The Work At Home Mum Dilemma

Happy Mother's Day Loves!

I'm a working mum. But the thing is I work at home.

When you go away to work everyday and come home, it's easy to shed the work mantle and focus on family. However, if your work is in your home, it can be hard to switch off.

While I was on maternity leave, I'd have the house clean, lunch and dinner ready and the laundry put away by noon everyday. But then Boss Lady came and brushing my hair became a luxury. In the middle of all these adjustments, I decided to start a business and everything just went to heck.

I was pulling my hair out trying to look after the baby, my husband, my house and my business without dropping any balls. I was trying to achieve the same flawless standards I'd had before. This led to lots of half finished or hurriedly completed projects around the house, staying up literally all night to complete orders, a grumpy husband whose wife was always too busy and a few physical breakdowns.

It was very hard for me to accept that I could not do everything in one day but I had to prioritize and compartmentalize. I would get so upset because at the end of the day, I hadn't done half of what I wanted to do. It's hard to stick to a schedule with a nursing baby but little by little things are starting to fall into place.

What I do now is have separate days for everything. Rather than slotting things in where I can, I give everything a day. So on Ollie's Studio days, I don't do housework. And on housework days, I don't do Ollie's Studio stuff. And whatever the day, Boss Lady's needs are always met and I shut everything down by 7pm and focus on my family.

As a result I'm far less stressed, my house is cleaner and my family is happier. I've also figured out quick ways to prepare meals that save me time in the kitchen.

Maybe mums CAN do everything well... just not at the same time.

Baby Wearing: Babylonia Tricotti Sling Review

Before I had my baby girl, I didn't really give a thought to the kind of parenting style I would apply. I didn't even know that there were different styles. My plan was just to love my baby with all my heart and learn along the way.

Somehow over the last few months, it seems I have stumbled into some kind of attachment parenting hybrid. I never intended to but you kind of have to go with the flow if you want any sleep and peace of mind. Babies just won't work to your schedule or follow any laid out plans. So I co-sleep as it's the only way she'll sleep for a significant amount of time, I breast fed exclusively for 6 months as she would not take a bottle, and I baby wear. The baby wearing is for me though as I love cuddling with my little lovey. Don't worry she likes it too.

There are many benefits to baby wearing, one of which is having your hands free to get stuff done. When your baby is going through a clingy phase or a growth spurt, baby wearing will help you keep your sanity. Oh and if you're really good, you can actually breast feed while doing other things.

We currently own 4 slings. Some I love, some not so much. The first one I bought was the Babylonia Tricotti Sling.

Photo Credit

This one I love! Ok this post has been sitting in my drafts for a few months and at the initial time of writing, I did not love it. In fact I was planning to give it away. But then I gave it another shot and loved it. I bought it from John Lewis but I don't think they stock it anymore :(

I tried to use it like the lady on the right but Boss Lady and I found it super uncomfortable. When she was a few months older and had better head control (and I had lost the baby weight), I tried it like the guy on the left and we loved it! Thanks to this sling, I have both hands free to get stuff done, while dealing with a clingy whiny little boss. It's been a total lifesaver.

It's basically two loops of thick, stretchy fabric that you cross over your torso and you pop the baby in. Finito! It comes with instructions for use and you can probably find a YouTube video explaining it, but it really is that easy. It's also very secure and snug.

It comes in different sizes and you're advised to pick one based on your size and not the baby's size. I'm about 5'9 and a UK size 12 and I got a medium size. Boss Lady still fits in it perfectly at 7 months (she's a big baby). I use it when we go out and I can't be bothered with a pushchair, around the house while doing chores ( I never learned to "back" a baby :( ), and when we travel by plane.

If you're looking for an easy, handsfree, baby carrying solution, I totally recommend the Tricotti.

They Call Me Boss Lady...

...actually that's what I call my daughter. She's an incredible little girl, but bossy as anything. She definitely doesn't get that from me *grin*

I'm seriously sucking at this blogging business. Mea culpa to anyone who still follows. I do have good reasons though. There's the whole being a mom and wife thing and the new business I've started.

So being a stay at home mum was never on my agenda. I liked banking and wanted to see just how far I could go. Then boss lady came and I fell very very hard for her. Like so hard. And then I got really paranoid. It's crazy difficult to trust people with your kids ya know? I've had to stop watching the news because I can't see kids get hurt. Remember the scene in For Colored Girls with the kids...? I cried for 3 hours straight after that scene and never finished the movie. It still hurts my heart when I remember it... and that's fiction.

So I needed to figure out a way to earn a living and be at home with my kid. So I thought, "hey, I could work for myself!"

It took me a few months to figure out what I wanted to do but I knew it had to be something creative. Because I like making stuff.

Giant paper flowers I made for the Boss's nursery

Like a lot...

More handmade stuff

Then it hit me: I could make stationery! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, You know when you find what you're meant to do and everything just clicks?? I had in the past made the stationery for my wedding, my sister in law's engagement party, my daughter's christening and a bunch of other stuff... you'd think I would have figured it out sooner.

So that's what I do now. I design stationery for weddings and other events and I'm studying graphic design on the side. And I get to hang with the boss all day and make pretty things. So if you're getting married or having a party hit me up or find us on Facebook. I'm also currently obsessed with Instagram and glitter.
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How I Got Into Crochet

I learned the basics of crochet in primary school home ec, and to be honest I wasn't a fan. I found it tedious and boring and unending. I didn't know about patterns or stitching or anything really. My teacher sucked.

Fast forward to 2010. I'd just finished grad school and was job hunting. I needed something to fill my time. I don't remember why I decided to revisit crochet but I think I wanted to make a gift for someone. So I started a really ambitious project and it didn't take long for me to realise that my rudimentary skills wouldn't cut it. So I took to YouTube and a whole new world opened up for me.

After lots of research and false starts, I made this:

I was so proud of my efforts. Then my life moved on and I abandoned crochet for a few years.

I took up crochet again when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. Some of my friends were also pregnant at the same time. I just loved the idea of our little ones wearing something I'd made with all the love in my heart. 

To get back into crochet, I started with a huge blanket for my husband. It took weeks to complete but was worth it in the end. It was very physically draining especially in my prego state so I won't be doing anything that ambitious for a while.

When that was done, I made blankets for my friends' babies:

Then I made these for my daughter:

I could be wrong but I think she likes them...

After making all these blankets I was hooked on crochet again. Now I'm working on wearable items like sweaters, scarves and hats. I'm currently working on a circle scarf based on a pattern I found on this gorgeous crochet blog All About Ami. I have modified the pattern slightly to make a longer scarf and will post pictures when it's finished. I hope I get good enough to post my own tutorials one day. 

I'm currently on maternity leave so I have time on my hands (when the boss lady allows). Looks like the fam will be getting handmade stuff for Christmas this year :)

The New New

It's been a very long time since I wrote here...

If you followed me in the past, you'll notice that my blog is empty and all my old posts are gone.

Why you ask?

In life we go through phases, stages, metamorphoses... we grow and change. Our priorities and passions change.

There have been so many changes in my life since I last wrote here, far too many to go into detail about. Here are a few of the major changes:

1. I moved again, this time to England
2. I am no longer obsessed with blogging about natural hair so I'm done with LITK (you can still check out the archives)
3. I got married
4. I had a baby

At the moment I'm on maternity leave and will be for a while, so I guess I'm kind of a stay at home mom? Evidently, my priorities are different now. I took the old posts down as I don't feel that they reflect this new me. I finally consider myself grown up (but not really hehe) and want to talk about grown up things... well the things that are relevant to me at this stage of my life.

I've no idea what kind of blog this will be.... how about we just don't label it and go with the flow?

Mrs Fizzy.