country.  I am so BORED of living here in Belfast... there is so much more to the world than this little island called Ireland and I get antsy when I think about living here forever.  I have itchy feet and want to travel. This bucket list item might be closer to happening than I ever imagined though I can't say anything more about that just yet!

Another is to be debt free.  I HATE debt.... credit cards are the DEVIL!

I'd also like to eat at a Michelin Star restaurant...

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

{15} A Day In My Life

A timeline of a day in the life of me?  I'm interested in how others spend their days... I am a person who loves routine and following to-do lists.  I thrive on predictability in my day.  I love knowing what is going to happen or who I am going to see/ what I am going to do.  One of the funnest things I do in the week is fill out my calendar!  Is that totally ridiculous?

A normal day in the life of me goes as follows:

6.30am Ollie bounds into the room shouting "I kept my bed dry!!!", every morning!  He climbs in beside James and I and plays on the iPad for a bit while James and I catch a few extra ZZZZZZs.

7.30am Nate is normally awake by this time and he joins us in bed too.  He is normally super happy in the mornings and in bed is where we have some of the funnest Ollie/ Nate interactions.  James gets ready and leaves for work.

8.30am We are normally still chilling out on the bed, chatting, playing etc.  I dress Nate for the day and then bring up a bottle and feed Nate in bed before getting Ollie his breakfast.  He LOVES cereal.  I don't have any breakfast.

9.00am I check my reader, twitter and facebook quickly and then do a tidy of downstairs.... dishes etc.  I also vacuum every morning because I cannot STAND dog hairs.  I normally get a load of laundry on to wash too.  When I've done my few chores we play together and have a relaxed morning.

10.00am Nate goes down for a nap, which is perfect timing as it gives me time to get ready for the day.  I shower, dress, do my hair and then my makeup.  Then I tidy the bedroom and make my bed.  Ollie plays independently with lego, cars, drawing, chasing the dog...

11.00am It's quite early in the day for lunch, but Ollie needs to eat lunch at 11.00 so we can get out on time for school!  He eats anything from olives, carrots sticks and humous, dairylea dunkers to beans on toast or spaghetti bolognese.

11.30am I wake nate from his nap and give him a bottle.

11.40am Once Ollie is finished lunch I put him into his school uniform, wash his face, brush his teeth and get him full ready to go.  I check to make sure I have enough change in my purse for the bus and that I have everything I will need for the day.

11.55am We leave for the bus which arrives at 12.05.

12.30pm I leave Ollie at school and decide what Nate and I are going to do. Sometimes I meet a friend for lunch nearby (Ollie is only at school for 2 hours 15 minutes so it isn't a great deal of time to make big plans), sometimes I wander around the shops and pick something up for dinner or sometimes I go home and put my feet up with Nate for an hour and a bit.  Nate almost always needs fed during this time while Ollie is in school, so he is either fed at home or we will sit in a cafe and I will feed him there while I get a peppermint tea/ coffee.

2.45pm I go to collect Ollie.  He is normally really full of beans and happy to tell me about his time at school... what snack he had, who he played with etc.  We rush from his school to the bus stop to make it on time.

3.15pm We arrive home, Ollie kicks his shoes off and settles on the sofa to watch some tv and have wind down time.  I will change a load of laundry in the dryer etc and plan what to have for dinner.

4.30pm James arrives home and takes over the childcare while I make dinner.

5.00pm We have dinner together and then spend the rest of the evening playing, watching tv, chatting, getting ready for bed and clearing up the dinner things.

7.00pm Nate gets a bottle and goes to bed first and once he is settled Ollie goes to bed!

7.15pm-? James and I normally relax together for the rest of the night until bedtime.  We normally watch a movie together and have chocolate!  I will blog, edit photos, catch up on emails and twitter etc.  Bedtime for us can be anything from 10.30-12!

Monday, May 14, 2012

{14} If I Won The Lottery

I've always thought about how lovely it would be to win just enough money for things to be comfortable. A silly dream however, considering that James and I never play the lottery. Ever.

