tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22623973236888312822024-03-13T02:31:44.158+00:00Tiggy Poes and FlutterbysTiggy Poes and Flutterbys is a blog written by Elanor and a vlog produced by Paul.
We enjoy sharing our parenting experiences, which can often be a little mixed up - as the name suggests. Despite these high stress situations, we like to see the fun side of life and hope to share some of it with you.
Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-84689562775083547562019-01-30T12:53:00.000+00:002019-01-30T12:53:53.029+00:0030 Before 30 – Another Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wow, how is it already 2019?! Now that the end of January is just around the corner, I thought I’d re-evaluate where I am on my list of <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/06/30-before-im-30.html">30 things to do before I’m 30</a> – especially as I’ve only got four months left to complete it!<br />
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As of my <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/09/30-before-30-quick-update.html">last update</a>, I’d only managed to achieve <strong>goal 3</strong> (give birth for the last time), but I’d been attempting to make progress on my PhD, my blog schedule and spending more time with friends and family. Unfortunately, back in November, I got a diagnosis of post-natal depression and have been struggling to make much progress on anything, let alone this list, so there’s still very little change. Regardless, I thought I’d do a wee post to sum up, and possibly inspire me to continue:</div>
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<strong>Completed Goals</strong></div>
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<strong>3. Give birth for the last time</strong> – as mentioned in my <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/09/30-before-30-quick-update.html">previous update</a></div>
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<strong>4. Help someone else who has experienced the pain of miscarriage</strong> – this was always going to be a difficult one to measure or be certain of, but since writing the original list, I’ve had emails from people asking about my chromosome problem and whether there’s hope for them to have children. I’ve also had messages from people saying how my blog has helped them, or people they know, through difficult times – I’m therefore counting this goal as achieved!</div>
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<strong>8. Visit another Hard Rock</strong> – if you’ve been following me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiggypoes/">Instagram</a>, you’ll know that I’m just back from our anniversary trip to Amsterdam, where we managed to tick another café off the list… next stop, Krakow!<br />
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- My boss has now emailed saying he’ll be feeding back some more of my thesis, so that is progress towards <strong>goal 1</strong>, and I’ve also been looking and applying for jobs (<strong>goal 2</strong>).</div>
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- I’ve started the 5:2 diet again (<strong>goal 5</strong>), and had managed to lose a stone before Christmas, but I’ve not stepped back on the scales since because I’m frightened to see the damage, haha!</div>
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- I’ve booked a trip away to Poland with my Mum and one of my bridesmaids, so this definitely counts towards progress on a girls’ holiday (<strong>goal 7</strong>), even if we will be going a week after I turn 30!</div>
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- I recently had a boozy evening with Paul’s sister, Nicole, and I’ve been going on a few cake dates with my Mum and other friends, so I’ve been attempting to work on <strong>goal 10</strong> – spending more time with friends and family. There are still days where I feel like I could making more effort, but I’m counting this as an improvement.</div>
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- I’ve been steadily trying to grow my Instagram followers, and am now just over 100 away from target (<strong>goal 17</strong>), but the blog schedule has definitely taken a nose dive… I’m hoping to improve once I get a handle on my depression, but I’m trying to avoid putting too much pressure on myself.</div>
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- There is a loose agreement in the diary to climb Ben Lomond (<strong>goal 22</strong>), but nothing set in stone yet – perhaps there’ll be more chat once the weather improves!</div>
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- Lastly, I have just managed to fully complete (with a bit of Paul’s help) the Spyro Reignited Trilogy on Xbox, so that’s one out of three for <strong>goal 24</strong>!</div>
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Overall, a bit more progress since last time, but I’m still looking at over half of my goals with absolutely no progress whatsoever. In a bid to try and be a bit happier, I’m not going to put myself under too much pressure to complete them, but I’ll be steadily upping the effort over the next few months – hopefully by May I will have more ticked off the list!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-51829152397755059342018-10-16T14:44:00.001+01:002018-10-16T14:44:59.967+01:00Reading Again With Paper Cut Outs<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been such a long time since I last read a book - our ‘Readers’ book club has died a sad little death, and when it comes to relaxing once the kids are in bed, escaping with a book is usually the last thing on my mind! Saying all this though, I’ve found myself getting increasingly sucked into the black hole of social media comparison, and beating myself up about my imagined flaws etc, so it’s probably about time I switched off and enjoyed a treat from the literary world!</div>
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It was only a couple of weeks ago, when I was casually scrolling through my blogger inbox, that I noticed an email asking if I was interested in reviewing the latest novel by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/razrix/" rel="nofollow">Raz Rix</a> – a 20 year old aspiring author and musician from South Africa. This felt like just the push I needed to remind myself that I am actually able to read things a little more complex than pooping dinosaurs - much as I love anything by Tom Fletcher – so I jumped at the chance to try it out!</div>
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Paper Cut Outs is the second novel by Raz, and a standalone work which gives a brief glimpse into the life of a seventeen year old girl as she bridges the gap between high school and college, across a summer punctuated with catastrophic life events. Aimed at the young adult population, Raz attempts to address some of the feelings and experiences common to many teenagers as they face the pressures of sex and drugs within today’s society.</div>
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The novel is written from the first person standpoint, through the eyes of Teagan Foster, with the story unfolding approximately two months after the tragic death of her younger sister. Teagan lives with her twin brother, his best friend Caleb and her mother, who seems to be hated by everyone. Her father moved out the previous month, after discovering her mother’s infidelity, and has not had much to do with the family since. She is then plunged into the middle of a new family, and the associated social group of her new sibling, where her relationship boundaries are tested to their limits. There is heartbreak, betrayal and a considerable amount of self-loathing, all of which seem to be common occurrences in the life of your average teenager.</div>
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Despite the fact that I was once a teenager myself, I found it very difficult to relate to this main character. While I can’t comment on how I would feel after the death of a sibling, or being piggy-in-the-middle of an unfaithful marriage, the rest of the turmoil encountered by Teagan seemed a little far-fetched. Perhaps it’s my experience of being a teen mum but, throughout the story, I could only think about how trivial her problems seemed in relation to the grand scheme of things, although I’m sure my (almost teen) daughter would disagree! Due to this huge difference of opinion, I was left feeling distanced from Teagan, which then made it very difficult to engage properly with the story. That’s not to say the novel wouldn’t appeal to other audiences, I just don’t think it was a fit with me.</div>
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Regardless of my opinion, Raz has achieved an amazing feat by publishing her stories for the world to read - it’s not something that I’d be able to do, and I admire her drive and determination! If I could offer any advice, or perhaps constructive criticism, it would be to spend a bit more time polishing the kinks out of the finished product. There were a number of times that I found minor spelling or grammatical errors, which disrupted the flow of my reading. I also wonder if the whole novel would benefit from being presented in the form of diary entries, as I feel that this could dispel some of the confusion which older readers may encounter.</div>
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Have any of you guys read either of Raz Rix’s novels? Perhaps you enjoyed her debut novel, ‘Just Your Average Girl’, and would recommend it to others?<br />
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<em>*I was sent a copy of Paper Cut Outs for the purpose of a review, but all opinions discussed within this blog post are my own.</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-86790045176234093132018-10-02T12:56:00.000+01:002018-10-02T12:56:22.484+01:00Five Things I Love About This Time Of Year<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, but as it's now October, and Halloween appeals so much to my sense of consumerism, I thought I’d share five things that I love about this time of year:<br />
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<strong>1. Halloween Themed Food</strong></div>
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I’ve always had a bit of a sweet tooth and, although it’s not the healthiest, I’ve been using food as a small form of enjoyment recently. Last year, M&S gave my favourite crisps a Halloween twist so, when I saw that they were also back again this year, I made sure to grab myself a couple of bags! Halloween Percy’s have made a comeback too, and have been joined by ‘Count Colin the Caterpillar’ which I picked up for the kids. As a huge fan of Skittles, all I needed was a 'limited edition' label to be slapped on the packet, and I was persuaded into picking up whatever flavours were on offer! This version was labelled ‘sweet heat’ and, although I’ve not opened them yet, I’m curious to see what everyone thinks when we share them out on our Friday treat night!</div>
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<strong>2. Limited Edition Yankee Candles</strong></div>
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I love that the seasons have now changed and we are having more cosy nights in. These cosy nights are, more often than not, accompanied by the welcoming homely scent of a delicious Yankee Candle. I think Paul would have a fit if I filled our house up with any more candles, so I’ve not bought any this year, but it won’t be long before I dig out the candy corn and forbidden apple ones that I’ve bought in previous years!<br />
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<strong>3. Seasonal Bath and Body Products</strong></div>
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I used to write blog posts specifically dedicated to the different seasonal ranges that Lush released each year. Given that I’m currently on unpaid maternity leave, I couldn’t justify spending the money on the ever increasing cost of my Lush habit, but I did manage to treat myself to a wee bath bomb and shower gel. I’ve also been having a problem with extremely dry hands recently, so I was pleased to see that the body shop have released their vanilla pumpkin range again – the little tubes of hand cream are fantastic!<br />
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<strong>4. The Return of my Fav TV Programmes</strong></div>
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We don’t get much chance to go out in the evenings, so TV is a huge form of entertainment in our house. As this is how me and Paul to spend the majority of our evenings together, it’s far more enjoyable if we are watching shows which we are both interested in. While I absolutely love American Horror Story, the show we are both eagerly awaiting the return of is The Walking Dead, which should appear on our screens again next week!<br />
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<strong>5. Scary/Gory Xbox Gaming</strong></div>
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For those of you who don’t know us, we are all huge fans of Xbox in this house. The kids favour games like Minecraft and various instalments of the Lego franchise, whereas me and Paul much prefer the social aspect of online gaming with friends around the world. I know you don’t need a specific season to play scary or gory video games, but I always seem to enjoy them more around Halloween time. ‘Dead By Daylight’ is a particular favourite of mine, and I’m hoping I can convince Lesley and Paul to jump on with me so that we can all enjoy some Halloween themed achievement hunting together!<br />
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What do you guys enjoy about Halloween? Are there any seasonal products that you’ve taken a liking too?</div>
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-38766705513316626502018-09-25T13:20:00.000+01:002018-09-25T13:20:11.602+01:0030 Before 30 – A Quick Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
Back in June, I wrote a list of <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/06/30-before-im-30.html">30 things that I want to do/achieve before I’m 30</a>, with the whole idea being that surely I could stick to something if I wrote it down where people could see! Given that I’m now four months into my 30th year, I thought I should re-evaluate how much I’ve managed to tick off the list…</div>
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The answer – not much!</div>
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So far, I’ve only managed to achieve one of my goals – 3. Give birth for the last time! Our beautiful little girl, Iris, came in to the world on Sunday the 19th August 2018 and we’ve been enjoying every moment since! As such, it’s been very difficult to get anything done now that we are a family of five, especially when that involves transporting the whole brood somewhere. I knew that babies take up a lot of one’s time, but that feels like the understatement of the century as I sit here practically drowning in laundry! Despite this I’m determined to make a bigger dent in my list over the next four months, I don’t want to leave everything to the last third of my year!</div>
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Now that Paul has been back at work for a couple of weeks, we are starting to get established in our own wee routine and I’m definitely in a better mind set to get stuff done, allowing for some progress towards the remainder of my goals:</div>
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- I’m not any further forward with my PhD thesis (<strong>Goal 1</strong>), but I did email my boss today, so I’m counting that as progress!</div>
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- I’ve arranged to meet a few blogger friends for cake in a couple of weeks, and I’m trying to set up monthly dates with me and my Mum, so I’m counting this as progress towards <strong>Goal 10</strong> – spending more time with friends and family.</div>
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- The fact that I’m forcing myself to sit down and write this post, less than a week after my <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2018/09/iris-birth-story.html">last post</a>, is evidence that I’m at least trying to stick to a semi-regular blog schedule again (<strong>Goal 18</strong>).</div>
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As for everything else on the list, they continue to be works in progress. If you check back with me in January, I hope to have more to update you with. Unfortunately, any of my goals which involve significant travel are likely to stay unfinished before my birthday. Money is just too much of an issue for us right now, and is likely to remain so… unless we win the lottery, ha!<br />
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Do any of you guys have a list of things you want to do in life? What goals are you working towards?<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-31463624511284566422018-09-19T20:57:00.000+01:002018-09-19T20:57:10.651+01:00Iris’ Birth Story<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gosh, how is it that my little squidge is one month old today?! As is the common theme with most of my blog posts these days, I’d been meaning to get this written for a while now, but the general chaos of newborn life has been holding things up slightly – I take my hat off to all those mothers I see on Instagram who totally seem to have their shit together, I don’t know how you guys do it! Anyway, without further ado, here’s how my latest wee cherub came in to the world…<br />
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For the whole of this pregnancy, I was convinced I wouldn’t go full term. I wasn’t necessarily expecting to have a preemie, but I’d been working on the assumption that subsequent children always come out faster and sooner than their previous siblings. Couple that with the LLETZ treatment (large loop excision of the transformation zone) I’d had on my cervix <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-greatest-gift-this-holiday-season.html">a few years ago</a>, and I was sure that this pregnancy would end at least a few weeks before the 40 week eviction date – as it turned out, Iris would be my most overdue baby yet!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ogk2dwa92EI/W6Kgo0FjqEI/AAAAAAAABbU/CqtCBc4j-vgen8QjdvTMQ3nETSLKJK0nwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ogk2dwa92EI/W6Kgo0FjqEI/AAAAAAAABbU/CqtCBc4j-vgen8QjdvTMQ3nETSLKJK0nwCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_5326.JPG" width="240" /></a>At my 37 week appointment, they suspected she was breech and I had to have a scan to check her orientation. When that confirmed she was actually head down, I relaxed a little, but all subsequent appointments revealed that her head wasn’t engaged, so I couldn’t be offered a sweep. This didn’t worry me too much at first, but when it was still the case at 40+4, I broke down in tears while my midwife and her student tried to be sympathetic. I’d had horrible anxiety the whole way through my pregnancy, and I was now at the stage where I just wanted everything to be over! Thankfully, when they took into account the reduced movement scares that I'd had at various stages throughout the later weeks, they phoned the antenatal ward and arranged for me to be seen in the hospital.</div>
