5 worst excuses for not drinking enough water

I have never been very good at drinking enough water. This week I have started a new challenge, to drink water exclusively for at least a month. Hopefully I will be able to maintain this change in the long run and by jumping in at the deep end, so to speak, it will should make the whole process easier.
As I am only on the third day of my water challenge I feel I am in no position to preach about the benefits of drinking water. I have, however, been the queen of excuses when it comes to water. So what were my top excuses for not drinking enough water and why were these excuses just not good enough?

1. I need a fancy water bottle.

From fancy water bottles to filter jugs, there are so many accessories which can help you to drink more water. The advertising for bottled waters make you feel (or certainly did me) that you need to drink water from a bottle.
For years I felt that a glass just wasn't good enough. I had to have water in a bottle to be able to drink water at all. It wasn't until I picked up a sickness bug and could drink anything but water that I retrained myself to drink it from a glass - it's ridiculous, but true!
At the end of the day all you need is a glass and a tap to be able to drink water, it's simple. In fact I've now come to the realisation that water tastes best from a glass. All the fancy extras are just a bonus that you can take or leave.

2.Tea and Coffee are mostly water anyway.

Ok, so this one is actually a pretty legitimate excuse. It is a common misconception that drinks such as tea and coffee cause dehydration. The caffeine in these drinks can cause a diuretic effect (make you pee more), however you have to consume roughly the equivalent of four cups of coffee for it to have this effect. Even after four cups worth of coffee the diuretic effect won't cancel out all the water in that hot drink.
Still, it is important to be aware that these caffeinated drinks are not equal to good old plain water. There are other reasons to avoid the caffeine too. For me, the reliance I have developed for caffeine is the main reason why I am trying to detox from tea and coffee.

3. I don't like the taste.

This one is just silly, but it was one of my excuses. Water doesn't really taste of anything, so I'm not quite sure why I made such a big deal about it. Even after only three days of exclusively drinking water I have completely changed my way of thinking. There is actually something quite nice about the lack of flavor, it makes you more alert to the fact that it is hydrating you. There is a satisfaction that comes from drinking water which you can't attribute to flavor. The coldness and the lack of flavor are actually what makes it so refreshing.

4. I need something fizzy.

This an excuse which I used far too much. Even when I was pregnant and knew I should be having more water (or less coke) I would opt for carbonated water just to get my fizzy fix.
I have been, in the past, one of the worst coke-a-cola addicts around. If there was coke available then I would chose it over anything else, even to the extent that I would have days where I would drink only coke. We all know that fizzy drinks are not great for you but it can be a real struggle to say no to them. Your taste buds may not agree but coke is a sugary, black poison that does you no good. I'm hoping that exclusively drinking water for a long period will help me to curb my addiction to coke once and for all.

5. Water is too expensive.

This one is the worst of them all and I know what you thinking WATER IS FREE!
When you're out and about of course you often find yourself in the position where you're thirsty and have to buy a drink. Standing in a shop deciding which drink to choose has always caused the same response for me. This overwhelming feeling that you're getting more for your money when you buy the fizzy drinks. Even though the bottled water is always the cheapest thing on offer I have always fooled myself into thinking I was getting more for my money by choosing the fizzy option.
The healthiest things often turn out to be the most expensive option but when it comes to water this just isn't the case. You can't put a price o health and from now on that has to be the thought process I go through when choosing a drink for on the go.

The Pumpkin Palava

I love carving pumpkins!

Two Years ago I made a cat ...

... Last year I made Peppa Pig...

.... So this year i thought I would attempt something special!

After stumbling across this image on google...

...it had be Tinkerbell!

I bought my pumkins two days ago, in Tesco. I could only find small ones so I reluctantly chose two of the best looking ones. Of course, on my way out the door I spotted all the big ones! Oooops!

Nevermind!

So, I had all my pumpkin supplies...

(and yes that is glow in the dark paint in the picture,I was extra excited about using that)

First thing you do when carving a pumpkin is to cut off the top. Right?!

Wrong (in my case anyway)!

