Slummy Mummy

I'm not sure who coined the phrase 'yummy mummy' but I have a feeling it was designed to make the mere mortals amongst us feel hopelessly inadequate. 'Slummy mummy' or perhaps 'scummy mummy' might be more appropriate and they certainly apply to me on a more than regular basis these days. I mean I'm not just talking about the odd assortment of clothes I now finding myself wearing; a random combination of what I can dig out of the wardrobe that fits, but I also find I'm often wearing a little eau de vomit along with a dodgy hairdo and a slightly frazzled look.

However, I shouldn't feel disheartened, I only need to look back a few months to realise that this is actually an improvement. A week after the baby arrived a friend dropped by at about midday to be greeted at the door by me, still in my dressing gown and sporting the rather attractive, hospital issue thrombosis socks, oh the embarrassment!

On holiday a year apart... before...

...and after! (Ooh look clashing colours, a dodgy do,  straining buttons and mummy tummy making an appearance from under the tshirt ha ha!)

Mind you, even that wasn't as embarrassing as the time I went to my local New Mother and Baby group only to leak breast milk all over my top and then almost squirt the woman sitting next to me when trying to feed bubs - no one ever mentioned to me the range you could get on the old babushkas. So ladies, take heed, don't sit too close to others when you breast feed and always remember to use some good quality breast pads (I'd recommend either the Lansinoh or Tommy Tippee ones, don't buy the cheap ones, it's not worth it) and always pack a spare top for yourself when out and about. Motherhood, glamorous? Rubbish! But I wouldn't change it for the world.

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The Happy Mummy: Some 'practical' advice...

The Happy Mummy: Some 'practical' advice...: 5 things to do before baby is born: 1. Go away, by yourselves, for the weekend. You might not really have the money for it as you are bu...

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The Happy Mummy: Roasted Vegatables and Goats' Cheese Crostini

The Happy Mummy: Roasted Vegatables and Goats' Cheese Crostini: Amongst the many things that I avoided eating during pregnancy, the thing I hankered after most was a nice bit of goats' cheese. So imagine ...

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Roasted Vegatables and Goats' Cheese Crostini

Amongst the many things that I avoided eating during pregnancy, the thing I hankered after most was a nice bit of goats' cheese. So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the following goats' cheese recipe in Woman and Home magazine (how middle aged am I?!), featuring Tesco Everyday Value ingredients; cheap, quick and delicious!

Roasted Vegetables and Goats' Cheese Crostini

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 red onion cut into chunks
1 aubergine cut into chunks
1 courgette cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp of thyme leaves (I used chopped rosemary leaves instead as I didn't have thyme and it was just as tasty)
1tbsp capers (optional)
250g of cherry tomatoes
8 slices of garlic bread
150g goats' cheese sliced into 8
2tbsp of onion chutney
Balsamic vinegar
Crumbled walnuts (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7

2. Place all the vegetables, except for the tomatoes, into a large roasting tin and toss with oil and thyme. Season well and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes add the capers and tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes

4. Nestle the garlic bread slices amongst the vegetables and bake for 5 minutes

5. Top the garlic bread slices with the goats' cheese and grill until the cheese is soft and bubbling

6. Serve the garlic bread and goats' cheese on a bed of your roasted vegetables

7. Finish off by topping your goats' cheese with the onion chutney, a scattering of crumbled walnuts and a drizzle of balasamic vinegar

This recipe was delicious and really only took minutes to prepare; perfect when you don't have much time on your hands, which I certainly don't have these days. Perhaps not great for helping to eliminate the baby pouch, but hey who cares when dinner tastes this good!

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Some 'practical' advice...

5 things to do before baby is born:

1. Go away, by yourselves, for the weekend.
You might not really have the money for it as you are busy saving for all the 'must have' paraphernalia you need for baby, but you really won't have the money, or the time for this once baby arrives.

2. Enjoy being able go for a drink at the pub, out for dinner or to the cinema on a whim, you won't be able to do this so easily soon!