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When we arrived on the ward, I was hooked up to a foetal heart rate monitor and looked after for a couple of hours. After, once again, confirming that everything looked fine, a lovely doctor then took me along for a final ultrasound and said the words I’d been longing to hear… ‘we can induce you tomorrow if you’d like?’</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq8BhePF-2o/W6KhJWR7SLI/AAAAAAAABbY/LT12GJxhruw9Zg_CsMzySc1qWW0pG9IEwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq8BhePF-2o/W6KhJWR7SLI/AAAAAAAABbY/LT12GJxhruw9Zg_CsMzySc1qWW0pG9IEwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5317.JPG" width="240" /></a>Of course I would, get me in that diary!!!</div>
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In my hurry to get things moving, I’d almost forgotten that ‘tomorrow’ also happened to be my other daughter’s birthday and I couldn’t help but feel bad that I’d now be spending it in the hospital. Unfortunately, if we declined the induction appointment (which was a Friday), I’d have to wait until the following Monday for another appointment, something I don’t think my anxiety levels would allow! This way, we could also guarantee childcare with our parents over the weekend, even if it did mean celebrating her birthday a little differently this year.<br />
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Armed with my trusty leaflets about everything I should expect, we left the hospital for the final time as an expectant couple, and grabbed the traditional ‘pre-labour McDonalds’ for our last supper before the chaos ensued.</div>
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<strong>Friday</strong></div>
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We turned up at the hospital promptly for our 11.30 appointment. I was examined, with the hope that they’d immediately be able to break my waters, only for the midwife to tell me I was barely 1 cm dilated. She also said that all she could feel was scar tissue on my cervix, which would likely mean that any further dilation would fail to progress until right before birth, when it would just ‘spring open’. This was apparently another side effect of the LLETZ treatment, meaning that, rather than experiencing pre-term labour, I was stuck with a non-cooperating cervix, which could eventually result in a c-section if dilation still failed… great!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2JZT_0y6dE/W6KherZRs-I/AAAAAAAABbg/SiNe_GoDMMozQPHHJt01EbOWzS2k5ZkAwCLcBGAs/s1600/3c6fdca3-6b8a-4288-89fb-b65fd8e769f8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2JZT_0y6dE/W6KherZRs-I/AAAAAAAABbg/SiNe_GoDMMozQPHHJt01EbOWzS2k5ZkAwCLcBGAs/s320/3c6fdca3-6b8a-4288-89fb-b65fd8e769f8.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After this rather disheartening conversation, I was given the drug ‘Propess’, which is a small tampon-like thing which is inserted and releases prostaglandins gradually over a 24 hour period. I was also strapped up to another heart rate monitor and told that I couldn’t be re-examined until 12 hours had passed, as they didn’t want to risk infections by checking too often. Given that 12 hours meant a late night/early morning examination, I’d resigned myself to the fact that Paul would be heading home by himself, while I spent the night on the ward.</div>
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This wouldn’t have been so bad but, no sooner had he left, horrific snoring erupted from not one, but two of the other patients in the room! Eventually, at about 3am, one of the midwives took pity on me and moved me to a private room, where I could attempt to get some sort of rest before another day of waiting for baby.</div>
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<strong>Saturday</strong></div>
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Paul arrived back at the hospital for 9am, complete with a rubber exercise ball to try and speed things along. We spent the day bouncing and playing cards, interspersed with a few walking trips around the hospital… thankfully, the hospital was big enough that it counted steps on Pokémon Go, so we were able to hatch a few eggs in the midst of our boredom!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8whaEFe5SOk/W6Kig4poSLI/AAAAAAAABbs/X7uZNnSdn40hCiCs1b83sSTcocVIUh_mwCLcBGAs/s1600/1f29765e-77f4-4e8d-8034-60d48ca9f877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8whaEFe5SOk/W6Kig4poSLI/AAAAAAAABbs/X7uZNnSdn40hCiCs1b83sSTcocVIUh_mwCLcBGAs/s320/1f29765e-77f4-4e8d-8034-60d48ca9f877.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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The 24 hours from the initial insertion of Propess came around, and an examination showed that I wasn’t any further along than when we’d started. I’d had a few contractions here and there, but if I fell asleep, or stopped moving for any length of time, they completely stopped. It was now time to progress to the stronger ‘Prostin’, which was another dose or prostaglandins, but in the form of a gel or tablet, rather than the irritating tampon thing. Examinations could now be increased to 6-hourly, but I wasn’t holding out any hope that birth would be happening anytime soon.</div>
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I was examined again right before ‘kicking out’ time for Paul, only to be told that I was still at 1 cm! I now had visions of a week-long induction, with an eventual c-section my only hope of it ending! I begrudgingly said goodbye to Paul, for the second night in a row, hoping that Sunday would be more promising.</div>
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<strong>Sunday</strong></div>
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Pretty soon after Paul left on the Saturday night, I started having contractions that finally felt strong enough to need pain killers. The antenatal ward are only able to issue paracetamol and co-codamol, so I took what I could and tried to settle down for the night. At about 2am, I was woken by a midwife checking on another patient, but something felt a bit odd… I got up for the toilet and felt a sudden gush of warm liquid – my waters had broken!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaOrAmixNEk/W6Ki4tl2VmI/AAAAAAAABb0/R-ni2orDVR0mqH8rx0vkLS0aCLbj5f5XACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaOrAmixNEk/W6Ki4tl2VmI/AAAAAAAABb0/R-ni2orDVR0mqH8rx0vkLS0aCLbj5f5XACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1146.jpg" width="240" /></a>I was examined to double check, and then the labour ward was contacted to expect my arrival. After three attempts of phoning Paul, I eventually got hold of him to relay the exciting development, although the poor guy had only managed to get one hour of sleep!</div>
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Everything now seemed to be moving super quick! I was escorted down to the labour ward, and given one of the rooms with a birthing pool – although I was told that women undergoing induction are not able to have a water birth. Paul arrived, rather breathless, and we were told to relax for a few hours while we waited for my labour to progress.</div>
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By about 5am I was strapped on to a monitor again and, despite my contractions feeling much stronger, an examination again revealed that my cervix was still only 1 cm dilated! By this point, I was getting pretty tired and felt gas and air was a necessity. I’d forgotten how much I loved it, providing I remembered to stop before making myself sick! Due to the slow progress, the midwife checked with a doctor and told us that a Syntocinon drip would now be required in order to speed things along properly. I’d had the same drip when in labour with Megan, so I knew what to expect, but I had no idea the labour ward only used wide bore needles, so it took an age to get everything set up properly.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUpT3OMjKH8/W6KjEhCk9FI/AAAAAAAABb4/K03_A2WO4EIimT0N8dA8IyaX2vGraoEEQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUpT3OMjKH8/W6KjEhCk9FI/AAAAAAAABb4/K03_A2WO4EIimT0N8dA8IyaX2vGraoEEQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5351.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After trying both arms, huge amounts of sobbing from me and fetching a consultant doctor with more drip experience, I was finally set up for the final stretch of labour. Contractions quickly sped up, and the intensity meant that I was crying out for my usual labour choice of morphine in order to make it through.</div>
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The rest of the labour was pretty hazy, but I remember finally being told I was at 8 cm and that it wouldn’t be much longer. When I felt the need to pee, but couldn’t go, I knew that baby was definitely on her way, and after that, I started trying to push with every contraction. My midwife ran out to fetch a student, who was trying to gain more birth experience, and within a minute of them returning, Iris was born!</div>
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She was plopped on belly, choosing that precise moment to shower everyone in poop, while Paul had a bit of a hard time cutting the cord. She was then whisked off for a bit of assistance breathing, before being returned, suitably cleaned and lovingly placed in Paul’s arms. After just over two full days in hospital, we were now the proud parents of a beautiful 8lb 10oz little miracle – I couldn’t quite believe it!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ndtb166tFow/W6KjLyCk3PI/AAAAAAAABcA/uhlwJKIifuseYwI-v6q-y50DJHcpyei5gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ndtb166tFow/W6KjLyCk3PI/AAAAAAAABcA/uhlwJKIifuseYwI-v6q-y50DJHcpyei5gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5366.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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We spent the next few hours enjoying the wonderful feeling of peace that followed her birth. Knowing that this would definitely be the last time we would experience this, it was important for us to take in every special moment before we were surrounded by other people again. I was pretty hazy, due to the morphine, but Paul did a fantastic job of caring for his new daughter – I didn’t have to change a nappy until after he left that evening!</div>
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I’m so grateful to have been given the wonderful opportunity of becoming a mother again. After the trials of last year, I can’t quite believe my luck at having such a perfect wee bundle to care for again! It’s crazy to think we are now a family of 5… we should probably think about buying that new car now, haha!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRoWmjgzHoU/W6KjSAkrmbI/AAAAAAAABcE/GBr3mNT3VRwOoNUcdaMjED9ENyTvVQLhgCLcBGAs/s1600/D1CCF6D7-8E79-48E3-AB2F-48DD33056A1A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRoWmjgzHoU/W6KjSAkrmbI/AAAAAAAABcE/GBr3mNT3VRwOoNUcdaMjED9ENyTvVQLhgCLcBGAs/s1600/D1CCF6D7-8E79-48E3-AB2F-48DD33056A1A.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iris Ruby Drina Shanks 19/08/18</td></tr>
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Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-40176499871426149172018-09-03T12:53:00.000+01:002018-09-03T15:56:27.680+01:00Guess That Sound With Soundiculous!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Man, I’d forgotten what it was like to look after a newborn – the constant feeding, the lack of sleep and the specific cry all babies seem to have (which nature has programmed us to drop everything for) has really been challenging for us this past couple of weeks. Even this blog post, which would normally take me a couple of hours, has been dragging out for days! Despite these new commitments, we’ve still been trying to have fun as a family, even though activities are interrupted a little more often than usual. As such, when I was contacted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gamelygames" rel="nofollow">Gamely Ltd</a>, creators of the hilarious card game <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2016/03/an-evening-of-hilarity-with-randomise.html">Randomise</a>, to review another of their recently launched products, I saw this as an excellent opportunity to have a laugh at a recent big family birthday.<br />
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Soundiculous is another easily transportable card game, perfect for parties, travelling or a random night of hilarity in the pub! The premise of the game is pretty simple, and not all that different to charades, except the rules are completely reversed. This means that, rather than silently acting out whatever appears on the card in front of you, now you are only allowed to make the sound of the thing you are trying to describe – no gestures allowed! Sounds are listed on a selection of different cards, each with an assigned difficulty rating on the back (easy, medium or hard). These cards are placed face down on the table (so only the difficulty rating is visible) and players then take it in turns to choose a card and attempt to make whatever sound is on the reverse, with points awarded depending on difficulty (1 – easy, 2 – medium, 3 – hard) and only if the sound is guessed correctly.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dK2jrK4SyMI/W40cd2VX4HI/AAAAAAAABas/lYN9KS6O4ysNKhvOiwfvLskid_DNNnj0QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dK2jrK4SyMI/W40cd2VX4HI/AAAAAAAABas/lYN9KS6O4ysNKhvOiwfvLskid_DNNnj0QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5450.JPG" width="320" /></a>For a first attempt, the instructions suggested that we only use easy and medium cards, which was just as well, considering that even the easy options were difficult to guess – although Paul impersonating a turkey was one of the highlights of the evening! The medium options almost completely finished us off when we spent ages trying (and failing) to guess ‘washing machine’, followed by another confused attempt at making ‘restaurant’ noises. About halfway through, Logan (aged 5) decided he wanted to join in, but didn’t quite grasp the concept when he performed his sound and then immediately told us what it was! After exhausting all the cards laid out on the table, Paul’s Dad emerged victorious with a grand total of 16 points, which was unsurprising given the superior skill level he demonstrated throughout the game!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gfh7W2AfeXY/W40czySrNKI/AAAAAAAABa4/U20Ws8-h4fwsNMzp8AzBTDdVcESAP73yQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gfh7W2AfeXY/W40czySrNKI/AAAAAAAABa4/U20Ws8-h4fwsNMzp8AzBTDdVcESAP73yQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5398.JPG" width="240" /></a>Before tidying everything away, we did take a look at some of the ‘hard’ options, but decided that they were best incorporated bit by bit into any future games, especially when ‘cello’, ‘panda’ and ‘wrestling’ are among the options. Paul did his best to attempt these, but I would definitely recommend some practice and restricting your alcohol consumption before embarking on a challenging ‘hard’ game!<br />
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Overall, we definitely enjoyed playing Soundiculous, with many of us calling out for a rematch over the course of the weekend! The game is aimed at 3-10 players, but I would suggest that you should ideally aim for the latter number in order the get full enjoyment. It is also aimed at ages 8+, a statement I would definitely agree with considering Logan’s aforementioned involvement!<br />
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If you are curious and fancy trying Soundiculous for yourself, it is available from <a href="https://www.johnlewis.com/gamely-ltd-soundiculous-card-game/p3503256?searchTerm=soundiculous" rel="nofollow">John Lewis</a> at a price of £11.99, brilliant value for the hours of fun you’ll experience! Gamely Ltd also manufacture <a href="https://www.johnlewis.com/gamely-ltd-randomise-card-game/p3503222" rel="nofollow">Randomise</a> (as mentioned earlier) and <a href="https://www.johnlewis.com/gamely-ltd-the-pretender-card-game/p3503217" rel="nofollow">The Pretender</a>, both of which can also be purchased from John Lewis at the same price.<br />
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If you’ve played any of these games, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section, the guys at Gamely Ltd really do have fantastic imaginations!<br />
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<i>*I was gifted my Soundiculous game, but all opinions discussed within this blog post are my own.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-38551706143318324282018-07-24T13:37:00.000+01:002018-07-24T13:37:04.693+01:00What’s In My Hospital Bag?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Man, I feel like I’ve totally dropped out of the blogging bubble again! Once my thesis was finally out of the way, I had all these great ideas for posts and content, but this pregnancy has really taken it out of me, especially with the horrible heatwave we’ve been experiencing! I’ve also become a bit of a night owl, which is frustrating because I’m then left exhausted during the day, and requiring constant naps to maintain my energy levels. I’m fed up and sore, and I’m counting the days until I get to hold my wee bundle of joy… pregnancy definitely seems to get harder the more times you do it!</div>
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Sunday saw us reach the full term 37 week mark, so I thought it was finally time to think about packing the hospital bag. I’ve seen a few other bloggers do similar posts, and I found them very helpful, so I thought I’d share what I’m planning to take to the hospital for those who are interested:<br />
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<strong>For Mum</strong></div>
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- <strong> Nightwear (dressing down, PJs, nightie, slippers)</strong> – I don’t plan on packing anything specific to give birth in (the hospital gown is fine for me), but for afters, I’ve got front opening nightwear to make breastfeeding a little easier. The example in the picture is from <a href="https://www.happymama.co.uk/">Happy Mama</a>, who do a range of stylish clothing with much more choice than you get in the usual high street shops!</div>
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- <strong> Daywear</strong> – On my previous times in hospital, I’ve mostly stayed dressed in the nightwear, as I’ve never been in for that long before discharging myself. This time around, there’s mention of a c-section (as my baby is currently breech) so I’ve packed some leggings and nursing t-shirts (again purchased from Happy Mama) in order to help me feel a bit more human, post-birth!</div>
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- <strong> Socks</strong> – The midwives have been telling us about how women in labour literally get ‘cold feet’, so I purchased a 5-pack from Tesco for the bargain price of £2.50!</div>
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- <strong> Nursing Bras</strong> – As I’m hoping to breast feed, I’ve bought another couple of nursing bras to make the process easier. The previous times I’ve had babies, the selection on offer didn’t appear to be very fashionable, but Mothercare seemed to have a pretty decent selection this time around.</div>
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- <strong> Breast Pads</strong> – Whether breastfeeding or not, your boobs will leak, so it’s important to have a stash of breast pads to avoid any embarrassing t-shirt disasters, especially when your baby is crying! The ones I have were among the goodies supplied in our <a href="https://www.parentclub.scot/baby-box">Scottish Baby Box</a>, which we received a few weeks ago.</div>
