I wasn't going to be one of those mums that bought everything for my child….. I certainly wasn't going to have lot of brightly coloured plastic toys, oh no.. not me!!! Fast forward to me wondering around the shops looking at all things baby, and surfing the web to find things that Joshua might enjoy and might my life easier. I am all up for an easy life!
Before I knew it, not only have I manage to buy almost every Nuby item there is to own, I've also bought a duplicate for Grandmas house… I'm not even sorry, in fact I embrace it now.
Also the one in the photo, I think I got that from a supermarket.
We have a few varieties of these, but the 360 are the cups we use.
Bath time is fun time, we have ducks, boats and buckets galore at bath time, to add to that we have a rain maker and at Grandmas (the gardner in the family) I've bought a watering can bath toy. Joshua LOVES his bath time, splashing and covering us with his bathwater, watching his little face light up when we pour the water on him from the watering can, or watching the rainmaker turn the things inside, is priceless. We are loving it.
8 x bath squirters Which Joshua finds hysterical. We play with different voices, and squirt his little tummy.
I've also got some stacking pots that I picked up the in the Aldi baby sale.
So at this point I think I was at my second trip to the isles of things I never knew I needed when I saw these food trays. I bought 2, one for us and one for Grandmas. We can make a right old mess at dinner time, and we are having fun squashing and throwing our food about the place to be honest. Sometimes I like to separate things for him to learn that not all food is the same, and to have a little exploration of his food and the different tastes and textures. (The dog bloody loves it when we do this, can't think why 😉 ) It's also great to take traveling, easy to clean and you can pop some of your food in to keep them entertained.
First taste of french toast.
I have the Koala and Elephant tray, I can't find them on the website, I got these again from the Aldi baby sale, but I've linked to the page of similar items.
Suction bowls – really good as they have a lid! Great for days out, or when defrosting so your food has a lid. Also keeping snacks and small toys in.
I also have the little snack pots, but again these aren't on the site. I did find a cool monster one though.
It's no secret, I bloody LOVE these lolly moulds. Again, I've bought this for Grandmas, I've told my NCT friends, I post constantly on IG and facebook, because we use these all the time! I started off with fruit puree, it was quite hard, and you had to make sure his tongue didn't get stuck (I helped out here by giving it a little look). Next we moved onto fruit puree mixed with natural full fat yoghurt, these where a hit with the whole family. I now mix it up if I'm feeling family, and do a section of mango, and a section of strawberry for example, looks good, tastes good and isn't fatty so the whole family can enjoy.
There is also the mesh holder, for this I use fruit that he couldn't have otherwise, such as grapes, or watermelon as he's struggling to hold on to this, and it slips out of his little hands, he loves sucking on this and if I give hit to him during snack time, I get a few mins to do something fun like emptying the dishwasher.
I had planned a trip to the Zoo a few weeks after it all arrived, but as always things change and I surprisingly started using it all straight away every day. The blanket is lovely and thick, great for a good snuggle under, whether it's in a pram on a chilly day, over his sleepyhead on a morning nap, with mummy on the sofa, at the zoo, because with the Zebras on it, it had to be done, and of course by mummy's when they have 5 minutes to curl up on the sofa at the end of the day. There two patterns and you can get yours here.
When a certain someone is clingy and I"m in the middle of something.
It folds up smaller than most hand bags, and when you use it you simply unzip, unfold and zip the handles away so no need to worry about taking bags for it, or how to store it. I have several slings, and this one is always attached to the pushchair or in the boot of the car meaning I'll never get caught without one, and to be fair while I have one other sling I love for long walks, I was so impressed with this sling, and I can promise you I'm not just saying that. It's so light that like others, you don't get over heated, and Joshua feels safe and comfy in it. In fact this seems one of his faves too, he's not moaned once while in it. It comes with little teething patches included which was a nice surprise. The back strap goes around your waist and doesn't have padding at the back, this worried me and I thought it would hurt, and possibly cut into my back. It wasn't an issue, I haven't noticed it yet, all round this is a great travel sling. (Not for newborns) If you fancy a nosey yourself you can find it here.
Lastly, I got this awesome nappy bag. It has two side pockets, one for wipes but personally I think that they would get dry, so while I put nappy bags and wipes in there I keep them closed. The other side i have my lip balm etc. Inside there are separate compartments, one for a mat, then nappies, clothes, snacks etc The middle section I pop teethers, blankets, coat maybe, brolly…. but I usually have space left over. Inside there is also a zip pocket at the top, here I store my wallet and tissues, then a second at the bottom I keep his teething granules and bits and bobs. To get into anything at the bottom of the bag there is another zip so you can open it and get what you need rather than having to rummage through to find things. Lastly at the front of the bag is the drink compartment, there is space for 3 bottles here, as Joshua is on less, I store milk and his water bottle, it's lined to keep things cooler.
The thing I love about this bag is, a) it looks good, and has so much organised storage (and I love a bit of organisation in this mayhem of motherhood) and b) it's easy to carry if I don't have a pram, or if I have too much on my pram. It's also something that hubby is happy to carry, to that a win for me. If you like the look of this you can see more here.
Thanks for having a read of todays blog, and if you like the look of the lolly's check out our summer giveaway over on my Instagram page.
*This was a gifted ad for Nuby UK. The items gifted were the blanket, sling and bag. All other items have been purchased.
Hubby and I don't do package holidays lounging about by the pool, we like to be able to have little adventures, and see as few people as possible (because we're anti social like that 😉) my happy place is lakes and mountains, so this tiny volcanic island , a 4 hour plane ride from the UK sounded perfect.
These are the the things I'm sooooooooo glad I packed, I hope it helps those of you looking to go and wondering what to take.
In baby's bag (I got mine from amazon, Ryanair approved) pack plenty of nappies, wipes, change of clothes, toys and food and milk. Also for pressure reasons, a baby bottle of water/dummy. Also snacks, LOTS OF SNACKS) I've found that if Joshua started fussing and I'm getting ' the look' snacks usually resolve the situation.
I took a 0.5 and a 1 tog, as I knew it would be warm out in the Azours but I wasn't too sure how hot. I rolled these up and tucked them in the bag. If you use blankets a couple of those would also work just as well.
Quick and easy, I've bought A Mountian buggy pod (£45) as it looked like it might be good when out and about. It is! We used it at the airport, our villa, the villa's bar and when we are out and about. At 1kg it's nice and light, has it's own bag, fits in hand luggage or the back of the pram. I think I should work for them as I've sold about 4 in 2 days by using ours 😂 Not many places had high chairs when we stopped for food, so this little thing came in very handy. If the tables are too thick or too thin for the chair I popped him on my knee. I bloody LOVE this thing, it's currently in my car ready for our next day trip.
Take your pram, cheap is fine as it will get bashed about a bit, we bought a pram check bag (again from amazon, who I feel I should have shares in the amount I spend with them) I did get pram envy of a few light weigh looking ones that went on as hand luggage and also prams that could face both towards and away from you. Mountain buggies look good for those who travel a lot on different terrains. For when out and about here, a sling is a good option, I have a few slings, but the Ergobaby has been great for hiking as it gives lots of support to both myself and Joshua. (Plus the hubby would actually wear this too, which was a massive bonus when on hikes!) I took our Caboo fleece and waterproof cover for days when it was slightly chillier.
If you have a little baby, take your own car seat, or ask the company to send you a photo of what they will give you. If your worried about it getting bashed about like I was you can get a bag for it. Things got away from me a little bit and I got confused with what I could take (2 baby items) and I didn't take my car seat. BIG mistake, here the baby seats are what I would put a toddler in, any younger than Joshua and we would have been stuck at the airport. Joshua hates this seat and it makes napping in the car almost impossible 😫 this is definitely one of my biggest regrets.
As Joshua has reach the age were he likes to drop/throw toys I made some clips so that when we were on the plane, or out in the pram or sling he wouldn't loose his toys. These got clipped to him, the pushchair, highchair, car seat, and us! Worked a treat!
At home we were using the white noise on Alexa, then I recently bought a next to you thing, but for holiday I wanted something smaller. I found a skip-hop owl by chance and it's great. You can hang it on the cot/carseat/pram as it's portable, it has white noise, and nursery rhymes. I like the nature sounds and was quite happy to have that on while I was going to sleep. (In fact I kind of want one myself) you can choose 15/30/60 mins and you can change the volume. I also took this bad boy to the zoo to help Joshua sleep for his nap time when out and about.
I took couple of snack pots and ended up using them for fruit puree, on the whole I used pre made snacks so could have probably have left those at home. I have 2 none spill sippy cups at home (well I have loads! But 2 without spouts) one from munchkin and the other from Nuby. I decided to take the Nuby one on this trip as it comes with a lid, which was great as it meant I knew nothing in my bag would get wet, AND the rim of the cup wouldn't get dirty while we were out on our travels. I took a freezer bag to keep all his food bits and bobs in to store in the rucksack when we were exploring.
There were a few other things that I would take if possible, As the top ten sounds better these are my bonus items.
As I refused to be a slave to nap time for the whole holiday, I took a cellular blanket with us and clipped it onto the buggy when Joshua fell asleep. I chose a cellular for obvious reasons, it has holes in so he could breath and it kept the sun off him, and didn't trap all hot air in there.
I took lots of travel milk, plus a couple of bags of powdered milk for the day. I did end up buying one lot of powdered milk out there, the only thing to remember that some places will have no english instructions, so you might have to double check with google. I also took Ella's Kitchen's meals for almost every meal, the only issue with this is the weight. Taking the food was tricky due to the weight, BUT I'm glad that I did as they baby food out there was mainly made my Nestle and while Joshua ate it, it was just yellow slop, I'm not sure how good it really was for him, also as it's in jars, and for him was two meals, it would have meant a lot of waste. The Ella's kitchen pouches where tasty, and have given me some ideas for dinners that I can make.
As I sit here finishing this post from the comfort of my lounge in the UK, I have realised that I don't think I've brought this home with me. Damn it! We used this at the beach and at the villa, but to be honest, I'm a bit 50/50 on this, so if you don't have space don't worry about it.
They don't have baby changing here (for the most part), and I figured it's worth taking regardless, whether you use it on a changing table or in the car, a small fold up one is a handy thing to have. Along with a travel sized packet of wet wipes.
Lastly I bought a check in bag for the push chair. I did this so a) I knew which was ours b) it wouldn't get scratched up in the hold, and we ended up popping the blankets and our coats in there when we went to board the plane, so it acted as a bonus bag too. (I wouldn't put anything valuable in there with the pushchair as it's easy to open.
In 2017 the first baby items I bought were some cute little scratch mitts from Earth Soul Clothing. At around 3 months old, we were lucky enough to be chosen to represent Earth Soul Clothing, and Joshua has been rocking out in these clothes ever since.
