Bon appetit mon ami!
SHROVE TUESDAY
Just as I was about to type 'pancake recipe' into google (don't judge me... I don't make them often enough to know the quantites by heart!), what should arrive in my inbox but an email for good old Graham & Green with exactly that. Spooky!
Bon appetit mon ami!
Bon appetit mon ami!
OH HAPPY FEBRUARY!
February has arrived. I, for one, am delighted! Are you? Now, I don't mind January, in fact I feel a bit sorry for him {January is a boy, you know} because everybody, and I mean ev-er-y-bod-y, seemed to be moaning on and on about January, willing it to be a new month. And here we are. February. A month into 2013 and I am left feeling a little lacking. I did not acheive a great deal of anything useful in the first month of 2013. We didn't venture far. We didn't do a great deal of anything. Reflecting on the month, I have realised there isn't much to reflect on. A little ashamed. February should be a different story. February is where it's at. February and March, in fact. Two busy months for Chez Trott. Family visiting, visiting family... little bit of Disney. Yes.
Anyways. All month long, my mind has been elsewhere. The future. I am thinking a lot about the what's next for us. I'm lost here in Switzerland. Ready for change. Taking down the Christmas decorations at the beginning of the month I thought I'd change things. Move pictures, get some new art. Do some art. I didn't. The walls are still bare.
I look at this picture all the time. I took a screen shot of it on my phone and it's there amonst my pictures of a giggling Joseph and Carys with paint all over her face. I want this hanging in my apartment... isn't this just so February? To me it is.
At the moment things are just a little bit in limbo. A bit stagnant.
When we move, we will...
When we move, I'll be able to...
When we move, the children can do...
When we move...
When we move...
Need. To. Stop.
So February, let's not do this any longer. Let's make a plan, you and I. Let's make wise choices. Let's get motivated. Let's live while we plan. Let's enjoy Switzerland. Let's not be ashamed of wasting these days. Let's hang things on the walls regardless of how long they will hang there.
Anyways. All month long, my mind has been elsewhere. The future. I am thinking a lot about the what's next for us. I'm lost here in Switzerland. Ready for change. Taking down the Christmas decorations at the beginning of the month I thought I'd change things. Move pictures, get some new art. Do some art. I didn't. The walls are still bare.
I look at this picture all the time. I took a screen shot of it on my phone and it's there amonst my pictures of a giggling Joseph and Carys with paint all over her face. I want this hanging in my apartment... isn't this just so February? To me it is.
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| Modern Romance | 2010 | Yolanda Sanchez |
When we move, we will...
When we move, I'll be able to...
When we move, the children can do...
When we move...
When we move...
Need. To. Stop.
So February, let's not do this any longer. Let's make a plan, you and I. Let's make wise choices. Let's get motivated. Let's live while we plan. Let's enjoy Switzerland. Let's not be ashamed of wasting these days. Let's hang things on the walls regardless of how long they will hang there.
'YOU NEVER CHANGE THINGS BY FIGHTING THE EXISTING REALITY. TO CHANGE SOMETHING, BUILD A NEW MODEL THAT MAKES THE EXISTING MODEL OBSOLETE.'
- BUCKMINSTER 'BUCKY' FULLER
OUR JOURNEY? {PART I}
'Why Switzerland?' This is a question I'm often asked.
'Why, {oh why must you be so Swiss} Switzerland?' This is a question I often ask.
We moved here in July 2009. That's three and a half years. Longer than we had originally planned, shorter than far too long. I am ready to make moves towards Blighty but more of that another time. For now, Switzerland is home. We are really enjoying the life we have here. As much as we miss our family and friends, there are a lot of positives to being here and I, for one, am so thankful that we made this move. It has proved to be a positive step for us in our own journey. We have had to rely on each other like never before.
Funny that we arrived as a couple and now have two children... almost three. Since July 2009... that's a lot of breeding for three and a half years!
