PINTEREST

Pinterest is one of my favourite places to be online. In there, on those pages, I can be whoever I want to be. A creative genius, the perfect desperate housewife (awh, miss them), the mum who has it all... fabulous home, successful business, the wardrobe of all wardrobes, well mannered, confident children. We're the family who do all the bucket lists of all the activities while the slow cooker delivers another perfect family meal. In those pages I can be the perfect hostess, a fashion muse, an activist, an ambassador, an artist, a writer. It's yours to create your perfect world. 

The single most important thing about pinterest is what you do with those ideas. It's how you translate those images to your life that count. You cannot expect your real life to look like a pinterest board without hitting the dark doom of daily disappointment. Take the inspiration, translate it to your life a little at a time and soak in the joy.  Real life is perfectly imperfect... it's not a pinboard.

Here are a few things I've been inspired by lately. 

Effortless look for the school run mum.
A great look for the School Run Mum wardrobe

Walk In Pantry Ideas

Alcove shelves

Bikini gorgeousness... inspiring me to get in shape as much as getting dressed!

Kitchen dreams 

If you aren't a pinner, get involved! It is a world of inspiration. Whatever you are interested in, you'll find it there. Create pinboards of things that interest you and follow me while you're at it! 

SUMMERTIME FABNESS

Motherhood right now is SUMMER HOLIDAYS. I am crazy in love with all school holidays but the summer has my heart... six weeks. Six weeks without the sodding school run. The school run is, by far, my least favourite parenting chore of all the gazillion parenting chores. It is my kryptonite. Best I stop talking about it... I'm too busy enjoying not doing it to even start thinking about it. Back to all the heart eyes for the summer holidays. We're all loving it. Lazy mornings, late breakfasts, just doing whatever takes our fancy.

This summer has brought a massive shift in where I'm at inside this head of mine. Making plans is my favourite thing to do so that's what I'm doing. Now the offspring are fully functioning, walking, talking actual real beings, I can see beyond the end of each week. I've got three small humans unlocking seat belts, getting in and out of cars completely unassisted. This is cause for celebration indeed. These are the moments I've been waiting for. I should really decorate the car to aid the celebration parties I have in my head. Lets get those parties unlocked for everyone to enjoy! The best bit is, I am recognising it. Fully celebrating and appreciating these days. It's all well and good making plans for the future but not if its to the detriment of the now. 

More cause for summer celebration. Carys taught herself to burp on demand during week one. Week two, both Joseph and Carys perfected the art of finger clicking. Carys's style is questionable but gets good results so who am I to argue. Then came the whistling. We're at week four, they are perfecting and refining their new found talents. It's not in the slightest bit annoying. 

SUMMER HOLIDAY PARENTING TIPS 

If you leave breakfast late enough, you can actually get away with two meals a day. BRUNCH is for winners! 

Willy WINKY might scare the shit out of your kids but your summer nights will not be ruined with kids chiming 'it's still light outside, I don't have to  go to sleep'. It's a win win. Tired kids are impossible to like. You'll like them during the day and at night. And they'll be happy too... the benefits are endless.

Say YES more. It's the holidays, let them have a coke from time to time. Quiet life, happy kid. 

Find your TRIBE. Get out with friends. Going anywhere with friends is a million times easier than going it alone. Set up camp at the beach and let the urchins entertain each other. 

IGNORE the whining. Better still nip it early 'I can't understand you when you speak that way. Come back to me when you're ready to speak like a person.' 




Say YES to going to the park AFTER supper.

Posing with the bodyboard is much easier than the bodyboarding. 

Happiness is losing your first tooth.

SWITZERLAND

Tidying up these blog pages, I found this section form our Swiss days and I just can't bring myself to delete it. Half of our married life to date was spent in Switzerland and all three children born there so it's a special place. The opportunity to go came at the perfect time for us and we loved our time there. We knew it wasn't in our forever plan so I can honestly say, we enjoyed it for what it was... even with all its little oddball ways. I often find myself deliberately not talking about those for years for fear of sounding pretentious and everyone thinking of eff off back to effing Switzerland will ya! I'm getting over that.

Funny thing is I had this really odd encounter in the barbers yesterday. Joseph was getting his hair cut and this lady and her son came in and sat next to me and the girls. Her son had the most gorgeous curls which I commented on and we got taking a little. As it turned out, they are moving to Switzerland in the next few weeks.

'Oh really, where abouts? I lived there for a few years.' Turns our they are moving pretty close to where we lived and I found myself really excited for this family and the new life they were about to embark on and there I was ready to talk.

There I was ready to go, willing to help. I was panning ahead in this fantastic conversation to the point where I'd offer her my email so if ever she needed me to help with info or connect her to some people. But it didn't pan out that way at all. It was met with a serious lack of enthusiasm. Sure, she was interested that I'd lived there and isn't it a small world sorta thing but I was so disappointed that we didn't engage. Or rather that she didn't engage. I was ENGAGED. I was raring to go! I couldn't help myself scribble a few references on the back on a shopping list to give to her and she seemed grateful but honestly there was so much more I could've told her.

