Candyfloss & Dreams

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  • #WorldMentalHealthDay – My Story

    #WorldMentalHealthDay – My Story

    I’ve already read so many inspirational stories today for #WorldMentalHealthDay that are encouraging, supportive and so emotionally brave. I wanted to put words to post myself and share something meaningful. Something I hope will help others too. Mental Health affects us all, whether we’re suffering or smiling, or we are watching a family member go through crisis. I’ve openly talked about my anxiety and depression before to friends and family and most of the time I suppose people would say I’m doing fine.

    The truth is there are still days where I don’t want to get out of bed because I can not cope with life.
    There are still nights where I panic and worry and get angry.
    There are still times where I feel so overwhelmed by the smallest of things.
    There are still times where I overeat and comfort eat to try and ignore the pain of what I’m feeling.
    There are still times when looking after myself is not a priority.
    There are still times where I am haunted by my past, where I have nightmares and wake up sobbing.
    There are still times where I think I have failed as a parent because of decisions that were taken out of my hands.
    There are still times where I think this world would be a better place if I wasn’t here.

    Those times are few and far between now but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. It doesn’t mean I’m cured or healed. It means that despite how I feel, how I’m coping, I am choosing to live. I am choosing to be here for my daughter. I am choosing to be here because I deserve to be here and because those people that made my life hard in the past don’t deserve to win. I am choosing to push back the whispers of self-doubt every day I walk out my front door because I want to win at life. I want to do more than survive.

    If you are feeling anything close to what I’ve described then talk to someone, anyone. A doctor, a nurse, a friend, a partner, a parent. Anyone. Make it known that you think you might be suffering from depression because ultimately when it comes to mental health, no matter how much we raise awareness, only you can make that decision to ask and seek help.

    Depression doesn’t go away easily, it’s a challenge and sometimes it’s a daily battle. It’s a war that will never end but there are days, weeks, months and years that you can find peace in yourself and every day you wake up not wanting to fight, you’ll have so many more reasons to do so.

  • #ChileanEasyPeelers Challenge with BritMums

    This post is an entry for the BritMums #ChileanEasyPeelers Challenge, sponsored by Chilean Citrus Committee.

    I don’t know about your children but Evie is ALWAYS hungry after school. She’s also hungry on the way to school. Having a handy, pocket-sized snack to take with me like a Chilean easy peeler satsuma is a great way to satisfy her hunger needs and make sure she’s getting a nice dose of vitamin C and having a healthy snack. There are times where we pop to the supermarket or go and see family after school which means getting home for dinner takes a little longer. It’s always good to have something nice and easy for her to snack on. Easy peeler satsumas are great for picnics, lunch boxes, breakfast and after-school snack and the box of juicy easy peelers we received have been a big hit for us all. They’re naturally sweet, easy to peel and no need to cut up which means, when we’re on the go, these are ideal. They’ve also been a great snack for me to have in the house because I’m back doing Slimming World and they are helping keep cravings at bay. I love adding these to a chicken salad for a bit of juice, flavour and to make salads a bit more fun!

    About Chilean Easy Peeler

    The demand for Chilean easy peelers are growing in the UK as the convenient, seedless fruits are sweet in flavor and a hydrating snack, perfect for families.

    With year on year growth of 32% in tonnes sold in the UK, the amount of Chilean mandarins sold last season reached over 2,000 tonnes. The predictions for this year’s crop are even greater.

    Available in supermarket shelves from September to November, the delicious fruits are the ideal snack for back to school season.

    Here are some talking points/tips about why Chilean easy peelers are so great for kids:

    1. Easy peelers are great for children’s lunch boxes. Young children love doing things for themselves and easy peelers help them do just this. With easy peelers, children are also less likely to need teachers help to peel these, so they are more likely be eaten rather than left in lunch boxes. Older children love a snack they can grab before studies or while they’re on the go.
    2. Easy peelers are a great source of water – they are about 87 per cent water. Children should be encouraged to drink water but eating foods with a high water content such as citrus fruit may help to keep them hydrated too. These are especially great to pack on hot or busy days, or when children are taking part in sports, to help keep hydration levels topped up.
    3. Easy peelers are low in calories, fat and a good provider of vitamins and minerals. In particular, they help to provide children with fibre, folate, vitamin C, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
    4. Easy peelers save mums time in a morning and as we know time is precious. No more peeling, cutting and slicing when making your child’s lunch boxes – just pop in an easy peel mandarin!
    5. To make peeling even more fun, attach a sticker on the peel in a morning when making up your child’s lunch box. Easy peelers can also be packed into picnics, passed out and eaten at sporting events or practice, given as a treat and presented to your child when you pick them up for a healthy energy and juicy fluid boost.

