Category: Family Life

Our Family Life – Life is hectic as a Mum of three, working part-time for the NHS and working as a Freelance Virtual Assistant. Not to mention keeping this blog going as well. Here’s a little insight into what we get up to……..

As a family, we like to be out and about with our dog, Charlie. We also love crafts, cooking, eating, and watching (Netflix for us and YouTube for the kids).

As well as this little corner of the internet, you can find us on Instagram and Facebook.

If you would like to work with us, then please drop us an email to mail@babynotincluded.co.uk or contact us through our social media channels

Happy Days – A New Beach and a night out

02/07/201722/01/2024 Lisa 4 Comments

Happy Days Linky

Happy Days Link – This week has been pretty much a working kind of week with not so much in terms of having fun. However, we have managed to sneak in a couple of bits during the week.

Subscription Box – Isabelle received a Mila & Pheebs Kids Activity Subscription box. These boxes are amazing so we spent a bit of time doing an unboxing video which I will share with you once I’ve done all the prettying up. Isabelle loves YouTube kids so she’s loving doing the little videos, but we have to try and tone down her Americanised barbie voice that she keeps putting on.

Dog Walking – With the lighter evenings it’s been much easier to get in an after-dinner/before bed dog walks with Charlie. I’ve had to do a bit of bribing with Isabelle, but once she is out she really enjoys it especially if she takes her scooter.

New job – With all the excitement of getting a new job, this week has been a bit of a comedown as since being offered the job I’ve heard nothing more. Every time I think about it my stomach does a little flip of excitement……

Holiday – 5 weeks and 6 days to go…..

Sleep – I’ve slept slightly better this week since the stress of last week with my interview prep. In the last week I’ve probably on average only woken about twice a night which is good for me, and I’ve managed to drop back off straight away. I need to do a bit of research on insomnia as it’s become my norm for over a year now. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Blogger Night Out

Blogger Night Out at Revolution Torquay– I met with some fellow bloggers in Revolution, Torquay for some scrummy cocktails and yummy food. The cocktail menu was awesome. It’s great getting together for a natter about all things bloggy, as I’m sure for most of us our regular non-blogger friends have no idea what I’m talking about. I had a burger with cheesy wotsits (actual wotsit crisps) in it which was very nice.

An image of a Burger and Chips

A new beach – We thought we’d try a new beach this weekend so today we went to Anstey’s Cove in Torquay. It’s not a sandy beach it’s pebbly but it was a total treasure. We had Charlie with us so we had a bit of a paddle, but next time I’d love to take out a Kayak and go and explore the other coves which you can only access by swimming, sailing, or climbing over the rocks to get to. We’re really looking forward to going back.

That’s it from me this week. Having said that I would still consider it to have been a good week.

Lisa x

If you like these types of posts, then have a look at our Family Life tab at the top of the page where you can find out what we’ve been up to.

Happy Days List

25/06/201708/04/2021 Lisa 10 Comments

Happy Days Linky

I’ve been looking to for the Happy Days linky to try and break my pessimistic outlook which has taken over for the past year.

I hate that I look at all the negatives, but I think it’s fair to say that the last year or so has been quite tough for various reasons.

Life’s too short and all that, but more so when I look at my once chubby faced little boy turning eighteen in April. It speeds on by, and he’s now taking driving lessons and is starting an apprenticeship in September.

For that reason I’m going to take stock of the good things.

My Happy List

New Baby – Technically this happened over a week ago but my brother and his fiancé had a baby boy. He’s so squeezable. He was early so is the tiniest baby we’ve had in the family but he’s gorgeous!

The weather – it was scorching last week. I’m not a sun worshipper but it’s nice getting up and going to work in the sunshine. We finally managed to buy a cheapish paddling pool for Isabelle and Daddy had it all set up for when she came home from school on Tuesday. After sitting on a hot bus on the way home I took my shoes off and got in with her (in my work clothes) which she thought was great since she soaked me!

The paddling Pool – this should have its own title as it’s use after school everyday this week has been great. Isabelle is loving being able to get changed and straight in to cool off.

Last day of college – After two years, Ryan has officially finished college and about to embark on the world of work. ?

Holiday – it’s only six weeks and five days until we go on holiday. We cannot wait!

