Happy Sunday | Week Twenty Four

Whether or not you think Sunday is the end of the week, or the beginning of a new one, I thought it would be a nice idea to look back on the week that has just past and to look at the things that have made me happy and made me smile.
I think it can be easy to look back on a hard week and miss out on those things. A week of bad weather for example can really make it seem as though the whole week was a complete fail. But it probably wasn't. We must all smile at least once a day. I know I do, even if I forget it.

Things that made me happy this week:

 

Biking to see Friends

I made friends with a couple of mums on the school run and one of them has just moved close-ish to us. It's just a 10-15 minute walk and we had planned to go round for lunch and a play on Tuesday. At the last minute (we were running late) we decided to walk there and Charles went on his bike. He did so so well without his stabilisers but the poor boy ended up with sore calves and muddy legs because he had shorts on and kept having the pedals catch him. He was very polite when people came the other way and would stop and move to the side without me having to tell him.

Kippers

I've been a bit lazy with healthy eating recently. It's something I am really hoping to be able to sort out once Charles goes back to school and I am able to walk the school run again to give me the push to eat properly too. I mean, I'm not being too bad, but not as good as I once was.
Anyway, this week I had a kipper salad and my goodness, it was amazing. One of those lunches that you really enjoy making and eating and can't wait to have again.

Joules

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen the issue I had with a dress I fell in love with but really disliked when it turned up. My nan had given me some money to buy myself something so I bought this with the money, so I decided to send the dress back and instead look at something else from Joules to get instead.
This blouse is beautiful and I was so excited to find it. When I looked earlier this year this shirt was only available in sizes 12 and 14...both were too small for me and I needed a 16 or 18. Now when I find the shirt again and need a 12 or 14...they only have an 18! I went for it anyway as I do like to wear these blouses oversized and on top of a vest, almost like a cardigan.
I think it looks great with skinny jeans and will wear it a lot, along with my others, in the Autumn and Winter.

Embracing the Waves

My hair is naturally wavy/curly and this week I managed to wash it in the evening but didn't have time to dry it so I stuck it in a pony for a few hours. Just before I went to bed I put my hair down and really quite liked the style it naturally went in.
The following day I had therapy and wanted to wear my hair down so I put some shine spray in it and gave it a little scrunch with my hands et voila! It went like this. I recently bought some hair tongs so I think I will use those to give the layered side a bit of a boost but it's definitely a style I will do more now my hair is shorter.

Writing

Harry has been waking up in the evenings recently. He comes downstairs to find me and on Thursday night I let him stay downstairs with me.
We both window shopped for a new handbag for me, and then he spotted my notebook. They are not allowed to write in it but I let him this time and I was glad I did. I have the most adorable pictures of penguins, a rocket with a smiley face and, for the first time ever, he wrote his name. I am so so proud. He saw me write it first and then copied me. He couldn't quite work out how to do a 'y' so instead chose to do a triangle instead....cute!!

The Green Mile

Odd one this one. The Green Mile making me happy, when actually at the end I sobbed and sobbed so much that I had to cover my mouth with the blanket I was snuggling under so I didn't really bawl. But you know, Tom Hanks, Tom Hanks and yeah, Tom Hanks. That's the main reason this film made me happy.
I think all of the actors are amazing, it is such a strong cast and I really like the storyline, the way the film is set and, just everything about it.
It's another film now added to my 101 things in 1001 days list.

School Holidays Week Three | Reunions and Family

Week three of the school holidays was probably the one I was most looking forward to. My nanny and aunty from Somerset were coming over to visit and as we hadn't seen them since 2011, when Harry was a tiny newborn, we were super excited to see them again.
We were also really excited to be able to spend a whole week with my mum too.
We had a busy week planned with days out but then also with some time at the bungalow my nan and aunty had booked for the week. It had a beautiful view of the beach and sea as well as a big lawned area surrounding it which was perfect for the boys to play on and for us to sit and relax whilst my nanny had her afternoon nap.

Our days out were filled with visiting new places, and visiting places we haven't been to for a couple of years. Two of the days were spent in Great Yarmouth, as was the Sunday night as we went to watch the Stock Car Racing. Oh I love it! The smell, the sounds, the excitement. I did get a bit over the top squealy as the cars rammed into each other and crashed on the corner we were standing. It's expensive at £15 per adult but worth it for a fun night out.

