Mummy and Me January 2018

My first mummy and me of the year. I had a few opportunities to have pictures this month though generally I have to act fast or she will change her mind. So this month I have a fun one from when we were doing face painting and another from when we was trying to amuse ourself in the car. I am hoping that now she is a little older she is going to want to take more pictures with me. 

My Sunday Photo 28/01/18

National Chocolate Day with Num Noms

As today is National Chocolate Day, it's the perfect day talk about our favourite sweet toy, Num Noms. 

and these cute sweet smelling toys are perfect for inspiration of what we could do for National Chocolate Day. 

We were asked by Num Noms to make a chocolate cake and was also sent some series 4 Num Noms to help inspire our baking and creativity. We were also sent some bake in a box chocolate cakes and some yummy toppings. Lily loves the marshmallows and as you can see in the photograph, she had to open them before making the cake to sample them.

Lily chose a few Num Noms to help us do our baking. She chose Chucky Chip, Mocha Frappe (which she said looked like chocolate cake) and she also chose Softy Mallow which is from her series 3 Num Noms that she owns.

She was very excited that she was going to get to bake with Num Noms and she popped on her bakers hat. 

We popped on Lily's apron and got everything ready to bake. It was really easy to make with the bake in the box cakes and all you had to do was add milk and stir and then put it in the oven for 10 min. After 10 min, we had to take it out and run a knife down the middle (of corse I did this part) and then pop it back in the oven for 25 min. 

Lily was super impatient and excited about the cake coming out the oven and kept asking if it was ready. As soon as it came out it looked great. One of the Num Noms and Lily both wanted to eat it right away, but I had to explain that it needed to cool and so put it on a wire rack.

As soon as it had cooled, we took it out of the box and planned how we would decorate it. I had a jar of Nutella in the cupboard and so I thought this would make the perfect topping for our cake. I let Lily smear the chocolate onto the cake. She did a great job although I did have to keep stopping her from dipping her fingers into the chocolate and eating it. Haha

After we had put a layer of chocolate on we placed some chocolate mini jazzies on top and also some marshmallows. 

The cake looked great and Lily had done such a good job decorating it! It was finally ready to eat and of corse Lily got the first slice. Though she did share it with her Num Noms which was nice of her.

Making Chocolate Cakes with Num Noms is the perfect way to celebrate National Chocolate Day! 

How will you be celebrating yours? 

Kids Books Perfect for Valentines Day

Valentines for adults is generally seen as a day where couples celebrate their love for each other. For this reason it's not always something that is introduced to children. But in our case thats not true. For the last few years I have let Lily join in with valentines to celebrate love in general. Celebrating what love is, what it means and thinking about the ones we love. Which for many children will be their parents, grandparents, and friends. 

Lily is now 3 years old and very much using the word Love to describe her feelings. She will often tell me she loves me, her daddy and other members of the family. I will often hear her tell me about how she loves her best friend too. 

So this year I am really looking forward to sharing some lovely story books that are all about love. 

Below are a selection of love related books that I think are perfect to read to your children during Valentines. I have also involved a couple of my book loving blogging friends who have chosen a few books that they also recommend. 

1. Mole's in Love by David Bedford 

I actually picked this book up when I stumbled across it in a book store on holiday. For me to buy a book I usually have a quick read of a few pages and if the story catches me and the illustrations please me then i'm sold. This story I could not resist buying. It's a cute story about a little mole who is trying to find another mole to love. He sets off on his journey and on his way keeps meeting other animals that he thinks may be a mole. As you may know, moles don't have great eye sight and so when he is cuddling up to the shiny black fur of an animal he thinks is a mole and blows it a kiss, he is surprised that he gets blown away by the giant kiss back. It's actually not a mole at all, but a horse. The story is funny and also has it's sad parts, but also has a very loving ending when he finally finds his mole to love who actually helps him see by giving him a pair of glasses. We have been enjoying reading this one and I would recommend this as a good read. 

2. The Biggest Kiss By Joanna Walsh

This one doesn't have much of storyline but you can't beat talking about kisses at Valentines. It talks about where to give kisses (on Noses, and Toes-es) who loves to give kisses (the different animals), when its nice to get kisses (in the morning, at night) and then rounds up to say that the best kisses are from YOU! (Who ever you are reading it too).
It's really nicely illustrated and a nice simple and quick story perfect for Valentines. 

