10 things I’ve learned since September.
You’d have thought with Lewis being twelve, and the fact I’ve been doing the school run for eight long years, that I’d be a seasoned pro by now. It’s funny how easily you forget things as the children grow, especially the bad bits, and those eight years since Lewis started school feel like a world away some days. I thought I was pretty clued up when it came to school, and pre-school, and yet it turns out, there’s still so much to learn. Here’s what we have discovered since September…
1. No matter how organised you think you are the night before, or how early you set your wake-up alarm, those last five minutes before you leave the house each morning will always result in running around like a maniac, hunting for shoes, hair clips, book bags and return forms, flinging together sandwiches, wrestling hair into bunches, screeching “WE’RE GOING TO BE LATE!!”, on repeat.
2. The school run most likely got its name because of Mothers like me. Because, by the time the children have pain-stakingly put on their own shoes and coats, “No! Mine self do it!!”, legged it back in for a last minute wee or to pick up a forgotten PE kit, we have to run it.
3. Having a conversation with your child about their day will make you feel like an MI5 detective. Every question will be answered with a choice of three replies, “Don’t know!”, “Can’t remember!” and, “I’ve forgotten!”. And then at bedtime, by some miracle, they suddenly remember every random bit of information about their day and can drag that ‘Goodnight’ out for another half hour at least.
4. You have to label EVERYTHING. This might seem like common sense to most people, and whilst I smugly labelled every last bit of Evas uniform, I never even considered labelling Megans. I thought with her being three, and the fact that pre-schoolers don’t do PE, there was no chance of her taking her off her clothes, and why the hell would a child take off their shoes? But maybe the clue is in the first part. She is three. She takes off everything….and she doesn’t care what goes back on! Thank God for these name labels from Stickerscape , that simply stick on and you’re good to go, because by the time you’ve listened to your child’s long winded account of their day at bedtime, you sure as Hell won’t have the energy for sewing.
5. Non-iron uniforms? They’re LYING!! Sure you can believe the label and bypass the ironing part, but then your child is going to look as though they have slept in their clothes which would actually solve the worry of point 1 and 2, and yet fooling the teacher into thinking you are a fully functional family is paramount during this first term!
6. Your child will come home every night more tired than you ever thought possible. You’ll fight a constant battle of whether to give in and allow them to fall asleep over dinner, and be awake at 3am, or to force them to stay awake, with perfectly timed pokes, and face another few hours of crying. And you’ll soon realise that 3am is by far the easiest option.
7. White board pens are the work of the devil. I’m considering billing the school for the untimely death of four polo shirts and a cardigan, a whole array of stain removers that don’t work, plus the time wasted on Google looking for methods that actually do work.
8. Your washing machine won’t know what’s hit it. Remember the days when they could wear the same thing twice? This will never happen again! Every day there’s something else, pen, paint, glue, mud, the remnants of their lunch. And the only reason I even know what Eva has had for lunch each day is because I see the remains of it down her cardigan. And that’s another thing, everything is chicken. Chicken in sauce, chicken pasta, chicken shaped like a sausage…..whatever they’ve eaten, they’ll always tell you it’s chicken.
9. There are no good or bad days as far as a child is concerned, merely days when they get a sticker, and days when they don’t. When you’re stood in the playground, waiting with baited breath for your child to come out of the door, you can only hope that they will emerge with a sticker down their food splattered uniform, because God help you if they don’t.
10. Weekends are suddenly way more precious. Before the girls started school, and pre-school, we were very much used to spending all of our time together, where as now we really try to make the most of the time that we do have as a family. And in between doing the ten loads of washing and working my way through the mountain of ironing, we get out and about as much as possible because while the week days seem to drag, weekends really do fly by way too fast.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learnt since your child started pre-school or primary?
