An exhausted vintage mother.

I am an exhausted vintage mother.


 I looked in the mirror today and realised just how exhausted I really am. I have huge dark circles under my eyes and Ive got a bad case of adult acne. My eyebrows put Groucho Marx's to shame and my hair resembles something along the lines of Frankie Cocozza. Nice.

 Today I also put a Nappy in the washing machine. And then proceeded to put it on a cycle, dropped a whole carton of ribena. The stickiest most clean up resistant juice in the land and then fell over the children's table causing some form of whiplash injury.

 I am bloody wreck.

 Today has made me realise that I need to make more time for me. I am a woman that adores being a mother and staying at home with the children. And yes I do have my small business and blog. But what I really realised is that I need to do 'other' things. All work and no play is not good for the soul. I cannot just look after the children, be a wife and work. And to prove my point whilst I am typing this I have a fidgety 3 year old on my lap counting money. I literally feel like I do not stop. Life is just flashing before my eyes.

 My resolution for 2012 ( A little late I know) is to slow down, make time for myself and to do more fun stuff!, (The 3 year old now needs the toilet, I will finish this post!)

 So this got me thinking, about all the other mums out there that feel just like me. And are thinking how on earth can I pull this back. So I have put together a few ideas that I'm really going to try and do. And maybe you can too?.

Pamper.
 Once a month I really am going to try and visit a beauty salon. And have a treatment!. I am booked in for a facial on Thursday. CANNOT WAIT!.

Spend more time with my friends.
  I don't socialise. Ever. I really am going to try and see more of my friends, whether it be for lunch or cocktails. Just some time for adult conversation.

Read more.
 I love reading. It provides such escapism so I want to read more.

Relax.
 My relaxation is going to be a box of Epsom salts, a hair mask and a bottle of cava. Once a week I'm going to lay in the bath, light a few candles and just soak away the stresses of the day.

 Green tea.
 I drink wwwwaaayyyyyy to much coffee. I am going to try and replace this caffeine hit with green tea.

Rest.
 I never rest. I'm sure I sleep or around 4 hours a night. I really am going to try and get to bed earlier instead of doing my jobs late into the evening.

 Walk.
 I love the idea of going on a long walk and clearing away the cobwebs. I am lucky enough to live near some gorgeous countryside and beaches. So I am going to try and take walks when I can.

 Exercise.
 I am joined to a rather expensive gym and I never go!. I am going to cancel the membership and try and go for a run, or the yoga session at my local church, Just a little something to expel all my energies. And the money I save from the gym membership I'm going to save. Then eventually treat myself to that vintage Biba dress that I have always said is too expensive.

 It sounds rather a lot doesn't it?. But something has got to change before I run myself in to the ground. I'm sure lots of mothers reading this feel the exact same. So lets make it our social network pact to try and do some of these things.

 We all need some me time.



Lauren x

In an English country garden.

Hello there strangers!.

 Well, its been 5 days since my last post and I'm very happy to tell you that Poppy is almost better and we have had a wonderful weekend!. She won't be back at school just yet and to be honest I have loved having her at home so much I don't ever want her to go back!.

 It has been freezing here in Essex and we are meant to have some snow this week. The cold weather has meant I haven't been able to do as much gardening as I would have hoped. But it has meant I have been dreaming about our little garden and I went out this weekend and bought seeds so that we can plant flowers.
 The veggies are underway, with the tomatoes and strawberries planted in trays indoors and I have been preparing the soil for the warmer months. (I hope this cold weather doesn't ruin my hard work!).

 Now, back to the flowers.
 I have always wanted a real cottage garden, jam packed with colourful flowers.  Something that when you look at it you just get lost in the beauty of all the pretty shades and smells. I want flowers that attract butterflies and bees and flowers that grow high up the old Victorian wall that surrounds the garden. Where the children can play in the Wendy house amidst the sunflowers and we can drink pimms next to the poppies (OF COURSE!). Ahhhhh it sounds heavenly.

Some inspiration

How pretty are these pictures I found online. There are some serious gardeners out there.

These are such happy pictures. I love them.

 I have got quite a lot of work to do...with the house, business, book, children, husband and everyday life you probably all think I'm mad starting a project like this. But I LOVE a project. I'm renown for it. Especially as something like this will make our home so special. I can imagine breakfast on the patio, looking at all the stunning flowers.

 This is what I'm starting with;

This is just one side of the garden. To the right (as you look at the photo) we have another wall and strip of soil. and the patio goes right up to the house.

So as you can see I lots to do before I have my English cottage garden. I'm not expecting Chelsea flower show!. But hopefully I will be able to grow some pretty flowers.

 Lauren x

 

A little update!.

Hello!.

 Apologies as I know I have been very quiet on the blogging front. My little girl has been very poorly and we spent most of the weekend in hospital. Thankfully she is on the road to recovery!. I just thought I would do a post with some pictures and let you know what we have been up to over the past few days, as I have a little one to nurse so must be quick!.
 

There has been lots of activity at the house. My husbands dad has been painting Poppy's room and my dad has been tiling the bathroom. Aren't we lucky to have such lovely pa's!.

I was asked to do the window display for Le salon chic again. If you remember I did one back in December see here The theme was Valentines. Unfortunately as Pops was in hospital I didn't get to help put the display together, but I gave all my props to the girls, and I think you will all agree it looks fabulous!.

