I've Moved!

I can now be found at 

http://curlymum.wordpress.com


My current content has been moved over to the WordPress site, and all future posts will be made over there. I'm still tweaking a few bits and pieces, but come on over and take a peek!

Body Whip and Twitter Tips

Because I was rather late getting involved in Kate On Thin Ice's Getting Your Groove Back meme, I forgot to answer her questions for this week in my last post.


What song would be best to play a lot whilst attempting to get your groove back?
I'm cheating a little bit here, but I'd like to choose the album 'Lungs' by Florence and the Machine. Any song from that, I love them all.

What can you do to make your body feel better this week?
Shifting this rotten cold would be a great start! I feel awful right now, and I suspect it's only going to get worse over the next couple of days. As I don't have much control over that, I'm going to say moisturise. I always feel great when I have soft, smooth skin. I used to put on body lotion each evening, but sort of gave it up as I became too large and uncomfortable to do it during my last pregnancy. I don't have that excuse any more, so I've just ordered some body whip moisturiser from Avon which will hopefully have me silky smooth and smelling lush too.

I've also just made a Twitter account and I'm feeling a little bit lost over there. I've started finding and following some of the bloggers I read, but that's as far as I've got. My name is @mumofcurls so if anybody wants to follow me or give me some tips on what to do from here, that would be great :D

Lastly, I would like to announce that I have been breastfeeding for three months today! I'm very proud of that as it is the longest I have managed to breastfeed and we are still going strong.

Getting Into The Groove

I came across this meme by Kate On Thin Ice via Mish Mash Mum.

“Have you ever felt like “you” got lost in the midst of juggling motherhood and other responsibilities? When was the last time you did something just for yourself? When was the last time you took time out for a hobby or interest that is yours alone? When was the last time you indulged in a guilty pleasure? When was the last time you tried something new? Yes, you are a Mum but surely you are more than that but where has that person disappeared to?”

I deliberated whether or not to take part over the week, because it's not all totally true for me. I do find time to do things for myself. I do my crafts and think about writing (even though I rarely get pen to paper). I finally decided to do it because while it might not 100% describe me, there is definitely a lack of groove going on over here, and there is definitely a desire to find one.

I'm not sure where 'me' got lost. Perhaps I've never really found her. I (by my own choice) had my children young, so I have spent my entire adult life as a Mum. I'm glad of that and I certainly wouldn't wish it any other way (what on earth to people without children do with their time?), but there wasn't really any 'me' before that for me to regain, if that makes any sense at all. So perhaps this will be my journey to finding that.

I have always had this idea, which I think a lot of women do, of being some sort of super-wife and super-mum. I fall so far short of that mark it's laughable. Most of the time I am over-tired, frazzled and irritated at myself for being so. My house is messy, I have a continually huge stack of laundry to do, and I am late, without fail, for everything.

So this is what I want to do:

1. Be more sociable. I am not a sociable person. I am shy, and I avoid meeting new people. I will chat, if awkwardly, to somebody if they start talking to me, but I can't strike up a conversation. I have very few friends and I see them rarely, and sometimes I feel lonely and wish I had some more people close to me that I could have a natter with now and then. I need to stop putting it off and start going to some baby and toddler groups to make parent friends.
2. Achieve more. I get down because I don't get done the things I want to. I have the best intentions but I just don't get around to doing things, and then I feel really disheartened. I need to start writing a (realistic!) list of the things I want to do in the day and tick them off. I'm one of those people who's a real sucker for ticking things off. I love looking back and seeing all the things I've done, and that in turn motivates me to get more done.
3. Get back to study. I was studying towards a degree but ended up giving up on it when I was suffering with depression. I'm much better now and would love to get back to studying so that I can eventually become a teacher.
4. Read and write. Once upon a time I used to read every day. Once upon a time I used to write. I wrote a novel. It is full of plot holes and doesn't make sense because I wrote it in one month for NaNoWriMo and I still haven't edited it, but I do love it. I love being a writer. I want to stop thinking about writing and actually do it. So I need to edit this novel and get it in a presentable state to be read. And then I need to write another one.

I had better get going with it all, hadn't I?

Crochet Squares

Yesterday my niece taught me how to make squares, and I'm proud to say that I picked it up quite quickly. My first one took several attempts and came out wonky as I mis-counted my stitches.

The ones I did today, I'm really very proud of. They aren't perfect, but they are squares! I really enjoy making them as they are so quick. I tend to get disheartened when a project takes a long time to finish or requires me to do the same thing for a long time (the reason my scarf is sitting unfinished in the yarn box, along with the knitted blanket I started a few months ago). These get done and look pretty nice and quickly.

I took one to do on the bus to pick up my daughter from school today. I am aware I must have looked a bit odd, baby strapped to me in her wrap and fiddling yarn in my hands, but it passed the time nicely, so I think I will continue to make squares on the bus from now on.

Lenny Lamb has Landed!

Yesterday, after much deliberating about colours, I ordered a Lenny Lamb woven wrap from Love To Be Natural, and just this morning it arrived! I was so excited I didn't even wait until I got back up to our flat to open the package. The colour I eventually chose is 'Tikanga', and it is made of cotton and bamboo. I'm really pleased with my choice. As it is my first woven wrap, I don't really have anything to compare it to, but the fabric looks and feels gorgeous.

We found it super-comfy! Lucille slept in it most of the afternoon looking comfy and cosy. I love my stretch wraps for while she's tiny, but this woven felt noticeably more supportive, so I expect I will use this one more and more as she grows bigger.