I love a good oldie.... super excited for my fridayfoto night tonight! #coventry #covmummies #familyphotos #familyphotoshoot https://www.instagram.com/nicollewilliamsx/p/BrF5NQQlTyo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1f8a0lfv2w2o7

Little preview of the T-shirts for the Charity Football Match in honour of Baby Harrison... #sma #spinalmuscularatrophy #charity #charityfootball #coventry #coventrymummies #coventryathletics #alanhiggscentre https://www.instagram.com/nicollewilliamsx/p/BrF5FIJlkPy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1a5uae82zzyk3

I love a good oldie.... super excited for my fridayfoto night tonight! #coventry #covmummies #familyphotos #familyphotoshoot https://www.instagram.com/nicollewilliamsx/p/BrF4x2dllLa/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rsa3eo58b99m

If i had to specify what is the main cause and root of my anxieties.. like what triggers me to have a crisis i wouldn’t be able to tell you... All I know is that there is a routine and it starts with my mind asking, What if? That what if leads to a worry and then I have to decipher is that worry, hypothetical or real? Is it a hypothetical worry that hasn’t happened yet is it internal ? Or is it a real worry and it’s external, it’s there right now I can either see it, hear it, feel it etc... #anxiety #coventrymummies #mummyblogger #mentalhealthawareness #anxietyquotes #mummyblogger #anxietysucks #mumlife #postnatalanxiety https://www.instagram.com/nicollewilliamscreative/p/Bp9gleyFI3R/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l97u5frfr1h0

So I’ve never really posted about my personal mental health but if I’m going to over come it I may as well talk about it. For awhile it has only been my husband and close family or friends who know that I suffer from severe anxiety. It came after a very stressful first pregnancy and I’ve been battling with my mind ever since. It is something that stomps me everyday in all aspects of my daily life and work but rather than fight it off completely I’ve learnt how to manage it... My whole life revolves around my tolerance of my anxieties and how I over come them or feel about them.. #mentalhealthawareness #mummyblogger #mentalhealth #mindfulness #mindfulmum #speakout #mumlife #samaritans #mumbloggers #mumbloggeruk #sayyes #instamind https://www.instagram.com/nicollewilliamscreative/p/Bp9eMVUFCg9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1bf8ygcmauw4m

Dairy Free Mac & Cheese

So Mac and cheese was a big favourite of ours... It was a key dish at all our family functions, a crispy topped casserole dish filled with gooey cheese goodness... it’s taken just under a year but I’ve mastered this recipe. And I can gladly sing, “it’s the return of the Mac”

Ingredients

* 350 g dried macaroni

* sea salt

* ground black pepper

* 1 litre rice milk

* 100 g dairy-free margarine

* 85 g plain flour

* 1 tbsp mustard

* 50 g vegan cheese

Method

Preheat your oven at 180/ gas mark 4. Then boil water in a pot and once the water is boiling pour in your macaroni.

In another pot, melt the dairy free margarine in the pot and once melted add salt, pepper and your mustard. Stir it all up, and the flour but keep it moving as this will go really thick and leave a burnt taste.

Slowly whisk in your rice milk until the mixture reaches that creamy consistency. Add more seasoning at your own preference. Just before I finish I add my grated vegan cheese.

Drain your macaroni and then add to your cheese sauce. Mix it in well and then dish into a casserole dish, top with more vegan cheese and bake it for 20mins until the top is crispy.

Dairy free

So last year around the time of Isaiah’s third birthday and after many trips to and from the doctors, hospitals etc we discovered that the reason he had been struggling so much going toilet was because he was allergic to dairy... At first it didn’t really sink in, to me the change would be as simple as removing cows milk from his cereal... Boy was I wrong..!!

After weeks of his condition not getting any better, and still no referral from the nutritionist me and my mother in law had to do some research of our own...

It never really clicked until we went through all the ingredients within our normal food shop that we realised, there’s dairy in a lot of his favourite treats and snacks...

I used to make separate meals for him breakfast lunch and dinner but this wasn’t economical at all so we then decided to become a dairy free house hold....

And this is basically a dairy or additional feature in my blog of the cool dairy free treats I find in stores and cool dairy free recipes I have tried and tested...

Enjoy, love Coco x

Better late than never!

PUMPKIN CARVING

Nothing starts off the Autumn quite like the falling of golden brown crunchy leaves falling from the trees. All the shops begin stocking up on Christmas decorations, and seasonal songs start playing literally everywhere, in every shop. If your ears are not already bleeding from ‘Baby shark,’ they will be from the blissful sound of what Mariah Carey wants for Christmas… We get it Mariah!!!

Autumn is by far my favourite season, which is quite funny to me because I am scared of my own shadow at times and it gets too dark to quickly for me. For the past few years we have been going to the farm and picking our own pumpkin’s dragging our wellies through the mud to get the perfect pumpkin pals for Halloween.

Over the years we have changed it up a bit from buying the pumpkins we pick and pay the extortionate quirky farm prices to ‘accidentally’ leave the over large monstrous crop in the fields and opting for the cheaper shop ones.

SIMPLE STEPS

1. You will need to choose a Pumpkin, any size colour and odd shape your munchkin desires. Make sure it’s as fresh as possible, nothing smells worse than a rotting pumpkin, you want yours to last as long as possible.

2. Cut the top of the pumpkin head, making sure the crown is wide enough for you to stick your hands and most of your arm to carve out the guts. (Grown up required)

3. Use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to dig out the seeds and pulp. You can discard the seeds, and place the pulpy stuff in a bowl if you fancy making a pie or muffins. (Recipe available) Ideally you want the walls of the lantern to be about an inch thin so make it easier for the candle to glow through.

4. Next is drawing on your pumpkin pals fearful or friendly face. (Stencils available).

5. When your happy with your design use a sharp pointed tool, I use the little knife from the block of knives, and carve my pre-marked design. (Grown up required)

6. Finally, it’s time for the candle. We use scented candles for no reason other than because they smell better when burning away. You can also us batter powered fairy lights or tealights.

Love Coco! x

Hello November.... is it too early to put up the Christmas tree? Dress the halls in bells and holly? 🍁🍂 #coventrymummies #mummyblogger #blogger #christmasdecor #isittooearlyforchristmas #byebyeoctober #hellonovember https://www.instagram.com/nicollewilliamscreative/p/BpoVQOzBecS/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ck6dugjhqtzg

I’ve found it hard for me to finding the time to do the all the fun creative things you get to do with your children when you either work part-time or a stay at home mum. This is not a dig at any stay at home mummies, at all. I used to be one, it was hard and boy do I miss those days when I could plan a fun filled day with my toddlers. What I would give to not spend my weekends catching up on laundry and rummaging through book bags for uncomplete homework and accident forms. Maybe one day I could but at presents, it’s neither realistic or fair for me to do so. The wonderful world of the getting creative with the children is something I would love to dip into but finding time is the hard part.

I know a lot of mummies who also share this struggle, and it dwelled on me where on earth I’d find the time to do this that and the other… The answer is you probably wont unless you make time. I think planning the activity and sourcing the materials is the first part which takes up the most time. So I thought about the possibilities of small human activities that only need items that you can find around the house or easily available during your weekly shop.

You’re probably thinking ok genius, now I’ve got these easy to find, easily accessible items. How do I sculpt a beautifully hand crafted replica Stone henge, out of vegan friendly molding putty, ensuring that the world knows that my toddler is the next Leonardo di vinci at the tender age of 18months and 12 weeks old.

You don’t! You simply just don’t do it, do not try and prove to the world that the small human you created is an artistic genius. It puts way too much pressure on the poor soul, and really he/she is just trying to master the art of the toilet.

What you can do though is, find 30 – 45mins in your day to do these small, fun and easily accessible activities instead. 30 – 45mins you say, yes give or take. I pride myself on my awesome ability to be able to work smart not hard, it’s a skill and you my mummy/daddy friend have it in you to do the same.

Welcome to my page, thank you and enjoy.

Love Coco x

World Mental Health

Its World Mental Health Day… it’s a subject that is still not talked about enough. A stigmatism that makes women, mothers, even father’s feel that they aren’t able to speak out loud about. Between 10% and 20% of women develop a mental health problem during pregnancy or within the first year of giving birth.

Postnatal Depression

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Postpartum Psychosis

50% of these problems are left untreated or undetected and this can have a serious effect on the women and their families. Its one of the leading causes of death for mother during pregnancy and the first year after. Across the UK half the woman affected by these illnesses have no access to specialist help and is therefore a major public health issue.

I’ve worked with a number of organisation focused on women’s health and wellbeing and the simplicity of spreading the word will help greatly in the fight to change the stigmatism around Mother suffering from Mental Health.

Just as a little as a phone call can help a mother feel as though she isn’t alone or that someone cares for her wellbeing, as well as her children’s.

Let’s start by asking, ‘How are you?’ and its ok to reply, ‘Not great.’

Its ok to not feel ‘OK’ everyday, its ok to feel ‘down’ sometimes, its ok to seek, ‘help’

Mobile photo shoots starting from £50 with your choice of location within the West Midlands.. Available for: Birthdays Engagements Baby showers Newborn Family portraits Special occasions Message for more information and details of all services. #coventrymummies #mummyphotographer #beautiful #coventry #coventrymummies #photography #photoshoot #photographymum #tuesday #tuesdaymorning #alf #summer

Mobile photo shoots starting from £50 with your choice of location within the West Midlands.. Available for: Birthdays Engagements Baby showers Newborn Family portraits Special occasions Message for more information and details of all services. #photography #instastyle #design #mummydesign #mummyphotographer #coventry #coventry2021 #coventrymummies #coventrylife #photo #wednesday #beautiful #wednesdays

Grain salad

Another year another great year to come with these two mini me’s :)

My 5 year old doing his own product photography

That time Andy Serkis congratulated me on a great speech...