Before we went to the Stock Car Racing (yep, I'm apparently writing about my week backwards for some reason) my husband took the boys over to his dads and I went for a girls meal with my mum, my aunty and my nanny. It was so lovely to be Lauren and to not be in mum mode. I wanted my nanny to see me as me and not as a stressy anxious mum wanting the boys to behave. It was lovely to be able to relax and enjoy each others company.
It's funny how your relationship with family members can change as you get older. I don't get to see my nanny that often with us living so far away, and it breaks my heart as I love her dearly, and although we are not OTT soppy I feel really close to her, and my aunties, despite the distance. I've always felt like we had a good relationship, like she respects me and appreciates me as much as I respect and appreciate her. So being sat with her, being able to have adult conversations, and joking about silly things was amazing.
 
I found myself just sitting and watching her at times and it made me feel so content. We went round to my mums house on the Friday and my nan was round there and it was the best, warmest feeling to see her sat in the dining room, talking to me in the kitchen, and then sitting in what is usually my seat. When I went back to my mums on the Friday evening, after we had enjoyed a lovely time at the bungalow and said our goodbyes, I burst into tears....again after we had been crying in the car. The image of my nanny sat there was still fresh in my head and it hit me that it's not something that I see as much as I want to. But it also made me feel overwhelmed with happiness that she all of a sudden became part of our everyday life. We're not sure she will be able to visit here again as it's such a long and uncomfortable journey so those images will always stay fresh in my mind.

My nanny made such an effort with the boys and I can't even bring to words how much I appreciated that. I do get very paranoid about their behaviour, even though I shouldn't because they are not that bad but I want to protect them, and me, from people judging us. I was so desperate for her to see that they are good, lovely boys and to see me as a good mum.
As we said goodbye and I tried my hardest not to cry and had to keep telling myself to let her go as my arms seemed to freeze, she said in my ear "They are two lovely boys you have there" and I broke down.
She knew the words I wanted and needed to hear.

It was quite possibly the best week of my year and although it was sad saying goodbye, so so sad and hard, we had comfort in knowing that in just 9 months time we will be visiting them. My husband is staying at home so it's a roadtrip for me, my mum and the boys, staying in a beautiful barn in Somerset.
The most exciting thing is that Harry will be meeting my other Aunty, and my Uncle, for the first time which will be super super emotional but I can not wait!
I'm counting down the days already.

I'm sharing happiness with My Two Mums Join in their weekly link up and share your happiness too.

Happy Sunday | Week Twenty Three

Whether or not you think Sunday is the end of the week, or the beginning of a new one, I thought it would be a nice idea to look back on the week that has just past and to look at the things that have made me happy and made me smile.
I think it can be easy to look back on a hard week and miss out on those things. A week of bad weather for example can really make it seem as though the whole week was a complete fail. But it probably wasn't. We must all smile at least once a day. I know I do, even if I forget it.

Things that made me happy this week:

 

Therapy

I had my second therapy appointment this week. I am really determined to try and get to the bottom of this whole anxiety/depression/OCD/Social Anxiety stuff and I felt that this week was a really good week. My therapist is wonderful and I really feel like I can trust her as a professional, and that she understands me and wants to help me.
We looked this week at problems in my past and how they affect my thoughts, behaviours and emotions now.
She's also been giving me homework which has helped and is good for me to be able to sit down at home and to think about things for the next session.
I'm really looking forward to my session next week and hope that I continue to progress.

Emma Bridgewater

I had some Amazon vouchers to spend and immediately purchased some hair tongs leaving me with £10. Well, you have never known of someone to umm and ahh and stress so much about what to spend £10 on. I could have saved it, but no, I wanted to spend it NOW. I could have spent it on little Christmas presents to put away for the boys, but no. I could have spent it on dvds to extend my Tom Hanks film collection, but no.
Eventually though I found these two Emma Bridgewater items that I could not resist. I have lusted after Emma Bridgewater products for a while now but the price tag has always put me off.
The past two or three weeks I have felt really bogged down and unorganised when it comes to my blog, this has then made me feel really stressed and I got to the point where I felt like I was struggling to cope.
Despite having various notebooks with a schedule plan I still continued to get muddled. This Day to Do notepad is IDEAL and made a change instantly. It's so easy to be able to organise my posts and to keep a track of. At £6.00 I felt it was a really good investment.
I couldn't resist to also buy the matching 'Write it Down' pen. Ok, I would never usually spend this much (£4.99) on a pen but look how beautiful it is.
Harry has a tendency to break pens so I am going to make sure he does not get his hands on this beauty.

