living arrows 9 twitter

Living arrows 2017 – 9/52

by with 12 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

3 years ago today, at 3 minutes past 6 in the morning, we became a family of 4.

We made our way to hospital at about 3am, and I never made it past triage.  They were monitoring the baby’s movements as I felt they had slowed down after I started feeling contractions.  It was only when I told Steve to fetch someone because I needed to push, at nearly 6am, that they examined me.  And found I was indeed ready to give birth.

Less than 10 minutes later she was here.

Our daughter.

At that point nameless.

By the end of the day though I was pretty sure what her name was.

A name we hadn’t even considered until the midwife came in and introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Nerys”.

Nerys.

nerys living arrows

Our Nerys.

I can’t imagine her with any other name now.  This one suits her perfectly.

Our beautiful, stubborn, silly, sweet Nerys.

3 years old.

living arrows

She loves:

  • Looking at books and ‘reading’ along with me.
  • Topsy and Tim.
  • Doc McStuffins.
  • Going out.  To the park, the beach, the supermarket, anywhere.
  • Escalators.  If we ever go into town she gets very excited about the idea of going on the escalators!

 

She is:

  • About to start in the Rising 3s class at school.  She’s ready.  I’m not sure I am!
  • Really starting to assert herself.  We didn’t have the terrible twos that badly, but I think three is going to be an interesting year.  We’ve had some good foot-stamping recently!
  • A chocolate lover.  What can I say, she’s a girl after my own heart.
  • Creative.  She loves to paint, and draw, and do anything arty.  And she loves pretend play, making me cups of tea and building pretend sandcastles in the lounge.
  • Starting to look more like me, apparently.  I still can’t quite see it, but more people have started saying she looks like me which is lovely to hear!  She’s definitely still her Father’s daughter though, she is going to be tall like him!

3 years old.

I can’t quite get my head around it.

 

Living Arrows
liked and loved 3

Liked and loved – February 2017

by with 7 Comments Uncategorized

At the end of January I sat down and wrote my list of things I’d liked and loved that month, to join in with A Cornish Mum’s linky.  And I really enjoyed doing it.  There is something special about sitting down and reflecting on the good things in our lives.

So here are the things I’ve liked and loved in February.

Rewatching Angel.

I’ve always been a big Buffy fan.  And when Angel first aired I started watching that too. And I really enjoyed it.  Until, just a few episodes in, they killed off one of the main characters.

And in protest I refused to watch any more of it; until years later when a friend and I bought the boxset together.

We would get together pretty much every weekend with a bottle of wine and work our way through a few episodes.  And I absolutely loved it.

That was several years ago though.  And recently I had the urge to watch it again.  And it’s just as good as I remember!

 

Watching Nerys play.

I find it fascinating seeing the differences between my two children.  I would say that they’re both quite creative, but in different ways.  I’ll often find Nerys playing with her soft toys, or with little play figures.  She’ll be moving them around, and making them have full blown conversations.  It’s brilliant.  She’s taken to climbing in her bed at times with her Doc McStuffins toys and her doctor’s kit, and giving the toys check ups.

It’s something that Rhys didn’t do that much.  And I find it really interesting that she’s naturally drawn to that kind of play when he wasn’t.

liked and loved 3

 

Baking.

I’ve always loved baking with my children.  And we’ve branched out this month and made flapjacks together.  It’s been lovely, especially because Rhys has wanted to join in too.  He’s even asked if he can bake a cake with me, in secret, for Nerys’ birthday.

We were sent some gorgeous personalised aprons from Arty apple recently and have really loved putting them to good use with our baking sessions.

liked and loved 2

New mascara.

I don’t tend to wear that much make up.  So sometimes I find the things I do have are getting a little past their best, because they just don’t get used up.  I’ve been so tired recently though, with feeling poorly for so long, and I’ve been aware that I look tired.

I really wanted to do what I could to feel a bit more put together and look a little brighter and more awake.

So I treated myself to some new mascara.  And I really love it.  It opens up my eyes nicely but still leaves my eyelashes soft and doesn’t flake off like my old stuff used to!

liked-loved-mascara

 

Seeing how Nerys is growing up.  

Nerys turns 3 right at the end of this month.  And she does seem to be suddenly growing up.  She’s had a bit of a growth spurt recently, and the other day I realised that her hair is actually now long enough to plait.

I know we all say it, but it’s just so bittersweet.  I so love watching her grow and change, but at the same time I feel sad about how old she’s getting.  That’s being a parent for you though, I suppose!

liked and loved

 

Seeing Rhys read.

His reading has come on so much recently, and it still catches me by surprise sometimes.  We’ll be out and about and he’ll start reading a poster or a sign, and it’s just amazing to me!  I’m really loving seeing how he’s progressed with it.  I have such clear memories of the days of “C-A-T …. Plane!” that to see him now reading so well it’s just, well, amazing!

liked and loved 4

So that’s it, some of the things that have brightened up February for me.

What have you liked and loved this month?

A Cornish Mum
blogs-loved

Blogs I’ve loved this month

by with 10 Comments PersonalUncategorized

I read a lot of blogs.

