5 things to stop apologising for.

Hey readers,

I know it is a British thing to just constantly go I'm sorry and as I person with low self-confidence I am guilty too off over apologising especially for things where I don't actually need to say I am sorry. Some of the things that I think but people don't need to say sorry for are:

1. Crying. 

I don't know but I know I do this all the time and say sorry for crying like it is a bad thing. But it isn't it is a natural emotion and it is good to cry. We need to cry or else there will come a time when we will explode, it helps us regulate our emotions. Lives are not pretty 24/7 sometimes tough, and having a good cry helps us to heal, release the pain, and move forward. You should never feel ashamed for crying it is natural and everyone does it whatever they say, it is human instinct.

2. Wearing what we want.

When we think we don’t fit in, we apologize for being underdressed, overdressed, or mismatched. Except for rare circumstances, no one really notices what we are wearing. We can stop apologizing for what we wear.

3. For not being okay. 

This one really has to stop. People have feelings, some days are good and some days are just bad. If it was something a human could control, I bet you they would because we are control freaks.

 How else do you explain borders and countries? Anyway, it’s perfectly normal to feel a wave of emotions and not understand where they’ve come from or how to respond to them. The best way to deal with this is to sit with your emotions and take time to yourself. When you take this time you don’t need to apologise for pulling a disappearing act. Let’s normalise that one already.

4. Saying no!

Society seems to make it seem like saying "no" is rude. So whenever we say "no to something, we may feel guilty and want to say sorry. But saying "no" is a way to set boundaries for yourself. Just as you don't have to apologise for having boundaries, you don't have to apologise for saying "no". 

You're not obliged to be there for everyone. You have the right to reject or decline something that you have no time for, no interest in, or just because, You don't need to explain yourself As long as you not doing it in a hurtful way, there's no need to apologise. 

5. For being opinionated. 

Fight, fight, fight for what you believe in. Don't give up, don't give in. It's necessary to be open to ideas, that's obvious, but women are penalised for expressing themselves strongly. This is funny because men are out there one step away from grabbing each other by the throats and no one seems to care. You say what you got to. They'll adjust. 

What do you think about my list of things to stop over apologising for? do you agree? Have I missed anything that you think people should stop over apologising for? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 28/08/2022

Naughty naughty 😂 

My boys had fun sitting in the back of the police van 🚨 

10 things you need to know about newborns

Hey readers,  

I remember having a newborn and feeling absolutely terrified beyond belief. So let me you 10 things that I didn't know before having a child that may be of enlightenment to you. 

 1. First poo. 

The first poo will surprise you. Firstly did you know Your baby's first poo is called meconium? This is sticky and greenish-black. Some babies may do this kind of poo during or after birth, or sometime in the first 48 hours. After a few days, the poo will change to a yellow or mustard colour.

 Meconium stools are quickly followed by transitional stools by the time your baby is three to five days old. These stools are a little looser, more greenish-brown in colour, and are the "transition" to regular milk stools on about day six. 

2. Babies look funny when they are born. 

Be warned that is not always cute when the babies are born. For example, their head may be elongated aka 'conehead' because, During delivery, your baby’s skull bones may have shifted and overlapped so that their head could fit through the birth canal. This is called moulding, and it will be particularly apparent if you had a very long labour.

 During delivery, pressure on your baby’s head from your uterus, pelvis, or vagina may have caused your baby’s head to swell, thus adding to the conehead appearance. Do not fear with time the swelling will go down as your baby's head will round itself out naturally. 

At birth, your baby’s eyes may be closed. This is because the bright lights of the birthing room are hard on their sensitive eyes. In a few minutes, they will open their eyes. 

You may notice sticky secretions coming from their eyes, and one of their eyes may appear to wander. This is normal. The secretions should disappear in a few weeks when your baby’s eyes start to make real tears. Their eyes should gradually stop wandering over the next few months.

At birth, your newborn baby’s skin may be covered with amniotic fluid, blood, and vernix, which is a white, cheesy material that protected your baby’s skin while in the womb. Much of the material coating your baby’s skin at birth may be wiped off before they are bundled up and presented to you. 

