10 Things I Want to Achieve Before I'm 30

Not that long away...

Hello readers I hope you are all well. If you are new here, welcome! Firstly I would like to thank everyone for the amazing response to my "All Things Mental Health" blog post. All the lovely messages always give me a boost in confidence and makes me feel like I am making a difference in the world. We all have a voice and I am glad I am using mine to make people happy as well as myself. Today's blog post I have wanted to write for a while, since my 21st birthday in August to be exact. Birthdays always make you think about getting older. Some people think of it negatively, some think of it positively. I personally think age is just a number and you are only as old as you feel so I have never really thought about aging really but hitting the milestone of 21 did get me thinking about some goals I would like to meet in the next few years, preferably before I'm 30. Some of these goals are common, some a little out there. But they are all things I am determined to do. I hope you find them interesting. Happy Reading!

Why 30?....

I know many of you reading are probably thinking, why 30? Why must I achieve these things by my 30th birthday? The answer is, I don't. This is not a strict rule I am setting myself, I will not be devistated iff by the time I am 30 every single thing on this list is not fulfilled. Even if none of them are, I will still have my daughter, my fiance and a great life. But it is good to be ambitious and have goals and for me setting a time scale to them makes it more likely I will try to achieve them. That is partly why I am writing this out for the whole of the internet to see, that will give me an extra push to try and fulfil my goals. Maybe in 9 years I will be writing a post called "I did it" or maybe not but either way I will be happy, these are perks. Above all these that I am going to write below my goal is to be the best mother I can be to Ella-Grace (and maybe baby number 2 - more on that below), everything I d is not only for myself but for my family too, that is another motivation for me. Lets get into it, here are my goals.

The goals...

1. Get another paid writing job OR start my degree

I am at a bit of a cross-roads with this decision or I may well have achieved this one already. So let me explain both sides of the coin. 

For aslong as I can remember I have always loved the thought of going to university and getting a degree, I love to learn. It gives me more confidence and challenges me. Expanding your mind and knowledge is always a good thing. I had the chance to go to university a few years ago to study Mental Health Nursing but I turned it down (just before I got the news that I hadn't got one of the grades I needed anyway so maybe it was for the best I decided not to go anyway- avoided the heart ache). I turned it down because although Mental Health is something I feel passionate about/ can resonate with and I have always known my goal in life is to make a difference and help people. This career just didn't feel right for me, I needed to explore more. So I have done a separate college course, worked and then when I became pregnant discovered my passion for writing. Which is definitely the field I would like to go into but do I want to study it or just work my way through it? That's what I am struggling with. Part of me want's to do the English Literature home degree through Open University (I was actually due to start this month but I postponed it as I'm not sure if it was I want to do), the thought of having my family at my side when I graduate in my cap and gown and showing Ella-Grace you can do anything you put your mind to. Fighting the stigma of "Your life is over" when you have children. That is very important to me and as I said has always been a dream of mine, I want that cap and gown. But then there is the other part of me that wants to just continue pursuing my freelance writing and focus on writing a novel, as helpful as a degree would be for this I do think it is possible without the degree and that I can work my way to it instead. That I feel is more suited to my life now as a stay at home mum. I feel that I am past the student stage of my life and just want to do it! So should I look for more freelance writing work? Take small creative writing classes? Let go of my dream of graduating? Or should I get my degree first and focus on the rest later. A big decision that obviously I don't need to make right now, degrees will always be there and contrary to some peoples views, I believe you are never to old to study or go to university. We will just have to wait and see on this one. 