3. Wherever you go...I go By Beth Shoshan

This story is based on a baby elephant and it's mum. Although there is only one line that talks about love, I find it very relevant to celebrate what love is all about. Love is about being with each other, being by each others sides, looking after each other, having fun together and caring for each other. This story tells the tale of a special relationship between a mother and a child, showing just how much they love each other by doing all the above things. I think its a great book to be able to teach a child about the things we do for the people we love. 

4. Love makes the world go round - By Igloo Books 

With each line starting with "Love Is", its the perfect book for valentines. Just like the story of the elephant and its mum, it's talks about all the things you do when you love someone and how love is all around us. The illustrations relate to the sentence of what love is. For example, you have a mother and baby penguin cuddling in the ice and it says "Love is cuddling when it's icy and cold". It's such a soft and sweet story that reads so nicely and it is definitely one to snuggle up with this valentines and read together. 

April from Prenderland Books would love to recommend these reads to you for Valentines. 

1. LOVE from the Very Hungry Caterpillar

Most people will have read or heard of The Very Hungry Caterpillar but may not have come across this story of LOVE from the same series. It talks about the love we have for people by comparing that love to items of nature. You are the apple of my eye, you make the sun shine brighter, you are the bees knees. It truly is a lovely book about love and the illustrations are beautiful.

2. If You Love a Bear by Piers Harper 

This is a lovely picture book about a boy who loves a Bear and it is because he loves him so much that he knows just what he needs.  He knows how to make him giggle, how to calm him down when he gets cross and he knows when he wants a hug. I enjoy reading this with Rosie and reminding her that she makes me laugh, gives the best hugs and is fun to be around.  I tell her that I love her just as much as the little boy loves his Bear and she says “oh wow mummy, that is a lot of love!”

3. Dogger by Shirley Hughes

Dogger is one of my favourite stories from my childhood, I have very fond memories of my parents reading it to me. It is now lovely to read this book with Rosie and see her enjoying it too. It is a fabulous story about a little boy who is very sad when he loses his favourite soft toy, Dogger.  His sister knows how upset he is and does something incredibly kind to help him get Dogger back.  Sibling love is a wonderful thing and this book is great at demonstrating how special it can be.

Amanda from Books and Pieces would love to recommend these books which are perfect for valentines. 

1. Foxy in Love by Emma Dodd 

This is the perfect Valentine’s Day read. It’s a cute story about friendship and love between Emily and the magical Foxy.It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and Emily is struggling to decide what to draw on her card. Foxy tries to help, but keeps mishearing Emily and makes a series of funny mistakes (he magics up the wrong type of flower and a room full of raccoons instead of balloons!).In the end, Foxy reminds Emily that Valentine’s Day is about who you love, not what you love, to which Emily replies: “That’s easy, I love you Foxy”. This book can be bought from the Books and Pieces website. 

2. I Love My Baby Because… by Paullina Simons & Cassia Thomas

This gorgeous story is about how a mummy and her little baby spend their day, with a simple, repetitive text that makes it perfect for 0-2 year olds.

I love that it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, with the mummy listing the reasons she loves her baby - ‘helping’ with the washing (when she’s dragging it across the garden), ‘feeding herself’ (when in fact she’s covered herself and her high chair in food!) and getting dressed (when everything is inside out and the wrong way round!).  

Little ones will love the familiar content, and mummies will chuckle at how true the description really is!

3. Words and Your Heart by Kate Jane Neal

We’ve only recently found this book. It’s a story about your heart and the power of words. It talks about how the things you say to other people can affect how their heart feels, and that things other people say to you can change the way you feel too; how your words can do amazing things, but can also make you cry.I read this with my 3-year-old and he really got it. This book is brilliant for teaching little people the power of positive messages, and how saying mean things can make other people sad.

Which of the above books do you like the sound of?

Do you recommend any books for Valentines? 

Sticking Activities - Using Up Your Birthday Cards

I am not sure why I didn't think of this earlier, But I have just started making use of old birthday cards. I am not sure what everyone does with birthday cards but in the past I have kept my favourites and the rest have ended up in the recycle bin. As great as it is to have them recycled and to know they will get made into other paper uses, it does make me feel a little bit like it is a waste. Cards are so pretty and have lovely illustrations and are so nice and colourful, a part of me has always wanted to keep every single one of them. 

So at the end of Lily's birthday this year, I piled up all her birthday cards, but didn't throw them away this time. Instead I thought of a great idea with what we could do with them. I got some paper, glue, and scissors and decided that I would let Lily make her own pictures out of them. 