Switzerland sort of just happened to us. I know that you can't just wake up in a different country without any input but we just rode a wave and that's exactly what happened. Here's how...
So. Well, lets see, we were living and working in London. Fantastic. London! Loved it. We have a cosy {tiny} little flat in Greenwich and loved life in the south east. London offers a great lifestyle. It's London. Just walking her streets is enough for me. There is an endless amount of shopping to be done, shows to see, restaurants to eat in. All the loveliness aside, neither of us were very keen on the jobs we were in. I was working in a Postgraduate Medical Deanery, the same sort of work that I had been doing in Belfast. I absolutely loved my job in Belfast. I mean it... I loved going to work. Monday's didn't bother me. Coming back from holiday didn't bother me. Working weekends didn't bother me. I loved it. The same set up in London proved very different. Without going into the why's and wherefores, I hated it. Alex was a totally fed up in his job too. He was in auditing which didn't inspire him much at all.
We'd both get the Sunday night horrors at the thought of the week ahead and spend the 9-5 longing for the next weekend. I realise this is the case for a lot of people but enough was enough for us. We were engaged and about to get married at the end of the year. The start a new journey and I for one didn't want our story to involve being miserable five days a week. Life's too short, right!? We are all responsibile for our own happiness. We have to make changes and not just dream about them.
So that's what we did. Alex quit his job with three months notice. Three months notice. Those pesky 'three months' were hindering his search. So... three months, that's loads of time to find a new job. Right? Not so... something rather unpredicted happened. The old credit crunch hit. London was out of bounds for Alex getting a new job. Nobody was hiring new staff and everyone was making cuts. Eeeeeshk... so much for 'Life's too short, right!? We are all responsibile for our own happiness. We have to make changes and not just dream about them' With his notice period up and no joy in London job hunting, we got to talking about our options. There weren't many. Alex said he thought going back to Guernsey would be a safe bet as a short term solution. He had trained there, his dad lives there, he has friends there... seemed a good idea. He set up a couple of meeting and, praise be(!), was offered a couple of jobs in one morning. Phew! Sort of. He has a job. It's in Guernsey. He was now in Guernsey and I am in London. I hadn't moved to London for the love of love to start doing long distance all over again. We were about to get married. What a pickle. What to do?
Easy. It wasn't a difficult letter of resignation to write. I pretty much skipped out of work that day knowing my days at the Deanery were numbered. Post wedding, I'd move to Guernsey too, find a temp job of some sorts and we'd figure out the next step together.
To be contnued...
'Why, {oh why must you be so Swiss} Switzerland?' This is a question I often ask.
We moved here in July 2009. That's three and a half years. Longer than we had originally planned, shorter than far too long. I am ready to make moves towards Blighty but more of that another time. For now, Switzerland is home. We are really enjoying the life we have here. As much as we miss our family and friends, there are a lot of positives to being here and I, for one, am so thankful that we made this move. It has proved to be a positive step for us in our own journey. We have had to rely on each other like never before.
Funny that we arrived as a couple and now have two children... almost three. Since July 2009... that's a lot of breeding for three and a half years!
Switzerland sort of just happened to us. I know that you can't just wake up in a different country without any input but we just rode a wave and that's exactly what happened. Here's how...
So. Well, lets see, we were living and working in London. Fantastic. London! Loved it. We have a cosy {tiny} little flat in Greenwich and loved life in the south east. London offers a great lifestyle. It's London. Just walking her streets is enough for me. There is an endless amount of shopping to be done, shows to see, restaurants to eat in. All the loveliness aside, neither of us were very keen on the jobs we were in. I was working in a Postgraduate Medical Deanery, the same sort of work that I had been doing in Belfast. I absolutely loved my job in Belfast. I mean it... I loved going to work. Monday's didn't bother me. Coming back from holiday didn't bother me. Working weekends didn't bother me. I loved it. The same set up in London proved very different. Without going into the why's and wherefores, I hated it. Alex was a totally fed up in his job too. He was in auditing which didn't inspire him much at all.
