To the mum this summer

To the mum this summer who's scratching her head no not for nits this time but for what to do next, its only the first week of the summer holidays, the kids are already bored out of their brains. They whinge that they are hungry every 5 seconds, offer them a piece of fruit and then suddenly their tummy feels funny. They watch boring YouTube videos, like unboxing toys, and god forbid you hear that dreaded noise, baby shark again its plastered all over your screen, as you think to yourself where else haven't we been. They get all the toys out and make a complete mess, you ask them to tidy up and they get in a stress, you say no more Ipad and they throw a strop, so you bribe them with sweets from the local shop. You go to the park a 100 times a day and you battle with suncream and every time they say "I don't need suncream" the battle goes on, by the time you've done arguing the sun will be gone. They beg you to ride their scooter or bike, you say no as you'll end up carrying it isn't that right? No I promise this time I will ride it all the way there and sure enough your not even a third of the way there when they start to say that dreaded word mum, I don't want my scooter anymore its not fun. Fine then I guess it will stay there, okay they say without a care and you pick up the flipping scooter and start to walk on, as your child skips along singing the dreaded song. They walk down the road to the park they go, complaining their legs hurt and they want to go home, then they see the ice cream man and suddenly smile and you think maybe if you buy them one they'll be quiet just for a little while. You get to the park and they run off, you sit on a bench and think yes thats it off you trot, then 5 seconds later they're back at your side, watch this mum I can climb up the slide, yes well done you say as you watch them climb, you've seen them do it before and its no different this time. You think about the many days ahead you have left, you think how the hell am I going to cope, is it time for bed? You contemplate taking up drinking in the day, a glass a wine in the morning never hurt anyone hey?  You scroll through your phone for 5 minutes peace looking at everyones fabulous holiday pics, you start to feel blue at your boring life, how people are jetting off and your child's out on his bike, riding to the park for the second time today, there's got to be a better way, to spend the summer holidays, to give them some fun in their life for a while. But what you don't realise is your not alone, there are plenty of mums who aren't even at home, with their little ones this summer holidays, working all hours you see, so while your at home watching Paw Patrol again spare a thought for the mum who's out working all godsends just to make ends meet. Everyone may plaster all over social media how great the summer holidays are and they can't wait for their holiday in Ibiza. But behind every post is a stressed out mum, whos worn out from all the time in sun, she is knackered and tired from the constant shouting like get down from the side, and don't jump on the couch please. She's picked up endless toys and wiped several mouths, she tided every single inch of the house. The summer holidays are not as glorious as people make it out to be most of don't even get time for wee, but its only six weeks and it won't last long, soon it'll be back to school and no more of that dreaded song, but you'll miss them so much when they do go back, but i'm sorry to say there are no parent hacks, to cure the summer boredom thats a fact. Just enjoy the time that you have left with your little ones, they won't be small forever and soon they'll be gone, to university or have a house of their own, they won't be there constantly asking for your phone, so take it all in while you still have the time, if you ever feel lost then there's always the park one more time. Whether you go to Butlin's, Hawaii, the park, the library or stay at home, messy play, tv time or out in the garden you go, your children won't care whatever you do they will just be grateful that they get to spend time with you.

The best way to budget as a family

Living on your own can be tough and it's even tougher trying to budget for the month. I have been living with my partner for 3 years now and for the last year we have also got our little girl who is now one with us, and we recently got a cat so we sat down and worked out our all our finances and I wanted to share my best tips and tricks with you all!



The method I use to work out our monthly allowance is based on our main income which is universal credit and my partners pay. We get paid sporadically through the month so we need to be extra careful on what we spend as it can be very easy to spend all your money as you just think to yourself its okay I will get paid again next week, which is a big mistake, yes you may get paid next week but remember that money needs to last you the month. So here are my hints, tips and tricks to help you budget and survive the financial month!

1. The first thing that we did is get a normal lined notepad and we started by writing down how much money comes in monthly, what date it comes in and how much it will be. 
2. The next thing we did was write down all our monthly out going including; food, petrol, cat food, litter and all of our bills. Make sure that you included all of the bills like Netflix and Amazon Prime if you  use anything like that! 
3. After that we then calculated how much money we had coming in all together and how much money we needed to spend on outgoings this month, we subtracted the amount we need to spend from the total cost of our in goings and was then left with the figure that is what we call left over or spare money. The left over money was to go away in our savings account and to not be touched until all rent, bills and food had been paid for the month. 
4. To make life easier we then got a large A4 2019 diary where we would write down on certain days when we were getting paid money, for instance if we were getting paid £100 on the 2nd of May we would put- £100 from so and so. Once the money went into the account we would then tick it off so we knew we had been paid it. 
5. Something else that we did with the diary was that we put down when all the bills needed to be paid on there set dates so we could turn to the diary and go oh the council tax needs to be paid next Wednesday and then once we had paid the bill we would then tick it off.  
6. Make sure you always keep a track of your outgoings even if it is just sausage roll and tea from Gregs write it down as its helpful to see where the money goes at the end of the month. 
7. Don't spend unnecessary money and make smarter choices such as taking pack lunch out instead of buying lunch as it is much cheaper. Remember to bring your own carrier bags when shopping. Go weekly shopping and buy all the essentials for the week so you don't make lots of trips to different shops and spend more money than needed. 
8. Think about where you food shop- you may shop in Morrisons or Tesco's but it much cheaper to go to places like Lidl and Aldi, you can get much cheaper products for the same quality and you will save yourself a fortune. Since shopping at Aldi we have saved an average £60 a week on our food shop. 
9. Plan meals- planning meals is another great way to budget, write a weekly schedule of what dinners you are going to make. For example I will plan the week and if one night I am going to make spag bowl then I will make a larger batch and freeze half for next week therefore when you go weekly shopping you are buying not only this week meal but you are buying enough to make left overs for next week. 
10. cut down all your expenses when possible- think about money you spend weekly like bus fares, could you walk instead of taking the bus? Bulk buy things such as toilet rolls ect when they are on sale to save a few pennies. Switch off all your plugs and leave nothing on standby at night, that will help to cut down your electric bill. Lastly think wisely before spending money, think do you really need that new piece of clothing or do I need to buy anymore cleaning products, use what you have in the house first before buying anymore of something. 