Jasmine designs and makes the clothes, (which you can see on her Instagram stories) and she really thinks about what is best for your children, plus she is very ethically conscious about where the material she buys is from so it's a win win.
Before having Joshua I had said that he would only be in onsies until he was at least 6 months old and had some tummy muscles, so that he wasn't uncomfortable in any unnecessary trousers. When Jasmine sent me Joshua's first few pairs of harems I was amazed at how soft they where, and with a thick stretchy waist band Joshua was very happy in them, (and lets be honest, sometimes they make life changing a million nappies a day much easier, especially if you have a wiggler like I do!
The other thing I've loved about these clothes are that they are easily versatile, we've worn them for smart occasions, casual days out, and lounging around having Mama and Mini matching moments they are our current go to. The other great thing I've found is that while Joshua has grown out of most trousers due to his long legs, (he's currently being swallowed in 9-12 months trousers as at the moment with him being almost 8 months I'm refusing to buy anything smaller) but he can still wear his Earth Soul harems which are 3-6 months, and they are the only ones that he can get away with.
The material itself is nice and soft, and doesn't restrict Joshua's movements at all like some other clothes may, this is particularly good at the moment as we've reached the stage where we are starting to crawl/do the worm, so he needs to be able to move his knees without restriction.
They also make great gifts, I've recently bought an adorable hat and mitt set for a beautiful baby girl and hopefully I can share some photos of her with you in my stories.
Check out more of Joshua in his Earth Soul Clothing by following us on Instagram, below I'm going to list the ways you can see more, and read the story behind this wonderful brand.
EarthSoulClothing Website. TAKE ME SHOPPING!
I'd love to see your little ones in their Earth Soul outfits, or any matching Mama's that there are out there….
Thank you for joining me to day, I hope you've enjoyed this post.
While I have been gifted many of these items as part of my brand repping, I also purchase from EarthSoulClothing as I honestly love these clothes. This post is not an ad and all of the opinions are my own, I'd like to thank Jasmine for having us and we hope you all enjoy our photos. More to come.
Wondering what special gift to get for a friend or family's mini? or maybe for your own. Something thoughtful that won't break the bank, how about a personalised door sign from Not A Jewellery Box, handmade in Devon by a wonderful lady who's kindly been a great sport in answering some unusual questions, and very kindly giving us a discount code.
Hi Emma, Thank you for popping over for a little chat and a bombardment of questions. I'm loving Joshua's door sign and it's perfect as at the moment on his back I call him my little turtle, with his little arms and legs in the air, haha, thank you so much. You have some really fun and sweet designs as well as other cool goodies on your site, I'd love to learn more about Not a jewellery box and the woman behind it.
For those who haven't discovered you yet, can you tell us a little about how not a jewellery box was born?
NAJB was born from a passion for jewellery. BUT finding that I ran out of time to rummage through a box and find what I wanted to wear, so I wore the same thing day after day. NAJB is all about making the most of your jewellery and finding alternative storage ideas that make it easy to style yourself each day.
I enjoyed looking through all the different signs and hangers (for us ladies), I love the variety of shapes you can chose from how did you come up with the concept the wooden signs?
The wooden signs were born from the Hair Bow hangers. Because they were personalised it made sense to offer them as individual pieces with out the ribbon.
Do you have favourite children's sign?
Yes – it has to be the new sleepy fox. He is so cute with his sleepy eyes.
How do you decide what shapes to add or phrases to use?
Really it is down to what I see as being a popular item for a while now Llamas have been popular and Sloths seem to be making a stand with their popularity. Of course I am always open to suggestions???
Which sign is the most popular?
The cloud is the most popular. I think it is timeless and suitable for a young baby.
Yes definitely. My Grandma was super creative she could make just about anything and I would often sit with her and make cards and things. She excelled at sewing and embroidery I don't seem to have that skill though as I don't even have the patience to sew on a button.
Yes, the dragon was my little boys idea, we had a brainstorming day one day. He was a touch ambitious with his ideas!
With some thing to offer for all of the family, what is your top items for each person? I think the leaf jewellery hanger is a fab idea, like useable art. Being a Mama I do love a duel purpose these days?
Ohh that's a tough one as it so depends on the person. Anything unicorn still seems to be popular with the girls. I gave my dad a bespoke Sunglasses stand as he was always losing his glasses.
What is you're favourite colour?
Pink (I was never EVER a pink person so this is all new to me. But I love pale pinks!!!
What is you're favourite family meal?
don't have to cook myself.
What was the best piece of advice you received about motherhood?
When I was pregnant I was overdue by 10 days, so I was induced. My BF advised to have an epidural as the labour can be a little more intense when you are induced. So I did, my 10.7lb baby girl was delivered whilst I was under epidural and I slept through most of the labour!
What is you're favourite mom joke?
To have a bit of control over time. Pause it for a while or go back and do something again.
What children's show would you put into room 101?
Teletubbies! I mean what is actually going on???
What has been your best buy for your children?
They are older now… 12 and nearly 10. I just bought an app called Our Pact – I can now control their screen time on their ipads from my phone. Now that is magic!
I would go anywhere that had sunshine and surf….
and bring my belated Grandma along too… She would have a giggle.
Thank you again for joining us, and being such a good sport! If you would like to see the goodies you can get for all of the family you can find them on the website, and more signs on Instagram. As an extra treat, we have a 20% discount, use the code KIDS20. For a limited time I am also running a competition to win your very own door sign, don't forget to follow myself @theunrulyones and @najb_kids to be in with a chance to win.
While Joshua's door sign was gifted, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
For those who haven't discovered you yet, can you tell us a little about how SBN was born?
Such kind words! Thank you. Means the world when people are so lovely about the brand because I still feel like a small fish in a very large pond. I started off my online business experience by running a wedding blog which got award nominated twice in a year and I enjoyed it but I fell out of love with the world of weddings. At the same time when this was coming to an end and I had a newborn, I wanted to make handmade items for children's rooms but I don't have any experience of running a business like this or did I have any idea what products I would design. I wasn't even in the Instagram world of mothers or these types of businesses- who knew it was so big!? It has grown (and I am not a fan of this word but…) organically. I just adore craft and DIY which stems from my Grandma who did everything with me from painting eggs to DIY kits. I am a huge 'dabbler' I have got more crochet, quilt and other DIY projects on the go than you can shake a stick at!
I love that SNB is unique and creative, how did you come up with the concept of the pears and moons etc and the characters you created from them?
I kept seeing the light up pears in nurseries around Instagram and wondered if wooden ones existed. I couldn't find any (I would never want to copy or interpret anyone else's products which happens far too much on Instagram) so I looked into wood turning and so it began. I have since found someone making wooden pears in Australia but I don't like to look into their designs and when I saw them under a hashtag on Insta I think mine are very different. Phew! I then went to Greece for my first round of fertility last year and whilst there discussed new ideas with my husband and chatted them through with the guy who makes my wooden items which is where the spheres, bulbs, apples and rockets then came from. The characters evolved as people kept asking me to push the pear boundaries and now I have realised there is really no limit to pear creations!
I think a fav would be my killer whale because when I was asked to make this I was literally winging it and wondering how on earth a sea creature could evolve from a pear- it's the best reaction I had from my husband and then I realised there really is no stopping the pears.
How do you decide what character they are going to take on?
I started with a basic range of a pirate, rabbit etc based on general children's room themes. Now I take inspiration from Arlo's books, toys and my late night pinning of children's rooms seeing themes and colours. I also have a lot of custom requests where we discuss general ideas and I then sketch and create them.
What does Arlo think of Mummy's characters? Does he have a collection of his own?
I am the worst- he doesn't even have his own pear!! He loves pointing at them but I hope in the future he will appreciate the creativity and join me in enjoying crafts.
Which character is the most popular? I'm thinking it might be the uber cute Unicorn…..
Yeh- the unicorn which was a creation I was asked to make originally for 'Sharlene Home' on Instagram. Then I would say pregnant pear and Pearguin is close behind.
Do you ever get tempted to keep a character you fall in love with?
Every time. Literally Every time when I wrap them up I feel a little bit of my love goes with them. I love making new ones.
I read that you started your business in 2016, you must be super proud with how far you've come in such a short space of time. Seeing what you've managed to achieve in the last couple of years, what are your plans for the future of SBN?
Oh man- I feel like nothing is ever enough! I don't feel I have done that well really- but then I have to remind myself I started in the Winter of 2016 and I started a tough year in 2017 personally. I am the worst. I want more or as my husband would sing to me 'I want the world, I want the whole world'. I am finding Instagram tough at the moment- lots of work and little rewards in terms of followers and building on it. I want SBN to be featured in some print and I would love to have such a huge range of designs both in wooden form and print so I am able to have as many sales as I can take to take on a part time all round wonderful person to help me.
I really enjoy looking at your instagram account, you have a beautiful way of sharing your photos, do you take all the photos yourself?
So kind! I do, so because of blogging I wanted to create decent content of DIY wedding makes etc. I took Emily Quinton's beautify Instagram course a few years ago when she was studio based and then I went back and did a photoshop course with Silkie Lloyd in Emily's studio. I then became a Makelight member and I continued to play with flowers and flatlays. Now I feel I have found my style- but I bet it will change again as the year progresses.
As a primary teacher I think creativity can be exceptionally helpful. I was always told I was creative in the classroom and I adored doing displays in school- when I didn't have a husband and had time to stay until 10pm doing a display. I was a nutter in the classroom and either you loved my 'out there' ways or you didn't. I was lucky enough to get amazing results out of my children so no one ever questioned how far I took the creativity in my lessons!
I also wanted to say thank you for sharing your days with us on your stories, the do give me a giggle, it's lovely to see the lady behind the scenes.
Ah- I am such an over-sharer!
You've been very brave in sharing your fertility journey, and soon you will be a mum of 3! Have you got all everything you need for the arrival of the twins?
Absolutely not, in total pushchair, car seat, clothing denial but I cannot believe what a beautiful position I am in right now. People always say it is brave to share the fertility but I don't ever think that- I just think either you feel you can or you can't. I wanted to share partly to help others but partly as a release for myself, you know?
When I had Mini I was shattered! (To be honest I still am!) And that's just one baby. With twins and a toddler, will your hubby be picking up a paint brush or is he more of a nappy master?