New Job – I spent the most part of last week swotting for a job interview. Trying to cover every possible question that they might ask. I heard that there was quite a lot of competition but……….I GOT IT!! I’m terrified but mostly excited.

Family day out – life is tiring at the moment but we are trying to make the most of our weekends. Yesterday we went to the circus (post to follow). It was really lovely and then we went for a wander around Darts Farm which is always nice. We love their food hall.

Holiday Shopping – Did I mention that it’s only six weeks and five days until our holiday. We’re off holiday clothes shopping today. Ha ha!

What made your week great?

Lisa x

#devondaysout – The Bear Trail

18/05/201719/10/2022 Lisa 6 Comments

#devondaysout – The Bear Trail.

On Sunday we went to The Bear Trail in Cullompton for the first time.

Isabelle and I had been looking at the pictures on Facebook at all the mud-covered adults and children. She thought it was ‘awesome and I wondered what on earth I should wear!

I opted for gym gear and trainers to make running, jumping, and climbing possible.

At this point, I should mention that the day before we went it absolutely bucketed down so it was definitely going to be an extra muddy day!

I am usually the bag carrier! Daddy is usually the one who does the physical stuff whilst I look after the bags/coats/picnic, but this time I decided that we were all going to take part and have some fun.

Our Visit

The Bear Trail was easy to find and there was ample parking when we arrived.

The carpark overlooked the trail where all the equipment was laid out in a wide-open space with plenty of grass space in the middle, perfect for picnics.

Isabelle was very excited (and Daddy too) and were raring to go. When we arrived there were lots of cars arriving for a birthday party. All nicely dressed. Big mistake!

Inside the Bear Trail.

Aside from the trail itself, there is a barn with inside seating, a kiosk selling hot drinks, sandwiches, cakes as well as freshly made wood-fired pizzas, changing rooms, toilets, and a shower area.

There is also a play area for the littles with a sandpit, but there is no age limit on any of the equipment. The ethos is that if you think you can do it – give it a go. You know your own child’s capability.

Not forgetting in the far corner there is a pen with some alpaca and ponies which when you’re having fun could easily be overlooked, but we went over and gave the ponies a stroke.

The Trail

The trail has a selection of rope climbing frames, swing ropes, bridges, zip slides, tunnels, hay bales, stepping stones, tyres, and more, all with a huge puddle of muddy water either before, after or underneath.

Off we went, and at first, I think most people make some kind of attempt to stay out of the mud, but once you go in – you get stuck in. Isabelle had no hesitation and was a mud slick in minutes. Daddy closely followed whilst I lagged behind shop fresh clean.

After passing a fellow blogger who had got stuck in with her two boys I felt a bit of a wuss and with the help of Isabelle managed to get covered in mud. Squelchy feet and all.

You can go around the trail in order, but there were certain bits that we preferred so we made up our own route.

Some families set up picnics and had blankets and food laid out where the adults congregated and the kids were let loose to play. As it’s all open plan you can give the kids that bit of freedom.

We went around the trail for a good couple of hours before showering off and getting changed before being treated to a lovely lunch of a selection of wood-fired pizzas, cakes, and drinks.

About the Bear Trail

The trail set in Cullompton, Devon is about to celebrate its first birthday and was set in motion by Ben a former Army Man.

The trail is evolving and new obstacles are in the pipeline, as are better-changing facilities. We thought lockers were a good idea to eliminate the trips back to the car.

The trail is kept as basic as can be – no flashing lights, music, or bright colours. It’s all about getting outside and having good old-fashioned fun.

All the obstacles have safety nets but it’s very much up to the individual’s capability. Isabelle is six and was capable of taking part in every part of the trail and made the most of it.

It’s an all-weather day out. If it rains, you get muddier!

Info

The trail is open from 10 – 5pm. There are no time restrictions – you can stay all day.

Tickets are available at the entrance or online. If it’s the school holidays I would recommend booking beforehand to avoid disappointment.

Prices
Over 1 metre – £7.50
Under 1 metre – £4.50

Don’t wear your best clothes – they will get muddy.

Take spare clothes, shoes, towels and a bag to put all the muddy clothes in.

Food is available – the pizzas are awesome, but you can take your own. There are plenty of picnic tables and grassy areas to sit.

The Bear Trail Birthday Party’s – You can host a birthday party at the trail with different priced packages to suit your budget.

