Dreaming of Swimsuits and Summer

Is it just me or are the swimsuits this season very Marilyn Monroe-ish? Is that a technical term? They look like they'd be perfect for the fuller figure; perfect for someone with a body just like mine!

I went swimming a few times when pregnant, because with my Maternity Exemption Card I not only got free prescriptions and free dental work but also got free swimming. I had to pay for Aaron but it was still a great deal. Only thing was, I only own two costumes in my current dress size and they BOTH have tummy flattening properties in the front. That was fine in the 1st and 2nd trimesters but it felt very squishy to say the least when I went swimming in the 3rd trimester. If this is you, invest in a maternity swimsuit. 

House of Fraser stocks one. It's even Speedo AND only £33!!!

I was very large carrying my lil lady and no wonder given that she was born 4 wee weeks ago at 10 lbs 10 oz. Oh and by the way, she was weighed at the Well Baby Clinic today and is now 12 pounds 2 oz. Gulps! Never thought I'd see the day that I'd be on my blog in a swimming costume, but here I am (or rather was) at 32 weeks' pregnant below:

If you are carrying large, or "large for dates" as the maternity services likes to call it, then like me, the ligaments below the bump, taking the weight, may hurt. I strengthened mine by walking 30 miles a week but they'd still ocassionally hurt. What I found when I went swimming is I would then be pain free for 3-4 days after. And the relief whilst IN the water was immense. Each time we went, we stayed in the pool for approximately two and a half hours as I felt I benefited from it so much.

But back to swimwear. Now that I nearly have my body back, what would be on my wishlist....

House of Fraser has LOTS to choose from in their swimwear hub - if you click on swimswuits in the hub, you can see what I mean about the cuts and the prints, with regards to Marilyn Monroe! Several of them are currently on offer in a Sale right now too!

This swimsuit is an absolute bargain! 

Dickins & JonesFeather Paisley large cup halter swimsuit

and is reduced from £45 to £13.50. Gorgeous:

The Miraclesuit Oceanus Soft Cup swimsuit in black, seems like a safer option for me. Yes I may have gained slimmer legs and arms whilst pregnant, thanks to staying very active, but 4 weeks post partum I don't think my tummy is quite ready for pink paisley. The ruffles on the Oceanus seem like they'd hide a multitude of sins (and cake)! I can but dream for the Summer though, if we're talking as far away as maybe August!

Oooh I am loving the costume pictured below, the Seafolly Goddess Keyhole Swimsuit - it's £96 though so you are every inch the goddess in terms of the price ticket and the style factor. Wow. I'd even be willing to work on my cellulite to rock this cossie on the beach. Just looking at the pic of it has me sitting up straighter, adjusting my posture as I imagine myself trying to look the part.

On the swimwear hub there seems to be something for everyone, in terms of price, age group and how much flesh you want to show off. There are several tick boxes down the left hand side which you can use to filter your search. Both of my current black swimming costumes are at least 5 years old each. I'm quite fancying a new one now!

Just like with my last blog post I am now day dreaming about a summer holiday abroad with sun, sea and sand. We've never been abroad with Aaron so it'd be amazing. He's been on a plane lots though thanks to many trips to Ireland.

Bye for now, bed is beckoning as Aaron had me awake since 5:30 with his screaming due to an ear infection. In a few minutes that will be yesterday!

Liska xxx

Sunshine, Sunny D and Keeping Hydrated

I'm always on the look out for fruit juice drinks that Aaron will love. Yes he does like and drink water, and for 5 years has drunk milk (dairy free) everyday, but like most children, enjoys something "juicy" especially when it's hot and sunny! I have never allowed Aaron to drink fizzy drinks and thank God he hates them anyway. Personally, I think fizzy drinks are linked with obesity and tooth decay.

We recently went on a mission to find Sunny D. Aaron looked high

and low:

We eventually found it in Tesco, (clever Daddy thought of looking in Tesco Express so that our journey time was halved) and being that Aaron's always thirsty after school it went down very well.

I was anxious to see if Aaron would actually like it, as he rejects things within one taste if they are not up to scratch. I'd read up on the product and felt optimistic he'd love it and he did.

All he wanted to do after that was play Frustration in the garden, so I poured us both a glass and enjoyed the opportunity to sit down for a while in the sun and fresh air.

