this little house

NEW CHAPTERS - A Time For Blogging

So here I sit this morning, typing out this blog post and it feels weird, and pretty damn glorious if I'm honest. My blog writing (or lack there of) has always been reserved for the evenings, when the boys were tucked up in bed. Turns out a tired, frazzled brain does not a good blogger make, or that was indeed the case for me.

It's been one heck of an emotional time here lately. A time of change for everyone. Caleb has started school, and as if that wasn't quite enough change for us all, I waved Archie off for his first full morning session at nursery today. As I walked away from the school and nursery buildings empty handed, I didn't know whether to skip, laugh or cry.

I guess that's how I feel about this whole transition. Part excited, part devastated. Ready for change, yet fighting it. This yo-yo feeling has brought with it a lot of anxiety too, and left me questioning myself. The biggest question being who exactly am I outside of being the boys mum? In the last five years so much of my identity has been made up of being a stay-at-home mum that stepping outside of that, even for a few hours every day seems daunting. Does that sound silly? Oh there is nothing quite like a 36 year old woman having an identity crisis now is there?! My lucky husband ;)

But as I sit here in silence (yes silence, glorious silence, I didn't even want the radio or music on) I feel good. I feel without even realising it we were all ready for this next stage, ready for new challenges and adventures outwith each other. They're both going to get a chance to grow as individuals in their own right, and ironically so am I once again.

The time I've longed to give this blog is finally here. I've come to realise I question my capabilities as a blogger (yep, just called myself a blogger, that's a first for me!) far too much, rather than be proud that whilst bringing two young children up I have found a job that I can work around them and their school and nursery hours. This very fact makes me even more determined to not let my self-confidence ruin the opportunities I'm being given.

This new chapter for me is all about growth, kinda exciting to think you never stop growing. I'm a mum, but I'm also a person in my own right, and it's going to be rather nice getting to know her again.

So what can you expect from this space in the upcoming months?

Keep an eye out for interior posts, how to find your interior style, the pros and cons to living in a new build, how de-cluttering changed my life. I'll also be sharing more about my personal style as a busy mum who loves her clothes but doesn't have a silly budget to spend on them. There will, of course, be more adventures with my family in Edinburgh and further afield too. I also plan to introduce monthly features on different topics too.

I'm really excited to get back to blogging regularly and I hope you come join me too.

Wednesday, 23 August 2017 Comments: 10

Coffee. Thank the heavens for coffee.

It's been keeping my mum brain going since 2012. Yes, I loved coffee before that, just not in the my life depends on it if I'm going to keep two young children alive all day, kinda way.

Now when I wake up I NEED that first coffee to fake the 8 hours sleep my body so craves. The first cup barely touches the sides, the second cup I really, really enjoy, and then let's not discuss how many cups I go onto thereafter, I'll leave that for my coffee anonymous group meeting, but let's just say it's a whole lot of coffee.

So, when Nespresso got in touch with me about raising awareness about their recycling system, as an avid coffee drinker, I jumped at the chance. I don't know about you but with the age of both my boys recycling is a big topic. I love that recycling is just the norm for them. They know what goes in what bins at home, apart from the occasional banana peel (usually Archie) that ends up in the wrong bin. Like a blood hound I know instantly when this has happened and don't rest until I've found every last bit of peel. Oh that smell. That aside though, they're great at remembering and understanding it's important to recycle as it gives things a new life.

First off, all Nespresso drinkers will already know that the aluminium pods can't go into household recycling. If you ever wondered why this is, it's because the capsules need to go through a complex process to separate the coffee from the aluminium, something that is difficult for traditional recycling.

So why the choice to use the aluminium casing still?

With Nespresso priding themselves on the best possible coffee drinking experience, aluminium is used as it keeps the coffee as fresh as the moment it has been grounded. Have you ever wondered why when you buy your Nespresso pods you can't smell the coffee? That's thanks to the sealed aluminium pod locking in the freshness. In fact, if you can smell coffee it means the pod is damaged somewhere. However, their choice to use aluminium is not only for the quality of the coffee but also because once recycled it goes on to have a very valuable second life.

This is exactly what I learnt when I was invited down to their recycling plant in Congleton. Picture me, high viz jacket, protective eye wear, it was like being back on a school trip again! There we watched them sort through all the bags of used pods they receive and then the entire process it goes through until it finishes up as blocks of differently graded aluminium. There they go on to make car parts, bike frames and more, while the coffee goes off to be used as compost.

Whilst we were at the recycling plant we were apparently only looking at about two weeks worth of pods. There were tens of thousands and that's without us all recycling them. It really brought home how important it is to keep them out of landfill. Never underestimate the power of doing your own little bit. It does count, and it does matter. For me recycling is helping to safe guard the future world for our children, and their children's children.

