The Ordinary Moments #2: Enjoying my son

I feel like things are difficult at the minute. I can't put my finger on it, but we have issues with the step-daughter's mum at the minute being a complete idiot, Charlie still isn't sleeping well, lots of things that need to be bought or paid for, we have lots on every single weekend up until the end of June and then of course, the stress that comes with my job. Hubby and I are shouting at each other a lot and whilst it's nothing serious, everything just feels hard.

On Saturday, I mentioned we were going to the Manx Youth Games with the step-daughter, who was competing in the Crown Green Bowling event. Whilst we were there, hubby took the photos below without me knowing and then edited them and put them in a collage for me. It's simple things like this that make me appreciate him, but also Charlie. He captured a beautiful moment for us. I was walking him around the bowling green as he was getting a bit bored. I think the picture that shows us walking hand in hand, is just beautiful. Whilst he can walk pretty well for a 14 month old, he is only just starting to walk outside and this was us practising, together. The other one is just Charlie being a cool dude wearing his cousin's sunglasses!

It just reminds me to appreciate all the little, ordinary moments.

Review: Cosatto Supa Stoller Fox Trott

I don't generally do reviews on here. But, hubby and I bought Charlie a new stroller the other week. I loved our Silvercross pram, but it is heavy and bulky and now Charlie is a little older it is really hard for me to push it around with him in it. I am only 5ft and the pram is a beast. Add all the paraphernalia you have to carry around too and it just becomes a nightmare! So, we felt it was time for a buggy or stroller.

Since becoming a mum, I have lusted after various prams and pushchairs, but I always came back to the Cosatto Supa Stroller, mainly because of the range of patterns, it has to be admitted. But when I went to try it out, I could not believe how lightweight it was compared to the Silvercross 3D and also how much I fell in love with it.

So here is a review for the Cosatto Supa Stroller. I should state, I have not been asked to write this,  nor did I receive the stroller for free! But I couldn't help but share my love for this stroller.

The first thing anyone would notice about this stroller is the design. I went for the Fox Trott design, but it comes in a whopping 7 other different designs, girly ones, boy ones and unisex ones.  Just click here for the full range of patterns. I nearly chose the Monster design, but in the end I couldn't resist the fox, it's just so cute.

The stroller is suitable from birth and has a newborn insert with headrest, so I felt that, if we did decide to have another baby, which is unlikely, then we wouldn't have to fork out again for a pram (as I am selling the Silvercross). It also comes with a fully reversible and detachable Cosy Toes which is again, coordinated in the theme of the pram and also includes a little Kangaroo pouch for small fingers! I am trying to teach Charlie how to use the kangaroo pouch, as he doesn't seem to get it yet. It's a great feature though, as he won't wear gloves. On hot days you can completely unzip the cosy toes front zip liner so that you are just left with a normal (super smart!) liner. The inside of the hood has a gorgeous matching pattern of foxes too and the shoulder pads also have a little fox on them which I think just really finishes it off. It's the small attention to detail like this that put the Supa in a class of its own.

In terms of functionality, this stroller really does excel. It has an extendable hood which can be used as a sunshade, so no need to attach those flimsy parasols which break at the first sign of a breeze. What I thought was very funky, was that in the hood there is a gadget pocket so you can put your tablet in to play music or let your child watch something from the comfort of their pram. The stroller also has an integrated speaker so you can plug your device into the speakers as well. How cool??!  In addition, there is also a drinks holder. I craved a drinks holder with the Silvercross and although I could have bought one to attach, I just never got around to it. I think all prams or strollers etc should have a drinks holder!

Of course it has the essentials, like lockable front swivel wheels, a calf support for baby's legs and it also has a free standing feature when it is folded. Although I doubt I will ever use this feature, as it's either in the boot folded or in the garage set up. But if you did want to store it in your hallway for example, then it will stand up on its own when folded. It is quite compact when folded too, although not as compact as other strollers. However, when I looked at similar, cheaper strollers, without some of the added extras, as nice as they were, they still felt cheap and plastic looking to me; I wanted our stroller to be super smart.  I find I can have a boot full of shopping and just slot the pushchair in easily, as it's much less bulky than others. The Silvercross didn't have the freestanding feature and it was actually quite annoying at times, especially when trying to get it in the boot, it would just fall over, very clumsily, whilst you were putting your shopping in the boot.  The stroller also comes with height adjustable handles, although I find this is the only negative - I am very small and the handles do not adjust low enough to my height. But as it is so lightweight I can live with that.  I've turned into a pram snob I know, but I wanted something smart looking, whilst still being lightweight and compact. Also, a big plus for me, is the fact that the fabric part is completely removable for washing. Strollers get dirty with little biscuit fingers and so I think this is definitely a plus for me.

All in all, I love this stroller and Charlie seems to too! He has had a couple of naps in it and I think he likes how he isn't as constricted as he was with his pram. He's probably too big now for the head rest so I am going to remove that and stow it away, just in case. I am really happy that we went for this one and I think it looks so smart too!

Love The Little Things, Week 20

Here we are again. I can't believe how quick this week has actually gone! It only feels like yesterday when I was writing last week's post.

