
Book review: How To Grow Stuff
Here's a minor diversion from mum-based things to a gardening book written by a talented friend of mine, How to Grow Stuff by Alice Vincent. Alice is a non mum and self-described gardening newby and she's published a book on the basics of getting into growing your own garden - something that's perfectly applicable for...
The Work That Works Delusion
When I wrote a post about work that works recently, it was in part wishful thinking. Work has been particularly difficult after having children and during pregnancy. Not long after writing that post, the work in question certainly did not work at all, and on reflection, it never really did. Work not working has been...
Book review: How to Grow a Baby and Push It Out and A Midwife In Your Pocket
Baby number two arrived just before Christmas, so well may you ask 'Melanie how do you have time to blog'? Indeed I don't. The only way to get these few words down for a review of two midwifey books - Clemmie Hooper's How to Grow a Baby and Push It Out: A Guide to Pregnancy...
South East London 2016 Christmas markets
I have no shame in getting ready for Christmas as soon as the clocks go back. Extra Christmas lights have been ordered, several but not all presents bought and the pudding is about to be made this weekend on stir up Sunday (I use the classic Delia Christmas pudding recipe and add glace cherries because...
Fight don’t hide. What to do about Trump
I'm exhausted today from watching the US 2016 election unfold all night, and the cat-arse-mouthed orange-tinged fear clown Donald Trump become elected as the 45th US president. I've had one tearful outburst, self-medicated with cake and hot chocolate and run through the whole gamut of the Kubler-Ross model of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and...
How to garden when pregnant
If you've already caught on, I'm nuts about gardening. I had the plan for my first garden in my head for years before we could afford to own our own in London, I grew up touring advanced tree nurseries, helping to take care of our own large property and doing other people's gardens as a...
What to give a first time mum
A brilliant friend who's not yet been blessed with having her nights, looks, vagina, stomach muscles, social life destroyed with a new baby asked me what she should buy for her sister who's just popped out a glorious little cherub. At the time of the request I myself was/am 6 weeks off the due date...