Harps is an award winning blogger who shares her remarkable journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Her readers have often coined her words “relatable” and “warming”.
These are great for dinner parties or Mexican themed nights. I created this recipe from scratch and was pleasantly surprised with how yummy they tasted! Arjun also enjoyed his (I excused chilli and salt from his). I hope you enjoy x
Makes: about 20 mini bean burgers
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
40g tortilla chips
60g cheddar cheese
2 slices of bread (for breadcrumbs)
1 tin chick peas
1 tin kidney beans
1 teaspoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon oregano
1 green chilli
1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
A handful of coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red chilli
1 red onion
2 shallots
Method:
Roughy mash the chickpeas and kidney beans using the back of a fork. Crush the tortilla chips
Toast the bread and grind in food blender to make breadcrumbs.
Dice the shallots and red onion and chop the green chilli and coriander finely
Mix all the ingredients together and combine using a fork
Once mixed well and formed a mouldable texture, scoop a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and pat using your hands in to a small burger shape
Shallow fry until browned on either side
If you’d like them a little crispier, bake further for 25 minutes or until reached desired texture.
Serving suggestion: these taste delicious topped with homemade salsa, gherkins, tomato and cheese
I can’t believe next month I’ll be posting about his 2 year update. How did that happen?! Time just seems to be running away and I can’t seem to absorb each and every moment to its fullest! I wish I could freeze time – I love this age. He’s full of personality but still possess his innocence. He’s testing boundaries but constantly seeking reassurance too. I love him.
He loved visiting the farm and feeding the animals
He is full of crazy antics – I have no idea where he gets his big personality from!
Tantrums are very frequent – any tips on how to deal with them would be much appreciated!
His love for God often resorts me to tears
He did matha tekh at the gurdwara by himself for the first time
He often insists on picking his own shoes for nursery 😑
When I hand him his cloth at the gurdwara he knows to do seva and clean the Windows
Dinner time feeding Peppa and her family doesn’t always go smoothly
He took his teddy to football …
He burnt his thumb on my straighteners and got a little blister 😖
Leggings are to be worn on the head
He fell over at football and grazed his knees and kept trying to scrub it clean and saying “dirty”
He had his first bus ride which he was ecstatic about – He managed to attract the attention of a bus driver by waving who then offered him a free little ride (accompanied by daddy obviously!) He’s obsessed with busses at the moment!
From going to the good kid at nursery, I’ve now been told that he’s the kid that runs off when it’s time for nappy change or meal time
He loves to go to the park
He never fails to amuse me, his first “proper” sentence was “let’s have a biscuit”
We were on Desi radio news for the MAD Blog awards
He got to meet his baby cousin – he loves baby and repeated “baby nice” while stroking him
He had his meningitis B jab
He absolutely loves to dance!
He made my day today by brushing his own teeth! (Thanks to his Masi!)
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please vote for us in the MAD Blog Awards, today is the last say to vote, it takes 30 seconds and here’s how:
I’ve been very sloppy with Arjun’s updates which I’m super annoyed at myself about (he turns 23 Months tomorrow!)! These posts along with my holiday posts always take the longest due to the number of pictures but that’s no excuse!!
I’ve used my “Mum’s One Line A Day” journal to recollect what happened when.
He’s saying so many words, here are a few off the top of my head!
“Yeeeah”
“Dada Ji”
“Masi”
“Nana Ji”
“Puba” (Pooa)
“Peppi” (Peppa)
“Nani Ji”
“Dadi Ji”
“Chacha”
“Bath time”
“Arjy”
“Stop”
“Biji”
“Eww”
“Pouch”
“Bikit” (biscuit)
“Bich” (pink)
“Poo poo”
“Dirty”
“Baba Ji”
“Waheguru”
“Come”
“Doddles”
“Poco” (popcorn)
“Choco” (chocolate)
“Juice”
“Mummy mine”
His body parts
“Pees” (please)
“Boccoli” (broccoli)
Here’s what he got up to/an update in/on his 21st and 22nd month of life:
He’s constantly telling you to get “down” – he talks to everyone the same way he talks to Bruno!
He’s obsessed with our cleaner Jeta – she’s a play buddy, feeder and sleeping partner to him!
He loves to give cuddles (“doddles”)
He’s crazy about Bruno and loves to boss him around but has also learnt responsibility by feeding him
He loves to be outdoors
He’s so helpful and passes the remote if you ask (heehee)
He’s obsessed with Peppa Pig
He tried to use my hair straightener 🙄
He’s become quite the negotiator!
