Throwback Thursday - Us & Our Mummies

Hello everyone. We want to start a series every Thursdays called "Throwback Thursdays" with different themes every week. Today is us and our Mummies when we was younger and next week is a Halloween special...

Beth & Her Mummy 

Katie & Her Mummy

So here we are with our mummies and we both are naturally Blonde but have been converted to the dark sides. Over the weeks we shall be sharing with you our throwback Thursdays so expect some embarrassing old pictures lol. Next Thursdays we will be sharing with you ours and Ava's Halloween throwbacks. 

Love Katie & Beth 

xx 

When Toddlers Start Nursery

As Ava has recently started nursery for 3 days a week, it gave me an idea for a blog post...

I have recently noticed  a lot of changes in Ava in many different areas and I thought I would share with you all. Whether your a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle this read may benefit you. It can also be a good read for anyone. 

It can be one of the most emotional day of a parents life, buying their school uniforms and breaking them in to leaving you for the day. It was when I took her to nursery for the first time I realised how attached to me Ava really was. At first she found it hard, she would cry whenever I left, I even started finding it hard breaking away. After the 'breaking' in  period and after a couple of weeks Ava put on her lovely red school dress and her lovely red flossy school shoes from Office and ran into school a confident little girl. 

I have noticed a lot of changes in Ava behavior since she has been at nursery. Im sure a lot of toddlers go through some changes, so I am sure those of you who deal will children know what I am talking about. Ava has been increasingly mouthy after nursery, which although is wrong is completely understandable, she most probably gets completely knackered when at nursery not only that she may pick it up off other children who maybe mouthier. We have had issues with her doing as she is told ect, which could also be because she does as she is told all day at nursery shes had enough by the time she comes home, we deal with this behavior using the naughty spot and behavior chart.

On a brighter note most of the changes in Ava have been really positive, her speech has come on incredibly already. Ava has always been very clear when  she speaks the majority of people have always been able to understand her. Since she has been at nursery however she has been even more clearer and has put her sentences together almost perfectly it has done her the world of good. The thing I find the best are the amount of words she is coming out with. We have at least one new word a day and some of them are really funny, shes says 'stupid' but used it in a funny way, she says 'doing my head in', 'very very well', 'lounge' these are only a few new words in Ava's Vocabulary. 

The Proudest moment for parents when our little ones start nursery or school is when they make things. Seeing their little faces when they show you what they have made is so lovely and melts your heart. Ava has made so much in her time at nursery so far, including paintings, writings, colorings and she has even learnt to cut with scissors! Also they do cooking at Ava's nursery doing a selection of sweet and savory items. All tasting very lovely!!

Below is Ava's spider cupcake she made!

Its amazing how much a little one can change in such a short space of time and yeah there behavior can go a little bit bad but all that is clouded over by the amazing good changes. This proves how clever children are and how much they take in, it is amazing. I can honestly say I am one proud mum, from Ava's confidence boost to her speech improvements to her creativeness she keeps a gleaming smile of pride on my face that just keeps getting bigger. 


Hope you all enjoyed  the read...

Lots Of Love 
Beth..xxx

Auntie & Niece Day Out

Today, Bethany had hospital in Essex so I took Ava to school, picked her up and had some quality time together. I love days when it is just Me & Ava as we just laugh all the time. 

Her new H&M Top and the finish look after she done her own hair

After Beth & Tommy left, I got Ava dressed and ready for school. She now gets dressed on her own but today she insisted on me doing her hair and wanted to do it herself. This ended up in her going to school with messy hair as she was so stubborn and every time I done her hair she would take it out. Off we walked to school to get there for 9, She sat in her buggy holding her school bags and was really excited for school. Soon as she see's her school she give me her dummy and got out of the buggy. Soon as she saw her key worker at school she ran to her and got ready to do painting. So I popped to Tesco and then walked back home to have a cuppa and some food before setting off again to get Ava. I left home to get Ava abit too early. So I spent 10 mins or so sitting in the reception area and could see Ava laying on the floor listening to a story. Another teacher came up to me and gave me Ava's "Spider Cupcake" she made. The teacher said out of them all, Ava's was the only one that copied the picture they was working from and really enjoyed it. 

