Shhh don't mention the nits!

So here I am, sat in my dressing gown, with horrible greasy oil all over my hair, a red face and a body that feels like I have fire all over it! 

Today is not a good day! Not only is it the first day of half term and it's pouring with rain but we have had yet another visit from the little hair bugs that were all not suppose to talk about. 

The kids hair is easy to treat, being so young their hair is still really fine, one wizz over with the comb and the one nit they have is gone. Mine however is another story. I think I've worked it out the kids are just the carriers. They innocently bring the little buggers home who then set up camp in my hair! My hair is thick, really thick a perfect home. 

Photo by choonMing

I spent most of my evening last night bent over the bath trying to get a ridiculously small comb through what can only be described as a thick mass of tangled madness. That's not too bad I can deal with that and I can deal with the fact that I have to repeat the process in 7 days what I can't deal with is the allergic reaction that I have to the lice. My skin feels like it's on fire! My forehead is bright red and I want to scrape my skin off to stop it from itching.

Oh the joys of motherhood!

What happens at 8pm?

So this weeks theme for the Gallery is 8pm. 

You see the light brown sofa in this picture, that is where I am at 8pm. Usually with a glass of vino in hand and more often than not a big bar of chocolate. 

This room is a child free zone, there are no plastic things that sing the same annoying song over and over again. There are no sticky finger marks all up the patio door. There are no bits of lego to step on in bare feet. This is an adult room, the only adult room in the house and I love it!

This is my little haven at the end of the day where I can sit for more than 5 minutes without having to get up and change a pooey nappy, get someone a drink or referee the latest fight that has broken out over some toy that neither of them have played with in months but now that the other one has it they simple must play with it.

This is 8pm and it's adult time!  

So what happens in your household at 8pm? To check out what happens in others go to Taras blog at Sticky Fingers.

'Quote of the Week' - School

 

For this weeks theme for 'Quote of the Week' I have chosen 'School'. 

I thought this was fairly relevant for most people with children at the moment. Whether it be baby ones starting pre schools, little ones going to real school, bigger ones going to big school or even bigger ones fleeing the nest and going to university. 

September can be quite a stressful time for all involved with preperation, worry about the unknown and organisation but it can also be a time when a lot of mothers breathe a sigh of relief. It's not that we don't love them it's just that no one can be a perfect parent 24/7 and sometimes a break is very welcome.

Feel free to join in with this weeks quote of the week, click here for how it works. Happy quote hunting.

10 things Daddy's do...

1) Please don't come in five minutes before bedtime and wind the kids up by chasing, tickling or blowing raspberries on their bellies. This is not helpful and results in it taking mummy another half an hour to calm them down and get them to go to sleep!

2) Please don't throw the kids into the air or hang them upside down by their ankles just after they have eaten, I know I keep saying it but one day they will throw up!

3)  Please don't catapult the kids onto the bed, they might think it's funny but Mummy has just made that bed!

4) Please don't scream obscenities out of the car window at fellow road users, little ears hear everything and you can guarantee that they will choose to repeat them at just the wrong moment when they are with mummy!

5) Please don't fart infront of the kids, just because they laugh hysterically it doesn't make it alright!

6) Please don't try and pretend that you can't smell that massive poo in their nappy just so you don't have to change it, the wallpaper is hanging off of the walls!

7) Please don't attempt to dress the children again. A sparkly dress, wooly tights and wellies is not a good combination, ever, especially for messy play!

8) Please don't feed them biscuits right before dinner time, I don't care if they have given you puppy dog eyes, they know what they are doing!

9) Please don't enter into long negotiations with the one year old over whether or not she can have another biscuit, save your breath we already now how it's going to end, she always win!

10) Please don't tell the kids silly things like 'If you put a slice of ham in the DVD player it will play a short film about pigs'. We can't afford to keep replacing it.

I have joined in with Actually Mummy's linky 'wot so funee?'

We're home

We're back from our sailing adventure and we had a great time. The weather couldn't of been better and the kids coped really well on the boat. So what have I missed in the world of blogging?

