MOTHERHOOD: Seven Months into Life with Two

Seven months into life with two. Over half a year of bringing up two little people. Just before Poppy was born I felt intimidated and scared about what was to come, in fact I wrote this MOTHERHOOD: I am scared. blog post back in May so the worry had been there for a while. I think it's natural to worry whenever you approach having a baby, whether it be your first or last. Change is inevitable and often in wilder ways than you could ever imagine. Yet, somehow I find myself just over seven months into life with two children and wondering where the time has gone! 

RECIPE: Spiced Quorn and Potato Traybake

This was one of those meals I didn't think much of prior to making it, yet it ended up being one of my new favourite meals. It's so simple to prepare, easy to make a meat and vegetarian version (my husband eats meat and I'm a vegetarian), seriously flavoursome and the leftovers are even better. Roasting tin meals are perfect for mid-week dinners because there's minimal washing up, anything that reduces washing up is a winner with me.

TV SERIES: 35 Gripping Shows to Watch. 3 Words to Explain Why.

Getting into a gripping TV series is the perfect way to relax, make the most of those treasured nap times or enjoy in evening with a glass of wine. Every time I meet up with my mummy friends we are sharing our latest favourite TV series, so I thought I'd put together thirty five of my favourite TV series. These aren't the only gripping series out there, but these are the ones I've watched and can therefore personally recommend. Is there anything better than putting that to-do list down during nap time, snuggling under a blanket with a hot cup of tea and tasty treat to watch your latest favourite TV series? Some of these I recommend are available on Netflix, others are on Sky or mainstream TV. There are also a few that I don't think are available to watch anymore, but I wanted to include them in case they pop up on iPlayer or Netflix in the future.

TODDLER: Our Potty Training Journey and 10 Tips that Helped

A few months ago now we breached the much dreaded (on my part) milestone of potty training with Isabella. I was dreading it for many reasons, partially because I worked in a nursery during the summer of my degree and saw the mess that can be created and partially because having two children to look after is hard enough without the addition of potty training too. However when a lot of our NCT friends started potty training their children I started to wonder whether it was our time too. After many discussions with fellow mummies, buying all the paraphernalia that comes with potty training and setting a date in my head (and telling nursery so I was committed!) we were all ready for the big change.

HEALTH: Garden of Life Microbiome Formulas Launch in the UK

Garden of Life is America's Number One selling nutrition brand and the leader in bacteria formulas in the Natural Foods channel. They have recently launched their best-selling range of supplements in the United Kingdom, including its range of Microbiome Formulas. These have been developed in collaboration with Dr. David Perlmutter, who is America's brain-health and human microbiome expert. His expertise has been used to create unique formulas that are designed to meet specific needs within our bodies.

BABY: Bumbo Multi Seat - The 3 Stage Seat that Grows with your Child

One milestone for babies that really makes them seem so much older is being able to sit up. Suddenly they're able to look around by themselves, grab toys and interact with others. Recently Poppy reached this milestone, which now means all she wants to do is sit up! Where has my little baby gone? This coincided with starting weaning too, so between playing and eating Poppy spends the majority of the time sitting up. However she isn't confident enough to be left on her own whilst sitting up and it helps to have that extra bit of support when she's eating too. The Bumbo Multi Seat solves this issue, as it is a 3 stage seat that provides babies with support to help them sit up while playing or eating. It can be a floor seat with or without a tray, as well as attaching to a dining chair and when the insert is removed it is a seat suitable for older children.

MEAL PLANNING: A week on a toddlers plate #2

A while ago now I put together a meal planning post featuring lots of Isabella's meals, which you can see here. It went down really well, so I thought I'd put together another one to help meal planning and ideas. It can be tricky thinking of new, interesting meals, so I hope this inspires you to try something new with your little one. All of these recipes are easy to put together and I will often make a batch of something and then give it to Isabella in different forms throughout the week, in an attempt to keep her discovering new foods, flavours and tastes. 

BABY #2: It may break my heart slightly, but the time has come...

I'm sitting here, the day after the night before and have to admit I feel slightly heartbroken. If you're a parent, then you'll know how quickly our little ones grow up and how change becomes something we deal with on an almost daily basis. Change can be anything from clothes not fitting anymore to milestones being reached. Every one is approached with happiness and excitement for the next stage, but also sadness of what was. As second time parent I certainly approach these changes differently this time. When it came to bringing up Isabella through those ever-changing baby days I was a keen first time parent, eager for her to reach the next milestone.

POPPY: Six Month Update - sitting up, weaning and lack of sleeping!

Poppy is now six months old - can you believe it?! I haven't done any updates since writing her birth story and, as you can imagine, a lot has changed. We're now much more settled into life as a family of four; if I'm honest I can't remember life before Poppy now. It's funny how quickly you adapt when  your new addition arrives, isn't it? I love how busy life is now, with every moment having to be planned and prepared for, so that everything runs smoothly. Especially now that Poppy is weaning, it feels like some days are eat, sleep, feed, repeat.

SHOPPING: Jumpstart January with the Aldi Baby and Toddler Event 2018

Christmas is over. New year has been welcomed. After all that spending on the run up to Christmas and in the January sales, money can be tight at this time of year. The average British family spend £800 celebrating Christmas, including £473.83 on presents alone! Luckily, the very popular Aldi Baby & Toddler Event is back with deals starting with pre-orders online on Sunday 14th January 2018 and in-store on Thursday 18th January 2018. The Event will include everything from everyday essentials to nursery furniture and pushchairs. It's the perfect time for parents to stock up, get organised and embrace the chance to grab a bargain.

REFLECTION: 11 Incredible Parenting Blogs of 2017

2017. What a year. The year we met Poppy. The year Isabella became a big sister. The year I went on maternity leave for the second time. The year we became a family of four. It's been such an incredible year and throughout out it I have turned to many blogs for inspiration, support and tips on bringing up two children. Being back on maternity leave has meant I've had more time to sit and enjoy the writing, adventures and photos from fellow parenting bloggers, which was been such a joy. There are so many inspirational blogs out there now and almost everyday I use an idea, craft activity, tip, trick or recipe from my favourite bloggers. As it is the end of the year I thought it would be the perfect time to put together some of my favourite parenting bloggers, so that you can enjoy their blogs too. Grab a cup of tea, get comfy and enjoy getting lost in the world of parenting blogs...