Monday 26 August 2013

What on earth happened?

As I sit here, on the eve of my daughters' tenth birthday, I wonder. Wonder how lucky I am to have such wonderful kids. Not just one but four wonderful kids. I wonder what they'll be like in the future, I wonder how much they'll change in the next few years, I wonder how T has survived until her tenth birthday! I'm only joking about the last one, she's a pain and has a terrible attitude but I wouldn't change her for the world. Okay, well maybe a little!

People did warn me about girls. C was such a loving baby, I thought T would be too. No chance! Well, she is when she wants something or when C or J is being naughty to creep! I just hope she's calms down a bit before the fun of teenage years, PMT and all that in between! I think the boys will pack up and leave if they have to cope with three hormonal women! I'm bad enough on my own!

Today I found an old picture of C and T. I think T was about 1 in this picture so C is 3. It shows what their personalities were like so well. They played together, always smiling - what on earth happened?





Saturday 24 August 2013

OXO Tot Sippy cup set review

A couple of weeks back, we were sent a lovely OXO Tot Sippy cup set to review. As you know, Baby B is currently loving his solids, and I've been looking for a cup he can use for his juice, instead of his bottle.



This cup is brilliant because it grows with baby. You can use it as a sippy cup with handles whilst they are learning to grip, a sippy cup without handles when they get to that "independent" stage, a cup with a plastic bit in to limit the flow of liquid for when they're learning to not tip it straight up and the contents going all over their face, and a normal cup.









Mummy is a big fan! I love things that last and grow with the kids. This cup is really ideal for anyone weaning their baby - until it becomes "uncool" to use the same cup they have for years! Because of the extra bits, that's exactly what this cup can do! Be used for years. Even C at 12 years old had a try of it but was too camera shy!!

 

Baby B seemed to be a fan too! The only problem we had was that it was too heavy for his little arms to lift at the moment, but that will change as his muscles get stronger - he will soon be able to lift it! He had a good go at lifting it though, and he didn't do too badly. He even managed to chuck it out of his pushchair a couple of times. So, with not a mark on it, the cup certainly passed our durability test! With J's history of broken bottles, cups, plates - this is an absolute must!!

We've been using it everyday since receiving it and are so pleased with it!

Want to try one for yourself? Head on over to http://www.oxouk.com/s-218-cups.aspx - the cup comes in aqua (as above), green or pink at a bargain price of £10.21. Think of how much you spend each year replacing cups as your baby grows - this cup will last forever! There is also a range of other cups and accessories all used for the important stage of weaning - and the funniest, I love seeing babies trying to feed themselves and getting it everywhere except their mouths!

Thanks OXO Tot for an absolutely awesome cup for Baby B :)





Disclaimer: I received the OXO Tot sippy cup set for free but all views are my own and 100% honest. I have not been paid for this article.

Thursday 22 August 2013

Bump to adult.... and all that in between....

The feelings. The expectations. The not-knowing. The old wives tales. The rumours. The constant change of "guidelines".

How, in this day and age, are parents supposed to be the best they can when things change constantly?

A few posts ago, I questioned the best time for weaning. Baby B is almost 22 weeks now, and really enjoying his solids! He has almost a full jar and a 9oz bottle at dinner! He really is a little greedy guts!

22 weeks. The time has flown by. Too fast in fact. It seems only yesterday I was sat sobbing at the very thought of having four mouths to feed, four running rings around me, four lots of birthdays, Christmases, need I go on?!

Baby B has been teething for what seems months! And all that's come of it, so far, is more dribbles, more cries and more washing of soaked tops and bibs! The others seemed to cut the first teeth a little quicker than Baby B, C almost had a full set of teeth just after 6 months!

And there's me rambling on again! Back to the subject matter.

Nothing really readies you for parenthood. While there are hundreds, probably thousands, of books you can read, sites you can browse, millions of other parents you can listen to their version - it will never QUITE make you ready to be a parent. You know what? I don't even think after four children that I know everything! (But if him indoors asks, I do know it all!)

Things are so different - between boys and girls, between 2000 (when C was born) and 2013. Even between now and 1984, my birth year. Conversations with my nan confirm that things were very different back in the 1950s and 1960s when she was bringing her children up! Go back even further.... you get the picture!

So, what I can't understand, is why parents are trying to live up to what other people "think" is right?! As long as your baby is happy, healthy and loved, what does it matter when they *should* be crawling, when they *should* be walking? I'm known to not give a monkeys about guidelines for walking, for instance. When my kids are ready, they'll walk. I've never forced them, same with potty training. I bought them a potty, but never made them sit on it for hours.