2. Move away

This one will hopefully happening in the next two years. Moving Away. To Edinburgh to be exact. Why Edinburgh? Well Reece and I have always loved the city and also loved adventure and change. Also our two very close friends (picture above of them and Ella-Grace) live there and being closer to them would be amazing. We live in Aberdeen at the moment so Edinburgh is close enough to family and other friends for us to be able to see them often enough but also far away enough for it to be a big change. This dream has been reinforced since having Ella-Grace as we would love for her to go to school in Edinburgh, grow up somewhere different to where we both did (not that where we grew up was bad, would just be nice for her to have a different experience). But obviously with Christmas, Ella-Grace's first birthday and wedding coming up we will have to wait and see what money we have, especially as we would want to be living in a house with probably at least 3 bedrooms and I would love to have an office. And a garden is a must. So the goal is to be living in this "dream" house by 2019/2020 but if we have to wait a bit longer to get the kind of property we want I would be okay with that. As long as we are moved before Ella-Grace is in school then I would be happy. 

3. Get Married

This one will definitely be happening before I turn 30. It will be happening just over 7 months now actually. EXCITED!!! I know some people are quite cynical when it comes to weddings/marriage now, thinking they are pointless or that you don't have to be married to be in love and I completely agree with that second part. Marriage doesn't make you any more in love than unmarried people but I just view it as a day to celebrate the amazing thing that is love. There is so much terrible things that happen in the world and having a day to celebrate a relationship that is full of love, respect and happiness. Celebrating two best friends agreeing to spend the rest of their life together is magical and that's what I take from weddings and marriage. This will also be the day that I will become Mrs Webster, meaning Reece, Ella-Grace and I will all have the same surname. Our family name. I actually wasn't sure if I wanted to change my last name as I do not like how it is assumed that women will take their husbands last name, it should be a choice but that's why I am changing it as Reece ASKED me if I wanted to change it or keep it or if I wanted him to change his last name. That level of respect and equality that he treats me with, I am proud to take his last name and for my daughter to have it. This makes me very happy. I've just gone off track there a bit but yes anyway married to the love of my life. That's definitely a goal. 

4. Have another baby?

This one has a question mark next to it as we are not sure whether we will have another baby but at it is a maybe. Sometimes we think that just having Ella-Grace and giving her all our focus, attention and love. Putting all our efforts into her would be so nice, she makes us so happy and if were never able to or decided we would not have any more children then she of course would be enough for us. More than enough. She is our world. 

At the same time however we both do think in the future, another little one would be great. I adored being pregnant, Reece is an amazing Dad and if there is a second time round it would be nice for him to get the leave he never managed to have with Ella-Grace and also Ella-Grace (even though she is only 7 months at the moment) I feel that she would thrive as a big sister. Having another baby would be a massive joy definitely but we will just have to wait and see whether we will end up as a family of 4. One thing is for sure, that won't be for a while. 

5. Go full vegan

As a lot of you may know I am a vegetarian and 99% of meals are also dairy free. I do however occasionally have a meal when I am out which may have dairy in and I have a bit of a craving for poached eggs so I have not managed to go full vegan yet. I would like to do this in future if I can, as in not buy mass-produced eggs from shops, if I had my own chickens who I knew were well-looked after and given nothing but love, then I would eat eggs when they occasionally laid them. But if that is not possible then yes, I would like to be full vegan. For animal cruelty and environmental reasons (let me know if you would like a blog post on this). This goal would be more do able I feel when we move to Edinburgh and from what I have found they have a lot more vegan options when it comes to eating out and ordering in (cooking vegan at home is easy I think, I do it every day). I just need to kick my egg habit, any vegans have a tasty breakfast recipe that will replace my poached egg craving, please comment below.  

6. Go on Holiday

I have never been out of Britain! Yes I have been on small trips away from Scotland in other area's of the UK but never on holiday abroad. Which is surprising as I have always wanted to travel but with lack of money at some points and lack of time with going straight from school to studying to working to pregnant and now being a mum. I just haven't managed to go. So that is definitely a goal. Reece and I are hoping to go on a belated honeymoon (I vote for New York, France or the Caribbean). But even if this does not end up happening, a family holiday in a few years when Ella-Grace is older would be so cute. I better get my passport sorted first though. 

Reece and I also have the dream that when we both retire and our baby/babies are grown up, to travel the world. So it might not be by the time I am 30 but I will have that travelling and cultural experience I have always wanted. 

