If you had the chance to do up and transform your bedroom using just accessories what would you choose and why? That was a question I was asked recently and it got me thinking about how plain and bare my bedroom currently looks!

On Saturday, well technically the early hours of Sunday morning, I was woken up by the sound and feeling of eight heavy and filled to the brim boxes falling on me. The boxes had been piled up high next to my wardrobe since we had moved in seven months ago, unpacking them would just cause more hassle when it comes to plastering I was told, and because the items inside wasn't essential and needed, I left them packed and piled ready for when my bedroom is finally plastered, decorated and carpeted.

However, when they unexpectedly fell on me, trapping my legs thanks to one box holding brand new rolls of wallpaper and another holding a dozen packs of brand new ceramic tiles, I was quite scared at how they had fallen but relieved that Gareth was here that night. Arousing him from his sleep wasn't that difficult thankfully, but he did stir on my first attempt! Unable to move I quietly whispered Gareth and steadily shook his arm, of which caused him to stir, it was only when I said Gareth I've got boxes on top of me I'm trapped that he realised and quickly jumped out of my bed.

The boxes have now been unpacked, causing more hard work in the long run, but making things safe in the meantime. The thought of the boxes falling on Spud or my nephews terrified me, whilst I thanked God that it hadn't happened to one of them! I had a good sort out and put what I hadn't used or didn't need anymore into three piles; the attic, the bin and the charity shop piles.

Now my room looks even barer, it holds a bed, a wardrobe, a chest of draws and my dressing table. Its floor is bare, showing just the floorboards, ready to be carpeted. Upon showing my friend my room, now it wasn't filled with boxes any more and the potential, it was she who asked me the question at the beginning of this post, and why I'm here writing this post.

I don't feel like this is our home just yet, I don't feel like relaxing in my room as I did so many times at the flat. Instead, I dread every time I have to resort to my bedroom for whatever reason and try to make the trips as little as possible. In my ideal day, I only go to my bedroom when it's time for me to go to bed and to sleep.

Not knowing when I can afford to get it plastered and decorated, I took my friends question into account, and I've decided with the help of accessories, I'm going to try and make my bedroom feel like the bedroom I once loved at my flat, using just accessories for the meantime.

Photos.

I have so many pictures of Spud and my nephews sat framed waiting to be hung back up on walls. Seeing those beautiful faces on my walls changed my mood instantly back at the flat, and I know they could do the same here at our new "home".

A Mirror.

At the flat, I didn't have room for a mirror in my bedroom due to the size of the small room. I had one in my hallway and one in my bathroom but now thanks to the size of the room I now call my bedroom, I can hang one of my big mirrors up on my bedroom wall, and buy one of these LED bathroom mirrors from Lumino Mirrors to replace the one that will be missing from my bathroom! It's a win-win situation all around!

A Vase With Flowers.

A vase on my windowsill will make the awfully decorated and damaged window place look so much brighter. It's been decorated a horrid grey, which makes what should be a bright place a dull place. At the flat, every morning I would open my curtains and smile, now I try to open my curtains with my eyes closed!

Image Source: Pinterest.
Drawings On The Wall.

Before the room is decorated, I'd love for Spud to get creative with the bedroom walls. I'd also love to scatter my favourite quotes on the wall with bright fell tip pens! Anything for a bit of colour and after all, it would be personal and something that Spud helped me do!

A Rug.

I may not be able to get any carpet laid down yet due to the fact the plastering and decorating are yet to be done, but that doesn't stop me laying a rug down does it? Of course, it doesn't, it would help fill such am empty floor space too which is a big part of the emptiness in the room!

So now I have a question all for you... If you could transform a horrid room using just accessories, what would you choose?

Until next time,
Jada xx

Summer Holidays

by Jada, July 28, 2015
It's only day two of the summer holidays 2015 and we've already fitted in quite a few visitors and done quite a lot! I'm not a hot drink fan, but right now, I wouldn't mind a nice hot cup of tea, or even better a hot chocolate with some cream and marshmallows on top, with my feet up on the sofa, or my feet in my foot spa that I hardly get to use!

