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10 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR ALONE TIME AS A WORKING MUM

10 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR ALONE TIME AS A WORKING MUM

Whether it’s in the evening after the kids have gone to bed, while they are at grannies, or simply having a nap, alone time is a rare but precious commodity. We all love our children but we all deserve….fuck that…NEEEEED some time to ourselves to be the best we can be for our kids. I used to feel guilty when I looked forward to my alone time but I have come to learn that it is best for everyone…

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For Christopher’s first birthday we decided to keep it relatively small, with just family and a few close friends at home. Initially we were just going to do tea and cake, but by the time it came around it was full blown party with a bouncy castle and full spread of food!! Our families are quite large and we had about 35 people, with 12 of which being children.

I wanted to make it a little extra special without spending too much cash so decided on a ‘blue and gold theme’ sourcing all the decorations myself.

Below is a breakdown with pictures and links to the items I ordered and what worked well.

ALPHABET GOLD FOIL BALLOON LETTERS

These foil balloons were recommended to me by a friend. I ordered 11 letters, to spell out his name, and they were 99p each. The great thing about these balloons is that they do not need helium, you simply blow them up yourself and they have ‘tags’ along the top for you to string them up.

The ones I purchased came individually packaged without a ‘straw, but it is simple enough to just get a straw to use and some string to hang it up.

12 MONTH TIMELINE BANNER

This was by far my favourite banner and the one that got the most comments and attention. Every one loved looking at how he has grown over the past 12 months and it look so pretty.

One thing to note is that the material of the banner is very nice thick almost glossy card, which made it a little difficult to stick the pictures on but I found that pritstick worked the best.

SMASH KIT

This was a random one that I stumbled across when looking for decorations. Here is the link to the one I purchased, however in the end I didn’t end up using the tassles banner as wasn’t a fan so kind of regret getting it as not the cheapest thing I bought. However, the ‘one today’ banner was perfect and his number 1 hat was just what we needed to get the perfect birthday picture.

Personally, I would not recommend this kit as I feel it is a little overpriced. Some of the others things I got were much better and did the job just as well.

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY BANNER

This banner was actually beautiful! The quality was perfect and it photographed really well! It was perfect for the blue and gold theme and was easy to assemble and hang.

  HIGH CHAIR BANNER

This was a bit of a last-minute purchase but ended up being super cute. I simply wrapped it around his highchair and then it meant we go some cute photos of him while he was eating. I wasn’t a fan of the string it came with but I didn’t have time to change it up.

PARTY BAGS

I didn’t want to spend loads on party bags, as these can be surprisingly expensive, but I still wanted to stick to the theme. These took a little while to find but I was very happy with them when they came. Strong paper bags and very reasonably priced. I got more than I needed for the kids as I also sent cake home with everyone in one of these.

Additionally I purchased some ‘thank you‘ stickers for the party bags which I think added that extra something and made the bags look very well thought out.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

We are lucky enough to have a close friend who makes amazing cakes and she was kind enough to make us a simply number 1 cake for his birthday. Not only did it look great but it tasted amazing. You can follow her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/bakingbrinacakes/

In addition to the above we also purchased the below items from our local ‘birth to add complete the whole look:

Poundland Blue and Gold Happy Birthday Banners for outside the house

Blue and Gold Paper Plates

Blue and Gold Paper Cups

Blue Table Cloth

Overall we had a great day and Christopher was spoilt rotten by ourselves and all the family. I may do a blog post about some of the best gifts we have gotten for him since he was born and will link this here when I do.

Would be great to hear what sort of party designs any of you have DIY’d as well and how it all turned out!

Have a great day!

My Son’s 1st Birthday Party Decor For Christopher’s first birthday we decided to keep it relatively small, with just family and a few close friends at home.

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MY WORKING MUM MORNING ROUTINE

MY WORKING MUM MORNING ROUTINE

The most stressed I ever felt as a mum was in the morning before a day at work. The first couple of back were a shit storm to be honest. Everything was a rush, I was late at least half the time and I was returning to house of horrors in the evening. So, I took a deep breath, read some blogs on being an organised mummy and decided to get my shit together.   Below is a breakdown of my typical…

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5 TIPS TO MAKE RETURNING TO WORK EASIER

5 TIPS TO MAKE RETURNING TO WORK EASIER

The statisticsshow that in our current age, most women return to work after having a baby and regardless of whether it be after 3 months or 4 years it is inevitably met with apprehension, guilt, fear and stress!   Unfortunately for us working mums, returning to work has become so ‘normal’, that the enormity of the whole process has slowly been lost on everyone and we are expected to simply ‘get…

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Dear Diary #01

Dear Diary #01 - Weekly Diary Entry following the life of an ordinary working mum.

Dear Diary,   It was our anniversary this week and it nearly went forgotten because Baby C is going to be one in 4 days!! Everyone did warn me, but I am genuinely shocked with how quickly this year has gone, and I am having many mixed feelings about it all.   These past two weeks I have spent an inordinate amount of time scrolling through pictures on my phone of me pregnant, and Baby C when we…

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Why is it so hard to trust someone who has previously lied to you?