Pah- my husband doesn't have the thumbs for such creativity and it would definitely end in divorce…however I am so lucky to have him. He even does the Terry Nappies I insist in putting Arlo in- that's the fold and everything. He thinks of himself as quite the chef and he works from home. So although we know his career is not going far right now and he hardly earns the big bucks- he is home and finishes at 5pm and takes Arlo for me. Now, how this will all work with three under two…I will let you know!!?
My first Order from SBN is in memory of my younger brother George who we lost in December 2017. My mother lost her brother when he was only a few years older than my brother, just a few years before I came along, and it upsets me that Mini has also lost his chance for what would have been a wonderful relationship with my adoring brother.
I wanted to be able to talk about George to Mini and to help him understand how important he is. I have a little passport photo of my Uncle and while I have some photos of Mini and George together I thought it would be nice to have a physical object that we could talk to, and tell stories with. I came up with an Owl as although George was only 25, he was very knowledgeable (even when he wasn't….. he was always right…. and always knew best 😉 ) I thought a young Owl would suit him, and he can wisely watch over Mini from above.
I love George the Owl (who reads WOW said the Owl with us) and we always say good morning and good night to him. I couldn't think of a better way to start our SBN collection.
I don't seem to have one?!
To be able to fly for sure.
An experience of some sort- like a round the world trip.
What has been your best buy for Arlo?
Reusable nappies actually. Terry nappies and a few wraps. I feel like I have saved a fortune.
I'd love to visit a caribbean island- no preference just would like to find paradise.
And lastly if you could have a pizza and a glass of vino with 3 people who would they be?
Malala Yousafzai- because I find her story so inspiring.
Gerard Butler- well because hello dish… That's quite the get together.
Thanks so much for having me on your beautiful blog!!
If you are looking for unique and thoughtful handmade gifts for friends and family (and of course those gifts from you, to you), you've hit the jackpot here.
I used every single thing I won (well bar the outfit, which will be ready as my something new for baby number two 😉 ) and the book by Clemmie (@Mother_of_daughters ) which I lent to my pregnant bestie until I need it.
Not only did I win all of these goodies, but I've won a subscription of 3 months, and from the outset I can hand on heart say my first box was stunning. The quality of the items that Charlotte (the owner of baby box) chooses is top notch, and for me (you you I'm sure) is of top importance. I love the books, that I remember from my childhood, Mini adores WOW Owl, and his little eyes light up when I read it to him. I have no photos of the fudge, chocolate, or teas as they got scoffed up uber quickly.
The teddy sits on the windowsill and watches Mini play, we use the Harry and Rose (@Harryandrose) bath goodies every day, and the lotion morning and night, (I find myself holding him a little tighter after his bath, and when we read our bedtime story, I can't help but breath in the wonderful baby smell it gives him) and the towel is THE SOFTEST EVER!!!
The wooden teethers, are both mine and Mini's favourites. He goes for those before any of his others, and I think they look so much nicer than the plastic ones I've got, they are items that will be kept for future generations. (Mini likes the bear and sheep the best, and I LOVE the mice as they are sooooo cute).
There was also a candle (my hubby loves a good candle so he was happy) and it smells delightful, nice and relaxing of an evening when Mini is in bed and I'm trying to relax.
Pop over and see what's happening on Beautiful Baby Box on Instagram and if you want to sign up, you can do that on the website.
I'll let you know what box number 2 is next month. I'm excited to see.
And a huge thanks to Charlotte, who fyi is also pregnant with number 2 (I don't know how she does it, wonder woman) you can read her birth story.
Hope you enjoyed this little review, and it's been helpful. Let me know your thoughts.
On a hot Friday morning I went for my 38 week midwife appointment at the birth centre. Everything looked good, baby wasn't engaged but was moving in to the correct position. The midwife was lovely and listened to me moaning about how uncomfortable I was but explained that I could be in for a bit of a wait.
That night my husband cooked me dinner, we lit some candles and snuggled on the sofa. We planned on making the most of our last weekends just the two of us.
The next morning I woke up at 6am for yet another wee, as I walked to the bathroom my waters broke. I was in complete shock and sat on the toilet for 10 minutes trying to get my head around it. Yesterday the midwife told me I could be in for a long wait and now I'm having a baby.
I called the birth centre and they asked me to come. My first question was 'have I got time to wash my hair?' she laughed and explained this appointment would be just to check what was going on and if my waters had really broken.
With freshly wash hair we arrived at the birth centre at 8.30. After a quick check they confirmed my waters had broken, baby was engaged but there were no further signs of labour. We were told we had 24 hours to get baby out or they would intervene and a follow up appointment was booked for 8am the next day.
We went home and waited, nothing happened. We went for a walk, nothing happened. We stopped off for some lunch, nothing happened. I bounced on my birthing ball, nothing happened. We both had a nap, nothing happened. Finally at 6pm whilst watching Jurassic Park (I love a toothy film) I had my first contraction.
To begin with I really enjoyed my contractions, yes really! I was so happy that things had started on their own as I wanted avoid intervention as much as possible. By 8pmthey were getting more intense and closer together. I put on my tens machine and rocked on my birthing ball. I felt in control and calm. By 9pm things were really picking up my contractions were a bit all over the place but coming between three and 5 minutes apart. I was still calm and listening to my body and decided about 9.30 that it was time to go to the birth centre.
On the way there Chris (husband) told me if he couldn't find a parking space he would drop me off at the door then park. Amazing we found a space really close which is unheard of in London. As we got out of the car (I had been lying down on the back seats) a lady came to ask us for advice on the best place to park. Chris being ever so polite entered into what felt like a 20 minute debate on parking in London, although I'm sure it was only minutes. I could feel another contraction coming on so decided to abandon Chris and get to the birth centre, I could feel the birthing pool calling to me.
Chris caught up with me as I was wadding into the hospital entrance. The hospital was bright and noisy, nothing like the relaxing environment I had created at home. We buzzed the birth centre door and waited for them to open, during this time I had another contraction. It was just ending as they opened the door and I staggered in. The first thing the midwife said to me was 'is that a contraction because if it is it that's not a real contraction' she was obviously having a bad night. She took us into a small room checked me out and said it was still in very early labour. Her advice/demands were to go home, take off my tens machine and have a sleep.
None of this sounded right to me but having never been through this before I thought I had to do exactly what the scary angry midwife told me to do.
We made it home, got me on to the bed, took of my tens machine and then I lost my last bit of my control. Suddenly my pain level hit the roof, my contractions were all over the place, sometimes coming one after the other for 10 minutes then slowing down.
Chris ran me a bath and all I remember about the next hour is thrashing around in the water like a scene from Jaws. About 11am I started throwing up, Chris called the midwife again and they agreed should come back in. Whilst he was on the phone I started to get the urge to push, I refused to get out of the bath and demanded Chris called an ambulance. (I think I was scared to get into the car and have him offer directions to the world instead of helping me) Some how he managed to get me out, dressed and into the car.
When we arrived at the birth centre for the second time we were met by a different midwife who was wonderful! She was calm and caring and made me feel safe. She got me straight into the birthing pool and helped my relax. She told me to do my breathing exercises. No one every told me about this magic breathing, but after she did it with me for a minute I began to get my control back. The pool was amazing and the warm water felt wonderful. I had some gas and air and found my groove again.
Chris was sat behind me (on a chair not in the pool!) holding the gas and air in one hand and my drink in the other so I was free to move around in the pool.
The urge to push came again and a second midwife came to join us. It was the scary one from earlier, the first thing she said was 'what's she doing here' to which my angel midwife replied 'baby is on its way'. Is it wrong that I enjoyed the look of surprise on her face?
Then with one last push my baby was born, the midwife went to get baby out of the water, I pushed her out of the way and scooped up my perfect tiny baby. As I held her I realised that she was in fact a he, we had been right all along we had a perfect beautiful baby boy.
We were moved into a lovely recovery room with a double bed and a wooden swinging crib, Chris fell asleep within minutes and I laid there staring at this tiny perfect little baby. I couldn't believe that he was all mine.
He wasn't feeding so we stayed in for 24 hours, after a while he coughed up some fluid and began to feed happily.
He has been a happy and chilled out boy ever since. Now he is over two and we are waiting on the arrival of baby no2.
The main thing I learnt from Williams birth is to listen to your body and don't let the midwives ignore your feelings. My contractions were never regular (there was almost 15 minutes between Williams head being born and the rest of him), and they were never felt all over only where you feel period pains. I think if I had been aloud to get into the birthing pool when I first went to the hospital he would have made an appearance even earlier and I wouldn't have had to go through that horrendous time at home where I lost control.
I am taking all I have learnt and making sure I am even more prepared the second time round. I have been doing compassionate hypnobirthing and feel much more in formed about my options and choices.
When I finished work for maternity leave, I don't think it had still sunk in that I was going to be having a baby. I'd had the most amazing, textbook pregnancy… plenty of nausea but no sickness, cravings for mini eggs (oh the hardship) cute little bump… I had LOVED being pregnant. I had been doing hypnobirthing; I was planning on a home water birth with as few drugs as possible and I was so incredibly excited about it all. I felt really relaxed, and looking forward to giving birth. I had a birth plan, it didn't even cross my mind that my birth would be anything other than what I had written down on that oh so black and white piece of paper.
I was convinced I was going to be early, I had the 19th June cemented in my mind, so on the morning of the 19th, when I started getting proper contractions, I KNEW he was coming! I was nearly 2 weeks early, and I'd been having light contractions for a couple of days so to be sure that I was actually in labour, I popped myself up to the hospital for them to check. They confirmed I was in active labour and 4cm dilated, so (very excited but also very calm and relaxed) I took myself home to make sure everything was ready for little mans arrival.
On the Tuesday afternoon, I was still in labour at home (two midwife shift changes later!) when we had a call from the hospital – I'd had some swabs done when I was there and they were back… I had Group B Strep. Because I was in active labour, I needed IV antibiotics every 4 hours; we decided the sensible thing to do was to move to the birthing unit in Jessops Hospital, so we packed up all the bits we would need for a brief hospital stint (I'd already got an emergency bag just in case, as I knew things might not go to plan!) and set off on our way.
I was put in a birthing room, given my first load of antibiotics and had all sorts of bloods taken. By Wednesday morning, I was still only 5cm dilated… nothing had progressed. By late Wednesday evening, I had another visit, this time from a consultant who told me my bloods had come back and I had severe labour on-set pre-eclampsia. My blood pressure had shot through the roof, and my kidneys and liver were failing. I was told I would have to be admitted to the consultant led ward so they could monitor me, they were going to have to break my waters and induce my labour as it still wasn't progressing; my body was shutting down, and baby was getting grumpy.