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| Greenwich Park, I love you. |
Our Greenwich Days {with youth on our side!}
Easy. It wasn't a difficult letter of resignation to write. I pretty much skipped out of work that day knowing my days at the Deanery were numbered. Post wedding, I'd move to Guernsey too, find a temp job of some sorts and we'd figure out the next step together.
To be contnued...
I LOVE MY GOLF BALLS!
This story came up in my Facebook news feed over the weekend. It's a real gem. I feel a bit silly that I need prompted to remember the important things in life but sometimes the little things just cloud my view. Have a read.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.
So simple. Love your golf balls people. When everything is stripped back, they are all that matters.
*** Original source: Unknown ***
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.
Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.
So simple. Love your golf balls people. When everything is stripped back, they are all that matters.
*** Original source: Unknown ***
GIFT SUCCESS
Just had me some great gift giving success! Don't you love when you get it right. To get someone a treat that they really weren't expecting. I do.
I'm a big fan of Not On The High Street {dot} com. Especially for the range of personalised gifts that they have on offer. My latest love is for Letterfest's Bespoke House Pencil Sketch. My recipient loved it so much that she's going to buy one for her parents so I'd say that was a pretty sure sign of success.
I can also vouch for the Personalised Scrabble Art by Copperdot. I got a couple for my nephews Theo and Cosmo. Each one had their names interlinked with scrabble tiles. Their date of birth was written at the bottom in a nice fancy script style font. They are gorgeous. It'll be a go to for future babies in my life. I probably should get them for my own tots.
Also love these Personalised Rubber Address Stamps by English Stamp. I tell ya, when we finally get settled in a permanent home, I'll treat myself to one of these.
Joseph was given one of these gorgeous Personalised Aprons by 3 Blonde Bears from his little chums Ella, Dom and Seb. Thanks Lisa! The quality is great and he loves the pocket {you can get a lot of HappyLand people in that pocket!} and the diggers print is right up his street!
I'm a big fan of Not On The High Street {dot} com. Especially for the range of personalised gifts that they have on offer. My latest love is for Letterfest's Bespoke House Pencil Sketch. My recipient loved it so much that she's going to buy one for her parents so I'd say that was a pretty sure sign of success.
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| Bespoke House Pencil Sketch by Letterfest |
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| Et voila! I sent a photograph, they sent the sketch! |
Also love these Personalised Rubber Address Stamps by English Stamp. I tell ya, when we finally get settled in a permanent home, I'll treat myself to one of these.
Joseph was given one of these gorgeous Personalised Aprons by 3 Blonde Bears from his little chums Ella, Dom and Seb. Thanks Lisa! The quality is great and he loves the pocket {you can get a lot of HappyLand people in that pocket!} and the diggers print is right up his street!
AND THEY CALLED IT... DUMMY LOVE
So there is a lot of love for dummies in our house. Why do we call them dummies? Just to be clear a dummy or 'nummy' as Carys calls it is a pacifier, comforter, soother... or as Alex and I have come to call it 'the silencer'! I am a dummy fan. Both Joseph and Carys are major dummy fans. From both were teeny tiny they got a lot of comfort from it and it played a major roll in stretching out feeds when they started to get a little tetchy. For me, there are more pros than cons to giving your baby a dummy. It's just about how to control its use and how to get rid of it when the time is right. When we started out at the parenting game I reckoned turning two years old would be the right time. It didn't go according to plan.
Joseph, as you know, has just turned three. He still uses a dummy. Now, just to clarify, he's not one of those kids at the park running about with a dummy hanging out of his mouth but his dependency on it was not on the decline. We set out to allow it in the car and in bed but really we weren't strict enough on enforcing these boundaries. It got to the stage where, when I was taking pictures of them around the house, I was always saying 'take your dummies out' or I'd take a picture of Carys and Joseph would be there loitering in the background with a dummy. I started to hate the dummy. I don't want to hate dummies. Dummies are my friends. But, dummies are for babies. Just babies. 'Operation: Au Revoir Dummy' was becoming urgent.