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Such sweet photos ? – I agree that weekends are soooo much more precious when they start school. I misse those days just puttering around…. Xx
Thank you. Yes, weekends are too precious to waste now, we seem to be on the go from morning til night! xx
It is quite a change isn’t it! I love the M15 bit, trust me it is even harder when they move from primary to secondary. Enjoy the years ahead, they are great fun. #TwinkleyTuesday
Fiona Cambouropoulos recently posted…First Jigsaw Puzzle ideal for 2 Year olds
I have one in secondary, year eight, and I know!! He tells me NOTHING!! I’ll take primary over secondary any day of the week! xx
I thought after I posted you had an older one too, my triplets are year 8 too, they actually start telling you a little more again by year 10 so don’t give up.
You deserve a medal with triplets!! Haha I will hold out for year 10 then, by then I’ll have all four in school and I’ll be spending all of my time ironing!! xx
This is such a lovely post – and shows me what I’ve got in store in a few years!! It must be chaos but like you say, the weekends together are precious and you make the most of them xx #DreamTeam
Thanks Fi. So much to look forward to…kind of! Word of advice, invest in a really good steam iron and a shed load of stain remover. Either that or choose a school with a dark coloured school uniform! xxx
Oh my word my children always say I’m the calmest mummy until 7:15 in the morning (we leave so early) and suddenly all they hear is me screaming “IT’S QUARTER PAST 7!!!” Oh the non-iron – what is that all about?? And the washing – oh my word the washing – I am a laundry woman for sure! 20 shirts a week in this house – drives me insane on top of the sports kit – but hey I’ll miss it in years to come I’m sure! Gorgeous photos as always xx #DreamTeam
Haha yep, my son always says, “You’re really angry in the morning aren’t you?”, which only enrages me further!! I can’t imagine having to leave that early, we just about struggle for ten to nine! Thank god we live a stones throw from the school, if I had to get them all in the car Id have a coronary! Thank you for reading lovely. xxx
Ironing, it’s the bane of my existence. I caved and bought a dryer with steam so I could throw out the iron. I still look rumpled from time to time 😀
#TwinklyTuesday
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We never iron anything in our house, weddings and funeral is our rule, but the school uniform is driving me crazy! Even fresh out of the dryer everything is creased, I need steam!! xx
It’s utter chaos with 2 so I can only imagine the fun you have! Chuckled my way through this, you’ve got to laugh or you’ll cry! 🙂 #TwinklyTuesday #stickers
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Haha yes, I think that’s my motto in life. Laugh or cry, or sometimes just both! xxx
Oh gawd! You are so right about those “non-iron” uniforms! They’re not true, aren’t they? Like you I refuse to let T go to school looking like I’ve just done the laundry that morning. Nobody has to know that right? 😉
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Haha exactly!! I’m thinking by Christmas I can slack off with the ironing but for now, let them think we are a normal family whenever possible! xx
haha, yep to all of these! I hate that lost property box! Also the tedium of making packed lunches. Love our weekends together though #dreamteam
Emma Island Living 365 recently posted…Women will always be society’s biggest losers
Ahh we have escaped packed lunches due to school dinners! One less thing to forget every morning! xx
My post this week is about the amazing way that whatever you do, there will always be something unexpected that will make you late for school. Aaargh! We’ve lost loads of polo shirts to whiteboard pens too. #TwinklyTuesday
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Ooh I’ll check it out! It’s so true though, even the most random, unlikely incidents seem to occur, especially on a Monday morning!! xx
NON IRON UNIFORMS!!! LIES!!! I remember them when we had a child at home of school age and we might as well have just bought normal shirts!!!
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Haha yes!! I was enraged by it!!! I feel completely conned!! xx
I know exactly what you mean. Even when you are super organized with children things are never determined and you can end up being late.
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Nothing is predictable with children is it?! This morning we made it by the skin of our teeth!! xx
I have the opposite problem when it comes to the school run, instead of being late we’re always too bloody early! We end up having to wait in the car and then Tyler gets annoyed because he wants to go in… I bet I’ll have these problems once he starts big school though!