And its was here on my blog. Coincidently its National Swiss Day so here's to you lady in the barber shop. I think you will probably get along with the locals quite well. Bon chance!

Written around August 2013 :: We've spent the last four years living in Switzerland and, while I am by no means an expert, I thought a few links and pointers in the right direction could help anyone who is new to Switzerland or thinking of a move in that direction.

As with living anywhere, there are a lot of pro's and con's to Switzerland. I am going to try to be just like Switzerland in my approach. Neutral. 

We lived in Geneva for a couple of years before moving out to the vineyards of Vaud. Personally, I prefer the countryside. Geneva is a nice city, small and compact. Commuting into Geneva from Vaud is a popular option for many an ex-pat. 

There is a huge expat community in Switzerland. According to Geneva.Info, Geneva is the most international city in Europe with over 40% of the population coming from outside Switzerland. Thankfully, there are many resources to help make sense of the Swiss ways. Trust me, you'll need all the help you can get! 

AngloInfo Geneva covers a huge range of topics from Education, Healthcare and Legal to Family and Community Life. 

Glocals is similar but seems to take a more social approach. I have sold lots of stuff via their Classifieds Pages. 

World Radio has a great website too with a Guides section. Their Classifieds pages are really good too advertising anything from concert tickets to property! Its also nice to check their News pages for local news in English. 

Other sites I used were English Forum and the Know It All Passport. Know It All, supports an excellent book detailing a whole lorra information but it comes with a hefty price tag. To be honest, a second hand copy would do and with the websites having chat forums, getting local information isn't too difficult. Comparis is a great site that compares the best value for money on things like Insurance and Phone and Internet options. They have a smart Moving To Switzerland section.

If your French is good, you're at a major advantage. If not, Google Translate will be your new best friend! We are lucky to have colleauges and neighbours to help us out when we get stuck. Our neighbours have been a huge help with the 'Swissues' we had with our Regie {Estate Agent}.

Estate Agents, or Regies as they are called here, will be your enemy. I never once heard anyone say anything positive about them. Sadly, you need them. To get a roof over your head, you have submit an application for each property you wish to apply for and then the decision is in the hands of the devil himself! Am I being over dramatic? Perhaps. Actually, no. They are a hateful bunch. 

Good sites for property searches are Homegate, Immostreet and Immoscout. Each of these sites show properties from different Estate Agents meaning you don't have to trawl through a ton of Estate Agents sites.

It is compulsory to have basic health insurance. It is worth getting a full private package if you are planning to have babies. Luxury, I tell you!

You must change you drivers licence to a Swiss Driving Licence within one year of living in the country. Otherwise you will have to take the Swiss driving test. One persons experience can be found on this Glocals forum chat.

We used Swisscom for our home TV and Internet connection. They had a good British TV package. There is a way to get Sky TV via a UK address. If you go to Jims British Market St Genis-Pouilly shop in France {it's just across the border} on the first Satuday of the month, there is a guy who will help you out. Jim's British Market is a great stop for a few home comforts. The shop in Gland is a short drive out of Geneva and well worth a visit. 

If you need to know anything else, drop me an email or leave a comment. I'll try to point you in the right direction. Good luck.


Stunning views over Geneva to Vaud with the stunning Jet d'Eau standing proud.

MOTH·ER·HOOD


moth·er·hood

   (mŭth′ər-ho͝od′)

n.
1. The state of being a mother.
2. The qualities of a mother.
3. Mothers considered as a group.


Yes, check. I am in a complete state of being mother! I even have an apron. 
For six years I've been fudging through this motherhood game, desperately trying to look convincing and hoping nobody notices that I haven't a sodding clue what I'm doing. It's all one great big joke. A joke that I {together with Alex, of course} am responsible for three small humans. More than just trying to keep them alive and ensure they are clean and tidy, we're shaping three little people for adulthood. 
What are the qualities? I carried them and gave birth to them, so yes I have the physical qualities to become a mother but that's the easy part. What happens next is what really matters... moulding these cute little gurglers to be good humans is where the challenge becomes real. We all parent differently, hell, I parent each of my children differently. They are individuals after all. 
The real stuff for me now is Preparing them for school, playground chatter, class tests. Looking way ahead it'll come to preparing them for those big exams that matter. The 1hr 30 min paper that will dictate their next academic move. The first loves and the right friendship circles. Guiding them towards uni or the world of work or travel. Helping them to find their strengths and to see their weaknesses as opportunities to try harder, to work it out. Teaching them that kindness and love are the greatest gifts to own and to bestow upon their fellow humans. Compassionate hearts are the most beautiful. 
The group vibes. We're all in this together. Mums, dads, natural or adoptive, foster carers and grandparents. The village days are sadly a thing of the past but I'm a believer that 'it takes a village to raise a child'. Children need to see the grown ups in unison. The parents standing strong with the teachers. Mums having each others backs. 
We can too easily get sucked into a competitive world, especially online. Social media lives are so shiny, so pristine and it's easy to look at our screens and think 'oh shit!'. Real life doesn't have the Instagram filters... real life just isn't like that. I love it when friends share the really rubbish stuff... not for a sympathetic cheerleading squad to come out of the corners of the internet and massage their dented ego. Ugh, no! Don't do that please. But to be able to laugh in the face what challenges your children bring and say 'what the hell is this about? Nobody told me they'd refuse to obey my every command. Something has gone wrong with my product because I certainly didn't order this bratty little beast six years ago!'
Where I am at right now is realising that while the daily routine can be insanely monotonous, the children are not. Towards the end of this last school term, I was so done with the day in, week out routine. I needed the summer holidays to come as much as the kids did. Life got monotonous, I was on auto pilot, I let it get boring. They produce a lot of laundry, endless dirty dishes and their homework often becomes a team effort but while the chores might get monotonous, the children aren't. They chip, they hark on and moan and yes that is annoying but, putting myself in their shoes, they are just negotiating their day. I am learning that their negotiations are desperate pleas to take charge of their day. They are learning {oh so slowly} that we all have to play our part in making each others day good. More than just sharing stuff but sharing time. 

These sticky little people have potential to be brilliant human beings. One day at a time, I'm over here trying to create one gent and two ladies. I'm trying not to roll my eyes. I'm trying not to mutter. I'm trying to be one step ahead so when they're dawdling, I can let them dawdle a little. I'm trying.

WILLY WINKY

Wee Willy Winky IS real and if ANYONE tells my kids otherwise, I will hunt them down and smack their bottoms with my slipper - just like Willy Winky does to naughty children. Okay?!

It has been 22 days since I posted this Facebook update. That is 22 days since Willy Winky came knocking on our front door and I had to send him away and promise him my children would be good... 22 gloriously peaceful evenings. 

Yes, it might be a bit wicked but Willy Winky has saved me from evenings full eye rolling, deep exasperated sighs and endlessly wracking my brain coming up with threats and bribes to keep my children in their damn beds. My sanity is almost restored to its previous levels (not great to begin) and to top it all, I am the proud owner of three happy children who are firing on all cylinders after a full nights sleep. It's a win, win. 

Y'know what its like when children are faffing about avoiding sleep. 

They can't get to sleep until you are in bed. 
They need water. 
They need more water. 
Oh no mummy, they've spilled their water. 
They don't think they brushed their teeth for long enough. 
They need a poo. 
They forgot to wee while trying for the poo that didn't happen. 
Their duvet isn't straight. 

Not no more. Not a peep. They go to bed. Actually, they rush to bed because y'know WILLY WINKY.  Don't worry though, he only comes knocking if he hears that children are being naughty. He can be quite good humour if you've been well behaved. Oh, another thing. Winky is a very good friend of The Angry Pixie (y'know the one who lives in the Magic Faraway Tree a few branches below Moonface) and that little pixie, well he gets everywhere. He keeps an eye on children during the day while Winky is asleep.

Simple. 




LIGHT UP, LIGHT UP

This multiple pendant took my fancy a long time ago when I first saw it on Pinterest. I pinned it at the time and bought it today. I always get a little buzz when a pin becomes real.

Handmade Pendant Light Chandelier
Brightened up Day Five of Clean 9 if you'll pardon the pun. It's handmade by a company called Light Cookie  who are based in Greece and sell via Etsy. Go check them out, they have so many great products. 

Oh speaking of lights, very pleased with my B&Q glitzy bargain in our utility room. Who says laundry can't be glamorous! 




ONLINE MEMORY BOX

Just set about to update the FAMILY page and could not bring myself to delete its contents. My Miss Marple skills reckon it was written late 2012. How things have changed. How my little people have changed. 

Joseph :: My boy. He has been an easy child since day one. Sure he has the odd 'moment' but on the whole, he is totally chilled out. A really happy and contented little boy. I know because he tells me. In the middle of a game, colouring, watching TV, whatever... he'll look at me with the declaration 'mummy, I'm a happy boy' and it gets me every time. Love it. So my baby {'I'm not a baby, I'm a big boy'} will be three in January. He gets funnier every day. He repeats everything we say. Not in that annoying way a seven year old does... but later, even days after we've said something I'll hear him playing with his HappyLand people and I can hear how he makes conversations between them. It will be exactly something Alex or I have said. And the voices. Oh, the voices! He calls to Carys 'c'mon sweetheart, keep up' exactly as I do when we're out walking. Precious.

Carys :: Carys is a dream. I thought Joseph was easy but this little girl trumped him in the easy baby competition. From the day she was born, she made sense of everything. Life got easier. I don't know how that is possible and I can't explain it but that's how it was. I hadn't realised that I had lost myself in motherhood until she was born. I found myself again without even knowing I had been gone. Saying all that, she's a force to be reckoned with. Carys is similar to Joseph in a lot of ways, calm, content, happy to go with the flow but there is a spark in her that will, without warning, cause utter chaos.


T3 :: Oh, who are you in there? This little mover certainly doesn't let me forget they're in there. I can't wait to have him or her in my arms. We've agreed on names and I'm so excited to know which one will be added to our family.