Elliw Elens Christening Day.

On the 3rd March 2013 Elliw Elen had her Christening and 1st Birthday Party in one! We thought it would be a lovely idea to have her first party with her Christening as it will be a day to actually remember for us all and the family & friends.
I was so excited! She had 4 God fathers and 3 God mothers! To top it all off, the weather was amazing so it made the day better. We had her christened in a Church in the village i live in. The vicar was very friendly and wasn't one of these 'old boring' vicars, he was entertaining the children and made it fun! Even included the children in the christening.

Mia was in her Dads for the night, and my dad went to pick her up to bring her to the christening, because i had so much to do and prepare in the morning so it would of been easier and better for her to be in her Nains! I chose Mias outfit, from NEXT. The two items came together and was around £27.00, Her shoes was what her Nain had bought her. I got her hair accessories from Claire's and was roughly around £1.99.

Elliws Christening dress was Mias old First Party dress, i thought it was nice that Elliw could wear it again. I love how big it flares out! It's like a real Princess Dress! Her headband, well this took ages to find! Me and my partners mother looked absoloutley everywhere for the perfect headband, and we found one in - Claire's. It was around £2.99 if i remember. Her soft shoes was from Debenhams at only £5.
I decided to change her at her after party because she was moving and crawling and she wouldn't be able to do it in the dress so i thought i would buy her a new outfit just for the after party! This was bought in Next, the dress came with the tights at around £20. The cardigan that she is wearing in the christening and after party was bought in a shop in a place called Llandudno about 20 minutes away from where we live and it was £27.99 but this was also worn on Mia's christening day.

The cake cost us £60 by a brilliant cake maker Star Cakes from Holyhead, Angelsey. Since Mia's Christening i have always been interested in her cakes, they are amazing! I couldn't afford one at Mia's Christening so when we had booked Elliw's Christening i knew straight away where i was going to get my cake from for Elliws Christening/Birthday. She did exactly what i asked. Everyone praised the cake on the day, and everyone said it tasted delicious! Elliw and mia loved it lots!
I chose the white and pink colours because i thought it was girly and nice natural christening cake for a girl, the two tier was nice for a christening and so was the shoes and the stars. The Upsy Daisy and iggle Piggle was more for her birthday as i wanted it to be a mix of a birthday and christening cake.
I couldn't of asked for a better cake for my daughters birthday! Thank you. I would recommend anyone who lives near Star Cakes - to order a cake from her. Click here for Star Cakes Facebook

Yes, Elliw did have a lot of God mothers and God fathers! 
Left - right
Bethan - Iwans Cousin.
Dylan - Iwans Cousin.
Will - Close family friend.
Myra - Close family friend.
Gareth - My Uncle.
Sian - My Aunty.
Nathan - My brother.

I am so glad we chose these to be Elliws God parents. 

Thank you for all the gifts, presents, cards and money Elliw had on her special day, and thank you to everyone who made the effort to turn up for her day.

Two children under 4!

I have to be honest having two children under the age of 4 is quite hard! But it is quite fun too, especially when they are good with each other. Difference with looking after twins and children with an age gap is, twins have the same mile stones as children with age gaps have totally different mile stones, they want different things, they constantly want attention for different things. The 3 year old needs potty training so more concentration on the eldest but whilst doing that for the eldest you still need to be watching the 1 year old for constantly banging, eating things shes not supposed too, oh and don't forget climbing and throwing things everywhere ha ha! Need to keep them happy constantly through out the day. It is quite hard going, and especially that now Elliw will only have one nap a day which is only for 30-45 mins, but some days recently she won't have a nap! 
I try my best to give them both the exact same routine! When i started Elliw in a routine with bed time i made sure that her and Mia went to bed at the same time every night, made sure they have tea, dinner and breakfast the same time. To be honest i wouldn't change that at all! I am proud of myself that i have actually not had no problems with their routines. (Feeling lucky!)
The hardest part i find is when the youngest copies the eldest child. Mia has very bad tantrums, they're actually awful. I get bitten, pinched, punched, slapped, kicked, things thrown at me etc. Elliw has recently copied by slapping. What i really hate is when Mia hits Elliw, that is really hard but it's going to happen! And Elliw will get revenge one day i guess (joke ha ha) As they say they are sisters! 
When one is naughty, i do NOT praise the other one for being good. I think that is totally unfair when parents do that. I think if one is naughty, then yes go put her/him on the naughty step but do not go saying 'aw your brother/sister is so good' as that can mess with their heads and feelings! Because the eldest will always be the one who will get the most rows until the youngest is old enough to be put on the naughty step! 
At the end of the day have two children close age gap is amazing! Seeing them play together (when they do lol) it makes you feel proud that you have brought two amazing children into the world, and they are going to grow up so close together (hopefully) It is very rewarding at the end of the day.

Have fun exercising!

So it's summer! (finally) we have been getting great weather here in the UK except for the past week, but apparently the hot weather is coming back soon! I am doing a challenge before i go to Liverpool on 17th August for my 21st birthday which is the 22nd August. I am wanting to loose 6lbs. The only thing you need to start exercising is determination, and it is you that should want to do it, you shouldn't be doing it for anyone else. Just yourself.
Here is a few tips on doing exercising:

• Headphones are always great if you're doing it yourself, keeps your mind off things, and makes time go a little faster!
• Make sure you drink plenty of water.
• Wear comfortable clothes when exercising, put your hair up if you're a girl.
• If you are running/power walking, try and beat the time you did the last time!
• It's always nice to have some company with you when achieving your goal!
• Don't stop straight away once you got your goal, carry on!
• Try and do at least 30 mins - 1 hour exercise a day!

It's A BOY!

As you all probably know, Kate Middleton gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who will be our Future King, 3rd in line! 22nd July 2013 at 4.24pm the future King was born weighing 8lbs 6oz!
I was so shocked when they said the baby was 8lbs 6oz! She had a small bump, but she did wear clothes that covered her bump. My first daughter was 8lbs 9oz! 
I was actually excited to see the new parents with their son. When i saw the Special BBC News at 7.12pm i had tears in my eyes watching them come out of the Hospital. They looked so happy and Kate Middleton looked amazing! 

This picture is lovely i think! 

Keep your children busy this Summer!

Summer holidays are coming up since it is the last week of school & i am so worried on how am i going to keep my eldest entertained since she is so used to going to school 9am until 1pm every day!

1. Back garden.
Nice, Simple, Relaxing, Cheap..
You don't have to spend your money, you can relax in your own back garden. Just bring the toys and the paddling pool out and let the children get on with it :-)! Plaster them with sun cream and let them get on with it!

2. Days out.
Plan a day out, wake up early, make packed lunch and go somewhere for the day!
Kids always love to go somewhere different! With me having two children different ages i've seen that both of them like to be in a different place, a place they are safe to run about and enjoy themselves! Oh and where they are so tired at the end of the day they sleep good for you all night haha!

3. Days out with Family Members.
Take the kids out with family members or friends even! More company for you and them! Especially if they got kids too its even better! But it is nice to bring a family member along i think. I love going out places with my Dad, my nain & taid and my partners mother. I enjoy quality time with them, and i love my girls bonding with them.

4. Weekend away.
Book a weekend or a few days or even lucky a week away with your family! The kids will love a different place! You can get last minute deals with most places.I would love to take last minute deals but unfortuntley with my partners job we are unable to do that, which i am quite gutted about to be honest! But we have been on a weekend away a couple of weeks ago with my partners parents and my girls. It was fantastic and we went to gullivers world the day after.

A day out in the sun

So today was quite a lazy day for us! Iwan had been to Chester Races the night before so we had a lazy sunday. I tidied the house then went out to the back garden with Iwan and Elliw. Filled up the paddling pool and brought toys out for her. We were out there for a while, she really enjoyed herself :-)

Me and Iwan just chilled out on the blankets ha ha! Well Iwan had fallen asleep actually.
Watching Elliw play today made me realise how much she has grown. This time last year all she could do was roll and lift her head up. She couldn't even sit up! Now she is walking around everywhere, splashing the water from the pool all over me and Iwan haha.

Summer Advice.

If you are living in Wales or England you may be aware that it has been very hot, which is unusual for us in Wales! And we all know how moody babies/toddlers and children can be with the hot weather!

Here are some hot tips -

Dress them comfortable
When dressing babies, toddlers and children in the hot weather, make sure they wear very loose clothing. Let their skin breathe! Most parents put their babies in vests/rompers. Make sure you try and put a sun hat on every child. I try with my youngest but its a fail everytime since she keeps throwing it off ha ha.

Hygeine
Because babies/toddlers and children are constantly on the go and being in the sun they will sweat much more! So they are more likely to get heat rashes! So make sure you bath them properly, and wash them properly on their necks, under their arms and behind their knees!

Food and drinks
During this weather my girls haven't been eating very hot meals as usual, they've had more of Salads, Pasta, Meat, Snacks, Fruit and a lot and a lot of drinks! Make sure they have a lot to drink too keep them hydrated!

Prevent Summer Illnesses
Keep away from large crowds - Very easy to catch any infections/illnesses this way. So try and keep away.
Keep away from direct sunlight- and try and keep way out and maybe stay inside if there are hot winds. Plaster them in sun cream, use the strongest one - 50+.

A day out!

So today i went out with my Dad and my daughter Elliw, while Iwan was out in Chester Races with his friends for one of their 30th birthday, and mia was in her dads for the night.
So me and my Dad went out for a walk in place just outside Llandudno called Rhos-On-Sea. It was very hot! We walked along the front, the beach was packed! Some girl and boy ruined it at the start for me by randomly talking about me and laughing at me! So i just looked around and stared at them, they turned around once or twice, but since they knew i was looking at them they didnt look back! I HATE people like that. Well.. anyway... change of subject... after that, we decided to take Elliw from the pram and let her walk! AHH Stress haha! We had put her reigns on her, but ohmygod ha ha. She was so slow but so funny. She kept wanting to touch the floor, i have no reason why.

It was such a lovely day. A lovely long walk, and then we went on some kind of new pier they have recently built, was quite nice, had no idea what it was to.be.honest! But we let Elliw free to run around because it was safe for her and we could keep an eye on her!

Summer is here!

So yes, it is SUMMER finally! I've a busy-ish 2 months ahead now, i got a Hen-Do, a Wedding, A night out and my 21st birthday! 
i hardly every have night outs so it's going to feel weird haha. 

It's very rare that i get attached too a song, but oh.my.god i can't stop listening to this one! I've listened to it over and over again this morning when i was cleaning the house before getting my eldest from school. 
Robin Thicke Ft. T.I & Pharrell Williams ; Blurred Lines.
It is SO catchy! And a very summery song i think! 

My weight loss journey so far!

2 months on and i have lost 1 stone and over 15 inches all together.
It's slow but i am happy doing it. I'm really looking forward to next Summer, Hopefully then i will be comfortable with my size and be happier!
Since doing this Slimming World, it has really changed me as a person, It has made me happier, it has given me so much more energy, the energy i've never had since being pregnant with my first. I eat less portions. I move more. I eat so much more healthier. My lifestyle has just changed so much! And FINALLY my hips have gone down so much! They were the worst and hardest to get rid of!

The one of me in the leopard print dress is BEFORE and the one in the denim dress was taken last weekend :)

Not the most flattering picture haha, But i am proud of this achievement. My stomach has gone down, and my hips have gone down, still a long way to go with my hips though! But i have always had big hips even when i was thin before i had my girls.

When i saw the old pictures and compared them with my recent pictures i was so shocked! I still got a lot more too loose on my face, but i am just so glad i don't look like how i used to!! 

