DIY Christmas Pressies - Homemade Fudge

This year, I decided some homemade gifts would be a nice idea, and ones Birdy could get involved in, too.

I love to use my slow cooker for dinners but I haven't tried any sweet treats in it before, so I had a look online for some inspiration and decided to make chocolate orange flavoured fudge.

Recipe:

One can (397g_ sweetened condensed milk
200g milk chocolate
One Terry's Chocolate Orange (170g)

Method:

Switch the slow cooker to "high" and break up all the chocolate. Put all of the chocolate into the slow cooker bowl and cover with about three quarters of the can of condensed milk. Leave the lid off. Stir no more than once every 10 minutes. After 50 minutes, the mixture should have combined, melted together and should have a thick consistency.

Line a lasagne dish, or similar, with clingfilm, leaving plenty around the outside. Pour in the mixture and leave it to cool to room temperature. A little tip I use with any sort of cake mix is to leave a fork in a mug of hot water for a few minutes, and then use the fork to press down the mixture until even. This flattens the mixture but doesn't pick any of it up onto the fork.

Once cooled to room temperature, gently fold the margins of clingfilm over the top of the mix. Pop it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but ideally overnight.

Once set, remove from the dish and cut into pieces.

Admittedly, my little one didn't get too involved in this at 14 months old - it would be better suited for slightly older children, and of course, make sure they're very careful not to hurt themselves on the slow cooker!

I had some small cellophane bags that I'd ordered for our wedding with the intention of using them as sweetie bags on our DIY sweetie stall, but I never used them as I found some traditional striped paper bags, instead. So, I dug them out and thought they were the perfect size to hold 6 or 7 chunks of homemade fudge.

I used sticky labels to write a Christmas message (do this before adding the fudge pieces, otherwise it will probably be impossible to stick it on straight!) and then secured the top of the bag with a piece of wrapping ribbon.

I did try the recipe with Toblerone and with Aero Mint - both tasted lovely but due to their different textures, didn't have as good a consistency as the Chocolate Orange. I imagine this recipe would work with most solid chocolates though, so give it a go!

I'd love to see your attempts on Instagram so if you try this at home, please tag me (GinaShergold1)!

Love, Gina xx

A Letter To My One Year Old

My beautiful Bird,

I can't believe we've just hosted your first birthday party. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday you were a tiny weeny 6lbs 15oz newborn and now you're walking around on those little soft feet, waving and applauding anyone who looks at you and wiggling your little bum whenever you hear music.

Our first year together has been the best of my life - you truly are my best friend. We've had some obstacles thrown our way but I know we'll always help each other through difficult times.

I can't begin to describe the emotions I felt when I met you for the first time. I'd been sure all along that you'd be a girl and when Daddy said "we're gonna need a pink hat" and you were placed on my chest, I felt like I'd known you forever. You were just... You. I knew you. I'd grown you and stroked you and responded to your hiccups and kicks in my tummy, and now you were here, staring at me with those huge, alert brown eyes. I remember saying "hi baby, hi baby" through the happiest tears and feeling so relieved that you were with me and you were safe. In love, proud (of you, me and Daddy), a little bit sad not to be pregnant anymore and the thought of having to share you with the world, exhausted and so overwhelmed, but just so completely and totally in love.

You filled me with so much pride that I didn't bother trying to rest and recover, or "sleep when the baby sleeps" as everyone seems to advise in the early days. I just needed to show you off to the world. Instead of sleeping when you did, I watched you. You still look as peaceful and angelic now when you sleep as you did when you were minutes old. I took hundreds of photos and videos of you.

By day 2, you'd met Grandma, Grumpy and Grandy, and by day 4 we were taking you into Daddy's work to introduce you to his colleagues. Then we took you out for lunch. You still hadn't learnt to latch on by this point, so we sat in a restaurant at midday feeding you colostrum from a syringe and we didn't think anything of it. We may have had all sorts of funny looks but we didn't notice. We were too mesmerised by you.

On day 9, we took you to Bognor to meet your Nanny Toto, Great Nanny Von and Great Pop. Around the 2 week mark, we hosted an open house so all of our friends who hadn't met you yet could come and see you. By week 3, Nanny Jack had come up from Devon to meet you.

