'You've got your hands full'

God help me, it's a conference call

GREAT excitement in our office this morning as we await the arrival of a colleague for a conference call with clients many miles away.

I've been practising pushing different buttons on my phone and have discovered that we can both speak at once if we want without lifting the receiver as well as hearing everyone else.

Who knew?

A new life after twins by Sarah Edmonds

 
FOUR years ago, almost exactly, my son O entered the world, a beautiful, happy, gorgeous little boy. No wonder then that my husband and I were keen to ‘crack on’ with number two. Fifteen months after his birth and a three month scan revealed identical twin girls were to join our family.

To be completely honest, the first year of their life seemed to bring more lows than highs....exhaustion, loneliness, feelings of having no one to talk to who understood, frustration and generally of life being difficult. The phrase ‘popping out’ vanished, only to be replaced by ‘military operation’, or more commonly ‘failed operation’.

So you think you know about twins?

 

THIS is the first guest post in a special week of multiple birth inspired topics. So it's a big welcome to Harriet from the much admired Is there a Plan B? blog which charts the trials and tribulations of shifting from being a London lawyer to a stay at home mum of three in Scotland.  

Her post made me laugh out loud. When I read about some of the questions she has been asked, it takes me back a bit. So, thank you very much Harriet and now it's over to her...

“Goodness, you’ve got your hands full!”
Thank you to Linda for hosting this week of multiple birth inspired posts and for her support of Tamba,

This is a post about about twins. And more precisely about the stuff everyone thinks they know about twins. 

And the stuff everyone says to mothers of twins (I’ve got A and S, who are eighteen months old and identical as well as 3-year-old L). 

And  about the stuff, that sometimes we wish they wouldn’t.

Q&A with Littlemumpreneur.com: How I started a business

THE following is from Littlemumpreneur.com. I hope you may find it interesting. I meant to point people in Erica's direction a while back! Thanks Erica for the questions.

Q1. What is your business called and what does it do?

I’m the director of Passionate Media. This is an agency in Staffordshire, working on various types of editorial and social media projects and commissions for national and regional clients. We also train aspiring writers, journalists, non-profit organisations and companies in making the most of social media and/or journalism/commercial writing skills.

Are you a 'good enough' mum? Course you are!

CHANCES are if you've asked yourself that question, the answer's pretty likely to be yes. Don't you agree?

The above video was shot at our office by Mario from Someone Once Told Me and features the gorgeous Grace Marshall who runs a group in Stafford for mums who work for themselves, which my dear friend and colleague Carol has also been involved with.

I had reason to watch this video today and thought I'd include it here.

Hope you like it.

Media request: Do you have a lot of help from friends and family?

JOURNALIST Natasha Holt is researching the following piece for a women's weekly and would love to hear from you if you genuinely fit the bill:

We're running a piece called 'Team parent' which shows how these days many families rely on a number of people around them to help with childcare.

We need to find one woman who has a huge amount of help from grandparents, family and friends who all have a hand in bringing up her baby. We will interview all those involved and do a photoshoot with you all.

Please contact Natasha: natasha_holt[at]yahoo.co.uk if you reckon you could be the lady in question.

New job: Back to what I love doing best, thanks Twitter!

I'VE always loved being an editor. In recent years, with two little girls to work around, I thought my days of holding that position were over.

But a few weeks back, a tweet from Rosie alerted me of a vacancy I may be able to fill.

And so, this week I've started as managing editor of Ready for Ten.

Of course there was a bit in between. 

It's a busy role but it's just brilliant to be back doing something I really love. There's already a fantastic team of writers in place.

Write Away: How to write a non-fiction book synopsis

I'VE had seven examples of a synopsis initially accepted by a small publisher or agent. Only two of these ever saw the light of day as a published book.

In one of those books, The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World, I explore what makes a winning synopsis. It should be:

• Compelling
• An excellent example of your writing
• A showcase for your research skills

Photo by Olivander on Flickr

On turning the air blue in the supermarket and other adventures up the aisles

Photo by daveknapik on Flickr

EVER wondered what goes on behind the scenes to bring you your weekend news?

Once this involved me standing by the satsumas in Sainsbury’s yelling "cock".

I'm surprised I didn't get arrested - or escorted off the premises at the very least.

Back but shattered

THANK YOU again for all the good wishes before we went to The Bahamas.

If you are in any way interested, we are now back and loving the various delights of being at home - rain, sorting out car tax, gas leaks, terrible wind, that type of thing.

Yeah, I know. Possibly too much information.

I hope to post all about our cruise adventure as soon as I can. A small matter of a shedload of work stuff is in the way at the moment. Am not even going to attempt the terrible wind thing.

Seeya.