Time...

I need more time. 

I need a few more ticks and too many tocks are being lost to activities that aren't getting my shiz done.

I've said a lot of yes' recently. Every singe one of them is a time commitment and now I'm running low. 

It's amazing how time gets eaten up now compliments of the small one. The girl's a freaking machine through the day and barely naps. Baby led weaning meal times are as long and leisurely as ever and I am loosing my resolve to keep the laptop away from the dinner table whilst she eats.

I need to get stuff done. I need to do coursework. I need to manage my Mum's website. I need to pack our whole house and move. I am PERMANENTLY in a state of needing to prepare food, do laundry and tidy. I need to take more pictures and get better if I want to be serious about photography. On top of all that I need to be a great parent and I need to be a great parent Monday to Friday, rising time to bed time, on my own. 

I'm doing a little of everything, a lot of nothing and the lack of momentum is seriously demotivating.

The reality is time doesn't come to a parent easily. It takes organisation and delegation. Easier said than done when you are already feeling buried in to dos.

So negotiations in time management begin. One of the hardest parts is remembering Steve is (probably) not trying to kill our baby and relinquish some responsibility. 

Watch this space. Exciting times ahead. All the best things require a time of pre-emptive stress beforehand. It's the seeds of appreciation. Kicking back on the other side is just going to feel that much better... 

Lessons:

1. Until they perfect the cloning process or I can make a Charlie cylon I am stuck with just the one of me. This means other people need to do things for/with me. 

2. Have faith. It will all be ok. 

20,000! Thank you!!

UNBELIEVABLY we're here at another milestone already... Thank you so much for your loyal readership... You have no idea what it means! :D :D :D

Toys toys toys... My rough buying guide...

Christmas has been and gone a month now so I thought I would do a little break down of the best bits of Euna's haul. Now before I begin I cannot stress enough how strongly I felt about not spoiling Euna and WE didn't. No. We were very restrained. A stocking full of small items and her trike. Generous without going overboard. Giving good thoughtful gifts but without the gifts overtaking the other themes of the season.

Then THE ENTIRE WORLD BOUGHT HER PRESENTS AND SHOT ALL OUR GOOD INTENTIONS TO *&%$! I console us with the thoughts that firstly she's too young to be truly spoilt and secondly who am I to take away her Auntie's, Uncle's and grandparent's first opportunity for a thorough spoiling? 

So what did she get? Well... Everything. But here are a few highlights from her haul that also works as a buying guide for babies of sorts...

1) Books. No one, at any age, can own enough books. No child can be spoilt with books. Never has it been uttered that little Emily was ruined by too many books. Books make memories. Books build imaginations. Books look nice on your shelves. Books are good. No one can go wrong buying books.

 2) Small toys. Few people (especially enthusiastic family members) think to buy small toys. Remember babies are small, they need small toys. Hand held toys. Toys for nappy bags, pram handles and car seat laps. Never underestimate how appreciated a small toy is.

 4) Creative toys. I can not WAIT to build up a family arts and crafts cupboard of paints, glues, papers and pipe cleaners. Until we're older for that I am loving musical instruments. This £2.99 tambourine was an excellent stocking filler. (Not to mention a fail safe attention grabber for photo opportunities.)

 5) Toys for tomorrow. if you know they're going get too much whether you like it or not it's always wonderful when someone thinks ahead. This (beautiful) rocking horse is much too big for Euna at the moment but in 6 months (when Christmas is another WHOLE 6 months away it will be perfect).

 6) Toys that help her develop. (My husband would insert a sarcastic joke about "edutainment" here.) But it is true. Babies and kids learn best through play.

 7) Toys that promote togetherness. Books, creative gifts and games. These toys are as much a gift for me. When I exhaust my nursery rhyme and pat-a-cake repertoire a toy that gives me something to play with her is an awesome tool for us spending better time together.

Then all of a sudden, just as I get the last toy tucked away and all of her drawers are bursting at the seems... Her birthday is merely weeks away and I need to think about what else could she possibly need?

She needs nothing. So for her birthday I plan to get my craft on and MAKE her something... Watch this space, I am Pintrest ahoy!

Silent Sunday Strolls...

Would You?

Would you post pictures of your child naked on the Internet?

Side note: I have a HUGE girl crush on Kelle Hampton from Enjoying the Small Things. Of course I do. Who (in the know on the mummy blogging world) doesn't? She's an inspiring writer, photographer, mother, human being... etc. If Kelle and I were at school together I'd be her frumpy try hard friend who scuttled around after her saying stuff like "I love your hair" "I'd never suit a top like yours" "you don't even have to wear make up!" Do I sound pathetic enough yet?

*Clears throat to adjust voice back down from high teenage whine*

A couple of weeks ago Kelle (I'm gonna dive right in and put us on first name terms) put a picture on her Instagram feed of her daughter naked. Did you whistle in a sharp intake of breath? Well more than a few people did because there was a riot on her comments.

Now... Why? Because bad people with bad thoughts trawl the Internet. Because her daughter isn't old enough to choose if she wants to be put on the internet naked. Because nudity is for private places. Because it's exploitation.

Yes you could argue it is those things. However there's a very big part of me that first goes... "BEAUTIFUL! SQUIDGY TOT BOT!" Then as I realise "woah there sugar puffs! This is on the Internet!" and I think good for you. Good for us. Good for everybody that there is a little corner of the web that isn't suspicious or corrupted. A little corner where someone trusts 100% that there are more good people than bad people in the world. One of the last places in this world where a babe in the tub is just a babe in the tub.

So naivity verses idealism is it?

Being led by fear or leading by example? Endorsing a form of terrorism or setting our best foot forward and being the world we want to live in and hoping everyone else follows suit?

Worst part of this is I am a complete hypocrite. I believe in posting naked pictures of your child on the internet as you would of them clothed. I believe it is good. I believe acts of faith in people like this keep the world from becoming a very horrible place. I believe the vast majority of people would squeal at my Euna's scrumptious bottom and coo and smile and screw the others. (A rare act of bad language but I really mean it...) Fuck them. I will not live my life differently because of fear...

... but I will. I'm not where I want to be yet. I want to have that much faith in people, but I don't yet. Hypocrite. Like before you have children and you swear your child will eat what their given or go hungry. Then you see your baby hungry and it's not cool.

This is the learning lessons blog. I'm still learning and this is a contentious topic. In time I'll decide where I am...  Do you know where you are?

Nuby sippy-cup giveaway coming sooooooon...

Remember Little Amy's fingers and toes? Here's little Amy's smiley face (eee!)...

Wordless Wednesday... More Winter Walking...

January is the Month of Hot Drinks...

She's growing up too fast. I know I'm far from both the first and last mother to complain about this but she really is. She's weeks away from her first steps and her first birthday. Tragic. Slow down baby girl!

In the meantime I'm consumed by all things domestic: decluttering, sorting, tidying and packing for the big move. Though that sentence makes me sound much more productive than I am. The reality is I have started about a thousand jobs, finished none and made a huge mess. Now every time I get a spare moment (nap times) I collapse with tea and Pintrest on the sofa and dream of this magical new home that will "hey presto" itself to perfection if I just created pretty enough boards...

Oh January... How your chilly, grey, coma consumes me. I have decided if December is the month for festivities and February is the month for love, then January is the month for hot drinks. Nothing herby or fruity either. Hot, milky, comforting tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Maybe Ovaltine.