I think most bloggers do.  We spend quite a bit of time reading what other bloggers have written.

Some posts I read as part of linkies that I join in with.  Sometimes I read other people’s blogs as a way of showing my support and being active in the blogging community.

A lot of the time I read blogs just because I’m drawn to them.  I see a post being shared on social media and the title intrigues me so I go and have a read.

I thought it would be nice to share some of the blog posts I’ve enjoyed, in case anyone is looking for something good to read!

So here is my list of blogs that I’ve loved this month:

Blogs I've loved this month

 

Loneliness, motherhood and making mum friends 

Kiri from Kizzy, Izzy and Baby wrote this fab post about the loneliness a lot of women feel when they first become mothers.  It can be so hard adjusting to this new role and we really can feel alone in it if we don’t have ‘mum friends’ yet.

What I really loved about Kiri’s post is her list of reasons why you should give mother and baby groups a go if you’re feeling lonely as a mum.

I was so nervous about going to baby groups, I put it off for months after Rhys was born.  But I’m so, so happy that I did go in the end as I made some really good friends there who’ve seen me through a lot of tough, sleep-deprived times.

 

My blogging kit

If you’re not a blogger then you might want to skip past this one.  But I really loved seeing behind the scenes a bit and reading what things Donna from what the redhead said uses in her blogging life.

I find it really interesting to see what other people do, and how they work.  It’s human nature to be a bit nosy isn’t it?!  And I loved picking up a few tips like getting wifi memory cards to make life much easier when it comes to getting photos off my camera!

 

Which songs transport you back in time?

I love music, and the power it has to take you back to a really specific time or place.  So I really enjoyed reading this post from Pen at the single swan.

The way she writes about the different songs and the memories that they bring back really does show how powerful music is.

For what it’s worth, the whole of Dido’s album ‘No angel’ takes me right back to my first year of University.  And this mashup of ‘wake me up’ and ‘never gonna give you up’ will always remind me of the day Nerys was born, it was in my head the whole time!

 

40 life lessons for my kids (I wish I’d know as a kid)

I really loved this post by Prabs at absolutely prabulous.  As the title suggests, it’s a list of things she wants her children to know and to think about as they grow up.  Some of it is light hearted and funny.  Some of it brought tears to my eyes.

But I loved every bit of it.

 

Words to live by – Go with the flow

This is number 16 in a series of blog posts written by Alana from Burnished Chaos.

She has a notice board in her home where she puts a quote or saying each week for her family.  This particular week their words were ‘go with the flow’ and I just really enjoyed the post Alana wrote around those words.

I do tend to believe that things happen for a reason, and that the best thing we can do is stop fighting against our circumstances and just go with the flow.  Like, if you’re in a traffic jam.  There’s nothing you can do to change the situation, but you can change your mindset about it.  Getting stressed and angry about it won’t help anyone, so just go with it and make the best of it!

 

So there we have it.  5 blogs that I’ve really enjoyed reading this month.

Have you read anything that’s stood out to you recently?

Mr and Mrs T Plus Three
arty-apple-review

Personalised aprons from Arty apple – Review

by with 10 Comments ReviewsUncategorized

A really lovely parcel arrived the other day.  Inside a brightly coloured posting bag, was this box.

Simple but sturdy, and embossed with the Arty apple logo, I was really excited to open it up and check out what was inside.

arty-apple-review-packaging

I opened up the box, and unwrapped the tissue paper.  And I was so happy with what I found.

Personalised aprons for Rhys and Nerys.

The aprons are made from indigo denim which feels like it’ll last a long time, but it still feels pretty soft and comfortable for them to wear.  The neck and waist ties and lovely and vibrant, contrasting beautifully against the denim.  The boys personalised aprons come with bright blue ties, and a gingerbread man picture.  While the girls personalised aprons have pink ties and a cupcake.  I’m sure there would be no issue at all though if your son wanted a cupcake, or your daughter wanted blue ties.

Each apron is then personalised with the child’s name.
arty-apple-personalised-apron-review

Rhys and Nerys were both thrilled with their aprons.  I had to keep fending Nerys off so I could get some photos before she put hers on!

The aprons come in 2 sizes;  2-6 years and 7-13 years.

I asked for both of ours to be in the smaller size and am really happy with how well they fit both Rhys and Nerys.  The neck tie is a little bit on the long side for Nerys, but we just twisted it up a bit after we put it on her.  And I like the fact that she will grow into it, rather than worrying that it’ll get too small for her quite quickly.

arty-apple-review-personalised-childrens-aprons

I really love the fact that the details on the aprons are stitched on.  Sometimes you see things like this and the name is printed, or ironed on and it just doesn’t look that great.

These on the other hand look lovely.  

The stitching is perfect, and really stands out.  Overall I’m just really impressed with the quality of these aprons.

arty-apple-review-child-apron

After the children had posed for a few photos we decided we really needed to put the aprons to the test.

So we did a spot of baking.

We decided to step away from our usual fairy cakes and have a go at making some flapjacks.