The weather has been rubbish, so we've not been able to spend any time in the garden really, and I'm working too so it's been a manic few days! Yesterday we had my friend Annessa pop round with her two children, giving Spud the chance to cue over her youngest baby, making Spud wish he had a sibling! Spud also played with Annessa's daughter, running up and down the stairs and chasing the puppy!

It was my sister Paula's birthday yesterday, she's not only my sister but one of my best friends too, Paula popped round with her two children which was nice for Spud as he had his two cousins round to play with and help trash his room, after spending the morning playing with Annessa's daughter. Then my big brother Paul popped in with his partner William to give Paula her card and presents and on top of all of this, Gareth had a very early finish and so decided to come and surprise me and Spud!

Gareth went and got us fish and chips, well actually I should say lunch from the chippy because none of us actually had fish! Spud had a battered sausage and chips, I had a saveloy sausage and chips, whilst Gareth had a pickled ghurkin, a spam fritter, a saveloy and chips, so no fish, he also popped into Morrisons for me bless him, a trip for me and Spud saved!

We then spent the rest of the day with me working, and sorting out mine and Spud's bedroom! We've still been living out of boxes where there is so much to do in the house, we've managed to cut down the boxes majorly, now it's just really a case of getting the rooms plastered, decorated and carpeted!

Whilst sorting out the bedrooms, we managed to have a sort out of all the bits Spud and I don't want any more, so today, we woke up quite late compared to yesterday (9am this morning to be precise!) and after making us breakfast I started photographing all the bits and pieces Spud has for sale. I've told him whatever sells of my items too, he can have the money also.

We're off on holiday soon and so Spud is trying to raise some extra holiday spending money, so far he has made £25, with £12.50 worth of items due to be collected in the next few days, and still a whole box left of items to sell! He's done good, he's had a clear out, raised money and learnt a little more about the value of money. I can't wait for the day I can finally stop having to tell him money doesn't grow on trees.

Spud has been really good so I promised him he could have a play on his game consol whilst mummy finished the afternoon off working. He's currently upstairs playing Disney Infinity whilst I'm sat here writing this post on what to do for dinner!

Shopping day isn't until tomorrow, so the fridge and freezer is quite bare, I'm also having a non-pregnancy craving of mash potato, although we don't have anything meaty to go with it, so I'm thinking maybe cheese and potato pie with beans or spaghetti and some buttered bread.

Whatever we have, it will be decent grub compared to the thousands out there in the world starving. I wake up every day and thank God for how blessed I am, a perfect beautiful family, a roof above our heads, money on the gas, food in the kitchen and clothes in our rooms.

I'm hoping the sunshine makes an appearance soon so we can get a few days out in the garden! It's our first summer holidays with us having a garden, it would be nice to enjoy it! On previous years, we watched out of our flat windows, wishing we had a garden to enjoy the glorious sun! We finally get a garden and what happens, there's not an ounce of sunshine in sight! Sods law ay!

I hope you're all having a lovely summer holiday so far!

Jada x

Dreams Of The Groom At The Altar.

by Jada, July 28, 2015
Ever since I can remember, I've had lots of dreams and visions about my wedding. Disney was most probably the reason why I started thinking of such, at such a young age, as they was the ones who put the image into my head of me finding my prince charming, or rather in reality him finding me - as it happened!

I always dreamed of my father walking me down the aisle, I was always wearing a near identical white dress, although as the years have gone by, the style has slightly changed to what I would really love to wear in reality.

I never imagined a face waiting for me at the altar until recently of course, as many of you know, I'm engaged and will hopefully be married in a few years time. When Gareth proposed to me last month, my dreams became that little bit more of a reality, the next time I dreamed of my wedding, Gareth was the man standing at the altar waiting for me, in my white dress (some of you may recognise them words from a song!) but what he was wearing didn't catch my eye.

With me thinking my wedding would always be a dream in my head, I'd not really given the groom much thought, I didn't have a face for him, or even a name, so why would I picture the clothes he would wear whilst standing there? Now things have changed and I've found my prince charming (I'll give him credit where credit is due, he is a charmer!), I've now got to think of what he'll be wearing haven't I?