7. Do more charity work

This is so important to me. In the past I have shaved my head and held coffee mornings for Macmillan Cancer Support and I volunteered with Child Line for a short period of time. But I want to do more. Specifically with Mental Health organisations which help so many people struggling with mental issues including myself at one point. I believe you should do what you can while your here and I want to make a difference this includes teaching my daughter the importance of helping others and remembering how privileged we are. I mean my family is not rich, far from it but we have food in our bellies and a roof over our head. More than that we have luxuries such as TV, phones and more. So many people in the world are fighting for basic human rights. We are so lucky in what we have. It is so important to help people less fortunate than you and also just help each other in general, kindness makes the world go down. This goes for animal charities and environmental organisations too. At the moment I barely have time to read a page of a book so unfortunately I haven't been able to volunteer but in the future I want to free up some time to maybe hold an event to raise money for a mental health charity, volunteer at an animal shelter, give blood, serve food to the homeless. I may not have money to give to charities every week but I certainly can make time to offer my help. Something I would encourage everyone to put on there list of goals, Make a difference. Change the future. 

8. Learn to drive/pass theory

This is not that high up on my list of goals as so much other things come before it for me. But before I am 30 I would like to at least pass my theory test if not pass my actual driving test. For myself it isn't a must but I would like to have a car and be able to drive so that as Ella-Grace gets older if she needs taken places or picked up I will be able to go and get her. Reece will probably learn to drive before me as that is higher on his priority list so I might be able to put this one on hold. As I say, never to old to do anything. But yeah this is a small goal for me. 

9. Start writing a novel

MY DREAM! Ever since I was younger and I used to go on my Dad's big computer, writing short stories for fun. I have always had the dream of being an author or writing books. Over my teenage years I kind of lost this dream as I didn't know how to achieve it and it is not something really encouraged schools- my school at least. But as I have gotten back into my writing, my dream has resurfaced and before I turn 30 I would like to at least of started thinking of writing my novel. 

The day I can walk into my local bookstore and see my book on the shelves will be a MASSIVE accomplishment for me. Reece said he would bet money on me getting a book published haha so here's hoping. 

10. Start a YouTube channel

This would mean buying a good camera and freeing up time to edit but yes I would love to follow in some of my inspirations footsteps (Zoella, Pointless Blog ect. ) and make my own YouTube Channel, Vlogging. This would not only promote my blog but I would also be getting my voice out there hopefully inspiring and helping more people and bringing me more opportunities. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this as I feel like reading and writing is some what of a lost art with most people preferring a movie to a book or dodging the book shop and downloading a book onto their kindle instead of enjoying a paperback book. I enjoy encouraging the art of writing through my blog instead of being another thing for someone to watch. But that does not mean to say I don't agree with all those other things, watching a movie and you tube videos I love, I just think its good to get a bit of everything. So yes I would love to start vlogging but who knows when that will be. I'm sure my blog will be the first place you will find out when this happens, if it ever does. 

Thanks for reading...

So there they are, all my hopes and dreams! Lets see how many I will achieve in the timescale I have set myself. Thanks so much for reading as usual and thank you for all the positive feedback on my last blog post (All Things Mental Health), always nice to hear from readers. What are some of your goals? Do we share any goals? What have you achieved in the past year? Comment below! Don't forget to follow me on all my social media for cute baby pics, mum life truths and day to day inspirational messages that will hopefully put a smile on your face! Till next time. 

Stay Happy Everyone :)!

All Things Mental Health

10th October 2017, World Mental Health Day..

A blog post close to my heart. Good evening readers, this was not the blog post I had planned to upload. Yesterday I had started "10 Things I Want To Achieve Before I'm 30" as some of you may know through my social media. I was prepared for that to be what I uploaded today but then when scrolling through Instagram- It's World Mental Health Day! Struggling with mental illness myself and always being an advocate of how important mental health is, I couldn't not write a blog post about it. So sorry to those who may be disappointed as they wanted to read the other post but not to worry that one will be up VERY soon! Happy Reading.