Ava's Spider Cupcake She Made

Soon as the doors open for the adults to collect the child, Ava saw me and ran straight up to me. She got her coat on and off we went. On the way home we got a cone of chips each and a kinder barbie egg( she is obsessed with this eggs ). I let her walk half way home as she has a habit of walking sideways & with a cone of chips in her hands I knew it was going to end up in her falling or something so she sat in the buggy like a good girl. Half way home out of the buddy she went and walked all the way home. As we approached our driveway she ran and tripped over and hurt her knee. But she was more concerned about the lolly she dropped lol. We got in and sat down playing barbies which ended up in her giving some barbies to our dogs and chasing them around the lounge. 

Ava pushing her buggy

Her Peppa Pig Coat From George Asda

Buster refusing to give back the barbie Ava give him

,

Ava has been having problems napping and sleeping at night lately so I knew she wouldn't go for a nap but she was yawning away. I went upstairs in my bedroom to see if she would sit next to me. She had two dummies (its her kinda of comfort thing she has when she sleeps) and her juice and a blanket, she stayed still for about 5 seconds before getting her into nannies bedroom. Now she is downstairs with Nanny trying to take over the hoovering lol. Beth isn't back yet so I planned to sort her birthday pressies out but I realised I can't ( can't say what or how as she will read this haha), So I give upstairs a quick tidy and now am laying in bed as my back is playing up. 




Me & Ava was going to go to the park but now she has a poor poor knee which was bleeding, Ava said she can't go out and needs to stay in to get better. So we may sit and watch a film but her attention spam is zero at the moment lol. 



Auntie & Niece's days are my favorite :) 


Love Katie xx 

Tommy & Beth: Our Little Love Story

So I thought it would be a good idea to tell you all how I came to find my true prince charming (sorry for the cringe factor!) and became to be a part of this lovely family...

Never being one to go out clubbing, drinking ect, I knew finding
love wouldn't be easy and would only be in with a chance of 'pulling' once a year (prob Christmas or New Year). Not that I was going out looking for men, but you are always aware that you could possibly go home at the end of the night with either a big ego and a new number on your contact list or with ya self esteem shot down and asking yourself why you have a phone. I had come to a point in my life where I realised love wouldn't come knocking at my door and decided to give internet dating a try... 

I used to be very skeptical about internet dating due to the amount of horror stories you hear about them... and believe me there are a few questionable characters on there, but I decided to put my hesitations to one side and give it a go! Why not? 
I found myself getting a lot of private messages of cringy chat up lines and getting into some weird conversations with some strange men its then I started questioning my decision on joining the site so I signed myself off. 
Its scary to think I almost never met the 'one' and how different my life could have ended up, I thank my lucky stars I had one last random check of my online dating inbox, because sitting there was a message from a guy who was sweet, kind and thoughtful a guy who as soon as saw his picture just looked different from the rest, maybe it was the look in his eye I don't know. It was the message I had hoped for from the the man I had always dreamed of, my future husband. 


The first picture I saw of Tommy ... 

With  his number in my inbox I excitedly sent the first text message and we have not looked back. We was texting non stop from that point on. I can remember getting butterflies in my stomach every time I saw he had messaged me and my fingers were twitching to text back. Not long after starting our text conversations we decided it was time for a phone call and one evening he rung me, his voice was like magic, all I thought it would be and more we clicked even  more and spent 5 hours on the phone not going asleep til early hours. Every night on from that we would speak on the phone for 3 hours each time, needless to say our phone bills took a bashing but it was so worth it!. To be honest, I think our families got a bit annoyed at us talking through the night and keeping them up but I am sure they would now agree that they wouldn't have had it any other way because we have ended up so happy. 

Our first date: 

I was on at Tom to come and see me, with him the only one that drove it made sense that he came to me first and Tommy being the gentleman he is wouldn't have it any other way. Once Tommy finally set a date to come and see me I was buzzing for the two weeks leading up to it and the Saturday couldn't come round quick enough,tho it felt like those weeks dragged!! When the day finally came I spent ages getting ready and couldn't shake the feeling of butterflies! I even  made my mum answer the door because I was so nervous! I didn't want him to see me and  be disappointed because believe me when I laid eyes on him for that first time I felt like a Disney princess staring into the eyes of my handsome prince charming.We had a lovely time going for Nandos  and to the cinema, we laughed and joked and just clicked straight away it felt like we had known each other forever, we even had our first kiss! By the time it came to say goodbye I felt like part of me was leaving, so we arranged a meeting in London the next weekend.We have been inseparable ever since.