My relaxed, drug free hypnobirthing plan promptly flew out the window, I was advised to have an epidural to bring my blood pressure down and get some rest – which I did, desperate to avoid the ever looming threat of a c-section. I have to say though (probably thanks to hypnobirthing) I was still really calm and relaxed.
After 84 hours in active labour, at 1.43pm on Thursday the 22nd June, I finally got to meet my beautiful little boy Frank, having very narrowly missed a caesarean.
We were on cloud 9, it hadn't been quite the straightforward labour I was expecting, but I still enjoyed every minute of it, and it had all been worth it. After that glorious first hour, a paediatrician came into the room to look at Frank as they were concerned about his breathing. Next thing I knew, my husband was going one way with Frank to be "monitored" and I was going the other way to the high dependency unit, where they wanted to keep me until my kidneys and liver showed some signs of functioning normally after the pre-eclampsia. I declined the monitoring, all I was bothered about was going to find Frank.
I thought he was going for monitoring, so I wasn't even a little bit prepared for walking into intensive care to see my little boy in an incubator. The next few hours passed in a blur. I woke up the next morning at 5am, my 30th birthday and I was alone in a hospital bed without my little boy, surrounded by wards of women who had just given birth and had their babies with them. I had a little (big) cry, then pulled myself together. What was the point in feeling sorry for myself, when I could go down to see Frank, sit by his incubator, and maybe be allowed to hold him for just a short while. I managed to track down the consultant covering the room he was in, who told me Frank actually had pneumonia which has been caused by the GBS I had been carrying.
The next few days were all a bit of a haze, spent mostly just sitting in intensive care by his incubator, holding him when we could and trying to avoid all the machines he was hooked up to. It seemed like forever, but he was only actually in there for 4 days before being moved into special care on day 5, and then the day after he was allowed to come up to the ward with me until I was given the all clear and we were both discharged. My blood pressure still wasn't normal, there was something wrong with my platelets, and my kidney or liver (I forget!?) wasn't quite back in working order, but I didn't care, I was going HOME.
For those wanting some more information about Group B Strep. It is carried by around 25% of women, and the bacteria can be passed from the mother to the baby as they pass through the birth canal. There is a lot of information about GBS here –https://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/about/newborns-pregnant.html – which is worth a read.
The NHS might not do the tests, but you can buy them online. They are available here – https://www.groupbstreptest.co.uk/ and at only £35 (the test is free, the lab fee is £35) they are worth every penny if you are expecting, if only for peace of mind.
We were some so lucky… if they hadn't have found out about the GBS I possibly wouldn't have gone up to the hospital, or found out about the pre-eclampsia… we would never have realised "grumbling" in a new born baby was a sign of breathing problems, had it not been for the fact the staff were aware I was carrying GBS our story could have been completely different.
I will forever be grateful to the NHS and the amazing midwives, consultants and nurses in the maternity wards and neonatal unit in Jessops for their incredible work. I can't thank them enough for the wonderful care they gave to me and Frank during that first week, and I will never forget how lucky we are to have our beautiful little boy.
If you would like to see how Frank and his Mamma as getting on now, head over to Instagram by clicking here -> @Mamo.style and you can also catch up with the lovely Laura on her blog Mamo.
Thank you Laura for sharing your journey with us.
If you've enjoyed this and would like to share your own birth story please get in touch by popping me an email.
A year ago, little did I know, my baby boy was stubborn. From week 40 and a day, I was walking at least a mile and half every day on the treadmill. 80% of the time I sat on a yoga ball. I was also eating bunches of pineapple. Even getting my membranes stripped twice. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to know. That honestly was the worst!! But I would do anything to get my son out and my midwife was amazing about it all. Claudine has been a Midwife for 30 years, 17 years and a few months before James, my mother was due with his Aunt, my sister. Claudine was one of two midwives. so after a thorough search, we found Claudine and at her clinic, we were able to have checkups for me and baby along with a birth class. Becuase of all of this time I was able to Prepare, plan and pray. I knew God had a plan. no matter what happened he is with me. That mindset took time in prayer and also some amazing videos that help me, Here is A heavenly welcome free video course I did.
On the evening of the 18th, a holistic remedy was our last hope sadly it only would start it then it would go away. That night I had to wake up every 2 hours or was it every hour I have lost to much sleep and brain function to remember little details.
I woke the morning 19th we got ready for our day and contacted my midwife we made the plan for us all to meet at her birth centre around 10am since we had a 40 min drive from my family home where we spent James first 10months.
We arrive she check me and still hardly dilated and my blood pressure was up a little, so it was the time I need to be induced she sent me Momdocs where she knew I would be taken care of. They a Practice that has midwives and Doctor there to do things like c section, or provide another option of medical care for women.
We decided to grab some Chick-fil-A. I remember this moment. Because as I sat waiting for my meal I watched on this Thursday afternoon mama of all kinds with friends on their own with their kids thinking that my dream of being a mother was just around the corner.
But we both were in a strange place since our expectation of the birth plan wasn't going to plan so we went over it and readjust it.
After we eat I called my mum informed for of the goings-on. Text my husband family… I think. Then we got to Mom docs. Still high blood pressure. After finding out my weight I had gain 60+lbs (honestly in shock) mind you I did just eat a sandwich. And had a full bladder.
After the appointment that took lifetime at least it felt like it. We headed to the hospital down the Road, for being my first time being admitted Honestly it's amazing for birth and delivery!
We enter the hospital and got all settled in. Honestly, I was just trying to stay calm with it being my first time being admitted. We got an ultrasound done. I ate some okay hospital food, then got things started I waiting on the epidural for an hour or so I knew it would help my blood pressure. My husband wasn't even looking and he almost passed, out bless him. That was about 6pm, we watch movies till late and around ten I slept for a time. Charlie tried to as well, one of my best friends came to check in the next morning. My nurses were amazing, it was nice to have a midwife there even though it wasn't the one I grew to know so well.
I was 8 cm dilated finally, I thought to my self at 10am in the morning, "Yes, we are almost there we can do this"! But our son decided he wanted to see the world as he came out! Another nurse checked me and my water broke. She stated he was positioned funny.
After the doctor checked it turns out James had other plans, Hyperextend ones.
He explained we had two hours before I would have to go in for a C-section, Charlie's face dropped, I could tell he was worried from the moment my water broke, as you know we took a birth class so we knew. We decided to wait an hour and pray I wanted to see if God had a different plan. The doctor was sure he wasn't going back in me to change position so we prayed and had others pray. My dear friend called our family and we texted everyone else the updates.
One hour went by way faster as the nurse and doctor prepared for the c section.
I had peace I felt God's presence and knew He was with me, no matter what happens. Yes, I was scared but my God was with me.
I prepared my heart for it. This was far from what I expected to happen. As you may have guessed it turns out the doc was right and James didn't change position. So we went right in. My body began to freak out as we entered the O.R. The anesthesiologist was amazing, he was kind and thoughtful, making sure I was alright as I waited for Charlie. Once he was there he played my worship playlist and it calmed me down. It felt like a "come to Jesus" moment but I think that was mostly the bright lights talking. And they didn't get my epidural in right before and I could feel the incision.🤐😣 It's the reason I'm not waiting for another c section but who knows what the Lord will do.
I look back on that experience as one of the moments that truly grew me as a person and in my faith, even though it causes a rough recovery.
I kept them in the freezer because they last long there like they never expire, at least that's what I was told.
What does it do for us postpartum? I experienced each one of these taking them.
James was born in the early afternoon we didn't have anyone over 'til later that day.
My family came shortly after Charlies.
I was recovering quickly! Normally after a C-section, it can take 4-5 days to recover enough to get out of the hospital. 2-3 days to get up out of bed.
I was up the next morning, yes within 24 hrs. I was up that afternoon, beginning to walk.
So the next day, by the afternoon we were able to go home, well home meaning my family home, we were staying with them for a time.
The first few months were a challenge, James didn't get a full latch for months.
I was blessed to not have to go back to work for 3 months. It was amazing!
I'm so grateful to God for what he did through this experience and I loved being pregnant … Just not for those last two weeks. But for the whole experience, I don't wish, waiting that long, on anyone but remember God's plans are bigger than ours.
I spent so much time in prayer in those two weeks.
I prayed, "God, help remind me when I struggle with him still being inside that you have me in the palm of your hands".
I prayed for other babies, babies here and babies that are not here.
I prayed for not yet mamas, who want to be mamas.
So many couples have issues with infertility. My grandmother herself had many babies pass away within days of birth.
All you mamas out there hold a special place in my heart, I think and pray for you often.
If you are a mama who is reading this and has gone through a hard experience and just needs to write to someone, I'd be honored to pray for you.
Thank you Katie for sharing your journey with us, I feel truly honoured.
So my plan for this product was that I would try it out at home to get Mini used to sleeping in it, then I would use it for a few days when in Wales visiting hubby's family and then lastly over Christmas while at my mums, and then the hubby and I were discussing holidays.
Mini slept really well in it as you can see from the photo. It has a mosquito net you can zip up at the front, and the sides have the same mesh, which is great for the summer.
I used it for about a week for his masters morning naps, and as it was so quick to put and and take down the hubby couldn't complain that I'd left it out, and it also meant I had no excuse not to pack it up each day….
On the 14th of December this year, our world changed forever when my younger brother passed away.
We packed in a hurry, when we thought he was unconscious, grabbing clothes and bottles, we also grabbed our Koo-di so we could spend the night away if needed, (At this point we thought he was unconscious and that we would be staying at a hospital), instead I ended up staying at my mothers for over a month.
I like having mini close to me so I've popped him up on a chest, and wedged him in between the bed and the bedside table and while he can't roll, it seemed to do the job nicely. If I needed to have him in a different room (my mum lives in an old house and the heating was a bit of a nightmare) I could just pop him on the floor anywhere. (This is were some kind of black out blind would have been good) but it kept him safe and secure from the pup, who sometimes likes to see if there's any milk she can help clean off him.
In fact I love this product so much, I've got the Koo-di cot for when Mini is a little older and we go on holiday, when he is around 8-9 months old.
*while items where gifted to me, the views are my own.
@2017 The Unruly Ones. All Rights Reserved.


