The Cambridge Mummy blog on: ways to spend your weekend

This is how we roll chez Weston.I was thinking today, that I’m actually a very lucky bird. This weekend and last I have taken the boys swimming in the morning, with a different family each time and then we’ve gone out for lunch. Whilst Lovely Bloke has been at home with either the ironing or the kitchen/dining room project for company. And next weekend, our boys will be with Grandma and Grumpy, whilst I do some filming for at The Baby Show for UKBabyShows.co.uk

Somewhere in the midst of all that, W has finally acquiesced a little, and allow us to start toilet training. This means that we’ve gone through so much chocolate that it’s a wonder he’s managing to sit still at all, there’s that much sugar carousing through his little body. I’m going to find it difficult to film at The Baby Show, because I get a) broody when I see the babies and b) miss my own boys. But I’ve got more of my head around this kind of thing – that by doing it, it’s going to allow me to be there in the first week when E starts school, at drop off and pick up – I know lots of women who won’t be able to do that so it’s something worth noting.I will also be there with W for extra cuddles and snuggles when he realises that E isn’t at pre school with him.

It’s another one of those days where I think we might be getting a bit more balance in our lives, aside from the chaos that’s happening in the parts of the house that are being carved up as I type…

Of course, I’ve now got renewed purpose for my weekend evenings – they are filled with the twilight films. I’m Team Edward, before you even ask, and anything else would be just plain wrong. Watching the films has taken me back to feeling like a teenager – that love can and does conquer everything else. That love can be something all consuming and that you don’t care – that you crave it like “your own personal brand of heroin”. That makes so much sense to me. I remember how I felt about Nick, my boyfriend from 15-19 years of age. He was my first true love and the loss of our relationship was like a bereavement. A proper bereavement, even though we both instigated its demise in different ways. Even now, I look back on it and remember the times fondly, and hope that our boys have those experiences themselves, because they are so special.

I was emailing with someone who isn’t into the whole romantic cliches thing the other night and she asked about my newfound love and why it was affecting me so much. I said it’s because “I have a hitherto previously undiscovered passion for handsome young male vampires who spout the love lines that I think we women should be on the receiving end of every single day without fail”.

Twilight is even making me make more of an effort to be lovely to Lovely Bloke, who is grafting away right now, acquiring another new skill, of plastering. I’m hoping that if I keep telling him how well he is doing, how proud I am of him doing this project, making him cups of tea and bringing him pizza, he’ll reciprocate with statements of love and worship and adoration that would be amiss from the lips of Edward Cullen himself. It’s a project, but then I like a challenge.

So that’s all sorts of different ways I’m spending my weekends at the moment. What are you doing?

 

The Cambridge Mummy blog on: our wedding anniversary – a review…

Ha ha, I love the idea of “reviewing” my wedding anniversary. That’s comedy in itself. But anyway, I’ve had some tweets about it, so I figured it would be good to write about it and, I’ve actually got lots to photos to document it, which is nice…

Day started at 7am, which is a result in itself. I scurried into the other room with the boys and we wrote special cards for daddy to tell him how much we love him. They were given to him, along with my present – the piece de resistance – a packet of Super Hero Top Trumps. This is a top present in my mind and Lovely Bloke does his best to look pleased with it, as he always does, god love him.

Then he tells me to look inside the wardrobe for my small present. I’m there quickly and searching, searching, searching – I can’t find anything. He’s telling me to keep looking and lo and behold I find a small Mappin and Webb box. Wooooo hooooo!!!! In some ways, it could have been an empty bag. But I suppose it’s what it signifies, what’s within it. So I open it, with the “help” of E.

And inside, are a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings. E is trying to help me wrestle them out of the box, when Lovely Bloke starts to flap a bit.
“Errrr, E shall we let Mummy do that?” So that’s when I realised they were a) real and b) would need to be insured on their own!!

Within an hour the boys had gone to Nanny and Grandad for bacon and eggs for breakfast, to be followed with a day at the sea side and Prezzo’s for lunch, as that’s Nanna’s favourite place to go for a meal out…

We are then on the road, planning to go IKEA, to sort out the kitchen and what we are going to do with it. En route, I do some more calculations and we realise that for an extra bit of money we could have the Howdens kitchen that’s on special offer, including the fitted kit, so we detour off to the outlet shopping place near Braintree. I think it’s called Littleport, but am not sure…

Here’s a photo of me having put make up on in the car, trying to look all “sultry”…

Liz Weston is the Cambridge Mummy - a self employed Marketing Social Media and Public Relations bird :))

Me, trying to do a friendly, but not gurning face

And this is what I really look like:

Liz Weston is the Cambridge Mummy and this is what she really looks like

This is what I really look like...

So then we get to Littleport or Freeport or Whatever It Is Called and we wander around the shops. Have to say, I’m not overly thrilled with it. But I did find a Wonder Bra outlet shop where in hindsight, I should have had the bra that was 15.00 instead of 25.00 but hey ho, I’ve lived and learnt from that one. And I found some of my jeans, not quite in the right colour in the Levi’s shop. They were 55 instead of 85, which is quite good but if they aren’t “my colour” isn’t that a bit of a false economy?

What I did find however, was something which my dear friend, Dr AKT told me I would find. Skinny jeggings. In stonewash denim. And behold. I did. She mentioned it several times, so I can only assume that she was secretly requesting a pair for her birthday. Who am I to not oblige the desires of one of my two best friends? [For the file, my other best friend, KR, would shoot me if I got her a pair of these, so it's good to note how we all have different kinds of friends who make our worlds go around...]

Liz Weston aka Cambridge Mummy has bought these for AKT's birthday

This is AKT's birthday present. Don't tell her though. It's a secret

 

And then it was on to Howdens, where we spent so much money that I had to phone the bank to tell them that a transaction of magnitude was going through! After a quick whip home for our swimmers, we visited a worktop place that does recycled glass. It’s gorgeous. And costs £3,000 for the worktop alone, not the MDF that goes under it!!! Here’s a photo for you. Does it look like a £3,000 worktop to you?

Liz Weston is the Cambridge Mummy. By day she is a Baby PR, Marketing and Social Media bird

Can I justify this worktop? Please????

We didn’t get the price that day, so we skipped off to the Hotel Pool for a swim and sauna, thinking we should be able to afford it as it couldn’t be “that much” really, could it? After that it was Browns for dinner and here’s Lovely Bloke and I eating our puddings….

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy. She didn't really need that pudding but had it anyway

This is the face of someone eating chocolate cookie cheesecake even though they are too full to really squeeze it in...

Lovely Bloke with a mouth full of his banoffee pie

Lovely Bloke with hamster cheeks from shovelling his pudding in

After that, we went to the cinema to see the inbetweeners movie. It was very busy and full of teenagers. We felt a bit old. But enjoyed it nonetheless. Then it was home, to bed and then a lie in together the next morning, before a couple of clients phoned me – and I told them I was “off” and managed to not work until my first client meeting at 1pm!

So all in all a good result all round really. Sorry this has been soooooo long, but I wanted do my couple time justice. It’s important to me that we got back to being a couple, even if only for 24 hours, only needing to check on what one other person wanted to do, not three and not having to reason in quite the same way with Lovely Bloke that I do with our tiddlers ;)

Will I do it again? Yes, without LittlePort, FreePort, whatever it is. And without the diamond earrings and the £3,000 worktop (did I mention the worktop???) Lovely Bloke, mooching about, swimming, dinner and movie is my idea of a good time. And I’m pleased to have worked that out. It’s a good feeling.

Now I’ve got to put my cape on and transform into Liz Weston, Baby PR, Marketing to Families and Social Media solutions provider for my day job. So I’ll see you later x

 

The Cambridge Mummy blog on: More Sunday night yodelling

“Mummmmeeeeee, we need to give you kisses… Come up the stairs right now mummy or you will be in the naughty corner…”

“William and I need to give you kiss right now. Please come here right now Mummy”

I love being a mummy so much…

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy, a self employed, full time working, mummy blogger and mummy to two lovely boys and wife to Lovely Bloke. They live in Cambridge (I know, but it’s good to be clear) and have a lovely life together. Most of the time.

 

 

The Cambridge Mummy blog on: what’s “appropriate” for a 3 year old…

So, interesting debate with my lovely web designer last night about extended breastfeeding. Then we talked about the fact that when W falls over, or is very upset about having a toy stolen from him by E or some similar crime, he sometimes comes to me and either strokes my boob through my tshirt a couple of times or if I’ve got a lower cut top on, sticks his hand down my top. I think this is fine and don’t have a problem with it. My web designer says it’s not and that I should be stopping him from doing it. What do you think?

To my mind, he’s three and he’s not thinking of my boobs sexually. And he doesn’t do it to other people, just me. My web designer says he will turn around in years to come and say “what did you let me do that for?” or similar.

Genuinely interested to hear your thoughts on this one, if only to settle the debate for Chris and I so we can make more progress with redesigning www.ukbabyshows.co.uk !!

PS. I can’t get over how to spell appropriate correctly!! It looks wrong to me but I’ve checked it twice… grrr…

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy, a self employed, full time working, mummy blogger and mummy to two lovely boys and wife to Lovely Bloke. They live in Cambridge (I know, but it’s good to be clear) and have a lovely life together. Most of the time.

 

The Cambridge Mummy Blog on: A very rude book

And to think that some people worry that I reveal too much of myself on my blog!!!

Check this one out from a massive selling female Author :)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/16/charlotte-roche-sex-novel-schossgebete

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy, a self employed, full time working, mummy blogger and mummy to two lovely boys and wife to Lovely Bloke. They live in Cambridge (I know, but it’s good to be clear) and have a lovely life together. Most of the time.