My first trip to Windsor:

Tommy took me to meet his family in Windsor not long after our trip to London, it was the most amazing weekend of my life! As soon as I entered the family home everyone was immediately welcoming and kind. We spent our first nights together and woke up to each other it was bliss. Tommy took me to nandos and Windsor castle, I remember kissing Tom in the car when we got back from the castle, I just remember thinking how perfect my life was, I still think that. When Tommy took me back to Essex that Sunday it was so hard to say could bye with both of us ending up in tears. We missed each other so much I ended up returning on the Wednesday. 

 Where are we now?:

We have never been apart since our weekend in Windsor, Tommy soon moved in with me in Essex at my parents home but due to work commitments we have recently moved to Windsor. Since the day we met me and Tom have got engaged hoping to marry next year and I am currently 8 months pregnant with a baby girl, not forgetting our beautiful daughter Ava. I am the happiest woman alive, my life is fulfilled with and wonderful husband to be and two beautiful daughters. Although we have our ups and downs and the odd argument we are stronger than any couple you will ever know, we are meant to be Tom is my soul mate. We are a team and get through any obstacles together. I love him so much and always will do. 

Thats mine and Toms story, for those of you that want a nice little quick read, this is a little insight to our lives so far. 

Hope you enjoyed, remember true love never dies ...

Lots Of Love 
Beth ...xxx

Toddler Tuesday

We have decided to do a Tuesday post dedicated to trials and joys of toddlers. As you fellow mums, dads, aunties, uncles, nannies and granddads are all aware toddlers around the age of two start going through the terrible twos tho some are worse than others this time can be very tiring for a parent, but on the flip side toddlers can be the funniest and most loving child there is. 

We only have the experience of Ava who is coming up 3 in December and through the last year her terrible twos have started to develop. Some days her strops will be worse than others but Ava has the habit of cancelling out her naughty behavior by doing something really cute or really good. 

This morning Ava and mummy had some quality bonding time once daddy had set off for work. This was an adorable toddler moment. Mummy and Ava cuddled, laughed and posed for pictures. This mornings bonding also had Ava being funny and cheeky by coping daddy's antics and asking mummy to tickle her back and laughing at herself! Mummy loves mornings like this with her cheeky little girl!

This afternoon we have had a more 'terrible twos' Ava coming across with the answering back, not listening, and doing things she aint meant to do. This is a classic example of terrible two behavior, the way we handle this is to tell her calmly and sternly. We also make use of the 'naughty spot' when we need to and Ava also has a sticker chart in which she responds too nicely. 

Another thing we find great about toddlers is how clever they are, their minds work overtime listening, picking up words and sayings and working out how to do things. We find it amazing how Ava listens to our conversations and repeats them back to us and answers questions that we ask each other. Ava is very independent and has to do most things for herself,  at the age of 2 and half nearly 3 she can take herself to the loo,  pulling her bottoms up and down and cleaning herself afterwards too she needs no assistance, she can also  undress and dress herself, tho she still needs help with buttons on her jeans! To me this behavior shows how clever toddlers are, being able to do these things among other stuff (that i will include in my other Toddler Tuesday posts)  so young shows how quick their little minds work. Sometimes I believe they can give most of us adults to shame!!!

Through all I've mentioned the good, the funny, the cheeky, the naughty and the clever its all these things that make toddlers including Ava themselves and I would never change her for the world. To us she is perfect, we enjoy her cuteness and her funniness and deal with her strops. These are the moments of a child's life not to wish away but to enjoy just like you did when they were small. 

Our toddler Tuesday blogs will involve a lot of rewarding toddler moments and how to challenge the challenging times. Remember, having a toddler is one of the most rewarding things in the world. Just like the general having a child is. 