What do you think?



Saturday 17 August 2013

The power of Social Media?

I start this post off with an apology. This is a very sensitive subject and my thoughts and condolences are with all involved. Please think carefully about any comments you wish to add and I will be moderating any left. This post is being written to express my feelings about the subject, not the case which I mention. So, I apologise for any offence, it is not meant to offend, but I realise that you can't see my facial expressions as I type this, or hear the tone in which it's supposed to be read. I am actually very upset over this from experience and if I had one wish I would use it to get rid of all bullying - no matter what type!

 It's been all over the news today. In fact, it's been all over the news for a few weeks now. And, in my opinion, it should be over the news everyday. What is "it"? The power of social media, websites, the internet!

Today was the funeral of 14-year-old Hannah Smith. She was a victim of cyber-bullying. Watching the news report today, I had tears in my eyes. For Hannah, for her parents, for her family, for victims everywhere. It brought back memories of watching the Amanda Todd video, where she holds cards up describing what had happened and what she was feeling not long before she committed suicide aged 16. Watching that video had me in tears for hours. It was so emotional, and I had hoped that it had a happy ending, It didn't.

It is said that every human, at one point in their life, goes through some sort of bullying. In the playground, in the park, on the way home from school, at work - it doesn't matter what age or location - bullying HURTS! Maybe if you've never been a victim of bullying, have you been the bully? Making fun of someone because they are "different"? Pushing someone over in the playground because they weren't your friend? Maybe even just calling someone names? It's all bullying, and it all hurts the person it's happening to!

I was bullied as a child. Called names because I never had the Nike trainers or the Adidas tracksuit! My hair was pulled because I had it in a french plait and the girl who did it was jealous! I was even kicked in the back on my way home from high school because one girl didn't like that I walked home the same way as her. I was quite timid as a child, so never stood up for myself. Maybe that was why I was picked on? Who knows! I look back at it now and think "At least while they were targeting me, they left someone else alone."

The difference from back then, I'm 29 now so do the math ;), is now the "tools" available for bullies.

Back in 1991 - the first incident of bullying (french plait girl), there was no internet. No screen for her to hide behind, no Facebook to spread vicious rumours. I'm not saying that she would have, but who knows! She bullied me right through until she left high school age 14 - I don't even know the reason she left, but still felt sorry for her, after everything she had put me through!

Today we have some amazing technology at our fingertips. We have computers and laptops to access web pages and messengers. Common messengers such as MSN, Skype, Yahoo and the like. IPads that you can use to "Facetime" with others - basically video chat! Blackberry messenger - does the same as MSN and Yahoo but through the phone. To be honest, I have no idea just how many of these things exist! I do use Facetime, nothing like seeing your nieces and nephews face on there, or relatives that live half-way across the world, but that's pretty much it!

I've noticed an influx of children using Skype to talk to their friends - gone are the days that kids meet in the park or town to catch up on gossip. Now they do it all online.

I'm actually worried. Worried for the day that C or T ask if they can use the iPad to Facetime one of their friends, or if they can sign up to Skype so they can use it, like many other kids. Why am I worried? Because I know what people can be capable of. We've seen it in the news this week! I don't want to be the mum that's "boring" because I won't allow them, or the "mean" mum because I insist on sitting by their side whilst they Skype or Facetime so I can check they are (1) behaving and (2) being nice to others.

That's a dilemma for parents. Yet, do all parents understand what goes on? I highly doubt it! Come on, admit it, how many of you would know how to use the parental controls on your PC or laptop? How many of you understand Skype, the messengers, or even know what your kids do when they go on their phones or iPods? In fact, anything that can connect to the internet? My mother wouldn't have a clue, and she's not that old!

As more and more kids are using the internet, I feel that parents need to be educated in how to use it and make it safe for their kids!

Back to Hannah's story. The last few weeks she's been in the news, for the wrong reasons. It's been reported that she was bullied on Ask.Fm - a site I've never used but have heard of. You sign up and then can ask questions, anonymously, to pretty much anyone on the site. Kids share their question page to their facebook or twitter accounts so their friends can ask them questions without their identity being known. Just having a browse at what type of questions being asked is quite horrifying!