Anywho, here is what I've been loving this week:

Read

I am STILL reading The Mystery Of Mercy Close. I know I was reading this two weeks ago, but it's a very large book and I have a 14 month old! The only time I manage to read anything is in the bath, or if I'm really lucky when I get in bed. But I'm normally that tired by the time I crash into bed that I can't focus on reading. However, this book is wonderful; a bit dark I think at times, but witty and definitely a page turner! 

Heard 

I've done better this week with what I've been listening to. I've made an effort and here is what's on my play list:

John Legend - All Of Me

Beyonce - Drunk In Love

Rita Ora - I will Never Let You Down

Cee Lo Green - Scream

Watched 

Finally managed to sit down and watch some TV this week! It was the return of Deadliest Catch on Discovery on Monday. The hubby had made me upgrade our Sky subscription last week, just so we could watch this! I do really like this program, but it's costing me an extra £7 a month to watch haha! If you don't know it, it's about a group of crab fishing boats up in the Bereing Sea. That makes it sound dull as anything, but I assure you, I felt the same and then I was converted after a couple of episodes! 

Wore 

Oh my goodness, I bought the most amazing jeggings ever! They are super soft and stretchy and don't dig into my belly after about an hour of wearing them! I bought them from Next and whilst not that cheap at £24 for jeggings, they are really fabulous! They have them in lots of colours so I may have to get them in a different colour!

Made 

As you might remember, I bought the Hairy Bikers Great Curries book the other week. So last weekend I made one of the curries out of it. I made the Chicken Makhani (butter chicken). It was delicious! A bit of a faff to make, as there was various stages to it - the marinade, the sauce, grilling the chicken, making the sauce etc, but it was all worth it. I didn't get a shot of the finished curry, but here it is bubbling away!

And finally...

There are various things I am looking forward to this weekend; Tonight is the first BBQ of the season, so I can't wait for that. Keeping it simple with burgers, sausages, cheesy jackets and salad. Might do something more elaborate next weekend. Then, tomorrow is the Manx Youth Games and the step-daughter is participating in the Crown Green Bowling event, representing the North of the Island. It's a really big event on the Isle of Man calendar. She did it last year as well but as we lived in a different part of the Island back then so she represented the West. The North won last year, so we have high hopes haha. Also hoping though, that her mother doesn't ruin the day for us like she did last year, kicking off at us there! Then, hubby is out tomorrow night so I am looking forward to sitting down with wine and The Great Gatsby! And then on Sunday, chill out and make a lovely roast dinner!

As ever, if you want to join in, go along to Butwhymummywhy and join in with the linky. 

The Ordinary Moments #1 (Week 19)

For the first time on this blog, I am joining in with Mummy Daddy Me's The Ordinary Moments.

Sometimes, it's hard to remember to enjoy those ordinary, everyday things and focus on the big things, like holidays and treats etc. But every day, especially as a parent, is special. Children are always doing funny things and making us smile.

Charlie loves swings now he's a bit older. We have one in the garden, which (unfortunately!) he can see from the patio doors. He can't yet say 'swing' but he makes a noise which sounds similar and points at it, obviously trying to say he wants to go on it.We have to shut the curtains sometimes as he gets a bit obsessed and then starts screaming if we don't take him out on it. He doesn't understand that it's peeing down and we will get drenched!

As a parent there are good days and bad days. At the moment, we are unfortunately having more of the bad days as Charlie is going through a funny phase; he won't eat his dinner and he won't go to bed or stay asleep. When we pick him up at 4pm he tends to cry on and off until he finally goes to bed at god knows what time. The last few weeks have been tense and stressful, we're running off little sleep and I feel like he doesn't enjoy being with us. I know that's not the case as he is so happy to see us at 4pm, but I just don't want him crying all the time in the evening. I really hope it's just a phase and perhaps he's getting more teeth.

However, there are of course, moments where he is his usual self, especially when he is on a swing. These moments make everything OK. So what if he is being grumpier than usual? So what if he isn't sleeping on his own? It's wonderful to have a tiny little body snuggle up close to you in the middle of the night. And I have to remember that it won't last forever. One day, he won't step foot in a park when he's older and too 'cool.'

Love The Little Things, Week 19

This week has seemed like a really short one at school because of the bank holiday - yey! So I can't believe we are already on to another week of Love The Little Things.

As always, if you want to link up, then go along to butwhymummywhy and join the linky. 

Read

I bought a new cook book last week off Amazon and it arrived on Tuesday.  It's the Hairy Bikers Great Curries book and I only paid £4.29 for the hardback version! I'm always buying books off Amazon and this time decided to click the new and used section. They had this, which said it had been used but was in good condition and as it was so much cheaper I decided to try it. The book arrived in almost perfect condition! So I have been reading this a lot this week and once again have marked out loads of curries and side dishes that I intend to make. It really is a good curry book; lots of different types of curries, rice, sides and sweet things as well as a section on how to make curry for a crowd!

I also really enjoyed reading Sian's blog post about how motherhood changed her. I think it's different for women then men when they have children. The woman's life (in my opinion) changes more than her husband or partner's does. I found myself thinking about how my life had changed, but of course, for the better. 