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- <strong> Maternity Pads</strong> – One of the less glamorous aspects of giving birth is definitely the blood loss afterwards, which seems to make up for the fact that you’ve not had a period for the past 9 months! You will need some heavy duty pads to avoid any accidental leakage, although they are not always the most comfortable things to wear. I’ve gone for the cheap ones supplied with the aforementioned Baby Box for the initial blood loss, followed by some comfier Always maxi pads for later, which seem to help ease any discomfort associated with stitches. Regardless of what you choose, make sure not to get anything too absorbent, as it’s important to change pads regularly after giving birth, to avoid the risk of infection.</div>
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- <strong> Big Pants!</strong> – In order to house these monstrously big pads, you will need some big pants to go along with them! I picked up a 5-pack from M&S (£12), but there are places where you can get cheaper alternatives. My Mum also supplied me with some disposable maternity pants, so I don’t have to wash any of the initial ones that I wear.</div>
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- <strong> Toilet bag and toiletries</strong> – I used <a href="http://www.little-blog-of-horrors.com/2018/02/whats-in-my-hospital-bag.html#more">Ayden’s hospital bag post</a> to keep myself right when trying to remember what toiletries to take. I settled on the 3 for 2 holiday miniatures offer in Boots, and picked up: shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, face wipes, deodorant, and a miniature toothbrush and toothpaste.</div>
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- <strong> Towels</strong> – I’m never sure if the hospital will have enough towels for the shower, so I’m packing my own spare ones, just in case!</div>
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-<strong> Magicool Cooling Facial Spray</strong> – This is the one item I’ve always had during labour, and it really does make a difference! My midwife even admitted that she loves it when ladies bring it into the labour ward as they often offer it to her too!</div>
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- <strong> Snacks</strong> – Labour can often be a very long experience and, while the hospital will provide you with some food throughout your stay, it’s sometimes nicer to have your own wee treats on hand. I’ve gone for some sports Lucozade drinks, some banana flavoured Japanese snacks, some Kinder Bueno and a personalised bar of chocolate that my pal Lesley gave me at our baby shower!</div>
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- <strong> Lip Balm</strong> – This is an easy one to forget, but your lips can get very dry during Labour, especially if you are using gas and air. Megan spotted a cheap cherry flavoured one the last time we were at the shops, so I picked up that for the hospital.</div>
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- <strong> Hair Bobbles</strong> – Another easy one to forget, and definitely something to consider as your hair will get awful sweaty during labour!</div>
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- <strong> Nipple Cream</strong> – From my own experiences of breast feeding, I know that nipples can get very sore and cracked. Packing a good nipple cream is definitely an essential item!</div>
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- <strong> Plastic Bag for Dirty Washing</strong> – You don’t want to get anything else dirty when you’re throwing all your stuff together when you’re discharged.</div>
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- <strong> Maternity Tankini</strong> – just in case a water birth becomes an option!</div>
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This is by no means a full and complete list, but more a guide to give ideas for things to include. My baby list is much more concise, as they actually seem to be easier to pack for!<br />
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<strong>For Baby</strong></div>
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- <strong> Sleepsuits</strong> – we went for ‘newborn’ or ‘up to 1 month’, I’m just hoping we don’t have a big baby!</div>
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- <strong> Vests</strong> – I’ve packed more of these as they are worn under both sleepsuits and regular clothes.</div>
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- <strong> Hat</strong> – Babies are always given woollen hats as soon as they are born, but I’ve also packed a cotton one too.</div>
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- <strong> Scratch Mits</strong> – Baby fingernails are sharp!</div>
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- <strong> Socks</strong> – for tiny tiny feet!</div>
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- <strong> Bibs</strong> – not that they will be drinking a whole lot of milk, but it keeps clothes fresh in case of spit-up.</div>
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- <strong> Muslin Squares</strong> – These are also helpful with spit-up</div>
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- <strong> Going Home Outfit</strong> – I always love to dress my kids in proper clothes for leaving the hospital, as I always associate sleepsuits with bed time.</div>
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- <strong> Blanket</strong> – Megan looked out one of her baby blankets from when she was born, so I’ve washed that and popped it in the bag too!</div>
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- <strong> Nappies</strong> – The hospital will provide nappies, but they are starting to ask people to bring their own where possible. The pack I've got came from one of the <a href="https://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/">Emma's Diary</a> gift packs.</div>
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- <strong> Wipes</strong> – they are so much easier than using cotton wool and water, and are not currently provided by hospitals.</div>
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- <strong> Small Stash of Nappy Bags</strong> – For obvious reasons…</div>
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- <strong> Car Seat</strong> – no hospital will let you leave without a car seat, so make sure you have it ready for the big event!</div>
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I think these two lists cover most of what I’m taking, but there are obviously some extra bits and bobs that can’t be packed until the last minute. For me, those things are: hospital notes, make-up bag, glasses and contact lenses, phone and charger, hairbrush and my pregnancy vitamins that I’m still working my way through. Thankfully, all of these items fit comfortably into both of the bags, although the snacks do have to go in the baby bag, ha! I’m also toying with the idea of taking my hairdryer and straighteners, but I’m not sure if the midwives will approve!<br />
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Hopefully this has been helpful to those of you who’ve read until the end, I’m sure it won’t be long until I’m following up this post with a birth story!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-49572880720150073552018-06-13T19:59:00.000+01:002018-06-13T19:59:58.884+01:0030 Before I’m 30!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I’ve never really bothered with milestone birthdays before – turning 18 wasn’t really much of a thing for me given my new parenthood status, and 21 doesn’t seem to hold the same significance as it does elsewhere in the world. I wasn’t even aware that people make a big deal about their 25th until I met Paul, shortly before he reached his. In any case, I will be turning 30 next May, and the change in the first number of my age hasn’t happened for a while, so I guess I should mark it with something!<br />
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A couple of bloggers I follow also recently wrote similar posts on this subject and, while I share <a href="http://www.tobyandroo.com/things-i-want-to-do-before-i-turn-30/">Harriet’s</a> sentiment about being perfectly okay with getting older, I also love lists just as much as <a href="http://www.little-blog-of-horrors.com/2018/04/30-before-30.html">Ayden</a> seems to, so I thought I’d throw together a collection of short term goals for the last year of my twenties…</div>
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<strong>1. Finish my PhD</strong></div>
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It’s been a long time coming, but I’m hopeful that the next few months will finally see an end to my time in education – it’ll be such a great feeling to leave the stress of studying behind as I enter a new decade!</div>
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<strong>2. Get my first proper job!</strong></div>
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You know, one where I pay tax, national insurance and maybe even contribute to a pension scheme, like a responsible adult!</div>
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<strong>3. Give birth for the last time</strong></div>
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Okay, so this one is pretty much going to happen anyway! Our last wee baby is due this August, and I’ll be glad to put an end to the stresses associated with procreation, especially with all the hassle we’ve experienced. I always said that I didn’t want to be having any more babies after 30, but Paul always wanted a family of three kids, so I’ll be glad to tick this off the list!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-moq9Kf0hPkY/WyFdjn0U_mI/AAAAAAAABZY/3gN3fpbXkx8rqM8Jfi8n8WLeVIzH-y91gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-moq9Kf0hPkY/WyFdjn0U_mI/AAAAAAAABZY/3gN3fpbXkx8rqM8Jfi8n8WLeVIzH-y91gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4153.JPG" width="320" /></a><strong>4. Help someone else who has experienced the pain of miscarriage</strong></div>
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I’ve been really open about my experiences by documenting them on my blog, and there has been a pretty positive response, but I’m keen to be able to use these experiences to help others. Whether setting up some sort of help group, or raising money for charity, I don’t want other women to feel the loneliness that we experienced. All loss is painful and no one should feel that their pain is insignificant.</div>
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<strong>5. Reach a healthy weight again</strong></div>
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I dieted after Logan was born, and managed to lose a significant amount of weight, but I feel that it left me with an unhealthy relationship with food. This time, I’m less concerned about the specific numbers and more with how I feel, I just want to look good in clothes again!</div>
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<strong>6. Run a 5K</strong></div>
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In line with reaching a healthy weight, I’m hoping that I can finally build up enough stamina to take part in a proper run, although I feel anything more than a 5K would be a bit ambitious!</div>
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<strong>7. Finally go on a girl’s holiday</strong></div>
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I’m sure this is something that most people have done after leaving school, but having kids young meant that I missed out on this particular life event. I’d love to get a bunch of girlfriends together and go on a European city break for a long weekend, although preferably somewhere not too expensive.</div>
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<strong>8. Visit another Hard Rock</strong></div>
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The last new one I went to was while we were on honeymoon in <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2017/03/hard-rock-cafe-seattle-visit.html">Seattle</a>. I don’t imagine I’ll be able to fit another America trip into my schedule between now and next May, but maybe I can manage a visit to the London or Dublin cafes.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r-7v2p3XrnU/WyFdrlRbcmI/AAAAAAAABZc/YF_pE2-zQN8ofrgm6dWjuH2WvDOG-wTYwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r-7v2p3XrnU/WyFdrlRbcmI/AAAAAAAABZc/YF_pE2-zQN8ofrgm6dWjuH2WvDOG-wTYwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2500.JPG" width="320" /></a><strong>9. Take the kids away somewhere</strong></div>
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When I was little, my parents would always make sure we had a holiday each year, but it’s not something I’ve ever been able to do for my kids. I’m not thinking anywhere exotic, but it’d be lovely to take the kids to a cottage or caravan at the seaside for a week away from our usual day-to-day life. </div>
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<strong>10. Spend more time with friends and family</strong></div>
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I’m not the best at keeping in contact with people, so I really hope that the decline in work commitments, and my imminent maternity leave, means that I’m more able to focus on the people who matter to me! It’d also be nice to visit my Dad, although a trip to Kenya might be a bit pricy when I don’t currently have a job lined up!<br />
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<strong>11. Climb a tree</strong></div>
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Surely this is something that most people have done as kids, but I was always quite frightened to give it a go. Paul has agreed to help me find one that’s suitable, and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind catching me if I fall... as long as I reach that healthy weight!</div>
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<strong>12. Learn to cook something better than Paul!</strong></div>
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If you know me, then you’ll already be aware that my cooking skills are pretty much non-existent! Paul makes everything in our house, otherwise I’m sure we’d be living off of frozen chicken nuggets for every meal! That being said, it would be really nice if I could find something that I’m amazing at making, enough for the kids to request it at mealtimes.</div>
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<strong>13. Do a bit of gardening</strong></div>
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My Mum would be proud of this one… especially as I hate gardening! I’m not the best at keeping plants alive, but since we’ve moved to a house with a back garden, it would be nice to brighten it up a bit. Paul has plans for a vegetable patch, so at least it would be gardening with a purpose!</div>
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<strong>14. Eat vegetables more than once a week</strong></div>
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…potentially from our own garden! :)</div>
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<strong>15. Learn to do my makeup properly</strong></div>
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It’s embarrassing when your child knows more about makeup than you do. Megan has far superior knowledge and a makeup collection at least twice the size of mine – it’d be great to soak up some of her knowledge!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c7z4YMLPTvU/WyFd2YFAB6I/AAAAAAAABZk/5H8HmObQO-ksIEAjOI4gzlhKbXM_Js_owCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_5128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c7z4YMLPTvU/WyFd2YFAB6I/AAAAAAAABZk/5H8HmObQO-ksIEAjOI4gzlhKbXM_Js_owCEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_5128.JPG" width="320" /></a><strong>16. Read at least 3 books from my huge back log on the bookcase</strong></div>
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Since book club died, I’ve not picked up anything new to read, despite the huge selection of unread books gathering dust on my bookcase. It’s always a hobby I’ve enjoyed, so I’m determined to get back in to it!</div>
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<strong>17. Reach 1000 followers on Instagram</strong></div>
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Compared to some bloggers, this isn’t a huge number, but it’s a goal I’d like to achieve within the next year. I’m still not sure how Instagram works, but I’ve been slowly trying to grow the audience for my blog through different social media accounts – I just like Instagram the best! (Shameless plug - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiggypoes/">@tiggypoes</a>)</div>
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<strong>18. Stick to a semi-regular blog schedule</strong></div>
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I know I’d generally have more success as a blogger if I could just stick to some sort of schedule. Since last year’s hiatus, my numbers have declined to worse than when I first started my blog, so I’d like to improve that somewhat. Given that this post was supposed to be released about a week ago, I’m clearly not trying too hard yet, but once the PhD is done, I’ll be back on it properly!</div>
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<strong>19. Host an all-night Mega-Movie marathon with my girlfriends (and Paul, if he fancies!)</strong></div>
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Who doesn’t love a good movie night? I’ve been trying to convince my pals to sit through a Saw marathon for a while now, but I’d be happy with any franchise to be honest… we may even end up sitting through all the ‘Land Before Time’ cartoons!</div>
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<strong>20. Try food which is out of my comfort zone</strong></div>
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I’m a terribly fussy eater and usually dread it when someone suggests eating at a place that doesn’t include pizza or burgers. I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of sushi, but I think it’s probably time that I investigated different foods.</div>
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<strong>21. Walk the West Highland Way</strong></div>
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I’ve lived in Scotland long enough now that I think I should probably go out and appreciate a bit more of the scenery. The West Highland Way also finishes in Fort William, one of my favourite wee towns.</div>
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<strong>22. Climb my second ever Munro</strong></div>
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Not content with walking the 96 mile stretch mentioned above, it’d great to bag another Munro. The last time I tackled one was the ascent up Schiehallion when I was 14 or 15, I think it’s about time I tried another!</div>
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<strong>23. Achieve 100,000 Steps for the Fitbit workweek challenge</strong></div>
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I was treated to a Fitbit by the in-laws at Christmas, and I now can’t imagine life without one! I’m not sure if it’s been beneficial for my competitive nature, but I love challenging friends to step goals throughout the week. My goal is usually 10,000 steps a day, but it’d be great to double that and smash my record for the workweek challenge!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvwObB9wCbc/WyFeFGg_MxI/AAAAAAAABZo/fkL8butrmfcjdBrRLvfiw7vH7PqXAMRnQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvwObB9wCbc/WyFeFGg_MxI/AAAAAAAABZo/fkL8butrmfcjdBrRLvfiw7vH7PqXAMRnQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1131.JPG" width="320" /></a><strong>24. Complete at least 3 games from our huge collection of Xbox titles (and get 100% Achievements)</strong></div>