It is so easy in this day and age to fritter away money, especially with contactless cards but its also easy to sit down and budget for the month, it doesn't take very long and you will be surprised at how much money is left at the end of the month after paying for all the necessities and it will help in the long run as you will be able to save it away for a rainy day. If you have anymore budgeting tips and tricks then comment them down bellow and lets all help each other to be a bit more money smart! 

The Honest Mum 

xoxo

Its okay not be okay

As it mental health awareness week I wanted to write a special post to emphasis that its okay not to be okay, so I hope you enjoy it!

All too often you hear people say its okay to not be okay, but when you look at social media and see people happy and looking so pleased, with friends and their laughing, all the while they may even show you a little smile. They snap their holidays and their pets too, you follow their journey but if only you knew, just what goes on behind closed doors, they may be smiling on the outside but the rain may pour, it may pour over their head and be dragging them down but how would people know if they never make a sound? People may show the best of their life but its no good showing the best when you're in a constant fight, a fight with your head and your feelings too, if only you knew just how much others are struggling too. See you're not the only one who is fighting a battle, there's lots of people out there who are facing struggles, you just need to reach out and connect to them too, and maybe just maybe they may help you. We can't fight our battles all alone, we can try our very best but its like a war zone, a war that can't be won by yourself, its okay if you need to ask for help. No one will judge you for reaching out, in fact most people will applaud you for stepping out, and showing the world that life can be tough, but sometimes its okay to say that enough is enough, so when the time comes to approach someone for help remember that everyone has got things going on themselves. You may see the best of peoples life online but remember people only share what they think is alright, to share on the internet with all of their friends, they don't share the struggles because they are scared of what people will send, like being told they are just attention seeking or that they are overreacting and acting like a baby, but comments like this will drag people down and they don't  need hate they need people around, to pick them up off the floor when they are down, to cheer them up and to show them how, life is not all bad and we all have our struggles, so remember next time when your life gets in a muddle, that we are all piecing ourselves back together like a puzzle, no one is perfect no matter what you see, we all have our battles you see, our mental health doesn't define who we are, its just a part of us, its just a battle scar, to show the world that we are all tough, so enough is enough. Stop hiding your true self behind the screen, be open and honest and show the world what it really means, to live with mental health day by day, so next time you post a status or a picture make sure to say that you live with your mental health and that it is okay, so many people are sacred to speak out but we shouldn't be scared we should be able to shout from the top of the roof tops from our mouths that its okay not to be okay.

The Honest Mum 

xoxo

A day in life of a one year old!

My name is Alice and I am a one year old, I live with my mummy, my daddy and my cat Paddington. This post is all about a typical day in life of being a one year old I hope you enjoy!

