A Granddad & Granddaughter Bond

I cannot believe this picture is over a year ago. Ava Lily has grown up so fast. The picture above she was helping Granddad Ron water his plants. Granddad Ron is very protected over hes plants and garden and hardly lets anyone get involved but Ava was so careful and done a good job. Ava loves Ron in fact we all do. He is such a active modern funny granddad haha. Technically he isn't my Granddad but he has been in my life since I was 6 years old so to me he is my Granddad. Of course I am gutted Ava and Bella will never get to meet my Granddad Reg but I'm sooo glad they have meet and have Ron in their lives. I remember me standing on his feet and us dancing around the kitchen when I was younger, me pretending to be hes hairdresser and charging him 20p to comb him hair haha and also he makes the best chicken curry ever. 

It makes me happy knowing that Ava and Bella are making memories with Ron just like I did when I was younger. This picture above was last year when we all went to the park for the afternoon and even though Ron is nearly 85 years old he doesn't look or act it. He always gets stuck in and plays with the kids. Ava was "helping up" Ron here and the picture of them holding hands literally melts my heart. 

My Granddad Price and Granddad Reg are in heaven and so are Bethany Granddads and I know they are all looking down being proud of the girls, Tommy and Beth. Ava Lily and Bella Mai have got two granddads Steve's haha how confusing. My Father is called Steve and so is Beth dad. She adores her Granddad Jolly ( Beth's dad) so much and their bond is unbreakable. My dad aka Granddad Price doesn't live close to us and we hardly see him let alone do the girls but he has meet them both a few times and he adores them both. It is a shame my Dad doesn't live close/make effort as he was such a good Father to me and Tommy when we was young and I know the girls would have so much fun seeing their Granddad Price more. 

Apart from Ron, I lost both of my Granddads when I was five/six years old and I miss them both so much. I think watching a bond between a Granddad and their Granddaughter is one of the most loveliest things to see. A few of my best memories are with my Granddad Reg so I love seeing the girls make memories with their Granddads. 

Love Katie 

xx 

Toddler Tuesday - Halloween Special

Toddler Tuesday

Seeing as this week is Halloween week I thought I would do this weeks toddler Tuesday with a Halloween theme. 

A dilemma I have found this Halloween is how few toddler and baby Halloween costumes there are about! The ones I have seen if any are not very impressive, come on toddlers like Halloween too!! You may find that the little dresses tho not toddler size may just fit your little toddler as they come up small, but really? they aint very weather suitable. You don't want your toddler freezing on Halloween night! To put a jacket over it would just ruin the costume. I've had to take to the internet to find my little ones costume, Toddler Halloween costumes certainly need more thought in the shops! 

You have to get the balance right on Halloween, and not make things too scary! When decorating your house or dressing them up, why not put a friendly face on all the scary stuff? Try pumpkins with smiles, spiders with wide eyes and jokey faces and ghosts more like casper than your scary haunting ghost. This will make your little one laugh and ease them into  the Halloween tradition, if you go in all guns blazing and make it too scary they may fear it or even have nightmares! 

Friendly Pumpkin Ava made

There is plenty to keep you and your little one occupied during the Halloween week stuff that your little toddler will love and enjoy. It can be hard amusing a toddler for so long but luckily Halloween brings with it bags full of fun activities to keep theirs and your minds working you could try 

1. Making Halloween cookies & cakes!

2. Pumpkin Carving :) 

3. Making Halloween decorations 

4. Bobbing for apples

5. Making or buying a Halloween costume 

6. Watching Halloweeny movies like Hocus Pocus 

Pumpkin Carving!

Spider Cakes!

Halloween decorations made by Ava 

Remember! Your toddler could get loads of sweeties while trick or treating, remember to keep their sugar intake low! Don't want them bouncing off the walls for a week! You can do this by spacing there sweeties out during the next weeks! Keeping their sweeties as a 'special treat' for when they are really good, or even try getting them a small bag to go trick or treating with!

This concludes my Toddler Tuesday for this week! I hope you enjoyed the read, and my little tips have helped! 

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 

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 

Lazy Family Sunday

Hi everyone :) Hope everyone had a lovely lazy Sunday like we did here in Windsor. We lazed around in bed until half 10 quarter to 11, even Ava! After a busy week I think we all deserved it! 

