The Oliver's Madhouse

Weight Loss Journey Week 20 of 2013

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Jaime

Highs and lows for me this week!

I am going to start out by saying the scales are now banished! .. I have been obsessing over those pesky numbers for at least the last 15 months and If I am honest I am buggered with it all. I if I take 3 measurements within a 5 minute period they are never saying the same thing.

I am also going to own up to in fact weighing when I had blogged that I hadn’t. I was so ashamed that I had been working so hard and the scales had barely shifted that in fact I was getting very upset.

Although that was about to change last week…. stay with me and I will explain…..

This fatty was measured 3 weeks ago when I really got into the boot camps. Then as part of the challenge we have been set by Tim Lawson my Boot Camp instructor (you can read about it in Last Weeks Weight Loss Post) last week I was measured again to get my starting figures for the boot camp challenge.

I was a on the verge of tears as it seems although the scales are not moving rapidly I have in fact lost a fantastic figure in inches!

8.5 inches

Yep you read it right I have lost 8.5 inches in 3 weeks combined from my legs, arms, chest, waist and hips. Its safe to say that the combined watching of what I am eating and by going to between 3-5 boot camps a week is making ALL the difference!

I even went shopping this weekend to start getting some holiday clothes for the Oliver’s family holiday in 19 days and I got into a size 16! .. although I did buy the 18′s as the tops would chafe a little under the arms. But hell who cares this fatty is getting there and this is the first time in more years than I care to remember I have fitted into a 16!

Total Weight Loss Since Jan 2012

4.5 Stone

This Weeks Target

3 x Boot Camp
Organise meals in advance in order to cut any urge to snack
keep drinking more water
Try and cut as many carbs from meals as possible still
Eat Breakfast everyday
Eat smaller portions and more frequently

What I Completed:

4 x Boot Camps – 1 extra than I thought!
Cut Carbs Out After 5pm – Completed all 7 days
Drank more water – Everyday
Breakfast everyday – Completed
Eat smaller portions, more frequently – Completed 6 out of 7 days

Next Weeks Targets:

5 x Boot Camp
Organise meals in advance in order to cut any urge to snack
keep drinking more water
Try and cut as many carbs from meals as possible still
Eat Breakfast everyday
Eat smaller portions and more frequently
Think positively about myself!

Posted in Diet & Exercise, Health, Weight Loss | Tagged Boot Camps, Diet, Exercise, Loss, weight loss, Weight Loss Journey | Leave a comment

Magic Moments 20/5/13

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Jaime

It’s that time of the week again and I don’t know about you but I am now loving Mondays!!

Last weeks link up was the highest ever with 84 linked up and let me tell you that each and every one of those posts was an amazing #magicmoments in your lives and I am honored you agreed to share them by linking up!

If your new to Magic Moments you can find the details HERE.

If you would like to participate I would love it if you would pop on the Magic Moments badge so others can see where you are linking up and they may decided to pop over and link up too! Remember the more people that take part and link up, the more people that are likely to visit.

Also feel free to tweet your link to me on Twitter once you have linked up and I will happily RT anytime you tweet throughout the week.

P.s Don’t forget you can always join the #MagicMoments Google + Community too if you would like too!

Posted in Blogging, Linky, Magic Moments Post | Tagged 20/5/13, Linky, Magic Moments Post | 18 Comments

The Joy Of Copying

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Jaime

My Little man has entered the full on copying stage, I thought his love of hoovers over recent months was a fully established obsession … I was wrong…. a dolls pushchair has now completely taken over my little mans life and he happily spends most of the day pushing the thing around!

He is quite content to push with nothing in it and going round in circles he has more than cracked!

Where has my baby gone? it seems his obsession is to copy and maybe my obsession with pushchairs has rubbed off?

Now I must remember to watch what I say as this is also starting and have provided a few comical moments. I am hoping they don’t lead to any embarrassing ones!

My baby is now a boy!