3. Begin stocking up on the essentials: nappies, wipes, nappy rash cream as you approach D Day, it will help spread the cost after baby arrives. You'll be amazed at how quickly you get through stuff and how much extra cash you're spending on your weekly shop.

4. Series link anything that looks good on your TV planner. You'll be grateful for this during the early stages of labour and for all of those times when you are feeding your baby - especially late at night.

5. Make the most of people doing everything for you and put your feet up. All too soon you'll be doing everything, the word 'multi tasking' doesn't even cover what you'll be expected to do.

5 things that you'll swear will never happen to you (but will) once baby is born:

Sensible haircut? Check. Practical footwear? Check. Ridiculous sized parasol? Check.  Overstuffed change bag? Check. I could go on...

1. You'll get a sensible haircut.

2. Practical will be the new fashionable. You might even wear a bum bag. (Did I really put that in print? I admit, it may have happened once or twice, well I do only have two hands!)

3. Dads will begin to perfect the art of embarrassing Dad Dancing. (I have video evidence of this, but Captain Sensible has forbidden me to publish it! He'll have to stay in my good books.)

4. You'll talk about your child's poo, vomit etc etc A LOT, to anyone. In fact you'll  become one of those annoying people that talk about your baby, all the time, to anyone.

5. You'll try to colour coordinate your outfit with the baby's at least once!

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What the fuzz!!?

Well not quite the expression I used this morning when I realised I had locked my keys in the car along with the dog, but not too far off. Luckily the baby was still strapped to me or it could have been a real disaster.

Fortuitously, seeing as none of my nearest or dearest would answer their phones to come and rescue me, a policeman happened to be passing, so I flagged him down and rather shamefacedly alerted him to  my plight.

The first plan of action was to get the spare set of car keys from the house but of course this proved rather difficult as my house keys were also locked in the boot of the car and Captain Sensible has ensured that the house is like Fort Knox. Even Mr Policeman couldn't find a way in as apparently we have a "decent" front door lock which doesn't make it very easy to: "kick the door down." Now that really wouldn't have gone down too well with the other half.

Eventually with the aid of a: local camper; his wire coat hanger; a rather burly police officer and a metal pole we managed to get the rear window down and I was able to extract my keys.

A rather mortifying start to the day indeed to be witnessed by the rather nice Mr Policeman and passing motorists, especially given that all of this took place with me rocking early morning, Jeremy Kyle chic: no makeup, wet hair and white socks and slippers (I'd just taken off my wellies and they were in the boot - of course I don't wear socks and slippers out in public normally!)

Still, on the bright side, the dog was fine and Olive got to sit in a police car and have her mug shot taken with Mr Policeman. Women drivers eh?

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Where are the instructions?

Amongst the myriad of things that I have accumulated to aid me with the day to day care of bubs, some of it has been brilliant (my Baby Bjorn carrier for walking the dog) and some of it has been useless. Of course everyone tells you that half the stuff you buy/get given will be a waste of time, but each baby is different and with your first baby, isn't half the fun finding all that stuff out for yourself?

We've been lucky enough to have some very generous friends who have given and lent us stuff along the way, so at least this foray into the unknown realms of baby equipment hasn't meant complete bankruptcy - almost, but not quite!

Of the things I have been given, some of the baby books friends recommended were invaluable, others left me in tears and were soon relegated to the bin.

Unfortunately, unlike furniture from IKEA, babies don't come with instructions, so a good book or two can be really useful and there are two in particular that I really liked. The first book, 'The Rough Guide To Pregnancy and Birth' by Kaz Cooke, kept me company throughout my pregnancy and was a humorous and fairly informative guide of what to expect week by week. It gave you details about what should be happening to you and baby and what you might start thinking about in terms of getting organised, as well as including amusing diary entries from the author herself.

The second and probably even more useful book for me has been 'Your Baby Week By Week: The ultimate guide to caring for your new baby, by Dr Caroline Fertleman (great name!) and Simon Cave. I liked this book because it doesn't make any judgements or tell you what you should do. It tells you what you might expect and what you might want to start thinking about trying. This kind of approach has been great for me, as although I want to get into some sort of routine, I also want it
to be flexible enough so that I can still go out and about.

