Blog : Little Lilypad Co

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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
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Category: Swimming

  1. Hold on, hold on, hold on .....

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    Its the New Year and it seems like such a long time since we talked about our Water Babies journey, so it was back to lessons this week but there was no apprehension for the little fish getting back into the water.

    Mum is so relaxed going swimming with her now, she will openly admit that she was a little fraught during the first few weeks but that was more to do with her worrying about getting them both undressed, into the water and then dressed again, than actually just enjoying the lessons. It is a totally different story now, she absolutely loves going swimming with the little fish every week and has really missed it over Christmas.

    Mum's favourite part of this weeks lesson absolutely has to be "hold on, hold on, hold on" where the babies are encouraged to hold onto the side of the pool by themselves. For a few weeks this has been assisted by my Mum but during this lesson, the little one actually held onto the side independently. I was totally amazed when she told me.

    We actively go swimming with the girls and their confidence in the water is amazing to see. The little one loves lying on her tummy in the bath and almost dives down into the water. I love that knowing when we go on holiday later in the year, that my girls will have no fear of the water and thats why Water Babies get my vote in the Tommy's Baby Friendly Awards this year! If you think so too, the link is here

    bubbles

     

  2. My favourite posts of 2012

    Posted on

    Inspired by Mummy Never Sleeps  who created her top ten posts from the year, I thought it was a fantastic chance to go through some old posts and show some love again to my favourites.

    I know this is a little self indulgent but in the absence of chocolate, this is my guilty pleasure this evening! So here we go ....

    One of my most honest and intimate posts was The End of an Era and ironically it ended up being one of the most popular. Maybe I should always speak direct from my heart?

    I loved the Olympics and this is what inspired this post. When sharing it on social media, it also caused a real conflict of opinion, so What makes Britain Great?

    I am very proud that both of my girls love the water and this is the start of their story : Learning a Life Skill

    I was horrified and astounded when my youngest bit me and this post poked at my smug mummy conscience! What do you do when your child bites you?

    Am I a pushy parent? I never thought I was "that" parent but I think we all have a little bit of it inside us.

    I have really enjoyed going through my old posts and whilst it has been extremely gratuitous, reminding myself of our journey this year has made me smile. Hope you did too?

    Goodbye 2012, its been a blast!

  3. My Reverse Resolutions 2012 - 2013

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    Best quote of the year : "Dont be the person who could juggle but just didnt have the balls"

    Last year I decided that rather than start a list of New Years Resolutions, that would probably be broken by the second week in January, I would do a reverse list of all the things I have achieved in the last 12 months.  2011 was an amazing year and it made me realise that I dont need a list to aspire to but I just need to aspire to be the best I can be, whether that is mum, daughter, friend, business associate (or indeed juggler).

    So on reflection, here are my reverse resolutions for 2012. 

    1. I was nominated and subsequently named one fo the Top 100 Mumpreneurs by the national network, Mumsclub.

    2. The Lilypad Blog was nominated and a finalist in the first Women Inspiring Women awards.

    3. The Lilypad Blog has developed its own identity this year and has been a great platform to work with amazing brands like Fisher Price, Plum Baby and Groupon.

    4. I have been able to give both daughters a new life skill through swimming. The eldest can now swim competently and the little one is enjoying the water with Water Babies classes. As you can imagine, bath time is hugely amusing in our house with neither of them being afraid of being splashed and dunked!

    5. My love of blogging and addiction to social media has resulted in new opportunities and the start of some exciting new working partnerships.

     

    The start of the year was a haze of breastfeeding and nappies, so I was probably wasnt focused enough to make any achievable resolutions but on reflection, the girl did good!

    Watch out 2013, I have the balls and I am ready for some juggling!

    Top100 winner

  4. A new term : New friends?

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    As a woman and a mum, I talk alot (and sometimes blog) about relationsips and friendships and their importance in life. Before I get shot down, I am quite sure that there are some grouchy people out there who will insist that they dont need friends but I am a firm believer in making friends and keeping them.

    My mom always told me "make new friends but treasure the old, one is like silver, the other gold". To be perfectly honest, my mom has a saying for pretty much every situation but with friends she is right. I have friends that I have known since I was a baby, I have friends from infant, junior and senior school. I have work friends, college friends and my very best friends. They are people that have come in and out of my life at different times and whether I speak to them every week or once a year, they are all part of my life.

    I hope the same goes for my own daughters and I wonder which of the friends they are making now will still feature in their lives when they are in (ahem) thirty something.

    The little one is now in her second term of Water Babies and there are alot of little ones that have carried on from the beginner course (which is obviously a testament to the Water Babies team) and as our little fishes learn to swim together, I often wonder if this journey will bond them together to carry on their journey's as they grow. The lessons with Water Babies are really sociable and encourage parents (and Nanny) to make new friends which creates that bond through sharing an exciting adventure with the little ones. This week saw lots of underwater swimming (with Nanny going under too), so she has had lots of baby swimming stories to share this week.

    Another of moms great sayings is "A good friend knows all of your stories but your best friend lived them with you". Nanny always has a great story to tell of the little fish's adventures in the water and I hope that as the little one grows older and more confident, she can look back and tell those stories with her own friends.