Nespresso are currently striving to make it easier for us as the customer to recycle our pods. In the ideal world we'd all put them out with our normal bin collection service, this is something they'll be trialing very soon in the Chelsea and Kensington, London borough. However, for the rest of us, until that hopefully happens they're looking to us, the consumer, to do our part to stop the pods clogging up landfill and instead go onto to have a second life.

Current ways to recycle your Nespresso pods:

1. Drop them into your local Nespresso Boutique, ideal if you've ran out of coffee and need to stock up. You can also pick up more recycling bags in store while you're there.

2. You can use any of the thousands of CollectPlus points in the UK. Simply print out a label and pop it into your nearest collection point. You can find more information on that service here.

3. Call Nespresso to arrange a collection and then simply leave outside your front door. If you run out of recycling bags and don't have a boutique near you, you can order on line for free with Nespresso here.

As you can see I've drafted in my coffee makers and they know exactly how to make my coffee (with my help;) just how I like it, and to pop the pods in the recycling bag when we're done. A favourite job of Caleb's.

I hope you found this post as informative as the day I spent with Nespresso. I was totally unawares of their recycling efforts, and I'm so glad I know now.

* this post was sponsored by Nespresso. A big thank you to them for a really interesting trip. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tuesday, 6 June 2017 Comments: 3

When we moved last year I decided that we wouldn't rush in and decorate the boys rooms straight away. I'd done the whole nursery design thing when I was pregnant with Caleb, which I absolutely adored doing. It was such a fun process designing a room for a little person I'd not even met yet. I actually found it quite therapeutic and it helped me mentally prepare for the massive change that was about to happen in our lives.

Then while I was pregnant with Archie, as we knew the boys would be sharing we decided to decorate Caleb's room again. As that happened we prepared Caleb for the idea that he'd be sharing it with his little brother soon enough. We even put up the cot, which of course he didn't go into until months later. By the time we did put Archie in with Caleb it was a super smooth transition as Caleb had been waiting for the time to come.

Now here we were in a new house, and this meant Caleb and Archie would have a room each. We didn't rush to decorate, mainly because the boys had shared so well that we did wonder whether separate rooms might go down like a lead balloon. It didn't which was great, but with a whole house to decorate it dawned on me that it would be so nice to take our time with the boys rooms and have their input as much as possible.

Their rooms still aren't finished, but as growing and changing boys, I don't think they'll ever be. I like the idea of the rooms simply evolving around their personalities and current interests. One thing that is an absolute hit with both my boys right now, is anything personalised. They get a real kick out of seeing things with their names on, I think they find comfort in the fact there's no dispute over who it belongs too, ha! When it comes to beautifully made personalised goods I love, My 1st Years. They do clothing, toys, storage, furniture and more. Which brings me onto our latest finds for the boys rooms.

I've been wanting to get the boys each a desk and chair for their rooms. They're big colouring fans and with both Caleb starting school and Archie starting nursery this August I thought it would be a lovely addition to their rooms. I found the perfect one at My 1st Years for Archie.

To say he was thrilled when he saw it was an understatement. He now has his own little art corner in his room where he can hang up his masterpieces, I love that with just a simple bit of string and pegs he'll have a ever changing wall of his latest works. We picked the White Wooden Desk and Chair as it fitted best with Archie's room. However, they also do a lovely Wooden Desk and Chair with a chalkboard table top too, which I think is a great idea for mini artists. No soon to be nursery start is complete without a backpack, and to save me a job of having to label it too, I picked my car loving boy the Vintage Vehicle Backpack. The bag is currently home to as many cars as he could fit in it ;)

With Lego and train track obsessed boys good storage is always key in our house. Thanks to hand me downs from family we have a pretty impressive amount of train track which was starting to spill out of the storage trays we have. The Large Navy Star Storage Bag is ideal, and can even fit in the multiple bridges we have for the track. Thanks to it being well made and sturdy its take the weight of it all too.

My favourite new addition to Caleb's room is this really fun Cloud Coatstand in mint. For a boy who's becoming very particular about what he wears it is now home to his favourite jackets and hats.

There you have the whole thought process when it comes to the boys rooms. It's lovely watching the spaces take shape, a place that they love and can call their own. Please remind me of this when it's all smelly socks and week old cereal bowls hidden under the bed, because we all know that is going to happen!!

* This post was sponsored by My 1st Years, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Thursday, 1 June 2017 Comments: 8

Something quite rare happened recently, both Michael and I got to spend a few hours together with just Archie. Caleb was away for a few hours at a birthday party which meant Archie had us all to himself. To say his little face lit up at the attention was an understatement. I've always believed in the power of one on one time with a child when they have siblings. That little bit of time carved out just for them can be a tonic from busy family life. I had however forgot just how important it is for our boys to get time on their own time with both Michael and I together too.