Haha we used to be like that too! I was so scared of being late that I would end up being super early! I miss those days…!! xx
Such a lovely time in a child’s life but also such a big adjustment for everyone. You’ve easily rhymed off 10 thing you’ve learnt since September, a near 18 days ago that month ended. You’ll have a list of 100 by December! #dreamteam
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Haha you’re so right!! I think I could write an entire book on it by then! xx
Love this!! So true…no matter how organised I think I am we are always running around frantically looking for socks or shoes or a brush!! The only difference in my house is that Meme is never ever tired!! She is a whirlwind as soon as she gets home!! #twinklytuesday
Haha yes Megan is the same! Pick her up from nursery and she is BUZZING!! She usually crashes about 6, right in the middle of dinner which results in a horrific melt down, food flung, kids all screaming and me just praying for bed time!! School is hard!! xx
This is exactly how my life has become and she’s only at nursery full time!
Uh oh! Would you believe me if I said it gets easier??!! xx
Such lovely photos! My children aren’t in school yet but when I think about it I think of school discos, nice walks to and from school so this is handy to prepare myself haha! #ShareWithMe
Haha yes, I used to think more about the parts I was excited about, turns out there’s a lot more to it! I’m still learning! xx
Those last five minutes are completely bedlam here too and you’re right about getting nothing out of them about school until bedtime, the list of vitally important things my son has to tell me at bedtime is exhausting!
#DreamTeam
Hahah yes!! Still nothing that is actually about their day but just the most random bits of information! Glad it’s not just me! xx
This is going to be my life isn’t it from next Sept? Haha. Daddy will actually be doing the morning runs 3 days a week as I will be back at work. I’m so dreading the ironing…I hardly ever iron!! I bet the tiredness is fun too. That last picture of the girls is stunning!! Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst x
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Haha yep!! We don’t iron EVER, other than weddings and funerals, and so having to iron ten shirts each week for school is not fun! Plus when the youngest two start that will be twenty a week, I’m not sure I can cope! And thank you, they are loving being reunited on a weekend and I am loving having them “twinning” again! Haha! xx
Your photos are so sweet! It sounds like I’ve got fun days ahead of me!!
#bloggerclubuk #sharewithme
Haha yes you do!! xx
What adorable little girls. I love your labels! I have all of this ahead of me. I think I will be the mum running to the school gate too. I hope they get used to the long days. I’m worried about my little one being tired. It’s hard enough after two days at nursery nowadays. The weekends must be so precious for you now! x
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Ahh thank you. Yes Eva especially is EXHAUSTED! Every morning she says, “School?? AGAIN???”, it’s heartbreaking actually! Two days in school then two weeks off for half term, I am so ready for this! xx
Beautiful pictures! Mine are still very young but I have all of this to come!
#BestandWorst
The Tale of Mummyhood recently posted…Stocking Fillers with Snapfish!
Thank you! There’s some really good parts to school too, promise! xx
Ah, the “We’re gonna be late” song. Every day I am wailing it at the top of my lungs. Can I tell you what made me feel like the biggest dog poo ever? Hurrying my twins into school one day only to turn around and see my son wiped out on the cement sidewalk with a bloody knee. You would THINK that I would have learned my lesson, but no….
Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone! 🙂
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My son has never had more scabby knees than he does since we’ve been doing the school run!! Especially in September when he was still in his shorts, every day he’d be scraping them falling over on the school run! I’m so glad I’m not alone too! xx
Beautiful photos and I agree with every point! #BrilliantBlogPosts
Thank you! xx
Such a lovely post and pictures 🙂
I have 4 children and my baby has just gone to secondary school but we are always still late!! I hate ironing, I usually leave it till 10 o’clock Sunday night 🙂
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Haha me too! My eldest is in year 8 and his shirts take forever to iron! I dread the day all four of mine are in school and I have twenty shirts to iron each night! xx
Fortunately I am not there yet in my life but it sounds awesome in its own way lol. There is awlays something to learn everyday I am told. I remember the ‘non-iron’ uniforms that mum always ironed lol
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It really is, there are some lovely parts to school and then some really crappy parts! I live for the weekend! xx
We started homeschooling this year, and I’m still finding myself saying, HURRY UP! We need to get this stuff done! Haha.