For us girls and I think you would all agree that Sundays are the one day where we wont put on our best outfits, fancy shoes, have big hair and most of all we give our faces from make up letting our skin breathe.. we have braved the camera for a no make up selfie getting away with it as today was a lazy Sunday!

Today would have been the perfect day for a big fry up with all the added extras including a giant cup of tea or coffee! But unfortunately not having the full ingredients for a fry up and no giant sized mug me Tommy settled for a toasted sausage sandwich and normal sized coffee while Ava enjoyed eggs and a cup of juice. Sadly Katie wasn't feeling too well at this point at was in bed so missed breakfast :(. Don't worry shes feeling better now :). Below we have a cheeky shot of Ava enjoying breakfast time!

With an active toddler you have to think of some good Sunday activities not only that we enjoy family time and doing things as a family creating memories to cherish. So with it being the 19th October its the perfect time of year to start getting into the Halloween spirit (we love this time of year) so Tommy came up with the great idea of carving a pumpkin! Being Tommy and Ava's first time at pumpkin carving i took a step back and let them take the lead. 

Steps to pumpkin carving (for those who have not tried it yet) 

1. Cut a round circle out of the top to gain access to the inside of your pumpkin this will also act as a lid :)

2. Scrape the insides out of your pumpkin ensuring nothing is left inside and throw the cut offs in the bin. 

3. Grab a marker pen and draw on any design that you want onto the front of your pumpkin.. Go as wild,creative and scary as you feel!!

4. Cut around your design and poke out the bits you have cut! you can now admire your handy work!

5. To get it at its full potential on Halloween night pop a tee tree light  in the  middle of your pumpkin and put it out side your front door!!

Below are some snaps of Ava and Daddy enjoying some quality time pumpkin carving!

Our pumpkin!

After our pumpkin carving we got into the classic lazy Sunday feel and lazed around! With Ava snuggling into bed with Katie for a nap Me and Tom where able to spend some quality time together, with Tom desperately needing a hair cut I got my clippers out and cut his hair while watching some Sunday football :). 

Katie and Ava both woke up and we all enjoyed a nice lunch of sandwiches and nachos in bed:) 

As you can guess we didn't quite have  time to make a big roast dinner so with Ava in bed after a dinner of homemade vegetable pasta we had the perfect end to a Sunday with a KFC dinner while watching X factor... Pure bliss :) 

Hope you all had a lovely lazy Sunday and enjoyed it us much as we did here :) 

Until next time Lots of Love 

Katie & Beth ... xxx


  

Tears At Bedtime

Hi everyone :) a spontaneous blog from me tonight regarding bedtime for toddlers. I have just spent well over an hour putting Ava to bed tonight trying every trick in the book I know of the end result was me sitting in the room till she fell off to sleep. Ava being a happy character during the day her playing up and being miserable and moody is very unusual. 
 Ava has recently started nursery three days a week, yeah they are half days but for a little toddler this can be very tiring and have noticed since attending nursery which is making her more tired, bedtime has become more difficult. Also with a new baby on the way this could be Ava's way of acting out as she hasn't acted out about Bella coming yet. 
 Tonight me and Tom tried many of things to settle and calm Ava down including things I had learnt on the old TV show Supernanny and shows such as This Morning. Things we tried were:

1. Explaining what mummy and daddy are leaving the room to do. 
2. Reading her a bedtime story (she has one every night) and giving it to her to take to bed.
3. Singing her lullabies. 
4. Explaining that mummy and daddy will be coming upstairs later. 
5.Explaining that she got to be a big girl as her baby sister needs to learn from her.
6. Leaving the room and keep putting her back into bed when she got out starting off saying its bedtime Ava to just putting her back into bed without a word. 

None of these things worked with Ava and she eventually went off to sleep with me rocking her and sitting next to her bed and generally just being the room. Now many of people may say I shouldn't have caved in but when your nearly 8 months pregnant and your partners not feeling his best you cant keep it up for hours and yes Ava did win.... tonight. This is not to mean that we wont persevere tomorrow when we both feel a bit better. I want to tell mums and dads out there that have given in to not feel like you have failed or that people have the right to judge and comment should you tell them because no two children are the same not all will think they can do it every night and some will adapt 'tomorrow' night. You have not failed if you need to take the 'easy' option one night to get a little bit of well deserved rest. 

