All About Mothers

image from pinterest 

As Mother's day is approaching I thought I would do a post about my Mother, then it got me thinking that I will include Bethany in this post seeing as she is a Mother and I want to just say thank you to my Mother and also to Beth for being a brilliant Mother. We should celebrate all the Mother's we know and just say well done and thank you to them all. 

My Mother - 

Not only is she my Mother but also had to be a Father to me and my Brother as my Dad left us all when we was quite young so she has always had to be strong. Myself, Brother and our Mother have the most incredible bond because we just had each other growing up and that is the reason we are close. Together we laugh, smile and never have a dull moment. My Mother hasn't had the easiest of lives but she never lets that show, she will put a smile on anyone's face. Not only is she a brilliant Mother but she is now the best nanny to Ava and Bella. I honestly cannot wait to have my own child because I know they will have the perfect nanny. My Mother is my best friend, soul mate and my therapist as she listens 24/7. She has held my hand through out all of my hospital appointments and even now I am a adult she is still just as supportive and caring. We face time, text, whatapps and ring even when we are in the next room, we argue over the most stupidest of stuff yet we make up in a second, we have our little evenings of sitting in my bedroom watching TV and eating chocolate. I forever am grateful and thankful to have my Mother in my life. Even though she can't make scrambled egg, puts too much butter on my toast, is so unorganized and nicks my nail files but I wouldn't change her for the world. 

Bethany - 

I have so much respect for Bethany and so proud of her as a young Mother. I don't think people praise her enough to be honest. Knowing Bethany has been through so much in life and also had problems during her pregnancy with Bella, yet she carried on and never let it get to her. Ava and Bella are an absolute credit to Beth as they are both the most beautiful girls ever. When she lived here, she never expected me to help or look after Ava, she was so thankful when I did. I hate it that I'm not close to help when she needs it or just wants a rest ect. I used to make her and Tommy go on a date night once a week if they could if not once a month because I think its important for them to still be a couple and spend quality time together so I can't wait for them to move back down this area so I can look after the girls for when they want a date night or even to pop over if she wants a bath or relax she knows I will always be there for her. Bethany we are all here for you and are very proud of you. You are one amazing Mother. 

First our mothers, forever our friends

Happy Mothers Day to all the beautiful and amazing Mothers out there. You are all loved and appreciated very much :)

Love Katie x

Goodbye February Hello March

image from pinterest 

It's very scary that is is nearly March soon!! I feel like the more older I am getting the quicker the years go by. I don't know if I am looking forward to March or not but I defo know Im glad to see the back on February. Last week I got some news regarding my health that its another big shock and will change everything, I got diagnosed with Colitis which is inflammation of the inner lining of the colon which is the reason to all of my trouble I have been having for a long time. My surgeon has put me on Medication which I haven't started yet and is also seeing me in 4 weeks to discuss my treatment plan in more detail. When he told me I wasn't taking it all in to be honest as I really wasn't expecting him to tell me anything so it was a big shock but really glad after many tests and two operations that I now know what is causing my pain. So I know March is going to be full of hospital appointments and treatment planning and a complete diet change. 

I do have one good thing to look forward to in March actually and that is Beth's Sister Hen do in on the 27th March so I am going down to Essex on 26th March for a few days which Im excited and also nervous about. It will be the first time in along time that Im going out with a large group of females that includes alcohol and a busy place. Last time a few years ago I had a massive panic attack in a Club which totally put me off going for along time but I have Beth with me now so that makes me feel abit better as she knows what to do and say to calm me down. Excited and nervous together is such a weird feeling because I almost feel guilty for wanting to enjoy myself but every now and then I remind myself its possible I might have a panic attack and then I feel so weird and blahh!! I have yet to find an outfit to wear and because I haven't been out like that in ages I haven't even got anything in my wardrobe that I can wear as its either too small (my boobs have grown since I last wore dressy outfits) or the dresses I do have are very winter and causal style so I need to go out and find something. 