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Similar to my huge back log of books, I have an equally large collection of video games that I’ve not played, despite the usually high price tag. I don’t think I’m as bad as Paul is, but I do feel like I’ve wasted a bit of money by not playing them.</div>
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<strong>25. Visit Camden Market again</strong></div>
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It’s one of my favourite places to visit, but I’ve only ever been twice. I’d love to take Paul though all the wee winding alleyways and let him see the variety of different food vendors especially, my mouth is watering at the thought!</div>
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<strong>26. Attend a non-work related conference</strong></div>
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I’ve been to a few different conferences that have been related to my career, but I’d love to attend something that is a bit more fun. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers posting about the recent Blog On conference, so that’s definitely one I’d be interested in for next year!</div>
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<strong>27. Try out a new hobby</strong></div>
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Something that maybe involves getting out the house for a bit… it could even be a sport (gasp)!</div>
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<strong>28. Dye my hair a fun colour</strong></div>
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Maybe not my whole head, but I’ve always fancied a little bit of an unusual colour running through my hair.</div>
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<strong>29. Replace some of the missing furniture from my doll house</strong></div>
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This may seem like a bit of a silly one, but ever since a mouse infiltrated my Mum’s garage and took up residence in my doll house (then died), I’ve not gotten around to replacing any of the furnishings. My Grandad built my doll house from scratch, and I would spend my summer holidays going round antique stores with him and my Grandma, looking for things to fill it. It’d be a lovely way to remember them, and may also encourage my Mum to make a start on filling hers.</div>
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<strong>30. Be a better Mummy!</strong></div>
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This one is difficult to quantify, but probably the most important. I’ve always felt like quite a selfish individual, and I’ve always worried that my choices to study have negatively impacted my kids. Given that this is all coming to an end this year, I’m looking forward to focusing more of my energy on being the best Mum I can be.</div>
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So, that rounds up the list of things I want to do this year and hopefully adds a bit of fun to the last year of my twenties! What are you planning for this year? Has anyone else got any big birthdays creeping round the corner?<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-44842825262878331262018-06-01T19:40:00.000+01:002018-06-01T19:40:07.875+01:00Why I’m Hating My Pregnancy…<div style="text-align: justify;">
I feel awful even typing that title, but despite all my best efforts, ignoring it doesn’t make it any less true…<br />
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Rewind to this time last year, and I’d just been sent home from work with the <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2017/06/schrodingers-baby.html">threat of another miscarriage</a> on the horizon. The third one of the year, we couldn’t understand why this was happening and what we’d done to deserve such bad luck. At the end of June, our worst fears were confirmed, and I subsequently lost our wee baby. Yet another miscarriage in October, coupled with <a href="https://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.com/2017/10/recurrent-miscarriage-answers-we-didnt.html">unwanted results of genetic testing</a>, and we learned that I have a chromosomal abnormality which greatly reduces my chances of having a successful pregnancy.</div>
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So why am I sat here, having just entered the third trimester of my current pregnancy, wishing I wasn’t pregnant at all?</div>
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Now I don’t want people to misunderstand, I’m not wishing that the wonderful miracle I’m carrying didn’t exist – we are over the moon at the prospect of becoming new parents again – I’m just wishing that I didn’t have to get pregnant in order for our dreams to come true. I suppose it’s more a case of my previous pregnancy expectations being tainted by all the worries and stress of an over informed mind.</div>
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Throughout this whole pregnancy so far, there has never really been a moment where I’ve allowed myself to ‘feel pregnant’. As soon as I watched those two pink lines appear on a stick in my work’s bathroom, I convinced myself that I would go through another early miscarriage, and lose it within the week. I’d be sat in another doctor’s office while they tried to be nice and inevitably said things like ‘these things happen’, and ‘lots of women test far too early, they should just wait a week or so to be sure’.</div>
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When we’d made it through that first agonising week, I knew we’d be facing a more painful miscarriage and all I could think of was the words from my fertility doctor telling me that I shouldn’t have any more d&c’s because it would start to damage my womb lining. Every trip to the bathroom resulted in a thorough inspection of my knickers and the toilet paper, looking for early evidence of loss, and I’d told Paul to prepare for the worst in an attempt to ease any future pain we may experience.</div>
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In a roundabout way, I’m grateful for my earlier miscarriages, because it allowed for more careful monitoring to try and set our mind at ease. A seven week scan showed the tiniest wee blob and a flickering heartbeat. A nine week scan showed a baby shaped blob that seemed to occasionally ‘jump’ of its own accord. When the scheduled 12 week scan showed a fully formed baby with arms and legs waving about, the tears of relief started to pour… but I still couldn’t relax and just ‘be pregnant’.</div>
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Having made it to the second trimester, many women would now be excitedly shouting from the rooftops with their wonderful baby news – not us. Now I’d convinced myself that our wee baby would be unfortunate and suffer from one of the nastier outcomes of my shitty chromosomes – trisomy 13. It’s something that can be easily tested for if you either have a spare £450 or don’t mind increasing your chance of miscarriage, but given that neither of those options were great for us, we chose to wait until the 20 week scan where it can be detected… 80% of the time.</div>
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The 20 week scan came and went, yet still I was convinced that something would go wrong – maybe the sonographer got the gender wrong and we would spend a huge wad of cash kitting our baby out in the opposite colour clothes than what we intended to?!</div>
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I knew Paul’s nerves were easing by this point, but I still couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling of dread that I was carrying everywhere with me. Paul paid for us to have a private gender scan so that we could avoid any further surprises, and it also gave us the opportunity to include our other kids in the experience – needless to say, they were both hoping for different outcomes, so one of them left the room a little disappointed!</div>
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After all this, we should now be more relaxed, right?</div>
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Clean bill of health (almost) – check</div>
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Gender confirmation – check</div>
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Gender specific item of clothing for cutesy Instagram reveal in not too distant future – check</div>
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Why am I still not excited?</div>
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For any of you out there who became a parent during your teenage years, I’m sure you’ve experienced your fair share of criticism and prejudice. Now that we didn’t have any medical issues to worry about anymore, all those buried feelings of shame and self-loathing came back with a vengeance!</div>
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Every time I leave the house, I imagine people staring and whispering nasty comments behind my back. The bigger my belly grows, the more I see people eyeing me up and down and making silent judgements in their heads. It doesn’t matter that I’m nearing 30 and happily married. It doesn’t matter that I’m at an age where it’s now ‘acceptable’ to raise a family. It doesn’t matter that people seem excited and want to chat about all things baby with me – all I want to do is hide and pretend the reason I don’t fit into my jeans is purely due to the PhD weight gain, and not my little wriggler carving out a temporary home for themselves.</div>
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If it’s not feelings of shame for being pregnant, I’m also beating myself up with all the guilt I feel for even putting this blog post into words. I feel like I’ve spoiled this whole experience for Paul, and I can’t stop thinking about the friends and opportunities I’ve lost on my furious quest to expand my brood.</div>
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I’m really hoping things start to improve soon – I don’t want to have wasted my last ever experience of pregnancy wishing the time would pass quickly…</div>
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Our baby shower and gender reveal is scheduled for the end of this month, so perhaps a good celebration will be just what I need to lift my mood… hopefully!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-86219153500022729152018-05-20T19:17:00.000+01:002018-05-20T19:17:31.757+01:00Birthday Treats at Smashburger, Glasgow!<div style="text-align: justify;">
For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, you will know I’ve been absent for a wee while, trying to get my life together in the run up to the end of my PhD. In fact, I only re-joined the blogging scene <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/where-have-i-been.html">about a week ago</a> when I finally decided to get back in the saddle again after a six month break! No sooner had I returned to the blogosphere, an email popped up in my inbox announcing some new additions to the menu of my local <a href="https://smashburger.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Smashburger</a>, and asking if I’d like to bring a guest along to sample the latest in gourmet burger goodies – with Friday being my birthday, I couldn’t resist!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cvl5zTx0O3Y/WwG04d2HNNI/AAAAAAAABYg/od61vbanpXYE8B-HZ5CRHhdk5Iav4XeMACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cvl5zTx0O3Y/WwG04d2HNNI/AAAAAAAABYg/od61vbanpXYE8B-HZ5CRHhdk5Iav4XeMACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5031.JPG" width="240" /></a>Paul had already planned an evening of birthday excitement for me in Glasgow, so he was thrilled to finally get the chance to be included in one of my blogging experiences – he’s also the token ‘beef-eater’, so was available to give his opinions on any non-chicken burger options that the new menu had to offer!<br />
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We decided on an early evening dinner, arriving at Smashburger a little before 6pm. There were only a couple of diners on the ground floor, but I requested a table upstairs so that I could go full on crazy blogger lady with the photo taking! Despite the lack of other customers, I know this doesn’t reflect the quality of the food or service on offer as I’d already been lucky enough to visit when the company first set up shop here, back in October. I suspect the lull in activity was due to the time of day and the partial closure of Sauchiehall Street after a recent fire, causing re-routing of potential customers – we were assured by our waiter though that he expected it to pick up again as the night progressed.</div>
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As the condition of our invite was that we sample the new items on the menu, we already knew what our choices were:</div>
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- Triple Double Bloomer (Beef) - £6.95</div>
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- Crispy Chicken BLT Bloomer - £8.95</div>
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- Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites - £4.25</div>
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- New Drinks Range (Ugly, Firefly, Dalston’s, Sandows, LongFlint Co.) - £3.25</div>
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- Sandows Cold Brew Coffee Haagen Dazs Shake - £5.25</div>
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- Popping Candy Salted Caramel Popcorn Haagen Dazs Shake - £5.95</div>
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Paul obviously went for the beef option, while I opted for the chicken BLT bloomer. We shared the generous portion of mac ‘n’ cheese bites and each chose something from the new drinks range – an ‘Ugly’ sparkling water with a hint of lemon and lime for Paul, and a ‘Firefly’ pomegranate and elderflower juice for me. While I would have loved to sample the Haagen Dazs shakes, neither of us have had particularly good experiences with rich milkshakes recently, so opted to steer clear for the sake of our delicate digestive systems!<br />
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As I mentioned in my <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/smashburger-arrives-in-glasgow.html">previous Smashburger blog post</a>, all the food ordering and payment occurs at the till in one go, similar to the wonderful system employed our regular favourite, Nando’s. I’m a huge fan of this system, as it prevents any hanging around after you’ve finished your meal, although it did leave us questioning how the staff earn any well-deserved tips.<br />
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I only had minimal time to try and capture a ‘perfect’ picture of the beverages, before our food had arrived at the table! Poor Paul then had to gaze longingly at his juicy burger while I attempted to get the lighting ‘just right’ in order to show off how tasty the food is to potential readers. Paul’s ‘Triple Double Bloomer’ came with two juicy beef patties, triple melted cheese, ketchup, SMASH sauce, tomato, lettuce, pickles (although he removed these) and red onion, and according to the menu, should have been served on toasted multi-grain SMASH bloomer bread, although his arrived sandwiched within a toasted brioche bun instead.</div>
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My ‘Crispy Chicken BLT Bloomer’ came with Applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and did arrive with the toasted multi-grain SMASH bloomer bread as advertised on the menu. I promptly removed the tomato, as I’ve never been a fan of that particular fruit, before digging in to the wonderful chicken goodness in front of me! Both of us had selected sweet potato Smashfries (£3.75/£4.25) as an accompaniment, although I’m not sure this was necessary with the generous helping of mac ‘n’ cheese bites which had also arrived at the table.</div>
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Overall, our opinions of the new menu items are definitely favourable, albeit with some slight changes if we were to select exactly the same meal a second time. Paul remarked that, while his burger was extremely tasty, he felt it was a little on the small side for one which contained two beef patties. I suspect this was only due to the swapping of bloomer bread for brioche bun however, as my burger was so large that I had to give Paul the last bit of it! He also wasn’t a fan of his drink choice, which he expected to taste more like lemonade, rather than sparkling water with a hint of lemon, but this wouldn’t be a problem for people who are usually fans of the carbonated water variety. My pomegranate and elderflower juice, on the other hand, was unexpectedly tasty, given my usual dislike for anything which contains elderflower – I may even select such juices over other soft drinks in the future, as it was wonderfully refreshing.</div>
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The one thing which we were definitely both in agreement over was the superb quality of the mac ‘n’ cheese bites! As a couple who regularly indulge in the usual cheesy fast food additions, such as mozzarella sticks, these were a huge hit with us, and will almost certainly be a regular addition to any future meal we have at Smashburger. Unlike the usual cheese overload that we experience with similar side orders, these offered a deliciously creamy alternative, without being too heavy on the stomach.</div>
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Having tried Smashburger with a friend, and now with Paul, I’d love to take my kids along for their dinner sometime. After checking that the menu also included some selected children’s dishes, I know that they would enjoy a trip, especially with the all singing and dancing soda machine and its weird and wonderful flavours! While I’m not sure how easy it would be to navigate the building with a pram come the end of the summer, I’m sure it won’t be long before we are all back for a visit!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8ZqdQgUHvY/WwG1RvIqJBI/AAAAAAAABYw/yIXNga_bVNUFPaKmjrqPXrfT3j6o7adIgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8ZqdQgUHvY/WwG1RvIqJBI/AAAAAAAABYw/yIXNga_bVNUFPaKmjrqPXrfT3j6o7adIgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5025.JPG" width="240" /></a>If you’re keen to investigate these new dishes, or any of the regular menu for yourself, Smashburger is located at 165 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. I would advise any of my burger loving friends to give this a go, and make sure you add the mac ‘n’ cheese bites to your order!</div>
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<em>*I was invited along to Smashburger in order to try out the new menu free of change, in exchange for honest feedback. All opinions expressed in this post are either mine or Paul’s.</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-57157719144628503152018-05-10T17:22:00.000+01:002018-05-10T17:22:43.524+01:00Where Have I Been?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gosh, it’s been such a long time since I wrote anything here, almost six months to be precise! The last time you heard from me, I was living the <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/luxury-cinema-experiences-with-odeon.html">luxury cinema life</a> at the new Odeon Luxe in Glasgow, but that now feels like an age away. I’ve had a lot of things on my plate in recently, mainly my PhD thesis, but I now feel like it’s time to come back – especially when I’ve always found my blog so helpful for dealing with stressful life situations.<br />