Birchbox

I was sent the August Birchbox to review [you can read my review here along with an exclusive Birchbox discount code]. I really love getting things to review which I truly enjoy and would purchase for myself, as well as something that I maybe before would have been put off purchasing for whatever reason. The Birchbox was something I would like to purchase but had reasons not to (worrying that products wouldn't suit me) but my mind has definitely been changed.
I also really liked getting this because it was something for me, and gave me an excuse to pamper myself and look after myself, which all ladies need.

 

That Skirt. And Summer Meeting Autumn.

This week I went to the cinema with the boys and my twin brother. I didn't really know what to wear as it was a little bit windy. Considering we would be sat down most of the time I decided to embrace the seasonal changes and wear my uber comfy Clarks wedges whilst I can alongside one of my favourite skirts. This skirt had very little wear last year due to not fitting me and being too small....now it is too big but fits ok perched on my hips with a tight top holding it in place. I love the colours in the skirt and will be wearing it a lot in the Autumn teamed with tan boots and tights.

His Comforter

I always wanted my boys to have a comforter. They didn't have dummies and due to breastfeeding just used me as their comforter. They will occasionally take toys out with them, and for a while Charles used to take cars to bed with him every night. Before he could count he knew exactly how many cars he took to bed and would know if he had lost one. He would take around 15 or so to bed so how he knew he had lost one I don't know!
Harry is attached to his big Mickey Mouse teddy. Mickey comes with us on a lot of adventures and journeys despite being so big. Harry loves carrying him on his shoulders, because Mickeys legs get tired.
I really love how we have to treat Mickey like he is a member of our family, a real person. He gets strapped into the middle seat in our car, he was sat comfortably on the bench next to Harry when we ate in Nandos and even had his own seat in the cinema.

Takeaway Coffee

On Sunday we headed up to the Midlands to have lunch with my husbands Aunty and Uncle and then to head to a 100th Birthday party.
We got up later than planned and whilst I was getting ready the boys had their breakfast and then we had to rush out of the door....meaning I missed out on my morning cup of coffee. After we picked up my mother in law on the way we stopped off at my favourite garage (yes, I have a favourite garage, the Rowley Mile Services on the A14 if you were interested) and my husband grabbed me a Latte. I hardly ever have milky coffees now as they make me feel really ill, but I can't resist a Wild Bean Cafe. They didn't have any of my favourite Hazelnut syrup so instead my husband used his initiative (he is a good boy) and gave me a shot of caramel instead. It was deeeeeelicious.
Sometimes it's the little things your partner does that you really appreciate. My husband really gets my need for a coffee on a long journey and always makes sure he gets me a good one.

Yesterday's World Great Yarmouth | Review

Despite living on the East Coast all my life there are still a few places I have never visited, and should have.
One of these places is Yesterday's World in Great Yarmouth. I became aware of Yesterday's World when my Nanny from Somerset visited last but it wasn't somewhere I ever really thought about visiting.
I think the reason for this is because I didn't know much about it, and as anyone who has ever visited Yarmouth would know, the seafront is full of arcades, ice cream stands, and fish and chip places, so I suppose I expected it to be the same as everywhere else and didn't expect it to be as fantastic as it is.

Experience an amazing 125 years of British social history magically brought back to life. Discover over 150,000 nostalgic artefacts set in 20,000sq ft of themed areas plus virtual and interactive exhibits.

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago and was invited to go along with my family to have a look around and to have some cream tea in the coffee shop after. As it happened my nan was due to visit the following week so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to visit with her as it is somewhere she was interested in visiting.
We turned up on the day and unfortunately my nan wasn't feeling too well so decided to stay in the tea room whilst the rest of us walked round the museum. As we finished looking around my aunty took her home as she was feeling really unwell.
Speaking to my nan a couple of days later she told me that the staff in the coffee shop couldn't have been any kinder or helpful to her. They kept checking that she was ok and seeing if she needed anything. This brought me great comfort and I can't thank the staff enough for that.

