Lisa, Author at https://babynotincluded.co.uk

Christmas Decor Hacks

13/12/201720/02/2021 Lisa 1 Comment

Christmas Decor Hacks

*This is a collaborative post

These are some fab tips, and there are loads more on the blog.

Why not take the quiz and find out How Christmassy you are. I am 69%!!

Find out what the Christmas trends for 2017 are. I wish I could be totally trendy and follow a colour scheme, but we don’t our Christmas tree and decorations are things that we’ve collected over the years.

Let us know your Christmas Decor Hacks to make Christmas that little bit easier.

Lisa

*This post was originally written and posted in December 2016.

Pregnancy Diary – Week 10

12/12/201704/11/2023 Lisa

Pregnancy diary week 10

Pregnancy Diary Week 10 – I still feel dreadful each and every day. Food has become the ultimate enemy with only far and few between windows of opportunity to eat.

I’m surviving on the following:

Rich Tea biscuits

Rice cakes

Cheese and pineapple

Crackers

Bread and butter

After eight mints

Apples

Flavoured water

Not exactly nutritious.

I did have some French toast yesterday but was then really sick so I probably won’t be having that again.

That’s my week pretty much summed up.

SLEEP – EAT – THROW-UP – WORK – THROW-UP – EAT – THROW-UP – SLEEP

Development

The baby is as big as a strawberry now and weighs around 4g, measuring about 3.1cm. Their jawbones are beginning and form and weirdly their future milk teeth are already there. He/she’s heart is now fully formed and beats around 2 – 3 times faster than mine. They will already be making a preference for the hand that they use more which is likely to be their dominant hand. All the major organs are now formed but still in teeny tiny form.

Ha ha – I love the fact that it will be developing eyebrows. Oh the images that pops into my head!

Your baby is continuing to grow and develop into a real little person! Their jawbones are beginning to form, and, amazingly, they contain their future milk teeth already. Your baby’s little heart is now fully formed, and beating two to three times faster than yours. If you see your baby on an ultrasound scan at 10 weeks, they will be making jerky movements and bobbing about!

Lisa x

For all Pregnancy Diary Updates head to the top of the page and hit the Pregnancy Diary link.

Chalkola – A Review

12/12/201713/08/2021 Lisa

Chalkola Chalk Pen Review

We were really excited to be sent some Chalkola Chalk Pens which can be used on any non-porous surfaces such as chalkboards, whiteboards, glass, plastic, and windows. It is recommended that you do a test patch just in case.

We were sent a set of Chalkola Neon Colours which is a set of 10 and a set of Chalkola Earth Colours which is a set of 8.

As it is Christmas I thought we’d have a bit of fun with these and make some cool tea-light jars which could be used for a centre piece or placed on the fireplace.

When you first open the pens you have to give them a really good shake and then press down the nip so that the chalk comes through, and then you’re good to go.

Isabelle was really keen to get started with these.

We decided to make some tea-light candle jars which we could use as a centre piece for our Christmas table.

What you need:

Jars – Of any size or shape as long as you can drop a tea-light candle into them
Chalkola Pens
Creative imagination

This is Isabelle in action with the pens which could be used just like felt tip pins.

As it was on glass we just had to be careful that we didn’t smudge them, and also allow time to try (only a couple of minutes) or some of the colours run together.

These are our Christmas Tea-light jars which as you can see we have decorated with Christmas Trees and Christmas Lights.

Isabelle was keen to keep going with the pens so we decided to Jazz up our Dog’s Treat Jar which I think he quite likes.

What we thought

I think the Chalkola Pens would be really great if you’re using chalkboards for your wedding – you could make some really cool personalised table number plaques or use a large one to create a seating plan.

These pens get the thumbs up for both Isabelle and I. You can get your hands on a set for yourself and we have a Discount Code for you. Just add 20OFFSTR at the checkout to get 20% Off.

Chalkola Neon Colour Set

Chalkola Earth Colour Set

Visit their site for their whole range and updates at www.chalkola.com

Lisa

*We were sent a range of Chalkola Pens for the purpose of this review. This post was originally posted in December 2016. This post also contains affiliate links which means I will receive a small fee if you click a link and make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

#Blogmas – Secret Santa Present Ideas

11/12/201711/01/2024 Lisa

#Blogmas – Secret Santa Present Ideas

Arghhhhhh…..We’ve reached that time of year when there are Christmas parties left right and centre and the work Secret Santa. In previous years I think I’ve been much more confident with this as I knew my colleagues quite well and had sussed their sense of humour or lack of if appropriate. This year I have a bunch of brand new colleagues so I may have to play it safe. Here are my Secret Santa Present Ideas……..