Your baby may also have some fine, downy hair called lanugo all over their body, especially if they were born prematurely. The lanugo will rub off and disappear after a week or two if they were full-term; if your baby was premature, the lanugo will take longer to completely disappear.

 If your baby has a bowel movement before they are born, they may be covered in meconium, a greenish-black tarry substance.

Your baby’s skin may be dry and flaky, and somewhat translucent. You may be able to see blood vessels in certain areas such as over their nose, eyelids, or neck. Their hands and feet may be bluish rather than pink, and they may be cool to touch. These are signs of an immature circulatory system, and they are all quite normal. Over time, these problems will fix themselves.

3.  Sleep. 

This is a painful one for any new mum or dad to have to fact and that is that babies do not sleep throughout the night. Of course, this is only temporary Generally, newborns sleep about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night. But they may not sleep more than 1 to 2 hours at a time. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) without waking until they are about 3 months old, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds.

4. Babies can't see very far.

Babies are born with a full visual capacity to see objects and colours. However, newborns cannot see only objects 8-15 inches away very far. Newborns prefer to look at faces over other shapes and objects and at round shapes with light and dark borders (such as your adoring eyes).

5. You don't have to give the baby a bath every day.

Three times a week might be enough until your baby becomes more mobile. Bathing your baby too much can dry out your baby's skin.

If you're quick and thorough with diaper changes and burp cloths, you're already cleaning the parts that need attention the face, neck and diaper area. Between baths, you may also check the folds of your baby's skin, including thighs, groin, armpits and chin. If needed, clean these areas with a wet washcloth.

6. Skin may peel.

Is it normal for newborns' skin to peel? Yes, it's normal for newborns' skin to peel in the first two weeks after they are born. Your newborn is shedding its top layers of skin as they transition from the uterus into the outside world. Their skin is developing its own natural barrier.

7. Leave the umbilical cord stump alone.

Leaving the umbilical cord stump to heal on its own is the best thing to do. Keep an eye on it and make sure it's not getting infected but otherwise, let nature take its course.

8. It goes by quickly. 

It does go quickly even though at 2am evens like hell with the lack of sleep but don't feel guilty if you don't enjoy every second of it, just enjoy the moments. 

9. The first three months are the hardest.

The first three months are the hardest especially when you are a new parent and have no idea what you are doing. But do not worry with time you get more confident. You will get through this and if you feel scared just remember this too shall pass. 

10. Milestones. 

Milestones are important in some senses to get an idea but they're not there to tell you if your good parent or not. There used as indicators. Just remember all kids are different and they react differently to different situations what works for one child may be completely different for another. 

Cheers for reading  X 

 

My Sunday Photo 21/08/2022

We went to the Weston Super Mere for the day and it course went to the beach.

It was muddy with the tide going out so had so much funny emerging himself in the mud 😂 

The perfect strawberry milkshake

 Hey readers,

It is absolutely roasting outside so what better way to cool down with this amazing strawberry homemade milkshake, below is the recipe so you can do it yourself at home and enjoy. 

Ingredients 

* A high ball glass.

* 4 cubes of ice. 

* 4/5 strawberries per glass.

* 1/2 a cup of whole milk. 

*  2 big scoops of nice strawberry ice cream. 

*  Glug of cream (if you don't have any cream then you add in some sugar instead). 

Method. 

 Put all the ingredients in a food processor until the consistency is smooth and creamy then put them into the glass. If you are feeling fancy you could put a straw in the glass to drink it with. 

Enjoy!

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 14/08/2022

 

Absolutely roasting this week but the sunsets were stunning :) 

How to take your mind of things

Hey readers,

We can all be caught up in our thoughts that can drag us down but sometimes the best thing to do is stop and do something else to distract ourselves. I have some ideas that I think are good when you need inspiration for how to take your mind off things. Check the list out down below.  

1. Read a good book.

A good way to take your mind off things is to distract yourself is to read a good book because you can focus on the story and it can take you away, it gets you to focus on using your imagination on focusing on the words. It is a great way to transport yourself away from the here and now and an overall way to just relax. 