All in all we had a great day so The Bear Trail gets the thumbs up from us.

To celebrate their first birthday they are having a Colour Bomb Run where you will be showered with the colours of the rainbow as well as mud – This is taking place on 23rd July and booking is advisable.

For you lovely readers we can offer 5% off the usual ticket price if you book online. Just add the code: BLOG5 at the checkout.

Have fun.

Lisa x

Elastoplast #TearsIntoSmiles Challenge

09/05/201716/03/2021 Lisa 1 Comment

Elastoplast Tears into Smiles Challenge.

#TearsIntoSmiles

What do your kids call a cut or a graze?

A Baddie
A Boo Boo
An Oopsie
An Ouchie

Isabelle loves to make a huge song and dance whenever she falls over. She starts off crying and we’re desperately trying to work out if she’s hurt herself and if so what damage has been done whilst she bats us off covering up the ‘baddie’.

Once we’ve had a look we have to assess the situation and work out if it’s just a bang and we might need to rub on a bit of arnica or whether it’s more than that.

We have, like most parents a whole kit of stuff for every eventuality.

We have arnica for bruises
Antiseptic spray and cream to get all the nastiness out of a cut or graze
Plasters of course in all shapes and sizes
Cotton wool pads – for holding over the baddies (better with a sprinkling of magic water)
A cold pack that we keep in the freezer

I think that the biggest part of a cut or graze is the initial shock of falling over that scares them more than the resulting injury.

If we have plain plasters, then part of making it ‘all better’ is drawing a design on the plaster whilst a cotton pad is held in place to clean it is all part and parcel of making sure that all is good and well in the world again.

I’m not playing down any falls that Isabelle may have, but thankfully she’s never had any serious ones that have needed proper medical attention.

We were sent a set of both Frozen and Star Wars Plasters which have all the characters of the films on them so Isabelle has already pointed out her top few from both sets for ‘future baddies’.

#TearsintoSmiles

I love a challenge so it was no different when we were asked to take part in the Tears into Smiles Challenge – #TearsintoSmiles

So what do you do when your child has a fall?

We do all of the above and Isabelle plays a huge part in this by cleaning it herself and putting the on cream herself. She likes to put on the plaster but her aim isn’t that great so we try and do this ourselves if we can.

Following the clean up we have a bit of calm time when we sit and have a cuddle and either watch a bit of TV or read a book together.

Using Distraction

Once this is all done, it’s definitely a game of distraction that helps get the day back on track.

We were sent a Hoopla Garden Game to try out as part of the challenge which we set up in the lounge to start with but have since played with it in the Garden, and it’s even been on a trip to Nanny and Papa’s house.

Isabelle really liked this game and became the chief score taker (good for helping her count in tens and fives).

All the pieces come apart so could easily be packed away for the day on the beach as well.

This post is an entry for the Britmums #TearsIntoSmiles Challenge, sponsored by Elastoplast.

Lisa x

#whatwedidthisweek 01.05.17

07/05/201716/03/2021 Lisa

#whatwedidthisweek 01.05.17

#whatwedidthisweek – Bank Holiday Monday and we should have been out and about making the most of our day off, but after the birthday celebrations it feels like a chore to even smile. We’re all exhausted. Isabelle has opted to watch some things on her kindle laying on her bed and Chris and I are mooching around the house not doing a lot – except for washing!

The laundry volcano is spewing socks and pants like you wouldn’t believe. So much so that the lid won’t even fit on!

Back to work and school as per on Tuesday.

On Wednesday evening we went to meet a couple who may have Charlie when we go away. This time we didn’t go into their house but took the two dogs out for a walk on neutral ground. The lady had a fifteen-year-old poodle, and both dogs seemed happy in each other’s company.

I’m glad that she was able to see Charlie as he ‘really is. He’s a lovable cheeky chappy who loves playing with other dogs and loves people. She saw him as we see him and hopefully, as I really liked her they will be happy to look after him. He will go for a sleepover with them in June so fingers crossed.

I don’t think I had this much trouble finding the perfect nursery for Ryan when he was little!?

Thursday Isabelle’s school was used as a polling station so we called upon Nanny P to have Isabelle for the day.

With Both of us working so much we’re finding it a bit of a struggle to muster up the energy to do much at the weekends, but on Saturday we took Charlie out for a walk and sat and made daisy chains. Isabelle is 42 daisies tall and played hoopla which was spoilt by Charlie and one of his mates as they kept pinching the hoops.

