Family Wellness Mama

So, the big day has been and gone and we're bubble and squeaking our way through the last of the Christmas leftovers. The little mans room resembles Toys R us' shop floor after a busy Saturday and I can't even look at another mince pie. Sitting here, three days later, drinking Baileys and eating Chocolates with no idea what day it is. I can look back on the past week with a fondness that is typical of Stage 5. I have come to the conclusion that, for parents, there are not 12 days but 5 stages of Christmas: Stage 1 - Annoyance  Leaves have barely begun to fall from the trees outside when most shops are erecting their Christmas Trees inside. Much premature excitement from the little ones follows and you'll spend the next few months reminding them that advent calendars don't have 100 windows for a reason. Stage 2 - Panic Yes, the shops have been banging on about  it for months but you didn't realise it was this close! Stage 2 panic usually  peak

Getting stuck in at a playcentre When I first stepped foot into a children's play centre a few years ago I thought I'd walked into a zoo. A zoo filled with children out of their minds on sugar. The music was booming and the place smelt of dirty nappies and greasy food.  The children were climbing over each other inside ball filled containment areas or running headlong into cushioned walls. The strobe lighting gave me a headache and the couple next to me were having a heated debate about an episode of Jeremy Kyle. Despite all of this, the little man loved the place and since then we've spent at least one afternoon a month in a play centre. Over the years my feelings towards play centres have changed. Maybe my senses have been dulled because of repeated exposure or maybe it's because the first play centre we visited was on the more 'scary' end of the spectrum. But, I'm now able to enjoy our time at the play centre almost as much as the little man. H

Mummy's favourite! So, the advent calendars are open and Christmas time is officially upon us. Although the stores have been trying to win me over since Halloween; now that it's officially here I've decided to well and truly embrace the festivities.  It's only two days in and we've taken the little man to two Grottoes and a Christmas Fair. The tree is up and we've started work on a home made Christmas snow globe!  I'm also feeling a tiny bit smug about the fact that I'm three quarters of the way through the Christmas shopping. If you're not in the Christmas spirit yet, I hope our Grotto snaps below will help get you in the mood. Commuting bears Could Penguins replace the Liver Birds? The little man was shocked to discover that the walls weren't real Sleepy bears