Ps – If you are one of my new colleagues reading this – My actual Secret Santa present is not listed. How stoopid do you think I am!!!

There is usually a price cap on work Secret Santa Presents. Ours is a spend of no more than £5.00 but add some up to £10.00 as well.

1 – Snowman Hot Chocolate kit from Sainsburys – £5.00

2 – A Laugh on the Loo Book from Next – £5.00

3 – A Definition of Stress Mug from Find me a Gift – £4.99

4 – Top Drunk Cards from Prezzy Box – £4.99

5 – White Pom Pom Front Knitted Socks from New Look – £4.89

6 – Hurr ah for Gin: The Daily Struggles of Archie Adams (Aged 2 1/4) from Amazon – £4.99

7 – Disney Cinderella To-Do List Pad from Debenhams – £5.60

8 – Pink Glitter Cup from Sainsbury’s – £5.00

9 – Desk Warning Sign – Senior Moment from Find me a Gift -£4.99

10 – A Poo Lolly from Prezzy Box – £3.99

11 – Bailey Mug Set from B&M – £4.99

12 – Henry Desk Vacuum from Find me a Gift – £9.99

13 – Prosecco Pong from Party Ark – £9.99

14 – Spa Soap Gift set from Etsy – £10.00

What are you buying for your Secret Santa gift? Leave me a comment below.

Lisa x

Gingerbread Playdoh

10/12/201719/06/2020 Lisa

Gingerbread Playdoh

Gingerbread Playdoh – We’ve been trying to get our ‘Christmas’ on by doing things with Isabelle that she will look back and remember like we did with Ryan. Of course she loves all the presents, but it’s not the material stuff that you remember so much but the things that you do together as a family.

Isabelle has major Crafty Fingers and we spend a lot of time making and baking.

Belle inherited all of Ryan’s playdoh cutters, rolling pin and other bits and bobs as well as the additional things we have bought for her.

Playdoh is an awesome rainy day activity which will keep them amused for ages.

We’ve made our own Playdoh before so thought we’d go for a Christmassy option. This playdoh looks like Gingerbread dough as well as smelling just like gingerbread so you could make a batch and then play baking with them.

What you will need:

1 Cup of Flour
1/2 Cup of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup of Water
A big sprinkle of Gold Glitter

How to:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and get your hands (or your child’s hands) and mix to form a dough.

Let the kids loose with cutters, rolling pins or any other playdoh stuff, add in some beads like we have to create Christmas Trees and Gingerbread Men.

Enjoy

Lisa x

Pregnancy Diary Week 9

10/12/201704/11/2023 Lisa 5 Comments

Pregnancy Diary Week 9

Pregnancy Diary Week 9 Week starting 29th October – This is seriously going to be a testing week. The tiredness I’m feeling at the moment is overwhelming and the sickness is still at its peak.

Isabelle is really excited looking forward to Halloween. Last year she had her first taste of trick or treating and loved it so much that it is definitely the expectation that we will be going again this year.

We did go trick or treating after finding some energy reserves from somewhere. We went as a group with some of our neighbours. Isabelle had a lovely time so it made making the effort totally worth it and I was able to sneak a few sweeties once she was in bed as well.

The baby is now the size of a raspberry but I feel like the size of a whale! My belly feels really rounded even though in reality it just looks a bit squishy not flat.

I’ve bought some jumpers which will hopefully make me feel less self-conscious. I really don’t like the beginning bit waiting for the bump to become an actual bump instead of looking like I’ve pigged out too much.

I look awful. Tired and a bit sickly, but Isabelle is full of a cough and cold which I think unfortunately is heading my way.

Remember that feeling of trying to hide stuff from your parents? Well hiding this pregnancy and the risk of being outed by my teenage son is way worse than that. He’s going to be disgusted. I feel that we may be sat down and read the contraception riot act. How irresponsible! At your age. God we’re so embarrassing!

So the hardest part of this week has been the eating. How do you explain away the fact that one second you’re not hungry at all (feeling sick) and the next your ransacking the snacks.

Oh and chicken has been added to the no go list.

Cheese is still up there, even better with silver skin pickled onions. Ryvita crackers are also a fave at the moment.