When you were 6 weeks old, Daddy was feeling poorly so his work let him take 4 months off. I treasured that time so much. We were all getting to know each other again - bonding with you, and me and Daddy getting to know each other as parents. I didn't realise how much I loved him until he became your Daddy.

You're a bit of a Mummy's girl at the moment. You love most people you meet but it's me you come to when you want something or you're sad or tired, and I love that. I hope you'll always come to me. I think you will.

I remember when you were tiny, crying when I watched your sleep because I just couldn't believe how beautiful you were, and that I'd made you. I still have moments where I blink back tears when I watch you sleeping because I am so indescribably proud of you and grateful for you. You will never understand the amazing impact you've had on this family.

Your gorgeous giggle brightens my day every time I hear it... If only you could see the lengths Daddy and I go to trying to make you laugh. It's the most magical sound I've ever heard and I will never stop trying to make you laugh.

Your personality is developing more every day and it's mesmerising to see. You have your Daddy's confidence and that makes me so happy. You're such a determined little girl and you never give up. If something doesn't go your way, you sit and think about how to try again differently. You do this until you figure it out and it's inspiring. I wish I had that quality and I hope you never lose it.

You're chatting away, saying "dada, "mama," "hiya," "yeah," "no" and "cuddle" (whilst reaching your arms up to us - cutest thing ever!).

Bedtime especially brings out your cheekiness! No matter how tired you are, all you want to do is sit up, stand up, wiggle your bum, poke us, pull my hair... But always with that irresistible grin that makes it impossible to not find funny.

You did a weird upside-down wiggle-crawl thing from 5 months old to get around, and you were SO mobile. I'd often find you following me out of the room laying on your back. Around 8 months was when you realised you could get around by crawling properly, and that you could see the world the right way up by doing it that way, too. You started walking at 11 months old and now, at one year, you walk most of the time.

The way you behaved on your birthday party reminded us what an amazing little girl you are. You were awake for about 8 hours, with over 100 people coming to see you (I may have gone slightly overboard with the invites - I was excited!), people you didn't recognise picking you up, playing with you, talking to you, and you didn't cry, whinge or get upset once. You were amazing, so sociable, happy to spend time with anyone and everyone, taking food from people's plates and just being an absolute joy.

You make us so proud and reassure us that we're doing a good job. You are the love of my life and I'm so proud and grateful that you are mine.

I love you so much beautiful, happy first birthday.

All my love forever, your Mummy xxxx

Baby Led Weaning

We hadn't heard of Baby Led Weaning (BLW) until a friend mentioned it before I was pregnant with Bird, and the more I researched it, the more I liked the idea of it.

Essentially, it means not bothering with purées and just allowing your baby to feed him or herself with their hands.

It may seem like another "trend" but there are actually lots of benefits to it:

• Baby learns how to chew properly, which is critical for their speech development

• Your whole family can eat the same thing - for example, if you make pasta sauce from scratch, just take a portion out for your baby before seasoning it (babies shouldn't have more than 1 gram of salt per day before 12 months)

• Baby learns to eat safely - I've seen friend's babies struggle with solids later on because they're used to just swallowing purées and not chewing, making it harder for them to learn later

• It helps babies to identify and recognise specific foods

• Baby decides when they are full - with spoon feeding, babies can be easily over-fed, consuming extra calories and causing production of too many fat cells

• Hand-eye coordination is improved as baby learns how to take food to their mouth

• It helps to increase self confidence and independence as baby is able to feed him or herself

We waited until exactly 6 months before we started weaning, as this is the recommended age. If you plan to wean before 6 months (not recommended), you mustn't use this method of weaning and it is not safe.

Some of Bird's favourite "first foods" were boiled or steamed broccoli, avocado cut into sticks, scrambled egg (not too scrambled, leaving pieces big enough to hold), halved cherry tomatoes and sticks of cheddar cheese. These are all foods which she still loves now.

Before we started weaning, I ordered The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook" by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. I absolutely love it - it has two sections. The first part of the book has lots of information about BLW and the second part has loads of really great recipes. Our current favourite is banana muffins, which I have adapted by adding in a handful of blueberries. Bird also loves the cheese and spinach muffins with red onion, and we sometimes add a few other chopped veggies in too, to pack them with extra nutrients.