It is 5am. Mummy and daddy are sleeping ever so peacefully after I had them up 7-8 times in the night. I could be nice and let them sleep in but I want to get up now so if I have too everyone has too, so I am going to start screaming the place down until someone comes in and has to get up with me. The sun hasn't even risen properly yet and I am ready to face the day, remember that bowl you left in the living room last night when you too tired to take it out to the kitchen? I am having that, along with that cup as well. TV remote? I have earmarked that too. Basically everything and anything I shouldn't have I am going to have it. An hour has now gone by and oh goody its time for CBeebies. I will watch this for approximately 5 whole minutes before getting bored and then I shall sit by your feet and whinge because I want your phone. After 10 minutes of solid complaining mum will give me her phone and I will press loads of buttons, take loads of photos of the floor and get you locked out your phone. It is now time for breakfast, the most important meal of the day. However because I got up so early I am now grumpy and tired and do not want whatever you are going to make me. Mum serves me breakfast and I take one look at it and throw it on the floor, jam on toast what was she thinking? That is so yesterdays breakfast, I don't like it anymore. 20 minutes later and I haven't touched the jam on toast so mum comes over and wait a minute whats she doing, wait no don't take it away I want that. I whinge for another 5 minutes as mum tries to take away my breakfast and says things like "well are you eating it or not" we both full well know that I am not going to eat but I like to keep mum on her toes with suspense. Mum eventually gives up and just leaves me to smoosh the toast into carpet as it is more hassle to clean it up than it is to leave it there. Mum will now get herself some breakfast, but mums breakfast looks better than mine. So I will climb all over mum and scream and cry until she gives in and lets me have some, she always says sharing is caring anyway! Half of mums breakfast demolished and its time for more CBeebies, the trick is with watching TV is to make sure that you are not paying enough attention to watch it fully but you go into full meltdown mode if mum changes the channel, thats my favourite game to play, especially when the shows mummy hates are on! Its now 9am and mum thinks I am getting tired, which I am not by the way and suggests I go for a nap. A nap, at this time? She must be crazy right. Mum persists and takes me through to my room and I will cry and protest before she even puts me in the cot. Mum then closes the curtains, puts my dummy in and switches on the mobile. Mum then closes the door and says sleep well I will see you in a few hours, when we both know we will be meeting in exactly 2 minutes time. After screaming and crying and fighting it for nearly hour turns out I was tired and I have now gone for a few hours sleep. I have now been asleep for a few hours and mum has just sat down with a hot cup of tea for once so I think now is the perfect time to wake up obviously! After screaming the house down mum came and got me and took me through to the living room where I got out not one but all of the noisy toys, these toys are mums favourite as they all play a different tune and there is always one that doesn't have an on/off switch! I play with the noisy toys for an hour until mum gets sick of them and switches them all off and says it's time to have lunch. Great lunch time, mum will without a doubt put more fruit and vegetables on my plate hoping that I will like cucumber for the 100th time. Mum will spend half an hour in there prepping and making my lunch look pleasing to the eye and I, I will throw it on the floor the second you give it to me and cry until you feed me a yoghurt or two... Mum is now cleaning up the lunch of the floor and I am trying to be helpful by picking up pieces of food and hiding it in all the best places, like under the sofa or in my toys, I can guarantee though mum won't appreciate my help and will tell me off later when she clears under the sofa. It's now the afternoon and I am grouchy and tired but mum says I can't have a sleep now as I won't sleep tonight, I don't know why she says this because she knows I won't sleep anyway. Mum gets out some more toys but this time she gets out the fidely toys such as the Duplo and the building blocks, I don't care for these toys as I am a one year old and I do not have the ability to stack things on top of one and another however what I do have the ability to do is destroy everything mum makes and then I get told off because apparently its not nice to knock down mums tower! I bash a few blocks together and then begin throwing them round the house ensuring that they are scattered about everywhere so that later mum will step on them and start cursing the day they came into the house. Its now about 5 o'clock and mum is trying to make me dinner but I am having none of it, all of sudden I am a clingy and miserable child who just wants to be held, this is also known as the witching hour. I am tired, hungry and I want your undivided attention causing you to almost burn the dinner. Mum makes me dinner and straps me into the high chair and I see that as an opportunity to redecorate the whole room, more food ends up on the floor than in my mouth but by this time mummy has full given up and has shoved something sweet on my tray just so she can have a wee in peace. After dinner comes bath time, I have a love hate relationship with bath time because I love to splash about and play but I hate getting washed, especially my hair and I will scream as if I am being murdered if you get water in my eyes. We get out the bath and mummy spends half an hour fighting to get me dressed as I try and crawl at every opportunity. There is water, talc and sudocream everywhere but I am finally clean and dry. Mum takes me back through to living room where we cuddle on the sofa and watch the CBeebies bedtime hour, I say cuddle but its more like mum trying to cuddle me and me grabbing her hair, glasses and hitting her. We settle down for the evening and mum gives me milk, I make sure to shake the bottle and get milk everywhere particularly on my clean new sleep suit mum just put on. I drink my milk and mum takes me through to my room where I kick and scream and shout about going to bed. Mum persists and puts me in my bed and I throw my dummy out the cot several times so mum has to come back in after half or so I start to become sleepy, I try to fight it but eventually I drift off to sleep. I fall asleep knowing I will wake up several times in the night but thats okay because I think secretly mum likes our 3am catch ups right? I had such a fun filled day and I can't wait to do it all over again, however I think mummy may need some time to recover. This has been the day in the life of a one year old, I hope you have enjoyed it!

The Honest Mum 

xoxo 

My mum life, my mental health and I.

