Category: Motherhood

A mix of emotions

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Mothering Sunday 2020 – a day that a lot of us won’t forget. The Mothers Day where we all had homemade roasts and cancelled our plans to visit family.

Spending yesterday in the garden, you would be hard pushed to know there was anything wrong with the world – the sun was shining, the birds were signing, the toddler screaming (with joy!) and the faint noise of traffic in the distance.

And yet, around us things are changing at a pace that we can’t comprehend. Nursery closed, a growing amount of work to drastically adapt a business to the economic pressures around us and the freedom to pop to the shops or organise days out quickly depleting.

I am emotional on lots of levels – sad for the days we are losing without making the most of them, sad for the days we had that we took for granted and sad to know that I may not have a job at the end of all of this.

But I’m equally incredibly grateful – grateful to enjoy the sunny days doing very little with my family, grateful to make the most of my home and have the safety of it around me, grateful that we have a garden big enough to enjoy the fresh air, grateful that my husband has become the hunter-gatherer to ensure we have all we need, grateful that our little boy continues to be our wonderful, funny, energetic spirit, grateful that are parents are safe and well, grateful that there is no pressure to do anything!

So, whilst I may not continue to do the job I love by the end of the year, I do know that as a family we will be stronger from all of this and that is more important than anything.

Stay safe and be sensible

x PB x

 

 

Friendship goals

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I have spent an evening with a bunch of friends. Friends that are like family. Who let you into the fold no matter of the time that you’ve spent apart.

At the end of another eventful week of work and home, I could have quite easily put my pyjamas on and settled in for the night. 

But something makes you power through when you know the antidote is laughter, smiles and being yourself.

So, it made me wonder why some friendships last a lifetime through all the ebbs and flows and others disappear without any true understanding of why.

I have certainly lost friends at a time when I thought they needed me (and I needed them) but it was a friendship built on one sided compromise – a square peg round hole type

And yet, I’ve gained friends when I didn’t feel like I deserved them. Not being present, not making an effort and taking days to reply to one simple “hey how are you?”

But it’s those friends that seem to have stuck – through the thick and thin with me just being me, them being them and not giving too much but not taking too much either 

Relax into a friendship if you want it to last. When choosing where to spend your time, say no politely or yes with enthusiasm. Don’t apologise but don’t seek an apology either. We live our lives the best we can and the best of friends will make room for that no matter what.

To my bungalow bunnies and my BATS & NCT family 

x PB x

I just love to tidy!

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A friend very kindly complimented on how tidy our house is and asked how I achieve it given I work full time and have a 2 year old.

Well, I think given that I am out of the house most of the week and little one is at nursery goes a long way to keeping the house tidy but it did get me thinking if my method and storage choices would be helpful to others, so here goes.

  1. Everything has a place which I think is a huge help in putting it away – and if it doesn’t have a place, it doesn’t last long in the house. I honestly think I could find anything in our house with my eyes shut!
  2. Little PB doesn’t have a play room so I have ensured that his toys are kept to a minimum sorting through them every birthday & Christmas and passing them onto friends or charity. Little PB also loves a good game of tidying up…..no, really he does
  3. Cheap canvas drawstring bags are great for storing a collection of toys. You can buy them via Amazon and as well as looking prettier and lasting longer than cardboard boxes, it makes putting toys away super quick and easy
  4. Storage is in keeping with our interiors , for example, a toy box that is a distressed travel chest, dresser with drawers and shelving for maximum space and wicker baskets (I do love a pretty wicker basket!)
  5. I tidy each room completely before I move onto the next – if something in the lounge belongs in the kitchen, I just put it in the kitchen and finish the lounge first. This lessens distraction as well as multiple trips up and down the stairs! I work clockwise through the house so I know if I’ve missed anywhere easily
  6. Well plumped cushions – this may sound odd, but a set of cushions on a sofa that make it look complete, will help to allude this vision of tidiness!
  7. I always make the bed!! I dont think I would function properly each day if I left the house without making the bed – it makes a bedroom go from messy to tidy in minutes!

I hope this gives you some good ideas! Please share any tidying tips you have – I find tidying quite a mindfulness task and feel so much more prepared with a tidy home

x PB x

Why I love my early mornings

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It’s 5.56am and I’m up, writing this blog post. Some of you will be shouting at the screen saying why, why, WHY?! Well, I’m about to tell you.

Since becoming a mummy, I have become increasingly grateful for the time I have to myself. Please be reassured that I would of course prefer to spend time with Little PB over and above anything else, but working full time and being mum means stuff needs to get done.

With the sun rising and the birds entertaining my with their dawn chorus, I potter in the silence of the house, preparing for the day.

I tried the Miracle Morning method in its entirety for a bit – that didn’t work for me. And I think its because I took it too literally. The principle behind Miracle Morning is to set you right for the day by giving yourself time to reset your mind, focus, do some exercise and rehydrate.

So, my morning is a deconstructed version of this and here is my routine:

  • Sunrise alarm set for 5.50am. Little PB usually wakes by 7am so I know I have around an hour to get s!@* done.
  • 5.50am – Get up! (I do have to push myself to get up straight away but it’s improving!)
  • 5.55am – A big glass of water and a lemon tea (basically 2 slices of lemon in warm water)
  • 6am – Feed Pineapple & Button Co. whilst the kettle is boiling
  • 6am – 6.30am – Spend 30 mins either planning my day, painting my nails, writing blog posts, or having a pamper session in the shower. I also pack my bag for the day (although I do try to do this before I go to bed in the evening)
  • 6.30am – 7am – Get myself ready (with a cup of builders tea!) because trying to do a decent attempt at hair and make up with a toddler to entertain is never going to work

By the time Little PB stirs, I can give him my full attention until we go to nursery and I feel ready for the day.

I have had experiences where I haven’t achieved the above and I can honestly share that I feel discombobulated that whole day as a result.

So, if you want to feel more productive, positive, motivate and in control of your world, set that alarm for an hour earlier…..and then share how it goes! Good luck!

x PB x

Back in business…

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I’m pretty certain that I speak for most new mummies out there that planning every small detail in the anticipation of your little bundles appearance to this world is fun and exciting!

It’s fun and exciting to put your focus into deciding whether to have a hospital bag AND a labour bag……what colour to paint the nursery……what the new arrivals first outfit will be…..who will look after the dog when the waters break……

And the key to why it’s fun and exciting is because we have oodles of time and (for the most part until we are doing an impression of a weeble) we have the energy.

1 year later….

I can honestly say that along with not knowing a love like I have for our little human, I have never known tiredness and a lack of energy like I have had over this past year. The learning curve is intense, the sleepless nights feel relentless (even though there really weren’t that bad!) and no amount of coffee could put that sparkle back in my eye. But, I’ve loved every minute. Well, almost…..

Parts of what made me ME became hidden in this last year….which made me feel resentful…. which I then regretted for feeling that way! Vicious bloody circle!

But after a very relaxing holiday and an opportunity to reflect, I’ve decided that this  can change.

Being able to balance a full time job and being a mummy means that it’s equally important to invest time to myself and my old life and the main area I want to focus on is right here. You’re reading it.

Pineapple & Button Co is back in business. I’ll be writing more blogs, I’ll be creative with P&B Co products and will share photos of beautiful places and even more beautiful planners.

However, I can’t ignore that my new accessory is now a changing bag, so I will be writing a series on Baby Travels sharing our experiences of holidays and day trips and how they can be baby and family friendly, even if at first they don’t seem it!

As a mummy attempting to be creative and stylish, I hope you enjoy what’s to come as much as I’ll enjoy writing it!