One of the hardest things about being a working mum, aside from the guilt that comes hand in hand with it is the tiredness.
The tiredness that comes after a bad night, with multiple wakes from your little one as you get up to cater for the multiple demands that they are placing upon you.
More milk Mummy, give me a cuddle Mummy. Or Leo’s favourite…Let’s watch television Mummy.
When I returned to work back in July, Leo was sleeping really well. He was waking up once throughout the night and was going back down with no issues at all. Now though Leo likes to wake up and stay awake. He cries until I take him downstairs and turn on the television for a spot of Iggle Piggle. We have been in this position before and managed to break it by begrudgingly introducing controlled crying.
However now I am back at work, I need all the sleep I can get. It is hard enough to get through the day without adding my zombie like state to the equation that has been brought on by an interrupted nights sleep. If I was to implement the controlled crying again now, I would be up longer waiting for him to stop screaming and if he didn’t calm down I would then have to do go through the usual process anyway, thus prolonging my night time dilemma. I know it is more of a cop out doing what I am doing, but I am so tired half the time that I take the quickest route that leads me back to my bed.
When I was on maternity leave, I obviously still got tired but there was more chance for me to catch up on my much needed sleep. I have been known to take a nap when Leo has just so I can get half an hours shut eye. That half an hour used to make all the difference and when Leo awoke I was ready to get up and go again. It was not a frequent occurrence but after a bad night/early morning it was nice to have the opportunity to do this.
This morning Leo awoke at 6am, a whole hour before my alarm clock usually goes off. He was far too awake to even contemplate going back to sleep which meant that I awoke before the sun even blinked open his sleepy eyes. Now there is no chance to go back to bed as I have to get up and ready for a day at work. I spend days like this counting down the moments until I can finally get home, put my cheeky monster to bed, before finally tucking myself up for a well deserved sleep.
Being a working mum is actually tougher than I expected it would be. I go to work and still have to return home to do everything that I have not been able to do during the day, I have to get Leo fed and ready for bed and I also have to get myself ready for work again the next day. Sometimes I do all of this on very little sleep, before finally collapsing into bed and closing my eyes in order to repeat the entire process over again tomorrow.
What do you find the hardest aspect of being a working parent?
How Leo changes in a week never ceases to amaze me, his little mannerisms becoming more pronounced and his learning's of this weird and wonderful world that we live in becoming more apparent.
Leo only needs to see how something works once before he knows exactly what he should be doing with it. His fascination with the washing machine has enabled him to now turn it on all by himself. He can push all of the buttons and even turn the dials, which means he can alter the temperature and endanger all of our clothes to the horrors of colours running!
One of the most special times with Leo is always bedtime. It is a time where we can snuggle close while he drinks his bedtime bottle of milk, and although he is winding down from a busy day he is usually in the most amazing mood. I find myself sitting in awe of him as I see the sleepy expression flicker across his face, which in the next instance is replaced by the biggest, most beautiful smile beaming up through his milk. This of course promotes a chain reaction, how cannot I not smile back at this beautiful boy who just brings out the very best in me?
This one smile soon brings with it a series of little games before Leo succumbs to the overwhelming urge to sleep. He covers up his eyes and awaits my cue 'where has Leo gone? Leo!? Where are you!?' this prompts giggling on both parts as Leo suddenly relinquishes his hands from his eyes and says 'buh' which is his attempt at saying 'boo'.
Leo is now learning the names of different parts of the body, and he tends to use this quiet time with Mummy to put his learnings into action. He can be lay so still in my arms really concentrating on drinking his milk, when all of a sudden his finger will be in my mouth pointing out my teeth. I take this moment to tell him what they are and show him his too. He is fascinated by eyes and loves to point these out to me.
I can ask Leo where his head, hair, eyes and teeth are and he will usually direct me to the correct part of the anatomy. Seeing his learning come along like this really is magical, and I love knowing that I am playing such a big role in these learnings.
While Leo lays there in my arms at this time of night he does not wriggle to get down, or try to run away from me. This really is our time, and after a long day at work this is the greatest highlight of my day.
I mentioned recently that Leo had began hitting out in frustration, a form of behaviour that I dislike immensely and will not accept. Looking back I would pin point this starting around the time I returned to work. It felt like he was maybe angry at my actions and punishing me for daring to leave him. Over the last couple of weeks I have seen him lash out less and less, we have been addressing the problem and it looks to be working although he does get frustrated and regress, I am happy with the improvement in how often this happens.