Has a thing with daddy where they do orange squash shots every evening
Tries to sing twinkle twinkle little star to put his daddy and I to sleep
He tells you when he’s done poo
Going through a territorial phase of everything being “mine”
They tell me at nursery he’s amazing and one of the children that shares and plays nicely (?!)
He can now walk up and down the stairs (but I’m too scared to let him unaided)
He’s so helpful – he did seva at his nani’s kirtan by handing out spoons to everyone … And then he decided to use a spoon to start eating out of a random plate 😂
Tries to sing happy birthday
He loves cars and motorbikes! He recognises mummy’s car and daddy’s car and associates motorbikes with his chacha and his daddy and will always say “daddy bike vroom vroom” “chacha bike vroom vroom”
Loves snapchat filters!
He had his first Easter egg hunt organised by his Masi
Had his first meningitis B jab
He had his first proper parents evening and his key worker was really proud of him. His favourite thing to do at nursery is to play with his two friends to put all the dolls and teddies to sleep and to pretend to cook in the home corner.
He’s been a little unsettled at nursery recently as the staff in his room have changed. It’s so heartbreaking seeing him cry and scream for you.
He closes his eyes and puts his hands together as soon as kirtan plays – he even made my dad and his teddy put their hands together and close their eyes to listen to Simran lol
He calls himself Arjy
Totally crazy about his big sister Shaan – they had a sleep over at ours and he wanted to sleep hugging her. They absolutely dote on each other. It’s adorable!
Eek! Today I was sent a picture of us in a newspaper by a school friend/blog followers, my favourite part is how they’ve cropped Arjun’s hair!
There are only a few days left to vote, I doubt we’ll win the awards based on the fierce competition but I am so grateful to have come so far and have really enjoyed our two seconds of fame! Details on how to vote below.
Here’s our feature in the Uxbridge Gazette:
In case you missed it, you can still hear our radio interview from the BBC Asian Network here from 2hr 42m and you can view pictures from the day here.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please vote for us in the MAD Blog Awards, it takes 30 seconds and here’s how:
In case you missed it, you can still hear our radio interview from the BBC Asian Network here from 2hr 42m and you can view pictures from the day here.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please vote for us in the MAD Blog Awards, it takes 30 seconds and here’s how:
“Mother”: definitely one of the most challenging titles I’ve had … the pressures from society, the looks of disapproval from your nearest and dearest, the constant guilt for the somewhat cr@ppy decisions I often end up making due to tiredness, everything else going on and dealing with a testing toddler! But it’s also the most rewarding title I’ve ever had!
On the contrary, I’ve often been coined the term “super mum” (or similar) by blog followers for managing what everyone has to manage (swap a few!); work, home, blog, a busy social life, Baby Brain Apparel and a baby. I certainly don’t feel like superwoman! My intention is never to come across that way. Truth be told, there are not enough hours in the day and managing all these bits and bobs means something ends up giving. It can be exhausting and it often means we’re left with little family time. I have a cleaner to help with the house, I blog from my phone whenever I get a minute and I sew most evenings on top of work.
Here’s 11 reasons why I’m definitely not going to be up for “Mother of the Year” award anytime soon …
1) Arj isn’t always fed Instagram friendly meals contrary to what social media may have you believe! Sometimes he has cereal for dinner!
2) Yep there have been times where he’s gone up to 4 days without a bath although our intentions are to bathe him every other day.
3) He skips brushing his teeth more often than brushing them. At least his teddies have clean teeth?!
4) We’re in bed before he is sometimes. We definitely failed on the regimented routine.
5) Most of our days at home end up as PJ days. Outfit change is sometimes from PJs to PJs.
6) He jumps in our bed in the middle of the night almost every night … And sometimes I’m too lazy to put him back.
7) He sometimes falls asleep in the clothes he’s been wearing during the day … and I don’t wake him to change him.
8) I am that mother that lets her son have a little treat (or 3 …). I’d be frowned upon even if that treat was raisins! I’d rather he ate in front of me than be that kid at a party that hides the food in his pockets for later!
9) Yep he’s had McDonald’s fries despite the Facebook shares of how terrible McDonalds is for you. I had it infrequently when younger and I’m still alive.
10) More often than not, my house looks the same in the morning as it did the night before.
