Our Liskeard Getaway

So I haven't posted for a week or so as we took our family holiday to Liskeard, Cornwall. My sister and brother-in-law booked Merryfield Manor through Airbnb and it was honestly so so beautiful. We had a huge house with 5 bedrooms (so I didn't have to share with Harrie) and we even had our own swimming pool and sauna. 

We visited a ton of places in Cornwall and Harrie just adored the beach. She loved running up to the sea and then running away with the waves chasing her and licking her feet. She turned her hand to building sandcastles but as soon as they were made she flattened them back down to start again - I don't think she was a fan!

We are both super lucky to have such a wonderful family to share our holidays with, it was lovely to see her so happy to see everyone, and search out anyone that dared leave her sight for a minute!

My brother-in-law, and Harrie's uncle and godfather, took this gorgeous photos of my little princess. They capture her personality so perfectly and it just sums up how happy she is. She really is the light in the dark.

I hope to get back to more regular blogging now that we are back to normal, plus the summer holidays are coming up and we have lots of adventures planned.

Take care x

Mothercare XSS Pockit Stroller/GB Pockit Stroller Review

As a mother who doesn't drive and frequently travels the width and length of the country to see family and friends, a pram is a whole heap of hassle. The likelihood of getting the wheelchair/pushchair space on a train or bus is slim to none, especially during rush hour, and Harrie loves to walk and run everywhere, so I sometimes found myself pushing an empty pram whilst chasing a toddler. Not ideal.

Then one day I came across compact strollers and they are a dream! Originally I managed to get the Quicksmart Easyfold Stroller from eBay for super cheap but it was just too big - I thought it was the Quicksmart Backpack Stroller as it was labelled that way, so I sold it on and my search continued (I don't think this pram is available to buy new anymore in this country).

When I first came across the Pockit Stroller I couldn't justify paying £130 for our third pram, especially knowing it wouldn't get a whole heap of use as the whole point was that I was able to carry it around for 'just in case'. I popped into Mothercare for a test drive and instantly loved it. I can't believe how small it folds up - H34xW14xD32cm to be exact. It comes with a fairly nice and easy to use shoulder bag, but I knew that wouldn't work for me so I set about finding a backpack big enough for it. Super simple - I found this cabin size backpack for £12! Then I accumulated a few discount vouchers and shopping vouchers and off I went to buy the stroller, and we walked out with Harrie strapped in and no packaging to dispose off - thank you to Mothercare Birmingham City Centre for that!

(two minutes after purchase!)

(in the backpack, still plenty of room and the pram isn't at it's most compact)

So, the review. Overall, I love it, It is perfect for us, Harrie goes to London twice a month to visit her Dad and we can fit the stroller and all her clothes and other paraphernalia in the backpack and it isn't too heavy. We no longer have to sit in the wheelchair bay on the bus or train, which means we don't have to wait ages for a bus with a free spot. It is easy to manoeuvre, and as a fairly short woman (5ft3) I have no issues with the height. Her father, who is an avid complainer, has not mentioned any problems with the height either and he is around 6ft. I can't unfold it one handed but I'm sure it is possible but you need to give it a good flick of the wrist. I can fold it down in about 15 seconds with ease, though there is a more compact fold with the wheels folded in more, that takes me a couple of minutes and two hands. Harrie seems comfortable in it and although it doesn't recline she has slept very well in it when she has tired herself out (and me) running around.

                     (a picture for scale)                       (folded, but the wheels can still fold down more)

The downsides are that there isn't a rain cover, and it wouldn't really be possible to use one as there is nothing to support it from touching your child - suffocation risk. Also, there is a small sunshade but nothing amazing so you might have to buy a parasol or just a decent hat if your child is a bit older. These things don't hugely bother me as it won't be too long until we won't be using a pram at all so she is going to have to brave all weathers! The stroller is suitable for children from 6 months old though, so that is something you would have to take into consideration. Harrie is quite petite so we still have a lot of weight to gain before she outgrows it as it has a maximum weight of 15kg.

I have seen online that most people purchase this as a holiday/travel stroller and I agree that it is perfect for that due to the compact size. However, for us it is used much more frequently - if we go to the supermarket I can let Harrie walk there and then whip the pram out to control her little fingers grabbing everything in sight! As it is compact there is limited storage space and you MUST NOT hang bags on the back of it. I know most prams say this but I really think it would snap this pram and your child could end up injured. My solution for this is the handy backpack that is empty once Harrie is strapped in - I fill it with my shopping!

These are a few of the specs from Mothercare.com that I thought are the most useful to know:

• Suitable from 6 months to a maximum weight of 15kg
• Can easily fit into an airplane's overhead compartment or store under a seat on public transport
• Stroller Folded Dimensions: H34xW14xD32cm
• Stroller Unfolded Dimensions: D75xW44.5xH99cm
• Stroller Weight 3.9kg
• Free 2 year guarantee

That is something I forgot actually - it is so light! It also only comes in one design at the moment, which is a quite subtle grey and black leopard print - not at all offensive luckily! It is exclusive to Mothercare right now, though it does say online it would be available elsewhere from Spring 2016.

It's about that time

I imagine this blog starts off like any other: I've been meaning to get round to starting this/I have too much time on my hands... well those are my reasons anyway. And I literally do have time to burn. I'm a stay at home Mom (yes, I say Mom, I'm from Birmingham, UK and that's what we say here, I don't know why.) I'm not this out of choice, I'm not a kept woman or rich beyond my wildest dreams: I'm a single parent. Not that I'm 100% sure what being single has to do with any of that but that is the label I'm mostly faced with or asked about. I'd prefer co-parent but I guess it isn't as catchy or something.

I have been a co-parent since my little girl, Harriet, was about one and a half, though in all honesty it was probably from day one (maybe I will get onto that in another post). She is now two and a half and I am still on this road/journey/other metaphor on my own. Well we are on it together but there is no one else helping out with the chores.

We have lived in Lancaster, Essex and now Birmingham, where I imagine we will be for the foreseeable future. I grew up here, until high school when we moved up north, so we have returned as the most of the rest of my family has. They are my only support network if I'm honest. My friends live in Lancaster (and one in Dublin), and although we have lived here almost a year I haven't made a single friends, nor acquaintance. How do you do that when you don't work and your life revolves around enabling a 2 year old to have a life? Answers on a postcard please.

To get the basics out of the way, I'm Amy and I'm 25. My daughter is Harriet though mostly referred to as Harrie and she is 2, born on Guy Fawkes night (morning actually). We spend all our time together bar her hours at nursery, and visiting her father twice a month. This is hopefully going to be an outlet for the trials and tests I'm facing during the toddler years and onwards, as well as a few flashbacks to fill you in on what brought us here today. I hope to make lots of great friends through this, and share our lives with you as my bonfire baby grows up.