Our extension has been a long time coming. It’s been almost 3 years since we started putting the plans in motion for an extra bedroom and bathroom. There was architect drawings, planning permission, structural surveys, builder visits, expert advice, edits to the drawings, quotes, lliasing with the project manager and a whole heap of obstacles. But we are nearly there! We are just waiting for the builders to confirm a start date with us and we are good to go. Finally. Hurrah!
Regular readers will know, that I’ve harped on about this a few times now and we’ve made so many plans for decorating. I can’t put into words how excited we are and how much this extra room will benefit our family. Once the work gets underway, I will be photographing and videoing the transformation, not just with the extension, but all our home renovations. I’ll then be able to share it all here on my blog and maybe even on Pinterest and Instagram too!
As soon as the extension is complete, we have plans to fit a new kitchen and new flooring throughout the downstairs of our house. After much deliberation, we’ve decided on vinyl click flooring for downstairs as it looks like laminate but is waterproof and much harder wearing. It’s perfect for making cleaning up easy after the usual family meals, spills or arts and crafts.
We are also having our hallway and landing replastered and have plans to redecorate all of the bedrooms, transform the toilet room and retile the bathroom. And one thing which clearly shows my age, is how excited I am about getting a nice deep pile, soft, fluffy carpet for the bedrooms. Who knew you could get excited about carpet?!
All of this comes at a cost of course, so it will be done one room at a time, as and when we can afford it. It means I’m having to be much more structured with my work time too, as it’s easy to slack off when you work from home! But I have big plans for both businesses this year, so fingers crossed, with a little hard work, we can achieve all that we aspire to do.
*Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post with an ad link. All words and thoughts in this post are truthful and entirely my own.
In 2013 I won the award for Best Baby Blog In 2014 I was a finalist for Outstanding Contribution to Blogging In 2015 I was a finalist for Best Pre-School Blog In 2016 I won the award for Best Pregnancy Blog 
Photo by Tom Arber Photography for the MAD Blog Awards. And that’s all down to you – my loyal readers, for nominating me and then voting for me. Thank you so much for helping me win those accolades. Those awards, mean SO MUCH to me. They are the pinnacle of my blogging career and fill me with pride. The MAD Blog awards ended in 2016 and have been greatly missed by all of us who were so lucky to go in the past. 
My 7 year old twins, affectionately known as Tiny and Fluffy, enrolled in this course for the Autumn 2019 sessions. I am honestly blown away by how much they have learnt and how well they’ve taken to hockey in just 6 weeks. So much so, that we are going to pay for them to do the second part of the course, which starts in March 2020. 
Before the Hockey Heroes training began, the twins were sent a starter kit each. Each starter kit included: 
Each Hockey Heroes session is taught by carefully selected “Hockey Champions”. The children all seemed to love the Gloucester Hockey Champions, Kim and Kalena; they were both patient and professional in coaching the heroes their new super powers. 
Parents are encouraged to take part at the beginning of each session, where the children have a little free-time with the sticks and balls. There was such a lovely atmosphere as all the parents were helping and cheering on each others children. The children were also taught resilience as play continued in wind, rain, thunder and hail, but just look at those proud happy faces! 
Every session is one hour long and focusses on a different skill. At the end of each hour, the children are given a sticker (which goes on their hockey stick) to recognise that they’ve mastered their new hockey super power. The skills that were covered over the first six week course were: 
After each session, parents receive a “Club Spark” email, which talks about what the children have learnt in that lesson. It also gives tips and advice on activities you can do at home with your children, to help them practice their new skills. 
I loved the superhero focus of Hockey Heroes as this doubles as positive reinforcement and adds an additional element of fun and empowerment to the sessions. 
Hockey is a really inclusive sport, which welcomes children of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels. Hockey Heroes don’t expect children to have any experience as they teach all the necessary skills needed. This sport also allows children to make new friends, outside of their school circle, as well as getting them active and building confidence as they unlock their inner character and physical superhero powers. 
I am amazed at how much my twins learnt in just 6 weeks and they thoroughly enjoyed Hockey Heroes. It taught them a whole new skill set to what they’d learn in their existing hobbies. I would absolutely recommend Hockey Heroes to any parent. 