2. Exercise.

Sitting around and focusing on your thoughts won't do you any good, so one way to take your mind off things is exercise. It is well known that exercise is really beneficial to help relieve stress, and anxiety and ward off depression. There are many different types of exercise so you can choose the ones which you prefer whether that be aerobics to the gym there are many different forms of exercise you can choose from. 

3. Volunteer your time.     

Sometimes giving back to others can boost your own self-confidence because you're giving something back to other people.  You are not focusing on your problems but working on helping manage other people's problems.

There are many organisations that require volunteers from food bank assistants, homeless shelters, dog walkers, keep old people company etc. 

4. Brain game. 

A good way to distract your focus on something else is to try out a brain game such as a puzzle because your whole focus is on trying to work out how to solve the problem so that you can't have the space to focus on anything else. It is one thing that I have started doing myself and really enjoy I can put my whole focus on one activity and it helps relax me as I am a person that likes doing something physical to help keep me occupied when I am stressed or need distracting. 

5. Talk to a friend or family member. 

Seeing other people gets us out of our thoughts for a bit and it can help take out minds off things. Listening to other people's problems or talking about something completely different can help break obsessive thinking. 

6.  Try a new recipe. 

Trying a new recipe gives you lots to focus on from getting something new to think about, to getting the ingredients, following the recipe, and using your sense of smell. The whole progress of making something with your hands is very engaging with the mind so takes time away from your thoughts and when you have completed the recipe you feel good because you have received something.

 

5. Make something. 

Instead of focusing on the thoughts that give you doubt do something productive with your time like making something. There are many easy to complicated ideas you can do that keeps the mind and hands busy such as following a Bob Ross drawing tutorial (watch on Iplayer) or making simple origami items following youtube videos, writing a story with a one-word prompt or even doing a collage using paper and newspaper cuttings, fabrics lying around for example. 

What do you think of my list of things to take your mind off things? Have I missed out on anything that you think would be a good idea? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

100 things that make me mad.

 Hey readers, 

A while back I did a post on 100 things that made me happy which you can read here but like everything, there is always another side to it so this post is going in another direction with 100 things that make me mad. 

It is a fun one post in the sense that I can get out all my frustration and I recommend doing it as it is rather a carathetic process especially if you are feeling in a bad mood it really helps to write things down. Anyhoos, I digress so without other ado below are 100 things that make me mad. 

1. Buses that are late. 

2. Buses that completely missed out. 

3. People that are late. 

4. Pedophiles. 

5. Rapists.  

6. Bullies. 

7. Racists.  

8. When dog poop is not picked up.

9. When people drop little on the floor. 

10. When people spit on the floor. 

 

11. When people speak under their breath but loud enough to hear your shitty comment. 

12. People that eat loud. 

13. ASMR. 

14. My period, every single month!

15. Hitting your toe o the corner of a cupboard/door whatever it is, it is a bitch and I hate it!

16. Snoring. 

17. Hiccups.

18. Train delays. 

19. Traffic jams. 

20. Bank fees. 

21. Alarm clocks going off. 

22. Waiting for other people to make a decision. 

23. Seeing a picture of myself when I don't look my best. 

24. Waiting for somebody to get ready.

25. Being planked. 

26. Walking out of the toilet with tissue paper on my shoe.  

27. Women's clothing sizes and the different sizes depending on the shop. 

28. Being grouped, fuck off my body, not yours!

29. Politicians lying.

 

30. Dogs not being on leads. 

31. Long days. 

32. Bad days. 

33. Days when you wished you never got out of bad. 

 

34. When your bed is super warm and comfy and you don't want to get out of bed and into the cold room. 

35. When your battery is at 5%. 

36. How people think that technology is bad and that it ruins us. 

37. People that stand in the middle of the aisle and gossip. 

38. People that walk slow. 

39. Stereotypes. 

40.  People that set fireworks off in the middle of the street.

41. Unsolicited advice. 

42. Being ignored. 

43. Being told I am wrong when I am not. 

44. Not feeling heard. 

45. Being talked over.

46. knots in the hair. 

