This is a word I hate to utter but here it is. I’m on a diet. Not a silly diet or faddy diet but a straightforward eat less fat, eat more good stuff diet.

I’m not a fan of diets generally. I mean diets such as The Cabbage Soup or Atkins. I always think it’s better to just change the way you look at food and eat well and maybe do some kind of exercise jiggery thang.

I’ve been putting it off and putting it off.

But… I feel rubbish about the way I look right now. I know I’m not huge. Not at all. I know that I’ve had two babies in just over 2 years and it doesn’t disappear overnight but I do find it hard when I look at friends or family members who have babies and literally seem to snap back into shape. Yes breastfeeding helped my uterus shrink and to lose the initial pounds but just as it did with Izzy my body seems to want to hold on to the last stone or so until I finish. Yes this happens to about half of breastfeeding women..we don’t all lose every pound ( and more) when feeding.

I know this weight loss will be hard but I know that I will feel happier because of it. I’m not the type of person who will ever be stick thin and I’m ok with that. I like having some curves but I also like to feel comfortable in myself and for me that’s a stone or two lighter.

What I’m finding hardest is that I really want to bake. Baking soothes me. Cakes aren’t really that good for losing weight. I baked chocolate cupcakes with Izzy today and I somehow managed to exercise some restraint but woah it was hard.

Would dieting be easier if I didn’t love to cook so much? Maybe.

I’m going to increase my daily exercise level too although I don’t sit down for more than about 30 minutes on any given day so not sure how much more I can squeeze in but I’m certainly going to try the 30 day shred as it worked so well for me last time.

Above all I’m not going to put any pressure on myself. Weight loss/weight gain and the way we look at ourselves post baby is one of the hardest things to deal with as a woman and it can affect your emotional well being. I know what’s more important.

My wonderful daughters are certainly worth a wobbly belly.

I just wanted to share that breastfeeding isn’t always this magical weight loss trick. Not for everyone.

How did you feel about your weight 6 months post partum? Did breastfeeding zap your pounds away?

Last week we had the pleasure of visiting Coombe Mill in Cornwall, those of you that have been will understand when I say that you can’t really get just how beautiful it is unless you have been there. The lovely photos I’ve seen shared on reviews and blogs are a definite hint but I had no idea how big it would be or how picturesque.

We didn’t stay there but popped in for a day to visit Fiona and her wonderful farm as we were in Cornwall for a holiday but it’s safe to say we will be back.

I won’t drone on as I’m feeling a bit rubbish today but I do want to show you our photos:

We didn’t really want to leave. We had a good look around the various cottages and lodges and it does look like a dreamy place to stay!

I’ve been meaning to join in on the fabulous Country Kids linky hosted by Fiona of Coombe Mill for some time now but something always seems to get in the way.

This week after spending some time at Coombe Mill I had no excuse.

We spend a lot of time outdoors, exploring the area around our local estuary.. playing at the park or just in our garden. We have been on teddy bears picnics in local woodland and had fun on local beaches but like most people I do feel like we don’t do it enough. Summer now seems to have arrived so I believe we must make the most of it and get outside as much as possible. I want my children to have a childhood like mine.. Making dens, camping in the garden and hunting for worms are all on the to do list. Izzy is that little bit older and able to participate a lot more so I am hoping for a summer of adventures and fun.

I’m on holiday still so this post isn’t going to be a long one but here are some photos of us enjoying the extremely beautiful Coombe Mill and the gardens of the hotel we are staying in. We definitely chose the right time to visit Cornwall .. The sun has most definitely got his hat on.

These are just iPhone pics as silly me forgot to bring the card reader for my iPad. So many lovely pics to follow next week..

Another month, another thousand or so photos taken on my iphone or camera. So many funny pics of the little ones, often blurry and out of focus as I try to capture something while it happens. I have however taken a little step back. I don’t try to capture everything. Some things are perfectly perfect just in my head as a memory. I don’t want to miss out on being part of the memories because I’m taking photos of them.

But still there are lots of photos – 😀

Izzy and Chloe are still loving being sisters, Chloe more so than ever. She is fascinated by her older sister and Izzy can make her giggle like no one else. Izzy in turn dotes on her for the most part and I will often catch her giving her a stealthy kiss and saying Chloe is my best friend. Aww.

She doesn’t quite understand that some things are just for Chloe and still assumes that all toys that arrive are for her. She was ridiculously excited when a new bumbo seat arrived for Chloe ( who had been using one that had been passed onto us ) and jumped about saying it’s my birthday..it’s my birthday.

Later that day when they were both sat in their bumbo seats ( Chloe in the old one I should add) I took this photo which was just about when I said it was nearly bedtime. Izzy loves her bed, both at nap time and in the night but still does the typical toddler strop face when I say it’s that time of day.

This had to be my siblings photo for this month:

I’m a bit behind with our family of four photos but we are off on holiday soon so we should have plenty of photo opps 😉