There were so many characters to choose from for me to cut out for Lily to stick down. But of corse she first chose her favourite characters from her Paw Patrol cards. I did the cutting as carefully as I could to get her a nice cut out of the character and then I let Lily put on the glue and stick it down. Lily chose where she wanted to stick her characters and also what else she wanted to stick around the characters. 

We kept this activity quite simple and just made pictures but you could also make your own birthday cards to give to people using this idea. Lily made 3 pictures before she grew bored of doing this so it is a nice activity to keep children engaged and quiet for quite some time.

Lily also decided she wanted to draw on one of her pictures, which is another thing you could encourage your child to do. This activity is a really nice one to give your child free reign to be creative. It also really helps their fine motor skills. 

But after you have cut out all your shapes of characters on the card, you don't need to throw all the card away. It is a little bit of effort but why don't you cut up all the colourful parts of the remaining card into small shapes. These can be used later for collage activities. 

Would you concider using birthday cards for an activity in the future? 

My Sunday Photo 21/01/18

Looking Back - Best of Blogging in 2017

As you would have read, yesterday was my 2 year blogiversary. Im so happy to have got to 2 years of blogging and really proud of myself for keeping at it and working so hard. 

Last year I wrote all about my highlights of the first year of blogging and so I again would like to look back and see what things I have enjoyed the most about blogging in this last year. 

1. Attending Toy Fair 

I am so disappointed that I won't be able to make toy fair this year. It will be actually happening right now in London and I am just to far away to be able to get there. I really enjoyed my day at toy fair last year. It was great to see all the new toys, meet some of the wonderful brands and Pr's I had been working along side with and Lily really enjoyed the day too. Especially as she got to meet her best pal Peppa Pig. Hopefully I can make it next year. Such a shame that they only do it once a year and down the south of England.

2. Throwing a "Were going on a bear hunt party"

Every time I watch the DVD of were going on a bear hunt it brings back lovely memories of what we did while promoting the DVD. Lily really enjoyed the DVD, so much that it made her cry at the end and want it on again. Which I remember thinking was so sweet. It was also a nice change to her wanting to watch that on repeat instead of Peppa Pig. As well as reviewing the DVD, I got to hold a were going on a Bear Hunt Party. This included games, watching the DVD and prizes. All the children who came really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed doing something for them that they all enjoyed. 

3. Having Peppa Pig as my special guest

Ok, So I didn't really have Peppa guest post on my blog, but this was one of my favourite posts that I have written this year. It was great to get to be creative and try and create a post written in the style that Peppa would speak. The post has to be read while you imagine Peppa Pigs voice saying it to work. I don't think I did a bad job of it actually. It also surprised me how much I knew what to write just from Lily having it on all the time. 

4. Getting to work with Lottie Dolls 

I have always loved the look of these dolls. Being a doll collector myself as soon as I saw them I just loved them. There style and the naturalness of them. they are so cute and collectable. I wanted them all for Lily. So as soon as I got the chance to work with Lottie I was so pleased. Since then I have reviewed quite a few dolls for them and Lily has started to get a nice collection. I even treated her to the tree house to go along side her dolls at Christmas. I'm looking forward to carrying on working with Lottie over the next year. 

5. Going to the NEC Baby Show in Birmingham 

I am such a big fan of the baby show, I love going and seeing new products and getting to meet the Pr's that I have worked with before and meet some new ones. So visiting the show at NEC Birmingham was something I couldn't wait to do. I had always gone to the London shows so it was great to head to Birmingham for it this time.  I am very much a big fan of events and so it was really nice to get to go along to this one as Press. My favourite part of the day was meeting Milli Hill who is the founder of the Positive Birth Movement which I have been following since Lily was a baby. It was then also great to hear her talk on Positive Birth. 

6. Getting to have Milli Hill be a guest on my blog 

As you read above, I was really excited to meet Milli Hill who is the found of the Positive Birth Movement so it was also great to get to have her answer some questions on my blog from my readers. It was definitely a highlight to have someone that was an inspiration to me be a guest on my blog. 

7. Bloggers Event at Kaspa Leeds 

This was such a fun event. I love dessert and so when I got invited to the opening of the new store to try some desserts out I couldn't say no. It was a great day meeting new bloggers and wow did we get spoilt with the amount of desserts we got given. I must admit I have craved waffles with chocolate sauce on ever since this day! 