It has been a yo-yo getting here, and another long ride to take but i am determined to do it even though i have some bad weeks, i'm enjoying myself! I'm loosing more than what i am gaining, Some days are hard like tonight! (I am so tempted to have a magnum and a chunky cookie) haha! But i'm not going to. I could but i had popcorn last night with the other half and i am determined to loose weight this week after a gain last week. 
If i can do it then anyone can do it! That is all i can say! :-)
It will cheer you up, it WILL make you feel amazing! Especially when you have dropped a size, get compliments, and you feel good about yourself!!

My food this week.

I've tried my best this week with Slimming World. Been sticking too 5-7 syns a day. I try my best not to go over 7 syns a day just incase for the hidden syns through-out the day! But i have also been moving alot more this week too! 
But must admitt i had a bad night last night after doing so well! My partner came home with a big tub of popcorn!! I had some, not as much as him though haha! But i did have super noodles for tea so i had no syns there which is good i guess. But i also had a Magnum (was tasty!!).
But hoping it will still show good on Monday because i hadn't had all my syns every day for the week! *crossfingers* Writting this now to be honest i am REALLY wanting another Magnum haha, there is one left in the freezer haha. And my partner bought some chunky cookies and cheese strings in our food shop! Not good. 
I think i will get a bowl of fruit instead lol. 

Well this is only some things i've had this week! Next week i'll try post more!
The flash has made some of the food look horrible! Haha they were lovely though!

Mash potatoes, x2 Chicken Drummers, Sweetcorn, Veg, Cranberry, Mint Sauce, Gravy.

This was so yummy!

My breakfast on Wednesday morning! 

Bacon (fat cut off), Boiled eggs, Toast, 2 tbsp of extra light mayo!

This looks horrible in picture, but trust me its absoloutley lovely! Even my partner loves it!

Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce, Stir fry, Chicken, Sharwoods Egg Noodles.

Grapes, Bananas, Cheese on toast.

Strawberry Mullerlight Yoghurt.

Boiled eggs, Bacon, Beans and cheese.

DIY: Wall Name Stencils.

I was quite bored the other day and fancied doing something different in my girls' bedrooms. I've drawn Minnie Mouse before but i have now painted over! But i think i will be drawing other things soon once i decide what i would like her theme in her bedroom to be, She will be deciding with me! 
I thought it would be nice to have their names on their walls, but i didn't fancy buying stencils or buying stickers! So i chose to make them myself, they are so easy to make!
Here is what you need to make these -

• Pencil.
• Plain Paper.
• Scissors.
• Paint.

Cheap and simple!

You decide what kind of font you would like, you can also make the letters bigger, or if you're not very good are doing letters why not print them off laptop/computer? 

Cut the squares out so they are seperate like above. 

This is the hardest and the most frustrating part i think!! It looks messy but aslong as you try and curve the corners on the letters it should be fine.

Half way i decided to make a flower too! I should have done two of these! You will see why below.

Stick them on the wall. I used selotape.

Then there you go! Just paint on the paper and it comes out like this! By the way this was the only paint colour i had in the house haha! 

Cheap, and very simple!

Even your children could help you paint! Or choose what they would like!

Week 2 Food Plan

Yeah, so this week i had gained! But considering i had a bad weekend including a few drinks with friends Saturday night i only put on 1 and a half pounds which i was VERY happy with as i was expecting atleast 3lbs on! I know i can loose all of that this week *i will do it* 

With this food plan, try and drink at least 2 liters of water a day! That helps me ALOT i think. Considering i hardly ever drank before, but now i make sure i drink 2 liters a day everyday. 

Ideas for snacks which are free -
Chicken, Chips*, Fruit, Mullerlight, Batchelors Pasta, Batchelors Low Fat Super Noodles, Beans.

* Chips, Oven cooked.
* Bread/Toast - Brown bread/Danish bread, two a day max. Other wise 2-3 syns.