Posted in Family, Learning, Life | Tagged Copying, Magic Moments Post, Pushchair, Toddler | 48 Comments

My Life According To …

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Jaime

The lovely Laura from My Life As Mummy tweeted me about a challenge that she had received originally from Emily over at Family Four Fun and had now linked me up to see if I could take part!

Never one to sit on the sidelines I have had to have ago although I did spend most of my time laughing at the endless possibilities!

Basically you can only use the song titles from ONE artist to answer questions, and then you have to tag 5 people so they can have a go.

So here we go:

My life according to Mr Blobby

1. Are you Male or Female?

Super Girl -Remonn

2. Describe Yourself?

Inside Out – Bryan Adams

3. How do you feel?

Love Will Always Win – Faith Hill

4. Describe where you currently live

Right Place Right Time – Olly Murs

5. If you could go anywhere?

Philadelphia – Bruce Springsteen

6. Your best friend is?

Husband – Ed Sheran

7. Your partner is?

Against All Odds – Phil Collins

8. What’s the weather like?

Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head -B J Thomas

9. Favourite time of day?

Dance the Night Away by Van Halen

10. If your life was a book, what would it be called?

She’s Not Pregnant, She’s Just Fat – Cast Pattern

11. What is life to you?

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life – Eric Idle

12. Your last relationship?

Run For Your Life - The Beatles

13. Your current relationship?

Just like Heaven – The Cure

14. You fear?

And When I Die – Blood, Sweat and Tears

15. How would I like to die?

Go To Sleep – Eminem

16. What is the best advice you have to give?

Learn to Listen – The Ramones

17. Thought for the day?

Beyond Sleep – T.O.Y.

18. My Motto?

Love Makes The World Go Round – The Hollies

Bonus Questions

1. Your Favourite form of Transport?

Drive My Car – The Beatles

2. How I feel?

If Only Tonight We Could Sleep – The Cure

3. Your favourite colour is?

Pink - Aerosmith

4. If you could change your name, it would be?

Jenny Don’t Be Hasty – Paolo Nutini

Now for the 5 nominations:

Charly from PODcast

Nichola from FabFortyMum

Sam from Up All Hours

Xandi from The Mummy Scripts

Shareen from A Real Mummy Diary

And Finally!!!

My Manic Monday Music Post for Today is: Taylor Swift – I knew You Were Trouble

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_zULa3mgFo

Posted in Blogging, Linky | Tagged Linky, meme, My Life According To, Song, Song Titles | 2 Comments

Silent Sunday 19/5/13

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Jaime

Posted in Linky | Tagged Linky, Reflection, silent sunday | 91 Comments

My Week That Was – Project 365 Week 20

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Jaime

Another crazy week here at The Oliver’s Madhouse full of highs and lows.

Sunday 12th May – Saw 3 of the 4 Oliver’s off out to the local village fate followed by a walk out and some Active Family time.

Monday 13th May – A busy day playing catch up on housework and blog front with Magic Moments linky so Joshua insisted on trying to read allowed his new books.

Tuesday 14th May – My little man barely drops to sleep on someone he prefers to nap in his cot although he must of been super tired as he fell asleep on me!

Wednesday 15th May – Joshua had his 2 year check with the Health Visitor today she sat so lovely waiting his turn to go in. It seems strange that it was a year ago since I was last in this building and at how much Joshua has changed in that time.

Thursday 16th May – First time at the home office (outside table and chairs) I had such good intentions of blogging out there however I couldn’t help downing laptop and getting the weeding done instead.

Friday 17th May – Although its been raining and we couldn’t get outside for long we did get out there for a short time and this is the reflection in my home office table.

Saturday 18th May – Time to get ready for The Baby Show at the NEC in Birmingham … YAY!

Posted in Family, Life, Linky | Tagged 2 Year Old Check, Garden, Health Visitor, My Week That Was, Project 365, reading, The Baby Show, Week 20 | 36 Comments

To The Tots100 Blog Summit I Went

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jaime

After starting my blog journey only a mere 7 months ago. I am still feeling those newbie nerves so when I ventured to the Tots100 Blog Summit in Birmingham last Saturday I was completely overwhelmed (in a good way)

My blogging journey until this point has been a strange one of many days of self doubt and on occasion one of loosing my way. More so in February when I took my site self-hosted and I lost not only my followers but also my mo-jo!

So I looked back at why I started to blog in the first place and took it back to ensuring my blog was about us as a family us as individuals and what we encounter on the way.

Although my mo-jo had returned I have still struggled with the whole cyber thing. I have never before come across cyber friends and I have loved meeting up occasionally with those bloggers that live near by. But how strange to know so much about someone without ever hearing their voice or hearing them laugh!

I was originally anxious to travel to the event, however I was rescued by the lovely Louise from My Gorgeous Boys who offered me a lift! … Louise I will be eternally grateful.

When first walking in there I was stopped in my tracks at just how many people I recognised from reading their blogs! Joy from Pinkoddy in her promised bright pink Justin Beiber t-shirt was easy to spot! I was also so pleased to meet Eileen from ET Speaks From and Helen from Actually Mummy.

My 2 partners in crime for our first face to face meet up was the fantastic Anne from Raisie Bay and the amazing Charly from POD Cast who where my partners in blogging crime for the event. Thank you ladies for holding my hand!

Throughout the event I was completely in blog overload there were so many great sessions, I came away with renewed vigor more now than I ever had before! …… I now have 13 draft posts to work my way through!

There were a couple of bloggers who I met but yet didn’t get round to talking in detail with one of them being the lovely Nadine from Juggle Mum who I kept missing and also bumping into! .. sorry Nadine!

I am also looking forward to meeting those that I missed at the Blog Summit, Claire from Ninja Killer Cat and Jo from Jo’s Nursery who I intend to meet up with at the next blogging event!

I have to say I am all the more excited now to get to the next blogging conference and meet my cyber sister Vic Welton from Verily Victoria Vocalises who has been my newbie blogging chum since those very early days of self doubt and freak outs along with a whole list of other amazing bloggers that are on the meet up list!

I never thought for a minute when I first started my blog that I would be involved with such an amazing community of caring, strong, friendly, honest individuals! and I am loving it!

If you would like to see what else you missed why not check out the Tots100 Blog Summit Round Up

Posted in Blogging, Jaime, Learning, Out & About | Tagged Birmingham, Blog Summit, Conference | 16 Comments

Pre-Teen Angst And The Black Bra Saga

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Jaime

Right life as knew it has turned on its arse, my daughter is no longer the sweet little girl she once was, she is now in fact most unrecognisable most days with the swift shift from super Beth to complete and utter horror in mere seconds.

Please let me start by saying I love my daughter with all my heart and soul, however this vile creature that has taken hold is another beast altogether.. damn you hormones!

There is currently no conversation (although we are trying to rectify this) due to it being most difficult to hold a conversation with someone who choose to elaborate the truth at such a rapid rate of knots than the boy who cried wolf!

Now since she has been wearing bras for a while now I have never purchased ones with padding or under wire as these are not good for growing bangers and since she wears a school uniform I tend to only buy white so its not showing through the school shirt and being blatantly brazen!

A few weeks ago we had our biggest meltdown off the last 6 months over a black padded bra .. bought by her Dad.

She had returned from her Dad’s wearing the bra and on the return to school she came down stairs with it on … black bra showing through her school shirt like a belisha beacon (albeit black)

So with 15 minutes left before needing to leave for school she was asked to go and put on a white one and to do it quickly.

The response:

Screaming, wardrobe door slamming, clothes being thrown, vile words being aimed … followed by ” I am not going to school and I am not changing my bra”

Now at the time she should leave for school she is still hurling abuse and adermantly refusing to come down stairs let alone change the bra……… my resolve cracks. All I want to do is scream and cry and drag her down the stairs, although the threat to to drag her downstairs was falling on deaf ears … the last resort fell in the form of Dad

Now as some of you will already know her Dad and I separated when she was 6 months old and since that time he has religiously stuck to ensuring he sees her every other week from Friday to Sunday.