When I found out I was a mum to be,  I couldn't of been more happier you see. A baby of mine to call my own, to love and care for and bring into my home. 9 months went by and I was starting to get excited, to meet my bundle of joy I was so delighted. The day finally came and you made your entrance into the world, a little, happy and healthy baby the most perfect little girl. I took you home and my emotions were high, its just hormones everyone said as I sighed. I cried a lot more over silly little things like the mess of my house and how no ones emptied the bins. I thought nothing off it because I just had a baby and then someone said to me maybe you have post natal depression maybe? Depression oh no, I'm  fine you see, its just my hormones taking over me. Weeks go by and I isolate myself, inside my house it's as quiet as a mouse. Just me and my baby, happy as can be, not talking to anyone or leaving the house regularly. My babies growing up and i am muddling along, starting to feel alone and like I have no one. My favourite time of the day is when my partner comes home so I get some adult conversation and I don't feel so alone, but hes tired and worn from working hard, he just wants to sleep but yet im rambling on, about CBeebies and all of the housework i've done all day, he suggest I go out to a baby group of two, maybe you'll make friends someone to converse with too. I don't need to go out I am fine staying in, besides going out would mean actually leaving the house. The weeks continue on and I am starting to feel blue, there is nothing more that I would like to do than pick up my baby and put her in the buggy and walk to the shop, the park or go out when its sunny. But the thing is now that time has gone on i am finding it hard to keep carrying on, I feel like I can't leave the house alone, its been so long now i feel like that i've fallen into the zone, of feeling anxious every time i have to leave my home, I don't feel comfortable anymore when I'm out all alone. Things start getting worse and I'm on a downward spiral, the house work is being neglected never mind the washing pile. I barley get dressed or even brush my hair, sometimes I shower but even then that is rare. I'm lacking in energy and enthusiasm too, I really do feel ever so blue. But I cannot complain as I am a mum, there is little tiny human who relies on me too much. So I will carry on and solider on through, I will clean all the dishes and clean the loo too. I will push myself to my limits and even then i'll carry on for you, because mummy doesn't matter, its all about you. but what mummy doesn't know is that she can't carry on like this, she can try her very best but it won't last long, soon enough everything will start to go wrong. Mummy will start shouting more and getting stressed, she won't bother with herself and she will never get dressed. She will rarely be happy or show a smile, she may even want to hide away for a while. but that is not healthy and that is not normal, mummy don't hide away life's not awful. You are just struggling now and things will improve please go get help if I only you knew, that life might seem great when you have a baby but if things don't improve after a few weeks then maybe, you have anxiety and depression that will only get worse if you don't seek help, your mental health comes first. You may be a mum and your life may be busy but there is always time to better yourself, before you get in a real tizzy. So before things get worse and you fall in the dark pit of feeling alone and depressed, go get yourself dressed, head down to your doctors and book an appointment. Tell them everything from feeling scared to feeling blue and I promise they will do what they can to help you. A year has gone by and I am finally getting help, a year wasted feeling sad and alone, if only I had known just how bad it can all become, but I am getting the help that I need right now and I hope that one day my baby will be proud of how far i've come but just because I am a mum it doesn't mean I can't be heard or seen.


If anyone out there is struggling please go get help. No one will judge you, and it is for the best. I wish I went and got help sooner because I have wasted a whole year feeling depressed and anxiety riddled and that is a whole year of my life I will never get back. Thanks for reading and I love you all so much.

The Honest Mum 

xoxo 

Review: Purex face wipes.

I have always struggled with bad skin since a very young age. I have tried various products all ranging in price and type and nothing was working. The other day I was in a local shop when I picked up a pack of 3 wipes for my face as I needed some more, I didn't look at the brand as I was in hurry and just paid for them. Later that night I used one of the wipes for the first time and it has revolutionised my face and my skin has never felt better. So here is why Purex wipes are my go to skin care product and why they should also be yours. 

My skin has been dry, flakey and spotty since I can remember. When I was teenager I hated my skin and wanted to hide all the time. As the years went by I tried several products and nothing worked. I was starting to think there would never be an end to my bad skin. Fast forward to year and a bit ago when I was pregnant with Alice and my skin had never looked worse. It was red, itchy and I had never seen so many spots. I felt down and miserable about my horrible skin and tried to cover it up with make up. At the time I worked as a receptionist and I was extremely self conscious about my face and some days didn't even want to leave the house. Time went on and I went on to have my beautiful baby girl, I was hopeful that after I had her my skin would start to die down, but alas no luck, it was getting worse if anything. By this point it was really getting me down. I had plans to return to my YouTube channel but couldn't even pick a camera due to being so embarrassed at the state of my skin. I search the Internet far and wide for skin care products, I spent many days reading the reviews but they were all so mixed. I decided that I couldn't waste anymore money on products that weren't going to work. I accepted the fact that this was going to be the way it was for now and that maybe one day my face would clear up but for now I had to live with it. I thought the best way to deal with my bad skin was to just wear make up everyday to hide it. At the end of everyday I would sit down and remove my make up with normal face wipes and my skin would always be red, patchy and sore. There just seemed to be no winning no matter what I did. My face wipes that I was originally using had finally ran out (even though I hardly ever used them as they were so harsh on skin I mainly used a baby wipe to remove my make up). A few days from now and we were out at a local shop, we didn't have much time so I quickly scoured the shop and came across a pack of 3 wipes, without thinking I just picked up the wipes and paid for them and left. When I arrived home I got out the wipes and used one of them for the first time and it has changed my life. When I first got it out the packet I wasn't hopeful as I had used so many different wipes in the past and very few left my skin feeling good after, however I was pleasantly surprised. Purex have made wipes that make your skin feel refreshed and moisturised all in one. There are three different types of wipes: 

1. Exfoliating facial wipes- Double action cleansing, exfoliates and cleans, dermatologically tested, toning and gently hydrating and refreshed and radiant. 
2. Deep cleanse facial wipes- Against blemishes, deep cleaning, removes make up, purifying agents unclogs pores and protection against black heads. 
3. 3 in 1 facial wipes- Make up remover, cleansing and toning, removes unwanted oils, PH balanced and dermatologically tested.    

After one week of using the wipes I can already see a difference in my skin, it is clearer and brighter than it has ever been. A quote from Purex themselves "Each Purex Visage wipe is specially formulated for all skin types and leaves your skin feeling clean and refreshed" and it does exactly that. Since I have been using these wipes I have left the house make up free on several occasions as I no longer feel I have to hide my skin. I will be continuing to use these wipes until they run out and I will definitely purchase them again.  So if you are struggling with bad skin or you are looking for a product to remove your make up then I highly recommenced that you try these wipes from Purex, I am so glad I found them and they are definitely one of my favourite skin care products that I own! Thanks for reading the post, speak to you all soon! 