Leo is a very active little man and it goes without saying that he can get very excited, but I knew and I know that he is such a sweetheart. I hated the thought that his actions may provoke negative thoughts about my parenting and my baby boy.
Leo recently mastered the sign for 'more' and he uses it as and when he feels like it. Completely on Leo's terms of course. The other night after he had eaten his dinner and a banana, I offered him a little chocolate treat, and this treat was welcomed with an open mouth meaning it was a big hit! He sat there quietly eating his little chocolate before I saw him signing across the table at me. The cheeky little monkey was signing for more, over and over again. Being the naughty mummy that I am and because I felt that as he had signed his intentions instead of crying, I happily obliged in giving him one last little bit of chocolate.
It just goes to show that he really does know what he wants. I had previously asked him whether he wanted more dinner, and he completely ignored my question. Neither did he want a yoghurt. But then with no offer or encouragement he told me that he would like more chocolate.
Now it is time to try and implement a few other signs into our daily lives. If you are going to take up baby signing I highly recommend sticking with it as it can take a while for them to pick up the signs, but once they start picking it up they learn so fast. With my return to work signing took a back seat but since Leo turned one he has been more susceptible to picking up the signs.
So what have your little ones been up to this week?
Panasonic is the largest consumer electronics company in the world, and as of 2012 they have over 15,000 categories of different products available to help make daily life for you and I more simple.
Panasonic is renown for their variety of electronics from televisions to stereos but do you know all about their great selection of home appliance products?
Whether you are familiar with this exciting selection or not over the next 12 months I will be telling you all about them. You see I have been chosen to take part in the very exciting Panasonic Intelligent Living Mums Project.
In this programme I will be taking part in a series of workshops that will be focusing on applying the advanced technology that is available in Panasonic products to real life situations. Being Mummy to Leo I always have a constant need for cleaning up the many messes that he is always creating, so this project is going to be a real eye opener.
The workshops will bring together the full Home Appliances range from microwave ovens, bread makers (everyone's favourite!) small kitchen appliances, irons, washing machines, tumble dryers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and personal care products. There really is a vast range dedicated to making our lives that little bit more simple.
Panasonic have chosen 10 Mum's and their blogs for this project, and last Thursday I had the pleasure of meeting the entire team for the very first time. I travelled to Bracknell where the Panasonic Head Office is based and we were warmly welcomed. It has to be said that the Panasonic Offices are as impressive as you would invision them in your minds eye. There are impressive televisions mounted on the walls and they even have their own Costa Coffee available in their canteen, that for me was enough reason to not return to my place of work!
The day was such an eye opener and it was lovely to see how dedicated everyone was. What I really loved was the room dedicated as a museum to past Panasonic products that in today's current technology age would be classed as retro to say the least. When I stepped into this room it was like stepping back in time, the very first double plug adapter, video cameras and mobile phones. It was truly fascinating, as I looked around I could see old VHS players that dated back to my childhood, and I realised that Leo would never know this kind of technology.
The day was spent with very informative members of the Panasonic team, and a big part of our introduction to the exciting Panasonic world was John Hardy, the Sales and Marketing Director. John was more than happy to answer any questions that we had and also fill us in on how the Panasonic company came to be all that it is today.
Panasonic was founded back in 1917 in Japan by a man named Konosuke Matsushita, it was fascinating to see how the company still operate on the same principals today as Konosuke did back in the very beginning. It was clear to me that Panasonic's main aim is to improve people's lives with helpful products that make their customer's lives easier.
It was great to see all of the Home Appliance Products that Panasonic have been working hard on and a few of my favourites were the very smart looking fridge freezer with touch screen dials for all of the controls, the washing machine and tumble dryer and of course not to forget the bread maker.
Their bread maker has actually won the Which Best Buy and is endorsed by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Which have talked about one negative point about this coveted bread maker and that is the fact that there is no viewing panel on the top. Having listened to the reasoning behind this it is clear to me that this is not a negative point, but a positive point. The reason for the bread maker not boasting a viewing window is because it will cause condensation. Condensation that will then fall back onto the dough which will ruin the loaf of bread.
All the Intelligent Living Mum's were asked to bring along a stained item of clothing so that they could work their magic on it. On a normal day in this household we have stains here there and everywhere, but on the one day I require Leo to have dirtied his clothes, he doesn't. So I went through some of Leo's old clothes looking for a suitable item that I could stain up myself. Once this item was located I took the bottle of ketchup in my hand, and I set to work on making a stain. I have to admit, this was very therapeutic!
