Distant Memories

By the time this post goes live I will have been back in the UK exactly a week.

And what a week it's been!

A week of ups and downs coping with jet lag, solicitor stress and house move packing.

It seems like our 22 nights in Orlando is just distant memories already.

But oh what a memory!

We had a truly amazing time. It was just full of sun and fun. Matt and I celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary inside The Magic Kingdom with our two children - it doesn't get much better than that! I can honestly say that I feel like it's the happiest place on earth. The enormity of what Orlando has to offer is incredible. In total now, we've spent just over 6 weeks out there and we've still only just scratched the surface of it.

We can't wait to go back already.

Remember I was a little apprehensive about taking Tiny Ched with us at only 13.5 months?

Well, I needn't have worried a bit. In fact, I think he enjoyed it the most out of all of us. He even finally learnt how to walk, the lazy little monkey.

I plan on writing about our trip in a lot more detail over a few posts but we are due to move house in just 2 weeks so time is something I don't have right now. Remind me never to move house on the back of a holiday again! I have already shared a few of our family photos on my recent Me And Mine post if you missed it.

I also have the amazing BabaSling to review which was a lifesaver on holiday. It's so lightweight and comfortable and was just what we needed, especially at the airport. Full review on this to follow.

In addition to this we took our Cosatto Yo!, which I've reviewed previously, away with us and it was brilliant! One of my major pieces of advice, if you are planning on visiting Orlando, is take a really good pushchair with you. 

We also used the brand new Snoozeshade Plus Deluxe which was fantastic - another lifesaver. TC slept so soundly even at busy and noisy theme parks in 35°C+ temperature! This is another piece of 'must have' advice for summer travelling with little ones.

Anyway, I digress (as usual).

I just wanted to churn out a blog post to announce my arrival back in the UK.

Ta-da! 

*waves*

I am also going to BritMums Live the weekend after next. Let me know if you'll be there and come say "hi". I still can't believe that I'm going down to London in the middle of moving house too! If I'm totally honest, I could do without it but I am so looking forward to seeing old friends (and hugging them tightly) and meeting new ones. I haven't even thought about clothes or even looked at the schedule yet and I don't think I will have time to.

*takes deep breaths and swigs wine*

I'd also like to thank my lovely guest posters who wrote awesome posts for my blog whilst I was away. They are all brand new bloggers so, if you haven't already done so, go have a look and show them some support. 

I also want to apologise for not being on my blog, other blogs or social media much at the moment. I really miss reading and commenting on my friends blogs but that has to take a back seat for now until things calm down. I'm sorry. I will be back! I promise.

I'd also like to say...wait for it...

*passes sick bucket in advance*

...yes this post should come with a boak alert...

I'd like to say that... although I'm busy and stressed to the eyeballs at the moment (and suffering the "why can't I live in Florida?" syndrome) and *breathes sharply* not sleeping properly due to jet lag and stress ... I am happy.

Very happy.

I know I'm one blummin' lucky lady. 

I have one gorgeous and amazing husband who I love even more than the day I married him (and I didn't think it was possible) and two gorgeous, happy and healthy kids. We have just been on, what many would call, the holiday of a lifetime and we are soon to be moving into a big brand new house.

With everything that's happened in the last 6 months (can't believe it's 6 months since the beautiful MultipleMummy passed away), it's really made me appreciate everything so much more and I am trying my best to just be positive and happy that I'm truly blessed. Kerry's comment on my blog in 2012 was on my mind a lot during our holiday. How I wish things were so different.  

Oh yes, how I wish things were so so SO different.

Friends who are going through hard times right now are always in my thoughts and always will be. That's blogger friends and a couple of my very close real life friends (they know who they are). I shed tears of happiness on holiday but I also found myself shedding tears of sadness occasionally. Jennie, especially, has never been far away from my thoughts during our trip. Every bubble I saw blown into the sky at Disney I thought of Matilda Mae and how she would have loved it. I also thought of Tamsin and all that she is going through. I wore my 'Making Waves For Alex T-Shirt' which Mickey Mouse thought was awesome!