It's a game I also owned and played as a child, but they've modernised it quite a lot. The "game" is still the same though. Thank God I enjoy it as he is insisting on playing it every day at the moment. Aaron being an only child (for now) means it's me that becomes the playmate!

Whilst I poured the drinks and put the school bags down, he rested on our swing seat in the garden - he copies my ability to relax ha ha! He also has the ability to sleep-in in the mornings - another thing I think he gets from Mamma. Maybe that's how he is able to keep going at the pace he does because he knows when and how to relax.

He takes the game really seriously and woe betide me if I win, as all it means is we have  to play AGAIN.........

There was a Summer Party at Aaron's school this weekend and I took part in Crowd Zumba despite being pregnant........

I'm only 9 weeks but look like 20, so it wasn't easy BUT I can't listen to that music without moving so I headed straight for the stage and did the whole 30 minutes. Well actually Aaron was so worried about me, he pulled me to sit on the grass for the last song. I've always thought he and me are telepathic but that REALLY confirmed it, as I was just inwardly thinking "I am flagging" and within SECONDS of that felt him pulling me. Bless his cotton socks.

Upon sitting on the grass I reached immediately for the thirst quenching Sunny D, exhausted after the Zumba:

I didn't get to drink all that much before it was snatched off me, further proof that he loves it as there were plenty of drinks in my bag:

We had a very hectic busy weekend and I was very proud of Aaron. He kept pace with me, and somehow, despite having terrible 1st trimester tiredness, I also kept pace with him.

At the event we went to Sunday he kept wanting to go upper deck on the bus, which was actually a great thing, as it meant I got to put my feet up - phew!

But back to Sunny D. The flavour we have tried is Tangy Florida but I can't wait to try the others. Tangy Florida tastes tart rather than sweet but Aaron loved it - he doesn't eat that many sweets so thankfully he still has a normal unspoilt palette. It's a similar taste to freshly squeezed orange juice but without the "bits" which Aaron would hate anyhow. I bought him a smoothie at the festival yesterday and he rejected it as he could taste the pips/seeds from the berries.

Reading the ingredients, Sunny D does actually contain sugar, and I am glad about that as I always avoid "no added sugar" drinks; one, because they TASTE artificial and two, because I have really strong feelings on things like aspartame (which thankfully Sunny D does not use).

The other flavours are Smooth California and Juicy Orange Passion.

To buy Sunny D, and try it's new recipe you can go to

Asda

Co-Op

Tesco

Morrisons

Iceland

One Stop

Tesco sells Sunny D online: Smooth California. £1.27 for 1 litre.

They also sell it in cartons: Sunny D Florida 3 x 200ml

Sunny D has regular competitions on its website here: Sunny D competitions and has a very active Facebook page.

There are lots of tips and tricks like How to Scoot to School on their website.

Sunny D's history

Sunny Delight became Sunny D in 2012 and now contains 15% juice and added vitamins A, C, D & E. There are no artificial colours or preservatives added to our juice drinks.

Sunny D has now been part of Orangina Schweppes since 2011. The group has a rich history over several continents, and goes back as early as the 18th century! Europe remains at the heart of the business but products are enjoyed in over 60 countries, reaching Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Sunny D was created in 1963 in Florida by Howard Dick and Phil Grinnell. They made the liquid sunshine that is Sunny D!

Disclosure: This post was a collaboration with Sunny D. However, all words and opinions are my own (apart from the "history" text above). Both myself and Aaron genuinely loved the product and will be purchasing it again so that we can taste all of the flavours!

Adding my post to #TriedTested over at My Family Fever:

A Mother of Four For a Week

You may have noticed I haven't blogged in a week... Well it's because I have been busy, incredibly busy - wow how do those of you with large families do it??? Especially you large family Mummy Bloggers out there??

I have my nieces and nephew with me for a week, and as much fun as it is, (honestly the whole thing was my idea) no sooner have you cleared up from breakfast than it is time to start lunch, and same again for dinner. Finding something to cook that EVERYONE likes is no mean feet. Making enough that everyone is full is even tougher. It's been a challenge, but an incredibly rewarding one. But as much as I am loving it, I now have FULL RESPECT for any Mum who has more than 1 child. It's a bit like walking a tight rope and actually, we did that too:

We've had a blast this week, AND it's not over yet! One of the things I wanted to do #B4Sept was have them over, so it's a very big tick, at the top of my Summer to-do list. Getting them all in the paddling pool has been ticked today too. Excuse Aaron's fuzz ball hair in the above photo, but trying to get all 5 of us washed, dressed and out the door, to be anywhere before lunchtime is a struggle and that picture was taken on a day that involved a VERY early start, so hair styling was so far down the list, it dropped off!