Hope you all enjoyed reading 

Lots of Love

Katie && Beth...xxx

Ava's Cath Kidston Bag Collection

As an auntie, I LOVE buying and treating my Niece to stuff. Whether it be sweets, stuff from the charity shop or more expensive items Ava is very thankful and isn't a fussy child. When I heard Ava was moving into our family home and was going to be starting school in Windsor, I instantly said I want to buy her a Cath Kidston school bag as I wanted to buy her something that wasn't Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig or anything character for a change. I didn't realise how amazing their kids items was and so much Ava has ended up with a whole line of Cath Kidston items haha. She adores them and so do we. Here is what myself and Beth brought her...  

THE SCHOOL BAG: 

When myself and Ava went into Cath Kidston store in Windsor, she instantly ran up to the mini backpacks and picked out the pattern called "Bramley" which was so pretty. For £16 for a school bag people may think that is way too overpriced but for the quality it is defiantly worth the money. At her school there are few children with the same bags and they all know that Ava has the set of Cath Kidston bags. When she grows out of that bag, We will pass it onto Bella. 

THE PURSE:

When Ava picked out the design, I wanted to get her the mini purse to go with it. She puts this purse in the pocket on front of her school bag and she uses this money for treats after school. For £4 this is honestly worth the money, not only is it good quality but it's a perfect size.

THE LUNCH BAG: 

This bag is called a "Mini Shopper" but we thought it was perfect size for her lunch. Beth actually brought this for her as it was the last item we brought. This was £8 which again people may say for a lunch bag is over priced but all these items came to £28, is used 3 days a week and still looks brand new. 

These items all are easy to wash, good quality and maybe overpriced for what they are for but in the long run they work out cheap. When she grows out of all these items, I know we would of kept them in good condition and ready to be used for Bella when she is around 2/3 years old. Ava loves Peppa Pig and Minnie Mouse but having something different was something we all agreed on and now everyone knows at her school whose items they are is even better because they will never get lost or accidentally taken home. 

I defiantly recommend anything from the Cath Kidston kids stuff is you're stuck on ideas what to get for Christmas or birthdays or to treat your little ones. I shall be buying her some more items for her Christmas stocking this year. Maybe a cheeky baby grow for Bella but don't tell my bank balance haha. 

Love Katie xx 

The Autumn Tag

We thought we would both do the Autumn tag that we have seen going around the blogging world. 

What is your favorite seasonal drink from Starbucks/Costa?

Beth: Caramel Latte, Like all year round I like to stick to what I know:)

Katie: Gingerbread latte is the most yummiest thing ever. 

What do you opt for - Boots, Scarf or gloves? 

Beth: I Love my boots! can't wait to get a new pair I also like a scarf on certain days.

Katie: Scarfs!! it is the most owned item I have. I currently am in love with my tartan one from Asos.

What do you love listening to during the Autumn ( Music )? 

Beth: I Listen to anything in the charts to be honest. 

Katie: Same as Beth, anything in the charts. 

What is your favorite perfume scent at this time of the year?

Beth: Anything I will be getting for my birthday next week lol 

Katie: Flash by Jimmy Choo. 

Which candle scent will you be burning this season? 

Beth: I like Katie's range of candles but I have never really been over interested in them tho I do enjoy them when they are on :)

Katie: I am obsessed with candles and Beth can vouch for this HA. I shall be using my Yankee candles from the advent calendar from Yankee I got last year. 

What do you love most about Autumn?

Beth: I love the whole Halloween feel to Autumn and knowing that its not long till Christmas! 

Katie: Defiantly wearing my Chelsea boots with skinny jeans and a big jumper, walking in the crisp air and nights in under the fire.

What is your favorite make up for autumn?

Beth: I love the Goldie colour eye shadow. 

Katie: Browns shades on the eye and nude or berry lips.

What are you looking forward to most during this season?

Beth: Im looking forward to spending Halloween with Ava and the family getting into the proper mood and dressing ourselves, Ava and the house up!

Katie: Halloween for sure. Then Fireworks as we live close to Legoland which has Fireworks Display every night for a week which we can see clearly from our garden. 

This tag for us excited for Halloween haha. 


Love Katie And Beth x