I'm having a bit of writers block tonight, perhaps it's a week away from technology that has done it, which surprisingly I found I coped with a lot better than I thought I would. It was actually quite nice to wake up in the morning without checking emails, sending texts or checking out the gossip on facebook. 

So anyway, I'm now going to do the obligatory boring you with holiday snaps bit... 

 I just can't believe how lucky we were with the weather, we definitley chose the right week to go.

 Teaching my little man how to do knots, he was so pleased with himself when he mastered it.

 All this sailing is hard work mummy!

 Lj spent the entire time pointing out the window saying "Look big, big, big boat" to EVERY boat that went past. That's a lot of boats in a week!

 Near to where our new mooring is. We were sat here, looking out over this, with a glass of vino just after the kids had gone to bed. Lovely.

 Who needs to go abroad?

 H loved being in the sea and Lj kept a safe distance away. I did try and dip her in which resulted in her scrunching up her toes and screaming at me very loudly! It took the rest of the day for her to forgive me. She's scary when she's mad, I think it's the Celt in her.

 

 

It may have been a holiday but there were still chores that needed doing.

So there you have it, our holiday in a nut shell. I'd say it was a very successful trip, back to reality now. :-(

10 Child-Friendly Places to Visit in South Devon

I have just realised that as of next month we will have been living in Devon for a year now. I just can't get over how fast time seems to be flying by at the moment.

Even though we have been here a year it still sometimes feels like we are on a very long holiday. 

We keep discovering new and exciting places to go so I thought for todays post I would share with you some of the fantastic child friendly places that we have found, especially with the forthcoming summer holidays.

1) The Wood Cafe - 

Now this is a fantastic place that is set within a woodland Yurt Camp. They have a great range of food and drink available (their hot chocolate with marshmallows is my fave) and while you are enjoying your food the children can either play with the basket full of toys or go outside to the undercover play barn.  This place is definitely worth a visit. 

2) Trago Mills - 

 Trago is one of my regular haunts with the kids, especially when I don't want to spend a huge amount of money. There is so much to do there and you could easily fill up a whole day. (From an adult point of view it is all looking a little tired these days and could do with a good lick of paint but the children don't care about that).

There's an amusment park with a whole array of different rides, you can either buy a ticket for the day for these or pay as you go with tokens. 

The little steam train is a great way to travel around the site and takes you from one end to the other.

My sons favourite part of Trago is the model railway which costs just a pound each to get into (under 4's are free). My daughters favourite part is the animal farm, which is free to get into. Always a bonus.

 For the adults there is a massive, and I mean massive, discount store. They sell everything from carpets to candles.

3) Haldon Forest - 

If you fancy an active day, whether it be walking, cycling, climbing or flying threw the trees, then this is the place for you. It is free to get in, you just have to pay for your parking. ( Peak - Up to 2 hours £3, Over 2 hours £4).

I love this place when I'm having one of those days where the aim of the game is to wear the kids out. 

They have some fantastic walks to suit all abilities and if you aim it right you can end the walk at the big sandpit playarea. 

4) The House of Marbles - 

Personally I love this place, I have a bit of a thing for glass. 

This is another place that is free to get into. There's a shop, a restaurant, glass blowing workshop, outside games garden, marble museum and the fabulous marble runs (these keep my son amused for ages). 

If you are looking to buy a unusual present for someone then this is the place to go.

5) Stover Country Park - 

This is another place that we regularly frequent. A bit like Haldon, it's free to get in but you just have to pay for parking ( £1 for two hours or £2 for all day, I believe). 

Right in the middle is the massive lake that you can walk around and feed the ducks as you go. There are interpretation boards dotted around the walk, an aeriel walkway, a bird hide, picnic areas and a children's walk with little wooden animal statues. 

You can also visit the Nature Interpretation Centre. (Also free).

6) Cockington Court -

Cockington is a magical village hidden within the middle of Torquay. It has your classic 'choclate box' style cottages with thatched roofs and horse drawn carts. 

Cockington Court is right in the centre of the village and has cafes, playarea, workshops and plenty of space for the kids to run wild and free. 

You don't have to pay to get in but again you must pay for your parking, quite pricey at around £6 but definitely worth it. 

