10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

Sometimes life runs away with you and you realise that way back in the heat of the summer (and it was hot out here in Dubai) the lovely Mim from mamamim.com tagged you in a post to spill ten things that you didn’t know about me.

Before I dive right in I just want to take a second to say that a lot has happened in Mim’s world since August; and she has written about it so beautifully and so bravely in “Walk a Day in My Shoes” which I urge you to go and read.

Now, onto the questions! (I defy you to not say Mim’s first question in a Scouse accent.)

Questions from Mim

1. What’s your name and where’d you come from? (paying homage to the late, great Cilla)

Laura and, funnily enough, I was born not far from the late, great Cilla. Just over the water from Liverpool in Birkenhead.

Not only that but I met my husband in Liverpool which means that I hold scouseland dear in my heart. And I even used to speak with a bit of a plazzy scouse accent.

The (Southern speaking) husband has knocked the accent out of me, with the help of my mum, though he’s still devastated I say bAth instead of bARth.

2. Why do you blog?

Originally I started because one of my friends did and I adopted a whole, anything you can do I can do too attitude. From there I fell in love with blogging. Having a voice again. Remembering that I’m more than just “mummy”. That even though I write about the boys and this is predominantly a parenting blog, that writing about parenting is actually an escape. It’s about connecting with people who are going through the same things you are, at the same time.

It’s about that even if you feel lonely (despite the fact that you never seem to be alone) you realise that you aren’t alone. That there is a mum somewhere else in the world who is also dealing with tantrums over shoes, over Big One’s not sleeping, who’s boobs are leaking milk everywhere.

The shoes that caused said tantrums….

My blog has become my journal, my outlet for anything I’m passionate about and above all my record of life when the boys are young.

3. Where would you travel to that you haven’t already been and why?

So many places!! The world is a small place and we only have a limited time to see places.

Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before
~~ Dalai Lana ~~

I’d love to visit the majestic wonder of Machu Piccu, go snorkelling round the Great Barrier Reef, take a picture pretending to prop up the leaning tower of Pisa, go ice skating at Rockerfeller centre at Christmas time, see the magic of Disney World through the boys eyes, lie on the beach and chill out in Vietnam.

So many!

4. Who’s your favourite Blogger?

I have lots of favourite bloggers and each of them are my favourite for different reasons. I couldn’t narrow it down to one and I keep discovering new blogs, and therefore new favourites, all the time.

The one thing that makes someone one of my favourite bloggers is when they are able to touch me with their writing, be that moving me to tears like Leigh from Headspace Perspective does when she wrote “Moving Forward, Not Moving On“, to making me laugh like a drain as Tori from the Adultier Adult did with her post on “Stuff I Think About During 3am Night Feeds“, to making me nod frantically agreeing with everything you’ve written like Another Bun did with “#Bressure and Judgy Pants“.

5. If you could collaborate with just one brand on your blog, who would it be?

Just one?? I’ve had a lovely time collaborating with so many brands, from small independents in Dubai like Personalised Prints to internationals like P&O Cruises. If I was only ever going to collaborate with one brand again it would have to be a travel related brand, because even though travelling with children is tough, it’s immensely doable and something that we, as a family, feel passionate about. Travel shouldn’t stop because you have children, it just has to adapt.

6. What is your proudest achievement, aside from your children?

I was pretty pleased (read I jumped up and did a happy dance round the house in my PJs that had the Big One looking at me perplexed) that I made number 6 in the Huffington Posts most popular blog posts of 2015.

7. Why did you choose your blog name?

I was pregnant when I started writing and so Baby Boy was merrily kicking up a storm everyday, while the Big One liked to kick me in general. I guess kicking is just something my boys like to do as the Baby still loves to flail his legs around now. So Life with Baby Kicks was born.

8. Who’s your no. 1 celebrity crush?

Who are celebrities?? I’m so out of touch it’s unreal….

9. What is your biggest regret in life?

Dropping out of school at 17, halfway through my A-Levels then having to talk my way back into college to do said A-Levels to get enough points to go to Uni. I did a lot of bunking off and could have done so much better than I did!

10. What’s your no. 1 blogging tip?

Write from the heart as if you’re talking to a friend. People want to know about people and that’s why they come back and read more.

The Rules

Link back to the blogger who nominated you, answer their 10 questions and add the badge to your post. Write your own 10 questions and tag 10 bloggers to answer them.

My Questions

1. What would your super hero name be?
2. If you could choose any super power what would it be and why?
3. What’s been the biggest change in your blog since you started?
4. Which is your favourite post of all time and why?
5. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt blogging?
6. What was your first car – and did it have a name?
7. Where would your dream holiday destination be and why?
8. What is one thing you’d tell 16 year old you?
9. What is your favourite film?
10. Dance all night or early to bed?

I nominate

Sian from Quite Frankly She Said
Amy from Mr and Mrs T Plus Three
Beth from Twinderelmo
Alexandra from I’m Every Mum
Angela from Days in Bed
Kate from Refined Prose
Martyn from Inside Martyn’s Thoughts
Hannah from Budding Smiles
Alex from Lamb and Bear
Another Bun

Look forward to reading all about you guys!

And if you want to know anymore about me you can always find me on Facebook (#justsaying)