Finding the infographic below this afternoon from Fashion Beans has just proven to me that I still don't know what I'd like my groom to wear. I'm quite sure it's going to be more harder for us to decide on something together, where as I am the only person who will be seeing my dress before the big day out of the pair of us, so Gareth doesn't have to worry about that. 

I'm loving the look of Mismatched, Morning Suit, Braces and Bow Tie but I also love the Lounge Suit. Why didn't anybody tell me how hard it would be to think of this decision!? I'm blaming Disney!

Until next time,
Jada x

/>


Garden Dreams.

by Jada, July 23, 2015
When me and Spud dreamed of a garden for him to play in, we didn't wish for anything big, we wasn't wishing greedy at all, a tiny small garden would of done us just fine, somewhere we could just put a little pool down for the summer, and in the not so warm months have a trampoline or goal post in its place.

The communal garden was taken over by the man below us, he planted flowers and trees wherever he could on our side.
Credit:
Google Street View

Living in a flat often gets you wondering about gardens, I use to constantly sit there and wonder why things happen the way they do, why are there so many children without gardens, and yet so many single fully grown adults living in houses. At the flat, we was suppose to have a communal garden, but below me was a old man who took over the garden many years before I moved in. Although we was there for seven years in the end, I couldn't just randomly start to use the garden, it didn't seem fair, especially as he spent so much time and money on it.

So we carried on dreaming, until the house move come up. Opening the back door for the first time to what seemed like a jungle was amazing, I don't think any of us took in how big the garden was, we was just enjoying the moment of looking at our, OUR garden for the very first time. I started to imagine the fun we could have once it was all done and so on. Fast forward to the present time, we have a swing and see-saw set out there, a paddling pool, a child's gazebo, a water activity table, a sandpit waiting to be built and plenty, and I mean plenty of room left, enough for a trampoline, a goal post and lots more!

Just a tiny little bit of our garden on show! Before we got a lawn mower!

I should mention the following items are only just on our grassed area of the garden! On the patio we have a gas BBQ that really needs to be binned due to the not so welcome rust, plant pots, three scooters, a bike, a storage unit filled with garden items, two tables, about 20 chairs, I kid you, two benches, and Spud's table and chair set and there's still plenty of room left!

Not now, but when Spud is older and outgrown of garden toys, I'd love to have a summer house right at the bottom of my garden, somewhere I could work from without being stuck inside the front room, where I can't open the windows because Jezeppi (our puppy dog) tries to jump out of them!

Inside my summer house I'd have a lovely relaxing sofa, a stereo player, magazines, a desk area for me to work on, lots of accessories and family photo's. I'd have it decorated to my request, and I'd also install electric opening windows, just to be that little bit more lazy, and not due to the fact that every time I open a window, it seems a spider likes to say hello to me!

Just one of the summer house styles I love!
Credit
: www.cranegardenbuildings.co.uk
With the summer house being at the bottom of the garden, I'd still have plenty of room left, you know just incase I have other children or grand-children! I'd still have my patio area, that will hopefully be a decking area in the future and lots of pretty colourful plants and flowers! I'd not only be able to work from home, but I'd be able to work from a beautiful garden space too!

I suppose for now I really should concentrate on getting fencing up before I start planning anything else! I do run away with myself sometimes!

Until next time,
Jada x

Teachers Gifts Gift Guide.

by Jada, July 20, 2015

Over the years, it's become quite a tradition to gift your child/children's teacher/teachers and classroom assistants with a card and/or gifts when the school year is over in July.

In recent news, the subject has caused quite a debate with 93% of teachers saying they've received gifts and some teachers saying it's becoming an unhealthy tradition. I am a parent who gifts, and who has always gifted, I like to say thank you to my childs teacher for looking after and supporting them throughout the last school year, for giving my child the support and encouragement that Spud needs at school as well as home.

After looking for unique presents, not that there's anything wrong with a box of chocolates from the supermarket, I've decided to put my finds into a gift guide for all you parent's out there who do buy for their children/child's teacher/teachers!

PART ONE:


1. Quentin Blake Wonderful Teacher Mug - £9.95

Illustrated by the great Quentin Blake this bone china mug is dishwasher and microwave safe, measuring 8.5cm high making it perfect for the teachers cup of tea or coffee!

Available to buy from Present Indicative.


