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15 Autumn fashion favourites

Well I don't know about you but I love the Autumn.  Don't get me wrong I'm always sad to say goodbye to the Summer (if we actually get one).  Long lazy days in the garden and wine filled nights by the chiminea.  But there's just something about the nights drawing in that makes me want to snuggle up with the candles on and a mug of hot choccy.  I love the changing fashions too, going from floaty dresses to thick jaquard skirts and warm woolly jumpers.  You can't beat it!  

Here is my line up of my current Autumn faves.

WAREHOUSE - Wild Garden Jacquard Skirt - £39.00

WAREHOUSE - Crew Jumper - £26.00 

NEW LOOK - Mink Suedette Waterfall Jacket - £44.99

GEORGE at ASDA - Floral Print Pyjama Shirt and Trousers - £15 

NEXT - Tea Dress - £30

NEXT - Bow Block Heel Shoes - £36 

WHITE STUFF - Jennifer Peplum Dress - £59.99

FAT FACE - Carrie Lace Up Boots - £69 

DOROTHY PERKINS -
Pink Floral Jacquard Mini Skirt - £24 

NEXT - Embroidered Sweater - £32 

WHITE STUFF - Conniston Moleskin Coat - £110

M&S - Cable Knit Round Neck Jumper - £35

NEXT - Slim Twill Trousers - £28

NEXT - Coatigan - £38

PRIMARK - Brown Waterfall Cardigan - £13

Thanks for stopping by! x

How I broke the nail biting habit

I've always been a nail biter as long as I can remember.  Where I got the habit from I have no idea as neither Mom or Dad were biters and they say you tend to mimic those around you.  I used to bite my nails so low when I was little that my fingers would bleed, not a pretty site I can tell you.  As I got older I longed for lovely long nails I could paint and show off, but still I couldn't break the habit.

Finally at the age of 33 (yeah, 33 not sure why?) I did it! With a mix of using Sally Hansen's Maximum Growth and Vaseline Intensive Care Hand & Nail Cream I managed to abstain from the biting habit and for the first time ever I had the lovely long nails I'd only dreamed about.  From here on my nails stayed this way until..........my pregnancy with Eliza.  Whether it was the pregnancy anxiety, sleepless nights or changing hormones, I once again bit my fingers to shreds.  Once again I grew them back for a short time until.......yes, you guessed it my pregnancy with Freddie.  Once Freddie was born in fact, I actually bit them more than ever yet again returning to those horrible stubby finger ends.  It was time to take drastic action.  This time I really was finding it hard to succeed using my previous techniques and my nails looked so awful that I hid them as much as possible.  Someone suggested trying acrylics or gels so I went to see Rachel who was recommended by friends to see what she could do.

Before

When she saw them she was shocked to say the least but was adamant that she could do something. She suggested that gel polish wouldn't look great at this stage as they really were so short so we went with acrylic tips with gel polish.  I was really concerned that they wouldn't stick but she did a fabulous job and they stayed on for about 2 weeks.  I went back again to have infills and for her to repair a couple of tips that had come off.  By this time the nail bed had grown a little so the next lot of tips stayed on even better.

On my next visit I had the tips removed and just had gel polish put on my own nails that were growing fabulously.  From here on I went back every 2 - 3 weeks each time getting another coat of gel.  I found with the gel polish on I wasn't the least bit tempted to bite my nails.  The gel makes the nails much thicker and quite hard.  It helps to protect them while they repair themselves.  My one bad habit however is that I tend to peel the gel off once it starts to flake instead of waiting to have them soaked off.  This doesn't really do your nails a lot of good, however, it's still an improvement on biting them.

From left going clockwise: acrylic tips, acrylic tips then gel polish and
gel french polish on my own nails

As you can see from my latest picture my nails have grown considerably now.  They still break from time and I somehow damage them doing silly things but I'm proud of how they look now and love to show them off.  I've had so many people comment and ask how I managed to break the habit that I thought I'd post my advice to help other nail biters out there.

My nails here are painted by myself with Barry M - Dark side of the shroom - gel nail polish.  This is the first time I've used a Barry M polish and I'm really impressed with the results.  With this particular polish you're supposed to use the Barry M gel top coat which I didn't realise at the time.  However, I used my previously bought Rimmel Gel Top Coat and this worked perfectly well.

Good luck and good growing!

Thanks for stopping by! x

Parenting, it's a rollercoaster

Ok, so my last post was a rather negative one but hey, I'm not apologising, everyone needs to vent at times.  But following on from that I can't believe the change 3 weeks has brought.  Freddie will be 10 months next weekend and in that short time since my last posting he has learned to sit up completely unaided, has his first tooth through (yesterday), has developed an interest in TV, but best of all......wait for it......drum roll..........HE'S SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!  Not quite sure how this change came about but he just suddenly did it.  He now goes up to bed around 7.30/8pm after having a bottle, goes straight off to sleep and doesn't stir till around 7 ish the next morning.  It's absolute heaven!  You can imagine the relief hubby and I are both feeling.

After trying to keep Eliza occupied at home unsuccessfully I made it my mission over the last few weeks to take her and Freddie out more and wow her behaviour improved no end.  Don't get me wrong, we still have the occasional 'terrible twos' moments and she's getting rather argumentative and defiant in her old age, but she seems to have got so much out of our days out.  More to come on our day trips in future postings.

