Shameless Self Promotion

I’ve been living and breathing Lazy Daisy these past couple of weeks. First there was the pre-training learning, then the three-day training workshop and since then I’ve been spending every spare moment researching areas, calling potential venues and starting to spread the word.

Things are starting to fall in to place. I had my first enquiry about a class booking today and have found a venue in one of the locations. All very exciting stuff.

I also have a shiny new Facebook page for my little business. You can pop over and check it out if you like. And here comes the shameless self promotion bit… if you know any lovely pregnant women who live in East Surrey, perhaps you could be so kind as to share this lil’ ole page with them or point them in my direction? Why thank you so much!

In fact, wherever they may live, why not just tell all your pregnant friends or those with young babies about Lazy Daisy – there’s bound to be a birthing or baby class in their local area.

Because you know what? I truly believe that their offering is something special. I wouldn't be here otherwise. The content in the Daisy Birthing classes just makes so much sense. SO much. And having experienced first-hand, what a focused, calm birth can be like, I really believe the Daisy Birthing method could be the key to a beautiful birthing experience for anyone that wants it.

Ok, so that’s enough spouting about labour from me.

Until next time… hope you're all having a wonderful week so far. 

The Weekend Edition

I have been firmly attached to my camera all weekend. It’s love all over again. Things are really starting to fall into place now with the whole manual thing and I’m thrilled. I shot manually all weekend and I can’t believe the difference it has made to actually understand how to use my camera. Amazing. I can’t wait to find out what the next two weeks has in store for us.

Anyway… enough gushing about the course!

Oh the sunshine we’ve had! It makes such a lovely change to those strange snowy skies of last week don't you think?

We spent Saturday at Wisley gardens in Surrey – a truly fantastic place for children and only a short drive from home. We went with old friends, bumped in to old friends, watched butterflies in the tropical greenhouse, drank hot mint tea outside in the sunshine, watched the children get very muddy indeed and topped it all off with a lovely pub lunch. Pretty much the perfect Saturday.

Yesterday was quieter. A walk in the woods. A bike ride. Some teaching practice for me. A roast dinner for us all. Lots of playing and stories, colouring and chatting.

The children are getting along famously these days. After a period of quite challenging sibling rivalry from my darling boy, over the past couple of months he has blossomed in to this incredibly doting, caring and considerate big brother. Sure there are still a few pokes and prods and shoves here and there, but there are more good times than the bad. And mostly, they play together, engage with each other, love each other.

Looking at the pictures Lila seemed to spend a lot of time dressed up, in cupboards or on the floor this weekend. Over these past few months she too has blossomed – into such a strong little personality. She’s most definitely a toddler now at 16 months, a real little girl. She talks incessantly, uses so many words and is learning more and more each day. For the record, her favourites of the moment are ‘beed book’ (read book), ‘more ninna’ (more dinner), ‘nack’ (snack), ‘bebe tiss’ (kiss baby) and ‘Olla’ (her beloved brother). She calls for Olla from the minute she wakes to the moment she sleeps and trails around behind him all day long.

Tantrums have started too. They’re still at the amusing phase of theatrical flinging herself on the floor, trying to hide away from the coat I’m trying to get her into, or the nappy I need to change. Like I said, entertaining at the moment but I shiver at the thought of the twos that we have to come. Gosh they can be horrid, as well as delightful in almost equal measures.

And the week ahead? Working, mothering, houseworking, more working, practicing, studying, blogging, photographing. I’m exhausted already and it’s barely begun. But you know what? I’m loving life right now. LOVING IT I tell you.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.

Ax

4/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Oliver : I love his little concentrating face

Lila : I love her sleeping face. Those lips! 

I took these photos as part of one of my camera course assignments this week - in manual, with no post-editing (not even a little nip and tuck - can you see the crusty yoghurt on Lila?!). And while they may not be the most amazing of photos, I'm proud of myself for beginning to understand how this whole manual business works. I'm learning a lot, and while last week, I was getting quite frustrated with the whole thing, today I feel like things are finally starting to click. I think. There's still a way to go yet. 

On another note, sorry for the radio silence this week. What with the photography course and the three-day training workshop I've been in and the hours I'm putting in to getting my business up and running (every single evening and spare hour in the day - poor, poor, neglected husband!), something had to give and it's sadly been my beloved blog. I'm intending to give it a little love this coming week though and have been enjoying reading all of your posts as always. 

Until next time, 

Ax

3/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Oliver: enjoying the magic of his first proper snowfall. 