Eating out, in addition to the cost of a day out is just not possible, so it's been picnics all the way this week, followed by tasty home cooked meals on arriving home tired and hungry. 

Instead of being a chore it's been great fun, as I have had my Tesco finest* hamper for a year, and had never had reason to use it. Rather apt that I have been reviewing a few Tesco picnic items this week. I should say WE actually. They've been very yummy in our tummy.

My favourite has to be the platter with olives in:

Picnics are a bit like pack lunches, i.e. for the love of God, do not JUST pack sandwiches!!!

Not that I have got to the packed-lunch stage yet as Aaron only starts school this September (it's getting sooner *cries*)!

The following does not feature in Tesco's Picnic range but we think they are just PERFECT:

They are called Madeleine's and are individually wrapped making them rather convenient to pop in. When you are craving something sweet after the savoury these hit the spot without being too sugary. They are currently on a 3 for 2 offer and you get a massive 16 in a pack, so even with 5 of us, we only used a third of them. The rest are still in the cupboard so we have just have some more tomorrow.

Another day's picnic dessert was taken care of with these rather interesting cakes below: Sticky Toffee Popcorn Cake Slices. I actually can't believe how cheap these are, even without the 3 for 2 offer they are currently on! I wasn't sure about them but they turned out to be DIVINE, and all the kids (apart from Aaron) liked them too. He would have, if he had taken a bite, but he refused... They pack a punch in terms of luxury taste, without a luxury price tag!

We also sampled Chicken Pesto and Mozzarella Bites which were superb! If you know anyone who is not allowed to eat pork, but has always fancied a scotch egg, well then this is *nearly* just the ticket. They are delish:

I didn't want to leave you without letting you know what Tesco has to say about the platter featured above up top as it really is the bees knees:

Tesco Summer Eating Mediterranean Picnic Platter - a perfect addition to any picnic basket and is made for sharing. Choose from delicious pimento stuffed green Hojiblanca olives, Spanish Iberico cheese, Habas Fritas – crunchy, lightly roasted and salted broad beans, slow roasted vine tomatoes paired with creamy Italian mozzarella and a medley of pitted green & black Hojiblanca olives with roasted sweet red peppers.

As hard work as it is, this week, pretending to be a Mum to four, Aaron's LOVED every bit of having his cousins, and I have had a ball too:

Disclosure: I was sent vouchers from Tesco to help get me through the week, I mean so that I could spice up my picnic offering! AND boy did it work! DO NOT pack a picnic with just sandwiches - nobody will thank you for it. After three picnics in 5 days I think we are experts now, and that hamper (also from Tesco a year ago), as you can see, went everywhere with us.

P.S. this is my favourite photo from the week so far:

Fun in the Sun with Capri-Sun. It Goes Everywhere we Do!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Capri-Sun. All text, photos, videos and opinions are mine alone.

***

I remember Capri-Sun from when I was little, and I am glad it's still around for Aaron to enjoy.

Regular readers will know I avoid aspartame, so clearly Capri-Sun doesn't contain any nasties, else I would not be writing this post.

We have chairs for our garden and a swing for Aaron, but getting out a picnic rug the other day, gave the garden a whole other dimension, and Aaron couldn't get enough of it.

So Sunday for the first time in years, there was only one thing for it, I tried some yoga :-) Out on the rug, in the great outdoors.

After that we headed to Asda to stock up on Capri-Sun and I was amazed. The selection has grown. We had a few to choose from.

When I say a few to choose from, I don't mean the 3 flavours above (which can be found here: Capri-Sun Fruit Crush), I mean that the whole range "Fruit Crush" is new to me, and is in addition to the traditional Capri-Sun and incidentally even the traditional one now comes in a range of flavours. 

Fruit Crush pictured above is their healthier range which is 75% fruit and 25% spring water and forms 1 of your 5 a day. So healthy that whereas the normal Capri-Sun is currently (at Asda) a pack of 10 for two pounds (I know, bargain right?!??!) these ones are a pack of 5 for two pounds, but well worth it. So if you have a little one, who normally drinks water and you don't want to give them a sugar rush, then this is just the ticket for you.