Batch cooked banana and blueberry muffins, cheese and spinach muffins, bolognese, tomato and chunky vegetable pasta sauces and chicken in white sauce - a freezer full of quick and easy meals = happy Mummy!

Something I love about BLW and The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook is that loads of the recipes are freezable, meaning I can batch cook. Being a mumma means rarely having lots of extra time, so if Bird takes a long nap, I take the opportunity to make big batches of things. A freezer full of pots is extremely satisfying! I buy 3 pots for 99p in our local 99p shop.

The muffins can be frozen, which is perfect if we have to pop out unex[ectedly or if we're in a rush - I just pop one in the microwave and into Bird's lunchbox and it requires no cutlery or equipment, she can just get stuck in wherever we are. Very handy!

BLW is a real confidence game. It can be terrifying at the beginning, but there is a difference between gagging and choking. The gagging reflex is a natural safety measure. Choking is much more rare, however it can happen, so always watch your child very carefully during mealtimes and never leave the room. It's advisable to do some research on this before starting.

It's also a very messy game, so I would recommend investing in a "splash mat" of some sort - we bought one of those plastic tablecloths from G&Ts for a few pounds and it works perfectly. It's easy to wipe clean and fold away neatly afterwards, leaving the room as good as new.

We bought the Ikea Antilop highchair and absolutely love it. It's easy to clean and comes with an inflatable wedge if, like me, you have a small baby who doesn't quite fill the highchair yet. It's also great if your baby isn't sitting unaided yet because it props them upright.

It was a bit nerve-racking in the beginning, but also really exciting and I'm now really glad we went down the Baby Led Weaning route when it came to introducing solids. I'd definitely recommend buying The Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook, available here, to learn a bit more about it and to give you some ideas for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, soups, sauces, breads and puddings!

Thanks for reading :)

Love, Gina Xx

Bird's Autumn Fashion Haul!

I was out walking with Bird in the carrier last week and despite the beautiful sunshine, I noticed lots of red and yellow leaves on the ground and that familiar, lovely smell of Autumn.

So now that Summer is out of the way (sob), I decided it was time for the dresses, shorts and playsuits to go and the leggings, trousers, jumpers and knits to come out instead. I've started to stock up on Bird's Autumn wardrobe and thought I'd show some of her new pieces here.

Two of my favourite trends for the colder months are jumper dresses and chunky knits, and this little number from Primark is both of those things, so I love it... I also love that it was actually Steve who chose this. It has a chunky knitted pattern down the front and is lovely and snuggly. It came with the tights shown in the picture - red with white polka dots - although I think I'll probably team it up with navy tights or leggings instead. It was £8 for the set which I think is really reasonable.

Primark - £8

Another of my favourite new sets is this green starry hooded cardigan and harem style trousers by Cath Kidston. I am obsessed! I usually dress her in either the cardigan or the trousers, not both together as it's quite a "loud" set. I love the little floral elbow pads and hood lining. I think the top was around £14-£16 and the trousers were £10. Because little ones tend to grow so quickly, it's quite rare that I'd spend around £25 on one outfit but I just couldn't resist this one.

Cath Kidston

The grey guitar leggings were actually in the boy's section of H&M - although I generally dress Bird in girl's clothes, I'm not a fan of gender stereotyping and usually have a look in the boy's sections of shops - there's almost always a handful of things I would consider "neutral" as opposed to just for boys, so I like to double check. I love these leggings - they're a bit big around the waist, but I can't wait until she can pull them off. They came as a set of two, the other pair being plain black (which I also love).

These khaki green chinos were also in the boys section of H&M. They don't fit her yet, but I think the colour is quite autumnal and will look lovely with a plain long sleeved top or jumper when she's big enough to fit into them. They're also available in pale blue and navy blue.

Leggings (2 pack) - £6.99 and  Khaki chinos - £5.99 both from H&M

This jumper is also a favourite, although it was actually a hand-me-down from Steve's cousin and his wife, who are also very close friends of ours. Their daughter was born 9 months before Bird, and she's a little fashionista! This was originally bought from the F&F range at Tesco. I love the little zip at the back and the lace. I also think the colour suits Bird well. It's a lovely fine-knit jumper.