The house has gotten a little tidier.  I've tried my best to de-clutter a fair bit and moved the lounge furniture to open up the space a little.  Freddie can now scoot about in his walker to his hearts content while Eliza dances around to her latest Disney favourite.  We've had a quote for the kitchen floor (finally!) which at least feels like a bit of progress, the garden has been tidied and de-weeded and I'm almost at a level playing field with the constant piles of washing.

Abi is all enrolled to start at college again next week after a not so good start last year.  I'm confident that the lecturers in her subject field will give her all the help and support she needs to get through.  Sam has been working hard and is off on his jollies tomorrow, lucky so and so.  He's off to beautiful city of Venice which is definitely one on my to do list.  So whilst extremely jealous I'm looking forward to the piccies.

All in all life is good again.  So onwards and upwards we go.

A motherhood moan

It's been a while and I'm afraid my returning post is a moany one I'm afraid.  Why the long absence?  Well you may remember I'm one of those very strange individuals who decided to start all over again in the child rearing department.  Freddie will be 9 months old on Thursday (oh my god where did that time go?) and Eliza is nearly 2 and half (28 months to be precise) and don't we know it!  That should go some way in explaining my lack of presence.

I'm not saying that motherhood is a chore but it can sure be hard sometimes especially when only Mommy's assistance will suffice and Daddy has suddenly become the big bad hairy monster.  I guess we all have days where we're sick of watching Toy Story for the umpteenth time (Eliza's current favourite), trying to be creative with baby meals or changing yet another stinky nappy.  Yep, some day's I just don't want to 'adult' or more specifically 'mom'.  Don't get me wrong I love them all with an absolute passion (yes, even the older ones!) but even mom needs a break from time to time.  On the odd occasions where I get half a day completely child free the feeling of love I have for them upon collection time is so intense.  I guess it just gives you time to recharge your batteries before starting again.

I must add, Freddie is a nocturnal creature by nature.  Wherever he got the idea from that this was acceptable behaviour is beyond me.  Sam, Abi, Eliza.....all slept through the night from around the 6 week mark, but Freddie? No, he thinks he's quite within his rights to wake us up gone midnight and then maybe again around 2 or possibly 4am.  You see there's no real pattern.   People ask "oh, is he really hungry or can he just not settle himself?" but believe me give him a 5-6oz bottle and he'll polish off the lot!  That's on top of 3 - 4 bottles during the day plus ready brek, fruit purees, finger foods etc.  This child has hollow legs I swear!  I know it could be worse, I read stories of 9 month olds who still wake every couple of hours through the night and I do wonder how these parents are still sane.  The truth is I'm nearing the end of my tether atm. I think 9 months of disturbed sleep can do that to a person.

Eliza has her 'moments' and currently I'm pleased to say they are getting fewer though I know they will no doubt return when I least expect them.  She's a happy girl but very wilful.  She knows what she wants and will often cry and shout till she gets it.  She hasn't yet realised that Mom is just as stubborn though and shouting and screaming will get her nowhere.  On the whole her behaviour is good at the moment (aside from a lot of I want, I want, I want) but we find late morning/lunchtime she gets very whingy and moany and we can tell it's a tiredness thing.  Couple of hours in bed on an afternoon soon sorts her out.

I think the thing that's hard is that you lose a little of your identity.  I am Mommy. I feel that all of my hobbies and interests have had to be shelved as there is no 'me' time now.  Even if I'm not looking after the kids I have housework to do.  If it's not housework then there's admin to do for our business.  In my rare child free times when the kids are in bed I have to weigh up which is more important the housework or work-work.  I then get a couple of hours to cram in a much as possible before they're awake and the whole cycle begins again.  4 o'clock rolls around and we're into the realms of "what shall I do them for tea tonight".  Queue google .........'9 month old meal ideas'....Pinterest can be a god-send!  My one saving grace is Ladies Choir which has just started up again.  Tuesday nights are mine and you will not take them.

I think the long and short of it is, there's just not enough hours in the day.  Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, every other Mother of a large family.  Trouble is if there were more hours in the day I'd just be too knackered to appreciate them anyway!

Sorry, I will stop moaning now.  It's 5pm, teatime and Pinterest awaits my perusal :)

Thanks for stopping by!x

And then there were six!

Been a while my friends but as the title suggests we have grown in number!

Frederick (Freddie) Stanley Griffiths finally arrived at 12.06 am on Thursday 10th November.  Almost a re-run of Eliza's birth 20 months before, he decided he would vacate the mothership through the sun roof due of a decreased heart rate.  Nevertheless, he appeared fighting fit and at a healthy 7 lbs 2 oz.  He seemed so tiny for the first few weeks but now at 11 weeks it's amazing how quickly he's grown.  He's giving us lots of smiles now and gurgles and coos when we chatter to him.  Eliza has loved him to pieces from the first day we bought him home.  She gives him lots of kisses and can't seem to understand why when she says "Freddie, Freddie, Freddie, Freddie" for the millionth time that day, he doesn't answer!

Life in the Griffiths house is a little crazy nowadays.  During the Christmas period there's been as many as 9 of us in the house at times with kids, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends etc and it has got a little overwhelming at times.  The constant tidy up is enough to make Mary Poppins weep.  There are also days when I feel all of my (nearly) 41 years and think "I much too old to be doing this again".  But then there are those fabulous moments, the moments of smiles and giggles, music and laughter and of course the usual and somewhat smutty Griffiths humour.  We do know how lucky we are though to have such a big and wonderful family and that our house is filled with life.

Thanks for stopping by! x