We each handed over our stained item of clothing, I was pleased to see that I was not the only one who had sunk to the level of staining the item myself, and they were placed in the washing machine so that the magic could be worked on them. Many of the stains vanished completely, but then some of us had gone to extreme lengths and we had a few faint stains left over, however I think if it was given another spin then the ketchup would well and truly come out.
Panasonic's Home Appliance team cooked up a fantastic lunch in their fully functional kitchen using all of their products. The Bread Maker provided us with a number of different loaves of bread, all equally as tasty and delicious, not to mention the home made pizzas, banana loaf and cakes.
I have returned home with a fantastic goodie bag that included a new recipe book that I am looking forward to cooking up some new recipes with, and a new Panasonic HX-DC2 Dual Camera to put to the test over the next 12 months as we carry out product reviews of their new range and meet for product demonstrations at the Panasonic head office itself!
I am very excited to be included in this exciting project and I look forward to sharing this experience with you all. Please pop over to the other Intelligent Living Mum's blogs and say hello!
There are many occasions where I feel a little sad at the prospect of Leo growing up. With that said though now that he is getting that little bit older, the toys that he can play with are becoming more exciting! Just take the VTech Toot-Toot Drivers Garage for instance that The Entertainer Toy Shop has sent Leo to play test.
Ever since it’s arrival in our house a week ago, everyone has had a little play with it, mainly being Leo’s Daddy, Aunt, Uncle and myself. Leo was really having to battle for a go on this toy, until Mummy told everyone to leave it alone so that Leo could have a chance to play!
When the delivery arrived with Leo’s very special toy inside, he got very excited by all of the sounds and music that were ringing out from the box. From this point forward he knew there was something very special inside and he was not about to be patient with me while I opened it! While I was there with the scissors cutting away all of the plastic that was holding the much desired toy in the box, Leo was running around the room with his new tow-truck.
The interactive VTech Toot-Toot Drivers Garage is a very fun looking toy, it comes as standard with a tow-truck vehicle which is great for whizzing up and down the twists and turns of the ramp or my favourite, taking the car up in the lift, letting it roll onto the turn table, which then puts it in prime position to ride the ramp all the way to the bottom!
I know…I did tell you that we ‘grownups’ have been having a little play with it!
The tow-truck is the perfect size for little hands to hold, and Leo can be perfectly content just rolling the car around on the floor. The car itself sings and says phrases independently but when you pair it with the garage there are even more ways that they can interact between one another.
When the car goes over a sensor just before it heads down the bendy ramp, it activates the fun ‘Weeeeee’ phrase to signify the car going down the slope. I really liked this as I had just said exactly the same thing to Leo, when the garage said it too. Leo looked at me like I was a mad woman!
The garage offers Two different modes to play around with, music mode and learning mode and you can change it at any point during game play. There is a great centre piece that features buttons to activate the lights and tunes. There really is hours of fun to be had with the garage due to the many activities that come with it, the car wash and petrol station both reward the child (and parent…) with fun sound effects and phrases relating to the activity in hand. There is even a car parking space and helipad space up on the roof for those busy days where hustle and bustle is just a constant factor in their imaginative play.
Leo does not play with it in any real context quite yet, but that will come in time. At this moment in time he loves all of the lights and music that cheer him forward in playing with his exciting garage. Watching Leo play with the garage with the bright colours and happy tunes, it is very easy to see why it is so appealing to a toddler.
What I really like about the Toot-Toot Garage is that it is all connected and relevant, and offers a great interactive base for using the garage in conjunction with the vehicles. If you place the tow-truck at the top of the ramp on the welcome stand and press the vehicle down on the sensor, the garage will recognise which vehicle is placed there. With this recognition comes a song all about that particular vehicle. As I said earlier the garage comes with the tow-truck but there is a whole range of other vehicles that you can purchase separately and use compatibly with the garage.
Leo is just coming up 15 months old, so he has a little way to go yet before he can use the garage for make believe play and benefit from all of the garages features, but he is thoroughly enjoying all of the lights and music, that in it’s self is worth it’s weight in gold as it keeps him entertained while I get on with something. And if by chance he does tire of the garage he still seems to be able to entertain himself with just the tow-truck, so I can just imagine his excitement to be in receipt of the additional vehicles!
The structure of the garage is very sturdy and is not about to get flattened by your toddler’s weight being exuded over it. I know this as I have witnessed Leo playing almost on top of it. It is very reassuring to know that it is not going to get broken accidently by Leo deciding to sit on it, the only bit I think may be considered a little delicate in the wrong hands is the helipad section that can very easily be taken on and off. Each time Leo takes it off, I place it back on but if he was to sit on it, I wouldn’t be surprised it if was to get broken. On a whole though the entire garage is extremely well built and I haven’t got any worries of Leo turning into Godzilla and crushing it into the ground.
