Blog Challenge (7): Your Pet Hates

I like to think of myself as a patient person but there as some things that REALLY 'grind my gears'.

1. People with no manners! GRR, this annoys me so much. As my old mum used to say 'they cost nothing and mean everything!'. What peeves me off even more, is parents who allow their children not to use manners.

2. People who don't indicate off roundabouts... I have TERRIBLE road rage & I really don't understand why people are physically incapable of pressing an indicator to let people know where they are going.

3. People who enter motorways at 40mph. Durrrr, you're joing traffic flying past at 70mph - why are you casually strolling along like a snail? I have no desire whatsoever to end up flattened by an Eddie Stobart therefore I would appreciate it if you'd put your bloody foot down!

4. Audi Drivers... Yet another motoring peeve, can you see the pattern here?! Everytime someone is 'up your arse' so to speak or driving erratically  (by this I mean, like a kn*b!) then 9 times out of 10 they are an Audi driver. Yes, it's a sweeping generalisation I know but if you drive an Audi, I don't like you ;)

5. Swearing - I am known to mutter the odd expletive or two (or three, four, five etc!) but only in the right company. I hate when people swear in front of children or old people, it's just not right. However, if you are a person that commits number 2,3 or 4, I will happily call you all the names under the sun!

6. People who abuse the benefit system. I do not pay my taxes for you to sit on your bum drinking Red Stripe all day. Thank You!

7. Self Scan checkouts. I hate them. PLEASE REMOVE THE ITEM FROM THE BAGGING AREA. Grrr! This, coupled with the fact that I worked at Morrisons during my university years (on the self scan) means that I detest them. Although, they are always empty so I still use them everytime I do a shop! One day, I will learn!

8. People who say 'I'm not being funny but...' Obviously if you feel the need to start the sentence with a justification of what you are saying, there is a slight chance I am going to deem that you are being 'funny!'

9. People who 'tlk lik dis' i.e. Chavs. Yes I am by no means a fully pledged member of the spelling police but simple phonics mean that even my dog could spell better!

10. People who moan loads, like old people. Oh and me for that matter! Haha! :)

Blog Challenge: (5) 10 Songs You Love Right Now

Nice easy one.

1. Fun - We Are Young.

2. Carly Rae Jepson - Call Me Maybe.

3. Ed Sheeran - Small Bump

4. Rita Ora - R.I.P

5. Train - Drive By

6. Payphone - Maroon 5

7. Marina & the Diamonds - Primadonna

8. B.o.B - So Good

9. Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up

10. Alex Clare - Too Close

ASOS Maternity Wear.

As a young mummy - to - be with an ever increasing baby bump and a slight obsession with looking fashionable, I am always on the look out for clothes.

I am by no means a 'fashionista' but I do look looking good. I think as women, we all do. As well as carrying myself about, I am also home to my little man for the next three months so I need clothes that are well-fitting, unrestricting and most importantly, comfortable. I also need clothes that suit 'me.' Just because I am pregnant does not mean that I want to dress like a grandma wearing a smock and knitted cardigan; netiher do I want to wear a comedy t-shirt with some 'witty' comment about keeping your hands off the bump. It is pretty obvious I am pregnant; (or smuggling a beach ball under my top!) I do not need to tell the whole world he is 'Due in August' with the help of some slogan on a t-shirt!

It seems, that most retailers seem to think that this is what pregnant women want. Yes, I am incredibly excited that I am going to be a mum but I don't need a t-shirt to inform Joe Bloggs down the street that I am expecting! With this in mind, I scoured the net for some 'fashion - friendly', stylish maternity buys.

Unlike many other maternity ranges, ASOS maternity doesn't substitute fashion for comfort. I like that the clothes are comfortable but still look great & there is not a comedy slogan in sight! I love all of the pieces above and if ASOS' normal ranges are anything to go by, I'm sure they are great quality too.

I've not got wads of cash to spend on maternity wear and i'm sure my credit card company won't appreciate me buring a hole in my card for a whole new maternity wardrobe but I will definitely invest in some key pieces. I don't see the point in spending £15 on a t-shirt because it says 'maternity' in the label; i'd much rather just buy a bigger size but some key pieces are invaluable.

Although maternity, I'm sure that as a normal woman (not a celeb who seems to come out of the labour ward having snapped back down to a size 6!) I will be carrying a bit of extra 'timber' for a fair few months after the birth which means that i'll still be able to wear the majority of the things I buy. I will most definitely be buying the coral grecian style maxi dress for those summer occasions when I will be the size of a small house!

Do you know of anywhere else that does lovely maternity ranges?

What did you wear whilst pregnant?

Please note: This is NOT sponsored post & everything written is my own views! :)

Blog Challenge: (4) What Are You Afraid Of?

My god, what am I not afraid of?! I am a SCAREDY CAT, a fully fledged chicken. I don't know why but I am not one of those people who craves adrenaline and thrills. I am a 'home bird', preferring to be in my comfort zone and rarely venturing even the slightest millimetre oiut of it but that's what makes me 'Me.' I am happy. Bungee jumping the Grand Canyon or swimming with sharks would petrify me; there is no 'thrill' in the World that would make up for the sheer and utter terror that either of these things would fill me with. I would literally sh*t myself.

 

Someone once asked me; when you are on your death bed, what will you be able to say you have done in your life? To be honest, it p*ssed me off a bit. Yes, I might not have backpacked across Outer Mongolia, ran a multi million £ company or snorkled the Great Barrier Reef but I can honestly say that I have woken up (near enough everyday) of my life happy. Thankful that i've been blessed with a fantastic childhood full of happy memories, a family who would literally die for me and a partner who is more than I could have ever dreamed of. I have a healthy son on the way who will make my whole life complete. These things make jumping out of planes or seeing the Wonders of the World seem trivial. I love and I am loved and that's what I have done in my life.

