10 little things that make me happy

I was tagged by the lovely Becca at My Girls and Me to write a blog post about 10 little things that make me happy. You can read her post here.

I’m writing this at a time that the attacks on Manchester are still very fresh in people’s minds. However, it’s important to remember that even at times of adversity, good can be seen. It’s important to remember not to take life for granted and focus on the little things that make you happy.

Trichotillomania – my husband’s story

My husband suffers from trichotillomania. It is a little known mental health condition, which consists of the impulsive pulling of hair, which can be from anywhere on the body. This can result in bald patches and feelings of guilt and embarrassment. I’ve interviewed my husband on his experience of trichotillomania, in an effort to help raise awareness. I have only read stories of women having it online, so I’m hoping that it may help some people to read about a man with the condition.

How to make a cast of your baby bump

When I was pregnant with Autumn, I saw lots of photos on the internet of women who had made plaster casts of their pregnant bellies. I thought it would be a lovely reminder of my bump and thought it would be amusing to wear in the future to see how big my bump was, (it was HUGE, I can barely believe it when I place it against myself now). Lots of women online also paint beautiful designs on theirs. Mine is still just plain at the moment, but I’d like to do something with it in the future.

Lots of places online sell kits for doing this and they often retail at around £15, but you can do it much more cheaply! All you need to do is buy some plaster of paris bandage rolls and some petroleum jelly. We managed to get these rolls from our local craft shop for a little over £1 each roll. I’m petite and two rolls just about made a cast of my bump, so for most women I’d probably recommend getting three rolls – you’ve still probably saved about £10!

“You’re ugly”, a boy said to me.

Sometimes we have memories from childhood that stand out in our mind. It doesn’t always necessarily always make sense to us as adults. However, occasionally it’s because something happened that elicited strong emotions at the time. Even if we would have responded differently now and it seems a little silly, these events can sometimes have a lasting effect on us.

Medway Council’s closure of 19 Children’s Centres

On Monday morning, I was alarmed to read an article that said Medway Council were closing their Sure Start Children’s Centres. I was even more disgruntled to read that it was so that they could save £60,000 to fund a party and fireworks! Those who know me well will know that despite being introverted, I am one to stand my ground. My mind instantly started buzzing with thoughts about petitions and protests

5 top tips on how to help hay fever

Contains sponsored links¦ It has been estimated that around 16 million people in the UK suffer with hay fever. That’s at least 1 in 4 people! That means that a quarter of the population spend seasons of the year, often summer, with unpleasant symptoms. These can range from annoying to a level where they affect everyday life.

Unfortunately, the number of sufferers is rising, particularly in those who are middle aged. In fact, it has been predicted by Allergy UK that there could be as many as 30 million hay fever sufferers in the UK by 2030.

Thankfully, there are things you can do to help.