That is all that is planned for March at the moment, I also want to get my Insomnia under control as its got to the point now where my body is getting used to surviving on 3/5 hours sleep which makes me a emotional wreck for the day. Also I want to get back into a routine with the blog, I find if I have days where I need to do certain post that I actually do it if that makes sense but if I don't have anything in mind then I just won't even bother. Blogging for me is a sense of therapy is that makes sense kind of sense, it is like an online diary and notebook where I can share all my feelings and be myself on and it makes me happy knowing people are reading my post so I need to motivate myself in March. 

Fingers crossed March is a good month for everyone and also am excited for the weather to get abit warmer :) 

Love Katie x 

A Diet Challenge - Week 1

Katie - Brevile Smoothy Diet

A week into the diet challenge and I've failed already by not even starting it. I did mentioned in the first post that I was going to start after I got the food items at the weekend but last Friday I got diagnosed with Colitis so I haven't really been up to anything to be honest. I opened the box but I haven't yet to even test it out. I've started getting a few stuff for it but I want to start once I've got everything so let's hope next week update I will have something to actually update you all on and would of started it. Fingers crossed.

Bethany - Slimfast Diet

So a week in!! It all started so well wasn't feeling any hunger ect at the beginning but I did have a water infection when I stated and I go off my food when I have them anyway so that could be why!! I went away at the welend Friday to Monday I ain't going to lie I slipped up! Who wouldn't when they are away with their family??  I'm starting to feel so hungry now I think it's because I'm due a period and as us women know it bloats us out and makes us wanna snack like crazy! It can also play part to weight when weighing ourselves. Bad news I ain't really lost anything but good news is I ain't put anything on. Maybe I will feel better when I start to see results eh. I think the moral of the story here is don't start a diet till after your holiday and if your due a period just after you start you may wana wait till after! 

I hope for  a better week this week though with the up coming period I don't expect the scales to be nicer next week

I get so bloated when it's that time of the month! 

LotsOfLove

Katie & Beth...xxx

Primark P.S. Love Your Hair : Moisturising Range

It's usually Beth who does the hair post as she is a hairdresser and out of us both she knows her hair stuff and I don't have a clue when it come to hair. But few weeks ago when I was in Primark in Lakeside I purchased these two as I wanted to try something new as I've been using TRESemme shampoo and conditioner for along time so fancied a change. What appealed me to this ones from primark was that both contained Moroccan Argan Oil and Keratin which I thought might be good for my hair. Although I haven't had my hair coloured since September 2013, I did start having it coloured since I was 13 and to make matters worse Im natural Blonde who had it coloured Dark Brown for years then Jet Black so it's fair to say my hair is damaged. Even though I've had nearly a two year break with no colour as I wanted to go medium brown naturally, I can still tell its damaged and dry from the colouring. My hair is very long so washing it is a massive effort to be honest but luckily I only wash it once/twice a week as it doesn't really get badly greasy. 

So yesterday I tried these Primark moisturing Shampoo and condition and I'm very impressed. The shampoo claimed to cleanse, restore and moisturises the hair which I have to say it does, you don't need a lot of the product which helps as I've got long hair and it felt clean and very soft. Then I applied the conditioner which claimed to help improve shine, locks moisturiser in leaving a silky soft touch and like the shampoo the products goes along way. I like to use my conditioner more as a mask so I do leave it on longer that I would if I was quickly washing hair. Once I rinsed off I instantly felt like my hair was more healthy and it felt so smooth. I leave my hair to dry naturally when I can but I apply an oil to the ends of my hair when it's damp. My hair did look really shiny not the greasy look, it looked like I've hair washed my hair with high end products so I'm really impressed.

What I loved most apart from the price tag is that the scent, it's not too overpowering but it does leave a nice fresh scent to the hair. The P.S. Love You Hair range was rather varied and there was a Brunette range I would like to try. I think Primark are doing really well with their beauty products this year. Me and Beth got one of their Lipstick Gloss in Red and it's amazing so I would defiantly recommend this hair shampoo and conditioner. I'm going to pick this up for Beth when I'm in Primark next to see if she likes it and shares the same opinon. 

I might do more beauty related posts  in the future what do you think? Also has any of you tried this range or any of the other ranges from Primark? Did you like or hate? Let me know :) 

Katie x

A Diet Challenge

Katie - Brevile Smoothy Diet

I've always had problems with my weight and if you read some of my posts before you would know I've also suffered with eating disorder and even though I don't suffer with that anymore, it's still always on back of my mind. My weight always up and down but for past two years it's stayed the same, with some months going up and down by only a few pound. 

I actually like my figure, I have big boobs and small waist.. It's just my belly, legs and arms I want to loose weight and tone up on. I would love to try slim fast, slimming word or those kinda of ways but because I'm currently under going alot of tests for my bowel ect I can't try any of those and also recently found out I'm diary intolerant. So I decided getting a blender was the best idea, to make a fresh smoothie/juice every morning to start me off then eat healthy for rest of my meals. I ordered the Breville blend active blender on Amazon early this week which hasn't come yet but it was on offer to £20 from £30.

People would class me as a fussy eater but that's just me. I only really eat chicken to be honest. I think I eat mostly healthy food anyways but for me the biggest thing is not eating at the right time. Having so many health problems lately it's massively effecting on my diet. Some medication make me sick or feel Sick which doesn't make me want to eat a proper meal so mostly I just eat plain toast. I don't drink any fizzy so I'm okay with drink, I just need to drink more water . So my plan is to make a healthy smoothie/juice drink every morning ( I have been googling a lot of receipes which I will do a post when I've tried them out), I need to do a big shop on fruit ect which I can't do til the weekend so I will start this on Monday. 

I'm a size 12/14but I want to be more 10/12 which I used to be and 80% of my clothes are so I need to just loose abit. My boobs are big so I always have to get a bigger size for my top half which is annoying and whenever I've lost weight in the past I never loose it on my boobs. I'm not going to make this into a BIG thing as I don't want to become too obssesed then go back into old ways and then into a eating disorder, but having Beth doing something similar is a massive help. 

Beth - Slimfast Diet

I used to be a size 10 and obviously having children I have worked my way up to a size 12/14. So as you can see me and Katie are of similar weight. And both want to get down to the same size of a size 10. I've never been good at just eating better sounds bad don't it! So I've decided the best way forward for me would be slimfast. I'm a girl who loves my food so I know it's going to be tough but with good support and determination I can do it. 

My diet will consist of 

Breakfast - Slimfast meal bar or shake 

Slimfast Snack

Lunch - Slimfast Shake 

Slimfast Snack

Dinner - Calorie controlled meal 

I'm not happy with my body at the moment which is why I'm doing this so it takes a lot of effort for me to post my starter picture, I don't want to scare you all! But I gotta do it 

It's pure coincidence that we have both chose to diet at the same time, but seeing as we have we are going to post our journeys and why not compare the diets at the same time! 

 We will be posting weekly 

Wish us luck!! 

LotsOfLove 

Katie&Beth...xxx 

Toddler Toilet Torture!!

My beautiful 3 year old Ava, Is a happy smily active clever 3 year old. She is not a sucky child and is always cheeky to the max! Such a joy to have and joy to look after making us cry with laughter every single day.

BUT then my daughter that I know and love disappears and this little girl who is curled up in pain & screaming turns up Infront of me and I felt helpless and panicky because this little girl is my daughter and there is absolutely nothing I can do to help her. 

Sounds odd don't it? You see my little princess has been suffering with constipation for well over a year and I have had endless trips upstage hospital with her and would you believe things are not much better! It all started with the "classic" constipation where she didn't go to the toilet for days. Eventually when she went unnoticed a small amount of blood, and took her up the hospital. I got reassured that she was okay and was told to try lactilose. So I did. It didn't work. I then found myself up there again and got sent away with movicol and some diet changes. This worked for a bit and thought we were going somewhere.

Oh how wrong was. My poor little girl got hit with constipation again. This time she appeared to be in more pain. Walking around on her tip toes but going to the toilet a little bit. I have to give her disprol instead of calpol as she don't like taking medicine. With a history of bowel problems in the family I took her too the hospital I want her to be referred to pediatrician because the amount of pain she is in is horrible. Again they basically said its normal and for her to be screaming around the house is normal! He sent me away saying to ask my GP to reffer her he once again prescribe movicol. Now this works sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't and as soon as she is off it for a while she is bad again. I can't keep her on it forever surely!

The GP looked at me like I was mad when I asked for referral. I don't know what avenue to go down I hate seeing my little one in pain but no matter what I do or where I go no one has an answer that helps. I feel useless. She is going to the toilet Aswell but you can tell she is constipated and she is still in pain,  I just want my little ones constipation to clear up for good and so she can be out of pain and we can put it behind us.

Can anyone relate? Any advise this is more of a mums SOS for advice... Please get in touch via Twitter or Instagram EssexToWindsor 

LotsOfLove

Beth...xx

Katie's Health Update #5

Pics from my last operation.

Opps!! Its been well over a month since I done my last update here. I have honestly had so much going on that I have forgotten lol!! So my last update I told you all that I was getting ready for my next operation on the 29th January and I posted about it here. Click on that link to hear more but without going into too much detail it hurt so much, the actual operation and recovery itself was so painful. I get the results from this operation and my operation in December on 20th Feb so soon which I shall keep you all updated on. 



I also had my back specialist appointment few days before my last operation and I didn't get any answers I thought I would of gotten. The specialist I never seen her before and in all honesty I didn't like her, she didn't ask much questions, didn't read my notes properly and basically she has forward me to another specialist. That is only problem with my back people is that I never see the same person which is annoying. The first person I saw who is my actual main doctor for back she was brilliant but I never saw her again. My back is same and as always getting worse, it was a year the other day that I started getting this pain and nothing has really been done, I've just been given loads of medications and I feel abit fed up. So lets hope the other specialist they have referred to can give me answers. 

Bandage.. rather attractive haha 

Another thing that has recently started.. Few weeks ago I started getting pain and aches in my right wrist and just put it down to slept funny on it/cold weather but it was getting worse and seeing as I had a doctors app the week after it started I thought I would mention it to him. He has given me some gel and told to apply a bandage type on which helps alot but have to go back next time I go to see if any better if not he going to do a xray. He said it might be related to my back problems which is why he wants to keep an eye on it. The gel doesn't seem to do anything to be honest as I don't notice the pain go when I apply it. Sometimes the bandage helps alot and sometimes it makes it worse. It's something I never really suffered with and because it is my right hand as seeing as Im a righty I think it makes it worse because naturally I use that hand more. Its made simple tasks seem harder. I hope it just a pain that will go soon to be honest. I went bowling the other weekend for Beth's mum birthday and no idea how but I won bowling even though I was in alot of pain with my wrist and back lol 


I didn't know whether to write about this because it quite personal but I thought I might help someone. I was first diagnosed with Depression 10 years ago this year and while at my last doctor check up, the doctor just randomly ask me how I was feeling? and I sort of poured my heart out to him and thought I might aswel be honest to him. He is a newish doctor to me but I trust him as he has been so good with my back. I've been feeling depressed, anxiety and getting alot of panic attacks over the past few months, although I had all above for ages but recently it has got worse and I didn't want to admit it. The doctor booked a double appointment for the next week to speak more, so I went to the appointment and weirdly I opened up easily. He suggested talking therapy but its something I don't feel that would help at the moment, I've had therapy on/off since I was 12 so I didn't feel like it would help right now. Im not saying it doesn't help because it does but in my life right now I don't feel like its for me. I have Beth in my life now who I can talk to about everything so I know she is sort of my way of "therapy". So he suggested going back on Anti Depressant and at first I was like Hmmm... But think I thought to myself there is no harm of trying them again, I've been on so many types but my life is alot different now so why not give them ago. He has prescribed me ones that I was on few years ago and ones that are safe for me as Im on a few other medication. So I only been on them a week and obviously from previous years I know they take ages to kick in so I can't say much about them. I urge anyone who feels low or down to tell your doctor, I wished I done it months ago to be honest. Just telling your doctor takes a massive weight of your shoulders. 

image from pinterest.

Another thing that I haven't told the doctor about but Im going to mention it because its turning me into an emotional wreck. I've been having Insomnia for so long now. I haven't told doctors as I thought it would go but its getting too much now. I have tried so much to help but nothing seems to work. I could have the busiest weekend and still not sleep arghhhhh. 

That's all for my #5 health update, I will do it next month in the first week rather than leaving it for so long like last time. opps! Got my bowel specialist on Friday so hopefully I will get some answers :) 

Love Katie x 

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