Whilst doing our Asda "shoppertunity" I could not help but notice the tents on display in the foyer on the way in, so ended up buying this!

We were in and out to the play pop-up tent all evening Sunday, after the food shopping - what a glorious evening it was too.

At one point Aaron said "take your places" and I said "Is that a stage?". He seemed shocked but yes "yes"! So I said: "Do you want to do a puppet show?". He'd recently seen one in the Zoo so readily agreed.

I did one, but Daddy was inside so it was not recorded (shame, as it was GREAT if I do say so myself), but I recorded three of Aaron's attempts. We'd all just consumed a 10 inch pizza that was only 3.70 pounds in Asda, but I fancied something sweet, so I set myself up, theatre style with a drink and a snack on my rug. The trumpet is how he wanted me to announce the start of the show LOL! So his performance started with a toot toot rather than a drum roll.

So I had the above Capri-Sun during the show, on my rug. Aaron had his when he went inside for some hydration. The little Puppeteer needed a drink:

So, all you want to see is the video right. Let me shut up and show you. It's only taken 3 hours to upload and edit:

So, after him expending all his energy in the garden, he wanted to veg in front of the TV for a bit. Who was I to argue? :-)

So, now that I knew the "secret" to having a great day in our garden, I decided to read the book. I read it years ago, but know very well I need a refresher. It went very well with a Summer's evening cup of tea, in my favourite chipped mug:

After this glorious sunny day, we woke up to rain on Monday, so decided to head off to soft play.

That would mean four pounds on buses and seven pounds on entrance, so I wasn't about to add the cost of drinks to that. I know Aaron gets VERY thirsty at soft play as he runs around so much so I packed THREE.  He drunk two whilst there and the third on the way home on the bus - well done Mummy. Bit of frugality always pays off :-)

There was a birthday party at the soft play and Aaron adored meeting the Pirate Bear albeit very briefly:

He normally does all of the difficult climbing as good as any 5 or 6 year old, but Monday he seemed to gravitate to the baby area. I loved it when he made this path:

No matter how carried away he gets playing, he always comes over to my table for drinks and snacks. Don't ever have to worry about his hydration as he knows himself when he's thirsty:

Tuesday night I started making dinner in good time (whilst Aaron was at nursery as he comes home ravenous). As I made the bolognese it dawned on me that he would go mental about the tomato lumps and pieces of onion, so I tipped the whole lot, once the mince was fully browned, into my Vitamix.

This is how I did it, and if you watch till the final slide you will see that he washed it down with Capri-Sun. An adult portion and he asked for seconds.


SPAG BOL without the lumps!

See our Capri-Sun has been keeping us hydrated inside and out; outdoors and indoors!

This post was a very enjoyable collaboration with #CollectiveBias

The Best Days Out are Often Play Dates with Best Friends

My friend recently pointed out to me (on Tuesday) that we have lost a bit of spontaneity in the UK.

Her family has just come back from Ireland where every house has an open door policy and it was a bit of a culture shock to come home, where play dates have to be arranged days/weeks in advance.

But hey, along comes me, and my bad manners to the rescue.  I phone up Tuesday at about 11 a.m. and say "what you doing today?" and then a couple of hours later I am there - well in their local park, not on their doorstep, but one kind of leads to the other.   A play date is a bit like the other dates in the world in that it finishes with "would you like to come back for coffee?" - as with the other type of date, all being well that is.

But as Siobhan is a BFF, it never is just coffee.  She always makes us all dinner, so I made sure I arrived with Rosé.

It was hot Tuesday (and yesterday) but the weather is pants today (cloudy and close/muggy).

Anyway back to Tuesday.  It started for us, with a train journey, then the park, then back to hers, and thanks to the weather, dinner in the great outdoors.

I will miss these sunny lazy carefree days.  Here's the collage:

I am quite proud of my wine photo of the dinner table.  I did the proper focus/defocus thing, which does sometimes work for me, on my new camera.

Anyone reading this, let's enjoy these last few days before nursery/school resumes and Autumn lands on us.

Not long now, so let's enjoy it.  We're promised good weather if we can get today out of the way.

Liska xx