Yes, this holiday has made me appreciate everything so much more.

I have the post-holiday blues and feel like our holiday is just distant memories but that's what they are.

Memories.

Amazing memories to cherish. Forever.

I'll always be thankful for them and so much more.

Happiness Is...Being On Twitter On A Friday Night

My blog has been seriously neglected lately and, for that, I sincerely apologise to all my lovely readers.

Life with a new baby has been a blur. The past 6 months since his arrival have just flown. I honestly thought time went fast when Mini Cheddar was born over 3 years ago but now, the arrival of Tiny Ched has made each day whizz by in a blur of happiness.

Talking of happiness blurs. I'm very happy today.

I shouldn't be! I only had about 4.5 hours sleep last night. No, TC is still sleeping through.

I didn't sleep because at 9.55pm last night I received this tweet:

I had to pinch myself.

Seriously.

I should have been in a swanky London hotel enjoying the company of some fabulous bloggers and friends but I chose not to go. This was for two reasons if I'm completely honest. I have a baby who is exclusively breastfed (and I live in North Wales)...plus, I never in a million years thought I'd actually win an award.

I'm still shaking.

So, I'm just writing this quick THANK YOU to all my wonderful readers who voted for me. I honestly can't believe my little blog has won an award. I can proudly say I am 'Best Baby Blog'. Also thanks to Sally and the whole team at The MAD Blog Awards and to the lovely team at Emma's Diary for sponsoring the award (and collecting it on my behalf).

The last couple of weeks have been quite up and down for me so I've not been around - I'll be able to blog about it all soon - so this has really made my day (and week, month, year etc.)

A proper thank you post and details will follow but I just wanted to let you all know I'm still alive and regular blogging will commence shortly.

Thank you once again - and thank you from this little guy too...

Heather xx

I'm Really MAD...Again!

I took a blog break last week.

Yes, it was only a week but Tiny Ched and I were full of cold and my freelance work had been catching up with me a bit. I've also been off Twitter and Facebook, choosing to lose myself in the escapism of the photographic loveliness of Instagram instead.

I was completely unaware of something major happening in the world of parent bloggers last week.

The MAD Blog Awards finalists had been announced!

I didn't have a clue.

I wasn't expecting to be shortlisted. I thought it was sheer fluke I was up for Best New Blog last year.

So, imagine my surprise when the very lovely Katie from Mummy Daddy and Me Makes Three (she's up for some awards, check her out - she rocks!) wished me congrats on Instagram and asked if I was going to the Awards Ceremony.

I was drinking Yakult at the time (yes, I'm THAT rock 'n roll) and it almost came out of my nose! I headed over to the MAD Awards website, clicked on Best Pregnancy Blog and low and behold there was my name. Wow!

I was over the moon!

Then, almost 24 hours later I got a tweet from the MAD team with a #ff to the Best Baby Blog finalists and mentioning me.

Eh? *confused face*

I went to write a tweet back saying I was 'Pregnancy' but before I did I checked the site as I'd not had chance to go through all the finalists at that point...I'd just headed straight to Best Pregnancy. Sure enough, there I was down for Best Baby Blog too. My baby is only coming up on 7 weeks old. Double Wow!

So, this post is to say a huge....

THANK YOU

to each and every one of you who voted for me.

I only have a very tiny number of close friends and family who know about my blog and a small number of followers compared to my fellow finalists so it means such a lot to me that you guys got me through.

The fellow bloggers in my categories are all amazing and I'm feeling like the donkey in a race of pure thoroughbreds. I'm quite sad that a lot of bloggers that I voted for who I assumed would easily make the finals haven't.

I'm under no delusions of grandeur, I haven't a hope of winning and, you know me, I'm not one for asking for votes but hey I'm ecstatic that I've made enough of an impact in the blogging world to make it through to a second consecutive final. I've only been blogging less than 17 months so you have no idea what it means to me.

I love you guys so much.

Thank you once again for making me MAD. Not often you can say that without sarcasm!

Vote for your winners above

Tiny Ched and I say THANK YOU!