Lila: naughty little fairy, insistent on drawing on the floor, not the paper. I love how much she loves to dress up, just like her big brother. 

Joining in with Jodi and the 52 Project.

Manual Overdrive

Since exchanging contracts for my new business last Friday, I’ve been in the middle of a whirlwind of research, study and emails galore. I begin a three day training workshop tomorrow and then it’s all systems go to find venues for my classes and get pregnant bums on mats. Very exciting times indeed.

And if that wasn’t enough, this week I’ve also begun a photography course. As you do when you’re in the throes of starting a new business.

This course is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and was a Christmas present from my lovely husband (although I booked it myself, so it was kind of a Christmas present from me to me!). Anyway. It’s called Manual Overdrive, and is the brainchild of Kat and Kat from Capturing Childhood. I know some of you have already taken part in these online courses, so I’m pretty confident it’s going to be great. And it's also lovely to see some friendly blogging faces on the Facebook and Flickr groups. 

I'm getting ready for an interesting and inspiring four weeks of learning. Hopefully the world of ISO, shutter speed, white balance and all the rest of those slightly confusing photography terms will soon make perfect sense and I’ll be working manual like a pro. Well, almost. I hope I can find the time to fit it all in!

How’s your week panning out so far? As mental as mine? 

*photo of me and my camera and my slightly squashed face, by the lovely Janine Speake 

2/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Oliver : parklife.
Lila : rugged up against the January cold this week. The 'Beast of the East' is coming!

Joining in with Jodi and the incredible amount of people who are also taking part in this weekly portrait project. Amazing.

Thanks also for all of your lovely comments on my last two posts. I will get round to replying to you all very soon. Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend x

The day I bought a business

Gorgeous print from Words & Pictures, by the lovely Jen

Yep. That’s the big news folks. I am officially a small business owner.

Can you believe it? Because I can’t. It’s all so exciting and I’m still reeling. And slightly terrified.

Do you want to know the full story? I’ll start at the beginning…

Over the past few months the handsome husband and I have been talking a lot about me and work. Will I go back or won’t I? Do I want to go back or not? Is it worth it financially or just a little bit pointless? Where would I go and what would I do?

We kept coming to the same conclusions – mostly that I didn’t want to work in London again, that I definitely didn't want to work full-time, that two lots of childcare is really bloody expensive and that a little extra cash really would be rather nice right now.

Then there was also the fact that for all the times I might moan about the housework and the tantrums and bad behaviour phases, I do genuinely enjoy being at home with my children. In fact, I love it. I want to be there at the school gates and the toddler groups and the swimming lessons, clearing up paint splatters from the floor, cooking yet another Spaghetti Bolognese for 5pm, just being there for them when they need me.

And so, despite talking about it over and over, I just couldn’t quite bring myself to tart up my CV and get it out there.

Something was stopping me. And as much as that something was my children, it was also the desire to figure out exactly what career I could do that was both interesting, fulfilling and most importantly, flexible. You know, the holy grail of careers for a SAHM. I love being at home, but also doing something worthwhile, for me, would be rather nice, thankyouverymuch. 

I pondered and thought and wrote lists and spent endless hours mulling it over. And I kept coming back to the same things – yoga, natural therapies, natural birth, babies, working with people, making a difference. But I just couldn’t quite hit the nail on the new-career head.  

Then I stumbled across Lazy Daisy Birthing and finally everything clicked in to place.

Lazy Daisy Birthing is a national franchise business that offers active birth and movement based antenatal classes. The classes are yoga inspired and explore the benefits of active birth, birth breathing and relaxation. Something I whole-heartedly believe in, especially following Lila’s incredible birthing journey.

The company also offers post-natal baby massage/yoga-based sessions, designed to assist with bonding and to teach mums invaluable tips for dealing with their new bundles of joy.

The brand is strong, the philosophy fantastic and as I read through the website it just felt right.

One phone call and a few emails later and the wheels were fully in motion and so here I am, as of today, the proud new owner of the Lazy Daisy Birthing franchise for East Surrey, covering Reigate, Leatherhead, Dorking and the surrounding areas.

I start my training next week and have a lot to learn and an awful lot to do to get this little business off the ground, but I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am and how perfect this move feels for me at this stage in my life. I can work the business around my children, bring in a little extra money into our home and also do something I know I’m going to love.

It’s certainly not how I imagined the first two weeks of 2013 panning out, but I have a feeling this is going to be one incredible year.

And on that note, can I hear an O.M.G?!

ps. Jen? I hope you don't mind me using your print up there? I thought the words were very fitting. And the print is lovely!