8. Panto on the Pier 

I do love a good show! So getting invited to watch the Panto on the Pier Wizard of Oz show was great fun! Lily had never been to a pantomime before and I could bring along my parents too. My mum was more excited than all of us I think. The show was great and I really enjoyed it and was great to meet the cast after the show. Meeting the cast was cut short though due to a crazy storm coming in. I don't think I will forget that storm ever. It was the scariest thing ever to be caught up in and I thought we were about to be swept from the pier. 

9. Day out to Flip out Blackburn 

Lily loves trampolines so when we got to be one of the first to test out Flip Out Blackburn we were really happy. Lily had so much fun on this day, though got very tired fast. There wasn't to many people in there so Lily was free to go jumping where she likes and didn't have to stick to the smaller area. It introduced me to how fun trampolining and be and I will definetly be going again. 

10. Blog On Conference 

Last but not least is the Blog On Conference I attended in September. It really opened my eyes to a lot more about blogging. First I attended a launch party where I made some new blogging friends.
Then at the conference itself I had a great day meeting other bloggers, learning more about improving the blog and got to meet some Pr's and try out their toys. I am hoping to attend the next one which happens in May. 

(Jenny, Kira and Me) 

I am really looking forward to blogging more and seeing what this year brings. I already have a meal booked in with my family to review so that should be nice.

Thank you to everyone who follows my blog and I hope have enjoyed my content over the year.

My Blogiversary - 2 Years Old Plus Giveaway

And here we are again, my Blogiversary. Today marks the day where I have had my blog for 2 years! 

I must admit, this last year I have worked very hard. I think sometimes to hard on my blog as I have posted nearly every day. But looking back over my 266 posts that I wrote, I can see that I had a great year of blogging. 

The best thing about the blog is seeing all the pictures of Lily growing up. I have still continued to do My Sunday Photo through out this year and so I can now put them next to each other and see the difference. One of the biggest Differences is now Lily has grown, so has her hair and I can finally put a pony tail in. She looks so much more grown up in this recent picture of her. 

It has been really great this year to be able to record Lily's progress with moving house, going to nursery and with potty training. I plan to carry on writing all about her as she learns more and attends Nursery for more hours. 

Looking back on my social media followers from last year to this year, they have definitely increased. I would of expected them to have doubled but not quite. I expect that with each year I will gain more followers but at a slower rate due to already having so many followers. Here is how much my social media has grown - 

Twitter Last Year - 4151 

Twitter This Year - 6825 

Total Gained - 2645

Facebook Last Year - 1715 

Facebook This Year - 3230

Total Gained  - 1515

Instagram Last Year - 1346

Instagram This Year - 2198

Total Gained - 852

I would really like to try and get my Instagram following up this year. So if your not already following me then hit the Instagram button at the side bar and please follow me! 

I noted down last blogiversary that I was in the top 500 of Tots 100 but I have realised now that it doesn't really mean much. I am still in the same place as last year and I have only ever once had someone ask me for that score. 

I am still enjoying writing my blog, which is the main thing and I really can't wait to write more. I have noticed that since starting my blog my writing has become much better and so I am hoping that with each year it will keep improving.

In my last blogiversary post I wrote about a few things that I would like to do on the blog. So I think it is important for me to see if I feel I did those things. 

1. Do more Activities - I did do a lot more Activities, but still not as many as i would like to be writing about. Hopefully I can improve on this again.

2. Bake More - I failed with this only doing one or 2 baking posts this year. 

3. A monthly photography post - I have been doing this one most months, and my plan is to really try and do more photography to post about. 

4. Mid month more about me - This is another that I have managed to do most months and I shall be keeping on doing this one. 

5. Re Vamp the blog - Well I slightly did, okay I only changed the banner and got a logo but it is something. I do like the way the blog looks and works though so won't be making huge changes to it.

I don't really have a huge list of things I would like to do this year. But there are a few things I would like to do such as  - 

 Posting on social media more, 

 Posting my posts into Facebook groups. 

 Focus on more topics that people would be interested to read

 Review less and get in more paid work

So, here is to another up and coming year from Lily's Little Learners, I would love to know what you would like to see next from the blog? Is there any thing you would like to see improved about the blog itself?

To celebrate my Blogiversary I have got you a little competition to win a Retro Sweet box. For your chance to win, enter on the Gleam app below. 

Win a Retro Sweets Box

Joie Elevate Group 1/2/3 Car Seat Review

Car seats are the one essential thing that is needed for all children and now recommended that children have a seat up to the age of 12. Lily has just hit 3 years old and is currently in a seat that goes up to 4 year olds. But that said she does like to be a little more upright and tries to sit up more in that seat. It was starting to be a little too reclined for her. 

Luck would have it that Kiddies Kingdom who have a great range of baby travel systems for sale offered us one to review. 

We were getting sent the Joie Elevate Group 1/2/3 Car seat to review and it was perfect as it goes from 1 year old all the way up to 12 years old. 

I chose the car seat in cherry red as I knew that Lily would like that. I also think it looks nice to have a little colour on it. When it came it was a nice size. I have seen some car seats of this type be a little to big and look a little more like a racing car seat than a baby seat but this one is just right. 

The seat came in 2 pieces but was very easy to put together. Whenyou have attached the top to the bottom of the seat and you have slotted the drinks cup holder in the side, it is ready to go and can be installed into your car. 

This is the part I usually dread and can never figure out how to do. But it was actually quite easy. You pull all the seat belt through the back of the seat, clip it into the car, pull it tight and then there is a red holder you put it through and secure in place. The instructions probably explain it a little better than I have. 

When it was in the car it looked great. 

The car seat was fitted very sturdily and I did a pull check to make sure it did not move. We tried Lily into the car seat and the straps didn't need adjusting luckily but then they can be if needed. When she was strapped in I pulled them a little tighter onto her and she was ready to try out her new seat. 

She was so happy to be getting a new seat and had a big grin on her face. She looked so grown up sitting in her new car seat and I think she definitely loved being upright. The car seat seems comfortable enough, though it isn't the most padded one I have seen on the market. But I asked her if she was comfortable and she said yes. 

We set off for a short drive into town. Lily really liked to grip hold of the handles at the side. I expect she isn't used to it being so upright and open yet so they made her feel a little safer. It is great that they have them there for her to hold onto. She also loved that she had a drinks holder. On this occasion we didn't have a drink to put in there but when we used it on the way home we had a carton of apple juice which we placed in there. That element of the seat is going to be really handy for long journeys. 

Now looking at Lily in the car seat you do wonder how a 12 year old would fit it. The head of the seat actually extends upwards in 9 different position heights so then it gets taller as your child does. That said it does only go up to 36kg and you can only use the straps up to 18kg. As for putting a 1 year old in it, I myself wouldn't want too. It is personable preference but I feel a one year old needs to be a little more reclined and feel a little more secure. They wriggle more and I would feel better if they were in something smaller and more fitting.

This car seat is RRP £59.95 and you can also buy it in a black and grey colour. 

What do you think to this car seat? 

Mid Month More About Me - January 2018

As I wrote the title to this post, I feel shocked that it is already half way through the first month of the year. Doesn't feel like 2 moments ago that it was Christmas. 

I can't say i'm a big fan of January. It is generally a slow month and i'm usually eager to get the year started with a bang. One thing that does always brighten my January a little bit is my birthday. 

This year I turned 31. I really can't believe that I am actually writing that number as my 20's seemed to go really fast. But just watch in 10 years time I will be writing saying the exact same thing about my 30's going fast. 

I didn't really do much for my birthday this year. It fell on a monday so my partner and most other people were in work. I celebrated with my partner on the Saturday with a meal at Bella Italia and a shopping trip to Selfridges as I had a voucher to spent. I treated myself to a nice bottle of Gucci Perfume.

I also had my brother and his girlfriend come round for drinks and games. Which was fun. We played an adult version of that game where you have to put the mouth pieces in and try and say the words. It was very funny but I won't repeat right now what was on those cards.

As you get older i'm sure you notice that you do get less presents. Compared to what Lily got this year I would definitely say it is true. But non the less I got some nice ones.

My parents got me some slippers (which were very much needed) and a hooded blanket, which I think I may go and get now as i'm cold. 

My partner got me just what I wanted which was a Feisty Pet. If you haven't seen them then they are these adorable cute teddy's that when you press a button on its back, they don't look as cute anymore. 

Lily got me Beauty and the Beast on Dvd. I love this film, really brings back my childhood and its a nice one for Lily and I to watch and enjoy together. Of corse Lily didn't really get it me, my partner did and wrapped it up from her. Lily helped me unwrap it in the morning and didn't understand that it was from her and kept thinking that it was for her to unwrap. She was more excited about my birthday than I was I think. 

