New Years Resolutuons

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted here. What on earth have I been doing with my life? Well for one thing, my pregnancy is very nearly over. The time has flown (up until this last month)and I'm looking forward to meeting my baby girl.

The Dude is growing up so fast. He talks, sings, plays with his Thomas trains and gets more adorable as the days go by. He gets taller too!

Writing is going well, housekeeping is going only who knows where and the puppy dogs are still as crazy but gorgeous as ever.

So since I'm summing up the last four months, I should probably make my New Years Resolutions official. 1) Make more time for myself and 2) work harder at the writing side of life. After all, I enjoy my job and want to get into a real rhythm with it.

Have you made any resolutions? If so, leave a comment. It's always nice to hear from you!

Sales tax holiday in Connecticut

It's that time of year where the kids are going back to school and your little ones are in need of a new wardrobe ready for Fall. If the idea of cost brings you out in cold sweats, don't panic. This week is Connecticut's annual sales tax holiday on clothing costing under $300!

For this week only, sales tax is omitted from shoe and clothing purchases providing the total bill comes to less than $300. This also includes 'Layaway' items, but only if you put your items on layaway during that week. Unfortunately, the tax holiday does not apply to those items that you are waiting to purchase and pick up. Other exclusions from the tax holiday include purchases made by phone, mail-order and internet.

It's the perfect excuse for a trip to the mall and, who knows, you may even find a little something for yourself! There are plenty of great shopping malls to choose from, such as the Crystal Mall in Waterford, West Farms Mall in Hartford, Evergreen Walk in South Windsor etc.

For more information, please visithttp://www.ct.gov/drs/cwp/view.asp?A=1436&Q=419704

Our Favourite Hobby

The Dude and I love visiting the library. He enjoys choosing books for Mommy to read to him and I love watching him make his selections. It's so funny to watch him pull books off of the shelf and discard the ones that don't interest him, while he holds on for dear life to the ones that do. He's only 15 months old.

It reminds me of the visits my Mom and I used to make to the library in London. It was a huge old place, full to bursting with every book imaginable. It was always such a treat when we went with Mom, but now I'd like it to become a habit for our family. It's so much fun to browse the shelves and choose a book that you can't wait to get your teeth into. I could get lost for hours in a good book and not notice where the time has gone. I've always been the same, especially when it comes to library books.

We're a bunch of book worms in our house and it looks as though Little one is following in our footsteps. He loves a certain book called 'Dear Zoo' which funnily enough, I owned when I was a kid. We've already taken it out of the library twice and over the course of a day, he'll bring it to me at least 6 times for me to read with him and each sitting requires us to look through it about 8 or 9 times before he's willing to look at a different book.

What I also think is fab about the library is that there are so many free programs available throughout the year like foreign movie nights and Q&A sessions with local authors. Our local library hosts a kids story time once a week which is followed by a free craft, and in some libraries in the area they host a story time for babies and toddlers too.

Do you enjoy visiting your library? Are there any books in particular that your kids tend to gravitate toward? Share your experiences here and post a comment!

Ready, Set, Go!

Since I've come into my second trimester I've found that I have more energy to burn in the mornings than I have done for weeks - that's right folks, I'm due again in January!

So when my little guy takes his nap, I sit at my computer and get writing. I've never been more motivated and I just hope that it stays with me well into my parenting career. Obviously there will days where it will be more difficult to juggle my two jobs than others, but I'm determined to give it my best shot. Heck, when I first went into labour with The Dude, I beckoned my husband to get me laptop so that I could finish an essay that I was writing before I went into hospital to give birth!

So to all those pregnant Mamas out there: If you have a career goal and the motivation to achieve it, go for it. Don't stress yourself out over it, but don't give up. We Mamas can do anything we put our minds to, so keep going. And remember, don't let anybody tell you that you can't because your pregnant. You have as much right to reach your dreams and fulfill your potential as any other person out there.

