Posts Tagged "children"

Mari’s World takes Centre Stage

Posted by cafebebemama on Sep 2, 2011 in Blogger Love, Guest Bloggers | 2 comments

The world of blogging has introduced me to some amazing bloggers. Marianne Whooley is one of those lovely ladies. We’re both Video Bloggers for BritMums and LOVE talking to the camera. Marianne has a very special talent for video blogging and I know she’s going to go far in this new blogging trend! Mari’s World is a lovely blog full of gorgeous pictures of Mari’s simply breathtaking twins and the adventures of the whole family. Mari has also been a staunch supporter of Flashback Friday for which I am very grateful.

Marianne has patiently answered my Bloggers Questions and will be showcasing her blogging talents in the post below. Enjoy and please visit Mari often…she’ll never disappoint!

Tell me about yourself in 100 words or less. Who are you???

I am Marianne. I’m on the other side of 40 and embracing life as it’s thrown at me! I am mum of 4 and grandma to one. I lived in the UK until I was 19 and then I lived in beautiful Italia for another 18 odd years. I married an Italian, had two beautiful children with him, helped run the family hotel, learnt the lingo fluently and made a ton of friends who taught me to cook ‘properly’. When my marriage failed I returned home. After a while I met a handsome prince and we had a rocky road to creating a new family, our twins were born in 2008 and are our joy and raison d’être. As if that wasn’t enough to talk about I love writing, meeting people, learning new things and putting myself to the test. I have recently discovered vlogging which seems made for me. I am my own z list celeb now too adding a brand new string to my bow. I could talk more but Karin said 100 words so come on over if you’re intrigued, I have cake. Find me at: Mari’s World, on Twitter @Maris_world and Mari’s World on Facebook

What’s the best thing that has happened to you as a result of blogging?

Blogging has opened up a brand new world to me, being a SAHM can be quite isolating and having twins I wasn’t able to go back into the workforce due to high nursery costs, we decided I would stay home and look after the girls. Blogging has given me a creative outlet that fulfils me, allows me to test myself and gain response from other intelligent people who read my posts. Blogging has allowed me to test and review products which slowly is turning into a form of pay, not much yet but who knows where this could lead? And also I have met some really fabulous people, Karin included at the various events that are organised. I’ve been to a bloggers conference and a Christmas dinner. I can’t wait to see what each week has to offer now

What are you most looking forward to in the coming months?

I’m most looking forward to taking my vlogging to the next step and having recently added a Challenge Mari page to my blog inspired by the brilliant Life before P&G challenge back in the spring I’m hoping to be contacted by other brands and companies with some exciting and innovative challenges. I am currently a Butlins Official Mums Ambassador and Bosch lawn and Garden have challenged me to a garden makeover over the next two months. Very exciting times.

Share with us your five favourite blogs and why?

Five? That’s going to be the hardest part!

• The Syders, this is one creative lady. I wish I had half of her talent!
• Attic 24 just for inspiration, it’s 100% beautiful
• Scandinavian Sojourn she’s about to uproot the family again from Denmark and transfer them to San Diego all exciting stuff and I love the way she sees the world.
• Frankie Parker a NZ girl living over here who may/may not be going back
• SAHM and loving it. Heather is so easy to connect with and I laugh and cry with her on her journey. There are tons more including Karin’s but I’m here so I guessed that was obvious and chose to highlight some others

You Won’t Know What to Do with Yourself!

That’s the usual reply I get when I mention the girls are about to start preschool in September, it’s a joke of course as ALL mums know what they can do with their gift of ‘me’ time and I am no exception.

Let’s face it when little ones head off into the big wide world On Their Own a gap opens in your day. I will have three hours a day five days a week and I know right now that not one minute will go to waste.

I also know right now before it’s even started that three hours are not enough to accomplish everything I want to do. I know I’ll be running up the road to get to pre-school for 12pm and not be a ‘bad‘ mother who is always late.

Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be late because I don’t want to be with my children but because I’ve tried to cram too much into my ‘me’ time and am using every last second available before I switch back into mummy mode and dedicate myself to Alice and Bessie.

It’s fun and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to the girls having a new life, something they can call their own to come home and talk about. I love that there will be teachers there patient enough to teach them how to use scissors, something I just can’t manage to teach them. Keyworkers who will get out paints, modelling clay and all other forms of mess that I am so reluctant to get out at home as I can’t do with the tidying up afterwards. And people who will see them being themselves away from me and hopefully report back that they are well behaved and nice little girls.

