A Day in a Parenting Blogger’s Life – The Mum Reviews

Welcome back to my blog series “A Day in a Parenting Blogger’s Life”. We are in week SEVEN already. Madness. I can’t believe how sucessful this series has become over the last few weeks. I have never created anything sucessful and my little blog is still trying to be seen out there, so this is a big thing for me

Today we have Nicole from The Mum Reviews. She will tell us all about her now life in the UK. She is originally from the USA. Here she comes:

First of all, tell me a bit about yourself.

I live in Surrey with my husband, two little boys (4 and 1) and a black & white cat. I’m originally from Seattle, USA, but have lived in the UK for 15 years and am now a British citizen. Before you ask, I like the UK better than the USA, and have since my first day here! I work 4 days a week as an editor at an academic publisher. I split my work time between the office in London and working from home. I’ve got a PhD in English and in my free time I like to drink and play board games.

How many times were you woken last night?

About 4 I think. My little one has just moved into a big bed and wakes up loads lately. And the big one wakes up and needs his covers re-adjusting, or help wiping his bum after the toilet!

Do you co-sleep?

I have nothing against it, but I’ve never been able to get comfortable co-sleeping. Sometimes I snuggle with them until they fall asleep, and then I quietly extricate myself.

What time do you normally wake up?

We all get up at 7am most days, but on my London work days I get up at 6 and go for a run.

How much average sleep do you get a night?

If you ignore the middle-of-the-night waking, about 6-7 hours.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Change the little one’s nappy.

Tell me about your typical morning routine.

It depends what day it is! If I’m working in London, I get up, go for a run, have a shower and run out the door. This getting ready time will be interspersed with finding things the kids need for their nursery/school bags, and lots of cuddles. On my home days, I feed them breakfast, we get dressed, and then we all chill watching CBeebies until it’s time for the school run.

When and how often do you prepare the family dinners? Give us a few examples what you would cook.

My husband is the cook in the house. I usually just prepare leftovers and easy fish finger style meals a few nights a week! I do try to cook something proper on Wednesday. It will be spag bol, lasagne, or chicken with various sauce permutations.

What’s on the menu for lunch?

Peanut butter and jam sandwiches. It’s an American thing. I serve with cheese, salami, pepper, cucumber & tomato, and fruit for afters. Other days I serve beans on toast or Heinz pasta shapes with grated Red Leicester on top. Oh yes, I am a fab cook.

What activities have you got planned for the day for the kids?

We keep it simple if we’re having a day at home, just playing with toys. We have some swings and a slide in our back garden that are great in most types of weather. If I’m feeling energetic, it’s the park or soft play. On very special days, I love taking the kids to exciting attractions in London, such as museums or the aquarium.

Do you generally eat dinner together as a family or get the kids fed first?

It depends on the day. We always eat together at the weekend, but during the week the kids usually get fed first, or along with only one parent, because each night either mum or dad will be home past bedtime.

What do you do after dinner?

I’m going to sound like the worst parent! I usually sit on the sofa and play with my phone whilst watching the kids play in the lounge!

What is your bedtime routine?

The boys sit on the potty/toilet, brush their teeth, and then have a bath together. If I’m on my own, I get both boys out of the bath and then do stories and songs for the youngest first. Once he’s in bed, I do stories for the older one. My youngest likes to have 3 stories and the big boy has 4!

Most importantly, when and where do you normally blog in those 24 hours? Do you have a schedule?

I usually blog on the sofa in front of the TV after the kids are in bed. I do a lot of social media/blog commenting work on the train or during my lunch break at work.

Thanks a mill Nicole. I can relate a lot to your daily routine. I am glad I am not the only one who doesn’t cook and serve a 4 star meal like most super mums. But I am in a position where my hubby doesn’t cook either.

My blog is at http://themumreviews.co.uk 

Everyone loves a follower more. What social media platforms can we find you on?

I’m @themumreviews on everything!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/themumreviews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themumreviews/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themumreviews/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/themumreviews/

If you would like to feature in my new blog series, you can do so by sending me an email to schnurri87@msn.com. I’d love to have you on board.