Hockey Heroes is a great value, low-commitment opportunity for children to try a new sport. It costs only £32 for the 6-week course and is really easy to register online at 
Bear very quickly learnt, from all the clapping and cuddling and telling him what a good boy he was, that he could talk Mummy and Daddy into buying him sweeties for every wee he did on the toilet and a prize for every poo. Our simple camping trip had gone to a full blown toddler toilet training holiday. We thought it was a fluke. He wouldn’t keep it up. All previous attempts at toilet training and potty training at home, had been futile. We’d decided that we’d wait until he decided for himself, much like we did with the twins. I blogged about the twins’
It wasn’t a fluke though. Every toilet trip – he went too! There were a few accidents on the journey home and in the days following our arrival home, but within the week, he was completely dry every single day. No potty in sight. He would tell us when he needed the toilet and that was that! How easy that was, in comparison with toilet training the twins. The most exciting part for Bear though, was getting to go shopping and choose himself some “big boy pants”. He wanted boxers like Daddy. Have you ever seen anyone look so excited over a pair of pants?! 
For toddler toilet training and potty training resources, check out the other posts below.
2019 was generally a very good year. I achieved a lot personally, and as a family we made some really wonderful memories. Mostly due to lots of lovely little trips away! I went on a blog retreat and a retreat with my side business. We went on numerous camping trips, day trips and we did France, Monaco and Italy in one trip. We spent Christmas at Coombe Mill and we made much more effort to visit friends and family this year. We have a whole bunch of beautiful photos to celebrate the year we had, and that makes me smile. 
2019 did have it’s downs too – namely my miscarriage. But one thing I think I did too much last year, was forgive too much. There were quite a few people I let treat me badly and I need to be stronger in that sense. I think that has always been my weakness, truth be told, I’m too forgiving and often when people don’t deserve it. I shouldn’t feel ashamed for standing up for myself and my family and what I feel is right. And I shouldn’t tolerate people treating me like I don’t matter. This year I want to work harder and play harder and stress less. I want to love more and take less shit. So without further ado, here are my main new year’s resolutions for 2020. They’re pretty self explanatory… Save more Spend less Blog more Procrastinate less Post more Comment less (Leave people to look stupid instead of correcting them. Stay silent when people leave nasty or misinformed comments. Stay silent when people patronise or insult or bitch. Leave them to show their true colours.) Show more compassion Take less shit When someone makes you feel angry or upset… Walk away, stay silent. Leave them to fester in their own arrogance. Smile. Be the better person. Fundraise & volunteer Do some good in the world. Work more efficiently and strategically Don’t lower my rates Know my worth Work more when the kids are at school Work less when the kids are home ALWAYS, ALWAYS, FAMILY FIRST! Love myself more Listen to criticism less Eat more fruit and veg Eat less meat and less junk Aim high. Go for those ambitions. You can achieve more than you think! Less indoors More outdoors and GET SOME EXERCISE! So there you have it. And yes… I know I’m posting these right in the middle of January, but I have already made a start on them. 
To help you plan your first of many great outdoor adventures in France, follow this simple guide: 
It’s your 3rd birthday but it feels like such a short time ago that I woke Daddy up at 4am to tell him you were on your way to meet us. I’ve never seen Daddy more excited than he was in that moment. And once you were born, Daddy and I kept crying with overwhelming happy tears. Daddy had never known a love as powerful as the love you taught him. The love between father and son. The moment we saw you, we were head over heels in love with you. 
You are ridiculously clever for your age, meeting all your milestones well in advance. We can have long entertaining conversations with you, because you’re such a chatty boy. You speak so clearly and have so many words in your vocabulary. You make us laugh EVERY DAY. 
Oh my heart, I love you so much! 
You are very sweet and kind, with the most impeccable manners for a two year old – now three year old! And you are very much a home boy. You become very shy when we go anywhere new or meet people you don’t know really well. 
There are times when only Daddy will do, but most of the time, you’re a proper mummy’s boy. You know how to play us both, to get what you want! And that cheeky smile makes it IMPOSSIBLE for us to say no to you. 
You are so well behaved. The terrible twos didn’t really happen for you. Tantrums are few and far between and I adore how cuddly you are. You always want cuddles and kisses and eskimos. 
I am SO proud of the little boy you are and I will be so sad when you reach the age to start school, because I’ll miss you during the day. You’re my mini best friend and my playmate. I love that after toddler club, I say to you, “what shall we do next?” And you tell me where you’d like to go and what you’d like for lunch. And we nearly always end up making a plan from your ideas. 
And then on your actual birthday… Lots more presents (you wanted SO MANY THINGS). Your main present was a fire engine themed bicycle, which you’ve wanted for months. Just like the one at toddler club! And you were a speechless ball of smiles when you saw it. You also got a Gekko (PJ Masks) dressing up outfit, a Duplo airplane and airport, some Lego cars, a drawing board, a Smoby Pilot, a Paw Patrol bicycle helmet, an Usborne book with a train track and wind up train inside, a great big toy truck, a toy keyboard and a wooden dinosaur alphabet puzzle from Orange Tree Toys. There were also some books, clothes and a few other toys. You’ve been well and truly spoilt, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!