'You've got your hands full'

Feeling nervous after uploading our first video!

IT took some doing, let me tell you.

But, after remembering I had a YouTube account, I have managed to upload our first homemade video at Havealovelytime.com.

You can see the result here.

Any wise words of encouragement much appreciated! I know it's not the best quality piece of film you will ever see and that a touch of editing here and there would be beneficial, but hopefully it serves its purpose.

Oh and if you have a holiday video you'd like to share, please let me know.

Cheers.

Call yourself a writer? A meme from me to you

READING various blog posts in recent days has got me thinking about writing.

So many brilliant bloggers are authors, journalists, aspiring novelists or poets. Some can consider themselves "just" bloggers and don't acknowledge what stars they are. Others wouldn't want to work for a 'dead tree' publication in a million years.

But do any of these writers reflect on the influence their words have had often enough? No, I'm not sure that they do.

So, in a bid to celebrate the achievements of blogging writers - however major or minor they consider them - I have put together a meme, which I am imaginatively naming the "Call Yourself a Writer?" meme. 

This is how it goes, with my answers included, to get the ball rolling:

Which words do you use too much in your writing?

Rude ones.

Which words do you consider overused in stuff you read?

Every parent's nightmare. Every girl's dream.

Owning up about binge eating

ONE of the reasons I wanted to carry on blogging here now and again, even though the twins 'mojo' has upped and left was so that I could bring together some of my other chief concerns when I felt like it. And for the last 20 years or so, losing weight has been right up there.

I did have a blog called How did I get this fat? Exactly 12 months ago, I was merrily crowing about how I was on the right road to a slimmer fitter me. Except I'm still not there. I'm still overweight and I'm still keeping on, keeping on.

Today there's a bloody great picture of me peeking out of a bush in The Express as I chronicle my binge eating. I've been touched and chuffed by the feedback and kind words of encouragement that have winged my way since this was published this morning. So thank you to everyone who has taken the time to tell me what they thought.

What is a mum? Persil advert in the dock, plus a new rhyme from me

YOU'VE got to love a bit of nostalgia, haven't you?

Gives you a warm glow inside.

But what's that you say? This isn't necessarily looking back fondly but a rehashing of tired, sexist stereotypes?

Hell, some people report they even turn off the telly in disgust.

What do you think, is this a storm in a cup and a half of washing powder? Or is Persil guilty as charged?

Whatever your view, here's my attempt to bring said ad up to date. Hope you enjoy it:

A mum is someone who saves to buy her kids a Wii activity mat

Then spends the money going to see Take That instead

A mum is someone who says ‘big girls don’t cry’

Then sighs: “Because I said so, that’s why.”

A mum is someone who is careful to get the balance between SuperNanny and Wife Swap just just right

She isn't sure why she sometimes weeps at night

A mum is someone who uses Prozac, has no pretty hats

For 100 years, she’s thought advertisers a bunch of twats

Think you can do better? You undoubtedly can! Why not give it a go?

* Some feedback included in the comments here comes from me posting my efforts at My Writers' Circle.

Thank you to Joanne at Parentdish for including this post in her 'best of the blogs' round-up and thanks to Nixdminx for drawing her readers' attention to it in the latest 'Mummy blogging' carnival. Check 'em out for lots of new writing you may like.

If you only do one thing this week...

The Guardian

BE nice to the work experience person. Oh go on.

Full piece here.

Twenty favourite posts about twins, triplets or more

 

FROM September 2006, to July 2009 this blog* carried reports by Linda Jones and Becky from Deepmuckbigrake about twins, triplets and more, with news updates and videos.

During this time, the feedback through comments and emails we received meant a lot. Thank you to Becky for all her wonderful help and thank you to everyone who stopped by, especially those who were kind enough to let us know we had written something that had proved informative, entertaining or thought-provoking.

Here's a collection of some favourite posts. They have been picked because we know people appreciated them. If you have just found this blog and have been blessed with a multiple birth family or pregnancy, I hope they may be useful.

Ten things not to say to a mum of twins or more

Blogs about twins

Blogs about triplets, quads, quintuplets, sextuplets...

How and when do you know you are expecting twins or more?

Quick facts about a multiple pregnancy

How a multiple pregnancy differs from having one baby

Postnatal depression in mums of twins, triplets and more.

Two sets of twins: Families share their stories