I’ve been on a weight loss mission since my 39th birthday at the end of May. So far I have lost a total of 17 lbs and most of that has been following the Shake That Weight VLCD. I have been keeping a diary of my thoughts and feelings as I edge closer to my goal weight and you can read the previous Fit by 40 posts here. Read more
I apologise now that this is going to be a bit of a brain dump post – it’s been bubbling away in the back of mind for a while now and I think that writing about it might make me feel better and be able to move on from it…
I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t use social media in some way or another (except perhaps my dad) and I am no exception. Don’t get me wrong, I love social media – I remember when I first got Facebook, over 10 years ago now, and I was so excited to find people I went to school with and see what they were up to (although I’d already been doing that a bit with Friends Reunited, remember that?), it also meant I could connect with people I’d worked with overseas, people I hadn’t spoken to for years. Of course I also became Facebook friends with people I knew in real life and saw regularly anyway too. Read more
It’s time for another update in my weight loss and fitness story – you can read my last up date here. I’m still plodding on – a total of 16lb lost now (and 3 inches off my waist) and although it’s coming off quite slowly I have lost weight every single week. I can only call that a success I reckon.
Cake. I ate all the cake. Well not quite all the cake but a lot of it anyway. I’m trying not to beat myself up about it but it’s hard not to. And we’ll see what effect it has on the scales on Tuesday. I’ve been back at my yoga the last couple of days though and that’s a start. So I’m just treating this as a bit of a break week and I’ll properly get back on it from now. Today was pretty good actually so I’m going to be positive and take it from there. The trouble I always find with losing weight is that I lose a stone or so and then think ‘oh, I look/ feel so much better than before, that’ll do’ when really I need to keep on going if I’m ever going to get to my pre-baby (and pre-3 week honeymoon in America) weight. Onwards and upwards (or should that be downwards?)
**EDIT**
Since writing this post I have been in contact with the entertainer in question, and my sons’ nursery.
Firstly the entertainer has apologised for any offence he may have caused. He apologised for upsetting Toby and assured me it was in no way intentional and I have accepted this apology.
He has also assured me that he is no way racist and as such I have removed references to racism from the post, although I still don’t agree that making a joke of someone’s accent or where they come from is acceptable.
However, the entertainer explained to me that he has a very successful business, he has been doing the same act for 20 years and has never had any complaints previously. He told me that although he had listened to my concerns he does not believe there is an issue and will not be changing his act. He sees his job as being to entertain the parents as well as the children and because the comments that I found unacceptable go over the children’s heads then there is no issue with making them.
I have also spoken to the manager at Toby’s nursery. Apparently they have been using this entertainer for years and will continue to do so. They have consulted some of the other parents who were at the party and none of them had any issue with the material used on the day.
Clearly, I am not entirely happy with the outcome here. Although I have received an apology which I have accepted, I am disappointed that neither the entertainer, nor the nursery feel that my concerns are valid. However, I have decided that it isn’t really in anyone’s interests for me to pursue this matter any further. I will just be making sure I avoid this particular entertainer in future. I will also now be closing comments on this post as I don’t think there is really any more to be said. Thank you to everyone who has commented and shown me support .
Today was Toby’s nursery leavers’ party, even though he’s not actually leaving until the end of the summer. I expected party games and a few sandwiches. What we got was something entirely different.
We arrived a few minutes after the party had started and the children’s entertainer was already in full swing. As the kids arrived he made an effort to find out their names and used them throughout the party. He made balloon animals, span plates and got them all dancing. That was all great. What wasn’t so great was how, from the minute they arrived, he made jokes at their expense to get cheap laughs from the adults.
The entertainer in question came from a company in Blackpool (and I think I’ve come across someone else from the same agency at a christening/ birthday party that we went to a few months ago – I can’t be 100% certain but they definitely seemed to be following the same script). Now I know Blackpool is renowned for its end of the pier shows with ‘a bit of blue for the dads’ as Peter Kay put it. It may be the spiritual home of Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown, but that doesn’t mean I expect innuendo, comments mocking someone’s accent, or unashamed sexism when I go to a party for four year olds. Read more
Last week I published the first two weeks of my weight loss diaries – this post covers the days since then. It’s a bit of a monster update but I wanted to bring you up to date so I can carry on from here…
I’ve been doing Shake That Weight for a week and a half so far and it’s going quite well. I lost 3lb the first week which isn’t quite as much as I was hoping for but I think it wasn’t as dramatic as sometimes because I was already following quite a low calorie diet. I’ve been sticking to it pretty well – a couple of bites of the kids’ food here and there but certainly not falling off the wagon standards.