ADVICE FROM BETH:

There is no right way to parent remember this, as a lot of people like to hint that there is but most of time that will be people who have never had children and believe me I have met a few myself! You will always find your own way to parent which will be the right way for you and your child. Even if you have more than one child you may parent them both different (without treating them different) as parenting styles depend on the child themselves. No two children are the same. And some children play up for different reasons maybe some change is occurring in their life this should be take into account. A thought that should be remembered. Look at it this way, children at school meet different milestones at different times, babies crawl, walk, talk and cut teeth at different times. Behavior works the same. So find your way that is right for your child and that will be the 'right way' don't listen to the opinions of others listen to your child and believe in your self and your parenting style. 

TIP FROM BETH:

Keep your ears closed, your eyes open and your head clear. Free your mind of negativity and keep calm, keep on top of the situation and do whats right for your family how you think is right. Follow your own instincts your mothers instinct or fathers instinct because instinct is usually correct. Ignore the noses of nosey people with negative views and concentrate on your life and your family. Most of all be happy and enjoy it. 

Thank you all for reading hope it helped more to come at later dates and enjoy our blog:) 

Take care 

Beth x

Friday Fun : Getting Prepared For Halloween

Today we decided to get on the Halloween wagon haha. Tommy ( Katie's brother & Beth's Fiance ) is currently off work so once we dropped Ava of to school off we went to Tesco. We purchased two pumpkins and a Halloween make your own gingerbread house and its fair to say Tommy was far more excited than he should be lol We came back home and Tommy got started building the gingerbread house and Beth helped. It needed 30 minutes to dry before you start decorating it. This was the point we got way too excited and went back to Tesco to buy more stuff to decorate it even though things are provided we wanted more haha!!! Back home we came, Beth & Tommy got back to decorating the Halloween Gingerbread House and We are very impressed so much we are already looking and goggling what to do for our Christmas Gingerbread house haha. Onto Pumpkins, obviously it is abit early to start carving them so we put them on the fireplace and we have a little Halloween fireplace theme going on with fake spiders and cobwebs. 

Katie & Ava Took a few Selfies today as Ava is now obsessed with taking pictures lol And not planned somehow we have ended up wearing the same dresses haha. 

Tomorrow we have Beth's Parents coming down from Essex to visit us for the day and football is back ( BTW WE ARE BOTH OBSESSED WITH FOOTBALL ). With Tommy being Leeds United, Beth being West Ham and Katie Being Chelsea FC. Over the weekend we have Baby Shower planning which was all planning along fine but past few weeks we haven't done much, we have most of the stuff and the date just haven't sent out invites ect so we will be on that this weekend/next week and also will be doing blog post as the baby shower is on a small budget and we have a theme which we would like to all share with you all. 

Here is a beautiful picture of Ava just before school, doesn't she look so grown up. Her dress is from Primark, Tights are from Asda (can't find online but here are some similar) and Her Shoes are Flossy Plimsole from Office. 


We hope you all are having a lovely Friday night and have a good weekend :) 

Love Katie And Beth. 

Meet Ava Lily

We would like to introduce you all to the most beautiful toddler in the world... 

Ava Lily is 2 and a half, she will be 3 on 6th December. She loves Peppa Pig, Minnie Mouse and her dollies. Ava has the most amazing personality, she can make any one laugh with her funny ways.Her favorite things are school, going to the park, watching Peppa pig on nanny's phone, playing with Bobby ( one of our doggies ) and much more. Ava is such a happy girl, she hardly is upset and never fails to make anyone smile. 

There will be loads of post involving Ava Lily so watch out..

Love Beth And Katie 

Introduction To Us

Welcome to Essex To Windsor. 

The lives of two normal girls brought together by the meeting of two soul mates, starting off as your normal sister in laws developing a true close friendship. Sharing secrets, advice, gossip, clothes and make up. Also battling ups and downs in areas of many and your normal everyday battles. Not only are we your average day to day girls willing to share with you our stories but the wonders and joys of motherhood and auntiehood and the exciting build up and life with a much loved newborn. We are Bethany Jolly and Katie Price a mother and expectant mother too another gorgeous girl and hands on auntie in our 20's look out for our story...



Love 
Bethany & Katie.