Stay-at-home date night ideas
When was the last time you had a date night? If you can’t remember, the chances are it’s high time you had one. On average I’d say we get a night out on our own a handful of times a year. We haven’t used a [...]
Why there should be a 10th month of pregnancy
I’ve come to the conclusion that there should, in fact, be a 10th month of pregnancy. I’m not going barmy - I do realise that nine months is quite enough thank you very much – but what I mean is that the pregnancy ‘journey’ should [...]
10 things they don’t tell you about extended breastfeeding
Everyone tells you there’s a big difference between breastfeeding a newborn and breastfeeding a toddler. But what they fail to tell you is the minutiae of what that difference actually is. Little B is 18 months old now and still fed on demand, so it [...]
#MySundayPhoto
When it comes to cakes, it's fair to say my mother-in-law knows how to make them. This is the creation she produced for my sister-in-law's 40th birthday this weekend: a quadruple-deck chocolate concoction oozing chocolate icing and jam. With a glass of champers it was [...]
An Ode to CBeebies
Parents of the land rejoice – it looks like CBeebies is safe! For now, anyway. In case you’ve been on another planet (I often feel like I am) CBeebies was under scrutiny as part of the BBC charter renewal, and when it looked like money [...]
Is ‘me-ternity’ leave a good idea?
Have you heard the one about the woman who reckons women who don’t have children should be entitled to ‘me-ternity’ leave in order to have the equivalent time 'off' work as their child-bearing colleagues? I’m loath to give her too much air time, but basically [...]
Is it possible to politely refer to a foo foo?
Yes, I am talking about front bottoms – as we also call them in our house. BB came home from school one day last week and declared, in all seriousness, that the correct name for her foo foo isn’t in fact, front bottom, it’s ‘vageeena’. [...]
#MySundayPhoto
Our local park includes a paddling pool which is filled from May to September and is the place to go if you're under five in our neck of the woods (it's best not to think about what's in it). Last year Little B was still [...]
10 signs a baby is a blogger’s child
It occurred to me, when a parcel arrived containing something for me and not for BB and she crossed her arms and stamped her foot, that there are traits peculiar to a blogger’s child which make them stand out from other children. I often hear [...]
How I doubled my Twitter following in 16 weeks
On January 1st this year I had 1,000 Twitter followers. On May 1st I crossed the 2,000 follower mark, meaning I’ve doubled my Twitter following in the space of four months, or 16 weeks. If you’re one of those people with thousands of followers the [...]
5 things you only know after 5 years of marriage
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary at the weekend. The papers have been full of coverage, and I was heartened to notice that despite having only been married for five years, and in spite of leading charmed lives owing to [...]
#MySundayPhoto
Little B turned 18 months old this weekend. To mark the occasion I've been trying to capture a photo of him in profile so that we can have a silhouette of him made. You know, like those old fashioned ones the Victorians did. We have one of [...]
The one where I had a date with Hugh Grant (sort of)
Ok so it wasn't exactly a date, owing to the fact I was on my own, and Hugh Grant wasn't actually there. But as an old editor of mine once said, never let the truth get in the way of a good story so let's [...]
Does being married make you a better parent?
Does being married make you a better parent? If the latest government report is to be believed it does. According to a study for the Department of Work and Pensions married parents are more likely to raise a ‘successful family’, and children brought up by [...]
Things you can’t do now your baby is a toddler
The other day, when I was pushing Little B in his pushchair and trying to quietly rip open a Wispa bar and eat it without him noticing, it occurred to me there are suddenly an awful lot of things you can’t do now your baby [...]