Alice is dying to have her own Best Friend at the moment this coveted position has been awarded to her cousin Samuel but I feel with preschool, Samuel may be kicked off his pedestal as her options widen but thankfully I don’t think he’ll even realise what’s happened. Phew!

…and Bessie, who sucks her thumb and wants everyone to believe she’s a bruiser when underneath she’s just as frightened, if not more, than everybody else. It will be lovely to watch the girls transform this year ready to start Big School next September.

Marianne, I can SOOOOO relate to you! I’ll be issuing my own “What will you do with your ME time?” video blog when we return from holiday as Ella will be going to preschool 3 full-days a week starting 7 September! I’ll get about 3 months of ME time before Bebe arrives! Thanks so much for holding court for me Mari. Now I just MUST get this sand out of my suit bottom! Ouch!

Is there sex after children?

Posted by cafebebemama on May 24, 2011 in Blogger Love, BMB Video Bloggers, Motherhood, Vlog Posts | 9 comments

Well, if you have more than one child, obviously there is sex after children. But how many of us can put our hands up when asked if our romantic relationships with our spouses have changed after having children. Yes, I think we all have our hands up there!

This photo was taken in the Summer of 2007, before Little Miss was even out of the ovary! Hubby and I staged this photo…of course, but this sort of thing used to happen a LOT more often prior to the arrival of Little Miss.

Our lives are richer and happier for her (and for our latest brewing creation) but we certainly were different individuals in the days before baby. I bring you my BritMums video blog about whether there is Sex After Kids…you tell me! I’d love to hear your secrets for keeping the home fires burning. Let’s keep it clean though, people. This is a family blog after all!

Let the Kids Decide?

Posted by cafebebemama on Nov 12, 2010 in Little Miss Adventures, Motherhood | 1 comment

Is it time to go yet?

Yesterday Little Miss and I went to a local soft play place to play with our best friends, @MummyMatters and her children. We were chatting about our girls and how they really need to wear themselves out. Sabina is struggling a bit with juggling an energetic two-year-old and a 7 week old baby and has found that her daughter is MUCH more cooperative when she’s burned herself right out.

A few weeks back Sabina and her children were playing at a local park. As her daughter was happily playing with other children and it was safe and secure, Sabina sat and fed her son on a bench and watched them play. They stayed until her Little Bean ASKED to go home. That got me to thinking… When do we ever let the kids decide?

I know, I know…it’s not like we can start the day by asking them what they would like to do/eat/watch/read/see can we? But maybe, just once in a while shouldn’t we let them dictate what happens? Even if it’s only for a segment of the day? I know I am very guilty of giving in to going to the park and then after about 30 minutes, when I’m bored, I say it’s time to go. Sometimes it’s not a problem, especially if there’s an incentive. But sometimes she kicks off right proper and has a full-on “NO! I DON’T WANT TO GO!”

So, here’s a challenge for us ALL (including me). Maybe just once next week (see how it goes before it becomes a REGULAR thing) take the morning or afternoon and ASK your child what they would like to do. Then let them choose what you do when you get there, what you eat, what you drink and how long you stay. If, like Little Miss, your child is too young to make SENSIBLE choices (I don’t think going to visit Charlie & Lola will be possible, love!), perhaps pick a place that you know is a favourite destination (one of the parks around us, McDonald’s for brekkie, local swimming pool) and then let them decide how long they want to stay. Obviously darkness or something closing might force a move but let them play AND YOU PLAY WITH THEM until they’re READY TO GO HOME!

I’m setting this as a challenge for myself. I’m not brilliant at this. I’m good at deciding that it’s time for ME to go home without considering that LITTLE MISS isn’t quite so ready. So, I’m going to give this a whirl, take a few pictures (as I have been known to do) and write about our experiment. Who’s with me? Take up the “Let the Kids Decide” challenge yourself and write about it as well. I think we’ll have some pretty satisfied (and hopefully tired) children afterwards. Are you game?

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without

Posted by cafebebemama on Dec 16, 2009 in Little Miss Adventures | 12 comments

Marks & Spencer has a series of Christmas adverts with the title “Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without…”  In a photo essay, here is my attempt:

Christmas 2005

DECORATIONS

Our First Christmas Tree

REAL CHRISTMAS TREES

Sand Lake, Wisconsin

SNOW!

The Kids at Christmas 2008

CHILDREN!

Little Miss' First Christmas 2008

FIRST CHRISTMASES!

Mummy and Little Miss

LOVE!!

Happy Christmas everyone…a bit early but it’s never too early to feel the Christmas spirit.  What is your “Christmas Wouldn’t Be Christmas Without..”?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.