11) We don’t read everyday – this one I feel pretty awful about.
Yes, I may not be winning any awards, I’m totally winging it, but he’s a happy baby (most of the time) and that’s all that really matters to me. No matter what decisions you end up making, someone somewhere will tell you why it’s not the right one. So do what you please for your family, after all, we’re all superwomen/men. So just in case someone forgets to tell you today, from one mother to another, you’re doing a bloody amazing job!x
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please vote for us in the MAD Blog Awards, it takes 30 seconds and here’s how:
For Mother’s Day, I had planned on not cooking very much for the afternoon tea we were hosting. I know I know, lazy right? I was still pretty shattered from coming back from holiday and returning straight back to work. I had planned on relying on Marks & Spencer’s for all our goodies but unfortunately I’d left it a day too late and one of my favourite items – their cheese and onion muffins, weren’t available! So I tasked myself with coming up with my own recipe!
I was super proud of myself – they went down an absolute treat! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! They tasted just like the Marks & Spencer’s version!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: 40 mini muffins
Ingredients:
100ml olive oil
100ml full fat milk
2 tablespoons plain greek yoghurt
300g self raising flour
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
160g grated mature cheddar
1 bunch of spring onions
A small bunch of snipped chives
1 teaspoon oregano
250g full fat soft cheese
1 teaspoon salt
25g parmesan
Heat the oven to 180c and oil a muffin tin. Alternatively, use a silicon muffin tray like I did and there’s no need to grease 🙂
Whisk the oil, milk and yoghurt together.
In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt, mustard powder, oregano, cheddar cheese, spring onions, chives and ½ the parmesan. You’ll already be able to start smelling the yummy goodness!
Use a large spoon and gently fold in the wet ingredients in to the dry. Mix in the soft cheese lightly. The mixture should have a wet dough like consistency.
5. Spoon in the mixture in to the muffin tray and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
6. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Voila!
Enjoy!
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Arjun’s 5th holiday was definitely one to remember! It was our most challenging by far and the furthest away from what we’ve known holidays to be pre baby – he was constantly full of beans and wanting to explore! You can read about our previous holidays here:
I used Sangeeta to previously book a surprise birthday trip to Las Vegas and Maui for Preetam’s 30th but unfortunately we had to cancel it as I ended up being 7 months pregnant at the time!
Sangeeta is always so patient with me (you need the patience of a saint with me sometimes!) – this time we weren’t sure if we wanted to try Abu Dhabi or whether we’d try and wing a quick trip to India. Sangeeta provided us with multiple quotes and options to help us make our decision. In the end we decided Abu Dhabi was the more sensible option although my heart was set on India given the 8 day time restriction.
We knew we wanted to give the Emirates Palace hotel a go in Abu Dhabi as we’d heard amazing things about it from friends. Sangeeta was great at communicating with the hotel that it was our anniversary and that we were travelling with a baby and also ensured our chauffeur also came armed with a car seat.
I’d definitely recommend booking your luxury holiday through Sangeeta – she’s armed with lots of knowledge on the most luxurious places to visit around the world and she’s very patient and accommodating to your needs.
Etihad Aiways
As we’d opted for business class, Etihad offer a chauffeur service from home to the airport.
Our driver turned up bright and early and I was really impressed with how friendly he was with Arjun. The car seat provided was easy to use and comfortable for Arjun. The vehicle provided was a Viano which is very spacious and comfortable. He came armed with a car seat as instructed.
I know it was 6am and perhaps not everyone’s a morning person, but I didn’t find the staff particularly helpful or friendly in the business lounge area which was a bit of a let down.
The service was also quite slow and sluggish and the quality of the food wasn’t anything to write home about. I’d still say my favourite lounge is still Virgin by miles.
There was a children’s playroom which helped keep Arjun entertained. He had fun building towers and knocking them over with daddy.
The aircraft itself was really lovely – it was one of the newer A380s. I loved the décor and space, especially with a fully mobile toddler!
I was armed with snacks and toys and I was going to give the iPad a go again but finding there was an onboard nanny was super exciting. Even if there was someone to entertain Arjun for 5 minutes, I was happy!
Arjun woke just before take off (Sod’s law!) but he was generally in good spirits. After a while, he did become a little agitated as he wanted to run around and explore. Family Guy (I’m so ashamed to say) kept him entertained for a good 20 minutes and he also played Lego with daddy on the floor for a while. He was entertained by the electric barrier between our seats too.