The way that the garage is built makes it look as though there are areas to add on new bits of infrastructure. At this point in time I am pretty sure that it is just the garage and the vehicles, but there may be plans to expand the line in the future as there are places for extra bits to click into place. I think this would be great and I would be very happy to see more products in this range.
The VTech Toot-Toot Drivers Garage has been a big hit in our household, children and adults alike. I am sure that as the months go by that Leo will continue to love the garage more and more as his understanding and imagination continue to grow. We will certainly be adding some extra vehicles for the garage to Leo’s Christmas list this year!
You can purchase your VTech Toot-Toot Garage from The Entertainer Toys for £39.99. I feel this is great value for money based on the play value that Leo has shown this garage. Leo is usually the kind of mischievous little monster who would rather sit and play with the television remote control, however when the garage is out to be played with he will sit there and pay all of his attention to it.
I will leave you with a short clip of Leo enjoying his VTech Toot-Toot Garage. Please ignore the television box behind him as this had just been delivered... and the crumbs on the floor...Leo is a little terror and I did not have chance to vaccum prior! :-)
Disclaimer:I was sent the VTech Toot-Toot Garage for the purpose of this review, however all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.
You are more than likely aware that the brand new 'Dallas' has just hit our television screens in recent weeks. In celebration of the launch I have received the original Two series from Warner Bros. to trial in order to wet our appetite for the latest season.
The original Season of Dallas came around back in 1978 as a 5 episode mini series to see if there would be a call for more. The fans certainly demanded more from the Dallas cast and It proved to be so popular that it lasted for 14 whole seasons in all! It has been one of the biggest TV shows in the world until it finished in 1991.
My Mother is a big fan of the Dallas series so I thought I would hand this review over to her to talk us through the seasons and give her opinions of the two season box set.
Baring in mind that back when the show originally aired over our television set's there was none of the technology that we have today, so I am over all impressed with the video and audio quality. The picture quality is kind of hit-&-miss in places but I would say that is to be expected,with some portions looking better than others. It may well have benefited from some digital restoration but this certainly does not direct your attention away from the captivating story lines that are just as enjoyable now as they were back then.
Season One highlights Bobby and Pam's new marriage and how Pam struggles with joining the Ewing family. On another note you meet Miss Lucy who debuts in the show as a troubled teenager. Miss Lucy soon gets involved with Ray Krebbs, who is substantially older and should have really known better. Then in a twist of fate, we later find out that Ray is her uncle!
That is what is so gripping about Dallas though, the story lines really do have the shock factor and they reel you in and take you along for the ride.
The Two seasons are spread out over double sided disks. I found this confusing and it took me a while to work it out. My eyes aren't the greatest pair in the world and the writing on the DVDs is rather small, I did manage to watch some of the episodes in the wrong order but I still enjoyed them to the same degree as the first time around. It was great having the storylines unfolding and then it jogging that familiar chord in your mind. Like when you listen to your favourite song again for the first time in a long while.
I was so happy to have got to watch the original Dallas before the new show started, and even though it was just a small snippet of the 14 series, I have picked up the new story line with no problem at all.
The complete seasons of Dallas One and Two is available to purchase from Amazon for £13.57 and you can tune into the new Dallas each Wednesday on Channel 5 at 21:00.
Disclaimer: I was sent the Two seasons of Dallas for the purpose of this review. However all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.
Long before the day I became a Mummy, I have been a self confessed thrill seeker from an early age. I don’t think I had much choice in this really as my Dad has always loved theme parks. I know my parents were visiting such attractions with me in tow from around the age of 2 years old.
I recently received tickets for a day out at Drayton Manor, which happens to be right on our doorstep being just an hour’s drive away. I have not been to Drayton Manor for a few years now and I knew that they have had new rides installed and there had been some substantial changes to check out.
Of course having a 1 year old now changes everything that we as a family look for, when choosing somewhere that can cater for all of us for the day. After having a look at the Drayton Manor website I was pleased to see that there would be plenty for us to do with Leo, which is ultimately the factor that makes or breaks our decision to visit a destination.