Roller Disco Baby!

We then did something new to Isabelle. We went to a Roller Disco. I haven’t skated since I was about twelve but it is like riding a bike. The fearlessness of youth has definitely left me and I was terrified that a small person was going to skate out in front of me and I would take them out spectacularly. I was so pleased that I stayed on my feet the whole time.

Isabelle was a bit terrified at first and did a fab impression of a baby giraffe.

She practiced on the carpet which was a bit easier than in the sports hall. The session ended with sweets to take away the pain of a sore bottom.

whatwedidthisweek — Baby Giraffe impression!

Collectibles

Sunday was a trip into town to get some bits and bobs, look at suitcases for our holibobs, and pick up the longed-for Hatchimals Colleggtibles.

That’s another thing to add to the ever-growing collectible things. Isabelle is currently collecting the Lego Mini-figure cards from Sainsbury’s, Shopkins have been on the scene for a while, Beauty and the Beast Stickers, Beanie Babies, and now these Colleggtibles.

What did you do this weekend?

Keep up to date with all of our #whatwedidthisweek posts by clicking the Family Life tab.

#whatwedidthisweek 24.04.17

30/04/201716/03/2021 Lisa 2 Comments

#whatwedidthisweek 24.04.17

#whatwedidthisweek – The last couple of weeks have been really stressful as we were fast approaching Ryan’s 18th birthday. It’s not just about him turning eighteen (which is sooooo scary) but it signifies eighteen years of being a parent.

All was booked for a birthday meal and I was on track with making sure that I had everything needed to make the cake.

I knew what I wanted to do in my head but it changed slightly from pictures to a word cloud of all the things Ryan loved over the years. Some I’m sure he would love if we forgot such as Hannah Montana! ?

We had a family meal planned with all the rellies followed by drinks at ours whilst they watched the boxing. Ryan had drinking games lined up, and I planned on staying out of the way so that I couldn’t see the potential drink spillage, hear the noise or anything else related to having around fifteen 18 years olds trampling around the house.

Amongst this, on Thursday Charlie (the dog) went for a sleepover with the dog sitter who will hopefully have him when we go away.

It didn’t go too well. He was really sad and she couldn’t let him off his lead as he was desperately looking around for us. He slept by the door and didn’t want to play with the Labrador puppy that she was also looking after. Unfortunately, she won’t take him so we’re meeting another couple next week.

Poor Charlie!

Birthday Celebrations!

Ryan’s Birthday arrived on Saturday and started off with a game of Pie Face Showdown which was hilarious. The dog also enjoyed cleaning up the cream.

We then went for a birthday brekkie before getting things and ourselves ready for the night ahead.

I think I got away with posting some baby pics of Ryan on Facebook which is probably the only embarrassing ‘mum thing’ that I did.

We went to our local pub which does awesome food where friends and family plied my poor boy with drinks. I think his tequila face was probably the funniest.

When the meal was done and all the pressies were opened it was time for Ryan to leave us and join his mates for a night of drinking games, boxing, and a night out.

Isabelle went off for a sleepover with Nanny and Papa so she was a happy girl.

When we arrived home, the boxing was underway and there was barely any room to move. It was fine! It could all be cleaned!

We did have a bit of bother with a neighbour which I thought was a bit mean since it was his 18th birthday, a Saturday night, and the first time we’ve ever made any noise since living here.

Unplanned as it was we ended up going into town and stayed for a little while before leaving them to it.

Home to bed for us oldies!

Sunday poured down with rain and all the boys that celebrated Ryan’s birthday were also all playing football as well. As you can imagine they were useless (the ones that made it) and lost the match.

It turns out that there was quite a lot of drink spillage and lots of sick which Chris managed to get cleaned up without me knowing or having to see/smell.

Overall we’ve had a busy but great week and now our boy is officially an adult.

What did you do this week?

