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Batch Cook at Christmas – More Time for You
Batch Cook at Christmas – More Time for You 324 464 Lulu

Batch Cook at Christmas… More Time for You

What is the one thing that you wish you had more time to do?

Sleep

Cook

Workout

Sleep

Sex

Children

Sleep

I think you can see where I am going with this… One of the things that I love to do is eat. No wait- I love to cook. Health concerns, timetable, family, work and all of the things that consume our time can sometimes get in the way of what we really love to do. The one thing I hear mums saying all of the time is they simply

DO

NOT

HAVE

THE

TIME

Whilst this is certainly a reality for almost all of us- I challenge you with this. What if we could find a way to save time? What if there were a few things that you could do each day or every night, or a few times a week that would save you time?

Creating more times for mums within their existing time table is my absolute delight. It has taken me almost 20 years to work out exactly what it is I love, and I have made so many mistakes, ruined relationships and walked in and out of several jobs- the truth is. My life is not solely focused on the pursuit of happiness, HOWEVER, why on earth should we be miserable for nine to twelve hours out of each day? It breaks my heart, it makes my brain hurt. It also makes me wonder how do I help people, more specifically mothers, fathers do what they love, without the guilt trip AND earn a living?

I started with myself because the only other person I know as well as I know myself is my husband- so in truly knowing myself- I had to workout what made me tick and if other mothers were ticking in the same way. One of my major ticks is not having enough time to cook the food I love.

I know were wondering when I would make my point. There you go.

So I have over the past few years developed a few hacks for BATCH COOKING. The reason I love batch cooking is because it saves so much time during the day, and at the end of the day when I am tired- I do not feel guilty about not having done something I said I would do, like cooking or cleaning. This system may not work for you, and that is o.k. But what is not ok is  BURNOUT- fried Mum. Not sexy, not healthy, not fun.

Here are a few things that you can try that might help you to save time over the Christmas holidays:

  1. Create a menu based on the meals you and your family love- do this with your family, then no can complain about the meals.
  2. Shop according to the menu.
  3. Buy your staple items in bulk- so for us that might be fresh (frozen) onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, scotch bonnet peppers, olive oil/sesame oil, pasta/rice and the beans and or fish/meat.
  4. Buy all of your base items already chopped… I know some mums hate to cook this way- but I simply do not have the time to cut onions… (Sorry Mum).
  5. Then…create your own personal combination of a flavour filled (already chopped- no blending needed) mixture, just add all of your base ingredients to a glass jar for the fridge or safe plastic container for the freezer.
  6. This base mixture can simply be added to a little saucepan + olive oil, or to already soaked beans, veg, meat- whilst your food is cooking, put a load of laundry on and fill your kitchen with your favourite aromas. Go on… you know you want to.
  7. Freeze the rest of your mixture – ready for another day.
  8. Whilst you are waiting for your protein element of your meal to cook, simmer, only cook enough pasta or rice for that day- it never tastes the same the next day- waste not-want not.
  9. This is where I feel I have saved the most time, I cook twice as much of the curry, stew, stir-fry or whatever and only half of the extra veg/rice because once the first batch is ready then ANYONE- I mean ANYONE – Nanny, Nana, Opa, teenage Dream Queen or King, Hubby can simply put on a pot of rice or pasta the next day.
  10. Does sweet mummy have to cook again the next day or the day after that? No.
  11. Done and sold to the beautiful woman, in the green, in the back.

I know this may not seem as simple as I have made it look, but I can guarantee you that if you start system like mine or something similar, at the end of each day, each week, you will start to see the difference in the hours that you save. I think they key is definitely some forward planning, organization and resources.

How can I best serve you? Well, that is entirely up to you. But what I do have available is a FREE Discovery CALL, during which, we can, in 15 minutes or less,  just find out what causing you the most stress as a mum. Then we can talk a little bit about resources- if you want book a full session with me, resources included and freebies for the teenies then we will secure your session in your discovery call and take it from there. I have been doing this mum thing for 18 years… I know how to help you.

So why not drop me a line today?