I decided to cut off the bottom

This wasn't, by an means, an accident. I'm pretty sure I've heard of doing it this way. Although, a google search didn't seem to show any evidence of this  being a "thing".

Regardless of whether this is a "thing", or not - IT WORKS!

No more candles going out as you drop them into your pumpkin. 

PERFECT! 

I will be using this technique every year from now on!

Anyway, after emptying the guts...Yuck!

I printed off a Tinkerbell silhouette, cut it out and drew it onto my pumpkin

 ( So far so good)

Next, I went over the edges with a sharp tool

Then, started attacking it with a pumpkin saw 

(this may have been where it all went wrong)

And my Tinkerbell pumpkin was...

.. a complete FAIL!!!!

Don't worry though ...

....I still had the glow in the dark paint!

"Just decorate the other side", I thought.

"It'll all be fine", I thought.

Em.....No!

How to help children adjust to the clocks changing?

It's that time of year again, when the clocks go back and suddenly you feel like you've been plunged into winter. The sudden change makes the whole world feel darker and every year I'm overtaken with an overwhelming urge to snuggle up and cosy in for the winter. The coldness is here and it's time to get the hats and scarfs out, put on your wooly gloves and stock the cupboard with soups to warm the cockles of the heart on those frosty days.

Winter always presents challenges but I am currently struggling with the first hurdle; getting the kids routine settled after the clocks have changed.

The UK clocks went back on Sunday night. All of a sudden my baby has gone from being an angel, who goes to bed at 7 pm and wakes at 5 am, to being a grumpy monkey struggling to stay awake until bedtime and waking me at the deathly hour of 4 am.

By 7.30 pm (formally known as 8.30 pm) my 4 year old is a whinging monster. Instead of enjoying starting my day at the reasonable hour of 7 am, I am now being woken at 6 am by my two wide eyed darling daughters.

An air of confusion has descended on me as I struggle to figure out when my baby is due milk. Two days ago I was able to look at the clock and predict when my baby would be hungry or be due for a nap. Now, every time I glance at the time I just feel dizzy.

As with so many things, when I'm struggling I turn to my old friend Goggle for help. In this case, the best advice I found was to adjust your child's routine by 15 mins and maintain the change for 3 or 4 days, then change by 15 mins again for another 3 or 4 days, and repeat until you have gained or lost your extra hour. It is recommended that you start this in advance of the clock change.

Of course, although this change happens ever year, it slipped my mind and it wasn't until the day before the clocks went back that I realised what was going on. So we will probably be playing catch up for the next fortnight.

Then there is meal times and naps to consider. The thought of making 15 min adjustments for everything in our routine is making my head spin. If I'm honest, I think the easiest option is just to be extra sensitive to my children's needs and slowly edge into the new routine.

I am confident that the girls will settle quite quickly. For now though, I am well and truly crashing into winter in a foggy, sleep deprived haze. So much for that extra hour we were promised!


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

DIY Fabric Flowers

I originally started making these flowers when I was making a button bouquet for my wedding. However, the more I made, the more I realised how versatile they can be. They also work great for making hair accessories, jazzing up clothing and home decorations.

I saw a lovely image, on pinterest, of a large one of these flowers on a canvas.

A flower canvas is definitely on my "things to make" list now!

The flowers themselves can be made quite easily with just a needle and thread, fabric, a pen and scissors. Using the same folds and a glue gun also works well for those who prefer a "no sew" approach. You can even buy templates to make the flowers, which makes everything even easier (although they are quite simple without them too). 

The company I bought my flower making accessory from is called Clover, they make a wide range of templates and are probably the go to people for fabric flowers. 

I did find however that using the bought templates did limit the size of your flowers to the size of your template, they where also quite expensive too (if you wanted to have every type it would be a small fortune). On the positive side, they do make the job quicker (especially at the cutting stage) and if you struggle to remember the folds for each flower then they would come in handy.

On my YouTube channel you can find a video where I make three types of these fabric flowers (one using a clover accessory) . Just click the video below to view it and if you would like to see more of my videos then please subscribe while your there 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin