Slice Of My Life - October

A busy month filled with lots of plans, many cups of tea and preparing for a new season. Cosy season is in full force and I’m so excited to embrace all that is Autumn.

Cafe Dates with my little book worm

It’s no secret that me and Evan have been somewhat of a pair of hermits this last few months. Going out for meals especially has been difficult for me. The combination of food, hot drinks, and the busy atmosphere feels like a daunting challenge, and a much easier option is always to stay at home.

Over the past month, I have taken Evan to cafes five times and each time it is getting easier and easier. I have always loved going to cafes and people watching, so I am glad to finally feel comfortable doing that again with Evan.

Evan Update

As the seasons change and the days get darker I feel myself slowly gravitating towards negative thoughts and feelings. ‘Oh it’s so dark, it’s raining ugh!’ These little messages to myself, no matter how small they may seem, have a huge impact on how I feel mentally. And when I am at home alone with Evan for 10 hours at a time, all I really have is my own thoughts. I have been really trying to make an effort this last month to change the way I am thinking about the small things. I still have some pretty large brain gremlins to contend with, which won’t go away with just a little positive thinking. But I think it’s important to work on the small things and add a little big of joy and positivity into my day.

Multi-tasking Mama!

Being a mum has been no easy feat, I was always good at multi tasking but this last 5 months has taken it to a whole new level. I have tried to embrace multi tasking in a more positive way. Getting all my jobs done in the morning by using habit stacking. If you are looking into productivity hacks I would recommend looking into habit stacking as it has changed the game for me. Utilising this idea, I then combine Evan’s solo play time with a chance to have a cup of tea. Usually in the afternoon when he is due his nap, we snuggle on the chair and put on some Bluey, however (don’t ask me why it took this long) but I realised no matter what was on TV, Evan was happy enough watching it. So I decided to bundle this ‘task’ of getting him off to sleep, with some me time watching the TV. This week, it’s been The Simple Life. I’m not sure the crunchy IG mums would approve of him watching their antics haha, but it’s become a really nice part of our afternoon routine.

Painting Pokemon

When I started my art classes a few months ago I was unsure what style I would end up going for. I was hoping the more I painted my own authentic style would come through. At the moment I have started to really enjoy painting Pokemon and adding in some scenery behind them. I think I may start a series, picking a number at random and seeing what Pokemon is assigned to it in the Pokédex!

Multi-Tasking Mama pt 2!

I have loved getting out with max and Evan this last few weeks. I have now fully mastered the buggy and dog walking. However it does take us nearly 30 minutes to actually get out the house. The ‘halti’ and waist lead have been brilliant in helping max walk more calmly and safely. Evan is also loving the winter accessories on his pram, the fluffy foot muff and fur lined headrest.

Food Glorious Food

I always knew Evan would have no issues with food, for months now he has sat with his mouth open imitating eating whilst he watches me eat at the table. We have started him with porridge and he is a huge fan. It can get a little messy, and I really have to take my mind over matter when there is porridge stuck between his fingers and in his hair haha.

One More Bear

One of my favourite shops in Grantham gardens is ‘One More Bear’. In October they moved into a new, larger store and me and Evan of course had to be there for the opening. I dressed him up with some cute bear items. I even wore some fluffy socks with bears on too. We got him a bear (of course!) and some wooden letters to decorate his bedroom door. Heidi also brought him some items, but they have to be saved for Christmas!

Capturing Changes

With the seasons changing, it was the perfect opportunity to take the camera to Trentham gardens on our Sunday walk. I loved capturing the last few leaves on the trees and the dewy cobwebs. Evan was super snug in his buggy and enjoyed being pushed around with Heidi and my mum whilst I went exploring. As I mentioned habit stacking earlier, this was a perfect example of combining a usual Sunday walk with something I enjoy such as photography.

My Little Pumpkin

I was so excited to celebrate halloween with Evan, it really got me excited for the festivities to come and starting new traditions with our little family. In the evening my mum came over and we had pizza for tea, followed by all the leftover sweets as we only had two ‘trick or treaters’. It was such a cosy evening and we even got out some boardgames. I have such fond memories of cosy nights in with family and games, so I am starting to make an effort to do these things again now Evan is here.

Sort My Life Out Week

Dave’s mum got me into watching Stacey Soloman - Sort Your Life Out. I quickly became obsessed and knew I needed to do the same to out home. However, I don’t have a huge warehouse, a team of people to help, nor the time with a newborn. So I decided to make my own mini version, where I would tackle one room at a time. It was half term so I roped my mum into babysitting for 5 hours every day all week. It was crazy how much I could get done in those 5 hours! The volume of things I got rid of was embarrassing, I can’t believe what a waste of money some of the things had been. I came across items which I had forgotten I even had, and even things I had ended up re-buying because I thought I had lost them. We ended up with 4 bin bags for the tip and around 10 bags for the charity shop. I also then had three huge bags ready to sell on Vinted, my new obsession. We also had new carpets fitted in the midst of the de-cluttering chaos, but it gave me an excuse to finally sort under the bed and landing. I was so proud of how much I sorted and feel like our home looks so more cosy and inviting now.

Overall this months theme has been ‘just get stuck in’, whether it’s multi tasking, facing fears head on, or decluttering your stash of 50 cuddly toys! I feel like It was a great way to embrace the change of season and have a fresh start, ready to wind down for the remainder of the year. I sat down on Friday with a beautiful organised home, I had a bath, made a hot chocolate and breathed, properly, for the first time in a very long time.