I clicked on a random picture at the bottom of the page where it says "See who's here" - straight away, the last question she was asked shocks me and sends shivers down my spine! I'm actually appalled that someone would ask anyone this question online, yet here they are asking a 13-year-old what she's like in bed. And she answers them! I mean, wow, I cannot even explain how I feel! I'm so shocked. Why are these sites allowed?

But people are quick to blame the sites. Yes, they should have rules that members should stick to, and if they don't they will be dealt with accordingly. I think there should be a minimum age limit of at least 16 for any social media page - Facebook, twitter, Ask.Fm whatever! I understand that's hard to police, but it could be done! I have read a few times this week that Ask.Fm will be doing an audit on it's site and the safety features, which has come a little too late in my opinion, but are they to take 100% of the blame? I mean, someone sat in front of a screen is actually guilty of typing those questions, comments, the bullying! Yet, I've heard nothing about them being sought.

How easy is it to type something. I hate the colour black! There, I just wrote something horrible. It might not offend you but if the colour black had feelings I'm sure it would be pretty upset right now. (I don't actually hate the colour black by the way!) That's how easy it is to type it. And on a messenger, forum, social network, once you've typed it - that's it. It's out there. Yes, you can delete it, but how many people have seen it?

What can we do?
The fight against bullying is an on-going one. It has been for years and probably will be for years to come. I'm scared about what my children could go through, I worry about what is said to the girls in school, and now J starts in September, my worry will only increase! I just hope that I've brought them up well enough for them to feel safe enough to tell me if anything is wrong. I hope that if they start to use these sites or messengers, they will feel safe knowing that they can tell me anything. But it doesn't stop me from worrying.

I guess that's just what being a parent is.

R.I.P. Hannah, Amanda, and everyone who has been bullied and not strong enough to beat them. May you all be at peace now.


For information about bullying see http://www.beatbullying.org/ and http://www.bullying.co.uk/

Thanks for taking the time to read and again I apologise if I caused any offence. It truly wasn't meant.







Thursday 15 August 2013

I'm Spinning Around: The Latest Washing Machine Technology Explained

I love my washing machine! Having four children makes it essential that I have one that does the job properly! As the family has grown, so has the drum size. Until recently, I had a lovely big 9kg drum. It meant I could wash my double duvet with no worries - and I love sinking into a bed with clean bedding on, don't you? Unfortunately, my beloved 9kg died, so I've had to put up with a smaller 7kg since. But it does the job, so won't complain!

Browsing the internet looking for our ideal machine, I am suprised at how advanced the technology is becoming! I found one that basically irons your clothes! There's even talk of machines being controlled by smartphone apps! That's one I would use the most I think, the amount of times I've gone out and forgotten to press go on the machine!

What about when things go wrong? My 9kg machine, for example, just stopped working one day. I didn't know what was wrong, until I opened it up (I do not suggest you do this!) and seen the motherboard was knackered! It could have been easier if I had used a smart washer app (available for Samsung) - you just use your phone camera to scan an error pattern on the display and it tells you what's wrong! How amazing and easy is that?!

Now I just need one to cook and clean the house too and I'll be very happy!

After a new machine? Why not take a look on http://www.electricaldiscountuk.co.uk/ - they have a massive range of all electrical equipment you may need, and it's cheap too! At some point, we'll all have to replace an appliance, keep this page bookmarked for that time and don't forget to pass it on to friends and family!





This post was sponsored :)

You expect me to what??!!

We see it almost everyday on the news and in magazines. I'm not really sure how it could be classed as news, but seeing as things such as the marrow that weighed 8 stone, I sometimes wonder if there is a deficit of real news!

This "news" is about post-pregnancy weight loss.

You all seen it right? It was all over Twitter, people were annoyed, angry, upset. Katy Hill blogged about it. The Ok Magazine cover released one day after Kate Middleton gave birth. Yep, ONE DAY!

Now, anyone who knows me personally, will know how I feel about "The Royals". All the fuss, constant stream of updates through different media, the fact that it seemed we HAD to know what she was wearing everyday, how big her bump was, whether it was a boy or a girl, what their name was going to be - I mean, why? Ok, the first few months were the same with me when I was pregnant (not so much all over the news and social networks mind!) but people soon changed to asking "Haven't you had it yet?", which upset me more ways than one, for starters - he wasn't an it! He was my baby! But my point is - I didn't need or want to know what Kate was doing / wearing at any point in her pregnancy.