My little brood arrived at Drayton Manor, just outside of Tamworth in timely fashion. We arrived at just after half past 10 which is the time that all of the rides are set to open, and I was pleased to see that we had picked the right day to visit. The sun was shining high in the sky and despite it being a little chilly at times, we had made a great decision to visit at the back end of the season. There were plenty of people walking around, but it was by no means busy, which meant no daunting queues!
Walking into the park you can see some of the bigger rides peaking up into the sky line, the Apocalypse for one, and although I have braved this ride in the past. I made a firm decision there and then that I would not be doing it on this visit! We soon came across Thomas Land which opened back in 2008 to everyone’s favourite Blue train. Walking in under the archway I was faced with the train controllers, I thought this was a lovely touch for the older children who were chatting away with them, and really excited to see them.
Leo is too young to know who Thomas is and he is yet to see the television programme but despite these minor details he enjoyed it none the less. There is so much going on, especially from a toddler’s perspective and I thought that the best way that Leo could experience this moment was to be un-leashed in Thomas Land.
I took Leo out of his stroller and stood him on the floor, he looked a little un-sure as Cranky the Crane Drop Tower came bumping back down to our level. He ran and gave my leg a big reassuring cuddle. I know Leo though, and I knew that it wouldn't be long before he had adjusted to his new surroundings and was feeling his brave self again. Proving me right within the next minute, I was soon following him around and trying to keep him in check. He really did not know where to look next, which meant he was running here, there and everywhere.
We stood and watched Thomas come toward us on the tracks, and Leo intently watched as Thomas’s eyes moved. He really was transfixed. There is so much to see and do in Thomas Land alone that it was worthwhile taking Leo along.
Leo is just coming up 15 months old and I was so pleased to see just how much was available for him to do in Thomas Land. Leo went on a total of four rides, and he loved each and every one of his experiences. He loved Jeremy Jet the most and steered the plane like a little champ, but he was not content in letting Daddy hit the ‘up, down’ button for long and soon had to have his way doing this too!
After we had exhausted Leo in Thomas Land we decided to go and have a wander around the rest of the park and do some more appropriate thrill seeker rides for Luke and I. Luke was eyeing up G-Force, so while he was whizzing around upside down, I sat with Leo and took in the sight of daddy hanging just above us, and then Luke reciprocated so I could have a go at the fast pace of G-Force.
We each took it in turns on the bigger rides that we wanted to have a go on, Luke even gave the Apocalypse a go!
It was great to see that there was a variety of food options available, but on this occasion we wanted to sit down for a proper lunch, so we took a short walk up the hill and found the on-site steak house. We sat down to a lovely lunch before making our way back into the park to visit the zoo. In all the times I have visited Drayton Manor this is the first time I have spent time in the zoo, and I know this is because I now have Leo to consider.
I took Leo out of the stroller so that he could see everything, he stood by the monkey’s for a short while but it was clear after only a short while of being in there that Leo’s heart lay with the Meerkat’s. The Meerkat’s were so playful and really playing to their audience, which I think is why Leo was so captivated. They were play fighting among each other and digging up the dirt before standing and staring right at the glass, right at Leo. The enclosure is perfect for a little toddler to stand independently and have the perfect view inside; it is at the perfect level.
I found the zoo housed a substantial amount of animals and reptiles, and was a great touch for the kid’s. It is by no means the biggest zoo in the world but as an addition to an already fun packed day out, it makes a nice alternative to staying on the rides all day. There is a lovely reptile house that features snakes to lizards.
There really is something for everyone.
A real positive point to the day was that the whole experience was enjoyable. I found that it was easy to navigate the park thanks to all of the readily available signage and of course the map that you are presented with when you collect your tickets. The whole day was targeted to a family day out, and despite Leo being so young there was still plenty for him to get on with and enjoy.
We picked such a perfect day to take a trip to Drayton Manor, with it being the back end of Summer most people had already visited in the height of the season. We certainly took a chance on the weather but it paid off, giving us a very enjoyable day out. We took advantage of the fact that there were no queues, and when I ventured onto Shockwave it was only myself and another man taking the ride, so we both got front row seats!
In comparison to other theme parks it is substantially smaller, but I have to say I preferred this. It was a real bonus that the car park was very close the entrance, without the hassle of travelling into the park from the car park with Leo's stroller and all the bit's and bobs that come with him.
Drayton Manor certainly offers you value for money at £20.00 for an adult ticket and £12.00 for children over the age of Four.
We had a great day out and I look forward to taking Leo back in the near future when he is that little bit bigger, and can really get excited about Thomas Land.
Disclaimer: I was issued tickets to visit Drayton Manor, however all views and opinions are completely honest and my own.