47. Sore losers. 

48. People who eat with their mouths open. 

49. People who cough and do not cover their mouth. 

50. Slow internet connections. 

51. Cost of living. 

52. Poor customer service. 

53. Cold callers.

54. Door to door salesmen.

55. People that talk loudly on their mobiles. 

56. Spam email. 

57. Leaving a tissue in your pocket, forgetting about it and then putting it in the washing machine. 

58. Adverts between tv shows. 

59. Adverts on Youtube.

60. People reading over your shoulder. 

61. Brown nosers. 

62. People that jump the queue. 

63. Junk mail.

64. Muggers.

65. MPs expenses. 

66. Peop[le who sniff and don't use a tissue. 

67. Sweating. 

68. The binge-drinking culture. 

69. Feeling bloated.

 

70. Automated phone systems. 

71. People who leave their mobile phones turned off when you need to contact them urgently. 

72. Running out of toilet roll. 

73. Running out of milk. 

74. Flies. 

75. Washing machine breaking down. 

76. Boiler breaking down.

77. Everything that breaks down in your home when you are skint. 

78. Papercuts. 

79. Over packaged toys. 

80. Getting something in your eye. 

81. Cramp. 

82. People who are rude in emails.

83. Adult ache. 

84. Trying to find the end of the sticking tape or toilet roll. 

85. Burning toast. 

86. Sunburn. 

87. iPhone obsessives. 

88. Breaking a nail. 

89. When the weather reaches 30 odd degrees, no air con I can not deal with that type of heat here in England. 

90. Clickbait. 

91. People who don't know when to shut up.

92. When you have to untangle your headphones every goddam time. 

93. When someone asked a question that you have already asked.

94. People who talk to me when I am reading a book.

95. Being too hot/cold when trying to go to sleep at night. 

96. People who use speakerphones in public. 

97. Stepping in water when you have fresh socks on.

 

98. Someone telling me how to do something that I know how to do already. 

99. People giving me advice I didn't ask for.

 

100. When I bite into a sandwich and all the filling falls out of the other side. 

Argh, that was better getting that off my chest. Do you agree with any of these statements? love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

 

My Sunday Photo 07/08/2022

We went to the wave water park this week and had so much fun, especially going down the fast water slides 😁

100 things to do on facetime with friends

Hey readers, 

If you're looking for things to do with friends on facetime then I have heaps of fun ideas to have lots of laughs together and great ways to kill time whilst watching each other on a video call. Below I have 100 things you can do with your friends on facetime. 

 1. Facemask. 

2. Paint nails. 

3. Workout.

4. Dance. 

5. Tell jokes. 

6. Paint a picture.

7. Play would you rather. 

8. Draw.

 

9. Write poetry. 

10. Look at pictures of baby animals. 

11. Read a book. 

12. Do make-up. 

13. Gossip. 

14. Do an all-nighter. 

15. Guess the song game. 

16. Shop online. 

17. Watch Netflix.

18. Learn a TikTok dance together. 

19. Bake together. 

20. Organise your bedroom. 

21. Play trivial pursuit. 

22. Watch the same movie. 

23. Play a game of would you rather.

24. Truth or dare questions. 

25. Ask me anything. 

26. Listen to songs. 

27. Explore Reddit together. 

28. Do a lego challenge.

 

29. Draw a picture of each other. 

30. Do a video chat scavenger hunt. 

31. Play charades.

 

32. Play bingo. 

33. Craft and chat. 

34. Play what am I. 

35. Tie-die t-shirts. 

38. look at the stars together. 