Millions of women give birth every year. I'll admit, I smiled when the papers confirmed the baby was healthy and when Kate's pregnancy was going well after the awful start. And I gave a little "Aww" - ok, I lie, it was a big "Awwwwwww" when Baby George was shown on TV. I'm very glad the birth went well and mum and baby were both fine.

Then we had the tweets, posts, articles about how amazing she looked less than 24 hours after the birth. Wouldn't you be if you had a personal hairdresser / makeup artist / who knows how many other people to help her achieve this look! I remember laughing at my midwife when she came to check on myself and Baby B about 3 hours after his birth, she said I didn't even look like I'd just had a baby! Yet I was led on the hospital bed, trying to get a few minutes sleep, my hair was scraped up in a wet bun, no makeup on my face (I don't wear it that often anyway), not even my toenails were painted! I felt a state but didn't care! My little bundle was asleep by my side. That was all that mattered!

The day after Baby B was born, we were out and about. People asked if I was superwoman, why was I out so soon, if I really was a human. I felt ok in myself, so made the most of the dry weather by going for walks along the canal with the kids.

I've enjoyed every minute so far, and the one thing that I'm not in any rush to do is lose weight! I'll do that in my own time and at my own speed. I don't care what others think of me, all I care is that my children and healthy and happy. I'm not overly massive. I'm tall, so carry my weight a little better, but admit I do need to lose a bit. But I will do that when I'm ready, not when magazines, papers, social networks and the like tell me I should!

Why do people get so obsessed by weight or how they look? I've told my girls enough times that pictures in magazines are normally airbrushed so to take no notice of what so-and-so looks like today. My eldest seems to understand and, even though she's reaching her teens, she doesn't seem so bothered that she has a little belly. My youngest girl, who's 10 next week, sometimes says "I want to look like her when I get older" - talking about some celebrity. I really hope she grows up thinking like her sister, they are both beautiful girls, and I tell them this everyday.

Do you have girls, or boys, that are self-conscious about their weight? Or what did you think about the whole Kate-Ok-weight loss saga?



Saturday 10 August 2013

The end is in sight....... And a positive outcome!

Just a quick post from me for now. I have some great news!

The kitchen and bathroom are almost finished! On the 5th week anniversary of the day they started, I've been told it should be finished by tomorrow. Looking at them now, they look finished anyway, but there's two jobs left to do. The strip light in the kitchen needs to go up and the radiator in the bathroom needs to be reconnected.. I'm so, so happy about this and can finally look forward to getting the stuff back in the kitchen so we will have more space in the living room!

These last 5 weeks have seemed like a lifetime. And it doesn't help that the kids are home from school. They've been confined to the one room to stay out of the workers way, in the lovely weather we've had recently, they've had to stay in and be "BORED!". I just hope the weather gets a bit nicer for the weeks we have left and for our holiday at the start of September!


And an update on the photobook :)

I had an email back saying they would replace it as "a build error occurred". I am thrilled so thanks to MyMemory!

Things are finally starting to look up!



Friday 9 August 2013

Gutted!

It's Friday! Everyone's happy on Friday, right?

Nope! Not me!

The day did start off great, a nice lie-in, no workmen, and the day I get to move everything back into my kitchen, which I've done without for the last four weeks! I even managed to cook our first proper meal in it last night! Isn't is terrible that all I have wanted is my kitchen back?!

Then things changed. The manager of the workmen came. He left with a list as long as my arm with things that needed doing. Only little bits like connecting the outside tap, attaching the shower, little 30 minute jobs. But those 30 minute jobs soon add up, especially when they need doing by different people, and they could take another two weeks to complete! I feel like screaming! I managed to fill two cupboards of plates, cups and the like, so now had to remove them all again [insert sad / mad / fed up smiley face here!]

I told myself it was for the best and once it was done, that was it! So, I cheered up. For a short while....

The letter box clashed. "It's the post mummmm!" T shouted. She ran off to get it, and returned with a big, flat box. Not knowing what was in there, I studied it. It was the photobook I'd ordered from MyMemory.com - I'd won a voucher with Chat magazine and thought it'd be nice to make up a photobook for the kiddies grampy.

I'd spent hours picking, designing and customising the photos to make it right for him. I wanted to give it to him for christmas, so had to get it right. Eventually, it was ready to order. The process overall was fantastic and I was really looking forward to receiving it.

However, when I opened the parcel this morning, I was gutted! The first couple of pages were great. It looked exactly like I had designed it. Then I got to this page:
Ok, so it doesn't look that bad. Except the picture on the left has been zoomed in and half T's head cut off!
I kept flicking through.