All Things Mental Health....

The reason I named this post "All Things Mental Health" instead of "World Mental Health Day 2017" is because I want to not just write about how important World Mental Health Day is, but I wanted to talk about my mental health, how society views mental health, what I think should be done, a message to anyone having a tough time with mental health and of course the importance of World Mental Health Day. Yes that is a lot! So I thought "All Things Mental Health" was suitable for what I wanted to talk about, not to mention preparing all the readers for the quantity of writing that may be involved haha. I know a lot of you read my blog posts as a quick read, especially those with children as you don't have much time to read - trust me I know, I have been trying to read the Handmaid's Tale for about a month now- so don't feel you have to read all this at once, come back to it later if need be. But I do think it will be worth a read despite the length because as I said, Mental Health is so very important.

My Mental Health.... 

If you have been following my other blog posts you will know that I have suffered from anxiety and panic disorder my entire life, however to only be diagnosed in recent years. I have been through very dark times, dealing with my anxiety in very dangerous ways but slowly but surely I recovered and I am not dealing with my anxiety in healthy ways. I still have panic attacks, I had one yesterday. But with the support of my family and friends and the motivation i get from my beautiful daughter, I can get through it. 

- To read my full anxiety story please go to this blog post  Recovery is possible      - 

So that is the recap. My mental health at the moment is in a good place but for it to be that way I use many coping mechanisms. In the bad times when I do have panic attacks there are certain things I do to get through them. So I thought why not list these here, it might help someone. 

My Coping mechanisms

When I get anxious: 

Reading 
I don't do this one as much anymore as I do not have time- as I said earlier I have been trying to read "The Handmaids Tale" for about 3 weeks now and I am on page 2 haha). But when I do have the chance, it really calms me down. Books have the power to transport you to another place. You completely zone out of all your problems and you delve into the world in which the book takes place. A lost magic for many younger people I would say with all the technology. I hope to teach my daughter the wonders of books (actual paper books not kindles) and hopefully this may be her stress out-let like her Mama. 
Writing
As you all know of course, writing is a big stress buster for me. If I am having a particularly anxious day, getting it all out on my blog or blog social media pages to all you readers gives me a sense of relief. I have never been one for being able to tell someone face to face my problems, I am much better on paper. Writing is my passion and when I get into the zone I can really go for hours.
Bubble Bath 
Again I haven't been doing this one as recently at the moment. As strange as it sounds, having baths when it is dark outside or later on in the night is a big anxiety trigger for me. I don't know why it can just cause me stress and as it is getting dark earlier there are not enough hours in the day to let me have a bath when it does not make me anxious. But the days Reece is off work where I can have a bath in the day time. OMG. So relaxing, a hot bath with candles and a youtube video on (usually Zoella, Pointless Blogs or Jenna Marbles) it is heaven. All my stresses go away. A great way for me to manage my anxiety before it turns into a panic attack.
Talking- If I am feeling very anxious Reece always knows. So obviously I tell him what is wrong. This can either be a small few sentences or a half an hour rant, either way I will end up calm in Reece's arms. He is the ying to my yang (I think I am using that saying right haha) he is so calm and that kind of vibe just chills me out completley. Unless (sorry babe) he is the one at that moment unintentionally giving me anxiety then talking to him probably isn't the best idea but luckily this is rarely the case.
Distraction 
Pretty much all of the things I have just said fit into this but yes, distraction is a great idea! I don't mean distraction from things you have to inevitably deal with but distraction from the anxiety of it so you can deal with those things in a better head space. Watch a happy movie (my choice is usually matilda, shrek, arthur christmas or despicable me), watch YouTube videos, read a book, listen to music, write, go for a walk, phone your mum, play with your child. All of these things are a great way to say bye, bye to anxiety and hello to calm. Maybe you won't be happy, I am not saying this solves all my anxiety but it does stop me from having a breakdown or panic attack which means I am still in a calme enough mindset to be able to cope. Which as a mum, usually by myself with my daughter almost daily. Pushing through my anxiety and being able to do the things a mum needs to do is my main priority.