The Honest Mum 

xoxo 

Here are some of the places that you can buy the wipes from: 

Fragrance Direct: https://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/purex-daily-control-cleansing-wipes-3x25-0075262.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=merchant&utm_keyword=foo&istCompanyId=17773c4e-a26f-4631-9b91-73e6422dbe77&istItemId=xxwarpaqrq&istBid=tztx&gclid=CjwKCAjwqLblBRBYEiwAV3pCJpo9vZveZpafikYe3H_MVAtxvLeYpDMFkw4mg8tAJPeRBFgM0CMdWBoCN5IQAvD_BwE

Lux Plus:https://www.luxplus.co.uk/product/purex-3in1-facial-facial-wipes-3-x-25-pcs?gsmp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqLblBRBYEiwAV3pCJo9sTz0SjY4X2F-4PnLYls9cysptKC2uHilHPJI7_n_RbTp2puNvThoCADYQAvD_BwE

Review: L'Oréal Dream Lengths Shampoo and Conditioner.

For the past 6 months I have been trialling out a new shampoo and conditioner from L'Oréal called "L'Oréal Dream Lengths Shampoo and Conditioner" and it has revolutionised my life and here is why: 

When I found out I was pregnant Alice I immediately started to see a change in my hair, it had become brittle and very thin. I was really upset by this but thought to myself it will get better once she is here. A few months after Alice was born and there was little to no improvement and it started to bring me down. My hair was falling out left right and centre. I was at my wits end and didn't know what else to do, I tried a wide selection of  hair care products all ranging in price and nothing seemed to work. After around 6 months I decided to just give up and come to the realisation that is my hair now. I always wore my hair up as I was ashamed of how bad it was getting, the few times I did wear it down I had no confidence. One day I was at a local baby group with Alice and I was speaking to another mum about my situation with my hair and she said she also suffered with hair loss when she had her baby and told me that she used L'Oréal Dream Lengths Shampoo and Conditioner and its restored her hair completely. I was in complete and utter shock at just how healthy and shiny her hair looked and all from a shampoo and conditioner that you can buy in most hight street shops. Instantly I went online and Googled the shampoo and conditioner and read 100's of amazing reviews all from lots of other women who swear by the shampoo and conditioner so I went out to my local SuperDrug and purchased it at such an amazing value of £2.99 each. I couldn't believe such an amazing product was such a low price. That night I went home and washed my hair with it and I will never forget that night when I dried my hair after washing it and I looked in the mirror and I could instantly already see a difference, my hair was shinier than ever and felt so soft. From that moment onwards I knew that this was definitely the product for me. A few months had now passed and I was still using the shampoo and conditioner which surprised me as it has lasted me so long but with the L'Oréal Dream Lengths a little goes a long way. I couldn't get enough of this stuff I was literally telling everyone I know just how great it is and how its changed my life. So what makes it so great you ask? "Our creamy, caring shampoo is enriched with a cocktail of Keratin, Vitamins and Caster Oil. The formula cleanses and helps to reinforce the hair."-  A statement from L'Oréal themselves. Fast forward to this present day, a whole 6 months later from when I started to use the product and my hair has never felt better, it is longer, healthier and stronger than ever. I cannot recommend L'Oréal Dream Lengths enough. I have definitely found the hair care product for me and who knows it could just be the product for you. So if you are struggling with hair loss, brittle and breaking hair and you need something to bring it back to life then why not try it for yourself, you wont regret it! Thanks for reading, speak soon! 

The Honest Mum 

xoxo 

Here are some of the place's you can buy it from: 

SuperDrug: 

https://www.superdrug.com/Hair/Shampoo/L%27Oreal-Elvive-Dream-Lengths-Long-Hair-Shampoo-250ml/p/750563

Tesco's: 
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/299269253?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+New*PX+%7C+Shopping+GSC+%7C+All+Products*New:+Non-Food:+Health+%26+Beauty:+Health+%26+Beauty*PRODUCT_GROUP299269253*&ds_rl=1116019&ds_rl=1116322&ds_rl=1116019&gclid=CjwKCAjw-ZvlBRBbEiwANw9UWon7A99tKjkhyhIb2T1jnFSHzSwHF6bN0BUNPWRIiqPK9AT43auYtRoCFYoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Boots: 

https://www.boots.com/loreal-elvive-dream-lengths-bundle-10249648?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc-_-PLAs-_-(GB:Whoop!)+L%27Oreal-_-(GB:Whoop!)+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Beauty+-+Desktop&utm_source=bmm-buk-google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=(GB:Whoop!)+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Beauty+-+Desktop&gclid=CjwKCAjw-ZvlBRBbEiwANw9UWgd2qvfASvQTnP7Bq41hmYwmAD0T50_M4ddD6x-oDMvG6KxD7xE4WRoC9QEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

5 kick ass mums who inspire me this Mother's Day!

Today is Mothers Day in the UK a day for mums to take a rest and relax (Haha I know I struggled to keep a straight face when writing that) so as its Mothers Day I thought i'd dedicate this post to 5 kick ass mums who inspire me the most!