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So, as the title of this post asks, ‘Where Have I Been?’</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7MJKZgquZU/WvRsVPw5vVI/AAAAAAAABWg/n7S2HU4HcZI0FC5_PiTLNhcBH13mIzdxQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1528" data-original-width="1533" height="198" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7MJKZgquZU/WvRsVPw5vVI/AAAAAAAABWg/n7S2HU4HcZI0FC5_PiTLNhcBH13mIzdxQCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_4604.JPG" width="200" /></a>Well, a week after my last post was published, my wonderful Grandad passed away. Although his health had been declining slowly, it was still a bit of a shock when it happened. He had a wonderful sense of humour, and his multitude of stories from back ‘when he were a lad’, or from his time in the forces, always kept us interested. I hope I did him justice by including a decent selection in his eulogy, as I wanted to make sure his funeral was a celebration of his life, rather than a gloomy affair. We even bought bags of pick ‘n’ mix for everyone who attended because he always enjoyed indulging his sweet tooth!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uq2j7v-B0Wg/WvRsliwfSVI/AAAAAAAABWo/lUOXPaQFT1cylMshms8Cs6UUSMZ4IEiwgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uq2j7v-B0Wg/WvRsliwfSVI/AAAAAAAABWo/lUOXPaQFT1cylMshms8Cs6UUSMZ4IEiwgCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_4729.JPG" width="150" /></a>Once Christmas was out of the way, myself and Paul decided to book a wee weekend retreat in order to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. After the difficulties of 2017, which I’ve spoken about pretty freely in <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/recurrent-miscarriage-answers-we-didnt.html">previous posts</a>, we just wanted to escape our everyday lives and enjoy each other’s company again. We spent the weekend in a Golden Oak Hideaway cabin at the <a href="https://www.forestholidays.co.uk/locations/scotland-holidays/strathyre-holidays">Forest Holidays site in Strathyre</a>, near Callander, eating ALL the popcorn and watching ALL the movies while intermittently lounging in the massive TWO PERSON BATH – it was bliss!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7FNM01PxDw/WvRs2CocN-I/AAAAAAAABW4/DIGUZGgJWgsOI2tBidjGHG6Mn0jAfKg9gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7FNM01PxDw/WvRs2CocN-I/AAAAAAAABW4/DIGUZGgJWgsOI2tBidjGHG6Mn0jAfKg9gCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_4755.JPG" width="200" /></a>Not one to miss out on the opportunity for reasonably priced food, I’ve still been periodically continuing my ‘Fun Lunch Friday’ with Sarahjane, with our most recent munch being over at the <a href="http://www.committeeroom9.co.uk/">Committee Room No 9</a> in Glasgow’s city centre. I’m not sure if their express lunch menu is still offering the same goodies, but we both enjoyed a pretty sturdy helping of Mac ‘n’ Cheese for the bargain price of £5.95! It’s a shame I’ve been so preoccupied because this place really did deserve its own post, although I’m sure I’ll return again at some point soon, especially considering the close proximity to my work!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8g45b6pb6E/WvRtk9WCTKI/AAAAAAAABXU/nDA9m2GSXL8x4JHxqm8awNtmsmUYjecBwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8g45b6pb6E/WvRtk9WCTKI/AAAAAAAABXU/nDA9m2GSXL8x4JHxqm8awNtmsmUYjecBwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4981.JPG" width="320" /></a>Our ‘Readers’ book club has, unfortunately, become a casualty of my recently hectic lifestyle. After <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/the-readers-7-magenta-opium.html">Magenta Opium</a>, we did manage to get through one last novel and (I’m pleased to say) it ended on a high. ‘The Nightingale’ by Kristin Hannah, was Sarahjane’s choice, and is again something which I wish I’d had time to dedicate a full post to. It’s a beautifully written novel which explores how two sisters, with very different views on the world, cope with living in occupied France during the Second World War. This is the first novel that has moved me to tears since I read ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’, back when I was a teenager, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something to read over the summer months.<br />
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After filling you in on all of the above, I feel it’s now time to disclose perhaps the most prominent reason I have been absent for so long… If you follow me on Instagram, you will probably already be up to date, but on the 11th of December I found out I was pregnant again!</div>
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If finishing my PhD wasn’t enough of an excuse to retire from social media for a while, the addition of another pregnancy really did up the stress levels, especially considering the four miscarriages we suffered last year. For the whole of the Christmas period, I was stressing about whether my next trip to the toilet would reveal bleeding, and we still didn’t particularly relax after we reached the 12 week scan milestone. I’m now almost 27 weeks along, and am pleased to report that no obvious problems have been detected, but it is still an extremely nerve-wracking time for us all. I’m hoping the excitement levels now start to gradually increase, and we have a baby shower organised for the end of June where we are planning to reveal the gender - please keep your eyes on the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiggypoes/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/tiggypoes">Twitter</a> feeds (Paul <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sharks_spear/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Spear_Dragon">Twitter</a>) if that’s something that interests you.</div>
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Before I wrap up this ‘back to blogging’ post, I just want to take the opportunity to thank the people who have supported us through the difficulties of the past year. I honestly don’t know where we would be just now if it wasn’t for our fantastic friends and family! Thanks also to all the people who have been telling us how much they enjoy the blogs and vlogs, and how they can’t wait for us to get back to it – your support has also meant a lot, and I hope that this post will now signify our return to the blogosphere!<br />
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Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-30196040342229917882017-11-22T08:44:00.000+00:002017-11-22T08:44:42.013+00:00Luxury Cinema Experiences with Odeon Luxe<div style="text-align: justify;">
With advances in home technology, and the increasing amount of various streaming services available to us, relaxing with snacks and a movie has never been easier. We have the ability stay in our own comfortable surroundings (usually while wearing jammies) and are spoilt with a huge choice of viewing entertainment, especially when companies such as Sky have movies in their store, sometimes within a couple of months of their big screen debuts – what is there to encourage cinema trips anymore?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture courtesy of Mischief PR and Odeon Cinemas</td></tr>
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Now don’t get me wrong, I love the whole cinema experience, but finding the time and money for regular date nights can be a bit of a struggle - I’m often guilty of the lazy home viewing option, with snoozes on the couch a very real possibility! Nevertheless, when <a href="http://www.odeon.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Odeon</a> contacted me with an invite to their official gala launch night of the new Odeon Luxe at Glasgow Quay, I was reminded of the joy a day, or night, at the pictures can bring, and felt a little guilty that I’ve been so unwilling to make any sort of effort recently. So, with a renewed determination to enjoy life more, I sorted childcare, dolled myself up and dragged my lovely ‘<a href="http://caffeinatedreactions.blogspot.co.uk/">work wife</a>’ along for a post lab date night of cinematic luxury!</div>
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It’s important to remember that cinemas are not necessarily just for loved up couples, they provide great entertainment for a girl’s night or family day out too! Bearing this in mind, I was pleased to see Logan’s favourite food outlet serving us delicious treats upon our arrival – he really goes mad for anything associated with <a href="https://www.costa.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Costa Coffee</a>, so I already know he’d love a trip here at some point in the future, making sure to fill his boots before the next great superhero/lego/comedy release!</div>
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After sampling all the festive drinks and cakes on offer, we made sure to grab some complimentary prosecco and popcorn, before being guided into the newly refurbished 'isense' screen directly opposite the foyer. Not only does this screen benefit from upgraded speakers, enlarged screens and fully reclining seats with triple legroom (which are available in every one of the 12 screens on site), but it also boasts the ultimate ‘ultra-high-definition cinema experience, with 4K projection and Dolby ATMOS sound’.</div>
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Not being a hugely tech-savvie individual, I have no idea how good those specs are, but I can tell you that it’s been a while since I’ve been this impressed with a cinema outing! The overall level of complete comfort obtained from the new seats, coupled with improved cinema lighting and picture quality, meant that we were treated to an amazingly immersive experience which would be difficult to match in any other regular cinema. I’m usually terrible for fidgeting throughout a movie, but reclining lazily left me feeling as if I was floating on a cloud, and I didn’t have to readjust myself once throughout the whole screening!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture again courtesy of Mischief PR and Odeon Cinemas - my phone just wasn't up to the job!</td></tr>
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The film selected for our viewing pleasure was an advanced showing of the highly anticipated ‘Wonder’, starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. Despite this being a beautifully told story about how a remarkable individual overcomes personal difficulties, it was difficult to picture how well the improvements to sound and picture quality would benefit action movies, with the large amounts of cgi and special effects common to the genre. I can only imagine that the upcoming Star Wars film will look absolutely phenomenal in comparison and provide an even greater luxury cinema experience to wow the masses!</div>
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After being able to take part in such a fantastic evening, I’m a little disappointed that Glasgow is not within easy travelling distance of my home for spontaneous family trips, or date nights with Paul - we are, however, lucky that Scotland is home to not one, but three of the four Odeon Luxe cinemas in the UK. With this in mind, I’d be more than happy to head into Edinburgh, or even East Kilbride, to experience this cinematic luxury again, and (after checking out the ticket prices online) I feel that I'd finally be receiving the quality I'd expect for the money that I'm paying to visit a cinema!<br />
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<em>* I was invited along to try out the new Odeon Luxe free of charge, but all opinions expressed within this blog post are entirely my own.</em><br />
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Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-25552629946976387732017-11-19T12:02:00.000+00:002017-11-19T12:02:13.695+00:00Fun Lunch Friday – Topolabamba, Glasgow<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since starting a blog, I’ve had so many brilliant opportunities to discover new things and visit a whole host of exciting new places, but my favourite thing to come out of the blogging world is definitely the wonderful people I’ve been able to interact with! As such, I wanted to include the lovely Lis (from <a href="http://lastyearsgirl.pixlet.net/">Last Year’s Girl</a>) in mine and <a href="http://caffeinatedreactions.blogspot.co.uk/">Sarahjane</a>’s semi-regular ‘Fun Lunch Friday’ exploration of the Glasgow food scene!</div>
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This week has not been a particularly good one for general health – Sarahjane was off ill and I’d had a churning stomach all morning – but I was determined not to cancel when it was Lis’ first choice of lunch destination. The original location was <a href="http://chaakoo.co.uk/">Chaakoo Bombay Café</a> on St Vincent Street, but we arrived to find it fully booked out for lunch! Luckily, their Mexican sister restaurant was only a few doors down on the same street, so we opted for a stop at <a href="http://www.topolabamba.com/home/">Topolabamba</a> instead, with a view to returning to Chaakoo at a later date.<br />
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Despite it not being the original plan, I’d been meaning to visit Topolabamba ever since a work colleague mentioned it a wee while ago, so it would have been likely to appear in our ‘Fun Lunch Friday’ line up before much longer anyway. We are usually used to visiting places a bit closer to the university buildings, but St Vincent Street is not too far away and made the lunch date easier for Lis to get to from her work. We were seated almost immediately, and served water from reused tequila bottles, so I was excited to see what the rest of the lunch had to offer!<br />
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As is common to most of the places we visit, Topolabamba also has a lunch menu available throughout the week. Although, on first glance, the price tag of £9.95 seemed quite steep for an ‘express lunch’ deal, we’d paid more than that when visiting <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/fun-lunch-friday-cafe-andaluz-glasgow.html">Café Andaluz</a>, so I was willing to give it a try. It is advertised as ‘1+1+ fries or rice’, and allows for a choice of either tacos, tostadas or taquitos plus quesadillas and a choice of either salt and chilli fries or spicy rice. There are also Tortas Mexicanas available at individual prices, but I wasn’t sure how these factored into the deal, so I went with the first option.</div>
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Trusting Lis’ knowledge of the cuisine, I chose chicken tinga tacos, smoked chorizo and quesos quesadillas and salt and chilli fries. Lis went for almost exactly the same dishes, but swapped out the fries for rice, and avoided any crema topping on the tacos.</div>
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We were advised that the dishes would be brought out as soon as they were available, which allowed you to eat the food at its freshest, but I still waited for everything to arrive so I could get that perfect photo for the blog (obviously)! I was also surprised to see the tacos consisted of little soft tortillas, rather than the hard shells that my limited knowledge of Mexican cuisine led me to believe – regardless of impressions, I couldn’t wait to dig in!<br />
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I was initially put off by the large amount of greenery decorating the tacos, but when rolled up together, they were absolutely delicious, even if the chicken was rather spicy! The quesadillas, were less appetising due to the large amount of sneaky onions that I could detect, but if I carefully navigated the filling, the chorizo and quesos was the perfect second choice to complement the chicken and I would definitely order then again, although perhaps minus the added veg. The salt and chilli fries tasted just like my familiar peri peri comfort food from Nandos, so their addition to this meal finished everything off nicely.</div>
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After some rather messy eating, and me begging Lis not to judge me on my terrible ability to hold a taco together, we finished up off the dishes and paid the bill. I think the overall price for the lunch was definitely fair for the amount of food that arrived on the table, and the service we received was quick and very friendly. I’d love to visit Topolabamba again, but I’d recommend you ask a server exactly what is in each of the dishes, especially if you are as fussy as me - the menu doesn’t state what extra veg is included, so my hidden onion drama could have been avoided if I’d enquired beforehand!</div>
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It was a shame Sarahjane missed out on this visit, but I’m sure she’ll be well enough to join in again on the next one, when we can (hopefully) sample the lunch delights of Chaakoo – although we will definitely make sure we book a table!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So pleased to have Lis included in 'Fun Lunch Friday'!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-72844387729401281922017-11-16T10:18:00.001+00:002017-11-16T10:18:53.918+00:00My American Travel Wish List<div style="text-align: justify;">
This time last year, I was enjoying one of the major highlights of PhD life while exploring the fantastic city of Denver. Having the ability to jet off for international conferences is one of the opportunities I would encourage anyone in my position to grab if at all possible, I was able to spend a wonderful week in the ‘Mile High City’, experiencing all the things I love about America - which (of course) mostly involved food! You can read all about that trip <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/my-week-in-denver.html">here</a>, but it also got me thinking about all the other American destinations that I would love to visit at some point. With everything that’s happened this year, I never got round to posting about our Seattle honeymoon, but I’ve put together a collection of other places which are high on our travel wish list:</div>
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Who doesn’t want to visit the city which is, arguably, the most popular tourist destination in the States? It’s the setting of so many movies and tv shows, giving many of us the impression that we already know the place - especially when wonderful gems such as ‘Friends’ still grace our tv screens. I’ve had to suffer for a whole month without my ‘<a href="http://caffeinatedreactions.blogspot.co.uk/">work wife</a>’, but she finally came back to work this week after her second trip to (the edge of) this city in the space of two years! She’s allowed me to share some of her pics, which give me an idea of things to look out for when I finally get the chance - the picture of her and this semi-naked American cowboy still cracks me up!</div>
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2. Florida</div>
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Of the three different North American destinations I’ve already been to, Florida (specifically Miami) is one of them. Despite this, I’ve still included it in the list because we absolutely HAVE to take the kids to Disney World before they get too much older! Paul is a big kid at heart, so running around like crazy, while entertaining our children, would be his idea of relaxing and taking a load off! As long as I can get extra strength mosquito repellent, fully air conditioned surroundings and the chance to visit more Hard Rock Cafes, I’ll be happy!</div>