During A Panic Attack:
Removing myself from situation
Very Important. If you are having a panic attack especially if it is because of your environment or the person you are around at that moment of time. Remove yourself from that situation. The panic attack may continue or it may subside. For me it usually does continue for while but removing myself from the triggering situation instantly takes it down a peg and I will begin to calm down. If you have removed yourself from the situation and the panic attack continues one of the following may also help stop it.
Going for a walk 
Walk it off. Fresh air is always a good stress buster for me. When I am having a panic attack, a lot of the time I can start to feel very claustrophobic so getting outside in the fresh air and walking can really help. Just keep walking until you feel the panic attack subsiding. This really helped me during my baby blues just after Ella-Grace was born. Having a c-section I was stuck in the flat a lot and with my anxiety and hormones going crazy, I felt like I was always on the edge of panicking so taking Ella-Grace out for a short walk (whatever I could manage) worked wonders for me and is part of what got me through that tough time. 
Deep Breaths 
This one can be difficult but if you can manage it, it will really help. Slow, deep breaths. Calming breaths. I tend to hyperventilate or stop breathing all together (that is what it feels like anyways) so being able to regulate my breathing can really help and make me feel a step closer to calming down.
Sleeping 
Sleep the panic away. A lot of the time panic attacks and anxiety can cause you to lose sleep. Sleep deprivation just making your anxiety worse and increasing the chance of panic attacks. So if you can use the other coping mechanisms to calm yourself down enough, try and take a nap or get a good nights sleep. It can make a world of difference.
Letting it run itself out 
The last resort unfortunately. Sometimes anxiety will just be too much and I just have to let the panic attack run it's course. I pace around the room, I breath fast, sometimes I cry, sometimes I just sit and stare. Panic attacks can affect me in a lot of different ways and when it is overwhelming all I can do is let it happen. It can take minutes or it can take hours but keeping in mind it will be over and I will be happier always gets me through. Being a mum helps as even if I am having a panicky moment I have to look after Ella-Grace so that really helps me get through it and it passes quick. I am very lucky.

I hope knowing the ways I get through my anxiety and panic attacks help you if you are gong through the same thing. Now I know in my writing I must sound like I am fine, everything is a breeze, my anxiety hardly bothers me but that is not the case. Right now as I am writing this I am in a good place, I am not anxious which is not surprising as, as I just said this is a coping mechanism for me so of course I am calm now. Truthfully last night I went to bed early as I was having a panic attack, my mouth goes very dry and I get a banging headache when I get anxious, I cry for irrational reasons. I overthink things daily from why did I say that to why am I not a good enough mother. I can be a mess but that is the point. You wouldn't know that unless I was telling you like I am now, I can put on a brave face, I have coping mechanisms. This is what so many people use day to day to hide that they are struggling. I don't do that any more, if I am not okay I say I am not okay and I am so thankful to be able to do that. Not everyone can, people are still struggling in silence but as a society we can help and change that. Which brings me to my next point....

Society's View on Mental Health... 

Now before I get into what I think needs to change I would like to say that the awareness and support on mental health and mental illness has improved a lot over the years, there is help out there for people now that there never was before. You see advertisements on TV that tell you its okay to be struggling with mental issues. The internet has so many forums where people can get information and talk. So it is not all bad and if there is anyone out there who is really struggling and needs help I am going to link organisations below that could help you, please give them a look. 

But as well as the positive there is the negative and society still has a long way to go. MENTAL HEALTH IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL HEALTH, IT IS OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY! As I said I am in a position and place now that I am confident in talking about my battles with anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, depression. Because the worst of that is behind me and I am very much in a happy head space (majority of the time) and I am able to look upon mental illness and mental health objectively and I know that it is okay not to be okay and it is okay to struggle mentally. But so many people struggle with this, so many people hide behind a fake smile and social media. So many people are suffering in silence. This should not be the case. If someone breaks their leg, people rush to sign their cast and offer to help. People say they feel depressed and so many people are quick to judge and say "stop attention-seeking" or "just get over it". Which I can tell you is so harmful to people who are having a tough time with their mental health. Mental Health needs to be taken as seriously as Physical Health. This is vital to saving so many lives. 