  1. Email me info@teachingmums.com
  2. Tell me if you found the blog helpful.
  3. Book your FREE Discovery Call ASAP.

 

Lulu xx

 

Teaching Mums Ltd

+44 (0) 7479 535 689

info@teachingmums.com

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5 Tips for a Successful New Term at School
5 Tips for a Successful New Term at School 150 150 Lulu

5 Tips for a Successful New Term at School

  1. Get a good night’s rest for you (mums, dads, carers) and your little ones. Regardless of your children’s age, they still need a good bedtime routine.  10-12 hours for under 11’s, 7-9 hours for 11-18’s. Sleep is crucial for our mental health, cell regeneration, and growth.
  2. Record your favourite shows, if you can, and watch them at the weekend- use your weekdays to focus on work, routines and school-run stuff. This helps to lower resentment towards yourself, your children, spouse.
  3. Invest in a travel mug; summer is about to bid us goodbye, and we will soon hear the crunch of leaves under wellingtons. So having a travel mug means having your favourite hot drink on the go. We love going to Autumn park to collect leaves, play in the mud, and splash in puddles, but endless trips to coffee shops can add up, especially if you have not set a budget. I am not against it in any way; I love cheeky chai now and then. However, I am saving so much time and money by just investing in a travel mug that I love and heading over to the park.
  4. Invest in a good brand of vitamin D; this mood-boosting sunshine vitamin will support low moods and lethargy, some people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder-Overview – Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – NHS (www.nhs.uk), and this can kick in as soon as the days begin to look a little more grey.
  5. Be kind to yourself and others– this may seem obvious, but mums can be incredibly mean as a group. Sometimes it is unintentional; sometimes, it is NOT. I deal with others the way I deal with myself; I am firm and fair. Kind and honest. But I will not allow people to disrespect me; I value my mental health too much to let people walk over my family or me. I will say to you what I tell myself every day- be kind, be fair, be honest, be beautiful, be at peace, but if you so choose to be ugly, to be mean, to be scornful, to be hateful, to be spiteful, to take advantage of kind-hearted people- then do it with your chest.

In summary, get a good night’s rest, record your favorite shows, invest in a travel mug, invest in a good brand of vitamin D and CHOOSE be kind to yourself and others.

Can you choose at least one item from the list that you will implement today?

Did you enjoy this blog?

Why not leave a positive comment below, new topics that you would like us to cover, share this link with a friend and book your FREE DISCOVERY CALL today?

Have a fantastic start to the new term and make the most of every day,

you are special, valuable and there is no one else like you.

 

Book your DISCOVERY CALL  here:

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5 TIPS FOR A STRESS-FREE OFFER DAY 2022 | April 19th 2022 
5 TIPS FOR A STRESS-FREE OFFER DAY 2022 | April 19th 2022  150 150 Lulu

In less than four weeks you will find out which school your little one will be attending in September.

It can actually be quite stressful if it is your first child or even your youngest.  

Will I get my first choice? 

Will I get my second choice? 

What if the dinosaurs come back and destroy my submission and my child does not get into the school of our choice? 

Here a few tips to help you make the day as easy as possible.

  1. Try not to stay up all night waiting for the results, but set an alarm for the following morning, so that you can find out before you get ready for the school run.  
  2. Log into your application (if you applied online-). When you do check your submission, you will only see the list of schools to which you applied, and it will say very clearly if you have been offered a place at your chosen school. 
  3. Celebrate- If you are offered a place at any of your choices. 
  4. Call your Local Authority Admissions Team, if you have not received an offer at all, a single offer, make a note of the telephone number of your Local Admissions Team, the lines will be busy- but you will be able to speak to someone or email them if you have not received an offer or you have an urgent query or concern. 
  5. Try and leave all of the mum-admin until after the school-run, if you are unhappy with your choices, prepare to be grilled about this on the school-run. Say something polite or funny, like, “Oh fiddlesticks! Is that today? I was planning to have my veneers polished.” Works every time.

Now, if you try all five tips listed above (all of which usually work). Then get in touch with us right away and we will give you hand with how to have those al important conversations with work, if you need time off to visit schools, with the Local Authority, if you need clarity on next steps for your child/children, or you need help liaising with the new school about waiting lists. We know exactly what to do. 