Any other recommendations for good books or baby equipment, please let me know.

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Apple, Fig and Almond Cake

Apple, Fig and Almond Cake

This is my own take on a traditional apple cake recipe. I've included brown sugar and figs and a little extra ground almond. Cake might not be the best thing if you are on a diet but I'm still breast feeding so apparently you are allowed a few extra calories a day!

And here's one I made earlier!

Ingredients

100g figs

400g apples

225g light brown sugar

225g butter

200g self raising flour

50g ground almonds

3 large eggs

Method

1. Preheat your oven to gas mark 4

2. Grease and line a 10" loaf tin

3. Peel, core and chop up your apples, chop them quite finely so that your cake is easy to slice

4. Chop your figs

5. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

6. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little flour to stop the mixture curdling

7. Fold in the flour and ground almonds until the mixture is of a soft drooping consistency. Use a little milk if you feel your mixture is too stiff

8. Fold in the apples and figs and then place your mixture into your prepared cake tin

9. Cook for about 50 minutes. Use tin foil to cover if your cake looks like it is going too brown and check that it is cooked by inserting a skewer which should come out clean

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A Cunning Plan!

Caught red handed!

My cunning plan, to convince hubby that I am an indispensable domestic goddess and really shouldn't ever have to work again (in my dreams), was well and truly scuppered when he returned home yesterday to find me in the garden, on the sun lounger, reading my book! Whoops. He now thinks I have far too much time on my hands and that looking after the baby is easy street.

Today I shall be trying to convince him otherwise. First on my list when bubs is asleep, is to make a lovely fig, apple and almond cake - my own take on a recipe I found online, I'll let you know how it goes! Well they do say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

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Me Time

Ahh, baby asleep, jobs done, so a few minutes me time. Time to put my feet up for five and get blogging.

Captain Sensible is back at work after the school holidays so it is time to spend some money whilst he's not looking - well £1 on an ice cream! Finally the weather seems to have perked up and I can indulge in some well earned smugness as everyone else heads back to work and I can enjoy early morning strolls with my dog in the New Forest, without getting soaked, and leisurely afternoon jaunts to the ice cream parlour. Apparently it has been the wettest summer for 100 years, nicely timed to coincide with my maternity leave, so I think I'm quite justified in feeling particularly pleased about this late summer sunshine.

I've also been back on the case with the freebies and bargain deals - fear not hubby, I'm not spending all your money just yet.  I've been into to town to pick up my final Bounty pack and a baby pack courtesy of Emma's diary. They do tend to be full of fairly useless stuff but some of the money off coupons are quite useful and the little pots of Sudo creme are good too as they take up less room in your change bag and I refill them from my big pot when they run out.

I've also been out blackberry picking again and managed to procure a bumper bag of cooking apples that a neighbour was selling for the princely sum of £1.25. I can feel a surfeit of blackberry and apple crumbles coming on!

At this time of year it's amazing what people are selling from their gardens and being out and about with the buggy means that I often stumble upon these little honesty stalls that last year I would have driven right past. Last week I picked up a yummy bag of tomatoes and a huge marrow for under a pound, far cheaper than the supermarket.

Luckily for me I also have my own fruit trees in the garden, so if anyone has any good recipes that involve pears, crab apples or figs, let me know.

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Excuses Excuses

At what point do I have to stop blaming my failings on the very convenient 'baby brain' excuse and wake up to the fact I'm just highly disorganised?

Yesterday I waited in all afternoon for my Tesco delivery to arrive, only to discover I hadn't pressed the order button on my purchases the night before! So two hours, no food and a row with the hubby later I was feeling quite frustrated at my wasted afternoon.

Still, it is on its way today and should, at least, boast some food which is certainly an improvement on the first online order I made after having bubs which consisted of wine, chocolate and crisps. Healthy! Maybe I am getting somewhere after all.

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