I also got some lovely cards, some with some money in which I treated myself to some new boots. One also had a gift voucher in which I bought sports gear for my stretch and pole class. It was nice to go out and treat myself to some nice new things.

I also had a lovely surprise delivery of flowers from my partners mum which featured my favourites, Lilies. 

I was also planning a trip to a Spa but that never happened due to January being a skint month. I will hopefully plan to do that another time though.

Overall it was a nice birthday. I would say I look forward to the next, but who does at 31? Haha

What did you do for your last birthday? Or what do you have planned for your next Birthday? 

My Sunday Photo 14/01/18

18 Things for 2018

I don't really do New Years resolutions, for me I believe you should try and use each day the best you can and always be thinking about improving things and planning things. But that said, since I have had Lily it just doesn't seem to happen. The last year for me has gone in a flash, and although some great things have happened, I really don't feel like I did much. 

I was tagged by Hayley from Winging it with Two Boys to write this 18 things for 2018 post and I thought it would be a good idea to do it. This list for me isn't a new years resolution list but something that I can look back on throughout the year and try and have a reminder of things that I would like to get done. 

So here are 18 things I would like to try and do in 2018.

1. Go on more days out with Lily
Since being back in Burnley I must admit I have been less enthused than usual to go out and about. I think one reason is the colder and much wetter weather up here, and another that the transport just isn't as easy to use as the south. (and much more expencive). So we really haven't been for as many trips out as I would have liked. But this year i'm going to really try and make sure we do something at least once a week. Even if it just Soft Play which is round the corner. Im sure if I searched around there are plenty places for me to take her on days out.

2. Organise my time more

This sort of joins with the above. With organising my time more and making plans, it makes sure that me and Lily can go out more and do more things. 

3. Organise my income and work on getting more in
So it is coming up to that Tax deadline and as my first year of self employment and earning from the blog I have realised that I was totally unorganised with logging down all of my payments. This year I have already put systems in place that means that I don't have a big job on my hand at the end of the year. 

4. Do weekly stretch and pole fitness classes

Im super excited as Monday I attend my first stretch and pole fitness class. I have done pole fitness before and it is really good for you and tones you up great. But I haven't done it since having Lily and I do miss it. So it is something I plan on now doing weekly. I also joined a stretch class which I will be attending before it as I am getting older now and i'm not as flexible as I used to be. I think there is less chance of causing myself an injury if I stretch before hand too. 

5. Drink more water

I really really really need to do this one. I really don't drink enough. I actually hate the taste of water so rarely drink it and I know that is bad for me in so many ways. I did have a bottle which I used to put lemons in but that broke and since it broke I went back to not drinking the water. So first thing first is to get myself a new bottle!

6. Aim to have SOME early nights

This one is so much harder to do than it sounds. By the time I have put Lily to bed, eaten dinner and settle down I am never ready to have that early night. I stick on a film with my partner or start to binge watch a TV show and before you know it, it's 1am. I say get SOME early night as I do need some me time and sometimes nights are the only time to get it. But I really do need to try and have some nights where I get to sleep by at least 11.30pm. Which I know to some people is probably late but that is early for me. 

7. Take Lily Swimming 

I actually really enjoy swimming, but Lily isn't so keen so far. So this year I do really need to try and go more often. I said this last year and we went once!! Which is so bad. We have trampolining passes so maybe I will aim to do both that and swimming at least once or twice a month. 

8. Get rid of Lily's Dummy 

I realise this list isn't all about me and a lot about Lily but she is the main focus of my life right now and generally takes priority. She isn't going to like this one but at some point this year I need to get rid of the dummy. I am dreading it and she is really hooked on it. She only has it at night and maybe for an hour in the morning but then as soon as I take it from her in the morning there are tears. It is going to be a tough one. She is currently sleep walking and having night terrors at the moment though so I am going to wait a little while longer yet. 

9. Do some creative photo shoots

I really miss photographing people and the odd shoots I have done this year I have really enjoyed. I always enjoy taking photographs, even if they are just of Lily or some products. But this year I really want to shoot more and get some fashion shoots booked in and get creative in the studio. I found some great locations for shoots last year but then never shot at them. I must make more effort this year. 

10. Take a Photography Trip

This one is a long shot, with Lily being young I don't like to leave her to long. But would love to take a weekend somewhere and get some more street photography shot. Even if it is just somewhere in England. 