They do say savoury cravings for a boy and sweet cravings for a girl, but I’ve had the same tastes for both and have had one of each.

Concentrating at work is proving a lot more difficult than I thought. I’m looking forward to the scan and afterwards being able to tell people our good news.

Development

The baby’s organs, nerves and muscles are starting to function now. Their ears are starting to develops and it has eyelids. Fingers and toes are changing from buds to actual digits. The baby is stretching and moving about. They are also beginning to swallow fluid and produce its own digestive juices.

Hold on in there little Raspberry.

Lisa x

For all Pregnancy Diary Updates head to the top of the page and hit the Pregnancy Diary link.

I am linking up to the Bumps & Babies Linky on Let’s Talk Mommy.

Pregnancy Diary – Week 8

09/12/201712/08/2021 Lisa 2 Comments

Pregnancy Diary – Week 8

Pregnancy Diary Week 8 week starting 22nd October. This is the second week of our half-term but I’m back to work this week leaving the rest of them at home and still in bed.

Week 8

This week is the same as last week in terms of how I’m feeling. It’s really hard being at work as I feel so so tired and have no concentration span whatsoever.

I always take my own lunch to work which is proving so problematic. I don’t really want anything but am snacking throughout the day. The smells from the staff kitchen are also bothering me. We’ve gone from everybody bringing salads and sandwiches to everybody bringing in warm food. Warm food = food smells.

I’m really fed up of being sick now. I know nobody likes being sick, but the constant feeling of feeling sick whilst hungry and not knowing if the next thing I eat is going to have me heading to the loo.

I also went to a wedding meal this week where we had to pre-order our food. What I’d previously ordered didn’t seem too appetising and I struggled through the meal with gritted teeth.

Development

My baby is as big as an Olive weighing around nearly 2cm long. Already it’s fingers and toes have formed and it’s heart will beat at around 160 beats per minute. The baby’s skin is almost transparent and the colour pigment in their eyes has started to form. The baby’s diaphragm is developing which will enable the baby to breathe and hiccup.

Until next week.

Lisa x

For all Pregnancy Diary Updates head to the top of the page and hit the Pregnancy Diary link.

#Blogmas – A Trip to the Christmas Lights

08/12/201709/05/2021 Lisa 6 Comments

#Blogmas Day 8 – A Trip to the Christmas Lights

Yesterday was late night shopping in Exeter and as I’m feeling a little bit less exhausted at the moment we thought we would take the opportunity to take a trip to the Christmas Lights.

I met Chris and Isabelle in town after I finished work in the hope that we could catch the 5pm showing of Spark which are an LED drumming group in Princesshay.

We turned up just in time as they had just started. It was heaving so it was quite difficult at first to find a spot where Isabelle might have a chance to be able to see.

We did find the perfect spot where lots of children were and Isabelle had the perfect view until a group of women came and pushed their way through and stood in front of the kids. I was more than a bit annoyed!

However, it took a bit of an unexpected turn when the drummers started to march through the crowd and headed off through the shopping centre. Everybody upped and left to follow them.

At first we weren’t going to follow as there were so many people we didn’t think we’d stand a chance of being able to see them. We headed off in the directed of the Charity Christmas trees, which if you know Exeter are in behind the side of Debenhams and go along all the way past Chando’s Deli (yum) where you end up back in the centre of Princesshay.

It just so happens that we ended up in the middle of the Spark drummers. Quite literally as they went past either side of us which was quite a treat. We had a great view and managed to watch the remainder of the show.

We finished off our Christmas Lights outing by going for food of Isabelle’s choice, so off we headed to McDonalds to join the longest queue along with half of Exeter’s parents and kid population!

This year I think I’m going to try and convince Chris into taking us on a bit of a tour of the streets where there are houses that have decorated the outside of their houses. I thought that we could have some snacks, maybe some chocolates and even a cup of hot chocolate (in a travel mug). I’ve yet to mention this so Sshhhh…….

Charity Christmas Trees

Pregnancy Diary – Week 7

07/12/201712/08/2021 Lisa 1 Comment

Pregnancy Diary – Week 7

Pregnancy Diary Week 7 started 15th October. This week was our holiday at Bluestone Wales. I was really looking forward to it but at the same time a bit worried that our secret would be outed.