As Pops is feeling much better today we decided to plant our strawberry and tomato seeds. They are sitting on the kitchen side just waiting for a sunny day.

Pops favourite medicine has been the Beatles song 'When I'm 64'. We have listened to it on repeat for 3 days! And she now knows nearly all the words. If your feeling a bit low, stick it on!.



 And last but not least I have been putting together a proposal for my book see here I didn't quite realise myself how passionate I felt about the whole thing. And its been so therapeutic after a stressful few days. Definitely a good distraction!.

 I hope you are all well and I will be back to regular posts by the weekend.

 Laure x

Call the midwife.

I'm sure all you vintage loves have been watching the BBC's Sunday night drama 'Call the midwife'. I loved it!. But for a whole different reason to everyone else.

 Oh.My.Goodness. I am a crazy in love kitchenallia girl!. They had enamel, crockery, cake tins. You name it they had it. And I want it all!. I would say they were using more 1940's kitchenware rather than the 1950's. I guess this is because the drama is set in the years just after the war.



                  

I have collected a HUGE amount of enamel ware for our house. It is all boxed up at the moment and I bet I've forgotten half the things I've bought. I just want to open all the boxes and look through all my treasures!.

 Can't wait for Sundays episode. I wonder what goodies we will get see this week?.

 Lauren x

A vintage mothers adventure.

So here is my news. I probably sound a little mad, no in fact definitely sound like a mad crazy woman. But this is it.
 After receiving an email from a lovely lady that reads my blog that went along the lines of,

 'I love reading your vintage family posts on your blog. You couldn't be more right in your views. We could all learn a lot from them!. You should write a book!.'

 Well, I think I'm going too!!. Yes, your right I haven't a clue how to write a book. Or even where to start but from that one little email I have this idea. An idea along the lines of;

 'A vintage mothers guide to life'.

Imagine a book full of nostalgic ideas, views, real life experience all from yester year. Then having a manual on how to bring those into your modern family life. How to incorporate the wonderfulness that was the 1950's family. From family time, holidays, housekeeping EVERYTHING!. The years gone by had some seriously good stuff going on and I am so passionate about bringing them into the modern family and I truly believe they can help provide a stable, happy, healthy lifestyle.

 So this is it, the first day of my writing adventure. My year 6 teacher Miss O'Hara told me that one day I would be a writer. I got a little preoccupied somewhere between 6th form and motherhood but this is it!. I'm going to go for it. It may be a book, a manual or just something for me to hand down to my daughter. But whatever it will turn out to be, I have nothing to loose. And I am so excited.

 Lauren x

A good wife knows her place.

Ok, so I'm sure I'm going to ruffle a few feathers with the post but as it's my blog and I can write about what I want, that I shall!.

 I recently started following a twitter account called the 'Good wife's guide'. Who's motto is,

 'A good wife knows her place'.

To be totally honest I wasn't sure if this was a joke at first!. But it did get me thinking about the modern family, the divorce rate and split families. 

 May I just add I have nothing against divorce, my parents split after 25 years of marriage. And I especially have nothing against one parent families. There are many mothers and fathers out there doing the most AMAZING job raising children alone. I salute them!. My mum is one of the most inspirational women I know.  Even at the age of 27 I could not do without her.

 What am I saying is that perhaps we need to take a step back and look at the 'vintage' family. Look at your grandparents, I'm pretty sure most of them are still together and have been for a very long time. My nan and late grandpa were together from a very young age and right up until my grandpa passed away were soul mates. They always will be. But the point here is not really about parents 'staying togther'. Its about the morals and ideas that the idealistic 1950's family had.

 I love the old fashioned family unit and I don't think its a bad thing to bring some of these values into the modern family. And I'm not talking about chaining the wife to the kitchen sink!.

 I'm talking about spending quality time together as a family, respecting each other. Sitting down together at meal times.

 RESPECTING ELDERS!. In the 1950's Sunday  would be the day to attend mass, mow the lawn and chat to your neighbours. Does anyone even talk to their neighbours anymore?!. Or are we all consumed in the modern life. Workaholics, tele addicts??.

 I try my best to have a good balance in my family. I love the homemaker role yet I still have my work. I try and incorporate the old values and views into our family without upsetting our 21st century lives.

 The simplest things can make such a difference!.

 So maybe we should see if the 'Never had it so good' attitude can enrich our lives. In marriage, work, friendships. Life in general. I wonder if we still had such respect and morals, similar to the 1950's, whether our country might be in a completely different state of affairs. Would the looting never had happened, would unemployment not be an issue, would it be safe to walk down the street late at night. I wonder...

 What do you think?.

 Lauren x

Homemade home update

Update;

 Work is underway on the bathroom!. It currently looks like this;

Empty, smelly and pretty darn horrible!. We are just going to put in an ordinary steel bath that we got super cheap (£80) sink and heated towel rail. I wanted to half tile the walls and then wallpaper but with a husband for a plumber who has a million and one reasons why wallpaper is not suitable for a bathroom I have had to re-think. But I am so looking forward to it being a clean, family friendly room soon.

 I have also been thinking about all this lovely wood floor we have.

As you all know I am in love with white wood floor but whilst I was researching I came across these pictures. I especially like the blue floorboards and stairs!. 

Sourced online

Country Living

Door sixteen

This old house

I would LOVE to paint the bathroom floor chequered like this but I know this is not pratical. But its sooooooo pretty!. I definitely might do the stairs though, what do you think?!.

 Lauren x