F&F at Tesco

These little black and white leggings are another H&M purchase and I love them! They're quite thick, so perfect for chillier days. They look as though they have pockets and a zip, but these are not real/functional. Again, they're quite "loud" so I team them up with a plain coloured top. I can't remember the price but think they were around £5-£7.

H&M

I LOVE THIS gilet my Auntie bought for Bird when she was little - she's a dinky little thing so it still just about fits, despite being really small. It's perfect for days when it looks like it's going to be sunny but could change at any moment. I also love owl patterns so this is a definite favourite. It was from Sainsbury's TU range.

Sainsbury's TU

The leggings on the left here are black with white horses, and unfortunately my brother sent them over from New Zealand, so I don't believe they're available in the UK, but I just had to share them. I think they're so cute - they don't fit her yet but I can't wait to see them on her when they do. The harem trousers on the right are from George at Asda, and I don't usually like leopard print on children but I'm more accepting of these because they don't feature bright orange! They have a little bow at the top which is difficult to see in the photo, and are really baggy with gathers at the ankles. Again, too big at the moment but I'm excited to see Bird wearing them when they fit.

Horse leggings from Zeb (New Zealand) - Harem trousers - George at Asda

These soft, thick leggings are from Primark again and they're not something I would usually choose for Bird, but I have to say I really like these. Teamed up with a jumper dress I think they'll look lovely.

Primark

With a wide selection of bright and interesting trousers, plain long sleeved tops are a must have. I bought two sets of four from Mothercare - the girl's section contained one white, one grey, one pale pink and one light purple top, with ruching at the shoulders and two poppers. In the boy's section, I found a set of four including a bright mustard yellow, a dark green, a bright orange and a bright red, without any ruching but with the two poppers on one shoulder. These are all colours I am more than happy to dress my daughter in, so I bought both sets.

Mothercare

I have another two-pack of leggings from H&M which I adore - one pair is plain grey, and the other is navy with little white anchors. I absolutely love the nautical theme and have always thought Bird suits wearing navy. These are currently in the wash but here is the photo from the website - I'm sure they were in the girl's section in the shop but on the website, they're in the baby boy's trousers section (here). These are £5.99 for the pack of two.

H&M - £5.99

Not the best photo but here she is wearing the anchor leggings - LOVE!

I discovered JoJo Maman Bébé around the time I got pregnant and became addicted to it. All of their clothes are incredible quality and you can tell from the look and feel of them. I've always loved their leggings but Bird was born in October, and spent most of the first few months in sleepsuits, so this Autumn is her first opportunity to wear snuggly woollen leggings. I've wanted some of these for ages and now that the weather is getting colder, I had to indulge! These are £10 per pair, with £5 if you buy two pairs (so naturally I couldn't leave the shop with just one!) - they have some different styles and colours, suitable for boys as well as girls. They also do a range of "extra thick" leggings which I really wish they did in my size because they are SO snuggly! They're really lovely and thick. Those ones don't come with the animals on the bottom though, and I couldn't resist a little owl and an elephant. Despite these not being part of the extra thick range, they're still really cosy. I love the cuffs at the ankles which fit really nicely around Bird's little legs.

JoJo Maman Bébé - £10 per pair or two pairs for £15

Another favourite from JoJo Maman Bébé is this 2.5 tog sleeping bag. Bird has outgrown all of her 0-6 month ones always kicks off her blankets or wriggles away from them, so these sleeping bags are the perfect solution. They have a vast range of colours and patterns. I was torn between this one and a lovely blue floral one that looked very "Cath Kidston" - that one also had detachable arms. I chose this one in the end because it just seemed so fitting for my Birdy. These come in 0-6 months, 6-18 months and 18 months - 4 years. This one cost £28 but I know it will last for a long time due to the length and quality. I really love it.