 

The Cambridge Mummy blog on: Being popular at bedtime

E is laid in his bed, yelling at me: “Mummy how many minutes until you next come in to see me?”

“Twenty”

“How many is twenty? Is it soon Mummy?”

“It’s lots of minutes, go to sleep and I’ll be there in a while.”

“But Mummy I have to wait for you, I’m waiting right now. If you don’t come to see me I’m not going to give you snuggles and cuddles. Do you hear me Mummy, that’s no more snuggles and cuddles unless you come to me very soon……. You’ve got four minutes…”

[two minutes pass]

“Mummy, is twenty more than ten? If it is it’s too many minutes. I’m not going to sleep until you come up. Do you hear me Mummy?”

Think I’d better give up playing hard to get and go to him, before I’m deprived of snuggles and cuddles, don’t you?

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy, a self employed, full time working, mummy blogger and mummy to two lovely boys and wife to Lovely Bloke. They live in Cambridge (I know, but it’s good to be clear) and have a lovely life together. Most of the time.


 

The Cambridge Mummy blog on: Who Am I?

Who Am I Liz Weston of Weston Communications has a go at working it outWho Am I? I don’t know. But I can think of some of my different personas.

1. Daughter of S and W, first in the family to go to University and my parents will die happy knowing that.

2. Sister to S and I still have the unique talent of irritating the @£$% out of him within less than one minute. No mean feat.

3. Wife to Lovely Bloke, 5 years of marriage next week and looking forward to the next 5, and the 5 after that, and the 5 after that…

4. Self employed working woman running several businesses that are all making money. Long may it last.

5. Socially aware bird who uses other mums to help run her businesses even though they aren’t always the easiest route to get something done, because I have to be more flexible with them.

6. Manager of other people’s media exposure, dreams and aspirations. And I thank my Marketing, PR and Consultancy clients for this regularly. Thank you for loving what I’m doing and letting me run wild with ideas for you all.

7. Helper of NHS Maternity Units through my publications

8. Mummy looking to get my groove back. So far, I know it involves me loosing weight and shaving my arm pits more regurarly. Other than that, it’s a work in progress.

9. Best Friend to AKT and KR. Both are the Bestest Best Friends a bird could wish to have. And I luffs them lots.

10. Mummy to E and W. Wiper of snot, remover of shoes for tired little people, participant in “gentle” sword fights, bum wiper, bedtime snuggles and cuddles provider and recipient, hand holder and raspberry on the wibbly tummy provider for the amusement of others.

11. Mummy Blogger. For me. Not for my business or anyone else. Just for me, as I sometimes find it theraputic. And my ego loves getting compliments on my writing from the likes of Sally Whittle, who tweeted about how lovely it is recently.

 

Postscript: As I’m getting into the whole postscript thing, I’ve just seen what I had as my FB status this time last year – because FB showed it to me. Funny how I’ve just written the stuff above and I was thinking the same thing this time last year!!

“I might not have the perfect body. I might not be the first choice but I’m a great choice. I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not because I’m just too damn good at being me! I might not be proud of some of the things I’ve done in the past, but I’m proud of who I am today! Take me as I am or watch as I walk away! Put this as your status if you’re proud of being you too!”

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy, a self employed, full time working, mummy blogger and mummy to two lovely boys and wife to Lovely Bloke. They live in Cambridge (I know, but it’s good to be clear) and have a lovely life together. Most of the time.




The Cambridge Mummy blog on: Shifting the flubber

Swimming for Liz Weston Cambridge Mummy Marketing Communications Expert

This is not me ;)

The one thing I don’t write about, anywhere, is my weight. Lots of other people do, and write really well about it. So for now, I just want to put it out there. I’m tired of being fat, of having problems with my tummy being so big, of having a horrible muffin top that keeps leaping out of my jeans. I know that I’m not that big, I know I could be bigger, I know I should be grateful for being who I am and looking like I do, but I want to feel better in my body.

So I’m fixing it. I’m eating less crap. And I’m swimming. And tonight I’ve done my best swim to date. 101 lengths, which are half of proper lengths, but involve lots of turning around, so I think they should count for more ;) And now I’m going to bed. Sweating. And in need of a shower in the morning.

I’ll write more positively about it tomorrow but for now I’m putting a marker in the sand. I’m going to kick my flubbers ass.

PS. If anyone could quote some research, true or otherwise, saying that if I lose weight my hair will grown quicker. There’s nothing like motivation!!!!

PPS. Image courtesy of arzunsushii.blogspot.com

 

 

Liz Weston is Cambridge Mummy, a self employed, full time working, mummy blogger and mummy to two lovely boys and wife to Lovely Bloke. They live in Cambridge (I know, but it’s good to be clear) and have a lovely life together. Most of the time.