Are you a pregnant Mama and have a goal or two you'd like to share? Post a comment and let us know!

Follow me on Twitter

I did it. I finally broke into the world of social media. It was a long time coming, but I'm ready for it. And so far, I've really enjoyed it.

It's a new approach to self-promotion which I've felt my writing has needed for a long time. But for me, it's also a way of connecting with other parents, Mama's, writers, and friendly faces in general.

So, if you can't get enough of Expat Mama, come follow me on Twitter too! Just look up ExpatMama and I'll be there, ready to say hi!

A Day In The Life

I'm all for finding ways to make life a little easier, so long as it's cheap, sustainable and without negative consequences.

So, I managed to pluck up the courage to do my grocery shopping on-line. It was a little daunting at first, but something that I now would thoroughly recommend - especially to all of those busy Mamas out there.

It took me 20 minutes to do my shopping and the beauty of it is that I did it after The Dude had gone to bed! That's right, no more grabbing items off the shelves when my back is turned, no more screaming his little lungs out when I return said item to the shelf, no more playing tug-of-war with him over my shopping list. I no longer have to worry about trying to get out of the door without at least one diaper change and making sure he has toys to amuse himself with on the journey to the store then having to fight to get him to sit in the shopping cart for longer than five minutes without him causing a scene. No longer do I need to spend at least an hour of my day doing a thankless task while spending more money than necessary.

My bill was significantly reduced because I wasn't enticed by the usual crap that ends up in my shopping cart - I was quite content to stick to my list.

I chose my delivery date and time and sure enough it arrived promptly and was all organised so that I could just pop it away ready for use. Lovely. I was so proud of myself.

I also learned a very valuable lesson from my latest adventure. Don't be afraid to try new things. If it doesn't work out, there is sure to be a different method that will. And, don't be ashamed to make a change in your life that helps you out. For too long I have tried to be Super-Mom and it just burned me out. I'm still the same wife and parent, just with one less thing to worry about on my list.

If you have a great time-saving, stress-busting tip, please feel free to post a comment and share it with us. I love to hear from you all!

Green is the new everything

I've been reading a wonderful book called 'Gorgeously Green' by Sophie Uliano. My Mom bought it for me and it arrived in the mail today. (Thank you Muv!) I've nearly finished it.

It really is eye-opening to see how many little changes that you can make to have a 'Green' life-style and still maintain it in keeping with how it's always been.

Sophie - a fellow Brit living in the States, has become a real role model; all in the space of one day! I only hope that in the months and years that follow this sunny, albeit slightly chilly day, my son might feel the same way about me. A real role model. Doing the very best I can to nurture and love him, and to point him in the right direction toward a bright future.

Play Time

Little Dude recently acquired a music table. It's one of those toys that drives you crazy after a while, but he really enjoys it. He prefers the buttons that play music than those that teach him the ABC. I don't blame him to be honest!

My husband and I have recently been discussing what to buy him for his 1st birthday. The subject of toy that he can push came up. I'm all for it, but can't help feeling a little disheartened. My little guy will be walking very soon and I'm totally unprepared.

The slightest hint of him growing and adding new skills to his repertoire sends me into emotional overdrive. Did I blink and miss a year? My husband doesn't understand it. He's so excited that Little Dude is becoming more interactive, I don't think he realises just how much I loved those first couple of months full to bursting with snuggles that didn't involve him trying to escape my arms. Don't get me wrong - if it is at all possible, I love my Little Man more than ever. I love watching him play, laugh and learn. But I miss that newborn feeling.

I never realised that my son turning one would have such a huge impact on me.

Earth Day

It's wonderful that we have a whole day devoted to keeping our planet healthy. I am a huge supporter of Earth Day. It's a great way to teach our kids about the importance of doing our bit for our environment. But in my honest opinion, every day should be earth day. Even if the activity you do is simply recycling your yogurt pots or hanging the washing in the yard to dry instead of bunging it all in the dryer.