 

I was the kid that wouldn't do anything. I was scared of sleeping out at friends houses till I was about 17. I'm terrified of needles, sleeping in the house on my own, being burgled, spiders, snakes, water slides, dentists... You name it, i'm probably scared of it. But my greatest fear is losing the ones I love. I am a worrier. Maybe one day, I will take on the world. Face my fears; look them straight in the eye and kick their arse. Mind you, I'd need Mr C to hold my hand.

Pregnancy: Week 27

This week sees the start of Week 27.

How far along: 27 weeks, 0 days.

Maternity clothes: I'm living in maxi dresses but quickly finding that all of my work clothes are becomming tight and uncomfortable. With my holidays inbetween, i've only got 5 weeks to work till Mat. Leave so i'm trying to hold off buying any new!

Stretch marks: Not yet, fingers crossed. I'm definitely getting much bigger but Mr C is slathering the stretch mark oil on every night.

Sleep: I've started becomming more & more uncomfortable. I need 6 pillows; 4 under my head, one inbetweeen my legs and 1 under bump. Mr C will be resgined to the spare room soon as there is simply not enough room in the double for us both!

Best moment this week: My mum feeling him kick!

Movement: Lots. He's determined to escape!

Food cravings: Wierdly enough... lager! I never drank lager before I was expecting but I have been craving it so Mr C had to buy me the non-alcoholic variety! I love it! Cherry bakewells.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out: In

What I miss: Heels. I find myself dreamily staring into Topshop window thinking of which heels I'll buy once he finally arrives!

What I am looking forward to: Our 4D scan next Friday.

Weekly Wisdom: Layering is most definitely the way forward, especially in this heat.

Milestones: 3 months today our little man will be due!

How Important is Marriage?

As Beyonce says: 'If you like it then you shudda put a ring on it' and this is something that i've been deliberating for a while now. Should Mr C have put a ring on it? Now, I know Mr C peeks at my blog sometimes so before the warning lights begin to flash, don't worry darling; i've not turned into a bunny boiler over night!

We've been together three fantastic years. We have our own house, a joint bank account and a son on the way but I can't help but wonder whether something is missing; a joint surname. Would things be different if, instead of being Miss B, I was Mrs C? It's something that's never bothered me before but as the DD gets nearer and nearer, I find myself worrying that our son will be a 'C Jnr' whilst I will still be Miss B. Would we be more of a family unit if we had the same name?

We have spoke about getting married before. Many times. Mr C says 'one day.' He says this about a lot of things... painting the kitchen, mowing the lawn, changing the toilet seat. If any of these tasks are to go by, I could be waiting a lifetime! But at the end of day, does it really matter?

I was never one of those little girls that dreamt of Prince Charming & a princess wedding; I was way too busy climbing trees and scuffing my knees. I know girls that have folders dedicated to their weddings before they are even engaged... hell, some women have their wedding dresses before they've even bagged the bloke!

We are perfectly committed to each other, I trust him and love him with all of my heart and up until recently, I didn't believe a ring on my finger would change anything. I am in no way anti-marriage. Both sets of our parents have been happily married for a number of years so we've both been brought up with role models of how a relationship should be. But I still wonder, can't we still experience life long committment even if we haven't been down the aisle?

Mr C's mum recently told me that marriage changes everything. Now, I'm not married and I can't see how anything would change if we were to spend a small fortune on one day but what if I'm wrong? I can't make that assumption though as i've never been married. Do things really change? Would I feel different if I had a rock on my finger? I honestly don't think i'll know until we do wed.

The only thing that makes me want to get married is sharing a surname. I like the unity that that brings and I would want people to know that, I am baby C's mum. We are all the 'C Family.'
I dread filling in a permission form or writing his absence letters and having to sign them 'Miss B' rather than Mrs C, but is that any reason to get married? I love Mr C with all my heart and want to spend the rest of my life with him but I just don't know whether marriage is the be all and end all.

Obviously, deliberate as I will,  the decision lies with Mr C. It's another 4 years till a leap year and i'm certainly not going to be the one doing the asking! But what if things aren't any different and we've spent the best part of 20k on one day? I think that instead of the romance, I have allowed myself to get caught up in the politics. Should we be married? Is it the right thing to do? Would it make us better parents?

In my heart, realistically, I don't think it really matters eitherway. As Mr C says, maybe 'one day.' But until then, our son will be loved whether his mummy and daddy share a name or not. We will all be deliriously happy. He'll have stability and security regardless of whether i've got a ring on my finger or not. We will all love each other with all our hearts, and ultimately, that's all that really matters.

Blog Challenge (3): Your Favourite Quote

This quote is my all time favourite and rings so true of my own life. If you'd have asked me 5 years ago what i'd be doing now, i'd have reeled off a list. I'd have travelled the World, bagged myself a high flying teaching job in London, have lots of money, drive a Mercedes & wear Christian Loboutins like they were nobodies business. I would have long blonde hair & i'd have finally slimmed down to a size 6. Am I doing any of these things? In a word, No.

My holidays stretch as far as the Canaries (& that's if we're lucky! This year it'll be a damp caravan weekend in Skegness!); I work in education administration and I definitely don't have wads of cash stashed under the matress! I drive a Fiesta & my shoes are from Primark. I have black hair, usually tied up in a top knot because i've not got the time or energy to style it and the only size 6 I have seen in a LONG time, is the one in my shoe... NOT in my jeans!

In spite of this, am I happy? You bet! Life isn't always what you plan it to be and accepting that and embracing it is what makes it so exciting. Would I swap my life for what I expected it to be?

Not a chance!