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Today's Love Is .... guest post is from Helen who blogs at  http://www.allthebeautifulthings.co.uk/

When I volunteered to write a post with the theme 'love is' for the Little Lily Pad I couldn't wait to get started. It then dawned on me that actually I didn't know where to start! 

Can you really describe what love is?  

Is to love the same as to be in love? What is love?? I was surprised that when I thought about this how much the cogs turned, if you could have seen inside my mind at this point I expect it would have looked like the London Underground!!  

Of course thinking about love and what it means is going to be different for everyone and there are so many ways that you can love. I 'love' my best friend but this love is different to that of my parents or husband say. Then there is the unconditional, deepest love for your children that nothing else comes close to. Love is so many things, it can be walking in the countryside on a warm spring day, holding hands with your husband, going on holiday and relaxing, feeding the ducks, waking up on a sunny morning or spending time with friends when they need you.

I think there a few defining 'love is' moments for me. Here are some of them:  

Love is my Dad falling seriously ill a few years ago. He wasn't supposed to make it. My love for him as a daughter was redefined at that moment. That father/daughter bond is stronger now than it was before. 

Love is my husband seeing me through 32+ hours of labour and him supporting me (mentally and physically!!) through one of the toughest times of my life.

Love is seeing my best friends marrying the ones they love and being part of their special day. 

Love is all the precious moments I spend with Alfie. I didn't have that initial rush of love that people talk about, that moment for me came when he gripped my finger for the first time and I realised that this incredible little life that we had made is solely dependent on me. 

Love is hearing bad news and then re-evaluating your life, realising that you should cherish every single second, time spent with parents is precious, time spent with friends you've known for years is precious and life itself it is precious.  

I have of course had the obvious 'love is' moments which I am sure you can all guess what they are but I think that for me love is defined by those unexpected moments that creep up on you when you're least expecting them. 

Forgive me if this post seems all over the place. I think it gives a reflection of my mind, in my line of work we reflect everyday, it's a necessity as a Nurse, I think that's why my mind is so scrambled at times! Hopefully you'll see what I'm trying to get at, that love is something that manifests itself in so many different ways that it is truly difficult to sum it up.

 I leave you with this quote:

“They say a good love is one that sits you down, gives you a drink of water, and pats you on top of the head. But I say a good love is one that casts you into the wind, sets you ablaze, makes you burn through the skies and ignite the night like a phoenix; the kind that cuts you loose like a wildfire and you can't stop running simply because you keep on burning everything that you touch! I say that's a good love; one that burns and flies, and you run with it!”  - C. Joybell

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Love Is ..... learning a life skill.

I talk alot about baby swimming. We are huge advocates of Water Babies and both my girls love being in the water so when I was asked by Konfidence to review one of their Warma Wetsuits, I jumped (or is it dived) at the chance.

I say it regularly but learning to swim is a life skill.

It makes holiday's more enjoyable.

It makes my girls more confident.

It stops me worrying about them (less) when we are around water.

But wearing the right thing in the water isn't always easy with two particularly fussy young ladies. My eldest has had about 4 swimming costumes in the last 6 months, they have been too tight, too baggy, too itchy, too strappy (I kid you not). The little one is much easier to keep happy, although one thing we have found is that she is happiest when she is warm, so a wet suit is perfect for her.

I love that Konfidence are a family business who started trading in the UK in back in 1998 with the plan to design, manufacture and distribute the Konfidence Jacket buoyant swimming aid for children. Since then, they have grown their range of products with children in mind and I can honestly say, their vision totally translates into great design.

I am sure that there are the cynics that will say a wet suit is just a wet suit surely? Trust me, this is not always true when there is a toddler and swim nappies involved! We have tried a few different styles, from the velcro wraps that make nappy changing easier to the high street versions but when you have a potty trained toddler, you don't need that option any more.

The Warma Wetsuit is perfect for us, the 2.5mm flexible neoprene was specifically chosen to provide necessary warmth in and out of the water whilst still allowing great freedom of movement for swimming. The little one needs to fill out a bit as the legs are a little bit baggy at the moment, which causes hilarious waterfalls out of her wetsuit as she gets out of the pool, but it is so easy to get on and off (which is super helpful when trying to undress a 2 year old).

We are thrilled with the wetsuit and at £19.99 (although it is currently on offer) it is affordable too. However, we are delighted to be able to offer one of our readers the chance to win one of these fabulous Konfidence Warma Wetsuits.

All you need to do, is enter below .....

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Today's Love Is .... post is from Kate who blogs at www.myfamilyfever.co.uk

What is love? I have been asked this before, and there isn’t really answer. It’s not a feeling or a ‘thing’ – it’s just…love. I shall attempt to explain, but it might not ring true with you – remember that love is different for us all. There are no rights or wrongs.

Love is sticking to your guns when people tell you things are happening too soon, too fast. If you know it’s right, trust yourself.

Love isn’t about accepting someone for who they are, it’s about wanting them to be that way, not wanting to change anything – even the things that irritate you – without them that person wouldn’t be the person you love.

Love is having someone who holds your hand through 3 traumatic births, and tells you over and over that you’re doing great, you’re going to be the best mummy – and then wiping away the tears over and over again.

Love is collapsing onto the sofa together at night when the children are in bed.

Love is not a fairytale. There are good times, there are great times, and there are times where it all falls apart. Love is knowing that even on the darkest days, you will get through, together.

Love is never criticising. The other person is always trying their best, and for that you should thank them (and then do it your way when they are not looking).

Love is looking at another person and just knowing there is no-one out there you would rather be with.

Love is making a home together.

Love is starting afresh.

Love is whatever you want it to be. It could be marriage, it could be children, it could be a house, a new life, a second chance. There is no rulebook – what works for you won’t work for someone else. That’s OK.

Love is sticking by each other, even when other people say you are wrong.

Love is a lifestyle. Love changes every day. Love is different for every single person. Ultimately, love is about you, and your partner, and what is right for you. Enjoy it, ignore the doubters and go with the flow.

Love is everything.

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Today's Love Is .... post is from Bex who blogs at The Mummy Adventure

The things that other people don't see or don't notice, but they mean the world to one person. 

The opened mouth kisses from an 11 month old baby, dribble dripping down onto the clean clothes you just put on for work.

Love is magic kisses than can fix any scuffed knee, scratched elbow or knocked head.

Love is getting up with the baby quietly when he wakes at an ungodly hour so that your spouse can have a few extra hours of (much needed) sleep.

Everyday I see love in so many forms, In a look between brothers, in an action from parent to child, and in a favourite meal cooked for a tired partner.  

Every day without fail I tell three people that I love them because love is not silent, it is noisy and musical.  Sometimes it sounds classical, sometimes it sounds like the theme tune to In the night garden, even though the Big Bang Theory is on the other channel, sometimes it sounds like two heartbeats in a quiet room.

Love does not see a face with no make up, a nose covered in dried snot or those extra pounds that the Christmas chocolate has left, but instead seems a heart and a soul.  Love can be soppy or it can be tough, but Love knows no bounds, no limits.

Love is giving up your last mouthful of chocolate cake