Sunday 21 December 2014

All I want for Christmas....

I love Christmas for its magic and the lovely generous Competitions I have come across during the festive season :)

The fabulous M&Co are running a blogger competition about my wishlist for Christ mas and I felt I had to oblige! (of course)

As a parent of a child with autism, if you're anything like me then you're probably stressing over wether 'Santa' has got your little one enough or in my case too much which could possibly overwhelm him that I forget about little old me!

For a change, I thought it would be nice for me to drop some (strong) hints for what I would like! ;)

Here are a few things that I would be simply thrilled to find wrapped under the Christmas tree. (hint number 1)


1. LBD £44.50 - Every girl needs a LBD and I love the sophisication of this one! This would be perfect for a Christmas & New Year party which I tend to go a bit 'all out for' 

2. Beautiful Underwear £16.00 -  I will admit that I am a pretty underwear addict!
Like a magpie, I'm drawn to pretty bra and knicker sets and have a drawer full! 
I absolutely love this due to the neutral colour not to mention the gorgeous pearl detail! I must have these Santa!


3. Matching briefs £7

4. Duvet Set £22 -  I didn't realise that M&Co did homeware but when I spotted this festive little beauty, I was sold!
I love clean, fresh bedding and this ticks all the boxes. The fact that it is also reverse the pattern is a added bonus!

5. Pinecone Heart Wreath £7 - I love nature and decorating my home with unusual things so it comes as no surprise that this little beauty caught my eye. I love that it glistens and I would probably pretend to my friends that I crafted it up myself during a afternoon! hahaha!

My wishlist totals £96.50

Tuesday 16 December 2014

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree....

So the magical time of Christmas is upon us once again.


It's this time of year that my mind is always cast back to the Christmas of 1985.


I was 5 years old and Christmases were my life! I would think about Christmas even at the height of Summer and would often say to my Mum on a hot day whilst sucking on a ice lolly what I would like for Christmas! Mum would mutter something like "okay love, you'll have to see what Father Christmas brings" whilst turning the page of her magazine without looking up from it.


Christmas was lovely as a child and  I have very fond memories of my brother and me creeping down the stairs in pitch black darkness to see if 'he had been' but the Christmas of 1985 was something pretty amazing!


That Christmas I was greeted with a huge three storey Sindy house complete with furniture, car and caravan! I couldn't believe that these wonderful toys were mine! I felt like there should of been twinkling lights behind it or that I had just won the bonus prize of a gameshow that I sometimes watch on our oak effect bulky TV set! (remember we're in the 80's here!)




I was absolutely doll mad so this was heaven to me! The house was that big that I needed to stand on a chair to play with Sindy on the roof terrace and the top floor of the house. This was by far the best toy I had ever had and  gasping to my 11 year old brother how great it was, he responded with a grunt whilst he excitedly put his new Adam Ant record on his new record player followed by some 'Puss Cat, Puss Cat' lyrics blaring out of it!



That Sindy house proved to be a great investment by 'Father Christmas' as I played with it for years and years. Of course more Sindy dolls were added to collection over time followed by Barbie too (I never did get Ken as my Dad didn't think it was ethical! hahaha) until one day whilst playing I realised that I could see the roof terrace. I wasn't standing on anything and I could actually see the top of the house! That's how many years I played with it.




I think there may have been some slight concern at how long I played with dolls but nothing was ever said to me, it's just something I sensed. I remember breaking up from primary school and was going to be starting High School in the following September. Suddenly I wasn't comfortable to continue to play with them seeing as I was nearly a 'High Schooler' and plus my friends seemed to have moved on from them so the decision was made by myself to put them away.



As a parent and as someone who loves Christmas I would love to go Christmas mad at home!
However with DS, we have to play Christmas down a little as it can be way too much of a sensory overload for him.
In the early years, I struggled a little with this. As a big Christmas fan, I use to feel like I had a load of Christmas bubbles inside me wanting to burst out but I had to continually fight to keep them inside.
Of course, now that we have low key Christmas, I find it much easier and I've actually become to prefer it. (could also be an age thing!!!!)


DS has taken a very big interest in our Christmas tree this year resulting in him reluctant to leave it to go to school or bed!
Last night, DS and I camped next to the Christmas tree and within minutes his eyes were closed.....which makes me think "Oh no! What have I started"??!
Fingers crossed that I do manage to sleep in my own bed sometime during December! :):)



Wishing all my readers and families a lovely Christmas regardless of how it's celebrated!


Merry Christmas! This post is my entry into the Tots100/Little Tikes 12 Days of Christmas competition



Friday 5 December 2014

Happy and Safe Winter Motoring....

I would say that the family car is a crucial tool within a family with one or more children with additional needs - it certainly is within mine!


I probably use the car more now than ever with DS.
As a toddler, I would pop DS in his buggy and would walk literally miles with him. I thoroughly enjoyed this, breathing in the fresh air, getting some exercise and quite often lulling DS to sleep in his buggy.


However, now that DS is far too big for a buggy and not too much of a strong walker, we rely on the car now more than ever!




You really don't need me to tell you that car safety especially travelling with little ones is paramount but did you know that a recent Mumsnet/Michelin survey revealed that 36% are not confident that they know what the legal minimum tread depth is.
Tyres and tyre safety is an often overlooked subject, but so important when you consider how much we rely on our cars, especially when we have kids and even more so for those who have kids with disabilities.



Here are some of the comments that came from the survey...

"It drives me mad when women see this as man's work. Everyone should be responsible for their own safety"


"I was once told that the tyres are the most important part of the car as they are the only thing connecting you to the road. I have always remembered this, especially with kids in the car"


and my personal favourite.....


"I like all 4 tyres to match and be the same brand" !!





Michelin Total Performance brings together an optimum mix of performance areas such as grip, long-life and fuel saving without a trade-off. Michelin tyres are the best match for the daily driving challenges that Mumsnetters face.


Now that the temperature is dropping mean that driving conditions will be more challenging, its wise to ensure all tyres are adequate for winter driving.


Its definitely going to be one of my Winter jobs to do from now on!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/3T2SgIa6EpA

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post