1. My mum- its a given right? My mum is just the best and I know most of us say that but she really is. She doesn't read my posts so I wont waffle on but she's the best and I love her.

2. Louise Pentland aka Sprinkle of Glitter- For those of you that don't know Louise Pentland is a YouTuber and author who I have been watching for years now, she is a mother to two lovely little girls Darcy and Pearl and uploads motherhood and lifestyles video's on YouTube. She is also a mum to 5 fur babies, she's funny so loveable and just an all round great person. I have been watching her for a long while and she is by far one of my fav mum vloggers out there so if you want to check her out then click on the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/Sprinkleofglitter

3. Brummymummyof2 aka Emma Conway- Emma Conway best known as Brummymummyof2 is also another one of my fav mummy vloggers out there, I found her channel through Louise and have been currently binge watching all her videos. If you love Disney then she is definitely the one for you! She has two children Erin and Ethan and is mum to a fur baby called Lucy. She is a great laugh and does lots of hauls which I live for and is one of my fav mum YouTubers at the moment. If you want to check her out click the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/brummymummyof2

4. Anna Saccone aka The Saccone-Jolys- Next we have another one of my fav YouTubers Anna Saccone from the Saccone-Jolys. I love her. She is a kick ass mum of 4 children and 6 dogs and I have the up most respect for as she deals with so many trolls and she still puts her life out there on YouTube and I admire her so much for that! She has a vlogging channel with her husband Jonathan where they upload vlogs every few days so if you want to check her and her family out then click on the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/LeFloofTV

5. My best friend- Lastly one of the mums in my life that inspires me the most is my best friend Kelly who has a blog which I will link below. Kelly has cystic fibrosis and is just a complete kick ass mum at life. She deals with so much in her day to day life and she still tries to be the best mum she can for her daughter. I admire her so much because of the battle she goes through every day and I am so proud of how far she has come in the last year, so Kelly if you are reading you rock! Here's a link to her blog if you would like to read it:https://ouradventurouslifebegins.blogspot.com/

So those are my five kick ass mums who I wanted to dedicated this post too, please check them out as they are all amazing and they all inspire me so much! I would like to also note  how hard this day can be for those who have lost their mums, don't see their mums or never met their mums. To all the women out there who lost children, who can't have children and to all the women who desperately want children.  It may be a happy Mother's day to some but not to all and I would like you all to know I am thinking of you on this day. Comment down below mums who inspire you this Mothers Day I would be interested to know! Thanks for reading the post guys and I looked forward to speaking to you all soon!

The Honest Mum 

xoxo

An open letter to Cbeebies.

Dear Cbeebies,

I love you because you keep my child happy however there are few things you need to know. When my child wakes up at stupid o'clock in the morning and I am forced to start my day early I do not wish to see Mr Tumble dressed as woman at 6am. No one needs to see that, like ever... especially not if they haven't even had a chance to open their eyes fully. Just when you thought Mr Tumble dressed as a woman was bad enough we then have to endure Raa Raa the Noisy lion at 6:45, as you can guess by the title he is lion and he's noisy, too noisy for that time of the morning. After the noisy lion finally clears off its time for double Bing. Nobody asked for this. No parent wants double Bing that early in the morning. We can't deal with the whingey, rude and naughty bunny at the best of times. After the whingey bunny disappears its time for the high light of the day double Hey Duggee, about the only programme that doesn't make me want to bash my head against the wall. A moments later and we are greeted by Justin Fletcher again only this time its Justin's house, because one lot of Justin just wasn't enough. Justin's house been and gone and its now time for a classic, The Teletubbies, the show itself is pretty weird but I could deal with it until you guys decided that it needs a revamp and within the revamp you introduced the tiddly tubbies meaning that the Teletubbies reproduced which is something none of us want to even think about. The Teletubbies finishes and what feels like 5 minutes must of been hours that have flown by because suddenly its the what's on my plate song appearing on the TV sending me into panic mode thinking what the hell am I going to feed my child for lunch, I have only just peeled the last of the breakfast off the floor?! Lunch given to child and its time to watch programmes my child does not give a shit about such as Junk yard rescue, Where in the world and Down on the farm. I mean seriously what child want's to watch real life people, its all about animated ducks and rabbits stealing vegetable and getting into trouble. No child gives a fudge if you've made a bird feeder out of junk, just shove more Hey Duggee on and give the children what they want! Shortly after lunch it's time for another show my child gives no shits about Catie's amazing machines (with the worlds most original theme song!) my child is 11 months old, she doesn't care which is faster a digger or a tractor, and because she gives no f's about your show Catie I am finding myself suffering Bing on Iplayer until your shower of shit show is over! Its now 5 o'oclock and I find myself once again watching Justin Fletcher dressed as woman again, I mean seriously you may as well rename your channel the Justin channel! Gigglebiz over and done with and its time for one of your new programmes which at the beginning I thought was okay but now I find myself wandering round the house singing "I have an idea" and "oops oh no what am I gonna do" and now I want to burn the TV. Finally its the end of the day and the bedtime song has just begun, its time for the weirdness that is Moon and me, which by the way I hate #BringbackAbneyandTeal! The clangers which is bearable and the ever so weird In the night garden. In the night garden itself is enough to put anyone off having children and as I find myself singing upsey daisy here I come I know that I have well and truly lost the plot and its time to switch of the tv. 7pm and I have survived another day of kids tv time to watch adult tv for all of 10 minutes before falling asleep on the sofa. Now Cbeebies I am not saying I don't love you because you serve a purpose and you keep my child happy and for that I am grateful but I also really really hate you. Don't take it personally though I'd pick you over a rude, annoying, muddy puddle jumping little piggy any day of the week. So i'd like to say thanks to Cbeebies for being there for my child at 6am when I am so tired I can't even function, however I long for the day I don't have to suffer Justin Fletcher anymore. Although I may check in for the bedtime stories every now and again... you know just incase any famous faces make another appearance (we all know who I am talking about!)