11. Start up my Photography Tutorial business 

This is something I have been thinking of starting properly for a while now. I have taught a few photographer friends in the past and so now i am thinking of doing it properly and making money from it. I have always loved teaching and the way I see it, there is more people trying to get into photography than there are photography jobs. I would offer private tutorials and do group sessions. Do location teaching and hire out my local studio. I need to get a facebook page started up for it asap. 

12. Organise some Events

I really miss working in events, before having Lily it was something I used to do often. Mostly organising fashion shows. I really enjoyed that job and haven't done it for years. But it is something I could easily do if I put the effort into it and I may start by doing a charity event. I did one a few years ago for the princes trust where I did a hair show in the streets to raise money. I will definitely be blogging about it if I do.

13. Do more baking
So I bought myself a Kitchen Aid Mixer a year ago and all it has done so far is sit in the corner looking beautiful. I can't use my old excuse of not having the room to bake but I just haven't given myself any time to bake recently. My first step is to buy my self a baking book that uses the kitchen aid to make things, so then I have no excuse but to use it. Hopefully I can share some of the things I bake on here with you. 

14. Spend more quality time with my partner 
Me and my partner don't often get the chance to go out. But that doesn't mean we can't spend quality time together. I want to try and get most of my work done early so then in the evenings I can spend time with him and watch a film. Although that being said, I would love for us to go to the cinema more often and so I may have to try and find more nights that the babysitter can come round. (What do you think mum?) 

15. See my family and friends more

I can't believe this year has flown and there are some friends and family I have only seen once. I really want to make more of an effort this year to meet up with friends and visit some of my family members more. Though I have this year loved being closer to my parents and seeing them more often. 

16. Walk up Pendle Hill 
This summer I am determined that I will head back up Pendle Hill. It is the hill that is quite nearby and is quite a climb. I do remember that last time I went up it I was tired half way up and I was much fitter back then. So I wonder how I will manage this year. Either way, I will make it to the top and bring back some lovely photographs for you. 

17. Treat myself more often
As I write this, I realise that I spend pretty much the year doing things for others. Mostly Lily. But I think it is important to do things for myself too and so I want to start to do exactly that. Starting with a well earned spa day! 

18. Start to think about Baby Number 2
About a year ago, I wasn't even sure I wanted a second one. I went from wanting 3 children to having one and not feeling like I wanted another. But I think that is just a case of not feeling ready. Well now I am starting to get the baby itch, starting to get a little broody and I want to start to think about when to give Lily a little brother or sister. I have just turned 31 and I always wanted to have my kids before I was 30. So as the number creeps up, so does the desire to have my next child. Exciting news, but don't get to excited just yet as it could be a little while before I am announcing any pregnancies. 

It was great to write this list and I look forward to keep reading it back to myself to encourage me to stick to what I have written. 

What is the one thing that you would like to do in 2018? 

I would now like to tag Jane from Hodge Podge Days and Rebecca from The Coastal Mummy to tell us 18 things they would like to do in 2018. 

Indigo Herbs Organic Chocolate Making Kit Giveaway

Not long and it will be Valentines Day. Do you have your plans already? Do you and your partner love chocolate? Well why not do something a little different this year and get yourself a chocolate making kit and have some fun in the kitchen. 

Indigo Herbs have a brilliant chocolate making kit with the extra plus side that it is also healthy for you too. 

Create your own nutritious and delicious dairy-free, gluten-free vegan chocolates. 100% purest natural ingredients. Cacao is high in protein, dietary fibre, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and it’s a source of calcium and selenium. Packed with feel good phytochemicals and antioxidants.

Inside each pack is everything you need to get started. They are easy to make and great fun to made for the family. It includes pre-weighed ingredients, recipe & instructions and the ingredients are 100% pure botanical ingredients, absolutely nothing added. The pack includes Goji Berries & Brazil Nuts and Makes 20-25 small chocolates.

Kit Includes: Organic Cacao Powder 100g, Organic Cacao Butter 100g, Organic Raw Agave Syrup 100ml, Goji Berries 25g, Brazil Nuts 25g, Vanilla Powder 3g. 

The Kit is £19.99 to buy and can be bought from the Indigo Herbs website. 

I have one kit to giveaway to one lucky winner. Enter on the Gleam app below for your chance to win! 

*Ends 9th February*

Win an Indigo Herbs Chocolate Making Kit