If you're interested in taking part, please do drop me an email - the more the merrier!
This week, may I introduce you to Amy from Mummy Starting Out. I've spoken to Amy for a while now via the wonder of Twitter but I've really enjoyed getting to know her better. Enjoy...
1. Hello, what's your name and where do you come from?
I'm Amy; I am originally from Lancashire, but now live on the Isle of Man, which people get confused with the Isle of Wight! The Isle of Man is a little island in between the UK and Ireland.
2. Tell us about your children.
I have one step-daughter, Aalish, who is 9 and my own son, Charlie who is almost 15 months.
3. When did you know you wanted to be a mum?
I don't know! I have always known I wanted to be a teacher but the desire to be a mum was less intense. I did play mums and dads though a lot when I was younger, so perhaps, subconsciously I have always known! Hubby and I decided pretty much straight away after our wedding that we wanted children.
4. What's you favourite moment as a mum so far?
When Charlie comes to me for a hug and says 'ahhhh'. He nuzzles my head and puts his tiny hands around my neck.
5. What do you wish people had told you before you became a mum?
I wish people had told you about how incredibly hard it all is. Don't get me wrong, I love Charlie to pieces and I wouldn't change a thing. But juggling a career with motherhood, whilst looking after your house and your hubby and indeed, your step-daughter is all very time consuming. I think I would have tried to sleep more before I had a baby if I'd known!
6. If we were to look in your changing bag, what would we find?
Nappies (obviously), we use cloth nappies, which are a faff to be honest, but it does save us a lot of money on disposable ones. Tesco baby wipes, nappy rash cream - Charlie gets this whenever he is teething - a spare pair of clothes for Charlie, his shoes (he won't wear them, so not sure why we bother!), teething powder, snacks, which tend to be Organix Carrot Sticks or Mini Cheddars, some water, tissues as Charlie has a constant runny nose, some vaseline (for me!), a toy and a book.
When I was on maternity leave you would also find my purse, phone, keys, hairbrush, a thousand receipts and sometimes nail varnish in there! But since going back to work, I have reclaimed my handbag.
7. What were the top three things you had for your baby that you would recommend to other mums?
Muslin cloths - you can use them for everything!
Baby TV! When he was tiny, if he was being grumpy, I could plonk Charlie in front of Charlie and The Numbers and he would instantly calm down! It was my saviour for about 6 months!
Thirdly, a stretchy wrap. I bought a Close Baby Carrier, which was basically a stretchy wrap. Charlie hated being put down, so I wrapped him up and I could still wash up or cook tea etc and he would have a snooze on me.
8. What three things could you have done without?
Sophie le giraffe! Yes sorry, I know it's a cult toy but Charlie was never in to it. He certainly never used it for his teeth! Also, no need for a cot mobile. It never got put on and when it did, it was useless anyway as you had to loudly wind it back up to play music again, meaning the winding woke the baby up anyway! I could also have done without a manual breast pump. I used it for a few weeks, before buying an electric one and never went back.
9. What baby brands do you like and why?
I buy Tesco baby stuff a lot, not necessarily through choice, but we only have Tesco as the supermarket over here. I also like Aldi stuff and when we are in the UK I tend to stock up on their nappies (we use these at night time, rather than cloth) and wipes. Also, their baby food was brill for when Charlie was weaning.
10. Are you a working mum? If so, how do you find it?
Yes, I am a secondary school English teacher. I love my job, but I hate it takes me away from Charlie so much. For the last two months of my maternity leave I dreaded having to go back. I still feel a bit like this as the holidays come to an end. It is difficult trying to juggle it all and I do constantly feel exhausted. But I'm fortunate that I can, if I want, leave at 3.30pm each day, so I suppose it's not as bad as a 9-5 job.
11. What do you enjoy most about being mum?
I don't know, this is a hard one! I love watching Charlie explore the world and learning from his environment. I teach Child Language Acquisition at school, so it's quite interesting to see it in practice. I love that this little being was made by me and that I am responsible for him, no matter what. And I love how much he still depends on me. I know that, that won't last!
12. How do you make time for being 'you'?
Ha! I don't! I get 20 minutes in the bath alone, if I'm lucky. But to be honest that's it. My family are a boat or plane ride away, so I can't just call on them.
13. Tell us about your blog / where we can find you online.
My blog is called Mummy Starting Out, I renamed it and moved platforms when I found out I was pregnant. It's about our life, parenting, fashion, food and everything in between really. You can check me out here.
14. What's the best thing about being a blogger?
I like to write, so I am happy that I have an outlet to do that. It's my own space where I can write what I want (to a degree!).
15. Share a crazy fact about yourself.
Not very good at questions like these haha! Errrm, as I am only 5ft, I often get mistaken for one of the sixth formers in the school where I work. I was once told to go to the back of the queue by a member of the staff as they thought I had pushed in, until I showed them my staff ID card!!
Thank you Amy! I think you're one prepared mama with all that in the changing bag - prepared for anything!
I love Amy's honesty and I'm sure you will too so be sure to head over to her blog for a little read soon...
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