39. Play Nintendo switch together. 

40. Have a snack. 

41. Make a scrapbook. 

42. Watch youtube.

43. Make a gratitude jar.

44. Make a list of what you are grateful for. 

45. Prank call people. 

46. Do a chubby bunny challenge. 

47. Do the Spirt challenge. 

48. Karaoke. 

49. Take part in an online cooking class together. 

50. Have dinner together. 

51. Plan your next getaway.

 

52. Visit Disneyland virtually.

53. Answer questions on a forum. 

54. Sit in on a free online college lecture. 

55. Work out with youtube classes. 

56. Google yourself. 

57. Travel through space with a free online free space simulator. 

58. Look at expensive properties on Right Move. 

59. Listen to the #1 song when you were born. 

60. Host a virtual happy hour. 

61. Read funny amazon product reviews. 

62. Do a pub quiz. 

63. Create your own website,

64. Pick a hobby on Pinterest. 

65. Get painting lessons from Bob Ross. 

67. Learn photography tips from Nikon Live. 

68. Watch available Broadway musicals and shows. 

69. Mix your own eleectronical music. 

70. Join a writing community. 

71. Clean up your emails. 

72. Make memes. 

73. Learn some magic tricks. 

74. Write stories together. 

75. Talk about your day. 

76. Write role plays together. 

77. Talk about fears and hopes.

78. Start a book club. 

79. Do embroidery together.

80. Do knitting together. 

81. Host a dance party with other friends and family. 

82. Start a trivial night. 

83. Start a podcast.

84. Do yoga. 

85. Make a blanket fort and talk to each other on facetime in that setting. 

86. Have a picnic. 

87. Origami. 

88. Make your game. 

89. Do a science experiment such as mixing baking soda and vinegar and see the reaction. 

90. Tidy your room. 

91. Do Wordle together. 

92. Learn a new language. 

93. Do some mindfulness. 

94. Learn how to juggle. 

95. Try a new food. 

96. Order each other a surprise takeaway and see each other's reactions. 

97. Watch the zoo live camera. 

98. Listen to a podcast together. 

99. Make Tiktoks together. 

100. Explore the surface of Mars with this digital 360° camera.

So there you have a whooping 100 facetime ideas to do with friends enjoy. However, is there anything that I have missed that you think is a good activity to do with a friend on facetime? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

How to survive a rainy summer holiday day

Hey readers,

We all know we were lucky with the heat in some ways because at least it was dry and you get a sh*t load of washing done in a flash. However, the tides are turning and the risk of rain is high as we still have two weeks left of this holiday. So, how do our parents get through them dreaded wet days, let me tell you how...

Watch a movie. 

Now is an ample opportunity to not feel guilty about the TV as most parents will be in the same boat. So, why not get an update with the latest hits, sit back, and rest their tired parent eyes. Can't beat cosy cuddles when it is raining cats and dogs outside.

Den. 

One of my kids' favourite things to do is play with a den. As long as you have chairs or a table or even to cover, this can be great entertainment, especially if you have siblings. Simple pleasures make happy children.

Muddle Puddles.

Don't be afraid to go out in the rain. Kids love getting their wellies on and jumping in muddy puddles. It doesn't matter if they get dirty just take some spare clothes or you can change them at home.

Take a bath. 

Do you know that sometimes when we are staying cooped up indoors with my boys do you know what I give them? A bath...that is right and they love it, especially if there are lots of bubbles. I give them a bath in the afternoon to chill them out a bit. It is a great way to kill a bit of boredom and before you know it you have killed a shed load of time by filling up the bath, doing the bath and then drying them off.

Books. 

Books are great for imagination and such a calming activity for children. They can help read the book if they are old enough and it is an easy way to have a discussion and chat about what the book is all about etc.

Baking. 

My boys love baking in the kitchen and not just for the prospect of licking the spoon when we have finished mixing all the ingredients together. They feel proud of their achievements and you can have treats when you watch a movie.

Paint outdoors. 

What kid doesn't love painting, a fun way to incorporate this is to give your child a brush, paper, and paint then they are free to go wild outside. They get fresh air, your crafting so no guilt. Life is good.

Indoor picnics. 

Picnics are not just for when you are outdoors, you can have a lovely picnic at home on the floor. I guarantee this will go down a hit. Just place a picnic blanket on the floor and bring the goodies along, such an alternative way to eat indoors.

When it is raining is a perfect time to spend some quality time at home with your loved ones and what better way to do something together than to do some of the board games up in the loft.

What kind of things do you do when you're at home with the kids on a rainy day?

Cheers for reading X