Tag: baby

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

#babydestinations Why CarFest is perfect with a baby!

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I haven’t posted for a while – motherhood and adulting got in the way. 

However, with CarFest tickets due on sale on Thursday 9th November, I felt I must catch up on my blog posts that I’ve neglected. And one of those is about reassuring and encouraging any parent out there with a small baby why CarFest is just the perfect day out.


For my family, the definite selling point of CarFest South was being able to drive from our house to the car park at Laverstoke Farm within 15 minutes meaning that if little PB didn’t settle, we could get home easily. I appreciate that won’t be the case for all of you. However, there is plenty else to wet your festival appetite, even if the drive home is longer.

We arrived around 11am armed with a picnic and toys. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky – today was going to be a good day.

A meandering walk through the farm grounds and woodland, the festival was in full swing. After signing up for the duck race, we settled on a picnic blanket by the Carters Steam Fair for our lunch. A beautiful array of rides and steam suitable for all ages.

After enjoying a glass of prosecco, a pint and some milk, we made our way over to the track to watch the cars. The clue is in the title that the day is centred around the vast collection of cars from the well-looked after vintages to the super brand new. We got the opportunity to see Chris Evans and Jodi Schnaker go careering around the track as well as plenty of rubber smoke from all the doughnuts! Little PB loved it, although I’d recommend ear defenders for some of it.


The mood changed somewhat when I knew we had to go and change little PB. Having been to festivals plenty of times before, I was nervous of the standard of changing facilities (if any) and was fully prepared to find a shady secluded corner and change him on the floor. Well, my excitement at the quality of the changing area was bountiful. A beautifully laid out tent with changing mats, Child Farm freebies, alcohol gel, nappy bags and nappy bins emptied regularly! Adjoining the tent was a play area with books and toys as well as sofas and nursing chairs for feeding. A microwave to heat up food and high chairs! Such a wonderful addition to a festival environment and certainly one of the main reasons for wanting to go back.


Perhaps not absorbing the map in enough detail, we forgot to spend any significant time in the country show element of the festival. A must for next year – dog and duck races, horse shows, craft demonstrations and a fantastic kiddies area which little PB will definitely appreciate being a little older. 

We re-visited the changing tent to get little PB ready for bed before the music started and then explored the food tents – such a great variety of food and not just your greasy burgers to delight! Vegan, vegetarian and full on carnivore on offer – we went back for seconds and dessert!


The other thing I loved was the space….because there were so many families, there wasn’t this need to get too friendly with each other when the music started and start pushing for your postage stamp size bit of room. Everyone was very accommodating and we were all able to sit back and enjoy the music. We kept ourselves towards the back of the pack to help with an easy exit but we still saw plenty and obviously danced along to the entertainment. 



We were fortunate that little PB fell asleep with ear defenders on allowing us to enjoy the evening. I’m pleased we took the buggy and would recommend this over a back carrier – it just provides more flexibility during the day for naps and it doesn’t get in the way as you are one of a number of people with buggies who all give each other a level of courteous avoidance!


It was certainly the highlight of the summer and would highly recommend you book early to avoid disappointment. 

Finally, I would like to say thank you to CarFest for creating a wonderful day out for everyone from 0-100. The attention to detail, the entertainment and the food just goes to show that, even with a baby, you can still go raving into the night…..if you want to that is – we were home by 9.30! 

Here’s the link you’ll need… http://www.carfest.org/ticket-information 

x PB x

Exploring the Swiss Alps – Baby Destinations 

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As part of our recent road trip through France, we took the opportunity to go across into Switzerland to visit some family in Verbier.

Hand on heart, neither myself or Mr PB have ever considered Switzerland as a destination for a summer holiday. Clearly, it’s a ski resort through and through so why venture over there for anything but apres skiing and snow? 

We were quickly proven wrong with our first mini hike when we arrived. With little PB in the baby rucksack, we worked our way along the mountain path to take in the extensive views and beautifully clean fresh air. 


On our only full day, we didn’t want to waste it, so we hired some electric bikes from Mountain Air, Verbier. 


With excellent customer service, they provided us with all the kit to help us venture up the mountain with a 1 year old. Little PB in his very own trailer with a sun/bug screen and straps and fantastic mountain bikes making the journey on the steep slopes seem effortless.


Stopping at the top for a bite to eat, the view was breathtaking. It has a very different feel to the winter season….obviously…..you can get a table for a start and there is a quiet tranquility to the mountain. 


Verbier does feel a little ghostly out of its peak season, but if you overlook the small amount of roadworks and the odd shuttered hotel and shop, the absence of tourists makes it’s feel like the perfect secluded holiday destination.

You can hire bikes from Mountain Air for CHF 65 for the day and the trailer is CHF 30 (which gets progressively less expensive the longer you rent for). Contact the excellent team on the following:

http://www.mountainairverbier.com 

rentals@mountainairverbier.com

Tel: +41 27 775 44 00

And with a view like this to wake up to every day, how could you not want to explore further…

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!