The Honest Mum 

xoxo

To my partner this Valentine’s Day.

As it is valentines day I decided to dedicate this post to my wonderful and loving partner James and to all the partners out there who's wife or girlfriends have had children and they are feeling like everything has changed.

I'm sorry that I don't kiss you as much anymore even when your late for work and heading out the door, not even one kiss goodbye I wish you could understand why.  When we had a baby everything began to change, my body, my feelings and now things are not quite right and we ever so often begin to fight. We don't get time to kiss and cuddle, now my brains a massive puzzle,  of bottles, nappies and Cbeebies too, I don't even get time to go to the loo. So when you come waltzing in on a night so pleased to see me with such delight, i'm frazzled, worn and tired too I don't have the energy to spend time with you. All I want to do is climb in my bed, catch some Z's and rest my head. The weekends come around and not much has changed its Friday night and life's still the same. Off to bed early to catch 40 winks, oh wait just one minute let me clean the sink. Come up to bed and spend time with me you plea. I will just 5 minutes I haven't cleaned up from tea. The look on your face says it all. I can see your brain working and I can tell what your thinking "Your not the same person your not at all. You don't hug or kiss me or even say you've missed me. We never just spend time as you and me the closest we get is when I'm in the bath and you need a wee!" I'm sorry I say as I put the plates away, I'm tired and worn by the time you get in the door. I've dealt with the kids all day and there's nothing more to say. I know you've been hard and busy at work, but I haven't even had time to put on a clean shirt, while you've been out i've cleaned the house and cared for the kids and i've fed their mouths. So when you get home I want you to know that I have missed you more than you will ever know but sometimes I find it hard to show. You look at me stood their in my pjs, hair a mess and bags under my eyes and you begin to smile which I haven't seen in a while, a cuddle every now and again wouldn't go a miss you say. I'm sure I can do that now come here and give us a kiss. Things may have changed but I am still me, I'm just a tired more busier version you see. But worry yourself not I haven't forgotten you, your my partner and the father of my child and i wouldn't be without you.

The Honest Mum 

xoxo

Before and after you have a baby

Recently I have been thinking about how much different my life was before Alice came along. You don't realise how much different your life was back then when you were child free. You could go anywhere and do anything without having to worry about this small child who needed your constant care. Although I wouldn't change being a mum for a world just sometimes I day dream about life before I was a mum and just how glorious it was for example:

Showering-

Before baby- nice long hot relaxing showers

After baby- 5 minutes if that in a cold shower while my child screams

eating-

Before baby- mmm this sandwich looks nice I cant wait to eat it all!

After baby- did I even eat today? Oh yeah I made myself a sandwich which Alice ate all off because she wouldn't eat hers even though it was exactly the same!

Socialising-

Before baby- have you seen the latest pitch perfect film its so good!

After baby - have you seen the new episodes of Gigglebiz?

Sleeping-

Before baby- ah its the weekend no alarm for me!

After baby- whats sleep?

Your life changes so much once you have a baby and it is important to remember that you were a person once before a mum and that is okay to day dream about having a wee in peace and shower that lasts more than 5 minutes no one is going to judge you. Life may never be the same but I sure as hell wouldn't change it for the world! Whats something miss that has drastically changed since having a baby i'd be interested to know so comment down below! See you all soon.

The Honest Mum 

xoxo

Review: Silver Cross Pop

The other day I purchased a Silver Cross Pop off Facebook for £10. I have never owned a Silver Cross pushchair before or a stroller for that matter so had no idea what to expect but I absolutely love it! I have now used it a few times and thought I would review it for you all!

The stroller itself is an easy to use stroller which can be used from birth onwards. the stroller lays down flat completely making it safe from birth. You can purchase the stroller from many places such as MotherCare, John Lewis, Argos and many other places. Below I have listed the pros and cons of the stroller:

Pros: 

1. light weight
2. easy to push
3. compact

not to pricey
4.  comes with a good extending hood and rain cover
5. very durable
6. will last baby a long time as is large enough for a 3 year old to fit in

Cons:

1. the basket is a little small
2. the wheels are not very good for turning


As you can see the pros definitely out weigh the cons on this stroller and I have been using it for 6 months now and I am extremely happy with it and would defiently buy it again at full price so if you are looking for a stroller then I would definitely recommend this one! Let me know what other strollers you all have and what you would recommend as I would be interested to know! Thank you for reading this post and I will see you soon!

Places you can purchase it:

https://www.mothercare.com/baby-buggies-and-strollers/silver-cross-pop-star-stroller-exclusive-to-mothercare/LKB743.html

https://www.johnlewis.com/silver-cross-pop-stroller-black/p1861126

https://www.silvercrossbaby.com/our-products/prams-and-strollers/pop2/jet/

The Honest Mum 

xox

5 ways to beat loneliness in motherhood!

Motherhood can be a lonely time. The world is a busy place but you feel like for you that normal everyday life has come to halt and that you are all alone. I know I feel like that 90% of the time. You begin to get into a routine with your child and you start to do the same thing day in day out with your child and it becomes very repetitive and boring. You always read about and see in films; mums strolling around with their friends in their gym kit off to Starbucks for a skinny no- coffee no- sugar no- calories latte and you envy them. You wish your life was exciting as that but the only excitement you will be getting is if there is a new programme on Cbeebies.

When you first have a baby everyone is always round but it seems the older they get the less interested people become. Alice is now nearly 10 months old and James has a full time job so for 5 days a week Alice and I are left to our own devices. Of course I am used to it just being the two of us and we are now in a good routine but I can't help but feel alone. I have friends and family around who care about us and I am grateful for that but it doesn't stop the loneliness from creeping in. It doesn't matter whether you have 1 person stood by you or a 100 motherhood is lonely and it is isolating. 

I know I am not the only one who feels like this because I have spoken to other mums and they feel the same way. No one can prepare you for motherhood and they especially can't prepare you for how isolating it can feel at times. Although you have this tiny version of you to keep you company its just not the same as having an adult conversation. I often find myself rambling away to Alice about things that she wouldn't even understand half the time. Its okay to admit that you are lonely and that you would like to be around other adults and resume to normal life, no one is going to judge you if you do. Although motherhood can be lonely it is also a rewarding job and when your kids are all grown up you will be longing for the days when it was just you and them sat at home in front of Cbeebies. So here are my 5 top tips to beat loneliness in motherhood: 

1. Attended a local baby group- Have a look online for your nearest local baby group most are situated in churches or there is a sing song at the local library. 

2. Join a FaceBook page for mums- I am apart of a few mum groups on FaceBook- one being called "Mumma bears" and the other "Teen Mummies" you can go on these groups and ask for advice and make new friends! 

3. Walking- Go for lots of walks also help as you will be surprised at the amount of people you chit chat with when out on a walk and its also good exercise for you too! 

4. Eating out- Take your little ones out for lunch to your local cafe- that way you converse with people and get a nice lunch out of it and it gives you a change of scenery from being stuck in the house! 

5. Advice lines- Another thing to do is you can contact advice lines such as breathing space where they will put you through to someone who can you have a talk with if you are feeling lonely or anxious! 

This year I am going to try and get out more with Alice and meet new people because I am sick of being stuck in a rut. There are always plenty of baby groups in the local area so if you are feeling like you are isolated then why not go out to one of your local baby groups, you'll meet other mums who I can guarentee feel the way you do! 

New years resolutions: fab or fail?

Ah 2019. Another year has been and gone. I always feel very focused and inspired when the new year comes around and I always say this year is going to be my year. Everywhere I look on social media all I see is "New year, new me", "My goals for 2019" and so on. It is great to see so many people inspired and ready to take on the new year but are new years resolutions fab or a fail?

Don't get me wrong I am not against anyone who sets new years resolutions I mean good for you if you want to try achieve something this year however I personally think what is the point? I have a few "goals" shall we say for the new year but nothing in set in stone? Why because I feel that if it set in stone and I don't achieve it then I feel like a failure.

I remember the days when new years resolutions used to be something simple like make your bed everyday or smile more, nowadays people want to loose 10 stone, go on a 3 month travel round the world, set up a YouTube channel, blog, vlog, stop drinking, stop smoking oh and don't forget buy a house, have a cool car and so on... Although you  could do all of those things it would be very hard and unrealistic to achieve all that in one year. I personally think you should find one thing that you are really adamant on doing and stick to it and focus on it for the year because if you set a million and one things to do in the year you are just going to get overwhelmed by it all and then be miserable and feel like a failure when you can complete it all. So my advice to you would be to pick something that stands out something that you have wanted to do for a while and focus on that. When you give something your all you will find the results are 10x times better, so if your goal is loose weight this year then just solely focus on that and you will find that in time maybe 6-7 months time you have lost the weight you wanted and therefore giving you time to focus on a new thing.

Now I understand that its a new year and that most people see it as a clean slate however something that baffles me is around December time people will chit chat and say in the new year I am going to exercise more, I am going to eat more healthy and so on but personally I think its wrong. Why do you have to wait until the new year to do all those things? What is stopping you from starting them right now? People are so engrossed in the fact that is a new year, clean slate and fresh start which it is but if you want to achieve something then it would't matter what day of the year it is. There is never a wrong time to achieve your goals and aspirations. So if you haven't quite figured out where you are going yet there is still time and anytime is the right time to achieve your dreams.

So what are your goals and aspirations for the new year? I am interested to know. Here are mine:

1. Grow my youtube channel and blog
2. be more tidy and organised.


I decided that I would only set myself two this year as last year I told myself I would do this and that and I got stressed out at the fact that I couldn't keep up with them all so this year I have set myself two goals that I am going to try and stick to for the rest of the year. I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and fantastic new year and I look forward to seeing you all here a lot more!

The Honest Mum xox

This weeks weekly vlog for you please check it out and subscribe to see more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syY9ruhlpUw&t=20s