2. treaclemoon Mini Trio Gift Set - £6.99

Renowned for its scrumptious smells and fabulous formulations, which benchmark brands at nearly five times its price, treaclemoon is an independant UK brand available at Tesco. The featured gift set contains 3 x travel bath and shower gels and a body puff.

Available to buy from Tesco and Tesco Direct.


3. Hand Made Thank You Biscuits - £8.50

Wrapped and packaged in a smart white window box, completed with spotty tape and a plain white gift tag, these 16 hand made shortbread biscuits stamped with thank you are the perfect unique gift to gift a teacher at the end of the school year. Made from the talented Suzie from What's Suzie Cooking, why not gift your childs/childrens teacher/teachers with a unique and thoughtful gift?

Available to buy from What's Suzie Cooking (NOTHS Store).


4. Personalised Teacher's Book and Socks Gift - £12

This is by far my favourite product out of every product I've come across, I personally love books, and every teacher no matter the subject uses books at some point during their working week, so it also connects very well with any teacher. The book is a personalised gift from a child to their teacher that sells the magical story of the journey they took while finding the perfect present.

It's written from the child's point of view and each scenario tells of the gift they might have got them but thought better. At the end the recipient is gifted a pair of socks! The gift tag on the front is personalised and you also get to choose from six different colours.


There is many other designs available, including books for birthdays, new grandparents, new parents, siblings and much more! Make sure you check out Pooters for the full selection!

Available to buy from Pooter.


5. Small Black Keyboard Stationery Kit - £2.99.

This stationery kit couldn't be more perfect for a music teacher. The set includes a matching notepad and pencil with a piano design, treble clef, and a rubber to use in case the recipient hits the wrong note! An excellent buy at just under £3, this is the perfect gift for the music teacher!

Available to buy from Music Room.


6. Hello Again Mr Naughty Seat - £25

This is one of the best quirky present's I've seen for teachers this year! With this present teachers can upgrade their naughty step to a naughty stool! Sturdy wood makes this a practical item, but would you like to see it in your child's/children's classroom?

Available to buy from Really Good.


7. Personalised Best Teacher Bag - £14

Alice Palace are the designers behind this beautiful and unique personalised teacher bag that would make a wonderful present for not only teachers but teaching assistants too! These useful fold away bags come in six designs and can be a present for any teacher of any subject!

Available to buy from Alice Palace.


PART TWO:




1. Timestable Cube - £7.50 

Teachers have so much to do throughout the day, so little accessories really do help them and their students along the way. This timetable cube is a great buy for teachers, class room assistants and students, it can even help language teachers teach their student numbers in French, German and Spanish!

Available to buy from ZooBooKoo.


2. Male Grooming Box - £24.95

This is a subscription service from The Personal Barber, however you can buy the box as a one off which would make the perfect present for any male teachers out there! The first box includes a double edged safety razor, blades, brush, shaving soap and step by step instructions on how to use the kit!

Available to buy from The Personal Barber.


3. Sweet Strawberry Yankee Candle - Prices Vary Depending On Size.

Yankee Candle has got to be the Heinz Ketchup of candles on the planet, surely! So why not gift your child/children's teacher or class room assistant with a Yankee Candle! Over half the population own a candle of some sort, and what's better, even if they don't light the candle, it's a great decoration for the classroom or at home!

Available to buy from Yankee Candle.


4. Colour Block Striped Mug - £5.99

This brightly coloured mug is the perfect addition to the music teachers desk, or kitchen cupboard at home or in the staffroom, ready to be filled for a nice cup of tea or coffee! The cheerful mug is decorated with the words ''Love Music'' and has a musical note design on the inside and out!

Available to buy from Music Room.


5. Sweet Apple Yankee Candle - Prices Vary Depending On Size.

As I mentioned with number 3, Yankee Candle has got to be the nations favourite candle makers! With so many scents to chose from, I reckon the sweet apple would go down well with any teacher this end of school year! I'm not quite sure of the tradition behind the apple being linked to teachers, but I'm about to go and find out!

Available to buy from Yankee Candle.