Book your free consultation here:

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5 Tips on how to improve the reading habits of young readers @home and long journeys.
5 Tips on how to improve the reading habits of young readers @home and long journeys. 150 150 Lulu

5 Tips on how to improve the reading habits of young readers @home and long journeys: 

  1. Use image rich texts (devices are great for reading stories too).
  2. Become a “talking family.”
  3. Use subtitles with ALL screen time.
  4. Look out for how words are used. 
  5. Keep using your home language.
  1. Use image rich texts

The idea behind this is you want to provide as much stimulus as possible for young readers, which will help them to develop their imagination and learn new words. Ask your children questions like these:  

  1. A) What can you see in the picture?
  2. B) How does it make you feel?
  3. C) What are they doing?

Be really specific about what you are describing, for much younger readers, they may not have all of the vocabulary (yet), but don’t worry about it- just tell them if they do not know it. Like this: 

“I can see a little, dark brown dog.”  

They will eventually start mirroring your use of language. Devices are great for reading stories too…

2. Become a “talking family.”

I know that after a long day at home or at work, it can be quite tiring to even consider talking more… It is definitely worth it. Being a “talking family” is similar to committing to being a healthy family, in that, you choose to talk more than the average family and you are intentional about it. Even though it may seem like ONE MORE THING TO DO, it can actually lower the stress levels in your children, and it is one simple way to fill their love tank with words of affirmation. 

Something like this: 

“How was your day, darling?” 

“It was fine, but I hurt myself.”  

“Well, I know how brave you are, but tell me what happened…” 

How much better do you feel after shows you or tells you how important your feelings are?

Now, this is the fun part- the more your children hear you speak, guess what happens? Their vocabulary will improve over time and they will be exposed to more words. It makes sense doesn’t it?

3.Use subtitles with ALL screen time, including and not limited to FAMILY MOVIE NIGHTS. Even if your other half complains… 

Now, I am sure you have heard this one before. But I promise you, it really works…even on adults. Even though subtitles can be a little distracting, you are normalising reading. For new readers, this is helpful because the more words they see, the more words they will see. Make sense? It also means that if your children see words they do not understand, they can ask you. Watching TV then becomes interactive, engaging, and guilt free for you.  

I am not suggesting that we let our children watch television all day, but what I am saying is that we can use almost every opportunity to help our children learn to read.

4.Look out for how words are used around the house, to and from home and daily. 

Words are everywhere, cereal boxes, recipe books, ingredients list, receipts, bus stops, names of roads… I could go on.

The exciting part is that as go about your day with your little ones, you can share what you know.  This will put them at ease an actually help you build bridges for more conversations about learning later on. What we want is to have our children becoming more and more confident in how they express themselves through speech. We can actually make it easier for them, by modelling (showing them how it is done) and by avoiding telling them to…”Keep quiet!”

5.Keep using your home language (especially if English is not your first language) and compare its counterparts in English. “Hast du hunger? “Are you hungry?” Hunger=hungry.

This is a serious amount of fun if you love words and you are willing to share another language with your child at home. I think we sometimes worry that children will be overwhelmed by lots of different words or languages, but the most important thing is to adapt your language to your child’s level of understanding. If your child is only using 3-4 words, then meet them where there are and then extend their sentences: for example,

Milo: Milo hungry.

Mum: Milo is hungry. Where is Milo?

(if your child can respond by saying: here he is OR I’m here)

Response 1: Milo is over there. Milo is hungry.

Response 2: I’m here. (You can the model- I’m hungry)

This could actually become a little name until your child is able to respond correctly.

How is this related to languages? Well… if you do speak another language, then you could teach them how to say: I am hungry.

I am hungry (English)  =Ich habe Hunger  (German)

Now, I know this is not for everyone, but it is definitely worth exploring if you are a linguaphile.

That’s for today!

 

But I would love to hear from you! Tell me how you got on with reading or speaking this week.

Leave a positive comment below.

Get in touch here info@teachingmums.com

Visit our book shop and top on resources I would recommend Phonics Flash Cards for early language development (English).

Have a great week.