I’m not feeling hungry any more either but still getting that feeling of ‘I want to eat something’. I know that’s just emotional and not real hunger but I’m finding having one of the STW snacks or even just a couple of grapes helps.
I also started doing so yoga on Tuesday – I’m just following some videos on YouTube but I’m really enjoying it. I’ve done it every evening since I started. I’ve also found some kid’s yoga on YouTube that we’ve done a couple of times – Toby and Gabe seemed to enjoy it so I’m going to try and keep that up with them as well.
On the whole I’m feeling quite positive about it all at the moment. We’ll see what Tuesday’s weigh in brings but I feel like I’m really ready to make the right changes this time…we shall see.
Gabe is 22 and a half months old, and I don’t want to shout to loudly about it, but his sleep seems to finally be improving. In fact as I write this he has slept all night, in his own bed, until at least 6:30 am for four nights in a row! Unfortunately he didn’t make it to five nights but this is very much new territory for Gabe. Everyone expects a lot of sleepless nights when they have a new baby, but when that baby gets to 6, 12, then 18 months old and they still aren’t sleeping it gets harder and harder, so how do you cope if your toddler doesn’t sleep?
I’m going to start this post by saying I only have one piece of advice to give you, and I pretty much guarantee it will work. It may not be the advice that you want to hear but after having two babies who became toddlers who didn’t sleep it is the only thing I know that will help. Read more
So a small introduction first… the day after my 39th birthday I embarked on my plan to be fit by 40. The first stage is to lose the 2 and a half stone of extra weight I’m carrying. I don’t just want to be thinner though, I want to be fitter and more healthy too. When I started just over a month ago I started writing a diary for myself. Not every day and just a few notes on how I was feeling, how things were going and basically just something to encourage me to be mindful and stay on track. I wasn’t initially planning on publishing it on my blog but I’m a month in and I thought it might actually be a good idea. There’ll a couple of catch up posts first, so here are the start of my weight loss diaries, Days 0 -13…
Finished the last of the birthday Maltesers and birthday cake, the diet/ lifestyle change starts tomorrow. Starting weight 13st 3lb. Read more
I originally wrote this post back in 2015 but I’ve had quite a few friends recently who have had abnormal smear test results requiring further investigation or treatment and so I though it might be worth sharing it again...
I recently got a letter advising me it was time for me to have another smear test. As I’m pregnant at the moment I have to wait until three months after the baby is born but I wanted to write a bit about why I was being called for a smear test just 6 months after I had the last one, and what had happened in between. I know this isn’t the kind of thing everyone likes to talk (or read) about but I hope that sharing my experience might encourage other women to make sure they get regular smear tests, and so set their minds at rest if the results do come back as abnormal. Read more
Although Toby has been going to nursery since he was 13 months old he has only ever been to one birthday party…until the last couple of weeks. Last weekend was his first soft play party, today we went to a bouncy play centre and tomorrow it’s Princesses and Superheroes in the local community centre! Toby has been having a great time with his friends but as a parent, how do I survive a preschool birthday party??
Because the boys go to private nursery there hasn’t been any dropping of or picking up a the school gates and so I haven’t really got to know any of the other parents. I did meet a few at the induction meeting for Toby’s new primary school that I went to a few weeks ago. All three of the children who are having these parties are going to the same school as Toby in September so I thought it would be good for him to go, and also an opportunity to get to know some of the school mums and dads that I’ll be sharing the school gate with for the next seven years!
Last week though was quite a struggle for me (Toby had a great time!) as all the other parents seemed to know each other and I found it difficult to try and make conversation. So in an effort to make this weekend a bit less uncomfortable I did what any mum would do in 2017 and I took to Facebook to ask some of my fellow bloggers what their top tips were for surviving a preschool birthday party, and here’s what they had to say.
There are some great suggestions to make it a bit more bearable…
Lots of coffee to nurse! (And maybe my kindle)
Stacey, Stacey in the Sticks
Chat to the other parents, you might have something in common even if it’s just hate for party bag gifts!