6. Ashes 2015 Cotton Sun Hat - £15.

As the Ashes action heats up, teachers can keep their heads cool with this quintessential cricket sunhat. Featuring an embroidered navy Ashes Urn with gold wreath, it's the perfect companion for a long hot summer of cricket action! Perfect for the sports teacher, and any other sports loving or Ashes fans teachers!

Available to buy from Lords Online Shop.


7. Flamingo Flask - £13.95

This pretty 0.5 litre flask with a pink lid and flamingo print is the ideal present for any teacher who's a fan of hot drinks, the item doesn't have to be a gift to stay in the class room, instead, a gift that is beside the teacher at home, in the car, on the bus/train, on a walk and so one!

Available to buy from Rigby and Mac.


PART THREE:


1. Apple Stud Earrings - £15.

These earrings are the perfect set of earrings for any teacher, the mantra for the earrings is ''you teach from the heart, not from the book''. With a matching necklace available, individually or as a set, both pieces make the perfect present for any jewellery loving teacher.

Available to buy from Fabulous.

2. Intu Gift Card - Prices Vary To Your Budget.

Getting to see your child's teacher just a few times a week, and only in the class room or in the playground can make it near impossible to know their likes and dislikes! With a Intu gift card, you're gifting, but letting the teacher pick their own desired product! A win, win selection all around for both parties! The teacher receives something they could actually use and love as they've picked the product themselves, with the thanks of your gifted gift card!

Available to buy from Intu.


3. Ball Mason Jar - Prices Vary On Size and Quantity.

You may be looking at the image above of number three, and wondering why anyone would gift a teacher a plain jar? Well, thats where you and your child can become creative, and play around with the jar to create some amazing and unique gift ideas!

The Desk Pot.

Using some paint, and some ribbon and little decorations, you can make a personalised stationery pot for your child's teacher, or even better, supervise your child and let them get creative themselves!

Cake In A Jar.

Another one for both you and your children to get involved with, with the idea coming from blogger Le Coin De Mel, measure out cake/brownie/muffin ingredients and fill the jar, then simply present to your child's/children's teacher/teachers and/or classroom assistants! With such a special touch, maybe even the head teacher could be gifted one!

Available to buy from Ball.

4. Jasmine Daydream Candle - Prices Vary Depending On Size,

This Heart and Home Cottage Garden candle is just one of many fragrances sold by Heart and Home. Gift a candle individually, or buy a mixture and you can make up a little handmade/homemade hamper with love from your child/children and yourself.

Available to buy from Heart & Home.


5. Cup Holder - £20

Perfect for all teachers and class room assistants, this cup holder can be used for both hot and cold drinks, and is a gift that doesn't have to be kept in the classroom! It won't die like flowers, and it won't be eaten like chocolate, instead it could possibly last forever!

Available to buy from Fifi De Lyon.


6. A Little Thank You Bracelet - £14.99

From the Joma Collection at Narborough Hall, this bracelet is the perfect way to say thank you to your child's/childrens teacher or even the classroom assistant for helping them throughout the school year. Presented on a simple white Joma Jewellery card, the quote reads ''this silver bow I give to you, to help me say a little thank you''.

Available to buy from Narborough Hall.


7. Tablet Case - Prices Vary Depending On Model and Design.

What person, or at least teacher doesn't have a tablet of some sort these days? With technology advancing by the minute, its very rare to find the old fashioned pen and paper being used nowadays, so why not gift the teacher you're buying for a tablet case? With dozens of designs to choose from, you'll be spoilt for choice!

Available to buy from Lente Designs.


There we have it, the 2015 Teachers Gifts Gift Guide, I hope you've enjoyed browsing through the guide with all the unique and special products I've found! Although the thought counts, and there isn't anything wrong with a box of chocolates, sometimes gifting a more personal and unique present is a blessing!

Until next time,
Jada x



The amount of sleep we get every night has a profound effect on our daily lives. Simply not getting enough sleep can cause all sorts of problems in both the short-term and long-term. According to various studies, adults require between 7-9 hours of sleep every day to function at their best. What do you get in return for those 7-9 hours of rest?


1. Better health and immunity.

Studies have shown that the simple act of not getting enough sleep has tangible links to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Getting enough sleep certainly won’t make you impervious to disease, but it will give your immune system a sizeable boost to help keep illness at bay for longer. It also allows you to better maintain a healthy weight - not getting enough sleep often leads to people being too tired to cook healthy meals or exercise regularly. Additionally, mattresses can build up lots of allergens over time - dust mite build-up can lead to sinusitis and headaches. Always check with a specialist like www.Sleepys.com.au when looking to change out your mattress for a new one to make sure you get one that suits your health and allergen requirements. A stronger immune system, more energy and far fewer sneezing fits – you will get all of that just from getting enough sleep every night!

Image Source: Wikipedia


2. Clearer thinking, memory.

While you sleep, your brain is busy consolidating all your memories from the day, filing away all the information that was fed into it for later use. Not getting enough sleep interrupts this process and can lead to memories being lost. On a related note, how often have you woken up after a restless night feeling like you've got a head full of cotton wool? Sleep loss affects your thought processes, impairing attention and cognitive skills, making you more prone to accidents and mistakes. Getting around eight hours of sleep a night will keep you alert, proactive and energetic throughout the entire day. And you’ll be able to remember to pick up the milk on your way home from work so your partner doesn't get cranky!


3. Improved mood.

Getting enough rest doesn't mean you’ll be in a fantastic mood every single day but what it does do is help your emotional regulation. When you've gotten a good night’s sleep, you’ll often have a much better grip on your emotional state throughout the day. This is why, when overtired, we can become exceptionally cranky or start laughing uncontrollably at things that aren't that funny. This also helps you to be more attentive and understanding in your work, which will make you a more agreeable, functional member of your professional team.
These are just a few ways that getting a good sleep every night can impact your life in a positive way.

How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep? Are you a morning person? Are you one of those people who can sleep anywhere? Share your thoughts, experiences and answers by leaving a comment in the section below.

Until next time,
Jada x
On Saturday, myself along with Gareth will be attending my first ever fancy dress party. The party is a joint one, celebrating my big sister Paula's and my brother in law Williams birthdays! They're 80s babies, and so the party is 80s themed, thats costumes, hairstyles, make up, food, decorations, music, the vibe and everything else!

I ordered a 80s fancy dress costume this week, and got it sent on special delivery, but unfortunately, the costume didn't fit! So today, I along with my big brother Paul (Williams partner) have been rushing around shops like a headless chicken trying to find a back up for me! Why was Britney Spears not around in the 80s, she would of been a brilliant one to dress up as, cheap and easy!

I'm not exactly going as anyone special any more, thanks to my wide hips and big bottom not wanting to squeeze into the costume I ordered, so instead, I'm just going out in 80s dress up, with a tutu, leg warmers, a wristband, neon necklaces and bracelets and a black hoody with I love the 80s printed on it, in a bright neon pink!

The party is being held at Paul's house, and so Paul (my big brother/personal stylish/hair dresser/beautician) is busy basically all day! That mean's for like the first time ever, I am going to be responsible for my own hair, I can't do hair! I can wash it, dry it, brush it and straighten it, but that's about it!

I can't even put my hair up in a pony tail, it may sound silly, but I can't, not a perfect one anyway! There is always bumps and lumps everywhere, so how people get theirs so smooth, I have no idea! I'm not jealous or anything, well I won't be tomorrow any way as I've just got my hands on a hair tool I've wanted for ages!

Since seeing the amazing advert for the BaByliss PRO Perfect Curl Hydrotherm and watching a dozen or so people show it off on YouTube, I knew I one day had to own a pair! When going to buy my favourite gel polish from my favourite hair and beauty supplier I see them sat there on the homepage, and sat next to me was my amazing fiance who made out like they wasn't a big deal.

Secretly, without me knowing, he only went and got me a pair as a surprise, he dropped them round to me yesterday and I couldn't wait to get them out of the box! Of course I gave him a kiss, a cuddle and a thank you before I started having a go with my new toy, and luckily I did because I literally couldn't put them down!

They even brought back child hood memories as I wish I had a hair head I use to practise on when I was a little girl, not that I actually learned anything mind you, I can't even do a simple plait or pony tail, but can straighten my hair although I never owned a pair as a child to practise with haha!

Oh crikey, I've just scrolled up and realised how much I've written, I only come back to blogging properly today, there was me worrying about things to write about and I've said all this and could easily go on, and on, and on!

I won't keep you all for much longer, but I do want to ask you all an opinion, please can you let me know by Saturday which hair style out of A and B, or 1 and 2 you like best!? Now I've got the perfect tool to help me out, I'm hoping I'll have the perfect set of curls to accompany me to the partay!

A or 1:
Curly All Over?

Image Source: Pinterest.com 

B or 2:
Straight On Top, Curly At Bottom?

Image Source: Loveshav.com

Please do leave a comment and let me know what you think will look best!

Until next time,
Jada x

How Six Months Can Change.

by Jada, July 16, 2015
Hello everyone, first of all I'd like to apologise for the lack of personal updates here on the blog recently. There has just been so much going on, I've just not known where to start to be honest! So I thought I would write this post and give you a little update on me and Spud.

Six months ago, we had not long moved into a house, a dreadful move, a move we're both still getting use too, living in a house that still needs so much work doing to it, seven months after moving in! There's also the fact that I got into a relationship after being single for five years, and we also got a puppy back in March for Spud's ninth birthday! I'm now also happily engaged, and have only just got my head around the whole idea!

The last few months have been so stressful, there's been times where I just wished I had enough money to pack mine and Spud's suitcase and go on holiday for a few weeks without a care in the world, but unfortunately my finances can't stretch to such wishes!

A few months ago, at one of Spud's parent evenings, I was notified of Spud having an IEP, otherwise known as an individual education plan, something I had never heard of before, and something I didn't know Spud had been on for a number of years.

After asking lots of questions, and having a meeting with the SENCO teacher, Spud has been seen by a psychologist and recently been referred to the local hospital for a number of test. Initially, the school would like Spud to be tested for ASD, and feel there may be other difficulties present.

When I look at Spud, I see a little fighter, a little soldier, a little worrier, a child who was born seven weeks premature, and a child who has battled through a number of health problems and operations, aside from this, he's mine, my boy, he's normal, he's just like everyone else, a child with his own personality.

In no way am I in denial about the whole situation, I have two nephews with Aspergers Syndrome, a cousin with ADHD, both conditions all apart of Autism (ASD). I think my problem is, I'm comparing Spud to those family members, and friend's children who have Autism, I've been told there is so many different types of Autism, but still I find it all hard to take in at the moment.

Spud is so different at home to how he is at school, at school for example, Spud is extremely shy, yet when I collect him from school every day he does nothing but talk, he tells me about his day, what he had for lunch, who he played with on his breaks and what he's learnt that day. At home, he talks, talks continously, he's his own person, he plays with things he likes, not what every one else likes, and he loves being in his own company.

Looking at Spud's school work reports, I know he is behind, I know he is not at the expected level, I know he's below average. Does he not just need extra help and time I've been asking myself over and over? My life has changed so much in the last six months, I'm engaged, a year ago I didn't even have a partner! I live in a house, where as just seven months ago, I lived in a flat!

We have a puppy, I never thought we would ever have a pet, we couldn't at the flat due to our tenancy agreement, and now, Spud is being tested for conditions and being seen by professionals who may be able to help him.

My psorisis cleared up for the first time in three years a few months ago and for the first time in years, I got my elbows out, elbows clear of psoriasis, although not clear of the scars my psoriasis left, by body was 90% free.

Now, I sit here staring at my body and watch it all break out all over again. I gained a tiny little bit of confidence for it all to be stolen back off me again. I have to thank Gareth for being my rock recently, my struggles would of been a lot harder if it wasn't for him.

I've been sitting at home bored a lot recently, I miss blogging the way I use too, I miss Unique Young Mum being the way it use to be. There is only one person who can get it all back, and that's me, the author and writer behind Unique Young Mum.

Spud will soon be breaking up for the six week school summer holidays, and with him at school in the meantime during normal school hours, I have time on my hands to build the blog back up. First of all, I'll be kicking things off with a Teachers Gift Guide, and will be looking into other idea's one at a time!

I can't wait to rejoin the blogging train, for I have missed it so much!

Wish me luck!

Jada x


© Unique Young Mum · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS