Parenting the Shand Princesses

May May starts nursery this week and I'm so happy and proud that she is doing this because I think she is getting smarter by the day and she really enjoys being around other kids. It feels like only yesterday I had her in my arms looking up at me with her little brown eyes. She is growing so fast but I know this is the right time as it will help her development. For Easter this year I'm going to cook a roast for the family. May May seems to love my cooking and anytime I cook she finishes it in no time!  This last week she has had her last set of jabs from the doctors yaaay! She was such a brave girl! When the doctor said she had to have 4 jabs I nearly fainted!!!!  I have noticed she is trying so hard to talk and when she says "dada" it fills me with so much joy, I can't put into words. She is really turning into a daddy's girl which, if I might add, is absolutely mint! I'm itching to take her on days out and experiences that I have always wanted...

I have decided to return to work and within a couple of weeks of applying for jobs, I had got myself an interview at my local County Court. How awesome! And then I realised I'd have to have an interview (obviously) and I started to worry and freak out. I hadn't had an interview in 3 years. 3 years ago I was super confident, an interview would be no problem. But since having May-May I had lost quite a lot of that confidence, and the thought of trying to sell myself to a couple of strangers made me feel so anxious. And no matter how much OJ or my family & friends said I'd be fine, I worried. I wondered what it was about becoming a parent that I lost my confidence. Was I the only person who experienced this? I asked some mums if they wouldn't mind sharing their experiences of confidence issues and these 3 wonderful ladies have. 1. Introduce yourself (2-3 lines, name, what you do and age of children) My name is Claire I have 2 boys, age 6 and 8 and ...

Exciting News! The Mummybou Chronicles blog is a favourite blogger over at MyBump2Baby ! MyBump2Baby is an "online directory of the baby/toddler and family world" You can find out what is going on in your local area, such as classes, pre-school groups, days out and more. Plus there is a great blog section full of bloggers!  When I started my blog, I just wanted somewhere to share my experiences on being a first time mum whilst juggling studying, planning a wedding and holidays. And when OJ wanted to share his views, I was extremely happy.  Now I'm featured on a great directory and I'm ecstatic. Knowing that someone thinks my blog is good enough is a great feeling and reassures any doubts I had about blogging. Happy Days!  Click here to download the free app. Find me under the Bloggers section and show me some ❤️ -x- Michaela - x-

Since my daughter has turned one it has been a task adapting to the changes in her body as she is experiencing teething for her back teeth. Night times have been hard as May-May struggles to settle at night and is so used to night breast feeds. This is the time i find it difficult as May-May just wants to be on mum most of the time when she is going through the pain. May-May generally is really bubbly and is interested in anything she gets her hands on. We have fun with her facial expressions and when tries to talk its so adorable. I feel a bit helpless as when i try to calm her down May-May d oesn't seem to want to respond and I would then have to give her back to her mum. My partner is so good with May-May and I can see there are times when she needs a break but never really gets the chance due to May-Mays clinginess. When i come home from work I try to help as much as I can by doing housework and cooking and cleaning but i still feel like I can't help as muc...

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Charlotte Heathcote, owner of the fabulous company Individual2You   Charlotte sells some wonderful products that you can see pictured below. Charlotte is a mumpreneur too and wanted to hear her journey.      What inspired you to start a business?  In March 2017 i suffered from an Eptopic pregnancy which caused me to have emergency surgery. After my surgery and recovery as a family we decided that it would be best for us, for me to find a way to work from home - hence the start of Individual2you  If you could speak to your younger self, just starting out, what advice would you give her? Pay attention in school, i never really knew what i wanted to do when i left school - i worked in Administration for a large manufacturing company for 13 years and was never truly happy in my job. Had i known what i know now years ago i would of had no doubt i would make the right decision. Who inspires you (ali...

I havent blogged for a while as it has been such a busy few months. In that time I have seen May-May grow into such a cute and cheeky child with such a bubbly personality. She makes the best effort to try and stand and every chance she gets she is trying to balance herself to stand up straight. She laughs each time she falls and has learnt to stand up leaning against the sofa and is already make sounds as if she is speaking. May-May has also been trying to teach herself to walk and she has picked up walking with support quite rapidly. I'm amazed how dedicated she is to teach herself these skills. We bought her a jumperoo for xmas and she absolutely loves using it as it is helping to support her posture. I feel she will be walking without support very soon and I am so proud of her. After months of sleepless nights and commitment to giving her the best possible start in life, its moments like this that totally make parenting worth it. Next weekend May-May is going to be 1....

In 2017 I decided I wanted to go to University to study a degree in Events. But to do that I had to study an access course which was really intense. Trying to study that with a baby, plus apply for Uni at the same time was just too demanding and I decided to stop. Fast forward to Christmas 2018 and I was offered the opportunity to study my Diploma in Events Management and to have a careers coach for 3 years. What was the catch? A monthly fee for 12 months.  After reading through the course modules and talking through the T&Cs, I though no I had to do this. I had to invest in my future and this course is so flexible. And to make it even better, my partner OJ is also studying it! He's taken to Events so well. He's super creative and his mind comes up with all these awesome ideas and plans, so he's going to help with my business. I couldn't be more pleased! Invest in your future! It could be studying a new subject or investing in a business coach....