There is often events going on here so worth checking out their website before you go to see what's on. 

Photo taken from their website

7) Tumbling Teds - 

This is one of those, for what seems inevitable, wet days that we seem to be having so many of lately. 

Ted's is an indoor play place specially designed for under 6's. 

It's great because you don't have the usual worries that you have when you go to the other big soft play centres. You can drink your tea in peace knowing that your little bundle of joy isn't going to get squashed by a bigger kid or lost in a maze of colourful plastic.

It's £3 per child for unlimited play and under 1's go free. There's a cafe, free parking and baby changing facilities.

8) Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust - 

If your daughter is anything like mine and has a new found fascination with animals then this is a great little place to visit. It's free to go to but they are only open to the public on Sundays between 1.30 and 4.00.

They have a small selection of ponies that you can see and stroke and even adopt one if you feel like it. (That might make it a bit of an expensive trip though!) 

You can find the dpht in the grounds of Parke a National Trust area which is also a great free place to visit with lots of beautiful walks along hidden rivers.

I suggest you take a picnic, yummy.

Image taken from website

9) Ullacombe Farm - 

This is one of mine and the OH's favourite places to eat. The food is real, fresh rustic farm food. It's lovely!

The cafe has an indoor play area for the kids, so you can enjoy your food in peace. It also has an outdoor play area, a farm shop and an animal barn. 

If you are like us and still like to go out and enjoy good food but don't want the stress of worrying about the kids then this is the place for you.

10) Last but not least Teignmouth Seafront - 

This is another place that we spend quite a significant amount of time, well weather permitting of cause. It has the best playground around (free) and the pier is also a great place to visit. (free to get in, we like free)

You can stroll along the seafront and take in the views, you could even have some yummy fish and chips.

Image taken from website

 So that's it, this is my life, all the places that we spend most of our time. if you know of any other great places in the area then I'd love to know about them.

LOL Review

 I should have written this post ages ago but I just haven't had the time. 

As you may have read in a previous post, I recently went up to London. You can read about that scary experience here.

The reason I went to London was for the a new drink from Heinz called LOL.

The people from LOL were at the Rainforest Cafe along with a nutritionist to answer any questions about their new drink. 

'Bring home the laughs this summer with the great new drink LOL. A lightly carbonated fruit juice drink, LOL is a fizzy treat set to liven up your kids mouths in a cool new way.

Blending together 75% fruit juice and 25% carbonated water, every can of LOL contains one of their important five a day. LOL is available in three fabulously juicy flavours meaning it's a refreshing drink the whole family can enjoy.

Specifically designed to make drinking fruit juice more fun, LOL is a brand new way to keep your kids refreshed this summer and all at a pocket money friendly price of 99p.

Unlike most canned drinks, LOL contains NO added sugar, NO artificial sweeteners, NO preservatives, NO artificial colours and NO caffeine!'

Before I went to London they sent us some of the drinks to sample and I must say that they were a huge hit in our family. Even the OH who is very critical of food and drink liked them but the firm favourite was the Apple & Raspberry one.

I would definitely recommend these drinks for special occassions such as sleep overs, parties, bbq's etc because they not only taste nice but they're also much better for kids than some of the other carbonated drinks out there.

We don't generally drink fizzy drinks in our house as a rule but for these I would make an exception. 

I'd just like to see them in pubs now, they'd make a great drink for the poor person that has been voted as designated driver for the night.

If you'd like to find out more about the LOL drinks then look here on facebook or go to www.heinz.co.uk

*I haven't been paid to write this and all opinions are my own.*

'Quote of the Week' #2

It's Friday again, wow that came round fast! So it's time for this weeks 'Quote of the Week' and the theme is... LIFE.

So here's my entry

Image from Pinterest

There where lots of quotes that I could of used for this weeks theme but this was the one that seemed most relevant to my life at the moment.

I think that before you have children you have a life plan, it's all set out and you have targets of what you want to achieve by a certain time. You think you have it all sussed and then you have children. Any sort of life plan or routine goes flying out of the window but it doesn't matter because you have something so much more important to focus on now. You now have no other choice than to take each day as it comes because lets face it kids are unpredictable. These days if a manage to do the washing up, clean the clothes and hoover the floor all in one day I'm on a roll but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Now it's your turn to find a great quote and link back here. Want to know how this Linky works then click here.