  • #BlogCampOnBoard – MSC Cruises – Preziosa

    Blog Camp On Board – a lovely blog conference on MSC Cruises Preziosa

    #BlogCampOnBoard was hosted by Tots100 and was a bloggers day out and mini-conference on board the MSC Preziosa whilst docked in Southampton. The day was interesting and it was really lovely to meet up with Laura from Savings 4 Savvy Mums, Emma from Island Living 365 and Bridget from Bridie By The Sea. It was a really beautiful venue and I absolutely loved viewing the ship. I love cruises – it’s my absolute favourite way to travel and I’ve written previously and passionately about how much I love them. Our trip to Bruges was just so lovely and our week long venture to Norway cruising along the fjords was breathtaking. I am determined to spread the cruise love and show why I think cruises are the perfect way to travel as a family.

     

    The day started with top security processing which was completely understandable and really did give you that feeling of being off on an exotic holiday. Sadly, we had to stay in Southampton but exploring the ship and socialising with fellow bloggers made it a really worthwhile experience. I did feel there was a lack of water (and coffee) through the day and sadly left with a bit of a headache. With cruise ships, there’s no cash on board so I imagine it’s very hard to organise an event like this and predict the needs of the group – I would recommend more refreshments for the future just because conferences always require lots of information and it can be a bit much when you’re feeling thirsty! A lot of people also travelled down that morning without being able to stop for a drink or breakfast, myself included. I do appreciate though that with every unique venue there are always teething issues and I think feedback is important. There were families disembarking that day and also passengers onboard as a stopover so we did have to be mindful of those when taking photos and walking around the ship.

    I love that MSC Cruises ships Preziosa and Magnifica sail from Southampton to Northern Europe which is a beautiful place to cruise around. Destinations include France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Italy and they have really competitive prices as well as the chance to upgrade your cabin, child prices from £99 and so much more. MSC Cruises are absolutely worth comparing against your usual cruise line company if you’re a cruising pro and the prices are very desirable for beginner cruisers.

    We started off by making our way to the theatre which was incredibly impressive. I could just imagine the shows that must go on there at night! Not only did the theatre have great stall seats but an upper circle and balcony seats circling the venue. Plenty of space for all the passengers to enjoy a nightly show or talent act. We listened to a talk by the director of children services on board and got so much useful information about the kids club onboard Preziosa. I was amazed that it was open right the way through until 11 pm and there were five category age groups from babies through to 17. It seems every member is catered for onboard an MSC Cruise Ship which is amazing. I think my daughter would have a lot of fun in the kids club, swimming pools, splash park and all the other fantastic family activities that happen from talent shows, quizzes and games. There’s also an arcade and bowling alley which give it a really nice family feel and little-hidden gems. It’s nice to find these activities onboard a cruise ship because it shows you just how much there is to do.

    We then headed onto the Cruise Ship activities for the first part of the day. I have to say I was a little disappointed by this as it was not what I expected. We headed up to Deck 15 to a little seating area. It’s with a lovely big pool below with jacuzzis and water features. It’s a covered pool, which is brilliant, but the room was incredibly warm and it was really hard to hear the information being given even with a microphone. Also, we’d been at the venue, checked in and on board for a while by this point and a request for water was badly needed. We watched a hairstylist and makeup being done by the members of staff from the spa and salon. This was very nice but I would have preferred to be shown the spa, talked through all the treatments, the products used, what services are available, if there are any spa packages you can buy and perhaps being given a demonstration of a little hand massage might have worked better. With the noise from the pool and the way we were sat, I couldn’t really see anything so I didn’t get that much from the session. We were then whisked off for a bit of a ship tour although we kept losing the guide and we didn’t actually get any information about each place we went to. I don’t think I would be able to tell anyone where anything was on board because we didn’t really get told anything which was a real shame. It was very glamorous however and there were lots of lovely facilities. It was really lovely to meet and explore with Naomi from Me Becoming Mum too.

    Lunch was the best part of the day being given three courses, wine and water. I chose the menu rather than the buffet and really enjoyed my food. The salad was a little heavy on the dressing but my roman sandwich was delicious and I loved the pudding. House red and white wine were offered and very nice as well as a chance for still or sparkling water. We sat on a table of four and were joined by Faye from mama dot gang – it’s always lovely to get to know new bloggers! The restaurant as really lovely and I was just thrown back to meals I’ve had before and really enjoyed. Cruise food is always very tasty and there is always a great variety.