He really enjoyed the bar/lounge area which was definitely the best one I’ve seen onboard yet! You didn’t feel like you were on an aircraft at all and the service was brilliant.
Arjun loved playing with the flying nanny who did face paint on his hands, played with stickers and stamps. We didn’t end up needing to leave him with her as Preetam did a pretty good job by himself! He slept for three hours out of the six which wasn’t too bad and he woke up chirpy.
I was so impressed by the staffs service! The air hostesses were so attentive and the manager came right over and offered to come over as soon as we’ve taken off to play with Arjun. They were also super accommodating to dietary requirements and ensuring Arjun was comfortable and happy.
I was quite worried as initially Google had told me the flight was 8 hours, however it ended up being 6 which was just perfect. That’s the shortest distance we’ve done with Arjun!
You’d think being his 13th flight he’d be used to it and we’d be pros at managing it. Not at all. I always tell people that ask me; each flight is different and their mood will also be different! Just because the last was bad, doesn’t mean the next will be and vice versa. You’ve just got to ride it out. Each minute that passes is a minute closer to reaching your destination. It’s easy to feel guilty on a flight when your child is kicking off but they have as much right to be on that plane as anyone else (as quoted by a lovely air hostess!).
We had an equally fabulous experience on the flight back however the business class lounge was amazing for children. The staff in the kids play room were brilliant. They told us they were happy to take care of Arjun while we relaxed and he really enjoyed his time with them.
On the way out, when we landed, I was mortified at the chauffeur service. We were told by Sangeeta that a chauffeur would be there to collect us from the airport and would also have a baby seat. Unfortunately, as many others experienced, this wasn’t the service we received at all. It really left a bitter taste in my mouth given the amount of money we’d spent and the service we’d expected. Other passengers that were on our flight were also told the same by their travel agents who were told this by Etihad.
Instead, we had to wait in a taxi queue for 45 minutes after a 6 hour flight. There was no baby seat. This is definitely an area of their process that Etihad need to work on – it lets the rest of the experience down. There is a stark difference between the cabin crew and the ground staff.
Emirates Palace Hotel
This hotel has been described by many as 7 star and upon driving up to the hotel, it was clear to see why. The grounds are breath takingly huge and the building itself is stunning – scenes which may be familiar if you’ve seen the latest Fast and Furious movie as parts of it were shot at this hotel.
I was even more “wow’ed” when we walked in. The attention to detail is immense and the elegance and grandness of this hotel was like I’ve never seen before. It really does look like a palace. The detail on the door handles with the jewels, the never ending marble, the splashes of gold, the high ceilings – the place is breath taking! Not surprising given it’s the second most expensive hotel ever built in the world! You can definitely tell.
Check in was smooth and quick and I was greeted by a mini bouquet of roses and Arjun with a camel toy which he was thrilled about. The staff were really friendly.
Our room had been decorated for our anniversary which was a nice gesture although somewhere along the line, they were lost in translation as they thought it was our 15 year anniversary haha (our anniversary is on 15th Feb). We were also upgraded to a sea view room.
The rooms were the nicest rooms we’ve stayed in. Super spacious, clean and oh so luxurious! Having such a gorgeous room meant we didn’t mind spending time relaxing on the afternoons where we didn’t fancy the pool.
Each room comes equipped with a tablet which you can use to navigate through a movie catalogue. We must have watched about 20 movies while there!
The bathrooms were huge with a separate bath tub and shower which was really handy with Arjun. He really enjoyed bath time there.
One super unfortunate thing was, on the day of check in as by the time we reached the hotel, it was almost 9.30pm due to the faffing with getting transport to the hotel, we decided to go for a quick dinner at the buffet restaurant before heading to our room. What we didn’t know at the time was that our butler was waiting for us in our room – no one had communicated that to us.
As a result, we weren’t informed of the butler service until three days of being at the hotel when I requested new pillows. This was pretty disappointing given the kudos and price of the hotel. Upon raising this with the management staff, the subsequent service offered by our butler was brilliant. He took care of all our restaurant reservations – both internally and externally and also ensured we were topped up on daily treats!
