The Most Relaxing Day Ever!

What an absolutely amazing, relaxing, chilled out day I had yesterday! My sister Dawn and I arrived at Titanic Spa at 9.30am for our Heat & Ice Experience day. We went back in January so knew what we were doing this time! After our welcome drink, we had a flick through the brochure of treatments and decided to go for a Decleor facial. So we changed into our swimwear and towelling robes and made our way to the ‘Experience Rooms’.

My favourite was the Crystal Steam Room

The Heat Experiences are: the Crystal Steam Room, Herbal Infusion Room, Aromatherapy Room,  Saunarium and Sauna cabin. The Heat & Ice Experience is all about cleansing and detoxing your body and they say it’s important to cool down after using one of the heat experiences as it helps to moderates your body temperature and also invigorates the body and stimulates the nerve endings leaving you feeling refreshed and energised.

The Cooling Experiences are: the Ice room, Plunge pool and Experience showers {an ice cold shower!} Last time we went I was too scared to go in the plunge pool but I made myself do it this time to get the best of the whole experience. Yes it was freezing but it actually felt amazing. It really made my skin tingle and feel really fresh and smooth.

Dawn had her facial at 11.00 but mine was at 12.00 so while she was having her treatment, I spent more time in the Heat & Ice Experience rooms. I went in all the different heat rooms and cooled down in the plunge pool or ice room between each heat room. It was just super relaxing and left me feeling very chilled out!

Then it was time for my facial. I’ve had a few facial’s in the past but they paled into insignificance compared to this. The therapist, cleansed, toned, exfoliated, masked and moisturised, all while massaging my face and shoulders and giving the most awesome head massage. My skin was glowing and I felt all floaty and even more relaxed when it finished!

Mega relaxing facial

Lunch was then served in the Bistro which was a buffet consisting of vegetable curry and rice, chicken in white wine sauce, new potatoes, jacket potatoes, various salads and ciabatta bread smothered in butter! It was delicious!

After lunch we had planned to have a swim, but we only managed a quick dip as the pool was really cold! So we decided to go to the Relaxation Lounge which is filled with beanbags, loungers, pillows and lovely soothing music and dimmed lighting. I got very comfy on a huge beanbag and laid back and read my kindle for a while and before I knew it I was waking up an hour later!

The Relaxation Lounge

After a quick shower, we then went back to the Bistro for afternoon tea of scones smothered in jam and clotted cream with a lovely latte for me and tea for Dawn.

It really was the most fabulous relaxing day ever. Dawn and I are both busy working mums of young children and we both felt like we deserved a day to spoil ourselves. We left feeling relaxed and refreshed {and sleepy} and made a pact that we’ll have visit again as soon as possible!

Have you ever been to a Spa? How did it make you feel?

Ten Minutes Of Peace

On Sunday the Darlings and I left Hubby in bed to have a lie in (it was his first day off in 13 days) so I made them breakfast, got them dressed, washed and teeth brushed. Put the dishes away, emptied the washing machine (cursing Oliver’s recent obsession with carrying a tissue in his pocket and me for not checking his pockets!), hung the washing out to dry, hoovered downstairs, swept the hallway, (at this point I sent Oliver to wake up hubby!) and got all our swimming stuff ready. After swimming and lunch at McDonald’s, I brought the washing in, hung our swimming stuff out to dry, put all the dry clothes away, played with Oliver,  swept the kitchen, made dinner for everyone, cleaned up the post dinner mess, changed Lydia’s exploded poo nappy, shouted at hubby for playing on his phone for the last two hours, and told him to keep the Darlings downstairs while I went for a shower.

It was bliss. Ten whole minutes to myself under a gorgeous hot shower. Those ten minutes made the stresses of the day melt away….

Then I heard two sets of little feet coming up the stairs and it was time for the bedtime mayhem to begin!

How do you relax? How often does it happen?

My lovely mothers day

What a lovely Mothers Day I had yesterday!

My day started with a nice lie in (even though I couldn’t get back to sleep… sod’s law!) Then the darlings came up with my cards (hubby had bought one from each of them) and Oliver had done some cute scribbles in them! Oliver had also made me a card at his playgroup… the sweetest card I’ve ever seen that brought a tear to my eye!

 

 Then my pressies… a beautiful mirrored butterfly picture frame, a yummy mummy cookie and two bookmarks… both made by Oliver at playgroup and toddler group!

Me and the darlings then paid a quick visit to my mum with her cards and presents… a big scented candle and a sunflower growing kit! She loved them of course.

Then the best part of my day. The darlings stayed at home with hubby whilst me and my sister joined my mum and dad at their gym for an hour in the spa! So we lazed around in the spa pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. It was amazingly relaxing and I loved every minute of it.

Source

When I got home my friend had delivered my Avon order with my new perfume that I had ordered as a Mother’s Day present to myself!

I hope you all had a fabulous Mother’s Day. How did you spend your day?

My mum is ace!

Today is International Woman’s Day and to celebrate this I thought I’d tell you how brilliant my mum is!

I had a bit of a crap day yesterday. Hubby has been abroad visiting his family this week so in typical girly fashion I managed to break the car yesterday. The handbrake to be specific!

“OK don’t panic, stay calm. You’re a 36 year old mother of two you can sort this out!”

I rang the garage and booked the car in to be fixed today. So this morning me and the darlings, dropped the car off at the garage then walked down to Oliver’s playgroup (I was helping out this morning). Mid morning the garage called me to say the car wouldn’t be ready until this afternoon. So I called my mum…

And this is what my amazing mum has done for us today:

• Picked me and the darlings up from playgroup and took us home (saving us the hassle of a bus ride with two toddlers, a pushchair, and massive changing bag!)
• Gave me a lift back to the garage to pick the car up
• Kept the darlings entertained while I was cooking dinner
• Gave my bathroom a quick clean
• Bathed the darlings
• Read Oliver’s bedtime story to him
• Washed up (a job I hate!)
• Stayed with the darlings while I nipped down to Sainsburys for birthday cards and pressies for hubby (its his birthday tomorrow)

I REALLY appreciated everything she did for us today… especially the washing up!

Don’t just celebrate your mum on Mother’s Day. 
Celebrate her every day.

*I have to say here that my dad has also done most of the above for me today (apart from the driving and washing up!) so he is equally as brilliant!*

Have you got a fantastic mum? What amazing things has she done for you today?

Bottom of the list

I was getting the darlings ready this morning… got them dressed, washed, teeth brushed, hair brushed and there was me still standing there in my nightie! I said to Oliver ‘my turn now!’ and it made me think that I’m always last… bottom of the list!

Obviously this isn’t a sudden revelation! Yesterday, I made omelettes for lunch. Hubby and the darlings sat at the table devouring them (they were very popular!), when they’d finished I cleared everything away, cleaned hands and faces (the kids, not hubby!) and finally sat down to eat my lunch! Another example of me being last.

Now I might sound like I’m moaning about being bottom of the list of priorities but I’m not, because it’s MY list of priorities. I really don’t mind being last. I had 33 years of doing whatever I wanted so now it’s time to put others – namely my children – first.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a martyr and I’m FAR from the perfect mum! I occasionally do things just for myself too. I’m having my hair cut and highlighted on Thursday afternoon and I can’t bloody wait! Two whole hours to myself, to read a magazine and have a cup of tea in peace!

A difficult conversation

Me and the darlings went for lunch at my friends house today. On the way there we drove past a cemetery and Oliver asked ‘What’s that mummy?’ I think it must be the first time he’s noticed a cemetery, although we drive past a different one all the time, but it’s behind a very high wall so he’s never really seen that one either.

Anyway, I was a bit stumped as to what to say! I don’t really like talking about death with him as he’s only 3 years old and being the type of mum I am, I want to protect him from all the sad things that happen in life. I wasn’t sure he would understand it either and if he did, it might scare him as he can be a bit sensitive. On the other hand I’m a firm believer in answering his questions (within reason!), not ignoring or fobbing him off and I try to explain things in a way he can understand. So I said to him:

‘It’s a cemetery’
‘What’s a cemetery mummy?’
‘It’s a sad place’
‘Why is it sad?’
‘People go there when they die and when people die their family is sad that they won’t see them’
‘Oh right’
End of conversation!

Maybe I said the wrong thing? Maybe I said enough for now? I feel ok about what I said and Oliver was cool with it all. I’m sure there’ll be many more conversations like this in the future!

The joys of the playgym

It snowed a bit this morning. So while I was at work I was trying to think of something to do with the darlings to get us all out of the house this afternoon. There was by no means inches of snow but it was freezing and I didn’t fancy going out in the cold today.

Anyway, I decided to go to a playgym, soft play or whatever you want to call it! So after a quick lunch (quiche with salad today) off we popped to Fizzy Lizards. We go to quite a few different playgym’s in the area but this is one of my favourites. It’s located in a huge complex called Cathedral House which also includes a coffee shop, book shop, conference facilities and 2100 seat auditorium!

Anyway, the playgym is really light and bright, having floor to ceiling windows along the full length one wall. It’s really spacious which is a big plus for me as I tend to feel a little claustrophobic in some playgyms when all the tables are tightly packed together and there are no open spaces! The cafe is brilliant too, with a really good choice of food for both adults and children… paninis, jacket potatoes, baguettes, kids meals… all yummy stuff! It also has a fab outdoor play area which is lovely when the weather permits! The only negative about the place (in my humble opinion) is it’s quite pricey. £3.50 each for entry and the food is a bit expensive too. So by the time I’ve paid for them both, bought drinks, snacks, a coffee for me, I’ve spent well over £10…. I don’t mean to sound tight because I’m not (well not much!) but I’m just comparing it to other playgyms we visit that are cheaper.

The darlings love it too! The actual playgym bit is quite small which is great for their age group as Oliver feels confident to go in by himself and Lydia can even manage to do a bit of climbing (with my help). There’s a lovely baby section too that is great for the really young ones. I must admit that I love going in too! It’s such a great workout! I’m sure I burn loads of calories climbing round after the darlings.

So what do you think about playgyms? Personally I love them and wish they’d been around when I was a kid! I do however think there’s pro’s and con’s to these places. I’m a firm believer in getting the darlings out in the fresh air and enjoying as much time as possible outdoors so I would never go to a playgym when it’s nice weather, we prefer to go to the park or playground. We had a brilliant time this afternoon though and the darlings were both tired out and fast asleep by 7pm and I’ll be in bed very soon too!

An Average Day

Today was a very average day. Work this morning was nice and busy, I’ve recently taken on a bit more responsibility in my role and I’m just getting to grips with it but really enjoying the new challenge. When I got home, hubby was collecting Oliver from playgroup so I got changed out of my work clothes and had a quick tidy round (is there any point? No. But I’m a bit of a tidy freak!) before they all arrived home.

I then made lunch for the darlings and me. They had bagels followed by fromage frais and strawberries and I had chunky veg soup. Yum! I had a quick hoover round the living room, sorted out the washing, then spent the next couple of hours playing with the darlings. About 4pm we went to my parents house for tea (chicken hotpot and Yorkshire puds!) came home at 6pm, bathed the darlings and they were both in bed asleep by 7pm!

This afternoon’s masterpiece!

So now it’s time for me to relax and chill out. Hubby is at work till 10pm so I’m going to watch some telly, have a shower, straighten my hair and have an early night with my book!

Balancing Act

Hubby is on the late shift this week which means he works from 1.30pm till 10pm. So he stays at home with the darlings while I go to work from 7.30am till 12.30pm. We kind of do a quick swap over when I get home, then he goes off to work! When he’s on the early shift (6am – 1.30pm) my parents look after the darlings. I realise we’re VERY lucky to have this arrangement so that we don’t have to pay for childcare.

Work was nice and steady today. The company I work for is a network of independent financial advisers and my department investigates complaints about them! My job is to do the admin for the department, so I deal with correspondence and requesting information from various different parties so that we can investigate the complaint. 

Me at my desk a few years ago!

This wasn’t originally my career of choice but various events have led me to where I am today! I graduated from uni in 2000 with a degree in Marketing. Shortly after graduating, I went to work for a carpet manufacturer as Marketing Assistant but a couple of years later the company closed down and I was made redundant. Luckily I was offered a job with the parent company in customer services which I took as a stop gap until I found another marketing job. Well I ended up loving the job and stayed there for 5 years! I left there to work for a bank call centre which only lasted a year as I hated it! So in January 2007 I started work for the company I’m with now, firstly as a Complaints Co-ordinator and then as Complaints Administrator when I returned to work part time after maternity leave when Oliver was born. 

I enjoy my job and work with a fab bunch of people, I feel like ‘Debra’ for a few hours a day instead of ‘Mummy’! I love the darlings with all my heart but I feel that the balance between my work and home life makes me a better, more relaxed mum!

Total Relaxation

What an absolutely amazing, relaxing, chilled out day I’ve had today! Me, my sister and my friend arrived at Titanic Spa at 9.30am for our Heat & Ice Experience day. After a quick tour of the facilities, we changed into our swimwear and towelling robes and made our way to the ‘Experience Rooms’.

We spent the morning going between, the Crystal Steam Room, the Herbal Infusion Room, the Aromatherapy Room, the Saunarium and Sauna cabin, the Ice room(!), the Plunge pool and the Experience showers! Then we had a  leisurely 30 minute swim followed by a dip in the jacuzzi and a lovely rest on the sun loungers around the pool. 

The Crystal Steam Room

Lunch was then served in the Bistro which was a buffet consisting of vegetable curry and rice, chicken in tomato sauce, new potatoes, jacket potatoes, noodle salad, potato salad, greek salad, rocket salad and ciabatta bread smothered in butter!It was delicious but probably didn’t help the diet!

Full from our lunch, we headed to the Relaxation Lounge which is filled with beanbags, loungers, pillows and lovely soothing music and dimmed lighting. I got very comfy in the beanbag pit and laid back and read my book while my sister and friend had a little snooze! When we finally emerged from the Relaxation Lounge we were surprised to discover we’d been in there for 3 hours!

The Relaxation Lounge

Then it was back to the Bistro for an afternoon tea of scones smothered in jam and clotted cream with a lovely cup of tea.

After a quick shower, we headed back home to reality… where I was greeted by the darlings with lots of big smiles, cuddles and kisses… I had a fantastic time but still missed them a bit!