#whatwedidthisweek 17.04.17

23/04/201715/03/2021 Lisa 2 Comments

#whatwedidthisweek 17.04.17

#whatwedidthisweek – Yey Bank Holiday Monday means that it is officially still part of the weekend. We haven’t really gone very far this weekend, as we’ve been busy working so are knackered and we’re also preparing for Ryan’s 18th Birthday on the 29th of April which I can’t possibly talk about on the remote off chance that Ryan might read it. We decided to pop down to the Quay for a nice walk with the dog and Isabelle on her scooter. As usual, we tried to coax Charlie into the water, but this Labradoodle unusual for his breed does not like water! We ended the afternoon with a bit of lunch at Bar Venezia. The pizza was so scrummy!

You can’t possibly go to the quay without getting an ice cream. Clearly, Isabelle has Daddy wrapped around her finger when she came back to the table with this whopper of icecream!

Back to work, school, and college on Tuesday for all of us. What a shocker when the alarm went off at 05.35. That’s Tuesday and Wednesday whizzing by in a work/school/college blur.

Look Good Feel Better

Thursday was another long day at work, but I had the Debenhams Look Good Feel Better event to go to. When we arrived we had a little mooch around with Isabelle heading straight for the lovely brownies and other mini desserts on offer. I had a sneaky glass of prosecco which felt a bit odd standing in the middle of the make-up counter. My favourite counter is Estee Lauder so I bagged myself a few freebies including their lovely primer which I’m using at the moment.

After speaking to Jennie from the Charity I was really intrigued by what they do for women who have had or are undergoing cancer treatment. So much so that I thought I would write a separate post about it. Another highlight of going was meeting Hayley from Sparkles and Stretchmarks. I’m so in awe of her blog and blogging achievements so it was awesome to meet her.

Friday was a normal working day again but an early finish for me which was much needed. Don’t you think it’s odd that a four-day week can feel much longer than the usual five-day week.

Saturday (big sigh of relief) we slowly started the day with a boiled egg brekkie and staying in our pyjamas for a bit. We had arranged to meet the ‘dog-lady’ today who will hopefully look after Charlie when we go away in August. I felt quite nervous and really hoped that I liked her as she would potentially be looking after our precious boy. Chris laughs at me, but I feel quite (a lot) nervous about handing over Charlie whilst we go away.

I know that I’ve had two kids and have used childcare (that was an ordeal to start with) but with children you can at least reassure them that you’re coming back. A dog won’t understand that and might think that you’re never coming back. You may laugh (the dogless amongst us) but it’s really important to me that whilst we’re away he gets love, comfort and strokes from someone in our absence. Thankfully she was lovely with an amazing garden which Charlie christened! Our holiday isn’t until August but he’s going for a sleepover to see how Charlie gets on with her own dog, Betsy. Ha ha, this will feature next week!

Sunday we had another lazy start to the day with a scrambled egg brekkie followed by a dog walk and a bit of bike riding practice. Now that Isabelle has mastered her bike we’re thinking that she needs a slightly bigger and lighter bike. Why do kids bikes weigh a ton!

#whatwedidthisweek – What did you get up to this week?

Lisa x

Devon Days Out – Fingle Bridge

19/04/201715/03/2021 Lisa

Devon Days Out – Fingle Bridge, Dartmoor.

We went to Fingle Bridge on Dartmoor.

Since getting the dog a couple of years ago we love finding new places to walk him and thankfully Isabelle loves a good walk as long as we have the following:

Drinks
Snacks
Mud/Sand
Water

One of our fellow dog walkers recommended Fingle Bridge as a place to go with the dog and the littles. Lots of opportunities to paddle in the water, lots of mud to splash and splodge in, and being woodland lots of stones, twigs, acorns, and other things to fill our pockets with.

We started off at the bridge noting the HUGE pub with its lovely setting and garden.

What to do!

The route that we took was not the easiest of walks with lots of tricky areas, huge muddy patches (thankfully we all managed to keep our shoes on our feet) and narrow rickety steps to contend with.

This was great for Isabelle who at five is slightly more fearless than we’d like her to be.

Charlie (our dog) was amazingly well behaved and loved to explore his new surroundings. We kept our beady eyes out for families with food as unfortunately at only two he’s still a total scavenger and will gatecrash, steal and run!

Strangely there were canvasses dotted around the place which kind of looked a bit odd, but Isabelle quite liked looking out for them.

The walk took us a good couple of hours with a picnic stop along the way.

Isabelle found a walking stick along the way which she held onto until we found a waterfall so she sent it on its way out to sea and wonders what country it will end up in.