Week 7

Food and smells are a real issue at the moment. When we arrived at Bluestone it was bucketing down, and we’d also arrived early so had a little wait in the carpark before we could check in. It was worth the wait, the lodge was amazing and so spacious. You can read about out Bluestone stay in our previous posts.

Although it was nice having a secret between Chris and I, we were bursting to tell people. Due to our scare last week it feels better to keep it a secret just in case anything happens.

We didn’t have proper milk on our first day, we had UHT milk which is totally rank in tea. My issue with tea has already begun, but add in UHT milk and hello toilet bowl. Bleurgh.

The advantages of being on holiday was not always knowing what we were going to eat. If I think about eating too much, the much wanted bolognaise planned this morning becomes the last thing I want to eat in the world as they day goes on.

My Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law went for a morning in the spa which sounded really lovely. I would have loved to have gone as well but never mind. We took Isabelle to a craft event instead where she made a leaf lantern which she really enjoyed.

Weirdly we got around the issue of wine which I poured down the bathroom sink. Either nobody noticed me take my glass to the loo with me or they think I sit on the loo to drink wine!

Anyway we had a lovely week and I wish I could have brought the bed home with me which was super comfortable and my favourite place at the moment.

Development

According to the Bounty Pregnancy App, at six weeks the baby is the size of a blueberry.

The baby is starting to form into an actual person with emerging arm and leg buds and a beating heart. It still has a tail which will go soon.

Amazing.

Lisa x

For all Pregnancy Diary Updates head to the top of the page and hit the Pregnancy & Baby Link.

#Blogmas – Christmas Wish List of a 7 Year Old

06/12/201722/01/2024 Lisa

#Blogmas – Christmas Wish List of a 7 Year Old

Following on from My Christmas Wish List, I thought I would post Isabelle’s Christmas Wish List so here is the Christmas Wish List of a 7 year old. The list is endless. She wants everything that she see’s advertised on the TV so we have had a chat about Christmas not being just about presents to which she rolled her eyes at me.

So here goes……

Top of the list has to be the Zoomer Show Pony and I’m pretty sure that you can get a unicorn version as well. Neither of the kids have had any kind of robotic toy before so I’m not sure if this will be a five minute fad or something Isabelle will get a lot of play out of.

Hatchimals Twins – I thought Isabelle would have liked the pink giraffe’s but apparently she wants these Peacats. She was desperate for a Hatchimal last year but after searching high and low we just weren’t quick enough off the mark to get one.

The Shopkins Shoppies Skyanna’s Jet Set Playset – We ummed and ahhed over this for Isabelle’s birthday in September but in the end opted for a different Shopkins Set. However, this has been mentioned time and time again and she really does get a lot of use out of her Shopkins so I’ve got a feeling that this may be under the tree come Christmas day.

Unicorn Poo – What is it with slime at the moment? We did try and make our own slime a couple of times which went completely wrong. I’m not sure that this is slime but she loves the rainbow colour and it’s squishy so it’s on the list!

LOL Doll Big Surprise Ball – I feel awful writing this, but although this is on Isabelle’s wish list it will not be under the tree this Christmas. Apart from the fact that they are impossible to get they really don’t seem good value for money at all. Once all the plastic has been taken off and each ball has been open there is very little to show for your money.

Fingerlings – These cute little monkey’s curl around your finger and seem to be one of the must haves for this year. Isabelle has wanted one of these for a little while and they are very reasonably priced as a gift so why not.

A Unicorn Hooded Blanket – With the colder weather and my pregnancy exhaustion we’ve been snuggling up on the sofa after school to watch films and play games. Isabelle loves a blanket and we spotted this hooded one which I thought would be perfect. She may even let me have a corner to cover my feet.

Spirograph – This has been around for years, but I don’t think will ever go out of trend since it’s a bit of a classic. Isabelle loves to draw and colour so would really enjoy this set. She’s seen it on TV quite a few times and has screeched at the TV that she ‘has to have it’!

Lego Friends Heartlake Summer Pool. She’s got a few smaller Lego sets now and has really enjoyed building them. We saw this set in town the last time we went in so this went on the Christmas list.

Colour Glow Glisten Build a Bear. I did point out that she already has a Build a Bear Reindeer but it’s not this one, so it’s on the list. She has quite a nice collection of Build a Bears along with accessories but never tires of them. This is the one shop along with Smiggle that we can’t get past in town without just having a look.

This is just the cream of Isabelle’s Christmas Wish List.

What’s on your kids Christmas Wish List?

Lisa x