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3. Indiana</div>
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As much as I love big cities, I’m also equally a fan of the rolling countryside and the company of great friends - seeing as Indiana contains both of these things, it’s obviously going to feature high on my list! When I first started playing Xbox, I never imagined it could lead to such fantastic friendships… Now, three years down the line, we still talk on a weekly basis and try to meet up whenever possible. With Gradie being a bit more difficult to get to, any future American trip absolutely has to include a stop at his house! (He provided some images of his surroundings and it looks absolutely beautiful!)</div>
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4. Chicago</div>
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In our house, we are lovers of the American hospital drama. We’ve already visited the setting for the ever popular ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, so I’m determined to add the city which was home to ‘ER’ to my list of visited destinations, despite the fact that Paul refuses to watch it with me! If fangirling over one of my favourite ever tv shows, while stuffing my face with Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, wasn’t enough, they also dye the river green for St Patrick’s day – a curious sight, which we wouldn’t want to miss!</div>
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5. Any Destination Which Contains a Hard Rock Café</div>
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My love for Hard Rock has reached such a level now, that friends will often specifically take pictures of any cafes they come across on their travels. Whenever I hear that someone was on holiday, my immediate question is usually ‘did you visit the Hard Rock Café?’ Although the franchise was originally founded in London, the global expansion means that I have a large number of American destinations to choose from when planning a visit – perhaps I could even plan a countrywide ‘Hard Rock Café Tour’, much to Paul’s horror, ha! (Images left to right are from <a href="http://caffeinatedreactions.blogspot.co.uk/">Sarahjane's</a> visit to Philly, Laura's visit to San Fran and <a href="http://lastyearsgirl.pixlet.net/">Lis'</a> visit to New Orleans!)</div>
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Where are your favourite Stateside destinations? Do any include a Hard Rock Café?<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-16732849090597609212017-11-10T17:07:00.000+00:002017-11-10T17:07:27.819+00:00Organising Your Life With BusyB<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been a crappy few months, and not the most fantastic year overall, so when I received a lovely email from the team at <a href="https://busyb.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">BusyB</a>, inviting me to the launch of their new collection of diaries and calendars for 2018, it seemed like a wonderful excuse to start looking forward to the future again! When I was little, I would always get such a great sense of enjoyment from surrounding myself with beautiful stationery, so having the chance to relive those moments again has undoubtedly helped improve my rather gloomy mood lately.<br />
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It’d been quite a while since my last blogger event, and nerves usually get the better of me, so when I heard that Kirsty (from <a href="http://themondayproject.co.uk/">The Monday Project</a>) was also attending, it was an obvious jump for us to travel together. Squashing ourselves onto the rush hour Edinburgh train, we were soon chatting away as if we’d never been apart, and it was easy to forget that we’d only actually met a just couple of times before! Once in Edinburgh, Kirsty had arranged to meet Charlotte (from <a href="http://www.coloursandcarousels.com/">Colours and Carousels</a>), making it easy for us to all travel to the venue together. I was initially nervous, as I’ve admired Charlotte’s blog for a long time, but after a bit of random chat – is a shower-bath even a thing?! – I soon felt at ease in her company.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tIcbajqd9bE/WgXSJhUQ-XI/AAAAAAAABR0/C3D-1Wyl37YAoIyX099TwcgACDNvjVxmgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tIcbajqd9bE/WgXSJhUQ-XI/AAAAAAAABR0/C3D-1Wyl37YAoIyX099TwcgACDNvjVxmgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4393.JPG" width="240" /></a>The event was hosted by <a href="https://www.theglasshousehotel.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">The Glasshouse Hotel</a>, one of the most luxurious venues I ever been too, and somewhere I would definitely like to visit again with Paul! As soon as we opened the doors, a staff member was there to greet us and escort us directly up to the beautiful rooftop garden, which I could imagine would only look more spectacular if there was still some daylight. Inside what seemed like a large greenhouse decorated with strings of fairy lights, we were finally able to relax and meet the BusyB team in cosy and comfortable surroundings.<br />
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While we waited for the rest of the guest list to arrive, we were handed a nice, cold glass of fizz (decorated with a flower) and given the chance to browse all the new collections - there are several ranges on offer, with handy products in each to match everyone’s needs. The Contemporary range offers ‘products that are as stylish as they are useful’ and are perfect for ‘busy ladies who need to be perfectly organised’, while the ‘Oh So Clever’ range provides a number of time and space saving solutions for the busy mum who is central to keeping the whole family together!<br />
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After mentally ear-marking all my favourite things, we were then ushered to a seat for a Q&A session with Kerri B, BusyB’s founder. I’ve never put much thought into how to grow any sort of business before, so it was interesting to learn about the whole back story of the company, from its early beginnings in Christmas card displays, to the hugely successful business it is today, with stock in major retailers such as John Lewis, Lakeland and Hobbycraft. I can’t imagine the difficulty associated with such a venture, and I’m hugely in awe of the fantastic job Kerri and her team have done!</div>
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Before leaving, each of us were gifted our favourite diary from the collections on display and given the opportunity to have it personalised by their lovely calligrapher, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lailalettering/" rel="nofollow">Laila</a>, who did an absolutely fantastic job of beautifully writing my name in the ‘this belongs to’ section. The diary also came packaged with a handy set of sticky notes and a double pack of cute pens, which will really keep me on track with all my important plans and events when next year finally rolls around… I can’t believe this will be my last year as a student, before I finally have to accept that diaries begin in January for the rest of my life!<br />
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As if all these generous gifts weren’t enough, we were also handed a huge goodie bag, along with a milkshake and cupcake, on our way out of the door! Packed full of amazing wee products, I can’t quite believe how lucky I was to be invited along, and I’m extremely grateful for being included. Not only do I feel like an excited little girl again, surrounded by all this stationery, but I’ve now found my go to supplier for all my future organisational needs. Kerri and her team have worked extremely hard to build up the BusyB brand, and I would love to support their ever growing business – look out loved ones, I’m sure some BusyB products will be finding their way into Christmas stockings and sacks for a few of you this year!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-85641351150384907042017-10-20T11:01:00.000+01:002017-10-20T11:01:45.560+01:00Smashburger Arrives in Glasgow<div style="text-align: justify;">
These days, when I think of burgers, I automatically associate them with the streets of Glasgow and the ever-expanding list of gourmet burger restaurants which serve them. I’ve even started a semi-regular ‘<a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/glasgow-burger-tour-bread-meats-bread.html">Glasgow Burger Tour</a>’ with a couple of friends, with the aim of trying to discover even more varieties of this glorious American dinner option! When an email arrived in my inbox a couple of weeks ago, inviting me to the upcoming VIP launch of <a href="https://smashburger.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Smashburger</a> in Glasgow, I jumped at the chance to expand my inventory of burger experiences, and (since he’s just started a new job near me) I dragged Scott along for the ride!<br />
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I always find first impressions very important, and Smashburger didn’t disappoint – we were greeted at the door by multiple friendly members of staff, and led directly to a table on the upper floor with comfortable seating and spacious surroundings. I don’t really enjoy sharing my personal bubble with anyone, and I’m not sure that Scott does either, so we were very pleased with the amount of space between tables – not something which can be said for other fast food joints in the area. There is even a bar table across the floor-to-ceiling window, allowing for ample people watching as you chow down on your food!</div>
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For a restaurant which serves only burgers as the main meal, I was pleased to see such a large selection on the menu. The vegetarian options were limited to two, but the choices of beef or chicken were almost equal in their different varieties, a big plus point for chicken loving me! Even if none of the options tickle your fancy, you still have the choice to ‘create your own’, allowing for the inclusion of all your favourite bits, and none of the less well liked extras (such as tomatoes, bleugh)!</div>
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After finally arriving at a decision, you head to the till to order and pay for your food all in one go, similar to the procedure in our well-loved Nando’s restaurants. This is a feature I’ve always appreciated, as it allows for immediate departure after eating, instead of trying to catch the eye of a busy member of staff before you can make your getaway. Rather than waiting for your food before heading back to your table (like you would in McDonalds, or other fast food restaurants), you are given a little buzzer and the freedom to wait comfortably at your table until the food is ready – you don’t even have to collect it, the buzzer is purely to signal the imminent arrival of your food, which is fantastic!<br />
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After waiting no longer than ten minutes, our food was on the table and we were tucking in – although I did make Scott wait an unreasonable amount of time while I, once again, tried to get the ‘perfect’ picture! Scott had gone for the ‘Avocado Club’ (£8.95) with grilled chicken, which was served with fresh avocado, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing and mayo, all held together with a multi-grain bun. After deliberation over his side order, he eventually decided on regular French fries, which arrived alongside his burger, neatly presented in a basket.</div>
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I opted for the ‘BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar’ (also £8.95) with fried chicken, which was served with BBQ sauce, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar and ‘haystack onions’ on the signature Smash bun. This arrived with my choice of sweet potato fries, which I promptly smothered in Mayo! Both burgers were served in a sort of ‘half-built’ fashion, allowing you to see the contents before putting the top on and digging in. There was no greater delight on my face though, when I discovered that my burger was completely free of sneaky salad and I didn’t have to remove any unwanted additions of tomato of lettuce – what you see on the menu is definitely what you get!<br />
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We were also given the chance to sample the milkshakes they had on offer, which were absolutely delicious, although probably better served as dessert than a drink. Soft drinks are unlimited refills and provided by the self-service drinks machine available on both floors. These serve most of the popular fizzy drinks we know and love, with the addition of different flavours which can be added to any of the options available. I prefer my drinks to taste ‘normal’, but Scott added a splash of orange to his coke zero, a choice he would advise against if anyone reading this is tempted!<br />
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Overall, I had a brilliant experience, and will definitely be back again in the future. While the food is a little pricy for what I’m willing to spend at lunchtime (burger, fries and drink are all listed separately), I’d be more than happy to part with my cash if heading here for dinner. The central location makes it an ideal stop on any shopping trip, or prior to a night out on the town. Scott commented that its proximity the usual gig venues he frequents now mean that Smashburger will replace McDonalds as his ‘go-to’ food stop when out seeing his favourite bands.</div>
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If you’re keen to investigate for yourself, Smashburger is now open at 165 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. I would advise any of my burger loving friends to give this a go, and I’m keen to add it to our ‘burger tour’ list, so that Paul can experience it too!<br />
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<em>*I was given a complimentary burger, side and drink for the purposes of this staff training event, and in exchange for feedback at the end of our meal. All opinions expressed within this blog post are my own (or Scott's).</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-83408190572495304992017-10-17T12:55:00.000+01:002017-10-17T12:55:25.096+01:00Link It! – A Fun Game For All The Family<div style="text-align: justify;">
In our household, we love a good card game, but it’s often the adult themed favourites (Cards Against Humanity, Never Have I Ever…) which are first on the table, meaning my kids are always excluded from the fun. When an email arrived in my inbox, asking if I wanted to try the new, fast-paced, family card game ‘Link It’ from <a href="http://www.pikykwiky.com/" rel="nofollow">PikyKwiky</a>, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to include my children in one of our favourite pastimes!</div>
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The whole idea is pretty simple – be the first person to correctly identify the link between two images on two different decks of cards - blue or orange deck - allowing you to either collect or discard cards (depending on the game) and emerge victorious! Thankfully, there is also a rule booklet included in the tin, which shows the 31 different image pairs you should be looking for, and four different mini games of varying difficulty. Paul groaned at first, because he knows how competitive I am, and has had to sit through a similar game with me before. This nearly resulted in deafness from me screaming my answers rather enthusiastically... but I assured him I'd be good this time!<br />
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As it was his birthday bash at the weekend, and the kids were dying to get involved, we thought we’d try it out while all our guests were over. This would have stretched the game to its limit of eight players, but it quickly became clear that Logan was better suited to his action figures, so he ran off to play in his bedroom – we expected as much given the 6+ age rating on the tin.</div>
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Our first attempt was very confusing, and probably not made any better by our inability to read the rules correctly - despite trying very hard to stick to Game #1 in the rule booklet, we misunderstood the concept and made the game ten times more difficult! We also struggled with seven players and thought it was probably too much for everyone to clearly see the cards, especially with the varying size of the different pictures.</div>
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Once our guests had gone home, we gave Link It another go with just myself, Paul and Megan, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable. We carefully read the rules this time, and attempted each of the suggested games included within the instructions. We all much preferred the smaller number of players and found it a lot easier to match the different icons too. All of the different game suggestions were a whole load simpler than our earlier attempt and we played each of them, with the exception of one, multiple times.</div>
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I think Link It definitely benefits from the speed aspect, with racing to make a match and finding a winner as quickly as possible the main driver for the fun! With this in mind, we found one of the suggested games – Game #3 Golden Frog – quickly resulted in boredom from the three of us, as it took a long time of going backwards are forwards with cards before a winner emerged. Nevertheless, this didn’t dampen our fun, as we instead chose to focus more on the other, quicker games for the rest of the evening.</div>
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All in all, I’m very pleased to have been given the opportunity to try out this game. The simple nature meant that, once you’d got the hang of the rules, not much thinking was required and the convenient, compact tin means that it can be transported anywhere for spontaneous gaming! There is also no previous knowledge or experience required, meaning that adults and kids of suitable age can all enjoy Link It together. We tried out the ‘Original’ theme, but there is also a ‘Part Of’ theme available and further themes of 'Made Of', 'Capital Of' and 'Professions' lined up for release in the near future.</div>
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If you are curious about the concept of this fun wee game, and would like to find out more, check out the website <a href="http://www.pikykwiky.com/" rel="nofollow">here</a> – I know I’ll be keeping watch to see when the new themes are available! Link It is available to buy from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06Y18TY5W/ref=twister_B074MBH9D4?_encoding=UTF8&th=1" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> at a price of £12.95 – which is great value for the hours of family fun it can provide!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-7080962922331996992017-10-09T15:06:00.000+01:002017-10-09T15:06:39.882+01:00Recurrent Miscarriage – The Answers We Didn’t Want To Hear…<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>(I feel this post needs a specific disclaimer. Please note that I am not an expert in medicine or genetics, the following is only intended to provide a brief description of my current condition and should not replace any advice given to you by a doctor.)</em><br />