The picture on the left here is one I took when we went out with their grampy to a local history museum. Here, they were posing with an old fountain - one their grampy had said he loved.

The picture on the right is one of Baby B's first smiles. Or supposed to be anyway.







The next page, I was absolutely devastated by now. This photobook was supposed to be something he could treasure and keep forever. Children aren't children for long, they soon grow up and these memories were supposed to be something he could look back on in years to come. All my hard work of getting the pictures right, wasted!







And then, the final blow.

I mean, as much as I love Baby B's nose and J's "Purple Minion" teeth, I did not want a picture of just them. Why was this not spotted before going to print? Why were the pictures re-sized? What am I supposed to do now?

After having a little sob, I decided to email Mymemory.com - I'll update you when I have a reply.



Wednesday 7 August 2013

A new giveaway! Win a £25 iTunes voucher!

I have another giveaway!

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to win a big prize from Kiss radio. Part of this prize was some iTunes vouchers. As most of the apps we like to play are free, we have no use for this voucher, so I'm offering it to you, my readers. All you have to do is fill in this rafflecopter below and you will be entered. The more options you complete, the more chance you have of winning! Please ensure you complete each entry fully as stated as I will check and disqualify any that don't.

Best of luck everyone!

Just a quick note to add:
A lot of you aren't completing the daily tweet properly! You need to click on "Tweet" in the Rafflecopter, when the box pops up, click "Tweet" on that too. If done correctly, it will say "Your Tweet has been posted." If you then click "View it on twitter", it will take you to your tweet, which you then have to copy and paste the link. If you're struggling with that, just go onto your Twitter profile, find the tweet, right-click the time, copy the link then paste it into the Rafflecopter box. It is really simple when you know, any queries please ask!
See Rafflecopter's explanation video here!



a Rafflecopter giveaway




Monday 5 August 2013

The fun of weaning!

The age old question.... When is the right time to wean my baby?

Over the years of my four children, the ages have changed. It's been four months, six months, nine months and now there's talk that you should wait until they are a year old to wean them.

Are they mad?

My mother weaned us when we were ready. If I remember right, she said I was on solids by three months, as were my brother and sisters. My other brother, however, was so greedy so she started him at a couple of weeks old. She breastfed us all, but it was never enough for my brother. He'd empty her, have a 9oz bottle and still be looking for more! And he wasn't a "fat" baby. He was always the average weight for his age.

I always wonder what people thought or said if my mother told them how much he ate, from a young age. For me, when I weaned J, he was about 10 weeks old. He needed more food to fill him up. So I started him on baby rice, a few spoonfuls was plenty for him. I was told not to by the health visitor, called "stupid" by other mums, yet J had no problems. He loved his food, and at four months, I moved him on to other foods, that were suitable for his age.

And now, Baby B. I started weaning him from about 12 weeks. Again, he needed it. He's now 19 weeks and loves his food! He's just tried some different flavours and seems to really like the Cow & Gate chocolate dessert!

Here he is after pinching the spoon from my hand and tried to feed himself! I think this was Grampa's Sunday Lunch!



Doing some research on what age is best for weaning has brought up so many different opinions!

According to an article on DailyMail - a study says that six months is too long, on BabyCentre an answer is given as 1 year, Bounty, Mumsnet, Hipp and NHS say pretty much the same thing.

What I wonder is, many years ago before all these "guidelines", when parents were weaning when they felt was right - how many of their children were affected by this? I mean, I'm 29 now, I've never had any problems with my digestive system as many "guidelines" suggest that will occur from early weaning, my brother (the greedy one) was to be fat, if the health visitor is to be believed - yet is 6'4", plays football, rugby, cricket, loves going to the gym, and has not one ounce of fat on his body!

Back to my kiddies. My eldest is 12, she's never had any problems either. Nor has T or J. So, it is really a problem if we wean them when we think is right?

It's funny, a few weeks back I was at the Doctors having Baby B's first injections. I got talking to a mum and dad of twins. Poor mum looked like she hadn't slept in a week and dad looked as though he hadn't shaved for as long! We got on to the subject of feeding and they were shocked when I told them that Baby B was feeding on 9oz of milk from 2 weeks old. I explained that all my children were the same, as I was unable to feed them myself, by 2 weeks old each one would drink 9oz of the hungrier baby milk.