Haha maybe being late is just universal, everything is such a rush in the mornings! xx
First, those are adorable photos. Just precious! I agree with all of them! Especially the being late one. Always. No matter what time we get up!
Thank you! Glad it’s not just me! xx
They make name labels so much cuter these days! And goodness me, I don’t know if I could cope with a half an hour goodnight as I’d just fall asleep! haha
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Don’t they just! It’s good that they can recognise a symbol or a colour even when they are unable to read their name! xx
This takes me back to listening to my mum losing her s*** because my brothers were never ever ready and always got there last, no matter how organised or early she woke up!
Only 2 more years to go..
#sharewithme
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Haha yes!! I remember my mum doing the same and me thinking, oh god Mum, take a chill pill! xx
My kids are yet to start school. I guess I have a lot to look forward to, lol.
Haha yes!! There’s some good bits, promise! xx
oh all of this is true. especially no matter how planned you are you’ll always be stressed shouting ‘hurry up, we’re going to be late again’ its so bloomin stressful. a great post – funny and true and your girls are beautiful (I love ‘mine self do it’) #stayclassymama
themotherhub.ie recently posted…10 lessons learned after an ASD diagnosis
I did it again this morning!! Running up the school path with greasy hair and bleary eyes. One day we will be on time!! And thank you, I’m a very lucky Mummy. xx
Just popping back from #stayclassymama
The Tale of Mummyhood recently posted…Stocking Fillers with Snapfish!
A sharpie for labelling became my best friend once they all started school. My mantra to the kids: “Keep your jumper on” helped me not to look like the worst mother, as non-iron sadly did mean that to me…I just can’t bring myself to do it! It’s all so true what you say and gorgeous photos. Alison x #StayClassyMama
Haha I am already thinking that when it starts getting really cold I wont need to iron her shirt as it will be covered with her cardigan!! At the moment she still takes it off, grrr!! xx
That first hour after school when all of a sudden the full day of sitting still explodes into a monster release of pent up energy #stayclassy
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Ahh yes, the pre-melt down energy release! My child get THAT silly and wound up that I know it’s going to end in tears! Theirs…and mine!! xx
This is such a lovely post, makes me almost look forward for my baby to start preschool, he’s only one so we have a long way to go. I don’t even take him to daycare yet because i’m currently at home with him.
labelling the shoes is such a smart idea by the way #coolmumclub
Thank you! Ah yes, cherish these days before you’re ironing school shirts and rummaging through lost property!! xx
The washable paint they use is NOT washable – many a white shirt has come to an untimely death
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Haha yes! We had an unfortunate incident the other day when I assumed Eva had some kind of serious head injury as she emerged from school covered in “blood”….turns out it was red paint in her hair and face. Her eyebrows were a funny colour for a good few days!! xx
Beautiful pictures Laura – those eyes are going to break some hearts one day!
I am nodding along as we are in our first term at school too. Love the chicken dinners bit – Tigs told me one day that the roast dinner was ‘Hammy Chicken’.
Thank God for half term and a nice rest!
Always love having you at #coolmumclub xx
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Hahaha hammy chicken just made me laugh out loud!! We’ve had sea chicken here before…meaning fish!! Thank the lord for half term indeed, never have I needed it more! Thank you so much for having me each week, I love linking up too! Happy half term! xx
Aw such lovely pictures! I am not looking forward to the school run in a couple of years time. As for putting on shoes, it doesn’t matter how i approach it or position the shoes.. they always go on the wrong feet lol
Haha Megan has been to pre-school three days running with her shoes on the wrong feet!! Oops!!