Jen, Just Average Jen
Use it as an excuse to chat to the other mums, it’s nice to get to know them away from the (pre)school gates! Oh and bribe your child to behave. Of course.
Fran, Whinge Whinge Wine
Ask the host if there’s anything you can do to help – dish out juice/hand out coffee/round up the kids for the cake – all good ice breakers.
Samantha, North East Family Fun
Can’t argue with you. It’s tough! Short of gluing a satanic smile on my face, I often struggle with preschool parties. Remembering that most of the other parents feel the same way provides some comfort. Good luck!
Alex, Dad F.C.
We offer to be the designated photographers usually (granted we are pros) but it usually keeps us busy and the parents all want to see the pictures afterwards. Obviously you need to check with the host that all parents are happy for their kid to be photographed but we have yet to have an issue. And it means you can get pictures of birthday kids parents with them which they might not get if they had to take photos at the party. Also if its in a play centre you’ll find me in the middle of the jungle gym or on a slide, I’m a big kid at heart!!
Chantele, Two Hearts One Roof
Wait until he starts school the parties really ramp up! It’s a great chance to see your child interacting with their friends. Plus it’s not always easy to chat to parents in the school playground. So, this is a chance to get to know them. I hate making small talk, but I really push myself and now parties are a bit easier as I can have a coffee and a chat.
Laura, Dear Bear and Beany
Fake it until you make it. Act like you are absolutely comfortable, ask the other parents questions about their kids then act like their reply (and their kid) is fascinating after a few you don’t need to act and hopefully someone will ask you something back.
Like the advice those dating gurus give but thankfully you only have to see this lot for a couple of hours every few weeks as opposed to make a life with them.
Caroline, Sprog on the Tyne
Don’t turn up late like we always do! If you’re early you can grab the best seats either in the middle of everyone so you don’t look like a lemon without a seat or if you prefer the seats on their own so you don’t have to mingle!
Heidi, Southern Mummy
A few people suggested taking something with you to do so you can look busy…
I’d just do some work on my phone if I didn’t know anyone and no one seemed interested in talking . I’ve been to a lot like this now. Now my daughter is in school there’s a party every other week!
Victoria, Lylia Rose
Take some work with you, then if it does get cliquey you can look very busy!
Victoria, Mummy Times Two
And there were quite a few people who suggested the best way to get through preschool birthday parties is just to remember they stop almost as soon as they’ve started…
Remember it doesn’t last forever! For the first couple of years at school/nursery Charlie had so many parties but they soon tail off. There is light at the end of a sweaty tunnel!
Beth, Twinderelmo
There is an age for a magic ‘drop and run’, usually at 5, when you can go home or sit in a cafe nearby. Lots of parents actually encourage it as parties with all the parents can get so stressful when they get to school and start doing bigger parties so think, ‘it’s not forever’ to help get you through.
Louise, Pink Pear Bear
Once they’re older they’re great because it’s 2 hours of free babysitting – yes I’m the mother who drops and runs! Also, if you see toys on offer stock up for presents.
Jenny, Midwife and Life
And of course there’s always the option to just not bother!
I avoid kids parties as much as humanly possible! Oh no, turns out we have plans that day…
Nyomi, nomipalony
Or if it gets really desperate…
A hip flask!
Aby, You Baby Me Mummy
Actually yesterday’s party was much better for me that last week’s – there weren’t quite as many people there so I found it a bit easier to chat to the other parents. One more to go this afternoon and then I think that might be it until the school parties start. We’re only having a party for family and close friends for Toby so at least I don’t have to endure a preschool birthday party as a host!
Do you have any other top tips for surviving a preschool birthday party? Please do leave me a comment and let me know if you have.
Way back in March I was tagged by Lynette at Reclusive Fox to answer Vogue’s 73 Questions. Well, I’ve finally got round to doing it! Rather than just sit in front of the camera to ask and answer the questions myself I roped Barry in to help. And to hopefully make it a bit more interesting I decided to film it over seven nights while I was eating my tea!
So if you want to hear my answers to the 73 questions, and see what I ate for a week then please do have a watch below. And yes, one of the meals was turkey dinosaurs and chips – don’t judge me!