CharlieBeth's "My Life As Mumma Walker"

This FitBit has me really inspired! And a friend of mine who lives locally is also looking at increasing her steps and losing a bit of weight. So this week we've been walking! Just around our town (Lancaster, UK). She's lived here pretty much all her life - unlike me who moved here to study - and she knows parts of Lancaster I have never heard of, and all kind of different routes to places too. So we've taken some pretty convoluted paths to well known places. Take Monday for example. We walked from the Aldclife area of Lancaster all the way to the Ashton Memorial and back again - with a coffee at the Cafe for a treat. The most direct rout on foot is 3 miles there are back. We managed to stretch it to 5.5 miles!  We did something similar on Tuesday. Wednesday it was pouring with rain, and Freddie has a cold, so I didn't want to drag him all over town. Instead I stayed home and worked on the the Wii Fit instead. Thursday we took a shorter walk but still clocked up all our

I've spent four Christmases pregnant. Finding nice, flattering, glamorous outfits for the Christmas season is just NOT easy when you're pregnant and probably feel more like a Beach Ball than The Bell of the Ball... Needing to feel comfortable in your clothes is so much more important when you're pregnant too. If I was to do it all again (and I'm really not planning to!) knowing everything I do now that I've been there, done it, and got the t-shirt ( 4 t-shirts) this is what I would buy! The Office Party: No wardrobe is complete without the "Little Black Dress" and the Mamalicious Sequin Top Dress is especially nice. The sequins give it that sparkle that I simply love at this time of year. The cowl neckline is very flattering, and the skirt is classic black which is slimming without hiding the bump. Equally the Mamalicious Black Sparkle Dress is just as stunning, you can dazzle your co-workers with bling all while flattering your figure and

A year ago today I went to the fertility clinic to find out why I wasn't getting pregnant. They told me it could be my weight as I was 15 stone 8 lb and my BMI was over 36! So that was my motivation, and I started Weight Watchers Online that very same day. One year later I have my baby Freddie, and I weigh 12 stone, a total loss of 50lb! My BMI is 28.8. The very real threat of gestational diabetes was my motivate to keep a track of my food while pregnant - not to loose weight or avoid a baby bump - but to make sure I didn't increase my body fat during those months. And it worked! After Freddie was born I was so impressed that I had managed not to pile on the pounds that I just knew I could stick with Weight Watchers and shift the rest of my excess body fat. Seeing the results week after week kept me going - and being able to write on here kept me interested. I'm still not at goal yet, but I am closer than I had ever imagined I'd be right now, especially having had a ba

Did you know that I had been working on losing some weight? I have been writing my other blog over here: I Wanna Be A Yummy Mummy for the last few months, but the journey actually started a year ago tomorrow when I was told I wouldn't be able to get any benefit from the fertility drugs I had asked for (to help me through my secondary infertility) on account of my weight. At that point I had no idea what my weight was. I was weighed at the fertility clinic and told I was 15 stone and 8 pounds, which but me at severely obese with a BMI of over 36. It was a real shock. I had never been so heavy before. As soon as I got home I signed up for Weight Watchers - which had worked for me in the past but I had never stuck with for long. I lost a lot of weight in the first couple of weeks - as you tend to - and fell pregnant quickly and naturally ( how your weight can affect your fertility ) resulting in our gorgeous son Freddie. All through my pregnancy I tried to follow the basic princ

I have been sent an Ozeri 4x3sport Digital Pocket 3D Pedometer (with Tri-Axis Technology & 30 Day Memory) to test out and review. Oh how I love gadgets and gizmos that help me motivate myself to get my backside out of the door and moving! This is a sweet little machine. It's very simple to set up - I even managed to do that while I had the kids buzzing around me getting ready for school as the first time I wanted to use the pedometer was when I walked to town straight after the school drop off. It's small and very light weight. I slipped it into my jeans pocket and off we went. It also comes with a wrist strap and a clip so you can use it if you're not wearing anything with pockets. Now, as any of my regular readers will know, I already track my steps using a couple of other apps. So I was able to do a little comparison of what steps the Ozeri Digital Pocket recorded against the others. And I was very impressed as the count was almost exactly the same on all three - I

My Mum came to visit today so we took the kids out (apart from Jack who stayed home with Daddy). We let them choose. Georgie shouted "Animal Farm!" and Tom followed that with "Can we go to the one with the Boo Barn?!" - That was the Halloween event at Greenlands Farm Village! So off we went. We arrived in time for Tom & Georgie to get on the donkeys for another ride about. This time they went a different way round the farm this time too so that worked out brilliantly for them. Georgie loved getting to ride on George The Donkey again - it really tickles him that they share the same name! Tom remembered his way round really well and lead the way so he could show Nana all the animals. He couldn't wait to show her the ducks! Then we watched the lads play in the hay barn while I fed Freddie. We took a look at the collie pups and watched as some escapee piglets got rounded up and put back in their pen with mummy pig - squealing piglets! What a noise! We made