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For those of you who have been reading my blog, you will be aware of the difficulties we’ve experienced while trying to grow our brood. October marks not only a year since we made the decision to add a third child to our family, but also the due date of our second pregnancy of the year, which <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/when-one-helping-of-loss-wasnt-enough.html">ended in March</a>. As today also marks the start of <a href="https://babyloss-awareness.org/">national baby loss awareness week</a>, I thought I would share the results of our recent medical investigations, which were carried out while looking into the cause of our recurrent miscarriages…<br />
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To my knowledge, everyone in the UK, who experiences three or more consecutive miscarriages, is offered the opportunity to proceed with further investigation. At the end of August, two months after our last miscarriage, we were called into the gynaecology department of our local hospital for blood tests.</div>
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After much discussion about the random causes for miscarriage (such as poor placental attachment or random chromosomal mutations), my blood was tested for antiphospholipid (aPL) antibody and lupus anticoagulant, as these antibodies are known to increase the chance of blood clots and alter the way the placenta attaches to the uterus. This then reduces the blood supply to the foetus, resulting in an early miscarriage.</div>
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For completeness, I was also scheduled in for an ultrasound (which turned out to be normal) in order to check for any structural abnormalities in my uterus, which was unlikely given my success at already producing two healthy babies.</div>
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As an added check, the NHS can also offer karyotyping – which checks for abnormalities in parental chromosomes – but my doctor informed this is no longer routine due to the rarity of these conditions. Despite this rarity, when I informed my doctor about my family history of genetic mutations, she arranged for karyotyping to be carried out, meaning we had all bases covered.</div>
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I knew it would take a while for test results to come back, but my doctor was confident that we had just been extremely unlucky with our recent attempts at expanding our family, and we didn’t necessarily need to hold back on trying. We were also informed that even if the aPL test showed high levels of antibodies, and I was already pregnant, they would just treat me with a simple aspirin to avoid further miscarriage.</div>
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I did not expect the phone call I received last Wednesday…</div>
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I’d had a few missed calls, which a quick Google search had revealed were from my local hospital, and I was stressing out about all the possible reasons for them calling. When I eventually answered the call I’d been dreading, I felt like my whole world fell apart – my test results showed a chromosomal abnormality and I was diagnosed as having a Robertsonian Translocation of chromosomes 13 and 14.</div>
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I’d stopped paying attention to the doctor on the end of the phone after she’d delivered the horrible news, but after trawling through the internet looking at various medical sources, I came across the following explanation and image, which basically describe the condition and its implications for having children:</div>
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‘<em>A translocation means that a piece of one chromosome has broken off and stuck on a different chromosome. Chromosome translocations cannot be repaired. If a translocation has not resulted in any genetic material being lost, it is known as a balanced translocation. Balanced translocations do not usually cause any medical problems. This is because all the genetic material is present, even though it is in a slightly different arrangement. </em><br />
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<em>Robertsonian translocations are a particular type of balanced translocation that get their name from an American scientist who first described them. Robertsonian translocations only involve certain chromosomes (numbers 13, 14, 15, 21, 22). These chromosomes are different from the other chromosomes because they have a long arm and a very short arm. In a Robertsonian translocation, the short arms of two of these chromosomes are lost and the remaining long arms join together. As the short arms of these chromosomes do not contain important genetic information, this translocation is described as balanced and has no effect on a person’s health.</em>’</div>
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To put it simply, my genetic abnormality has no effect on my own life, but has serious implications when I attempt to have children. As you can see from the image, there are six possible outcomes which arise from successful fertilisation of my eggs with Paul’s sperm (he’s normal by the way!):</div>
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1. <strong> Normal</strong> – the baby inherits both of my good copies of chromosomes 13 and 14 (along with Paul’s), and the pregnancy should progress to the end with no problems.<br />
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2. <strong> Balanced carrier</strong> – this is what my own chromosomes look like and is caused by inheriting my ‘double’ chromosome and the normal copies of Paul’s chromosomes. This pregnancy should also proceed to the end, but the child will be faced with the same difficulties as me when they attempt to have children.<br />
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3. <strong> Trisomy 13</strong> – the baby inherits my ‘double’ chromosome and my normal copy of chromosome 13 which, when combined with Paul’s set, results in three copies of chromosome 13. Babies with this genetic makeup are diagnosed as having Patau syndrome and can either be still born, or die within the first few days of life, with very few surviving past their first birthday.<br />
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4. <strong> Monosomy 13</strong> – the baby inherits only my good copy of chromosome 14 which, when combined with Paul’s full set, leads to only one copy of 13 being present. This is lethal and results in miscarriage.<br />
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5. <strong> Trisomy 14</strong> – This is similar to trisomy 13, except it involves my ‘double’ chromosome and my normal copy of chromosome 14, resulting in three copies of 14 being present. This form of trisomy is much less compatible with life and (from what I can tell after searching the internet) results in miscarriage.<br />
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6. <strong> Monosomy 14</strong> – this is the same as with 13, except involves, instead, only one copy of chromosome 14 being present. Again, this is lethal and will result in miscarriage.</div>
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So, when you look at all the possible genetic outcomes from my eggs, you can see that only two of these possibilities result in ‘success’ for us. If you also take into account the statistics for miscarriage as a whole, my chances lower even further. The <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Miscarriage/Pages/Introduction.aspx">NHS website</a> states that 1 in 6 women, who know they are pregnant, will suffer a miscarriage, meaning that the normal rate of success is 83%. Combine this with my 33% and my overall chance of success is only 27%!</div>
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You can imagine our devastation when finding out this news, especially when we’ve already been blessed with two fantastic kids! Despite this, when I consider all the times I’ve been pregnant, my actual success rate is 28.6%, so we’ve not strayed that far from the statistics.</div>
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We are now faced with the difficult decision of whether to keep going, or stop and be content with what we have. People would argue that I already have the perfect family, but it’s difficult to let go of a dream when it’s already a focus in your mind. Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for my family, but I don’t want this year’s losses to be the end of my pregnancy experience…</div>
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For the time being, I am going to wear my baby loss awareness ribbon and continue to look to the future – while this has been an awful blow, I hope discussion with a genetic counsellor may provide a glimmer of hope for our family.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-78360314319220775952017-10-06T09:54:00.000+01:002017-10-06T09:54:59.577+01:00More Bonus Time With Clinique And Debenhams<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been running through all my tester sized Clinique products, waiting for the next ‘Bonus Time’ event before I stock up again. Thankfully, a chance wander through Debenhams yesterday brought to my attention the most recent offer of goodies, so I dipped in to the remainder of my birthday money for a wee splurge on some much needed skincare!</div>
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As with every other offer, the rules are still the same – pick up any two of your favourite full sized products (one to be skincare or foundation) and the make-up bag, full of delightful miniatures, is yours to take home. This time, the offer includes a limited edition bag design, in collaboration with Jonathan Adler, and the option to customise your gift by choosing any six products from the nine they had on offer. This was new, as usually there is only slight colour variation with different products, but I’m pleased that I was able to select more of the things I preferred.</div>
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After grabbing my two full sized products, my choices for my goodie bag were as follows:</div>
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Take the Day Off Miceller Cleansing Towelettes for Face and Eyes (pack of 10)</div>
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Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser (30mL)</div>
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Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate (15mL)</div>
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Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight in Hefty Highlight</div>
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Lip Colour and Primer in Nude Pop</div>
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All About Shadow Foxier and Mink and Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Cupid</div>
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There was also the choice of the following three products, but I’d already received them in the last Bonus Time event, so I excluded them from this choice:</div>
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Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (7mL)</div>
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Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ (30mL)</div>
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High Impact Mascara in Black (3.5mL)</div>
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Unlike most of the other events I’ve gone for, there was no extra gift with the purchase of a third item. This suited me perfectly fine, as there was nothing else I really needed, and the ability to choose my miniatures meant that I had plenty of products to be getting on with!</div>
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Whenever I write a Clinique post, it always seems to be really short, but I wanted to make sure all you beauty fans out there don’t miss the chance to pick up freebies! This Bonus Time event started yesterday (5th October) and is running until Saturday the 21st, but make sure you get down to your local Debenhams quickly to avoid disappointment – with there being the ability to choose, stocks of the more popular products may run out!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-62923995308475129232017-10-04T19:00:00.000+01:002017-10-04T19:00:33.607+01:00The Readers - #7 Magenta Opium<div style="text-align: justify;">
It really has been a struggle to keep up with The Readers recently. With all the stress of my miscarriages, and then moving house, I’ve had so much on my plate that I’ve not been able to concentrate on reading. Top that off with the imminent conclusion of my PhD and the general decline in our mutual love of Book Club (we lost a member in the shape of Nikki), and it’s now six months down the road again. I also feel particularly bad, as this one was my choice, but I was the one holding everything up! Anyway, now that I’m finally finished, I present to you our latest slice of fun fiction – ‘Magenta Opium’ by Sharon Baillie.<br />
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A little known debut novel, I’d had this one on my list for a while because I was familiar with the author. Sharon was a PhD student while I was studying for my undergraduate degree and, given the fantastic personality I remember from the lab, I was curious to see how her talents as an author would unfold.</div>
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As with most of the books we read, ‘Magenta Opium’ can be purchased in Kindle form for the grand total of £2.17, but for those who a fans of more traditional reading, like myself, you can pick up the paperback (also from Amazon) for the slightly increased cost of £9.95.</div>
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The book begins with a very strange introduction to the main characters, written in extremely confusing English. I later realised that the rest of the book was written in much the same fashion, in what I assume to be a style which reflects Veronica’s (the main character) mind. All of us agreed that this made it difficult to understand at times, with the book often proceeding at what felt like an accelerated pace, but it also made for fun, light-hearted reading!</div>
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The rest of the story continues with the start of Veronica’s PhD, the discovery of something amazing, a slight drugs related incident, jail time, private investigation, crazy antics in the loft, a huge cover-up, Luke and Leia (ninja style) and more chat about getting rid of a dead body than I ever expected to casually stumble across when I considered book club. All of this is punctuated with little nuggets of science related content, which would mean nothing to non-science people, but cracked me up on more than one occasion!</div>
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I should have probably realised the book would be a little weird when the praise on the back mentioned that the language would be ‘twisted and turned sometimes beyond breaking point’ and it will appeal to anyone ‘with a sense of humour and a desire to read something a little different’, but don’t get me wrong, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I fell in love with the same writing style when I first read Douglas Adams’ wonderful Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and, although I wouldn’t class this novel in the same ball park, it definitely has its merits.</div>
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While this may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, we all agreed that, once we’d gotten halfway through, we couldn’t put it down. The events leading up to the end seemed to spiral out of control and I just HAD to keep reading to find out the conclusion. Sarahjane commented that she wasn’t a fan of the ending because it felt very rushed and sudden, but I honestly couldn’t see any other way for the story to wrap-up. The fate of all characters was tied up nicely and all loose ends were taken care of. Overall, I’d rate this novel as <strong>2.5/5</strong> – an interesting concept, but more than likely an acquired taste for many people.</div>
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Our next book is Sarahjane’s choice – ‘The Nightingale’ by Kristin Hannah – hopefully it doesn’t take us quite so long to finish this one!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-70636790322619398702017-09-30T11:21:00.000+01:002017-09-30T19:22:03.828+01:00Fun Lunch Friday – Steak, Cattle and Roll, Merchant Square<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the PhD reaches its conclusion, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to set time aside for blog posts. I fully intended to write this post up last night but, by the time I’d got home from the office, I was just too exhausted to sit still and think. Nevertheless, I’m determined to keep up some sort of semi-regular blog schedule, so I’m typing this up from my Saturday morning position of comfort on the couch, in my jammies!<br />
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As Sarahjane is, once again, jetting off to more exotic locations to further the scientific frontier, we decided to host our latest ‘Fun Lunch Friday’ on her final day in the office, before she flies out to the States this morning – follow her over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/caffeinatedreactions/">Instagram</a> for up-to-date details on all her adventures! She had spied a good lunch deal at <a href="http://www.steakcattleandroll.co.uk/">Steak, Cattle and Roll</a>, which was conveniently located just a stone’s throw from our work building, so that’s where we agreed to visit for our latest lunch outing.</div>
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I’d been meaning to try Steak, Cattle and Roll for quite a while, but the walk up the hill to its old location always put me off – all Strathclyders will appreciate my dislike of the rather steep incline next to Rottenrow Garden! When Sarahjane informed me that they had moved to Merchant Square (taking up residence in place of one of our <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/fun-lunch-friday-mercado-merchant-square.html">earlier ‘Fun Lunch Friday</a> restaurants), I knew this would be the perfect place for us to indulge in a little American cuisine, before we are separated again for another five weeks.<br />
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Similar to most of the places we try to visit, they have a very reasonably priced lunch menu, which offers a selection of burgers or salads between the hours of 12pm and 4pm, every Monday to Friday. This menu is offered in the form of a ‘Mini Munch’ (£4.50), which is a 4oz burger accompanied with skinny fries, garlic corn on the cob and daily special sauce, or a ‘Mega Munch’ (£8.50), which adds a bigger 6oz burger, extra coleslaw and two chicken wings.</div>
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It was the chicken wings which were the deciding factor, with both of us agreeing that we couldn’t possibly manage to scoff those, as well as chips and a burger! The ‘Mini Munch’ suited our needs better, with Sarahjane choosing the classic beef burger with cheese, and me selecting my preferred chicken option – the ‘Deep South’ burger.</div>