#coolmumclub
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I dont think there is such a thing a ‘non-iron’ it is all a gimmick to lure you in!
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I think you’re right! And suckers like me fell for it! xx
My god! Your kids are absolutely beautiful!! Snaps to you! I have a 2yo that’s full-time at nursery and can agree with most of the above. I find the mornings we wake up early, I end up being latest, things always go missing at the 11th hour. Labels, labels, labels. Otherwise consider the item of clothing as disposable, never to be seen again. And the tiredness! OMG! It’s awful.
Aww thank you!! I’ve gone a bit mad with the labelling now, I’m not sure each sock really needed to be labelled but it was just too easy, ha! xx
All very true. Laughed my head off at the non iron part. They are such liars. I have to iron everything lol x
They really are. We should start a campaign, I’m sure it’s false advertising! xx
Oh those BLOODY white board markers!! What the hell are they even made of?! Loved this haha #fridayfrolics
Haha I know right? And why the hell are these teachers not cottoning on to the fact that the entire school has a uniform covered in black pen! xx
Laura this cracked me up!!! Oh man I am always legging it around shouting “WE ARE GOING TO BE LAAATTTTEEEE!” – they actually don’t care! We iron uniforms everyday, because Yes they do get creased and yes they never get changed after school so have dinner all over it by bed time.. sheeesshhhh! Good news im not the only mad woman though haha x #thelist
I think that parents all over the country are screeching exactly the same thing Mary, it’s good to know we’re not alone!! xx
Ahh, I still love this. Brilliant post #FridayFrolics
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Thank you. xx
OMG! This is so true for all of them! I think I must of bought 10 packs of 3x white shirt pack with Ethan last year. How can they get themselves so dirty?! I so want to pull my hair out! lol! Thank you so much for linking up with us on #FabFridayPost
I’ve just today bought another stain remover that I’m hoping actually works! White shirts are hard work! Thanks for hosting. xxx
I’m destined to be a terrible school mum I think! I don’t do ironing, but I can see that when school comes I’m going to have to dig the iron and the ironing board out – I don’t want the teachers to think I’m a lazy mum (even though I totally am!) Love the sound of those stickers though – Max keeps losing clothes and I’m blaming nursery, but I can’t be bothered to sew on labels (you see, I really am lazy!) Thanks so much for joining us again at #SharingtheBlogLove
Haha yes! I don’t iron either but it is solely so that we don’t look like tramps each day! Name labels are a pain, even the iron on ones! I’ll be giving away a pack next week Katy so keep your eyes peeled! xx
I’ve learned how little sleep I actually need to get through the day. What time do I need to go to bed to be able to get up early enough to get lunches packed without being exhausted all day. That “after bedtime quiet” has become as important as the time after school!
Haha yes!! I used to need 8 hours at the very minimum and now I’m happy if I get 6! Those precious after bedtime hours are amazing aren’t they? I find myself staying up late just to enjoy them for a while longer! xx
Such a lovely post – your littlies are gorgeous. We’re not at this stage yet, but I’m already imagining all the joys! Before they start school you can just sort of wing it, but once school starts you have to be super organised and on your ‘A’ game…god help me! x #SharingtheBlogLove
Haha yes! Winging it has been my approach for the last four years but now with two in school, one in nursery and one at home, it’s impossible to wing it! I need lessons in how to be more organised! xx
I’m all over the stick on labels, they saved my life. I can’t see at all!!! I’m the same as you I think everything is sorted the night before, but we are still searching for things when we should be heading out the door!! Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove X
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And mine! I didn’t even know they had such a thing, I thought iron on was as simple as it got! Never again shall I be burning clothes while I hold the iron on trying to get a name label to stick! xx
I usually think things are going well and then Adam refuses to get dressed and it all goes pear shaped! I must say though I’ve been lucky with our non Iron uniform it is pretty good thank goodness or I would go nuts! Great post! #fabFridaypost
Yes! It only takes one thing to throw all of your plans!! I sometimes feel as though I am way ahead of myself, everything is done, kids are dressed, and I take my eye off the ball for just a moment and it all goes pear shaped too!! xx
My son comes home from school most days covered in mud, so much mud. I think he just rolls around in it at playtime! And those kind of sticky name labels really are brilliant, I keep them in the lounge so I can grab one just before we leave the house if I realise something isn’t labelled! x #TheList
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Yes! That’s what I’ve been doing! New jumper? Sticker just goes straight on!! I think my daughter rolls in mud at playtime too, her gorgeous white socks are now grey and stained! xx
I have learnt that no matter how hard I try, I will never be organized in the morning again lol. I am so glad I only do a few school runs a week now.
#fortheloveofBLOG
Ali Duke recently posted…The First Half-Term Of Senior School Is Over
Yep, those days are over aren’t they? I panic about the days I have all four in school, god knows how I’m going to get them all looking presentable and out of the door without having a nervous breakdown each morning! xx
Aw this is lovely and so much I agree with, even though Emma is only at nursery stage. The stickering EVERYTHING has begun, though how on earth do you sticker socks?! And she’s also impossibly tired every single night. But weekends like you say are amazing and such precious time together suddenly. Gorgeous pics as always lovely! Thank you for linking up to #dreamteam xx
Haha I know, I just shove one in and hope for the best!! Knickers too! It’s insane how much they strip off at that age!! Thank you for hosting! xx
Ah your girls are so cute! I’ve got all this to come in a few year’s time. However I think no matter what you’re leaving for there will always be that last minute “quick, get out the house”. I have it everyday on the way to nursery, I often can’t find my keys, though they are usually in my pocket. Urgh I hate ironing, not looking for that. Hopefully by the time my daughter goes to school when they say “non-iron” it will mean “non-iron”. Thanks so much for linking up at #fortheloveofBLOG. Claire x
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Haha yes! There is never a day when it all just goes straight forward! I live in hope! xx
It’s nearly impossible to be organized especially in the morning. The perks of motherhood. Your girls are so adorable. x
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Thank you! It’s really not, and I’m not a morning person so that doesn’t help! xx
What gets me is that despite labelling absolutely everything it still manages to go missing… #twinklytuesday
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Haha you’re so right!! There’s no escaping it! xx
Non-iron clothes are such lies!!! Honestly my son is at pre-school and he comes over covered in mud and glue and food spills lol #stayclassymama
Haha yep, story of my life! xx
Ah yes all very familiar to me ! We are always rushing even though I am super organised and I do feel like a detective! Thanks for linking to #sharewithme
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Haha glad it’s not just me! xx
Ha so true! Even now at 10 and 12 my boys suddenly remember everything that they have ever wanted to tell me at bedtime 😉 I only have until July and then I won’t have any primary school children here anymore… that seems crazy! Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix lovely
Stevie xx
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Oh gosh, big changes ahead! Hold on to these next nine months! xx
I can totally understand the end of day conversation, the boys suddenly remember everything they have ever wanted to tell me as soon as I turn the lights off lol! And, my washing machine is on ALL THE TIME 🙂 I loved this post hun, made me smile #FabFridayPost
Haha yes, my electricity bill must have doubled since September! xx
Yes to all of these! I find tumble drying the polo shirts gets rid of the creases. We are ALWAYS in a mad rush too! Thanks for linking to #PickNMix
Eilidh x
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We’ve shrank countless “tumble dry” shirts, I swear it’s a conspiracy to make us buy more and more! xx
Love this. My eldest started nursery school for the mornings in september and we have experienced many of these things.
Thanks so much for joining us for #FridayFrolics.
I’m sure it gets easier…right?! xx