Another downside for us was that the dress code was smart casual. I had packed for Preetam and silly enough hadn’t checked the dress code as every other hotel we’ve been to has a relaxed dress code for at least one restaurant on the premises. Unfortunately (first time ever!) I hadn’t packed any jeans or trousers for him and the dress code was smart casual at lunch and dinner across the hotel. This didn’t give us the best start to our trip as if you know Preetam, he’s a big guy and finding bottoms and shoes in his size proved difficult. It was a real shame as we’d hoped to have a totally relaxed and casual break away and to be as comfortable as possible but it didn’t quite turn out that way! We ended up eating outside of the restaurant on several occasions which meant the half board was wasted for the best part of our trip.
Finally, although the chef was very accommodating at the buffet restaurant, we felt that the size of the buffet and the vegetarian selection was quite poor and repetitive. One of the best bits about going on holiday is the food and having a selection to choose from as opposed to thinking of what you could eat and requesting that. The quality of the food was ok. We actually found the poolside food of a higher standard than the buffet. I’d highly recommend the falafel wrap (with a side of halloumi)! The best I’ve ever tasted.
Breakfast was average. The Indian food was always cold and not very flavoursome. The selection was your standard breakfast selection which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing and they had Nutella which was consumed daily and I’m still paying the price for it! The best breakfast we’ve ever experienced is definitely the Park Hyatt in Goa. The view at breakfast was beautiful.
We decided to dine at Hakkasan for lunch as on Friday afternoon, babies are welcome. Although Arjun was full of beans and wanting to run around, Preetam and I enjoyed our meal as the staff were absolutely amazing. They took Arjun and entertained him during our whole meal. It didn’t take long for Arjun to settle right in with them to the point where he didn’t want to leave them!
The food at Hakkasan was amazing – we really loved the mooli rolls and the black bean tofu and aubergine pot! It was a nice way to spend Arjun’s 20 month birthday too.
The swimming pools were amazing – there’s a pool at the east wing which also has a baby pool however the west side has an adventure pool with slides and a lazy river as well as a kid’s pool and kid’s club. Arjun absolutely loved the kid’s pool and was super confident in the water and even tried to swim himself! It was particularly handy as it was a quiet time of the year which meant the pool wasn’t flooded with lots of guests. I was so impressed by the children’s facilities – they had poolside toys which meant all the extra bits I took weren’t needed. They also provide beach toys at the beach. Arjun loved the macaroni cheese by the pool. He pretty much lived off that and olives for the whole trip!
In addition, they had a outdoor play area with a climbing frame and slide. Although we only went once, it was great to know that was there as an option to entertain Arjun.
The kid’s club has an indoor play room which we didn’t end up using as Arjun took to the pool too much to want to go anywhere else. Outside the playroom they had giant building blocks and a few other giant outdoor games which Arjun enjoyed playing with.
Arjun loved being in the pool but has become such a daredevil – he refused to wear his armbands most of the time, refused to sit in his float and wanted to jump in to the deep end by himself. You can’t take your eyes off him for even a split second now. I definitely preferred going away with others to make it more manageable!
The beach was nice – again children’s toys were provided and there’s also a camel which you can take pictures on! Arjun was more interested in petting him than sitting on him!
The weather was fantastic for the most part. We only had one day of rain. We even managed to get a Baby Brain Appael photoshoot done out there!
We enjoyed ourselves as a family and got to see Arjun’s personality shine through more than ever with his crazy little antics!
All in all, this was definitely one of the nicest properties we’ve visited in terms of architecture but I’m not sure we’d return here again based on the food and dress code. That’s got me thinking about what a holiday means to us – comfy clothing and good vegetarian food! When we return back to UAE, I think we’ll definitely be going back to Dar Al Masyaf as the service, food and facilities were impeccable, an added bonus is that toddlers and babies under 2 eat for free.
Things to do in Abu Dhabi
We were really after a relaxed holiday and didn’t plan anything much in advance. Compared to Dubai, it felt like there wasn’t much to do. I probably preferred Dubai a lot more to Abu Dhabi based on the hotel we stay at and also the things to do. It may just be that we’re now used to Dubai!
Marina Mall: this was situated a 20 minute walking distance from our hotel. We ended up visiting three times during our stay. As well as your usual high street shops and several restaurants, there is Fun City located on the top floor of the mall. This is like a small indoor amusement park which was great fun for Arjun. He enjoyed going on the toddler rides. It was nice having it so local to the hotel as it meant post dinner he could burn a little energy.
