'You've got your hands full'

Three years ago I crumbled...why my daughters' birthday is a triple celebration

I SOBBED in front of the doctor.

She gently asked me when I began to feel so desperate and I told her it was on my daughters' birthday.

Admitting that such a supposedly joyous day should cause me pain, was hard. I felt guilty.

Why shouldn't I just shut up and get on with it like everyone else?

But as I sat on my bed at 3am,crying and contemplating throwing myself through the window, I knew I had to seek medical help.

Our worst holiday - too much jelly, a broken arm and seeking solace in a chocolate bar or six!

THERE'S a lay-by in Mid Wales we pass each time we go to New Quay, which we never fail to point out.

It's "Emily's lay-by" - same as my mum has a gate somewhere on the Horseshoe Pass.

The sight of it, some eight years later, still fills me with a slight dread and a knot lurches in my stomach.

I never fail to remember the spectacular projectile vomiting that led us there - too late to save our car but early enough to allow us to get Emily changed and deposit an entire sick-coated outfit in its bin.

Thanks for blog award and passing it on

THANKS to Ellen at World of a Mummy and Whistlejacket for a "I love your blog" award.  

I think it's about time I displayed these 'ere awards properly, so I'll get on with that.

As I understand it, the way it works is you are supposed to then pass on said accolade. Ellen said it goes to 15, yes 15, blogs...

On blogging, travel writing and working for free

ALONG with my business partner, I lead training workshops advising freelance journalists on how to make more money. I've written a book which warns against writing for free.

Now I'm an editor of a family travel blog with no budget to pay contributors.

How the hell did that happen?

Would you expect a plumber or mechanic to do their job for free? No and neither would I. Nor do I expect anyone to write for Have a Lovely Time for free.

How my daughters see me: Response to 'picture perfect' meme from Tara @ Stickyfingers

 
By Emily

THANKS to Tara, my daughters spent some of this Sunday just gone drawing me.

Here are the results.

What a peach.

 By Melissa

What am I proud of? Meme from Josie @ Sleep is for the weak

I DON'T like the word eek, but feel it's called for now. Me, list five things I'm proud of? Eeeeeeek. Double eeeeeeek, even.

Josie has passed this meme on and being the conscientious blogger that I am, and enjoying a good tagging as I do, thought I'd give it a go.

Well, I have two beautiful daughters so of course I am proud of them.

Why 'chaotic' eaters struggle to maintain weight loss -and some top tips from a nutritionist

SINCE writing about binge eating, several people have been in touch with me to ask if I would like to lose weight in the same way as them.

I'm very grateful they've thought of me. But I can't. I have to go my own way, a combination of healthy eating and exercise and that's it. The following feature goes some way to explaining why.

“I SHED six stone, just look at me now!” scream the headlines and we admire how a champion slimmer conquered a lifetime of overeating to reach their target weight.

But revisit even the most successful dieter’s story later and often some or all of the pounds have piled back on.

Games we used to play meme from Nixdminx

FIRST off, I don't know if it's mee-mee or meh-meh. But then I'm not sure about Pry-mark or Pree-mark either.

Anyway, I've been tagged to answer Nixdminx's nostalgic questions so here goes...

1. The game I loved

We lived in pubs and I used to love playing cards in the bar with my mum.

The Greatest Pregnancy and Birth Tips in the World, author wants yours...

FELLOW freelance journalist Kelly Rose Bradford is compiling The Greatest Pregnancy and Birth tips for publication next year and is looking for all mums' and expectant mums' hints and tips and wise and witty words.

The book is going to be light-hearted but relevant, covering everything from conception through to the day you take your new born home (or deliver him/her at home - home birth will be covered.)

Three 'embarrassing mum' moments - what are yours?

PARENTS are supposed to embarrass their children. It's the law.

Here are some of my "mum crimes" so far - that I'm willing to admit to anyway. Why not share yours too? Would love to read them - would make me feel better for a start...

1.Whatever you do, don't bend over again

When my daughters were tiny, people used to stare. A lot. We got used to it as twins often attract attention. Most meant well, even if sometimes the comments got a bit much.

That's why when fellow customers in a department store's coffee shop seemed transfixed and a bit perturbed as they looked in our direction, I didn't bat an eyelid.