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How 49ers will avoid filling up on McDaniel's 'eye-candy' offense
/ by Matt Maiocco
Matt Maiocco
SANTA CLARA — The players are different, but the ideas are much the same.
When the 49ers face the Miami Dolphins in Week 13 at Levi's Stadium, both defenses will be challenged against offenses that look quite familiar.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel worked under 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan for a dozen years with Houston, Washington, Cleveland, Atlanta and San Francisco.
McDaniel has taken a slightly altered version of Shanahan's offense with him to South Beach. On Sunday, both teams will showcase their schemes in the South Bay.
"It's our offensive scheme, and McDaniel does a really good job of mixing things up," 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said. "Not too many plays are the same.
"He finds a way to get different players in different positions, a lot of different looks, a lot of different motions to get defenses confused and looking at all these things that are going on. So he does a good job of creating space."
The Dolphins, like the 49ers, lean heavily on pre-snap movement to force defenses to reveal their coverages and, possibly, create confusion with adjustments. The Dolphins (75 percent) and 49ers (71 percent) rank Nos. 1 and 2 in the NFL at using pre-snap motion.
"By moving guys around, making guys have to communicate and he hits you with any type of play, whether it's run game, pass game," Ryans said. "He makes the play-action marry up with the run game, which makes it even more difficult. So just shout out to McDaniel. He's doing a really good job there."
Ryans breaks down why the Dolphins have such an explosive offense pic.twitter.com/QLNZ508XcU
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) December 1, 2022
One problem in preparing to face a Shanahan-influenced coach such as McDaniel is that film study and anticipation can work as a disadvantage. The term "eye candy" is used to describe how movement is deployed to distract defenses from following through with their assignments.
Just because a personnel grouping, formation and play at the snap of the ball might look identical to something the Dolphins have shown before, it could be a completely different play that was set up weeks earlier.
Fred Warner discusses the challenges of going up against Mike McDaniel's Kyle-Shanahan-influenced offense. pic.twitter.com/GSfVbAIIqo
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) December 2, 2022
"It feels like training camp," 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. "Obviously, that's something we deal with all training camp against our offense. That'll be helpful in playing a team like this.
"It's about being disciplined in your fits. You mentioned 'eye candy,' just knowing where your eyes are going. And, ultimately, just executing your assignment."
Ryans said the 49ers' defense must lean on their rules to fill in the blanks in order to execute against facets of the Dolphins' offense that McDaniel has yet to unveil this season.
RELATED: Armstead declares he will return to action for 49ers-Dolphins game
"There's a lot of things that he probably can do that we haven't seen, so a lot of things you can't worry about," Ryans said. "For us, it always goes back, you probably hear me say this every week, but it goes back to us and just playing our fundamentals, our technique and being exactly where we're supposed to be.
"That doesn't change for us each week. I want to keep it consistent with our guys to make sure we're playing as fast as we can play. It doesn't matter what they do or what they present. It doesn't matter, it's about us and how we handle those things."
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Toby Keith and Tricia Lucus Have Been Married for 37 Years — Look Through Their Love Story
https://news.amomama.com/259771-toby-keith-tricia-lucus-have-been-marrie.html
Toby Keith and Tricia Lucus have spent more than three decades together and have become one of country music's most incredible love stories. Here's a look at their love journey.
Toby Keith is one of those stars who enjoyed the best of both worlds. Keith, whose real last name is Covel, has enjoyed an illustrious career as a country star, but most importantly, he was lucky to find his soulmate.
The country star met his bride in an Oklahoma nightclub in 1981, and it was love at first sight for Keith. The moment he set his eyes on his future wife, Tricia Lucus, his heart knew it had found the one. A look at their history.
Toby Keith during a musical performance on Friday, July 5, 2019 | Photo: Getty Images
EARLY DAYS TOGETHER
Keith and Lucus met when they were 20 and 19, respectively. Speaking on what attracted her to the country star, Lucus explained that she found his confidence attractive and loved how he carried himself.
In his account, Keith recalled them having a dance on their first meeting and the moment left an impression on his heart. He noted that he found it difficult to go his way after their dance. At that point, he realized that he wanted more.
Few years after dating, Keith took the bold step of walking down the aisle with Lucus. He was 22 at the time, beginning what would go on to be decades of bliss.
Being married to his new bride quickly made Keith a father as he adopted Lucus' daughter Shelley, born in 1980. Later on, the couple would raise their kids, daughter Krystal Keith, and son Stelen Keith Covel.
Together, the couple is celebrating 37 years of staying together.
A NOT SO ROSY START
Life as a new couple was not as rosy as it is now for the country star who enjoys the tag of being one of the richest country stars of all time. To provide for his growing family, Keith sometimes worked dangerous jobs.
The 59-year-old Keith provided for his family by working the Oklahoma oil fields with his dad, and sometimes, he would witness the death of others on the field.
TAKING UP MUSIC
When work became scarce, Keith revived his old passion of singing and took up his guitar to play with the "Easy Money Band" in bars for $35 a night plus free beer. His income was not enough to keep his family growing, but Keith saw his big break coming.
Choosing music was not an easy choice for Keith. He was discouraged by lots of bashers who asked him to be reasonable and get a proper 9-5 job to provide for his family.
Despite the opposition the couple faced, Lucus held on to her belief in her man and encouraged him in his musical ambition. It did not take long for his big break to come.
KEITH'S BIG BREAK
His biggest break happened when the CEO of Mercury Records, Harold Shedd, gave him a chance. Shortly after being impressed by his demo life, Keith was offered a contract.
Instagram/keithurban
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Soon, his album became a dominant force in the music industry, and his bank account started reflecting his status as country music's starman. Soon, Keith earned a total of $500 million net worth.
Despite enjoying wealth and fame, his love and preference for his supportive wife never changed. The 59-year-old never stopped gushing over the support and love from his wife. Together, the couple is celebrating 37 years of staying with each other.
Rich Woman Tends to Homeless Man, One Day Notices He Has the Same Birthmark as Her — Story of the Day