It was a lovely day and we ended it by visiting the pub at the start (Fingle Bridge Inn). We may even have to go back for the Duck Race which takes place in April/May of each year.

Leave a comment to let me know your favourite place to visit in Devon.

Lisa x

#whatwedidthisweek 10.04.17

16/04/201715/03/2021 Lisa 1 Comment

#whatwedidthisweek 10.04.17

#whatwedidthisweek – I’ve missed doing this for a couple of week’s as I lost my whole entire blog for just over a week which was so unbelievably stressful, and then it took me about a week to catch up and get over the whole debacle (not sure why I added that word as I’ve never verbally used it before).

This week I’ve been off work with the little miss as it’s the Easter Holiday’s so we’ve had our fair share of much needed lazy mornings and yummy weekend style breakfasts.

Monday we didn’t have anything planned so we decided to take a road trip with Daddy as he’s a top sales dude. We ended up in Burnham-on-Sea where I don’t think I’ve visited before. It was so windy but that’s never stopped a trip to the beach for us. The sea was so far out that you couldn’t actually see it, but we had a nice walk along the seafront and Isabelle wrote our names in the sand. We found a cafe come chip-shop as I was really hungry and fancied some chips. How disappointed was I when we didn’t get ‘chip-shop chips’ but were served a plate of chunky home-fries style chips. However all was not lost as we had ice-cream on the beach and won a teddy in the arcade that came had a velcro stick-on tear that Isabelle named Max.

We were treated to Isabelle singing us all the way home which she video’d for prosperity. The videos gave us quite a chuckle as you can hear Chris and I almost screaming over the top of her to shut-up!

Isabelle had a sleepover at Nanny and Papa’s (of her choosing) which she has only done a couple of times since she was born, but she was really excited and looking forward to it. Sleep and Isabelle are not two words that fit together in a sentence so this was as exciting for us as it was her.

Off she went with no problems, and we should have made the most of being in a child-free situation, but instead we had takeaway and vegged in front of the TV.

Tuesday, again being child-free should have been used a bit better but Daddy set off for work, and after a lovely walk with the dog I sat and updated blog post SEO and other tedious jobs.

Wednesday was definitely a stay at home day, as we had a catch up with the washing and other housey stuff so none too exciting.

On the plus side, or scary side we have confirmed the booking for Ryan’s 18th Birthday meal. His impending 18th birthday is really scaring the Shizzazzle out of me and making me feel about as old as can be. I hate having a teenage son!

Ha ha I need to rephrase that. Having Ryan as a son is great, but ME being a mum to an 18 year old makes me feel old and decrepit!

Wednesday did give me a little, actually BIG ‘fist bump’ moment. We have been accepted to be a Rainbow Awards Toy Tester. I love that Isabelle plays a part in my blog and her being given the opportunity to review toys is so cool. My kid is cool!

Thursday we had a park day with one of Isabelle’s friends, so I had the chance to have some adult conversation whilst the littles played. Following this I met with a friend whilst Daddy took both kids for their dental check-up. The dentist trip for the kids has to be done by Chris as I’m such a baby when it comes to the dentist. Just sitting in the waiting room sets my teeth on edge. It’s not great when you’re trying to coax a six year old into thinking that the dentists is a fun place to go ‘and you get a sticker’!

My friend and I sat and had a coffee and carrot cake in peace and quiet and had a much needed catch-up. She’s definitely one of those friends that I might not see for ages, but when we do it only feels like yesterday!

The kids came back from the dentist check-up with the good old thumbs up for the next six months. Isabelle had to have something removed from her teeth which got me worried, but it was just a piece of popcorn that I fed her before her check-up. Oops!

Friday we played on the trampoline and then Daddy took Isabelle out on her bike for a little de-rusting practice as she hasn’t been on it for a little while. We hadn’t realised how long her legs had got, but she definitely needs an upgrade.

Yesterday we started the day by making up chocolate truffle mixture for our Japanese Inspired Chocolate Truffles. We were sent some rather unusual ingredients by Yutaka along with some recipe ideas to make. Once this was in the fridge setting we went off out for a lovely dog walk along the river. Charlie went for a little paddle, only up to mid-leg though as we have a bit of a fradey-cat when it comes to water. We ended up at the Double Locks pub. It’s a great place to go when the weather is good, and it seems to have changed quite a bit since we last went with the addition of an outside bar and toilet block and it looks as if more work is being done as well.

