When I was invited to attend the War on the Line event at The Watercress Line just a week before my due date, I did have to stop and think for a second as to whether it was a good idea to go along. After a grand total of two seconds thinking that through, I decided that of course it was an excellent idea to go! Darcie is really interested in trains at the moment so I knew she’d enjoy herself and I had high hopes that it would be a great family day out for us all. For anyone who doesn’t know, The Watercress Line is a heritage railway in Hampshire along which several steam trains still run all year round. The Line played an important role in both of the World Wars due to it’s positioning between the army centre in Aldershot and the docks of Southampton. (more…)

Recently something has been driving me crazy. At nearly 39 weeks pregnant, the nesting instinct has kicked in in a big way, it’s totally insatiable and persistent and to be honest it’s driving me mad. Since having Darcie and becoming the stay at home parent, I have naturally become quite house proud. If we have visitors and the house is untidy or unclean, we all know who is going to get the blame! To be honest, I also don’t think I’ve actually stopped nesting since Darcie was born. My house is in no way pristine but I do make an effort to keep it presentable as much as I can around the demands of a toddler. (more…)

When I was preparing to have my first baby, I read so many of these ‘What’s In My Hospital Bag? posts online. It must be one of the most googled questions in every pregnant woman’s search history – what on earth do I take with me to have this baby?! This time around, rather than spending too long reading other people’s lists I have simply drawn on my own experience from last time. I’ve tried to remember the things that I was really glad I had with me and the things that I really wished I had taken. I think that compared to a lot of lists online this is quite a simple one. What I have decided to take has been based on the fact that this is my second child and my first labour and delivery had no complications, therefore I have no intention of staying in the birth centre any longer than necessary.

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It still seems alien to me to refer to myself as a ‘work from home mum’. This must mainly be due to the fact that primarily I see myself as a ‘stay at home mum’ and also that I genuinely love my job so much that it often doesn’t seem like work. But still the fact remains, I am self employed, I earn money, I work from home. Being able to stay at home to raise my children whilst earning my own income on the side is a dream come true for me, but that doesn’t mean that it is always plain sailing. It’s not the ‘easy life’ people could assume that it is. Over the past six months or so of being officially self employed I have certainly learnt the juggling act and gradually over time I’ve found a rhythm and a routine that works for me and my family. My priority is always Darcie (and Ernie when he arrives) so as much as I can I try to do the bulk of my work while she is asleep or entertained by other people. I stayed at home to look after her not to become a blogger and that is always at the forefront of my mind. (more…)