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The dishes arrived very quickly and were presented in the cutest wee basket - of course, this meant that we spent the first ten minutes trying to get ‘the perfect shot’ for everyone to drool over on social media! I’d forgotten to ask for absolutely no tomatoes or green stuff on mine, so I then spent a further five minutes picking off everything that offended my taste buds!<br />
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Despite my fussy eating habits, the meal was absolutely delicious! I’d initially thought the portion was a bit on the small side, but it was the perfect amount to fill our bellies without inducing a ‘food coma’! Sarahjane even struggled to finish the rest of her chips, so I would advise against the ‘Mega Munch’ unless you are absolutely starving. My favourite style of chicken has always been southern fried, and my wee nugget of a chicken burger did not disappoint – I’m looking forward to trying their alternative ‘Kansas’ burger on my next visit, which adds Coca Cola BBQ sauce and melted cheddar cheese to the southern fried chickeny goodness!</div>
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All in all, I couldn’t fault anything with our latest ‘Fun Lunch Friday’ visit. The food, service and price make Steak, Cattle and Roll a great option for anyone looking to escape the office, or take a break from shopping, and relax in comfortable and friendly atmosphere. I’m also adding it the ever growing list of restaurants I want to include on our ‘<a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/glasgow-burger-tour-bread-meats-bread.html">Glasgow Burger Tour</a>’.</div>
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I really hope Sarahjane enjoys her time in the States, but I hate being separated from my work wife. Hopefully the time passes quickly, and she returns with ALL the American candy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The return of Sarahjane's 'food face'!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still need to perfect my pose!</td></tr>
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Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-64208111923389135052017-09-18T16:05:00.000+01:002017-09-18T16:05:11.824+01:00Beating the Blues with Halloween Treats<div style="text-align: justify;">
September marks the arrival of autumn and the slow build up to the end of the year. The clothes shops are filling up with all the wonderful winter styles, and pumpkin spiced everything is now available, in some form, wherever you go! I usually love this season, but it’s seems tinged with a level of sadness this time around because Thursday marks what would have been the due date of my first pregnancy this year…<br />
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My <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/loss.html">first loss</a> occurred mid-January and, although I was only 5 weeks along, it was still a difficult experience mentally, if not physically. Couple that with my further two losses in <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/when-one-helping-of-loss-wasnt-enough.html">March</a> and <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/from-hoping-to-coping.html">June</a>, both at approximately 8 weeks gestation, and I’m feeling a little on the down side as the latter half of the year progresses. To top it off, I also got my period this weekend (tmi I know), despite convincing myself that all the obvious early pregnancy symptoms had returned, so I’m not in the best of moods.</div>
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I know I should probably wait a while before trying to conceive again, but it’s difficult to manage the feelings of loss and emptiness without attempting to fill them with the obvious solution. I also had absolutely no problem getting pregnant the last three times, so it stresses me out more that this is the third period I’ve had since my most recent D&C, and there’s still no sign of a baby…</div>
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I’m reluctant to make this yet another post about how miserable I feel so, in an effort to cheer myself up a little, I thought I’d indulge in a some retail therapy and share with you guys the lovely seasonal goodies that I couldn’t resist picking up!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33qZLBr_xFs/Wb_cPakmoeI/AAAAAAAABM0/80joD3aWeKQEbpU4DUVKEkuBBrrhYBfjgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33qZLBr_xFs/Wb_cPakmoeI/AAAAAAAABM0/80joD3aWeKQEbpU4DUVKEkuBBrrhYBfjgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4017.JPG" width="300" /></a>First up, I took a wee wander into The Body Shop to pick up some things from their new ‘Vanilla Pumpkin’ range for Halloween. Comprising of body butter, hand cream, shower gel and a body shimmer spray, there’s something for everyone! I needed a new shower gel for the house, but I also picked up a hand cream for work after an earlier incident today saw me accidentally using up the last of my current hand cream in one go, and having to rub it in all the way up to my shoulders, just to get rid of it! The scent itself is deliciously creamy and perfect for cosying up in the evenings, now that the weather is getting colder.<br />
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Next, I just had to pick up one of the latest Yankee Candles from the new Halloween range – ‘Forbidden Apple’. There’s another two in the range – ‘Haunted Hollow’ and ‘Witches’ Brew’ – but I absolutely love anything apple scented, so it was a no brainer! The smell is so strong, that I’m pretty sure it will fill all three floors of my new house when it’s burning – I hope Paul likes apple as much as I do!</div>
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Last, but not least, I couldn’t resist picking up two wee Cadbury ‘Ghooost Eggs’ for myself when I saw them sitting in a ‘2 for £1’ basket! I’ve always loved a good old Creme Egg, so Halloween is the only other time of the year that I can pick one up, once Easter has passed… Although, saying that, Easter things are always stocked from January onwards, so I only really have to last a third of the year without their chocolaty goodness!<br />
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While my wee trip to the shops provided me with some seasonal goodies to keep me going, I know I've still got a way to go before I'm totally in a better frame of mind. As long as I'm completely occupied with something (lab work, thesis writing, blogging, eating) I can manage to function like a normal human being, but I still struggle with the thought of being near pregnant people or new babies/mothers. I'm hoping it won't take too much longer to recover, but my feelings are not as rational as my thoughts, and often have other ideas.<br />
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What are you looking forward to, now that autumn is here? How do you guys cheer yourself up when everything else seems to get you down?<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-64747008647297426242017-07-20T13:07:00.000+01:002017-07-20T13:07:20.728+01:00Choosing the Perfect Wedding Photographer<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s a huge decision… who are you going to be comfortable with while they snap you in your dressing gown, getting ready? Are the children going to like them, or run away from every photo op? Is the work going to be any good, or am I going to be stuck with a set of posed group shots, similar to the school photos of old? I’m sure every couple would have similar questions when looking for a wedding photographer, but I present you with the perfect solution… <a href="http://jennibrowne.com/">Jenni Browne Photography</a>!</div>
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I first met Jenni at a wedding fayre, set in the gorgeous Crieff Hydro Hotel, and she instantly stood out as my kind of person! With her friendly banter and wonderful examples of previous work, I knew she was the woman for the job! After a further consultation at her house, where she explained all her fees in simple terms, there was no reason to shop around – I’d found the perfect person, and can’t imagine anyone else would have done such a great job!</div>
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As a further opportunity to check if she’s the right ‘fit’, Jenni offers all couples a ‘pre-wedding photo shoot’ to ease their minds before the big day, and get a feel for how you interact as a couple. For ours, she chose the beautiful Macrosty Park in Crieff, which was great for allowing the kids to run around and enjoy themselves. This was also a brilliant opportunity to get to know Jenni a bit more, before the madness of our actual wedding day - her advice even managed to influence our decision to try for a third child!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan was just a blur of motion for my phone camera!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids absolutely loved Jenni and kept asking her to take their picture!</td></tr>
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On the morning of our wedding, Jenni turned up promptly and instantly eased my nerves. She spent a bit of time with us, before popping over to see how the boys were getting on with their preparations. When it was time for ceremony, she captured wonderful candid shots of the whole thing in a completely non-invasive way – a lot of our guests didn’t even notice she was there! We did request a few group shots, but there were no delays and she got all the shots we requested in record time – which was a good thing, as there was a freezing blizzard outside! To top the night off, Jenni provided loads of fun props, and set up a photo booth for the evening reception, much to the delight of all the guests!</div>
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I realise I’ve not shown you any of her actual pictures from the day, but I didn’t want to take anything away from her wonderful, high quality work. Instead, I have included links below:</div>
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<a href="http://jennibrowne.com/elanorpauls-pre-wedding-family-shoot/">Macrosty Park Pre-Wedding Shoot</a></div>
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<a href="http://jennibrowne.com/elanorpauls-wedding-dunblane-hilton/">Our Wedding, Dunblane Hydro</a></div>
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Jenni doesn’t just do weddings, she is available for all manners of photo shoots. From pregnancy and new-born, to modelling or architectural work, there is something to suit everyone’s needs. Please go and check her out, she is truly a fantastic woman – I hope to get the chance to work with her again in the future!</div>
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Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-87338778859748459572017-07-14T16:34:00.000+01:002017-07-14T16:34:32.913+01:00Fun Lunch Friday – Café Andaluz, Glasgow City Centre<div style="text-align: justify;">
It seems like such a long time since our <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/fun-lunch-friday-mercado-merchant-square.html">last ‘Fun Lunch Friday’</a>, but with all the crap going on in my life, I’ve not felt much like doing anything fun. Regardless of this, I didn’t want Sarahjane to go off on her work placement without catching up beforehand, especially as I’m going to miss her birthday! So yesterday, I brought in her birthday presents, and we resumed our lunchtime tours of Glasgow with ‘Fun Lunch Friday’… on a Thursday!<br />
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The wonderful, well known summer bank holiday, referred to as ‘the Glasgow Fayre’, fell on this weekend, meaning the uni will be shut on Friday and Monday, and we can all enjoy a cheeky long weekend. As such, we switched our Friday lunch plans to yesterday instead, in order to celebrate together. I picked out <a href="http://www.cafeandaluz.com/restaurants/glasgow-city-centre">Café Andaluz</a>, a beautiful Spanish tapas restaurant on St Vincent Place, and we enjoyed a relaxing lunch after a hectic morning of lab work.</div>
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I’d been to Café Andaluz a couple of times before, one of which was with my Mum before my <a href="http://tiggypoesandflutterbys.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/my-super-fantastic-hen-weekend.html">hen do</a>, so I was well aware of the menu choices. Similar to many other places in Glasgow, they had a lunch time menu (available Monday to Friday, 12pm to 3pm) which was perfect for our needs, offering three tapas dishes for £12.95 per person. This does slightly exceed our usual budget of £10, but we hadn’t had a lunch date for so long, that the slight increase was worth it!</div>
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To save time, we had already pre-selected our menu choices while waiting for our experiment to finish, which was just as well considering we had pushed lunch back by a couple of hours and were absolutely starving! I ordered Patatas Gratinadas (layers of sliced potato baked with garlic cream and mozzarella cheese), Queso De Cabra Al Horno (grilled goats’ cheese topped with orange and chilli marmalade) and Croquetas De Jamón Y Queso (crisp croquettes stuffed with Serrano ham and Manchego cheese), which was also the exact same dishes I’d ordered with my Mum last year – I’m a creature of habit!<br />
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We spent the time waiting for our dishes, by fiddling about with the story function of Instagram. I know it’s been around for a while now, but it’s only recently that I’ve actually discovered it is pretty fun! After attempting to get ‘the perfect’ shot of the menu and our surroundings several times, I eventually gave up when our delicious lunch was placed in front of us. I hadn’t quite realised just how much cheese I had ordered, but I don’t regret it one bit!</div>
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Every item was cooked to perfection but I particularly enjoyed the goats’ cheese, especially as I had been avoiding soft cheeses while I was pregnant. The croquettes and potato gratin were also amazing, and the extra helping of mozzarella really helped to improve my favourite potato style dish! After attempting to stuff all this wonderful food into my mouth, I was extremely disappointed when I realised I couldn’t finish it all.</div>
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Once again, Café Andaluz had not disappointed either of our expectations. Without fail, they always deliver on taste and atmosphere alike! I can’t wait to find another excuse for a visit, perhaps leaving room to sample a dessert next time!</div>
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Even though I only saw her yesterday, I’m already missing Sarahjane like mad – I will leave the next lunch choice up to her, but I’m hoping she can organise the next one for as soon as she gets back!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarahjane's food pose has returned!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm still trying to work on mine!</td></tr>
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Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2262397323688831282.post-83078448609197376432017-07-05T18:19:00.000+01:002017-07-05T18:19:22.288+01:00Am I Managing?<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been two weeks since we found out our little bean had died, and I still feel lost.</div>
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It’s not like this was the first time – back in January, and again in March, we were in exactly the same position – I should know what to do now, right?</div>
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Even though this is my third consecutive miscarriage (fourth overall), it doesn’t seem to get any easier. If anything, it’s even more difficult now because we can’t try again until both of us are tested to check for underlying conditions.</div>
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But I have two kids, so I know I can have healthy babies!</div>
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When we were back in the hospital, after having my uterus surgically evacuated again, I swore to Paul that this would be the last time, I couldn’t take any more chances that we would face this again… but now, I’m not so sure. Whenever I see pregnant people, or baby adverts, or even come across any of my friends’ family happiness on Facebook, I just can’t help but feel overwhelming despair. I would never wish bad things on other people, but the only thing that keeps popping into my mind is ‘why does everyone else seem to get their happiness, but not me?’</div>
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I suppose the thing that set me off today was a completely unrelated event – a simple phone call to the tax credit people.</div>
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Both myself and Paul have been working really hard recently, although it’s mostly Paul’s continued efforts to excel in his work, that now means we are in a position to not require tax credits anymore. After claiming this help for approximately 10 years, it’s such a great feeling to know that we are now supporting our family on our own two feet… that is, until we got an unexpected repayment bill for almost £800!</div>
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I’m not debating that we owe money, and fully intend to pay back the overpayments we received, but I’ve only had letters stating we owe half that value, and the phone call today explained that it was actually double.</div>
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I’ve been trying to cope, and normally a revelation like this would be easily sorted, but my fragile state of mind has not allowed any sort of logical thinking on my part. Paul has explained that this was the value he was expecting, and not to worry, he will sort everything.</div>
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I love my man and I really want to feel better, but I ain’t half struggling to get my shit together…</div>
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My Mum phoned me this afternoon and suggested I get some medication to help me out, but I don’t want to be stuck taking a bunch of anti-depressants again – it’s not like you can keep taking them when you’re pregnant, so it would feel like yet another barrier to expanding our family.</div>
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In an effort to feel better, we started a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv4EmFVA9UoDYcp00lMCUzg">family vlog</a> to try and ease our pain – shameless plug here, but I’d love it if you’d check it out – and it does help a little, but we try so hard to seem completely normal for the camera, that it feels like we are forgetting our angel babies.</div>
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Writing this blog is another outlet that I use to cope, but, again, it only goes so far towards improving my state of mind.</div>
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The well wishes and support we have received, from both friends and strangers alike, has been fantastic and I thank everyone who helped to improve our mood. I wrote this post today with the hope that explaining my feelings in more detail could improve things further… but I can’t help but think that the only thing to truly make things better, will be cradling another little baby in our arms…<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14583277/?claim=nep54e22j5e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Tiggy Poes and Flutterbyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03400306901531470520noreply@blogger.com4