Easter Sunday started off with CHOCOLATE. The Easter Bunny had left a great easter treasure hunt for Isabelle which she found and loaded into her easter bucket at lightening speed. We’ve been waiting for Easter Sunday for about three weeks now, or should I say Isabelle has been waiting for Easter Sunday and we’ve been suffering along the way.

You see my MIL had her for the day about three weeks ago and they popped into Sainsbury’s where Isabelle spotted a DC Superhero Batgirl Doll and Nanny bought it for her – For Easter. Realising that she wasn’t getting the doll on the spot she had the mother of all temper tantrums which lasted from Sainsbury’s to The Range and then carried on at home.

This Barbie Doll has been the topic of conversation since then with her even going as far as making a Barbie Day countdown calendar, a Lego Batgirl house, and an every day question of ‘How many day’s is it til I get my Barbie Doll?’

This morning we were on hourly countdown until we got to Nanny’s house, where at last she got the much wanted Barbie Doll and of course loads of chocolate!

Did you do anything interesting this week?

Lisa x

#whatwedidthisweek 06.03.17

09/03/201711/03/2021 Lisa

#whatwedidthisweek 06.03.17

#whatwedidthisweek – Monday we went for a haircut and Isabelle was really annoyed that they wouldn’t wash her hair as she was too small for them to use the basin. It wasn’t particularly relaxing as Isabelle took off her shoes and gave us her best dance routine. Thankfully we were the only ones in the salon so she didn’t spoil anybody but my relaxing experience.

I’ll skip past Tuesday as there was nothing to report.

Wednesday Isabelle lost one of her bottom teeth so she neatly folded it inside a piece of tissue and put it under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy.

An Evening with the Unmumsy Mum

That evening I went to the Unmumsy Mum book launch at the Puerto Lounge in Exeter. On the way there I had to dash to the cashpoint so Chris pulled up outside Tesco’s and I jumped out to get some money. The cashpoint was broken so I quickly dashed back to the car, only to find that there was a tray of biscuits on my seat and a woman staring at me looking completely horrified. Chris honking the horn of our car, the car behind brought me back to reality. I apologised to the woman profusely who looked at me as though I was attempting to carjack her and sheepishly made my way back to OUR car. Oops.

The book launch – It was held at the Puerto Lounge which has only just recently opened and was packed with women all waiting to chat to Sarah, the Unmumsy Mum. Sarah sat and chatted about her book unphased by the many questions that were asked of her. She’s refreshingly down to earth and in her own words has no ‘filter’ when it comes to talking about the reality of being a parent. It was a fab night. I even got my book signed!

Looking at Colleges with the Eldest

Ryan and I went to a college open event to look at apprenticeship options. He wants to do a carpentry apprenticeship and the information and the feedback from the people that we spoke to were really positive, so it looks like I’m going to have a Carpenter for a son. At last, there’ll be a man about the house that will be able to put up a shelf or other DIY-type jobs.

I feel like a proper grown-up when I do mothery things like college visits.

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Unfortunately, the naughty Tooth Fairy forgot to visit and so Thursday morning I found a tearful Isabelle clutching her tissue with her tooth still inside so I had to promise to help her make a Tooth Fairy sign when I got home from work so that she wouldn’t forget again.

We put up this lovely glitter picture for the Tooth Fairy so that she would not forget to visit.

The Tooth Fairy came! Phew, that was a close one.

It was my nephew’s birthday on Friday so we went for the usual family gathering at their house. I won’t post a picture as he’s 17 so it would be totally not cool to do that.

Saturday Isabelle went to a birthday party in the afternoon. I usually have to stay for all of this kind of things including classes and play dates, but this time around she didn’t want me to stay and in fact told me to get off the dance floor as I was embarrassing her. Hmph!

Saturday night we went out to surprise my sister on her 40th birthday. It was a lovely night with family and friends. Here are my mum and stepdad attempting a dab!

Sunday was spent at The Range buying housie stuff to sort and tidy Isabelle’s room. It’s amazing how much crap stuff you can fit in one room!

#whatwedidthisweek – That was our week. What did you get up to?

Lisa x

*This post may contain affiliate links which means that I receive a small payment should you click the link and make a purchase at no extra cost to yourself.