Why is it so hard to trust someone who has previously lied to you?

Why is it so hard to trust someone who has previously lied to you? by Ella Mains

Answer by Ella Mains:

Unfortunately, the ultimate outcome of lying is mistrust.

You don’t trust them because you haven’t been given reason to.

Trust is earned. When you meet anyone knew, you don’t trust them straight off the bat. They have to prove they are worthy, and visa versa.

If this person has lied to you,…

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Find Joy in the 'Ordinary'

Find Joy in the ‘Ordinary’

The word ‘ordinary’ has always held a negative connotation. Describing someone as ‘ordinary’ is basically a thinly veiled insult. It conjures the image of something being ‘dull’ ‘simple’ or ‘boring’. I, however, enjoy looking for the beauty in the ordinary things in life, and thus find contentment and happiness in the ordinary life I lead.

Ordinary is defined as something regular, customary or…

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Why does my cousin always seem to know when something is bothering me, even when I try to hide it or even smile & pretend I'm happy?

Why does my cousin always seem to know when something is bothering me, even when I try to hide it or even smile & pretend I’m happy?

Why does my cousin always seem to know when something is bothering me, even when I try to hide it or … by Ella Mains

Answer by Ella Mains:

Firstly, be grateful you have someone close to you who cares enough to ask and knows you well enough to notice when something is up. She can read you well because you clearly spend a lot of time together and you may not be as good as hiding how you feel as…

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A Guide to Being Friends with Benefits: Do's and Don’ts

A Guide to Being Friends with Benefits: Do’s and Don’ts

Are you considering having your very own Friend with Benefits (FWB)? Planning on entering into a ‘no strings casual sex’ type arrangement with the fit PT from your gym?

Before you do, take a minute to consider two things. Firstly, are you the type of person who can successfully navigate this potentially tricky relationship? Secondly, do you know what needs to be done to ensure it goes smoothly,…

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Does anyone want to stay single forever? What is the reason?

Does anyone want to stay single forever? What is the reason?

Does anyone want to stay single forever? What is the reason? by Ella Mains

Answer by Ella Mains:

I have never come across someone who actually wants to stay single forever so I can’t answer for certain, but I imagine there are a good few people in this world who choose to stay single their entire lives, and more power to them!

I know a few people who are perfectly happy and content being single…

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Why aren’t some people improving themselves other than just doing their jobs?

Why aren’t some people improving themselves other than just doing their jobs?

Why aren’t some people improving themselves other than just doing their jobs? by Ella Mains

Answer by Ella Mains:

Honestly I think it simply comes down to the fact we are all different and everyone has their own goals and aspirations for their lives and for what makes them happy.

Everyone’s main goal in life is happiness, whether it be from their work, their family, the money at then end of it…

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A Sad Day!

My heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with all those affected by the horrific scenes in London today.

As a Londoner myself, it is hard to see my city in a state of shock and fear and I would hate for it to bring us down.  I know everyone will come together and I urge people to stay strong and unite.

  “May we continue to develop courage and wisdom to believe in humanity”

Rev. Doyeon Park, Won…

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When did it become acceptable to use our phones while socialising?

When did it become acceptable to use our phones while socialising?

I don’t know when this happened, but all of a sudden it seems to be a social norm for groups of friends to sit on their phones together! No conversation, no interaction. Just silence and ‘scrolling’.

I’m not going to preach. I have been guilty many a time of the same sin. Recently I noted that, even though it does annoy me, I don’t question it when I am with people who do it. I simply get my…

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I'm not happy in my marriage. Should I stay or go?

I’m not happy in my marriage. Should I stay or go?

I'm not happy in my marriage. Should I stay or go? by Ella Mains

Answer by Ella Mains:

Without much to go on, I would not want to give you direct answer to stay or go.

Marriage is not something that should be walked away from ‘easily’, it does take serious work at times and there are always ups and downs.

Your question is quite casual and that in itself does already say alot about how invested…

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Do you miss being single? If so, maybe you shouldn't be in a relationship!

Do you miss being single? If so, maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship!

Over the years I have had many conversations with my friends reminiscing about our ‘long gone’ single days. We joke and banter about the good times, about how ratchet and crazy we were, and even though we get a bit nostalgic, we don’t miss it one bit. In fact, the idea of being single now gives me anxiety.

However, I do have one friend who didn’t agree. She would always complain and seemed to…

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How can I become a more efficient worker?

How can I become a more efficient worker?

How can I become a more efficient worker? by Ella Louise

Answer by Ella Louise:

This is something I struggled with throughout university too. Hours would be spent working ‘inefficiently’ and therefore taking too much time.

It sounds like you are still getting the results which means the end result is still positive (top student) but I imagine that lack of efficiency will be effecting many other…

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Top Tips to Overcoming Nerves

Ever let your nerves get the best of you. Check out these top tips to Overcoming Nerves!

There is not one human on the planet who can say they have never experienced a feeling of apprehension or anxiety, generally characterized as being nervous.

All types of social situations, people and new experiences can all create that jittery, uneasy feeling that sometimes can almost make your stomach turn.

In reality, it is not always a bad thing but for some, it can become overwhelming and…