An Original Iced Give-away

The wonderful people over at Original Iced sent me over some thirst quenching cocktails to try out and with this summer heat they have been the perfect treat and time-out from being a mommy and also I life saver when my child is running rampage and I need a breather, a few sips and I can tackle round 500 of toddler duty.

I am already a huge fan of theirs and now love all their flavours since trying out the last few on my check list.

And they have given me a Party Pack of testers to giveaway to one of my lucky readers.

To enter is really easy, just follow below and hold thumbs that Rafflecopter picks you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My family are my friends

I've always been close to my family and unlike most people I really enjoy family get togethers, probably why I love Christmas and Easter so much because it forces every one to get together.

My gran is really sick, dying sick, her heart and kidneys are failing from the chemo she had a few years back so our family has been seeing more of each other, amazing how loosing those closest to you brings every one together, sad how we wait so long to reach out to one another.

My aunty and cousins have come out from Scotland to see her, say goodbye and all the sadness that comes with it but also all the happiness and memories of great days with family, days I cherish.

Love from Bear

Is there ever a right time?

Aiden is growing up so quickly, every day he is becoming more and more aware of his surroundings, he's a little boy, no longer my little baby, and every day I wonder when will it be the right time? What age will he know things aren't as perfect as they seem, that things are a little more complicated, that he has another life and another family that just are not in his. That he has a biological father that has chosen to not be there. Every day I wonder when do you tell this sweet little angel face about all the pain.

For now I know I can pretend a little longer, I can keep it from him for a while, he is to young to comprehend that the man he calls dad isn't his blood but by all means and accounts is his dad.

I know when the time comes I can't tell him the truth, that his bio dad is a complete asshole, who I hope rots in hell, I will have to be delicate and kind and maybe even throw in a few white lies for my little boys sake, for the sake of his heart and well being.

I know some mothers who are open about it from day 1, they have photo's and tell them all about them.

I know mom's like me who also avoid it like the black plague and instead keep it in themselves and let it boil the pain in the hearts every day to keep their child happy and painless for one day longer.

But that one day I know will be here sooner than I think, it will be like I blinked and their Aiden will be standing in front of me for answers, and I will have to decide which answers to give, where to hold my tongue and some how do it with out shattering his whole world I have so carefully tried to build for him.

People always judge me, and tell me how do I just pretend my reality isn't there, what they don't realise is that it is always their sitting at the back of my head, it's a constant lump in my throat and it's the knife in my heart that will never heal because as any mother does, we feel the pain that will hurt our child probably worse than they will.

It never goes away.

And it's a constant tug of war wondering if you have made the right choices so far and if the choices you have to make are also the right ones.

I'm terrified of when it will be the right time, I'm scared he will blame me or be angry at me, I am scared of the pain I know it will cause him, I am scared of him loosing his soft, caring and happy personality by letting the dark invade him like a ghost that the past always is.

He's only 2 now but before I know it he will be a man, and I know this will be part of a hole in his heart that nothing I do or say will take away.

Love from Bear

Win with LG! Win a LG G2 Smartphone!

I am a happy snapper, I take photo's all day especially of my little boy and LG is giving one of my lucky readers a LG G2 Smartphone so they can capture all Lifes great moments, yes I know, awesome prize right, if I wasn't running the competition I would be entering!

It's all about Life Moments, the good ones and we want you to share with us your Life Moments of your little ones first week of school!

Go have a look at the videos they captured of Life moments of others First day of school on the LG G2 Smartphone for some inspiration. 

All you need to do is send us a photograph of your little one during there first week of school, I'm sure you already have plenty to choose from. Here is my little one on his first day back.

You can email them to me at lovefrombearxxx@gmail.com or post them to my Facebook wall. 

Entries close next week Tuesday at 8am and then the judging will start. 

To keep it fair I will not be choosing the winner and have a found a select group of people to choose Top Ten then Top Five and a photographer friend will choose the final winner.

Please leave a comment letting me know you have entered and where you have sent your beautiful photographs, I am looking forward to seeing them all and your child can be any age as long as they go to school obviously.

And if you have time go give LG some love on Facebook and Twitter.

Winner will be announced over on my Facebook page on Friday 31 January 2014.

Competition is for South Africa only, good luck and have fun capturing your kiddies.

Love from Bear

Entrants so far

Megan Hartwig's Daughter

Nadia's daughter Amani

Ruweida Muhammad's daughter

Leanne Easton's boy Chase

Beth Rosen's Twins

Shayne Sheard's Munchkin

Gaelyn Cokayne

Coral-Leigh

Tamiya Stone

Nadine Tozer

Sakhumzi Ngonelo

Anita's girls got to swim on their first day of school due to chicken pox!

Potty training debacle

I was a Maths geek.

A Science geek.

I was the girl you copied your homework from.

I run my own company.

I have raised a child on my own for just over 2 years now.

I am logical.

But I can't wrap my head around how to potty train my child.

I have bought all necessary equipment.

I have read a few (a lot) of research on the whole thing.

He seems to be doing it at school according to the teacher.

I just can't get it right at home.

I either forget to even try.

Or when I do try I forget to take him to the toilet every 15 minutes.

Or we to busy to focus on it and so the nappy goes on.

One day he seems to want to use the potty the next day he tells me no mommy no.

I know people say don't rush it but now with having to buy pull ups and nappies it really is starting to break the bank.

Also right now I would love to get some thing right as a mother because I totally feel like I am failing at this all at the moment.

Is it just me or is potty training hard for every one?

I'm really lost on this one, I don't know where to start or how it will ever end.

Love from Bear

I am struggling with motherhood right now

We all know it's not easy being a mom, it is the greatest gift in the world, the most incredible love you will ever experience but also one of the biggest tests of your strength, patience and sanity.

And right now it's testing me and pushing my boundaries and my patience is non existent.

Aiden is an extrovert, he loves attention and 24 hour play time with some one, you will never find him quietly playing with his toys or using his imagination to invent his own games. He wants you to join in every second of it. 

Right now, he is like my shadow, I fall over him while I cook, have him follow me every time I need to take a pee, I constantly have cars being driven up my legs and dinosaurs shoved in my face with roar sound effects and I am tired.

In between the constant entertainment he is craving right now, the terrible two's have appeared with full force and tantrums are a 100 time a day occurrence. He throws things and breaks things and lays on the ground screaming.

It probably is also because all these little things that are probably normal motherhood issue, they just all piled up on the wrong time and a very stressful time.

I know I need to find the patience inside of me, leave the stress and worries at the door at night and focus my full attention on me wee boy but right now I am struggling with being a mom.

Right now I wish I could just be me, just for a little while.

Love from Bear

100 Happy Days!

If you haven't noticed the hashtag #100happydays popping up on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter yet you might need to look at some happier friends ;)

It's a really simple concept and a really easy, free, no strings attached challenge, to find one thing in every day for 100 days that makes you happy and take a snap of it and post it to your Social Media platform of choice.

It's never to late to start, just go the their website, register and start getting happy.

So far I have made it to day 9 and yes one or two days it was a struggle to find a slither of light, but it is their, it is always their, you just need to find it and choose it.

My Bunny Frankie

A healthy treat after a hard gym session

Trees at my moms place

Cuddles with my little boy

A weekend away!

My relationship with my mommy

Coming home to this smile after a weekend away

Working for myself allows occasional naps

A rather annoying disco ball my boyfriend decided to hang from my review mirror