Lulu x

Teaching Mums Ltd

Motherhood | Parenting | Education | Impact

A Little Bit Potty
A Little Bit Potty 1707 2560 teachingmums_q3crbe

What is it about #pottytraining that makes us stalk our toddlers, buy a potty for every available space, scream, sing, explode, judge, condemn ourselves…seek professional help.
My first memory of attempting potty training involved a lot of mopping… tears, and pee.
Yes, I said it. It was sooooooo hard. It finally hit me, CHILDREN DO NOT KNOW EITHER.
That’s why they need training. But I always felt like I needed training, we had no clue

———————
I spent so long no only beating myself up, but comparing my family to other families… Are they better than us, is this a dysfunctional family? Have I ruined my toddler?

The truth is making mistakes does not make you a terrible person, in fact, making hundreds of mistakes does not make you a terrible person… being a terrible person makes you a terrible person. The fact that you are here says it all…

How do you keep sane when things are not going as well as you would like?

Where do you go for help?
I would encourage you to surround yourself with people that love you and will support you.

A few tips on successful potty training
1) Allow your child to lead you, are they talking about going to the toilet? Using words like, “stinky, poo-poo, no wee-wee”?
2) Try to stay calm so your child does not get nervous about using the toilet (potty).
3) Reassure them that accidents are normal, and they are still learning.
4) Always take a spare set of clothes wherever you go.
5) Encourage your child to sit on the potty even when they do not need to use the toilet, just to take the fear away.
6) Try and have some nappy-free time at home, to give your child an opportunity to practice.
7) If you have any concerns, then please speak to your health visitor.

How can we support you here at Teaching Mums Ltd?

Well, we have two wonderful online communities one is right here www.teachingmums.com (subscribe to our newsletter) the other is our Teaching Mums Facebook Group (invitation only).

Join us as we celebrate motherhood… How do you join, well share this page via Facebook and tag me – Lulu Lincoln xx

I know, it’s good to talk.

Did you enjoy MumTalk Monday?

Why don’t you share this with a mum that you know, who is potty training AS WE SPEAK?

More advice here

MumTalkMonday | Date Night
MumTalkMonday | Date Night 1704 2560 teachingmums_q3crbe

What is it about date night that makes parents cry, fight, fall out, burn food, book, and cancel baby sitters?

The truth is…single or married; we have all experienced some form of date night disaster.
How do you manage a successful (regular) date night with a newborn baby in-tow? Or four to five under 10’s under one roof??

Well… here are some tips,

1) Definitely date yourself first.
What does this mean?
Have one night a week to yourself: cook, draw, catch up with a friend, rest, pamper yourself.
2) Keep a journal and track your period; you are more likely to want a date during ovulation.
3) Book a babysitter in advance, EVEN IF you decide to stay in for your date night.
4) Wear something that you want to be seen in… that includes being naked. Yes, I said it.
5) Get ready for the night as if you are going to meet your very best friend.
6) Order a takeaway OR cook before you get ready, so you do not ruin your outfit (or hair).
7) If you need to cry, express milk, or sleep, try and do it before the date starts.

Does that sound unrealistic? Well, maybe. Try number one and number two first, the work o building the rest into your weekly routine.

My husband and I completed the marriage course last year; the truth is you make time for what you think is important.

How important is this part of your life to you?
Think of it this way, when your children move out, who will you be?
Would you like to have a marriage to enjoy 10 years from now? A little bit of work can be put in each day, for you, for your spouse- it really goes a long way.

I suppose what I want more than anything is to feel loved and supported. But that work starts with me; how much do I value myself? Do I even like myself? I had to do so much work on my fear and confidence levels to really enjoy what I have now. It was not easy, but it was worth it. I feel confident, valued, safe and happy- wherever I go.

Sometimes we can feel a little undeserving, can’t we? A little run-down?

The love you give to your baby (babies) every day warrants respect, love, time and care, and a little romance.
Now I’m aware that not every mum reading this will be in a positive, loving space when it comes to relationships… that does not mean you do not deserve it.

More advice here.

How can I help you?
We have a private Facebook Group where we can strengthen and support each other.

How can I help you?
I can offer you an opportunity for a discounted group coaching session, mum-to-mum. I will share everything that has worked and everything that HAS NOT worked.

How does that sound?
I would love to hear from you. Did you find my tips helpful?

Which ones were the most useful?

Let me know.

Lulu xx

P.S

Do you need additional resources? Look at the links at the bottom of this page; each link is just one click away from the resources that will help you in your journey as a mother.

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