Oooh! What a week! It's not been the best of times in our house this week. Eldest child has been in trouble at school, and ill too so he was home for two days. Second child has a hacking cough which has kept him - and his brothers - up most nights. Third son has had a poorly tum & bum so he's been off nursery for two days too. And baby is teething. So we've all been tired and stressed most of the week. When I am tired and stressed I eat. And I don't nibble on carrots, I chow down on chocolate! I've stayed within my points all week, but it's not a habit I want to get back into. Especially after kicking my Nutella habit. I've also missed out on almost all of my exercise. I've walked to town a couple of times (thanks to Hubby being home and able to mind the kids for a couple of hours), but I've not used the Wii Fit or Fitness Coach at all.... I've earned a few Active Points but not the 10 minimum I was planning to do over the week. I haven't

He has no idea how close he is to this! A few days go I posted about Parent's Evening and how that, despite having had a few run in's with the headmistress, Jack's behaviour had improved following a bout of stupidity in school. I said I was proud of him for turning it around. Especially since he had been included in "Friendship Club" as a role model AND earned he role of Narrator in the Christmas Show. I am officially taking it back! Last week Friendship Club was cancelled thanks to some awful behaviour from Jack and 2 of the other kids. All three of us mums were spoken to about it. I was livid! I couldn't (and still can't) understand why he would be given this special honour and then throw it away. (ETA: "Awful Behaviour" included climbing on chairs and tables, screaming & shouting, using "silly" words, rummaging through the teachers drawers, refusal to do as they were asked. I believe there was more but this is the list

This is a fab little side dish that can be adapted to so many meals by changing which herbs / spices you use with it. We've used curry, cumin & garam masala to serve with a curry, garlic and oregano to serve with pan fried chicken & tomatoes, rosemary & thyme to serve with roasted meats... you get the idea. It's just so versatile! And very simple to do too. You need: 2 tbs vegetable oil 2 medium sized sweet potatoes 1 medium sized butternut squash Your own choice of herbs / spices How to: Heat the oil in a roasting tin. Peal and chop the sweet potato into 1 inch squares, I like to par boil them but that's a personal choice. De-seed, peel and chop the butternut squash to the same size. Once the oil is hot add the sweet potato and squash, sprinkle on the herbs / spices and carefully toss to coat. Roast on a medium high heat for 40-45 mins or until tender and just starting to brown on the edges. As simple as that! You could also use this as a base for soup. Transfe

Product Review Diary  I draw the line at videoing my births and publishing them on YouTube... This is the next best thing though! I've been selected as part of the Pushchair Trader testing panel, which is great! I got the first of my products to review today - July 18th. Two Tens Machines! Perfect as it's my due date in 30 days and I am waiting for an induction date at around 38 weeks pregnant. 26th July 2014 My induction date is booked for 5th Aug, but right now I'm not sure I'll make it. It's just gone midnight and I am poorly and in pain. After a baking hot day - despite being indoors napping through the hottest part - me and my eldest have both been vomiting all evening. I'm blaming heat sroke! And now I have started with near crippling cramps in my belly and lower back. I don't think I'm going into labour yet - doesn't feel like the other three times - but HELL it hurts! After a couple of hours of intermittent agony, and just before I

I'm constantly looking for motivation to keep moving, and for confirmation that what I am doing is worth while. I am by nature a very lazy person, I would much rather sit on my bum watching telly, reading, playing games. Now that my weight has dropped below "obese" I am needing to do more work to earn the same number of Weight Watchers Active Points too. Until now I have been "guestimating" my Active Points... recording roughly how long I have walked for and always recorded it as "gentle" walking. But I'm thinking that's not good enough any more. Now I need more. Especially if this is going to be a lifestyle change rather than "a thing I do to lose weight". I can't get to the gym or the swimming pool yet - Freddie is still exclusively breastfed and fully reliant on my presence - which why I took up walking while babywearing in the first place, and why I prefer the Wii Fit etc at home to attending sessions and classes. Now that My

I've been at the Loom Bands again! Well, I have to spend my evenings doing something to stop myself from eating away all the hard work I'm putting into losing weight and toning up! Over the next week or two both the kids school and Beavers group are looking for contributions to the Christmas fairs, little bits of things that the kids or their parents can buy to raise a little money. So this year - as I don't have any unwanted or unused toiletries or other such things - I am making loom band charms. I hope they manage to sell a few. Even if it's only for a few pence. I've made a few different coloured snakes - coz they're pretty easy - and now I am starting to try a few more festive ideas, like this little penguin charm. I'd love to say that they are all my own creations, but they aren't. I'm still getting most of my tutorials from YouTube so if you look at the link to my Loom Bands YouTube Playlist and have a go yourself. I especially like

