So here I am again. I decided to take up a blog challenge to write something for International Women’s Day (IWD), but wasn’t sure I’d have time. And then the day before IWD I had a conversation which led to me committing to write stuff again, just in a small way for now. So this…
Happy New Year! It’s been a while hasn’t it? I’ve been settling into freelance life again, along with the juggling of childcare and household management. And it’s been busy. And challenging. I was planning to send the occasional email to my mailing list, but Mailchimp defeated me. For now. I was planning to do some…
So I’ve posted nothing here in a while, and very little on my other blog. Between all the things to read on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, I’ve got social media brain overload. And I’m still trying to work out how to optimise working only 3 days a week. I love writing, and I love…
I’ve got some writing projects I’d like to do. And some photography, as always. But I’m spending all my child-free days working or doing personal admin and chores. And getting creatively frustrated. I’d like to be doing more, but I don’t have the time. Is that not having the time or not making the time?…
It’s only been a few weeks and I’ve already realised many things… Despite having whole days to myself now, I still feel as if I don’t have enough time! I’m slipping back into bad snacking habits I haven’t made time for a walk every day, even though I know it’s good for me when I…
I enjoy reading books on self-development in its many forms. And at various points in the last year I’ve had time to read quite a lot of books on my iPad. I hope to write a few book reviews, pointing towards books I have found useful. The first of these is about Maternity Leavers by…
It’s a weird thing. My daughter was ill last week, so I wasn’t able to take her to nursery. Or anywhere else where she’d pass on germs to other children. So I spent three days with her, pottering around the house, popping out for walks round the local area. And at times being driven insane…
Here I am, almost at the end of 5 free hours to do whatever I want. No work to do quite yet, daughter at nursery. So why have I been busy and not relaxed? I don’t know, but I do know that this isn’t new for me. For some reason I feel like I have…
I started writing a To Do list last night. I love a good list. But it got longer and longer and longer. And I realised I’m never going to finish everything on it. There’s admin on there, some that’s been piling up during my maternity leave. There are important things like my company accounts, and…
So I’ve finished maternity leave, starting back at work as a freelance marketing and communications consultant, focusing on health. I decided that my motherhood-focused posts belonged in a separate place, as I still have lots to say on the subject of being a mum, but I suspect it’s not of interest to everyone who has…
I sit here at 8.30am, my daughter dropped off at nursery for a half day session. I have a nice cup of tea in my hand (one of those really good ones), the traffic roars in the distance, the birds let out the odd tweet, and the day is starting to warm up. So what’s…
We’re so fortunate in the UK to be able to take 12 months maternity leave (or shared parental leave) and accrue holiday allowance fo that year. I’m approaching the end of my time away from my job. So what happens next for me? I’ve decided not to go back to my job, for a number…
I wrote this in October 2012 and published it elsewhere. I can now say that yes I am a writer – in addition to the many other things I do. I blog, I contribute to newsletters, I’ve published creative and factual ebooks, and I also write stuff in my job. It’s an interesting rambling read…
Spring has almost sprung, and I now have a 9.5 month old baby. Time is going quickly! Life has got busy, and I have no idea where my days go. So once again I’m going to step back from my blogging. I’ll still be posting photos on Instagram from time to time, but I doubt…
I started this blog post when there was snow all around. Now there’s not and it does feel a little out of date. But, some important life questions remain: Do they make gloves for babies? Because mine doesn’t like mittens. What about baby balaclavas to protect their faces against the cold wind? What happens to…
I see other people with their lovely one topic blogs, and I’m a little envious that they can describe their blog’s content so easily. Not to mention that they’re seen as experts on that subject, which often leads to other opportunities for them. I’ve been writing this blog for almost 6 years and it’s still…
I was talking to a couple of friends last weekend about post-natal mental health. In particular how motherhood feels 6-8 months in, after the intense early phase is over. Two of the themes that came up in my conversation were comparisons and loneliness, both of which impact a new mum’s mental health, but for different…
I’m having an attack of the new mum January blues. Not enough sleep, changes in routine, worrying about stuff that’s a few months away, miserable weather. So what can I do? See people every day – be around other mums and babies, or family or friends. Talk to people – share problems and challenges, ask…
So I’ve been through the fourth trimester, had a glorious phase with a great sleeping and napping baby. But right now, she’s not so great at those things. And approaching 6 months we’ve got quite a few changes coming up – the pram, the cot and weaning. So it’s time to simplify my mind and…
I published a new ebook! It is (I think) the final in my small series of creative ramblings, published before I move onto some non-fiction projects. Called Creative Connections, it’s a bit of an eclectic mix, as it’s got a few left over pieces of prose, a load of poems, and a couple of styles…
