I mentioned a few weeks ago about the litte one getting "water wobbles" during her swimming lesson and it was really interesting to learn about different stages of babies development and the seperation anxiety that they can experience.

The Water Babies (Wbchasetheball) team, as always, were super helpful in reassuring me (and the little one ) that it was a phase and it would pass. The whole theory was genuinely interesting to me though and whilst the Water Babies team were totally right about it soon passing, I wanted to find our more about plateaus.

It is facinating to learn that it is quite common for toddlers to decide not to take part in an acitivity they have previously enjoyed, with a regression in the progress and in some cases, a complete change in attitude towards (in our case) swimming. These are all signs that they may have hit a plateau! This plateau can arrive at any time during their "toddler" years from age 11 months to 2.5 years and toddlers can experience several plateaus in their early years particularly when language is developing.

The Water Babies team give some great advice on dealing with this and suggest the following:

• Take time to explain the activities to your child and encourage them but do not push them!
• Allow them to watch others; they will pick up what is going on even though they are not taking part at that moment
• Allow your child to lead, rather than be lead
• Encourage your child to be independent in and out of the water

But my particular favourite is:

• We do not learn in straight lines; so a child may go forward, then back a little, then forward again! (This sounds like me!!)

I can't believe it is March already and Easter is weeks away. Wasn't it Christmas last week? Where has the year gone?

I actually like spring, I think that there is something innocent about it and it is a time when we tend to look at redecorating or even moving, so whilst we are spring cleaning our houses, it is probably a good time to spring clean our finances too.

Having children means that Christmas is always over indulgent (although I have always loved buying presents, so maybe I just have more of an excuse these days) and Easter is no different. I will happily add chocolate egg after chocolate egg into my shopping trolley and put money in cards for my god children without thinking how much money I am actually spending. I always intend to budget but this goes out of the window more often than not. (do you think I could be addicted to shopping??).

I am a regular reader of the MyFamilyClub website and they have some fabulous budgeting tools available but I particularly liked their suggestions on How to Spring Clean your Finances. There are some really simple suggestions and even an avid spender like me can make a difference if I just take half an hour to go through my monthly expenditure.

I have always said that shopping is my hobby and if I can spring clean my finances, maybe this will mean I may even have a little extra at the end of the month ..... for a new pair of shoes :-)

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have a penchant for shoes and bags, so when I was asked to run a competition with Lotus Shoes, I was happy to agree.

Now I have to admit that I hadn't heard of Lotus Shoes before hand but their website tells me that they "include designs that are at the height of fashion and inevitably suit a spectrum of tastes, together with timeless classic options which encapsulate style and elegance"  The shoes look like they would definately be kinder to my feet than some of my choices over the years but I was more drawn to the bags they have and selected the Vittoria! 

I have a multitude of black handbags, so having a contrasting cream and navy bag is quite a novelty (it also goes with a pair of fabulous Navy shoes that I have).  I love that it has lots of compartments, including two inner mobile phone pockets (one for me and a spare for my daughters iPod!) and it is wipe clean .... a must for mums who have to carry around food and drinks for their little ones.

It looks fabulous and the small charm makes it still a little girly. Lotus Shoes products are all about style and quality and makes me feel like a "real" grown up .... a girly grown up but a grown up nonetheless. 

If you would like to enjoy some of the quality and style from Lotus Shoes, then we are delighted to host a competition to win a £60.00 voucher to spend on their site, just enter here.

Disclaimer: I received the Vittoria bag to review but the opinions and comments herein are my honest opinion. 

Today is International Women's Day, which is held annually on the 8th March and thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. I have to be honest and say that the most inspiring women I know are mums who are juggling children, careers, domestic and professional demands .... what's not inspiring about that?

Most mums will tell you that they just "get on with it", so after speaking with some fellow bloggers, we have compiled a very tongue in cheek survival guide to being a happy mum.

1. Accept the fact that you will say all the things your mom said and you promised you wouldn't.

2. Find some perspective and hang on to it.

3. Accept that you will never have a tidy house again (or for the next 20 years anyway) - From Suzanne Whitton 

4. Accept that going to the toilet is no longer a private affair.

5. It is normal to think of the dishwasher as your best friend.  - Both 4 & 5 are from Emma CrazywithTwins

6. Accept that you can't do everything on time, to the standard that you'd like you and also accept that if you do manage to do this, other mums, like me, will get you when we next see you in the playground. - Love this one from Liz Weston

7. Don't worry about leaving the house in your pajamas/ with shreddies in your hair/ with yesterday's make up on- as long as you leave the house! - From Susanne Remic

8. Come to terms with the fact that the music you randomly start humming at the bus stop will no longer be the latest chart topper but instead your childs favourite nursery rhyme or theme tune to their most watched TV show! - From Jennifer Dixon 

9. Put everything of value (financial or sentimental) on a high shelf and move it upwards as the children get taller. By the time they're 15 you should probably have anything you care about (that isn't human) stored in the loft. - From Jenny Leonard

10. Expect nothing. Enjoy everything!

"Here's to amazing women, let us know them, let us raise them, let us be them"