Whoo! A 3lb loss for BOTH of us this week! I'm thrilled, Hubby is still in a state of disbelief! We're both getting comments from people about how much weight we are losing too. It's all good! I've been using this FitBit for a week now and I am pretty impressed so far. It's certainly given me the motivation I needed to get moving a bit more, and the reassurance that I was recording the right Active Points for my walking. This week I have allowed myself a couple of treats again - i.e. two trips to Costa Coffee which I should know better than to do now. BUT I have worked hard to make it work. I am within my points over the week, and I have earned 15 active points. On the days that I did go to Costa I had Zero Points Soups for lunch, fruit for breakfast and low fat, low card, high vegetable content dinners, as well as walking to and from town to help rack up those steps. I'm NOT going back to a twice weekly habit though! I need to make a stop to Juicafe instead -

Awww! Look at their happy faces! The swimming lessons are coming to the end of the first term - in fact I have just paid for the next lot - and it was award time for the children who have met the requirements for Stage 1 and Stage 2 ASA Swimming Awards. My boys haven't been swimming long enough or often enough to have earned those awards just yet. But they have earned the earlier awards! Tom has been awarded the Grade 2 Ducklings Badge and Jack managed to get Grade 3! I'm really pleased for them, aside form it being nice that they have been awarded something I thought they were going to miss out on (Swimny Crickets classes, where they would normally have earned these, clash with school), it's also giving them some encouragement to keep up with the lessons. Jack loves to be given any kind of award at all - and stage 3 of 5 is a great boost to his ego as a first award. I think if either of them was likely to pack it in if they had gone without an award it would have b

Our kids love these Stand N Stuff Tortilla's so we've been trying out different flavours to fill them with while still using the Soya Mince to keep the Pro Points down. This week we tried out a BBQ variation. What we used: 8 x Stand'n'stuff Tortillas (1 pack of Old El Paso) 50g packet of Soya Mince 10 x sprays of low cal cooking spray 2 x Onions 4 x Carrots 1 x Red Pepper 1 x Vegetable Stock Cube, made up to 1/2 pint 1 x 410g tin of Baked Beans 1 tsp Chilli Powder 1 tsp Paprika 2 tbs Ketchup 2 tbs Brown Sauce 2 tbs Burger Mustard Topping: 1 x 215g tub Soured Cream & Chive dip 80g Cheddar Cheese What we did: Wrap the tortillas in foil and pop them in the oven to warm. Dice the veggies and fry them in the cooking spray, prepare the soya mince according to the packet and add it, and the bakes beans, to the vegetables.  Make up the stock and slowly add to the sauce. Add the spice, ketchup, brown sauce and mustard. Simmer and reduce. Once it is thick spoon into the torti

I admit then when I first saw the Snugglebundl I wasn't convinced. My first thought was "another gimmick designed to convince new parents they need it when they don't just to make them part with their cash" but I was so very very wrong! One idea behind the Snugglebundl is to be able to lift your sleeping baby and move them from one place to another - like from pram to car seat, or car seat to house, etc. without disturbing them. It sounds like such a simple idea. BUT... If you have a baby who is not easily settled you will understand how important it is to be able to get them from A to B without waking them! Now, our Freddie is not the happiest of travellers. He loves to be in a sling, but does not rate being in a pram or the car seat. He tends to scream if he is placed in either of those while he is awake. I have learned to feed him and coax him to sleep before going on any car journey or attempting a walk out with the pram, but the very action of moving him fro

I'd love to know if anyone else has experience of this. Me and the Hubby talk about our diet quite a lot. We're frequently checking the points value of this and that, wondering if we can "afford" a treat, and marvelling over how we are steadily shrinking each week as we weigh ourselves. So I guess it's no surprise that the kids are picking up on it. A week or two back Jack was getting worried because the Wii Fit recorded him as being "at risk of overweight", although he isn't. In truth he had just grown taller and when we adjusted his hight to his new measurement he was back to "ideal". But it sparked a long conversation about weight gain and weight loss and he was asking some very grown up questions for a six year old. I am a believer in "if they are old enough to ask they are old enough to know" so we talked about the dangers of being over weight, but also about how he needs to not worry about his weight right now. I explained t

It's been Tom's first Parents Evening at school this evening. He has been pretty confident that it's going to be a good report from his teacher, when I asked him if the thought his teacher would have good things to say about him he just grinned and said "Yes! I've been good!" And she did have good things to say about him! She told me how he has become a very sensible boy in class after an initial giddy start to the year, and that he plays well with other children. He is frequently "in charge" of the games that he plays with his friends declaring himself (very loudly) to be THE BOSS and telling everyone else how to play - no great surprise there to anyone who knows him. She also told me he is in the top set for Maths which did surprise and delight me. She's really pleased with him and with his progress. I'm very proud! Jack has been a bit twitchy about Parents Evening this year... especially since he had run into trouble with the Acting He