So last week, Monday I think it was doing the usual morning duty and decided today was the day.
Day one: No dummy. It was exhausting. All day long he begged and he moaned and he cried 'I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy...' I was tired. I ran out of distractions. Puzzles, games, duplo, cartoons, cuddles. It was a looooooooong day. Long, I tell you. So desperate for his dummy was that boy of mine, he went to bed and had a nap. He hasn't napped for about 10 months!
Day two: No dummy. Less exhausting but a little weary. He moaned less, he begged less, he cried less. He played more. He talked more. He napped again.
Day three: Joseph's Third Birthday. No dummy. No problem. Happy dummy free birthday party!
And just to remind you of how cute he is sans dummy... and show off my appaling cake decorating skills{!} here are a couple of pictures from Joseph's birthday.
A week on, its become clear that having the dummy during the day was relaxing him a little bit too much. Whilst it was not in his mouth every waking minute of the day, it was enough that he hadn't need to nap. I have two pretty laid back children and a dummy makes them REALLY laid back. A week on, he still has his dummy in bed and has napped most days since cold turkey started. The nap request is most definitely an excuse for time out with a beloved dummy. He is going to bed much easier. Marching himself to his bedchamber and clambering onto his bed without assistance and falling asleep really quickly without fuss. The next step is of course, to rid ourselves of the dummy completely.
Do I regret using a dummy?
No.
Would I use the same method again?
Yes, just wishing I'd started sooner.
Will I use a dummy for the next baby?
Yes ma'am.
What about Carys?
She is on the same regime and is totally cool about it.
Joseph, as you know, has just turned three. He still uses a dummy. Now, just to clarify, he's not one of those kids at the park running about with a dummy hanging out of his mouth but his dependency on it was not on the decline. We set out to allow it in the car and in bed but really we weren't strict enough on enforcing these boundaries. It got to the stage where, when I was taking pictures of them around the house, I was always saying 'take your dummies out' or I'd take a picture of Carys and Joseph would be there loitering in the background with a dummy. I started to hate the dummy. I don't want to hate dummies. Dummies are my friends. But, dummies are for babies. Just babies. 'Operation: Au Revoir Dummy' was becoming urgent.
So last week, Monday I think it was doing the usual morning duty and decided today was the day.
Day one: No dummy. It was exhausting. All day long he begged and he moaned and he cried 'I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy, I want my red dummy mummy...' I was tired. I ran out of distractions. Puzzles, games, duplo, cartoons, cuddles. It was a looooooooong day. Long, I tell you. So desperate for his dummy was that boy of mine, he went to bed and had a nap. He hasn't napped for about 10 months!
Day two: No dummy. Less exhausting but a little weary. He moaned less, he begged less, he cried less. He played more. He talked more. He napped again.
Day three: Joseph's Third Birthday. No dummy. No problem. Happy dummy free birthday party!
And just to remind you of how cute he is sans dummy... and show off my appaling cake decorating skills{!} here are a couple of pictures from Joseph's birthday.
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| Top a bad icing job with a favourite toy and hope nobody notices! |
A week on, its become clear that having the dummy during the day was relaxing him a little bit too much. Whilst it was not in his mouth every waking minute of the day, it was enough that he hadn't need to nap. I have two pretty laid back children and a dummy makes them REALLY laid back. A week on, he still has his dummy in bed and has napped most days since cold turkey started. The nap request is most definitely an excuse for time out with a beloved dummy. He is going to bed much easier. Marching himself to his bedchamber and clambering onto his bed without assistance and falling asleep really quickly without fuss. The next step is of course, to rid ourselves of the dummy completely.
Do I regret using a dummy?
No.
Would I use the same method again?
Yes, just wishing I'd started sooner.