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Families Need Fathers (FNF) was founded as a UK-wide organisation in 1974. An article by Keith Parkin was published in the Guardian to announce that a new society had been formed.
… It will campaign for equal parental rights in cases of custody, care and control, and for realistic positive access for the unsuccessful parent.
As well as providing information and campaigning for change, the organisation held local meetings at which fathers and other people affected by the loss of contact with children after separation could share experiences. Such meetings have been held in Edinburgh and Glasgow during most of the time since the formation of FNF. Scotland has always had its own courts and laws, and Scottish FNF members lobbied for changes in the early 1990s when the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 was debated, and again ten years later when the Family Law (Scotland) Act finally gave parental rights and responsibilities to unmarried fathers whose names were on the child's birth certificate, providing the child was born after the 3rd of May 2005.
In 2009 FNF UK obtained funding from the National Lottery to investigate whether an office could be opened in Scotland. John Forsyth carried out this initial scoping work, and Emlyn Hughes from the Liverpool office worked with Scottish members to re-invigorate the local group meetings. This pilot work led to a larger grant from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to pay for two staff and a national office. Ian Maxwell was appointed as the national development manager and John Forsyth the communications and policy manager in June 2010 and an office was opened in Edinburgh.
This led to the formation of an independent Scottish charity Families Need Fathers Scotland in 2011. This charity retained membership links with FNF UK, but was funded separately after the EHRC grant finished in 2012. Trustees were recruited from amongst the membership and monthly local group meetings were started in Aberdeen and Stirling alongside the existing Edinburgh and Glasgow meetings, and an increasing number of phone and email enquiries were handled by the staff.
The Scottish charity established working links with the Scottish Government and a wide range of charities and other organisations working with parents, families and children. Speaker meetings were organised to build up awareness amongst professionals and parents. Amongst the early speakers were Dr Kirk Weir, who described his study Conflict Contact Disputes: Evidence of the Extreme Unreliability of Some Children's Ascertainable Wishes and Feelings at a meeting organised jointly with Relationships Scotland. Karen Woodall spoke about her work on Parental Alienation at two meetings we organised in 2012.
Funding has been obtained from a wide variety of sources to support our work in Scotland. The Scottish Government has supported us since 2012 through a variety of funding streams, including the Equalities Fund, Volunteering Support and the Children and Young Peoples Early Intervention Fund. We are also very grateful to the Big Lottery for their support towards parenting training and work with minority ethnic parents, the Tudor Trust who have supported our Partnership Development and Outreach post since 2015, the Robertson Trust who have supported our moves into stress management and communication skills training, and a wide range of other trusts. Members of the organisation have also raised funds for us over the years, ranging from ventures such as canoe trips and birthday celebrations to the more recent Kiltwalks in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.
When Alastair Williamson was appointed to the new partnership development and outreach post in 2015 we opened a Glasgow office, initially in the Robertson Trust building in Bath Street and now in our own space in Cadogan Square. The Edinburgh office started off within the First Hand premises in Broughton Place, and them moved westward to Palmerston Place where we occupy an office and also use the meeting space within the building owned by Palmerston Place Church.
In 2018 and 2019 the trustees of the charity decided to make various changes including cutting the membership link to FNF UK and changing the name of the charity to Shared Parenting Scotland. This emphasises the main aim of the organisation to promote shared parenting and also reflects the fact that we work with all family members, not just fathers. We retain close links with FNF UK in London and also with our Welsh counterpart FNF Both Parents Matter Cymru and continue to collaborate on UK-wide issues such as child support.
If you can't find what you're looking for, you can contact us using the methods below:
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Falafel (; , ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Levantine and  Egyptian cuisines) made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Nowadays, falafel is often served in a pita, samoon, or wrapped in a flatbread known as taboon; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls may be topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze tray (assortment of appetizers).