Watched

Hmm, not doing well on the watched part again. Haven't really watched anything remotely interesting besides Britain's Got Talent. I have to admit, I do really like this show. My favourite act from last Saturday were the all male swing group. 

Wore

As you know, I made a few purchases last week for my Spring/Summer wardrobe, so I have been wearing these shoes to death. They are actually really hard to break in and are rubbing quite a bit! But I'm hoping that once they soften up they will be OK. I still  love them though!

Heard

Charlie is really blabbering away now all the time, in fact he hardly shuts up! I have taught him to sing and he now sings 'lalala' all the time. He sings in the car especially, but he will sing a long to a song that comes on the radio. It's very cute and he looks really pleased with himself when he does it!

Made

OK, this doesn't count really, but the hubby made this last night:

Sausage, mash and onion gravy! Mmmm! It's such a treat to have my dinner made for me and I am useless at making mash. It was really yummy. 

And lastly, this half term is going really fast. We only have three more weeks until we break up and in our school the last week of this half term we have Bank holiday on the Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are exam week and Friday is an INSET and we only have to come in until lunch time! So it seems a very short little half term. I am looking forward to the weather warming up and also, our half term in the Isle of Man coincides with TT, which you may or may not have heard about. Basically TT stands for Tourist Trophy and it's a massive motorcycle race. It's famous and people from all over the world start arriving on our Island very soon. The Island becomes jam packed and there is such as buzz all over - it's something so different. So am looking forward to that and a week off again! 

See you for next week's #Littleloves 

Recipe Time: Paella

When I looked at the recipes I had blogged, I couldn't believe I hadn't blogged this one! I was sure I had, but I cannot find it!

I got the recipe from my Aunty who got it when she went on a paella cooking course in Spain. So it's pretty authentic. It's not a fishy one as the hubby isn't keen on prawns. So I just use chicken. It really is delicious too. We have this at least twice a month! It's also very moreish and I could eat the whole pan if Tom would let me!

Ingredients:

1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Cup full of peas
1 clove of garlic
5-6 fresh tomatoes, chopped (and de-seeded)
150g chorizo
1-2 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 litre veg stock
300g paella rice (or you could also use risotto rice)
Lemon

Method:

Dead easy by the way. Put about a tablespoon of oil in a wide frying pan and heat. Add the chicken and the chorizo and let the chicken brown a little. Then add all the veg and stir around for a few minutes. Next add the rice and about 1/2 of the stock. Stir and then add the garlic and turmeric. Add more stock if you think it looks a bit dry  - you want the ingredients resting in liquid. Cook on a medium heat for about 20-30 minutes, keep checking it as you don't want the rice to start sticking to the pan. You may need to add more stock half way through.

Once the rice feels cooked, serve into bowls and squeeze a bit of lemon over each bowl - definitely worth doing this bit, it definitely adds something to the flavour!

Easy peasy and so so yummy.

Love The Little Things, Week 18

I am linking up again with butwhymummywhy here for Love The Little Things. If you want to join in just go along to her blog and join the linky.

So this week I have:

Read

Over the Easter holidays, Charlie and I joined the local library in our new town. I say new, we have lived here since September! So I took out two books. The first was The Mystery Of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes. I absolutely adore her books and love them when they follow the different members of the Walshe family. This book is no exception and so far I am loving it. It's very different and very intriguing! The story is told from Helen's perspective as she loses her house and has to move back in with her parents. She is a PI and is hired by her ex boyfriend to track down a missing member of the 'Laddz' boy band.

The second book I took out was The Hairy Biker's Asian Adventure. I have put sticky notes on about 50 of the recipes in this book! They all look so amazing. Watch out for Instagram pictures, no doubt.

Watched

Again, not really watched very much this week. Hubby always has the sport on of an evening, so I find myself watching Darts, Football or Bikes! However, with my Year 7 class we are reading Matilda by Roald Dahl, so I decided to treat them and let them watch the film!

Wore

Check out my Spring/Summer fashion post here to see what I have been wearing this week! I love my Asos plimsolls! I had tried to buy them about a month ago, but my size wasn't available. I think I checked every day to see if they were back in stock and was so happy when they finally were!

Heard

Lots this week! You may have seen on Instagram, that Charlie has a new pushchair and it has speakers in it! So I have been popping my iPhone into it whilst Charlie and I have our evening stroll. He's still obsessed with Happy so I am playing that a lot, but I have been rediscovering Adele's 21 album.

Made

The only remotely exciting thing I made this week was this yummy roast! I feel like we've eaten junk this week as had so much on after work every day.

And lastly, I am looking forward to this weekend; it's a bank holiday! On Saturday we are taking the step-daughter and Charlie to a park which as boats on a lake and games and rides etc. On Sunday, Tom is helping out at a pub so Charlie and I are going to chill out with a film and do a spot of cleaning. We will then walk to meet Daddy and maybe have a little drink in the beer garden if it's nice! Monday's plans are yet to be decided, but it will be just hubby, me and Charlie so we will do something lovely just the three of us.

Also, how cute is my little man here. Just chilling in Mummy's bed.