JoJo Maman Bébé - £28

Another buy from my Auntie is this gorgeously cosy onesie from Gap's baby range and I am so upset that Bird will be growing out of it soon! It's absolutely perfect to throw on over the top of an outfit if we have to rush out or if it's a bit cold and it looks beautiful. Cuteness overload with the little ears on top and it's so lovely and snuggly, with fleece on the inside. The zip goes from the left foot all the way up, making it really easy to pop on in a hurry and it has built in scratch mitts for extra snuggliness! LOVE it.

Lastly, anyone who knows Bird and I will know I love to accessorise an outfit with a headband of some sort. During the warmer months, it was either no headband or maybe a narrow band with a little flower. Now that it's colder, I'm all about the headwrap type bands, with much wider bands to cover her little ears and keep them warm (she doesn't have much hair to do that yet!). I particularly love the ones which tie at the top, all of which I bouth on Ebay. They're surprisingly cheap, at around £3 each including postage. They don't actually tie at the top, they are a stretchy band with another small piece of material tied around them - I assume this is a safety measure, and it's actually a really good idea in my opinion. Most of the headwraps I have for Bird have some very soft wiring in the knot part, so it doesn't go floppy and holds its shape. LOVE THEM!

I hope you've enjoyed this post! Follow me on Instagram (here) to keep up with any new finds we come across for the coming chillier months.

Love, Gina Xx

Babywearing

"Babywearing is the practise of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling or in another form of carrier. Babywearing has been practised for centuries around the world." This is Wikipedia's definition of babywearing.

The idea of "wearing" a baby in a sling or carrier has always appealed to me, even for years before I became pregnant.I was one of those girls who stopped in my tracks and went "ahhhhhhh, look!" if I ever saw a baby or toddler strapped to its caregiver. It just looks so bloomin' cute and cosy!

So, when I found out I was pregnant, I began researching different types of slings and carriers.

My research revealed to me a whole wealth of information I'd been completely unaware of, which made me fall in love with the idea even more.

I quickly discovered that aside from just looking all sweet and snuggly, there are actually lots of benefits of babywearing, to both the caregiver and child.

Some of the benefits I've learnt through my research are as follows:

• Mums have reported fewer tears when babywearing

• Babies are able to develop trust and security

• The ideal learning state for a baby is when they are "quiet and alert" - instead of looking upwards from a crib or being low enough to just see people's legs in a pushchair, they can see the world as you do

• Breastfeeding can be made easier (and more frequent to help baby gain weight)

• It encourages bonding (and increases cuddle time, yay!)

• Babies are reported as falling into deep sleep when babywearing takes place

• Makes travelling easier

• Keeps both of your hands free, making it easier to multi-task

• Can reduce reflux, fussiness, colic and gastrointestinal issues

• Enhances sleep at nap times and at night

I could continue but I'd be here all day. These are only some of the benefits of babywearing.

I would advise looking for a local "sling library" where you can try on and hire different slings and carriers until you find one that suits you and your baby.

Always follow the "TICKS" rules to ensure safe babywearing:

Found on babyslingsafety.co.uk

Babywearing has been a lifesaver for me - it enables me to get things done, it pretty much guarantees to get Bird to sleep if she's fighting nap time, it allows me lots of extra cuddles and kisses, and it means that Steve gets to really bond with her too.

Contrary to popular belief, it's easier on my back than pushing the pram around. I only take the pushchair out these days if I know I'll be out all day or if I might have lots of shopping bags with me - even so, I usually keep carrying Birdy and use the pushchair to carry the shopping bags.

Stay tuned for Product Reviews on the different slings and carriers I have, along with pictures and top tips!

Love, Gina Xx

Great Little Baking Co - Product Review

July was pretty rubbish for our family. We had some bad news regarding Steve's health and we were quite down in the dumps for a few days whilst we tried to absorb it.

The following week, an unexpected parcel arrived on my doorstep. I had no idea what it was, or who it was from.

I opened it and inside was a metal box, protected by lots of little polystyrene peanuts. The box had ribbon tied around it and looked gorgeous, and a little card was secured on top.

There was a handwritten note attached:

Some of our closest friends, Briony and Will, had ordered us a box of brownies from Great Little Baking Co and they were so, so yummy! They hadn't ordered from Great Little Baking Co before but after visiting their website, I can see why they chose to.