Just before you walk through the doors into the museum, which is set across two floors, you are greeted with a statue of Winston Churchhill.
Oh my goodness, this freaked me out. It is so lifelike that when I stood next to it for a photo I expected him to move and touch my shoulder or make me jump. The details on his face were amazing, and this is something I think was a big positive throughout the museum. All of the statues were really lifelike....one was so lifelike that it looked like he was watching me where ever I went and I may have cried a tiny bit through fear (don't tell anyone though hey?).
I don't want to say too much about the museum and the exhibits because I really think it's better seen but a few of my favourite things were:

The World War 2 bunker. As we walked through to the room I was immediately drawn to this exhibit, despite my family walking the other way. The World Wars have always fascinated me [see number 8 on my about me page to see why] and I felt like the displays here were really informative and interesting.
Experiencing a WWII air raid in the shelter is definitely a must if you visit.

The life size wax figures of King Henry VIII and his wives. This was one of my favourite displays. I particularly liked the way this display was set up, and the information cards in front of each of the wives was really interesting and easy to read. I've always wanted to learn more about King Henry VIII and I really feel I did just from this display.

The full size Victorian Carousel was a wonderful surprise. I expected a small carousel suitable for just the boys, not a full size one! The carousel goes round once an hour at a set time (at least this was what happened on the day of our visit) so it's worth making sure that you know when that time is. Everyone gets a ride on the carousel at no extra cost.

I liked the variety of the displays and exhibits and I think this is what helped keep the boys interested. They wanted to walk around and see what was next. Some of the displays are interactive too which also helped to keep the boys attention. I think these two things (as well as the carousel) make the museum perfect for all of the family to visit. 

The cream tea in the Victorian Tea Room was SO amazing. I went for a savoury scone with butter and onion chutney, and it was delicious. My mum went for a pot of tea with a jam scone and the boys went for a hot chocolate, orange juice, lemon drizzle cake and carrot cake.
The cake portion sizes were generous, and as with the scones, were fresh and delicious.
I was really impressed by the See and Tea Ticket and the price of £8.40 for this offer. I would definitely say to go for that ticket if/when you visit.

The gift and sweet shop is also worth a visit. There are so many wonderful, nostalgic gifts available. I couldn't resist but to buy a few items.

We all had a fantastic time at the museum and would visit again, even if it was just to stop off at the Victorian Tea Room for a coffee and cake.

We were invited to visit Yesterday's World for the purpose of this review.

A Family Fiesta with Domino's

With my family visiting from Somerset last week we were constantly rushed and busy with various days out and evening plans too.
On their final night we decided to spend the evening at the bungalow they had rented for the week to relax and spend some quality time together.

Domino's contacted me to see if I would be interested in having a party, on them. They sent a voucher over as well as a party pack and I knew that the last evening with my family was the perfect opportunity to indulge in a pizza party.

Ordering was simple, although as we had a voucher we had to head into store so to make it easier I ordered online and selected to collect from store than to have the food delivered.
I selected 6 o clock as my collection time and the food was ready at exactly that time.

We ordered 3 pizzas, two of which are part of the new Carnivale South American inspired range.

• Fiesta: chicken breast strips, red onions, green & red peppers, seasoned with a fajita spice with a drizzle of Mojito style dressing
• Rio: Pulled Barbacoa Beef, punched up with a kick of chipotle sauce, red onions, green & red peppers 

Both of these new flavours were really tasty, but I think every ones favourite had to be the Fiesta. The Mojito style dressing was amazing.
Along with these I ordered a Pepperoni pizza. I left it to my own initiative when it came to the flavours of pizza, something which I think can be a risk as we all have our own different tastes but these three flavours all seemed to work well and everyone was happy with the choices I made.
There wasn't one pizza that wasn't eaten.

I also ordered some of the Nachos (without Jalapenos), garlic bread, plain wedges and the Fajita wedges.
The Nachos were really nice, as were the Fajita wedges. The plain wedges were probably too plain, whether or not this was because we also had the Fajita wedges, I'm not sure, but they definitely tasted like they needed some kind of seasoning.

I think our Family Fiesta Party went really well. It was perfect for us as we could just relax, chat and go and pick up some food as and when we wanted it. We kept all of the food in the Domino's boxes as it saved washing up...which is always a win...right?!

What's the best way to end a Fiesta Pizza Party? By wearing comedy stick on moustaches of course.

We were sent a party pack (including moustaches) and a voucher for the purpose of this post.