One of my most vivid birthday memories was when I turned 10 and I got to go out for dinner with just my mum and dad in the evening. I remember it feeling like such a huge deal. One, to be out late. Two, that it was just going to be the three of us. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the restaurant or tell you what I ate for dinner, but I do remember that feeling of being special. The type of spotlight I think every child craves for occasionally.

What we also noticed was just how chatty and engaged he was having us all to himself. He was a happy calm, something we've not seen a whole lot of lately. His behaviour has pretty much ticked every toddler nightmare box lately, so these few hours were a tonic for us all. It helped remind Michael and I that underneath all the toddler angst he's still our happy boy, who squealed at the sight of yellow fields as far as his little eye could see. He definitely gets that from his mama. Every year the sight of these fields makes me happy, and I'm happy to report no pouring noses or watery eyes this year for any of us, hence the photo op ;)

Seeing Archie so giddy made us so happy but also gave us that pang of guilt. We've been comparing his behaviour to Caleb a lot lately, which really isn't fair considering the two year age gap. Memory is a funny thing isn't it? Caleb is so chilled and sweet-natured that it of course highlights Archie's erratic toddler antics all the more at the minute. Yet if we actually look back to Caleb's behaviour at Archie's age we went through the trickiest spell, all the more intensified by what would later be diagnosed as a speech delay.

In short, we need to just chill out, stop comparing and ride the toddler storm, it does help that he's ridiculously funny and has a smile that instantly causes you to forgive everything. His speech has come on leaps and bounds these last few weeks too, which is probably at the root of his behaviour. Nothing spells crazy behaviour like a new development stage. I do however think a little more one on one time with both Michael and I, is just what's needed for him too. A chance to be Archie, and not little brother all the time.

In other news I decided to go blonder. I'd like to tell you it's just because I want to go lighter for the summer, but the main reason was to help disguise the grey. Amazing. I blame two stints of todderhood for that ;)

I'm still as you can see obsessed with blue, frills and cuff details. This one kinda reminds me of the summer dresses I used to wear in Primary school and in fact they do it in a dress too! Also is it just me or is it hard to find good straight leg jeans that don't have rips in them??! Does that make me sound really old? Hell, I don't care. I love ripped jeans but sometimes you just want to disguise the fact you haven't shaved your legs for weeks!

Oh and please tell me I'm not the only one who hears Coldplay's song, Yellow, in my head every time I see these fields?? Seriously, for me. Every. Time.

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Wednesday, 24 May 2017 Comments: 4

I grew up in a family where the majority of the household chores were done by the women of the house. I remember moving in with Michael, both bright-eyed and bushy tailed twenty-one year olds and thinking nope, that will absolutely not be me. We both had jobs, why should I be doing the bulk of the chores?? So apart from cooking, not Michael's strong suit unless we wanted to live off balsamic pasta (don't ask!!) or chicken fajitas for the rest our lives, we split the chores up. We even split it down to doing our own clothes washing after he shrunk a very expensive top of mine in with his football wash. I couldn't decide at the time what was worse, the shrunken top or the discovery he'd been doing all of my washing combined with his smelly football wash :/

So when Indesit got in touch about their Big Family Switch Up campaign, it got me thinking about household chores and just how much things have changed now we're a family of four. I watched the video, which you can see below, and I could see similarities of ourselves in all the families featured.

Since becoming a stay at home mum I've definitely taken on the bulk of the responsibilities, therefore it was no surprise to me when I took the survey that we came out as Traditionalists. I know, I know, my twenty-one year old self would be giving me the major eye roll just now, but to me it made sense. Michael is at work all day and the family home is in all intense purposes my work environment.

Watching the video did however highlight a few things that I hate to admit. I've turned into that person who likes set jobs. Michael always does the bins, recycling, and the cleaning of the bathrooms. All three jobs I hate. I'll happily cook, hoover, hang washing and so on rather than do those three jobs. Also I'm that person who on the occasional off day (eh once a week ;), complains I do the majority of the chores, Michael then tries to help out more and then I criticise that its not like how I do it. Ugh typing that makes me feel like such a control freak. It's made not only me, but Michael realise we're in a bit of a chores rut. He's even threatening to cook ;)

One area I know we have true balance in is our role as parents. We both do everything when it comes to the boys, and we switch up the roles regularly, and because of this we'll rarely argue about anything to do with the boys. It makes me think that if we approached chores the same way maybe we'd argue less and be much happier about them, which is exactly what the Big Family Switch Up campaign is all about.

I'd love to hear how you handle chores in your household? Is it a source of arguments and what family type are you? Are you Traditionalists like us or a Switched Up family? You can find the survey here.

* This post was sponsored by Indesit. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sunday, 14 May 2017 Comments: 5

this little house

NEW CHAPTERS - A Time For Blogging

RECYCLING WITH NESPRESSO

CALEB & ARCHIE'S ROOM with My 1st Years

YELLOW FIELDS AND ONE ON ONE TIME

HOW WE DO HOUSEHOLD CHORES

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