Ferrari World, Yas Island: We’d been told by friends that Ferrari World was a little overrated and over priced for what it was but if we needed a day out then it was nice as something to do. Arjun ended up getting sunburn after a few days in Abu Dhabi, so we thought a day indoors away from the sun would be a good idea. I agree with the sentiments of our friends – it was approx. £50 per person for entry and the food was quite overpriced and poor too.
I’m not a fan of big rides, but Preetam went on a few rollercoasters as Arjun and I spectated. It was quite quiet during the week and there were no queues. Arjun really enjoyed the family ride as he got to “drive” a car. We went on that ride a few times.
He also enjoyed watching his daddy participate in the go karting race (and winning!). He really loved the soft play car wash although it was quite simplistic to what I was expecting based on the description online. We had a nice family day out and it was great that everything was indoors.
The Cheesecake Factory, Yas Island: We couldn’t visit Abu Dhabi and NOT go to the Cheesecake Factory. As always, we weren’t disappointed. The staff at this particular branch were super friendly towards Arjun and I generally find The Cheesecake Factory fab for catering to little ones. We enjoyed the deep fried macaroni cheese balls, the zucchini, mushroom and avocado fries and the nachos! The portions are ginormous – I always find myself in a food coma after!
Rose Water Restaurant, Etihad Towers: We were told by our friends to visit this restaurant as the vegetarian selection was a lot better than at the Emirates Palace. The selection was absolutely huge with a wide range of different cuisines. I was especially wow’ed by the different types of bread on offer and the epic chocolate fountain. I was also impressed with how well they catered to children – they had plastic plates and cutlery for babies which was great. This place is definitely high up in the quantity ranks but not as high in the quality ranks – we found the food average but really enjoyed the overall experience.
All in all, we had a nice time in Abu Dhabi but I’m not sure we’d return to spend a whole holiday there. Perhaps as a day trip from Dubai next time!
Any suggestions on our next holiday destination?
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please vote for us in the MAD Blog Awards, it takes 30 seconds and here’s how:
Today I was invited to the BBC Asian Network for our first ever radio interview with The Real Nihal.
I was so nervous on the build up to it – what if I said something wrong? What if I had mental block? What if I sounded silly?
Wow oh wow, I’m totally blown away by the response we’ve had! It was such a brilliant experience and we all had so much fun as well as raising awareness on such important issues such as Post Natal Depression. Arjy even shared his baby babble opinion – he was definitely a star 😉
Nihal totally put me at ease and was such a lovely guy. He totally showered Arjun with lots of love.
I feel so humbled and blessed for the opportunity and the response we’ve had from the blog and the interview. It’s always extremely nerve wracking opening up your life to the world but as I said in my interview, I’m glad the blog has ended up serving a far greater purpose than I first intended – just a journal for me! So much love to you all x
Here are some pictures of our day along with a link to the interview which will be live for the next 28 days.
A HUGE HUGE thank you to my family, friends. And a special shoutout to my beautiful followers for all your support always, for sharing your journey with me and for helping me through mine! A big thank you for those that texted in xx
If you haven’t voted for us in the MAD Blog Awards already, please do, it takes 30 seconds and here’s how:
Wow oh wow! I am so overwhelmed and so shocked! Out of over 8,000 amazing bloggers, I have been shortlisted as one of just SIX (6?! Out of a whole 8,000!) finalists in the Best Pre School Blog category for the Mum & Dad (MAD) Awards 2016! It still hasn’t quite hit me!
If you’ve enjoyed my blog content, and would like to skip straight to voting, then here’s how:
1) Go to MAD Blog Awards Voting
2) Enter your name and email address
3) Select Baby Brain Memoirs from the drop down for Best Preschool Blog category (third one down)
4) Scroll down and hit submit
When I first started blogging, never in my wildest dreams did I even consider awards, I didn’t even think anyone would read my random ramblings let alone be recognised for an AWARD! And then get interviewed by the BBC, appear in Get West London, get a mention on Desi Radio and appear in the Uxbridge Gazette!
I initially started my blog (as the name may state) because of my poor memory. Baby brain is no myth! Things were changing on a daily basis and everything seemed like a big blur – it still does to be honest. I wanted to start a blog for myself, as a keepsake, a diary, a journal for me and my baby. Something to document our memories, my feelings, and my emotions. Something I could read back on and feel nostalgic. Something that Arjun will probably cringe at when he’s older! Haha!
I struggled with Post Natal Depression (PND) in my early days, glimpses of it still appear today. I struggled with my confidence, with not feeling what I perceived a mother should feel. I have found the biggest outcome of my blog has been the therapy it has provided me to overcome so many hurdles and face so many challenges. The people I have met through the blog have become a part of my life – my blogging family and many of my followers that have reached out to me have filled me with the support and encouragement to want to try and tackle my “issues” head on.
I’ve received so many messages from blog followers on how my experiences have helped them. I didn’t think my blog posts would ever get read, and even when I write today, I try and write for myself and zone out that thousands of people a month read my blog. That thought alone is so overwhelming. Every single message I have received means so much to me. Knowing that people have taken comfort in my words, however rubbish or great I may have been feeling that day, is a feeling that I can’t describe. I’ve been told my writing style is raw, real and honest but I also seek silver linings and come across as approachable and considerate. I hope so.
My blogs not always all serious and deep! I’ve been able to document some pretty hilarious and fun stuff too. Like Arjun’s tantrums, his first birthday party – the biggest I’ve ever planned!, and also our travelling adventures and how each and every flight and destination has offered us with such differing experiences. My little jet setting bambino has travelled to Dubai (twice), Singapore, Bali, Maldives and Abu Dhabi!
I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with some amazing brands including Quorn, The Gro Company , Younique and UDI’s. An opportunity that I never would have imagined.
Being a Brit-Asian mum often means that certain topics are left hidden behind closed doors. I’ve delved in to some of those topics in what I hope has been a respectful manner. I did receive the odd comment about “why do you need to tell the world that”. My response was “why not”? I’m so glad I did, because I’ve received hundreds of messages of support and encouragement and have also given comfort to others in a similar situation especially where I’ve touched upon taboo topics in the Asian culture on real issues such as things like PND – aired, perhaps considered a sign of weakness. I want to normalise such topics and bring awareness – having the help and support to get through things like PND can make or break you and it’s important to talk. Just knowing you are not alone can often provide a huge sense of relief.
I’ve taken my readers on my journey of wanting to educate Arjun on Sikhism – to teach him the fundamental teachings of sharing, working hard and remembering God and remaining humble always. Basically being a good human being! He’s developed his own quirkly relationship with God and it’s melted the hearts of many.
Having posted a few of Arjun’s meals on Instagram and Facebook, I received a flood of messages asking me to share recipes. Many other vegetarian mummies out there sought something a little different. I’m not very creative in the kitchen but this forced me to get thinking about our vegetarian weaning journey. I’ve shared many vegetarian baby food recipes such as cheese and onion eggless quiche and eggless vegetable muffins as well as general recipes too including my yummy chilli paneer, and a to die for Nutella cookie dough to name a few!
Most of all, people from all around the world have fallen in love with Arjy’s antics through the blog, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. He’s helped me become a stronger person, better myself and has helped me to become the best mummy I possibly can be to him. I’m still learning but having him hold my hand through every step of the way has made me stronger and stronger. Each tiny hurdle is a huge achievement for me.
I’ve surpassed my own expectations with my blog and I’m super proud of it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing!
As well as being a Finance Manager by trade and spending much of my “free” time blogging, Baby Brain Memoirs also led to the start of my mummypreneurship by launching Baby Brain Apparel. I realised quite quickly that many of Arjun’s quirky antics were relatable to many mums and with this was born my quirky hand designed tees with slogans such as “Milk Drunk” “Food Thief” and “Sleep Fighter”! I also hand make baby and mummy leggings in fun and vibrant fabrics. I often get asked how on earth I manage to juggle everything – the answer in short is, I haven’t got a clue!
As you’ve probably gathered, my blog is a lot deeper than what it may first appear. It’s helped me overcome and try and deal with so many issues and has enabled me to help others along the way, I still have a long way to go! I love blogging, it’s a passion. Being a MAD Blog Awards Finalist is mind boggling and so overwhelming – I’m so grateful! It would be an absolute honour to win! I’m so excited for you to continue my journey with me!
If you’ve enjoyed my blog content, then we’d be grateful for your continued support by voting for us to win the “Best Pre School Blog” category in the MAD Blog Awards, it takes 30 seconds to vote! 🙂 : VOTE HERE
The other amazing bloggers in my category include:
Hi, I’m Harps, an award winning blogger who shares my journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Readers have often coined my musings “relatable” and “warming”. I have gone on to turn my passion of connecting people into working with brands ranging from household names through to small businesses and sharing with my engaged audience.
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