They offer a large selection of brownies, biscuits, shortbread and cake pops, suitable for all sorts of occasions. They all look delicious and I'm confident the only problem I'll come across with them is choosing what to order.

The brownies were packaged beautifully and really did taste amazing.

Receiving such a beautiful gift really did make our day. What a lovely way of letting somebody know you're thinking of them!

Everything about the presentation, quality and taste was perfect. I love that they hand-wrote the little note instead of just printing it out. I find that little details like this really do make all the difference and add a lovely personal touch, which is unusual with companies who post further afield than just their local town.

The website is immaculate and really easy to navigate, so is very user-friendly.

I would highly recommend Great Little Baking Co and will definitely be using them in the future to send lovely gifts to friends and family.

Love, Gina Xx

PTSD After Birth

This is a sensitive one for me and one I know I'll find a bit difficult to write, but this is something I think is important to bring some attention to.

Bird's birth didn't go according to how I'd planned it and initially, I was fine with this. I remember feeling guilty when friends would ask about the birth and I had to admit it hadn't gone as I'd hoped, but other than that, I didn't even really think about it for two or three weeks.

But once Bird started to sleep for slightly longer periods at night, resulting in me doing the same, I started to have nightmares and would wake up sweating and panicky.

My nightmares were more like flashbacks. I kept reliving what had happened; the horrendously delirious feeling Pethidine gave me and how out of control I felt, which is one of my biggest fears. I felt so helpless and my nightmares were so vivid and realistic.

I didn't once feel depressed. From what I understand, post natal depression is quite a lot more common than post traumatic stress disorder following birth, but I never felt low and I certainly didn't struggle to bond with Bird.

The nightmares didn't happen every night, and when they did, I usually recovered relatively quickly from them.

I had some friends who were due to have babies after Bird was born, and I started to find that every time one of them gave birth, I couldn't help feeling extremely emotional and getting teary. I was remembering my own experiences and would feel disappointed in myself, like I'd let my daughter down because it had gotten so stressful. I would question whether it was my fault she had a hard time breastfeeding in the beginning, even though we cracked it eventually and we're still going strong now.

I felt upset at the way I was spoken to by some of the midwives - one refusing to believe that my waters had broken at all, let alone that they contained meconium, before the birth, another acting like I should just know how to breastfeed after the birth and making me feel like a time-waster when I asked for her help, the fact that I felt so powerless and unimportant during labour and that the side effects of Pethidine weren't explained to me (I never would have accepted it had I been aware that it could make me feel so out of control - some women may like it for this reason, but for me this was terrifying).

Don't get me wrong, I was always so happy for my friends and their new babies, but I just felt guilty and disappointed at my own experiences.

I never went to my doctor about this because I honestly didn't think anything of it until recently. It wasn't an everyday occurrence. The nightmares lasted 6 or 7 weeks and I rarely thought about it.

It's only now that these feelings have subsided that I've realised I was probably experiencing a bit of PTSD. I don't consider it to have been severe, and I'm definitely past it now. I know that I am absolutely not to blame for the things I thought I was.

I also know that there wasn't anything particularly uncommon or unusual about Bird's birth, and to most people it may sound pretty standard and uneventful, but if somebody feels that an event they experienced was traumatic, then it was, and nobody has the right to belittle those feelings, regardless of how it may look to them from the outside. Things that may not cause upset to one person, can cause extreme upset to another and this is no different.

I don't feel put off of having any more children, although it's unlikely we will be able to due to Steve's ill health. However, for some ladies, PTSD is enough to discourage them from having any more children, and can cause lifelong anxiety and other issues.

No matter how long or short labour is, whether it's done naturally, with assistance or by C-Section, drug-free or not, we are all mothers and the way our babies come into the world does NOT define our abilities as parents. Some things are beyond our control and we should be empowering each other, not belittling other women based on the sort of birth that they had.

If the feelings I experienced resonate with anyone reading this or if you feel you may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or post natal depression, I strongly advise you see your GP. There are options available to help with these feelings.

Apologies for the heavier post this evening but I want this blog to be open and honest, and I felt this was a necessary topic to discuss.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Love, Gina Xx