Dad asked if that was every four hours, and looked disgusted when I told him I didn't force feed, I fed on demand. So instead of insisting they fed every 4 hours, they had it when they cried for it. Sometimes it would be about 6 hours gap, other times 3. To rub salt into the wound, I then told them how amazing the kids were at sleeping throughout the night. That's right! All four were sleeping through the night from a week old. And I believe it's because I fed them when they want!

My sister fed her son every four hours. He still wakes up through the night now and is 5 tomorrow!

So, the round it all up, I think as long as you, as a parent, feel it's the right time to wean, and your baby is ready for it - go for it! If they feed, but are still hungry, feed them some more! But never force them, and ensure that the food you are giving them is suitable - for example, no lumps.

What are your opinions? I'd love to hear what ages you weaned your children!



Sorry :(

Here we are, on yet another miserable morning. Mondays are not great at the best of times, and the weather just has to make it worse!

I need to apologise. I re-read my last post on here earlier and I felt terrible. It was honest, but maybe I should have thought more about the wording than going off on a rant! Think it could be down to lack of sleep and / or stress.

I mean, our house is busy normally anyway, but we are literally living on top of one another, and it's doing no good. The kids don't even have the space to play some games like they would - and I just want my kitchen back! I haven't been able to cook a proper meal in almost four weeks now, it's ridiculous! Instead of making the most of the glorious weather we had for a few weeks, we were stuck indoors waiting for people to not show up! And that's what irritates me the most! Why can't they call to say they won't be here? It'd take a minute at the most!

I just hope things change this week. Today started off well, the decorator knocked the door at 8.30am. So that's a start!



Sunday 4 August 2013

No #SilentSunday here....

The last few weeks I've participated in #SilentSunday. Not today, I've got too much to say, and I'll start with - I've had a gutsful!

As you know, we're having the kitchen and bathroom done. It's now going into it's fourth week, when I was promised it'd be done after 10 working days. My living room is filling to the brim of white goods and boxes filled with plates, cups, dishes, cutlery and everything else you keep in the kitchen!

On top of that, it's raining outside, and everyone knows how annoyed I get when there's no sunshine, even more so with two weeks of washing to catch up on! I can't even stick the dryer on because that's covered with boxes.

To add to another stack, C has a terrible attitude problem. It's seems to get worse as the weeks go on. When she was little, people used to say to me, "Wait until she grows up, boys are much easier!" and I never knew or understood why they would say that. Now I do! She hasn't even reached her teens yet, her PMT is worse than mine and I feel as though my throat is like sandpaper due to all the shouting matches we're having!

And the final "cherry" - Baby B is teething. His little toothys are just breaking through and they must be giving him real bad trouble, or he's realised he can annoy mummy too! I hope it's the first.

I've gotten to this point, I can't scream anymore, I've never had a day like this, I usually love having the kids home from school, but today I can't take anymore.

If you don't hear from me within a week, let the authorities know!








(PS... I'm only joking. I'm taking the kids over their nans so I can have a cuppa and some peace whilst they annoy their grampy!)



Friday 2 August 2013

The strength of smell

We've all been there, haven't we?

This week alone, I've had three separate incidents of wishing I couldn't smell!

The first, sat on the bus going into town. Hot weather + sweaty people = not very nice smells. I know I know, it's a natural thing, but I can not stand the smell of sweat. It really makes me feel sick. I am very conscious of my own scent, and make sure the girls wash and use deodorant before going anywhere!

Another time was while we went swimming on Wednesday. After swimming we were getting changed when I heard someone pass wind. They didn't excuse themselves and the smell that came creeping over and under the door was disgusting. I'd smelt better dogs doings! Heaving, I moved change rooms.

And finally, last night, Baby B was teething really badly. He settles when he's being cuddled so I picked him up from his bouncer chair and he let an almighty one rip! My goodness, I've never heard anything like it before now! And the stench - that's right, it was worse than just a smell! I swear I could even taste it at one point. Yuck!

It made me think back to a fact I had heard a few weeks back.

Moths.
"A male emperor moth can smell a female emperor moth up to 7 miles away."

Wow! Can you imagine smelling someone 7 miles away? I wouldn't want to even contemplate the smells I would smell within a 7 mile radius. Mainly because I live about 200 metres from a farm. The smells coming from there in summer, especially in this lovely heat we've been having, is sometimes unbearable. I have to shut the windows it's that bad!

Shame I don't live with vanilla or blossom growing around me - those smells I love!

What is your favourite smell? And which smells do you not like?





Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum