This week's My Captured Moment is a few photo's from Father's Day, which was last week.
We'd prepared presents the night before, so the kids were all super excited when they woke up and couldn't wait to 'help' Simon open his presents.
We went to Harvester for breakfast, and although the food was okay, the children were not. They were all little monkeys, so we decided to needed to get out for a couple of walks, so they could burn off some of their crazy energy!
We had arranged to pick my Dad up for an afternoon walk, so before that we took the kids to a local park for a bit of a play.
After the recent rain, it was nice to have some sunshine, so we all had lots of fun just playing and enjoying the sunshine.
In the afternoon we ventured a little further afield for a nice long walk in the country. It was actually a place my Dad used to take me when I was younger, so it was quite special to go for a walk there on Father's Day.
Although the photo's aren't the best, they still capture the fun we had on this special day and with my Dad now being 72, I know I'm very lucky to be able to share this day with him.
We had a lovely day celebrating two very amazing dads (plus Simon's Dad, who was on holiday).
When I'd first had the twins, I remember someone saying to me that she could always spot parents with three or more kids as they were more laid back than those who had one or two children. I didn't really get it at the time, but it's something that has always stuck with me and I think she might be right (she was a mum of three, so she had a good insight). Not because we are naturally laid back, but because we simply have to be in order to survive being outnumbered!!
I'm actually a natural worrier and perfectionist, but this doesn't doesn't work well with three children!
When you have one or two children you can spend time selecting clothes to ensure they're all co-ordinated - with three it just takes too long! As for matching socks, well finding one pair in our house is mission impossible, never mind three! My Mum thinks this is a crime against humanity, me on the other hand - well as long as they actually have socks on then I'm happy!
Keeping the house tidy and keeping on top of washing is also a challenge! I've learnt that storage for toys is key, so that you can just fling stuff in - out of sight out of mind! I'm lucky to have a supersized washer and dryer to handle the washing, but sometimes our clothes might be slightly crumpled as I refuse to waste my precious evenings ironing!!
With three young children, life almost becomes about survival! Yes, they play on ipads more than I'd like, we bribe them with sweets and I don't always leave the house armed with snacks and toys to keep them amused whilst we're out (sometimes just getting out is an achievement). We also rarely take out beakers or changes of clothes in case of accidents - nowadays there is always somewhere you can pick up stuff if you really need it! However, we are strict on the things that matter to us - manners, bedtime and being kind to others.
As a result we are more laid back, simply because we have to be otherwise we'd completely stressed, which wouldn't be good. I also think it's important to pick your 'battles' wisely, so focusing on what's important for us rather than 'pefection'!
I definitely think being more laid back has it's positives. We travel a lot and being more laid back certainly helps with that. I know people who won't leave the country with their kids due to fear of how they might react on the flight! Yes, they might scream for a bit, but in a few hours you'll be somewhere lovely and it will all be worth it!
It also means that we spend lots of quality time with our children as we're not spending our time ironing or rearranging the playroom!
Don't get me wrong there are days when we are completely stressed, but that tends to be because the children aren't following instructions, which is a big issue for us at the minute, rather than because of something such as one of them getting a bit messy!
This parenting journey is quite a personal one and what works for one family doesn't work for others. We view our role as parents to be helping our children to become the best person that they can be and I don't think matching socks plays much of a role in helping us to achieve that!
Do you have three or more? What are your survival tips?!
I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, but I never seemed to be able to get round to it. However, although I'm post well after our trip took place, it's a trip that I want to capture as we had such a lovely time.
During February half-term we went to Norfolk for a week long break. I wanted to visit Norfolk for quite a while now, so I was looking forward to exploring the area.
We've travelled quite a bit and as a result I'm really particular about where we stay whenever we go away. We had spent hours searching for the perfect cottage for our trip, when we came across Limes Farm who offer three 5-star luxury, eco-friendly cottages in Ludham, which is at the heart of the Norfolk Broads.
The cottages looked beautiful online, exactly the type of home I would go for if we ever relocated to the country. We booked the Limes Farm Cottage, which accommodates five people (and a dog if you have one).
We certainly weren't disappointed with our choice. The cottage was beautiful. Lovingly restored, fantastic attention to detail and amazing craftmanship, along with high-end appliances and all the mod-cons for a luxury stay. There were lots of little small touches too, which we really appreciated - fresh eggs from the chickens, homemade bread, cake, local apple juice and little vases filled with daffodils in most of the rooms.
The kitchen, as you'd expect in a country cottage, was the heart of the house and even had an Aga, along with every appliance and utensil you could wish for.
The bathrooms were fabulous, one huge wet room, situation downstairs (the cottage is also wheelchair friendly) and the most beautiful free-standing bath in the ensuite of the master bedroom.
The kids loved it. Henry and Heidi slept downstairs in a double bed and Oscar slept in the loft room, which was brilliant. I was a little worried about the twins being downstairs, but the fabulous owners, who have literally thought of everything, provided us with a baby monitor, so that we could hear them when they woke.
Whilst it was quite quite rural, the local village is about 20 minutes walk away, so we would often wonder in and pick up supplies from the village store or have dinner at the village pub. There are also lots of other villages nearby that are only a short drive away.
We stayed for a week and it was so lovely and relaxing. We went out most days to explore the area, but we would often head back to the cottage in the afternoon to play games and drink tea snuggled on the sofa under blankets. There was also chickens in the garden, along with a little play area, our three loved them both and they spent quite a bit of time out in the garden playing and talking to the chickens. One day me and the kids made lasagne and flapjacks using the Aga, which was an interesting experience - as an Aga novice, I think it takes a while to get the hang of it! We got there in the end though!
Norfolk is beautiful and we found lots of places to visit nearby. We went to Horsey beach to see the seals and we also visited Wroxham Barns where we fed lambs and petted some of the animals. Both of these places are pretty local to the cottage.
A couple of days we ventured further afield to explore Holt, Burnham Market and Wells Beach, which is a great beach. One day we also went into Norwich where we had lunch and did a bit of shopping, which was lovely, but it was so nice to return to the tranquility of the cottage.
At the end of the holiday we were really sad to leave and Simon and I had many conversations about how lovely it would be to live in the country - maybe one day...
It was really great to spend some quality time together as a family in such lovely surroundings.
We will definitely return to Norfolk and I think it would be pretty difficult to find somewhere to stay that is as lovely as Limes Farm. I highly recommend staying there if you're planning a trip to Norfolk.
Have you been to Norfolk? Where is your favourite place to stay?
I love beauty products and over the years have certainly tried a fair few.
I love the thrill of trying a new product or discovering a new brand. As the beauty industry continues to evolve, there are always plenty of new products to try!
However, now I'm in my thirties, I've found that I am now actually quite loyal to certain products - the ones that work!
I thought I'd share with you my most favourite beauty products. I use these products on a regular basis and, unless I come across a better alternative, I think I'll use them forever!
Simple Micellar Cleansing Water
I'm a bit lazy when it comes to taking my make-up off at the end of the day and I'm often too tired to be bothered to do my whole cleansing routine. In January this year, I decided that I need to look after my skin better. I now keep this by my bed and use it every evening. A few swipes and my make-up is off! I've tried other micellar waters, but they often left my skin feeling a bit dry and tacky. The Simple one leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft and is doesn't leave any tacky residue.
L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Gradual Tan
I have really white skin, so in the summer I use this gradual tanning moisturiser. It's much more natural looking than fake tan and you can build up the colour over a few days application. I used the medium shade, which is perfect for me. I've tried others but always seem to come back to this one.
Wella SP Luxe Oil
A friend introduced me to this hair oil a few years ago and I've used it ever since. It smells AMAZING and is quite versatile and can be used before or after styling. I tend to use it when I've just washed my hair, before I brush it through and blow dry. It's great for taming frizz and any flyways!
Nu Skin Epoch Glacial Marine Mud Mask
My friend introduced me to this in February. I'd never really bothered using mud masks before, but after using this I was converted! My skin felt like I'd had a facial! I now use it once a week and my skin has never looked better. In fact, I was so impressed with the Nu Skin products, I signed up to be a distributor. I don't talk about it much on here, but feel free to get in touch if you'd like to know more about Nu Skin and the products they produce.
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
I've used this for a good few years and I love it. It doesn't irritate or dry out my sensitive skin, it just leaves it feeling lovely. It's easy to see why this has won so many awards!
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that at the end of every month I normally do a post about what we've been up to that month - a bit of a round up really. However, with my recent marathon training and the generally business of life with three kids, I haven't managed to do on since January!
Rather than do a post for each month I've missed, I thought I'd do a bit of a roundup post as a bit of a catch up. My memory is rubbish since having the kids, so I'm not sure I'll remember everything, but I'm sure I'll be able to capture the important bits!
February
At the beginning of Feb we had the twins third birthday. I can't actually believe that they are three already. Their birthday fell mid-week, so Simon and I both had the day off work and took them to Conkers, which they enjoyed. Once we'd collected Oscar from school we went to our local Indian restaurant, which they love. The following weekend, they had a little party at one of our local play centres, which they loved.
Also in February we went to Norfolk during half term week and stayed in a gorgeous cottage. I'm planing on doing a post about where we stayed, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.
March
March mainly consisted of lots marathon training and eating well, so was pretty quiet.
We had Easter towards the end of March, so we had the twin's Easter Bonnet Parade at pre school, which was super cute.
On Easter Sunday we went to a family fun day at Nottingham Forest, our local football team, which was good fun. Heidi particularly liked the face painting!
April
April was London Marathon month, so was mostly spent preparing myself mentally and physically. I've captured my marathon experience on my blog, so you can read Part One and Part Two if you want to see how I got on.
May
In May I felt like I got my life back! No more turning down social occasions because of training and it meant I could drink again - hurray!
At the beginning of May we went to Ascot for the day with my Mum and Dad, which was brilliant. We stayed overnight at the Hilton, Bracknell, which is perfect if you're attending Ascot.
During the middle of the month we attended a Christening, which was a lovely day.
I also attending my first blogging conference, the Tots 100 Blogcamp, which was great. You can read all about it here.
Holiday shopping was also quite prominent in May, in preparation for our holiday to Dubai, which was at the end of May. I've written a full post about how we got on, which you can read here.
So there you have it a quick update of what we've been up to the past few months. I can't believe how fast this year is going!
Now that the marathon is over, I hope to resume doing the monthly round up, so keep a look out for June's update at the beginning of July.
I'm Jemma. Mummy to Oscar and boy girl twins Henry and Heidi. This blog is a space for me to capture the memories and moments from our crazy little word.