If I did ever happen to win an amount, I wouldn't need quite the entire jackpot.

I would like to win enough to pay off our debts (mortgage, credit card and the like), give an amount to various charities, I would buy a large 5 bedroom house with massive gardens (and hire someone to manage the upkeep!!)... large enough to have all my future grandchildren to stay etc.  I would buy a lovely car (loving the Mini All4!), I'd pay off some family debts... mortgages etc, buy my brothers a car each, and put enough aside for a FEW holidays!

I'd like to start my own photography business in the future, so with some of the winnings I could buy a lot of new equipment... and I LOVE clothes shopping, so would have to fill my wardrobe with new stuff!!

With whatever was left, I would put it into savings for Ollie and Nate so that it would pay for their first car, university fees, go toward a house, business startup or even their weddings!

Ah, one can dream!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

{13} My Earliest Childhood Memory

I remember bits and pieces of a trip we took to Tunisia when I was 3 or so.  I remember the camels, snake charmers and eating cous cous.  I also remember the flight there.


I can remember the street we lived on when I was 3.  I remember the friends I had, and te things we used to get up to.  I was never allowed past a certain lightpost on the street.... that was the furthest I could go... and we had gooseberry bushes in our garden.  There was an old woman who lived across the street called Doreen and she used to let me come over and eat slices of apple dipped into the sugar bowl. Yum!


Once the house a couple of doors down went on fire and we were all evacuated onto the street.  Apparently it had started because of a row between the husband and wife.  I remember standing on the street in my nightie with all my other neighbours.

I also once cut my own fringe.  It went totally lopsided.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

{12} Inside my fridge

When I post the below photos, please don't feel sorry for me!! Haha!  We are supposed to do a food shop this weekend because we don't have anything to make a meal with.  We're fine in terms of juice... but you can't live on juice alone.  My fridge looks desperately empty but don't worry.... we're not starving!

Baby formula, semi skimmed milk, Ribena, Innocent orange juice

Eggs, Golden Cow butter, mayonnaise, pesto, jalapenos, pizza topping, chillis

Munch Bunch yoghurts, Frubes, Cathedral City Cheddar, Lurpak lighter
A chicken and ham pie, Innocent Apple juice, tomatoes
A pastry case, baby courgettes and baby tomatoes

Ollie's drawings on the front of the fridge

Chicken nuggest, microwave pizzas, peas, Weight Watchers meals, mince

Frozen sausages, Smiles, fish fingers and bacon

Friday, May 11, 2012

{11} 15 Of My Favourite Things

I have so many things that I LOVE so to narrow it down to just 15 is really hard.  Here goes!

1. Summer!

We don't get great summers here in Ireland, but when we do get a nice day I LOVE it.  I spend sunny days feeling full of energy, feeling relaxed and totally positive about life.  The sun and heat really does wonders for my mood and my view on life!  In the summer I will also have my biggest boy off school for 2 months... I can't wait to put a list of fun activities together for us to complete.  I love everything about the summer.... eating salads outside, going to the beach, not having to take a coat, wearing sandals, waking up to sunshine.  Ah.

2. Being a SAHM!

I LOVE my husband for working hard enough to enable me to be a SAHM to our boys.  I'm super lucky.  It's the best job I've ever had and spending my day looking after my boys is wonderful.  I'm so used to being at home with them, it is hard to imagine having gone back to work and having them minded!

3. Coca Cola...

...Addicted.

4. Cocktails

I'm not a big fan of the taste of alcohol so cocktails like mojitos and daiquiris are my absolute favourite.  Sweet and yummy.  The best daiquiri I ever had was on our honeymoon in Cuba at Tropicana Caberet. Delicious.

5. Pinterest!  

I am so so addicted to pinning at the moment and have been so inspired by everything lately.  I just wish I had more time to do the things I want to do!!

6. Taking photos!

7. Sushi!

Though not raw!  I didn't try sushi until a couple of years ago and as soon as I put the first bit in my mouth, I was addicted!  

8. Yankee Candles

Love the Bahama Breeze one and the Cherry Blossom.  Both make my house smell fab.  I get really self conscious about how my house smells because we have a dog and Yankee Candles cover it right up!  My husband insists there is no smell of dog though.

9. Prada Candy

I picked this perfume up recently and LOVE it.  It smells sweet and not flowery at all.  I'm not into really floral scents.

10. Making lists!

11. Everything Apple!

We have MacBooks, iPhones and iPads in this house.  I can't even work a laptop or pc that is Windows anymore. So confusing!

12. My birthday!

Absolutely and utterly the best day of the whole year.  I am very fortunate in that my husband lets me have more than a 1 day birthday.  My birthdays tend to last a whole weekend/ week and I love it.

13. Tattoos

14. Polka dots

15. Making friends

Thursday, May 10, 2012

{10} My Best Physical Feature


Oh I can't choose just one.... I'm positively GORGEOUS.  Ok Ok if I had to choose my BEST physical feature out of all my amazingness, I would choose my skin!  I have really good skin that tans well in the sun... is smooth, spot free (I've never ever suffered from spots!) and is nice enough that I get away with not wearing makeup/ foundation on it.  It's not dry or oily either!

James says my eyes are my best physical feature.  They are an odd colour.  I'm not entirely what one colour I would say they are... they are a green and brown mix!  Under my eyes is always puffy (comes from being tired all the time I guess!) and that lets them down!

I'd love to have been able to say my hair.  It's healthy and shiny but so frickin fine... it's flat an hour after blow drying!  I'd love thicker hair... and post pregnancy hair loss certainly doesn't help!!  So there you go!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

{9} My Worst Habits

This was a hard list to think of... not because I'm perfect and have no bad habits, but because I'm not entirely sure which of these are actually habits.
  • I procrastinate a lot... I don't like boring things that need done so I will put it off and put it off as long as I can get away with.  Things like hanging out the washing... I'l do that later.  Putting the clean and dry laundry away.... I'll do that later too.
  • Spending money at every opportunity!  I can't seem to help myself.  If I go to the shops it feels wrong to come home empty handed.  I could save a lot of money if I just didn't spend it.  I'm addicted to shopping!
  • I'm quite bossy!  At least, James thinks so!
  • When tidying the house, starting lots of things at once and not getting them finished.  This infuriates James!!  I'll start the housework with the intention of doing a full spring clean from top to bottom.... I'll start in the kitchen and it will be sparkling, dining room next, living room.... and then I'll be either too tired or bored to do the rest of the house.  So we end up with sparkly rooms and rooms that are a total mess.
I'm looking forward to finding out what your bad habits are!!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

{8} What's In My Handbag

Well!  I don't carry a handbag... I take my changing bag with me wherever we go.  It;s pretty big and has a MILLION pockets, but I love it.  It's a Pink Lining bag and I got it last Christmas.


In my changing bag from day to day we have:
  • Toys for Nate
  • Baby wipes
  • Nappies
  • A spare vest and sleepsuit
  • My purse
  • Lipgloss
  • Sudocrem for nappy rash
  • Hairbrush
  • Teetha granules (a lifesaver at the moment)
  • A paci
  • Anti-bac hand gel
  • Travel change mat



Monday, May 7, 2012

{7} My Pet Hates

O0o0o0oh.... what gets my goat.... hmmmm.... think I had better make it a list!
  1. I can't stand lateness. Gah!! Why can people just not be on time?
  2. I don't like waiting in traffic, or queues...
  3. ...or walking behind someone that is walking really slowly... move over and let me pass!
  4. Smoking... especially in the vicinity of my children.
  5. My asthma.
  6. People dropping their rubbish!
  7. Facebook.  I've gone off it since joining Twitter!
  8. Ironing!
  9. Bad manners...
  10. One sided friendships.
  11. People not cleaning up their dogs poop.
  12. People who tell lies.
  13. Kids toys that come in packets that take forever and a screwdriver to open!
I'm sure I could go on but I don't want to overwhelm you all!!

Show Off Your Shot {11}

Sweet Shot Day   and
 then, she {snapped} 


I love black and white photos and I took this shot during the week.  I love his big eyes!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Boing Boing and Miscellaneous Happenings...


... I went to an NCT Nearly New sale on Saturday and picked up some great bargains!  I got sleepsuits and jeans and tops for Nate, tops for Ollie and new welly boots... I got a play nest, door bouncer and mobile for Nate and some toys (each of those was £1!!).

The door bouncer has to be one our best baby buys so far.  HE LOVES IT and is getting the hang of bouncing a bit already.  He is so happy to be upright and able to chill out and watch what everyone is up to.


Nate has been teething for the last few weeks but it has really stepped up in the past 3 days!  The poor soul has been drooling foam!  You can feel little lumps in his gums and I just hope they come through soon.  He isn't feeding very well at the moment, I can only assume because of the pain.  He goes mad when I try to give him a bottle but after fighting him for a minute he gives in and drinks the rest of the bottle normal and relaxed.  He has never been funny about a feed.  My mum gives a great bottle though.  He never fails to take an ENTIRE bottle from her.  He doesn't take entire bottles from James or I... he always leaves an oz or so.

Even though he has had painful days.... he slept THROUGH last night.  I slept in Ollie's bunk bed for a night of unbroken sleep and when I got up this morning James asked me to change Nate while he went to fix a bottle.  Nate was soaked... his nappy had leaked.  I asked James had he not changed him in the night and James replied "I would have had he woken up!".... the wee star slept all night from 10.30pm until 6.00am

Yesterday my Granny, Aunt and Uncle were over from England, so they came over for lunch.  Ollie has met his Great Grandma twice before but she had never met Nate.  It was so great to see her.  She is coming to stay with us Monday - Thursday.


Also, I captured this picture of James on his laptop with Ollie sitting behind him on the iPad.  Geek central!  Love it!

{6} My 5 Senses Right Now!

I thought this would be an interesting prompt as I am sure everyones will be entirely different!!

SEE:
I slept in Ollie's room last night while he slept in with James.  Ollie's bed is super comfy and I can see his monkey George, his blue walls, his Playmobil farm house and bits of Playmobil all over the floor... I can also see Nate's bouncer and a paci but he is in bed in my bedroom right now.  He comes in here for naps.

TASTE:
Nothing right now.  I am going back to bed after i write this post!!  The joys of having a lovely husband who lets me sleep longer on weekends.

FEEL:
I feel warm and cosy right now because I'm in Ollie's comfy bunk bed and have the blanket over me.

HEAR:
I can hear Ollie and James chatting, and Nate is moaning a little bit.

SMELL:
I can't smell anything!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

{5} 10 favourite songs right now

Free by Twin Atlantic on Grooveshark A Real Hero (feat. Electric Youth) by College on Grooveshark Youth by Daughter on Grooveshark LoveBlood by King Charles on Grooveshark ADT by Fake Problems on Grooveshark Eyes Wide Open by Gotye on Grooveshark Awake My Soul by Mumford & Sons on Grooveshark Graveyard by Feist on Grooveshark We Were Owls by Lovedrug on Grooveshark One Foot by fun. on Grooveshark

Friday, May 4, 2012

{4} What Am I Afraid Of?

I don't like to talk about what I am afraid of, because then it kind of gets stuck in my head and I keep going round and round in circles thinking about it.  I've thought about it so much on occasion that I've become really panicky and nauseous.

I'm afraid of dying.  I hate thinking about it.  It scares the crap out of me.  It's the whole "What happens?" "How on earth can a person just not BE anymore"... it's hard to describe.

I used to reassure myself when I was younger.... oh there are at least 70 more years until I might die... now as I'm getting older, I count those years down.

It's such an irrational fear... I mean, there is nothing I can do about it!  It's going to happen of course... it just makes me feel claustrophobic and nauseous and scared.  I do think about it too much.  It crosses my mind almost every day.  I'm pretty sure I am going to need counselling or some sort of therapy eventually to help me calm down and accept it for what it is.

The only other thing I am really afraid of is spiders.  Always have been.  It wasn't until we moved into the house we are in now, that I saw the second biggest spider of my life.  Literally inches long and frickin HAIRY.  That's because we live next to a forest.  I ask James to kill any spiders I see, but he won't.  He just puts them outside on the lawn....(and of course they just walk back in!).  I'm not as bad as I was.  If I see a teeny tiny one I will squash it with my hand etc.  The thought of big ones terrifies me though.

The biggest spider I ever saw was when I was in Virginia, US as an Au Pair.  I was sat on the balcony one night looking out the window when something caught my eye... it was moving.  Upon closer inspection I noticed that it was a MASSIVE spider twisting a baby mouse in it's web.  Turning it round and around.  The spider was the size of a childs fist.  As soon as I noticed what it was I ran away to throw up.  Bleugh.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

{3} My Favourite Quote

I have a board on Pinterest that I've name Notable Quotables and I've filled it with sayings etc that catch my attention, and make me think.  I've two that I really really like and both I would consider as tattoos.

Mumford and Sons, from the song "Awake My Soul"

Augusten Burroughs

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

{2} 20 Facts About Me

Wow!  I'm so pleased to see so many of you taking part in the 31 Day Blog Challenge!  I didn't think that many would be interested... so I'm glad you're all looking forward to the next few weeks!  I am going to keep the linkys open for a whole month, so if you miss a day for whatever reason (life happens) you can still come and link up just when you get the chance.  It also means that people can start the challenge later if they like!

I've posted the challenge list in the sidebar so I don't have to post it daily... and the button is there with the grab code underneath.

I'll try and get round all your posts from yesterday today!

So... 20 facts about me... hmmm. What is there that you might not know about....
  1. I had pigs growing up! 
  2. I don't like any form of sport.  I'm laaaaazy!
  3. I am horrendously addicted to Coca Cola.
  4. I like watching horror movies, but I close my eyes for the most part.
  5. I LOVE lists.
  6. Spiders are my worst nightmare...
  7. ...and I have an irrational fear of dying.
  8. I love to sing, but am crap.  The only people who hear me are my husband and my kids!
  9. Total dog person... I don't like cats much.
  10. I can't drive! I've paid for lessons but am still to take them.... in the summer hopefully!
  11. My boobs are TINY. Gah.
  12. I'm very clumsy and accident prone. 
  13. I hate beer.
  14. I LOVE food....I definitely eat man size portions.
  15.  I have a tattoo on my wrist and on my hip.
  16. My favourite colour is blue.... teal, turquoise and duck egg to be exact.
  17. I hate it when people are LATE!  
  18. My husband proposed to me at a music festival in London.
  19. I can't eat milk, cream or butter.... but I'm not lactose intolerant... those 3 things just make me sick.
  20. My husband says I'm over-emotional.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

{1} Introduction & Photo

Hi and welcome to day 1 of the 31 Day Blog Challenge!

My name is Emma and I'm a 27 year old stay at home mum to two amazing little boys (Ollie and Nate) and stay at home wife to my husband of 5 years, James.  We live in Northern Ireland with our dog Dexter.  I started blogging when I was pregnant with Ollie, as a way to remember everything.  I keep this blog as a sort of journal/ diary/ baby book/ family album.  I love blogging and documenting our goings-on as a family of 4.

I love surprises, relaxing, sushi, dogs, shopping, blogging, photography, learning, travelling, music, Indian food, cocktails, baking, cooking, fresh air, bubble baths and reading.

A few of my favourite posts are the following:

...and a recent photo:

  

You can find the whole list of prompts by clicking here!