The Baby Show, NEC Birmingham
This Morning Live, NEC Birmingham
If you’ve been following my blog and social media accounts, you’ll remember that I went to the press launch of This Morning Live at the ITV Studios in London last month. With home, garden and lifestyle stands, we were excited to go to the show in Birmingham. There were just two things standing in our way…a teething baby and a 150 mile journey in torrential rain!
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.
Ehlers-Danlos and Joint Hypermobility syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, according to many sources are interchangable terms. I won’t linger on that in this post, as that’s not its purpose. Whatever you want to call it, not many people are aware of what it is and what it can entail. Whilst many people are hypermobile, EDS and JHS are a whole different kettle of fish and can bring joint pain and a whole plethora of other problems. Joints may dislocate, the sufferer may have stretchy skin and/or bruise easily and may have problems with their bowel or other organs.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from my blog, it’s that although I may be an introvert, I can still get my voice heard. So far I have helped people by sharing my problems with anxiety and breastfeeding after Autumn fell seriously ill , as well as my postpartum body confidence issues. I have also written a post about my husband’s trichotillomania. As such, I thought I’d also use it to try and spread awareness of EDS/JHS this EDS Awareness Month!
Postpartum body – a husband’s perspective
After having a child, I think many women have body confidence issues. Even if you fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans soon afterwards, it’s unlikely that you’re the same body shape. I’m not convinced anyone goes back to being just the way they were. That’s okay though, we’ve delivered our babies, which is a wonderful thing. However, when we look at extra pounds and stretchmarks in the mirror, it can still make you feel rather down! Often, though, the men in our lives don’t seem to mind too much. I asked my husband to write me a letter about my postpartum body and his thoughts about it. All being well, I can read this in the future if I’m ever looking at my reflection and tearing myself to shreds again!
Sweeps Festival, Rochester – 2017
On Monday 1st May we went to the Sweeps Festival in Rochester. An annual event, it is held over the first bank holiday weekend in may. If you visit, you can expect an array of wonderful stalls, as well as dancing, music and other entertainment. There are many wonderful historic traditions instilled within this festival.