I’m trying to let Nerys really get stuck in now when we bake together.  Which meant there was golden syrup being drizzled everywhere and oats being played with (my fault really, for using oats in the past for sensory play!).

arty-apple-review-child-personalised-apron

The apron did its job perfectly though.  I was more relaxed knowing that Nerys’ clothes were protected, and it meant that she could wipe her oaty hands on it rather than on herself.

Look at that face!  That is the face of a very happy little girl.

personalised-apron-arty-apple
And the flapjacks were really good.

Nerys tried them the next day, and even put her apron back on to do it, so she didn’t drop crumbs down herself!

We absolutely love our aprons, and think they would make a really lovely gift for any children who like to help out in the kitchen.

In fact, all of the products from Arty apple are just gorgeous and would make lovely presents.  Amy, the lady behind the sewing machine, makes a really lovely selection of items for babies and children.  If you’re after something for a new baby then you should definitely go and check out the beautiful bunting and blankets that Amy has to offer.

There’s so much to choose from you’re bound to find the perfect present.

Disclosure – We were sent the personalised aprons for the purpose of this review, but all words and opinions are my own.
Family Fever
The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any

How can our children learn manners if they never see them

by with 6 Comments PersonalQuotesUncategorized

Manners are important to me.

It’s important to me that my children say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.

I get really wound up when people are rude.  What message does it send to our children if adults around them don’t take a few seconds out of their day to be polite and kind?-The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any- (1)

I came across this quote the other day, and I really liked it.

How are our children supposed to learn manners if they never see them used?

Steve and I have always been polite to each other.  Our children have always heard us saying please and thank you in conversation.

Of course, we’re not perfect.  Far from it.  And I’m sure there are times when we’re annoyed with each other and aren’t as polite as we should be.

But as much as possible we try to model the behaviour we would like to see in our children.

So that for us means being polite to each other, and to them.  How else are they supposed to learn about good manners?

Do you agree?  How important are manners to you and your family?

 

Cuddle Fairy
living arrows

Living arrows 2017 – 8/52

by with 3 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

I’ve always been fascinated by the nature vs nurture debate.

How much of our personality is dictated by our nature, and how much is formed by the environment we grow up in?

I think that nature plays the biggest part.

And I’m loving having a son and a daughter and seeing the differences in them.  We are raising them the same way, in the same environment.  We always tell them that there are no gender-specific toys.  That boys and girls can both play with whatever toys they want to.

Nerys though does seem to naturally lean towards stereotypical ‘girl’ things.

When she’s choosing a magazine in the shops she’ll often pick out the pinkest, sparkliest one there.

She’ll often tell you that her favourite colour is pink.

And she likes to have her hair ‘done’.

The other day I put her hair in plaited bunches for the first time.  Then I left her alone with her hair clips for a few minutes while I popped into the kitchen.

I came back to this.

living arrows project

Honestly, I was really quite impressed that she managed to get them all in there; hair clips can be really tricky!

She was concentrating so hard, carefully adding them one by one.

And she was so pleased to show me the results when I came back in from the kitchen.

I can’t wait to see what hairstyles we can come up with between us as she gets older.

And I’m looking forward to seeing if she grows up still liking pink and pretty things, or if that changes as she gets older.

 

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

 

Living Arrows
siblings-project-february

The siblings project – February 2017

by with 6 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized

Last month I joined in with the Siblings project for the first time.

And, even though it’s still early days, I have a feeling I might manage this project every month this year.  Even if the photos aren’t exactly what I’d like them to be.

See, I saw some really gorgeous photos from other bloggers as part of the project last month.  And it made me really want to make an effort with my two this month.  To take the time to actually do a sort of mini photo shoot with them.  It was in my calendar to do it and everything.

But still, it just didn’t happen.  When I looked through our photos from the last month though, I found I did have a couple of pictures of the two of them together.

Not quite the set of photos I had imagined, but I’m happy nonetheless.

Siblings project 1

Despite all the coughs and colds we have managed to get out to the beach a few times in the last few weeks.  Rhys and Nerys both love it down there, even when it’s so cold you need your hoody hood up and your coat on over the top.

They both love digging in the sand, looking for treasure and building sandcastles.  For the most part they do this nicely together, but they do have their moments when they’d rather just do something by themselves for a bit.

siblings project 3

They are good friends at the moment though.

Nerys was at nursery today and was so excited to tell me that she had seen Rhys when they went out to play in the yard.  I love that they have that reaction to seeing each other, they were both so happy about it.

And on one occasion recently I left Nerys at home with Daddy while I went to pick Rhys up from school.  The first thing he said to me when he came out of his classroom was “where’s my sister?”.

siblings project 2

Nerys still wants to be like her big brother, and wants to do the things that he does.  And at the moment, she really wants to play Minecraft with him.

She’ll sit really close to him on the sofa, and watch him as he plays.  Sometimes it gets a bit too much for Rhys, and he asks her to move away.  Other times though, he will tell her all about what he’s doing.  And then he’ll let her help, telling her what blocks to use and where to put them.

It’s really lovely to see, even if it doesn’t always last!

 

The Me and Mine Project