    We then headed into the session lead by Alison Perry on Podcasting which was really informative. It’s something I’ve not thought of before but I really do enjoy listening to podcasts. Perhaps in the future you’ll see some sort of podcast from me, perhaps it will be all things cruising…who knows! It was lovely to meet and sit with Ami from Through Ami’s Eyes. Then I went over to the chef demo where they made a swordfish spaghetti. We were given the recipe afterwards which could be easily adapted at home for chicken or another type of fish I think. MSC Cruises are really proud of the diverse nationalities of both their staff and passengers so they really want to try and have world recognised brands available on board to reflect that and bring everyone together. Many of the staff members speak multiple languages which is incredibly impressive and something I think that’s needed especially in areas like the kid’s clubs. They had a strong Italian influence on board which is really lovely because I am a fan of Italian food. An MSC Cruise sounds like a great backdrop for a sail around the Med drinking fabulous wines and eating all the pasta. A few brands I recognised were Samsung, Lego and Nutella which was lovely to see and familiar, I think, around the world. Cruise ships are like floating hotels and in my experience, the best hotels have a hint of home with them.

    The day ended with some drinks and a Q & A session in the Safari Lounge which was very informative and it was great to see how passionate the team and staff are about their cruise liners. I can imagine a holiday onboard would be full of fun and give you the ideal opportunity to make plenty of family memories. I love cruising and I can’t wait to do it all again! Hopefully, soon! Here’s a little video of all my photos taken during #BlogCampOnBoard – having a look at my YouTube channel you’ll find a few of our other cruise and holiday videos.

  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    This is a collaborative post. 

    October has come along so quickly, hasn’t it? It’s that time of year to where lots of people really consider their health because of so many awareness-raising activities going on. For me, October always means Breast Cancer Awareness Month so here, my lady (and lad – men can get breast cancer too, they have breast tissue!) friends, here is your reminder to check your breasts. You don’t need to raise awareness by putting a heart or a status on facebook, you need to check them. You need to give your breasts some firm but tender squeezings to make sure they’re exactly how they usually are. Don’t make this a yearly thing because it should be done regularly. If you want to go that step further if you’re someone at risk of developing breast cancer, it runs in the family or you’re just concerned about it then you might want to consider breastlight which is a breast cancer screening device that can be done in your home. Breastlight gives you clear view inside the breast tissue to view any abnormalities developing over time.

    Getting to know your breasts, their shape and size will really help you to understand your body and also make you aware of any changes. Make yourself aware of the signs and symptoms and if you’re worried about anything at all, if you feel something different then get in to speak to your GP straight away. It’s not just your boobs you need to feel either, the tissue goes right up to your collarbone and under your pits so get feeling all over. It’s something that will only take a few minutes of your time. If you want to help raise awareness for Breast Cancer then why not share something really valuable like the infographic below? Encourage your friends and family to check their breasts too. Something so simple as getting to know your body can help save lives.

    PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.pinkribbonfoundation.org.uk/2017/07/13/breast-cancer-self-check-guide/

  • Evie’s Bedroom Makeover – Part 2

    We have gradually been trying to improve Evie’s room. By improve I mean throw away a lot of old toys that do not work and do not get played with. This has been a big success and we’ve now got a nice big toy storage unit to keep everything together. Everything now has a proper place and the room is, most of the time, pretty easy to keep tidy. I say pretty easy, but children are very good at making a big mess out of not a lot of stuff!

    New bedding has really helped make the room look like a new room and we recently received this gorgeous set of Owl bedding set from Room to Grow. It’s a single duvet cover and pillow case which goes really nicely with her pink and cream (well, magnolia) walls. I love the cute Owl design and think it’s pretty age appropriate now that she is 7! The bedding feels really nice and has buttons to do it up in the end rather than poppers. I usually prefer poppers because making beds is something I want to get over and done with but the buttons are nice and big and can be done up very quickly.

    Evie still has a lot of soft toys which I’m kind of reluctant to get rid of because she really does play with them all. I think we might have to say goodbye to a few of the more threadbare or opening at the seams ones though because, well, she has about 500 of them. Honestly, soft toys are such a popular thing with Evie. She is currently collecting the little Disney Tsum Tsums which are super cute. I’m glad we’ve had a good sort out, especially with Christmas coming up. She now has so much more space in her tiny box room and now I have a much better idea of the toys she actually loves to play with rather than stuff I think she’ll love to play with.

    Disclaimer: We were sent a single set of bedding in exchange for this feature. All opinions are my own.