A call was made and he to tried to intervene with the vile beast that is hormones and was getting the same response as I. This went on for 10 minutes or so .. until I gave her 2 options … 1 take the bra off and swap it for the white one or option 2 wear a plain white T-shirt under the school shirt ….. calmness soon descended and hormones and child when off to school…. late.

Damn these stubborn nasty hormones and damn padded bras!

Posted in Family, Feelings, Life, Uncategorized | Tagged Arguments, Black Bra, Growing Up, Hormones, Tween | 26 Comments

Weight Loss Journey Week 19 of 2013

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Jaime

This week has been super exciting on my weight loss journey on the food and exercise front. I have seemingly developed a love of nuts and seeds. I hate pumpkin normally however I am loving the seeds! (obviously in small quantities!) …… who’d of guessed it!

On the exercise front I am certainly starting to feel the benefit of boot camps and I am feeling like I now walk taller and my posture is improving! I also feeling some looseness in my clothes, in fact I wore a top that I had before I had Joshua and it seems to of grown!

This week Tim Lawson the Personal Trainer who runs these boot camps has offered an amazing prize of: 2 weeks free boot camps, half price teeth whitening (his other business is Hollywood Teeth Whitening) and some eye lash extension to the person that looses the most overall inch loss and we have 5 weeks to do it! To say I am excited would be an understatement. I only hope that I can win!

I have struggled this week with ensuring I eat little and often although I seem to of the hang of it… but only time will tell!

Weight This Week:

Not weighed in…

Total Weight Loss Since Jan 2012

4 Stone

This Weeks Targets:

3 x Boot Camps
Organise meals in advance in order to cut any urge to snack
Drink more water
Try and cut as many carbs from meals as possible
Eat Breakfast (porridge and fruit) everyday
Eat smaller portions and more frequently

What I Completed:

2 x Boot Camps
Cut Carbs Out After 5pm – completed all but 2 days
Drank more water
Breakfast everyday

Next Weeks Targets:

3 x Boot Camps
Organise meals in advance in order to cut any urge to snack
keep drinking more water
Try and cut as many carbs from meals as possible still
Eat Breakfast everyday
Eat smaller portions and more frequently

Posted in Diet & Exercise, Health, Life, Weight Loss | Tagged Diet, Exercise, Nuts, Seeds, weight loss, Weight Loss Journey | 20 Comments

Active Family Month Challenge – Active Playtime

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Jaime

This week for the Mark Warner Active Family Month Challenge the theme for this week is ‘Active Playtime’ ….. Since I started this challenge I wanted to ensure that I gave a true representation on the things we really get up to to stay active and to not carry out activities that we could not maintain in the long term.

We do not climb cliffs, go white water rafting nor do we hike 15 miles a weekend. Although these activities I have participated in in the past they were not feasible to maintain with very busy schedules. What we do however do is try to ensure that we maintain a healthy active lifestyle doing things that we can maintain in the hopes our children will grow knowing this is healthy and fun.

We spend much of our free time exploring the greenery that we are so lucky to have surrounding us. As some of you already know I have had a mammoth task over the last 2 years to shift a large amount of weight after being classified as morbidly obese, at over 18 stones and 5ft tall. I am still battling the bulge but having shifted 4 stones in 2 years its such a lovely feeling to feel healthier and to actually enjoy taking part in physical activity with my children. To see my weight loss journey and how I am doing this month please feel free to pop over HERE.

After accepting this challenge I have decided to continue with making this a regular post weekly to ensure that we make this lifestyle choice a permanent fixture. Physical activity and fun do go hand in hand!

This week we have done a fair bit of walking, up until this last few weeks we were using a pushchair for Joshua come rain or shine:

However this has now changed, as he likes nothing more than a run and fun!