Falafel is eaten throughout the Middle East and is a common street food. Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egypt, where it most likely originated, and with chickpeas in the Levant, Iraq and Bahrain. It is popular with vegetarians worldwide.

Etymology

The word  () is of Arabic origin and is the plural of  () 'pepper', borrowed from Persian  (), cognate with the Sanskrit word  () 'long pepper'; or an earlier , from Aramaic  'small round thing, peppercorn', derived from palpēl 'to be round, roll'.

The name  is used world-wide. In English (where it has been written falafel, felafel, filafel and filafil), it is first attested in 1936.

Falafel is known as  ( , ) in Egypt and Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive form of the Arabic word  (, "food"); the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case  (, having to do with taste and food), thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".

The word falafel can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them.

History

The origin of falafel is controversial. The dish most likely originated in Egypt. There is a legend that a fava bean version was eaten by Coptic Christians in the Roman era as early as the 4th century during Lent, but there is no documented evidence for this. It has been speculated that its history may go back to Pharaonic Egypt. However, the earliest written references to falafel from Egyptian sources date to the 19th century, and oil was probably too expensive to use for deep frying in ancient Egypt.

As Alexandria is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and its name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant, Iraq and Bahrain, where chickpeas replaced the fava beans.

Middle East
Falafel is a common form of street food or fast food in Egypt as well as the Levant, Iraq and Bahrain. The croquettes are regularly eaten as part of meze. During Ramadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Falafel became so popular that McDonald's for a time served a "McFalafel" in its breakfast menu in Egypt. Falafel is still popular in the Coptic diet, and as such large volumes are cooked during religious holidays. Falafel is consumed as part of Lent diet by Christians in Arab countries.

Debates over the history of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israeli Jews. In modern times, falafel has been considered a national dish of Egypt, Israel, and the State of Palestine.

Falafel plays an iconic role in Israeli cuisine and is widely considered to be a national dish of the country. Falafel was never a specific Jewish dish but was consumed by Syrian and Egyptian Jews. Later, it was adopted in the diet of early Jewish immigrants to the Jewish communities of Ottoman Syria. As it is plant-based, Jewish dietary laws classify it as pareve and thus allow it to be eaten with both meat and dairy meals. Many Palestinians resent what they see as an appropriation of their dish by Israelis. Additionally, the Lebanese Industrialists' Association has raised assertions of copyright infringement against Israel concerning falafel.

Europe
Waves of migration – principally of Arabs and Turks – had taken it through Europe. In Germany in particular, where a large Turkish population put down roots, it enjoyed huge popularity. At first it was a dish consumed principally by migrants; but by the early 1970s, the appearance of Turkish food stalls and restaurants made it available to a growing number of hungry Germans, which led to yet another transformation of its recipe.

North America

In North America, prior to the 1970s, falafel was found only in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Jewish neighborhoods and restaurants. Today, the dish is a common and popular street food in many cities throughout North America.

Vegetarianism

Falafel has become popular among vegetarians and vegans, as an alternative to meat-based street foods, and is now sold in packaged mixes in health-food stores. While traditionally thought of as being used to make veggie burgers, its use has expanded as more and more people have adopted it as a source of protein. In the United States, falafel's versatility has allowed for the reformulating of recipes for meatloaf, sloppy joes and spaghetti and meatballs into vegetarian dishes.

Preparation and variations

Falafel is made from fava beans or chickpeas, or a combination. Chickpeas are common in most Middle Eastern countries. The dish is usually made with chickpeas in the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Turkey), Iraq, and Bahrain. This version is the most popular in the West. The Egyptian variety uses only fava beans.

When chickpeas are used, they are not cooked prior to use (cooking the chickpeas will cause the falafel to fall apart, requiring adding some flour to use as a binder). Instead they are soaked (sometimes with baking soda) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallions, and garlic. Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor. The dried fava beans are soaked in water and then stone ground with leek, parsley, green coriander, cumin and dry coriander. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an aleb falafel (falafel mould). The mixture is usually deep fried, or it can be oven baked.

Falafel is typically ball-shaped, but is sometimes made in other shapes. The inside of falafel may be green (from green herbs such as parsley or green onion), or tan. Sometimes sesame seeds are added on top of the falafel before frying it.

The pita falafel sandwich was popularized after Israel's independence and in the 1950s by Jewish Yemeni immigrants. Yemeni Jews were the first to introduce the concept of serving falafel in a pita with condiments. A 19 October 1939 The Palestine Post article is the first mention of the concept of falafels served in a pita bread as a street food. When served as a sandwich, falafel is often wrapped with flatbread or stuffed in a hollow pita bread, or it can be served with flat or unleavened bread. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini sauce.

Nutrition

When made with chickpeas, falafel is high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Key nutrients are calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, vitamin B, and folate. Phytochemicals include beta-carotene. Falafel is high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol.

Chickpeas are low in fat and contain initially no cholesterol, but a considerable amount of fat is absorbed during the frying process. Falafel can instead be baked to avoid the high fat content associated with frying.

References

External links

 New York Times Recipe of the Day for 12 February 2008

Chickpea dishes
Middle Eastern cuisine
Arab cuisine
Egyptian cuisine
Israeli cuisine
Palestinian cuisine
Lebanese cuisine
Syrian cuisine
Jordanian cuisine
Iraqi cuisine
Bahraini cuisine
National dishes
Vegan cuisine
Street food
Vegetarian sandwiches
Fritters
Lenten foods

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20 years in the travel business give us the experience and knowledge you have been looking for. Our experts are willing to give you honeymoon ideas that will suit all your requirements and budget possibilities... after all, we have not only travelled to most of these places!
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In addition to the orientation relative to the cardinal with the most convenient solar radiation, the major role in selecting the location of the future house has played in relief with a drop of 2.7 meters is why the foundation was the home ground floor and adjacent to the future scenario of the complex landscape of the game at different levels of retaining walls complete overall composition idea. Artificially created light penetrating the building complex, ranging from the central entrance to the border of pine forest, supported by the architecture of the house a large hall in the plan for all floors and frameless widescreen glass exterior wall openings.
In facing home use contrasting colors, from light beige to the level of the ground floor to a dark gray tile roof covering, and in the decoration of the walls around the perimeter of the first level, is dominated by larch.
Clean lines circuit house, glass doorways and fences, reflective nature, floating above the remote terraced roof structure with a distinctive frame create an unforgettable image of the magnificent forest chalets to blend in a beautiful environment.
Services: architectural design, landscape design, interior design, Industrial Design, supervision.