We live in a society that is starting to become more Eco-conscious, where people are questioning food mileage and using energy efficient appliances. Magazines are really pushing the usage of alternative housekeeping methods. Why don't we celebrate our earth every day, and make a real effort to stop ourselves from pushing the 'self destruct' button?

April 24 is Earth Day. For more information on Earth Day and Eco-friendly tips that you can use throughout the year, visit www.earthday.net

Birthday blues

Little Dude is turning one next month, so naturally we have decided to have a small party to celebrate. After finding the perfect invitation and sending it online, I feel like I've been punched in the gut. My little guy is nearly one and I have no idea where this year has gone. It feels like yesterday when I held him in my arms for the first time. Now he's walking around the furniture and playing patty-cake with me.

If I hear one more person say "next thing you know, he'll be asking you for your car keys" I'm going to scream. Not only because it's annoying, but because I feel like the time is slipping away and I have no idea where it's going.

Still, I love watching him learn and develop. I love catching glimpses of his little personality. I love that he is now able to crawl over to me and climb into my arms for snuggles. I guess it's all just a part of growing up - not just for a kid, but for a Mama too.

Mr Independent

At lunch time today, I went through my usual routine of preparing Little Man's food, sitting him in his high chair and putting his bib on. I didn't however, bank on needing to wear protecting clothing myself.

I loaded his spoon with mushed up wholewheat pasta, broccoli and peppers. I was so close to getting the spoon near his mouth, when he decided that the only way he was going to eat was if he were going to feed himself. He clumsily snatched the spoon out of my hand and pureed pasta squished through the gaps in his fingers. Mmmmm. Appetizing. But he enjoyed his newly claimed independence and for the first time in two weeks, finished his meal. It was washed down by another newly grasped concept - the sippy cup. Two days ago, he finally got the hang of drinking from his cup, rather than pouring the juice everywhere.

This evening, he fed himself a bottle of formula.

It's amazing how quickly these developments occur, one minute he's completely dependent on me and the next he's exploring the world and it's many wonders on his own. It confuses me and bewilders me. But it also fills me with love and pride as I sit and watch my little boy grow up.

Sheep Happens

I have a sign above my kitchen window that reads "Sheep Happens". Boy ain't that the truth.
Hubby and I have been sharing a car for a week now as our other car has gone in for repair and is racking up a nice, huge bill. Grrrrr. Our drive is buried under snow as we don't have a plough yet so I can't even take the little one out for a walk and cabin fever is creeping in. To top it off, my house smells of dog and no amount of cleaning is helping.

Why is it that when one thing goes a little off-track, everything else follows suit? Is this how the rest of the month is going to pan out?

Perhaps I should see this as a blessing in disguise. Higher powers are telling me not to drive in this weather. It's a great opportunity to spend time with my son and my house has never been cleaner (except for at the end of my pregnancy when I felt the need to clean and sterilize everything, including the lawn).

I'm thinking it's time to give the mutts a bath though. . .

Sleepy Sheep

It's official, I'm tired. I am what I call a 'sleepy sheep'. My son woke me at 6.30am, but was easily comforted again by his pacifier. Then he woke me at 7.30 and although my eyes were open, my brain was still snoring. It has been all day. My eyes are heavy and there isn't enough caffeine in the world to keep me alert enough to sit through a conversation. Man I miss my pillow.

Little one is just as grumpy and fragile today. It's a clash of the titans, who can moan and scream the loudest. I moan and grizzle, he wails and screams. I want to be left alone, he wants to be held - Constantly. I need my space, he needs my space too. And so do the dogs. And so does the outside world. Hubby will be home from the office shortly and he'll more than likely jump on the band wagon also.

Still, we live to fight another day (as well as our alarm clocks) and that's what really matters. Hopefully tomorrow the little dude and I will be full of energy, ready to go. Until then, as my Mom used to say as she turned out the lights, 'Don't let the bed bugs bite!