Will I use a dummy for the next baby?
Yes ma'am.
What about Carys?
She is on the same regime and is totally cool about it.
MATERNITY THREADS
I'm almost half way through my third pregnancy and I'm almost ready to give up on maternity fashion. Gaaaah! Seriously, no fun. Now, a big part of this, for me, is because I live in Switzerland. I haven't talked much about Switzerland yet... so let me kick off but telling you that shopping in Switzerland is useless. 'Shopping' comes a close second behind 'family ties' on my list of reasons to move back to the UK. That may sound ridiculous to some but trust me... try shopping in Switzerland and get back to me! I digress. I will revisit all things Swiss related {brace yourselves!} another day. So, as I was saying, maternity fashion...
At home, I live in cropped leggings {hmmmmm... please don't judge me, I need comfort!} and a top of some description. Should we go outdoors, I can do a swift change into a pair of jeans and be gone.
My maternity wardrobe is a collection of under the bump jeans, all with varying levels of good and bad! Also lurking in a drawer are two pairs of pretty dodgy maternity jeggings that I'm not happy with. I need to flog them or give them away. Every time I look at them, I cringe. Both are over the bump which really isn't my thing. I've got a lovely navy dress that I really like. I picked it up from a Dorothy Perkin's sale for £15 so it's a bargain hit! To top off my woeful collection there is a series of basics tops in white, navy and black. Very uninspiring.
This pregnancy will take me into the summer {due date 10 June} so come April, things will be hotting up here in Switzerland and jeans will probably be out the window anyways. I'm loathed to buy much more but another dress {or two!} should see me though. I'm using what I've got to it's best and trying to work on accessorising. I'm not big on accessorisies. Don't get me wrong, I love me some gorgeous accessories, I just forget to use them and when I do they are hauled and pulled at by the tots.
My mum got me a great pair of straight leg from Mamas & Papas for Christmas that are my favourite go to. They are the closest to perfect that I have found. I'm exitedly awaiting the arrival of this dress from Jojo Maman Bebe from my sister-in-law. Should be another great summer staple. Fingers and toes crossed.
If you're on your first pregnancy, please learn from my mistakes... the main thing I have learned is that most maternity wear comes up quite big. I've made the so many mistakes buying my normal size or even going a size up. You'd think I'd have learned sooner but pregnancy number three and I've finally realised I need to go a size down. Shop around and try lots of different style on. Top tip :: when your bump is big, your bum looks small{er}!
At home, I live in cropped leggings {hmmmmm... please don't judge me, I need comfort!} and a top of some description. Should we go outdoors, I can do a swift change into a pair of jeans and be gone.
My maternity wardrobe is a collection of under the bump jeans, all with varying levels of good and bad! Also lurking in a drawer are two pairs of pretty dodgy maternity jeggings that I'm not happy with. I need to flog them or give them away. Every time I look at them, I cringe. Both are over the bump which really isn't my thing. I've got a lovely navy dress that I really like. I picked it up from a Dorothy Perkin's sale for £15 so it's a bargain hit! To top off my woeful collection there is a series of basics tops in white, navy and black. Very uninspiring.
This pregnancy will take me into the summer {due date 10 June} so come April, things will be hotting up here in Switzerland and jeans will probably be out the window anyways. I'm loathed to buy much more but another dress {or two!} should see me though. I'm using what I've got to it's best and trying to work on accessorising. I'm not big on accessorisies. Don't get me wrong, I love me some gorgeous accessories, I just forget to use them and when I do they are hauled and pulled at by the tots.
My mum got me a great pair of straight leg from Mamas & Papas for Christmas that are my favourite go to. They are the closest to perfect that I have found. I'm exitedly awaiting the arrival of this dress from Jojo Maman Bebe from my sister-in-law. Should be another great summer staple. Fingers and toes crossed.
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| Mamas & Papas Straight Leg Jeans :: Jojo Maman Bebe Black Linen Dress |
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