I look forward to seeing what you find x

10 Things My Kids Do That Makes Me Smile

1) When they get into our bed in the morning and fight over who gets to cuddle me first.

2) The way my daughter now thinks that horses are called 'see saws' because she has a rocking horse at home and when she sits on it we sing 'see saw, see saw'.

3) Hearing them both belly laughing together in the garden while they are playing.

4) The way my 19 month old tries to talk her way out of trouble in her toddler babble when you tell her off.

5) When we drop Daddy off at the pub and my son says "Daddy has gone to have some juice and do some colouring" because that is what he does when he goes to the pub with us.

6) The way my daughter farts and then looks around as if to say 'where the hell did that come from?'

7)  The way my son talks from the minute he gets up to the minute he goes to bed and then sometimes even in his sleep.

8) How it makes their day when I do a simple thing like get a tube of bubbles out.

9) When I watch my 3 year old running round the garden with a rolled up magazine trying to swat every bug that flies by.

10) When I secretly catch them having cuddles together.

So what about you, what things do your little ones do that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face?

The Gallery - Sunshine

So this weeks theme for The Gallery is Sunshine. 

Well I don't know about you but we've had plently of that down here the last couple of weeks, it's been ace! 

I can feel my serotonin levels increasing already, (which had seriously depleted with the never ending Winter which we've seemed to of had this year).

My entry this week isn't a picture of the sun or the sun shinning onto something but rather something that happens when the sun is out and which is a source of never ending amusment for little ones.

 To check out other amazing entries this week head over to Tara's blog at Sticky Fingers.

10 Things I Said I'd Never Do With My Kids

Quite a few of my friends are pregnant at the moment with their first children (spring is in the air) and I can't help but find the things they say amusing. 

They have it all worked out, they know how they are going to raise their children, how their child will behave and what they are definatley NOT going to do with them.

It makes me think back to when I was first pregnant and the things that I said I would NEVER do with my kids, so I've complied a list for you...

1) I will never let my children watch TV - My son now has his own armchair and his own tv, He's 3!

2) I will never let my children have sweets or chocolate - Sometimes bribery with sweet stuff is the only answer!

3) I will never let my children wear clothes with cartoon character logos on then - My son has two Fireman Sam tops and my daughter has a Peppa Pig one!

4) I will never let my children come into our bed in the morning - Every morning our bed is invaded by two little ones!

5) I will never let my children have a dummy - this one lasted all of 3 days!

6) I will never let my children have jarred food - we lived above a pub with no kitchen upstairs, chef's don't like mashing up two carrots!

7) I will never let my children have Mc Donalds - now at least once a month!

8) I will never bribe my children - see number 2!

9) I will never lose my temper - ha, how naive was I!

10)  I will never let my children have lots of plastic, noneducational toys - you try stopping doting Aunt's, Nannies, Grannies, Uncles and Grandads from buying them toys that you don't approve of.

So there you have it, my list of shame. Your turn now, what did you say that you'd never do that you have done?

 

The Gallery - Morning

This weeks theme for the Gallery is 'Morning'. As soon as I read that I knew which picture I would use, (yes another picture of one of my children, sorry about that).

I am not a morning person by any stretch, infact as far as I'm concerned mornings are the work of the Devil. However with having kids I have, inevitably, had to get use to them. 

The best thing for me in the mornings now is hearing Lj's little voice calling "Mummy, Mummy" from the confines of her cot. I then go into her room to find her standing upright with a big beaming smile because she is so happy to see you. With all her hair stuck to her face with snot and dribble from the night before. Lovely! She then puts her arms up for a cuddle and tucks herself in under my chin and won't let go, just so she can catch up on any cuddles she's missed during the 12 or so hours that she's been asleep.

It's moments like that, that remind you what being a Mummy is all about.

To check out other people's entries this week go to Tara's blog at Sticky Fingers, you could even join in yourself.