Blogging: labels and where do I fit?

I am a MOC blogger. It is a new label that I have created to describe my blogging. Fed up with your current label? Fancy joining my new blogging category? Read on and find out why I created it.

I have blogged for over 4 years. I love it, and I hope you lovely readers enjoy it, else frankly, what's the point? I started blogging to share some of the parenting lessons I was learning the hard way. If I could save a first time mum some time and effort by sharing my stories, then that's great.

I was also struggling with the concept of looking good. How anyone with a small child to look after had any time whatsoever to put on makeup was, and still is, completely beyond me, hence the blog name.

Over time obviously the posts have evolved from Breastfeeding tips, and Beauty Jargon busters, to Toddler Tantrum tips, reviews of hotels and holiday destinations, and my experiences with Electrolysis.

I have discovered that, as a blogger, I am expected to define myself and put myself in a specific blogging box. Humans delight in doing this. We categorise things to help us make sense of the world.

The post-TV grump

Every time we turn off the TV my daughter, Princess Peppa, will, within one hour, have a major strop, be at best really grumpy and snappy with the family, at worst be an absolute devil-child.

I have noticed this phenomenon develop in her over the last couple of years and get swiftly worse in the last few months as the type of TV she watches has evolved. She is now 7 years old and has recently graduated from CBeebies to CBBC.

At the same time we have started watching more action cartoons in preference to the former Peppa Pig, Dora the Explorer, Disney Princess films or Barbie.

Since Little Miss George is such a Tomboy in her attempt to be individual from her girlie big sister, we now watch Ben10, Scooby Doo, Spider-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel Avengers. I must admit to being proud they are breaking away from the stereotypical 'girl' TV, however it's not without its disadvantages.

Apparently, when a child gets to an age where their concentration span is strong enough to really focus on a half-hour programme and really get into it, they find it difficult, after the programme, to go back to normal social niceties. Jo Frost, in her original book Supernanny, says of television; "what they are getting is mindless stimulation that will wind them up and shorten their attention spans."

Teaching children the value of money

Our children are spoilt. There is no getting away from it. It doesn't matter how many times we try and remind them how lucky they are, they are still spoilt.

I worry about the value, or lack of value, they place on things.

I also worry about how it's possible to teach them the value of money and the relative size of different numbers, when actual physical real money hardly exists any more.

Virtual money vs actual money

My daughters have a shop set up in the playroom. (It's huge, and I blame my mother.) They also have a till. On numerous occasions we have started playing shops only to get to the payment point when, after happily asking me to enter my plastic play credit card into the machine, and happily asking me to put my code in, they confusingly try and give me, the customer, some cash. I think they get confused having witnessed the phenomena that is "cash back".

So how do you explain that usually it's up to the customer to pay the shop? And even more confusingly, how do you explain that the card machine actually mysteriously transfers mummy's money to the shop?

Woolacombe Bay Hotel: A review

If you are looking for a traditional English seaside holiday, with all the good stuff; ice cream, miles of golden sand, rock pools, fish and chips, wind breaks, sandcastles, bat and ball on the beach, crazy golf, and of course a great surfing scene: and if you want it in a stylish location overlooking the beach, in an immaculate hotel, with Spa and indoor pool, Approach Golf course, children's activities and film club* and waitress service to your sun lounger besides the heated Lido, then it's Woolacombe Bay Hotel for you.

Wriggly Rascals: A new collaboration

I am delighted to be involved with website wrigglyrascals.com. An excellent on-line community website designed to enable mothers to ask for help on any topic and receive personal advice via a survey of the sites other users. It's simple and easy to use; so if you've got a question and can't find the answer on my lovely site here, then pop over to wrigglyrascals and ask other mums.

Sign up here.

And read my guest post on how to be a yummy mummy at wrigglyrascals.com here.

 

What's the oldest bra you own? Honestly?

I am sat in our lounge watching Top Gear and simultaneously surfing. Its not uncommon these days. Instead of a book on the lap, it's an iPad. A fellow blogger, Natasha at The 1970s Diet, has just pointed me towards her dieting tips on her very fabulous site, one of which is "buy new underwear".

It's definitely something I am considering. My summer weight loss (see the weight loss journey post here) has resulted in my 34E bras becoming somewhat roomy.

Whilst I can happily sit here and start browsing for new bras, the sad fact is that I probably have the size of bra I need hidden somewhere in the bottom of my wardrobe already.

During one particularly memorable sort-out last year I discovered that I had every bra size from a 32DD, via a 34B to a 38D. And did I throw them all out? Yes.

Well, most of them.

I've lost 7 lbs in 1 month. Want to know how?

Summary

This blog post is a summary of my journey over the last 7 weeks during which I have lost 10.5 pounds in weight.  It's an ongoing journey.  I hope it is at least helpful if you are trying to eat more healthily.  So settle in with a glass of water instead of a cup of tea (healthy choices start here), and a biscuit (instead of three).  It's a slightly longer post than usual - but I hope it's worth it.

For more tips to lose weight you can also check out my earlier post Get Fit and Lose Weight for Summer.