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Today's social media landscape is a diverse one, with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter still vying for position while up-and-comers like TikTok make major leaps forward. Then there are the other players in the market, such as Periscope, Snapchat, and Twitch. This last platform may not yet be in the same league as its more famous counterparts, but it's still a big deal – more than 30 million users are active on Twitch every single day, and 140 million use it every month. Many of these users are online betting fans in search of livestream gambling experiences.
So, we've established that Twitch is a popular social and livestreaming platform, but what is Twitch gambling? This refers to the livestreaming of gambling activities, such as slot machines or casino games in an online gambling environment. The livestreamer plays these games while sharing their screen, as well as a livestream of themselves in some cases, and subscribers tune in to watch. In this sense, the concept is far removed from traditional online betting – Twitch does not provide gambling features on its platform, nor does it permit the publication of direct links to gambling websites.
The Controversy of Twitch Gambling
The phenomenon has proved controversial for a number of reasons:
Twitch's protections are not always effective
Twitch has made it clear that the platform cannot be used for direct gambling, but this is not always the case. Reports suggest that Twitch's users can, and do, access online gambling sites via the platform. While this may not be problematic in itself, it does raise ethical questions. Anyone can sign up for a Twitch account, and anyone can use this platform to promote various forms of gambling – not all of them reputable.
Legal status is unclear
Many nations do not permit online gambling and betting, but what about livestreams of someone else gambling? This is heading into uncharted legal waters. As Twitch does not broadcast streams that may be considered illegal in viewer locations, they will need to untangle this legal conundrum if they are to continue supporting this content in the future.
Underage individuals could be exposed
Introducing underage viewers to gambling is a genuine concern. Many minors have access to Twitch accounts and could use these to view unsuitable content. This is not a legal gray area, and Twitch will need to make sure they are protecting their younger users if they are to avoid penalties.
Continuing Confusion, but Some Positive Aspects
It's not immediately clear what the point of livestream gambling on Twitch is, although some users seem to be enjoying the videos in the same way e-sports fans enjoy watching their favorite teams and players compete in the digital arena. There do appear to be some positive aspects also, despite the controversy. Some problem gamblers, for example, have described bet-free livestreaming experiences as helpful in their recovery.
But issues remain. Online gambling must be conducted according to a strict code of ethics, regulation, and responsibility, and the unregulated environment of Twitch does not support this. The team behind the platform will need to work to ensure that their own rules regarding gambling are upheld, and to protect users who may be vulnerable, such as minors.
Pragmatic Play Introduces a Faster-Paced Experience for Players
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Home / Interest / Crash Landings
Posted on October 13, 2015 October 13, 2015 by Adam
Crash Landings
http://www.glebefarmfoods.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/NewsMP3.mp3
Glebe Farm's Wellington Bomber and Mosquito WWII planes.
There has been a lot of publicity recently about WWII aircraft being dug up in the local area.
A few years ago part of a Mosquito under-carriage was pulled up by a tractor pulling a farm implement. Nobody really new what it was but it was suggested that it should be taken to the Pathfinder Museum at RAF Wyton. Then all went quiet…..
Marc Marshall, from Glebe Farm, was keen to try his new metal detector.
The crops were still standing in July so he started digging at gaps within the crops. Without realising it, these sparsely cropped areas, no bigger than a size of a small car, were dotted with sand patches within the soil. This was evidence that oil seepage had been found as the RAF usually would have filled the area with sand after a crash.
An elderly gentleman, Ralph Dodson in Kings Ripton village, was asked to recall his old memories. He remembered, as a boy, hearing a loud explosion and ran towards the enormous fire coming from the fields at Glebe Farm. He said he heard a sheep bleeting, but Cambridgeshire is not a county for sheep to graze! Instead what he heard was an airman who had been catapulted out of his aircraft into a hedge and was asking for help. The story of the Wellington MK III BJ716 continues…
This aircraft only had one successful mission and took off from Warboys airfield on the 27th August 1942 with that nights target being Kassel. The aircraft was attacked by a night fighter while over Hamm/Munster but after retaliating with machine gun fire, the fighter retreated and the Wellington returned with minor flak damage.
The Wellington's second fateful mission was to target Saarbrucken on the night of 1st September 1942, unfortunately just after takeoff the aircraft crashed into land at Glebe Farm, bursting into flames and killing three of the crew who are buried locally at Houghton / Wyton churchyard.
Although the majority of the wreckage was removed at the time of the crash many parts have been found in the area with a metal detector such as the geodetic construction tubing (air frame), parts of a bomb sight, oxygen regulator, radio parts, engine parts, electrical connections, remains of .303 cartridges and many fragments of aluminium, some of which formed into ingots from the heat of the fire.
The second crash site on Glebe Farm is believed to be a De Havilland Mosquito as many parts have been found that relate to this type of aircraft but the investigation is still ongoing and currently being researched. Parts found include parachute buckles, cockpit gauge, fragments of wood, Perspex and many fragments of engine casing.
Marc's other hobby, other than metal detecting, is brewing beer. Night Mission and Wellington Bomber Porter have been developed and brewed in Memory of Heroes.
Read more about our gluten free beers…
It started as a micro brewery on the farm, however the amount of beer sold was too much to cope with, so a contract brewer was asked to help out. Now the beer is sold nationwide in outlets such as Dobbies Garden Centres, Ocado and independents – see stockists for details
Categories: Interest, On the Farm
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Next post: Going Egg Free as well as Gluten and Wheat Free?


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Su Pollard and Cannon and Ball team up for Robin Hood comedy farce
Sitcom Life
Not Just Stand Up, It's The Lost Voice Guy In......
A Kick Up The Eighties
A Kick Up The Eighties , 1981
It's the early 1980's and we come accross a sketch show that introduces us to some rather well known names that would go on to much greater things.
Created by Tom Gutteridge (who producerd and directed the show) and Sean Hardie (who was executive producer) the series was seen by many as a natural successor to Not The Nine O' Clock News.
Despite successfully blending straight comedy sketches with satire, A Kick Up The Eighties never caught on with viewers in the same way as Not The Nine O'Clock News.
The show is credited with launching the television careers of Rik Mayall and Tracey Ullman. Rik Mayall appeared in his own segment as Kevin Turvey. To maintain the illusion that Kevin Turvey was real, Mayall's name did not appear in the closing credits whereas Kevin Turvey's did.
Someone by the name of Peter Capaldi, a trained graphic artist from Scotland, contributed to designing the show's opening sequence prior to launching his own career as an actor (now what did he go on to become?).
A Kick Up The Eighties ran for ten shows between 1981 and 1984 over two series, the shows for both series went out at 9pm. With a slight cast change there would be a later spin off show Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee.
The cast appear as a variety of different characters in a series of sketches and musical parodies.
This character first appeared on Kick Up The Eighties
Ron Bain
Miriam Margolyes
Roger Sloman
Rik Mayall – Kevin Turvey
Richard Stilgoe – (series 1)
Robbie Coltrane – (series 2)
Original Transmission Dates:
Series One (6 episodes) 21st September – 26th October, 1981
Series Two (4 episodes) 3rd – 24th January, 1984
bbc2 comedymiriam margolvespeter capaldirik mayallrobbie coltraneTracey Ullman
Button Moon
Laugh??? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee
Galton And Simpson's Half Hour
Man Down


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Q: Angular upgrade fails because of incompatible peer dependency While trying to upgrade to angular 12 I get the following incompatible peer dependency warning:
Package "ngx-auto-scroll" has an incompatible peer dependency to "zone.js" (requires "^0.8.14", would install "0.11.5").
I don't quite understand why this dependency is considered incompatible by angular. ^0.8.14 should be compatible with all versions like 0.x.x, why would 0.11.5 not fit the requirement?

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Mideast Persecuted Christians Not Allowed to enter U. S.
Did you know that there is an Obama administration policy in place now that will not allow fleeing, persecuted Christians into the United States, but they will allow in Muslims? Why is that? What has happened to America? Watch this video.
I'm an author, a self publisher, and a painting contractor. I live in beautiful Minnesota, USA . Welcome to my blog site.
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1 Response to Mideast Persecuted Christians Not Allowed to enter U. S.
that our gov. officials will be changed to godly people. Keep up the good work – it is so needed.