So lets start a change here, next time you see someone status on Facebook saying "I hate my life" instead of brushing it aside as attention seeking, why not give them a message to ask if they are okay? Next time you hear someone crying in the bathroom, see cuts on someones arm, someone being bullied, someone sitting alone in a classroom, even someone who is just looking sad. Ask if they are okay, ask if they want to sit with you, just say HI. I am going to be honest the amount of times I sat with a slight part of my long sleeve up hoping someone would notice a cut and ask if I needed help, some may say that is attention seeking but it so is not. It was not the attention I craved it was the help. I had no idea where to start to get help so I just wanted someone to notice I was struggling and not judge me. Luckily I had amazing people around me but again not everyone does. So please remember to ask someone if they are okay and mean it because change starts with you. 

In my opinion as well as society needing to change, the medical help people receive really needs to improve. In my experience the "help" I received from doctors and hospitals was dreadful, the amount of times I had been in hospital and was sent home after observation with a leaflet and a "have a good day". People are sent to hospital in the darkest time because of MENTAL health but as long as their PHYSICAL health is okay they are sent home. This makes no sense to me. I know hospitals are short of beds and I know there are medical professionals out there each and every day that do provide amazing help to those with mental illness and to those people I thank you. You are amazing. But the medical system as a whole, I think really needs to give more help to people in mental distress. Along with this I think it should be taught in schools or at least a talk every year on mental illness, signs to look out for when someone is depressed, how to cope with mental illness in a healthy way, who you can contact and above all it should be taught that (again) not being okay IS okay and you will not be judged. If a child is off school due to anxiety or depression it should not be looked on as "skiving or ditching or laziness" it should be looked upon as a stomach bug or any other physical illness would be, as time needed to get better. It has been a few years since I have been in school but from what I have heard from parents or younger people themselves, schools have not changed much and unfortunately the mental well-being of students is not their top priority. Again this does not go for all schools but definitely some. If society as a whole comes together and accepts that we all have mental health, we are all on the mental health spectrum. We all have good and bad mental health days. We ALL could one day suffer from a mental illness and you should treat others how you would wish to be treated if you were suffering. That would change everything for the better.  

To Anyone Going Through A Hard Time...

Firstly, You are important. You are loved. You are strong and you WILL get through this. Look at me from my darkest hours to having a beautiful daughter, getting married in a few months and working from home doing what I love. I recommend talking to a family member or friend and a doctor, they really are the people who should be able to help you. Things may seem dark right now but light is at the end of the tunnel. I know it is easy to roll your eyes at this, that is what I used to do. But please, reach out to someone. A family member, a friend, your doctor, a pet (yes, a pet if that is who you feel comfortable confiding in) people care about you I promise. Find someone or something that makes you happy and focus all your positive energy in that. You are important. The links below are to organisations that may be able to help you, one of which has helped me in the past. If none of this you feel will help you, please message me I have no problem making the time to message you even if you just want someone to say hi to today. I know how much I would of appreciated that in my darkest hours. As a last bit of advice that I give to literally EVERYONE: tell yourself what you would tell someone else. We always give others the positive advice "You will get through this, of course you matter, don't give up" but to ourselves "I am horrible, no one cares about me, I don't deserve happiness". This is so crazy. For some reason it is bad to love and care for yourself in society when it definitely not. So if you like so many others feel you are negative to yourself, please give yourself the advice you would give someone else because I bet you it is a hell of a lot more positive than what you are giving yourself. Love yourself, your great! 

Samaritians

Mind

SANE

SAMH

Why World Mental Health Day is so important....

I have probably covered it already but to summarise, World Mental Health Day is so important because it raises awareness. Every year, around the world it is a day that everyone is reminded that mental health is important. Mental illness is real. People post positive quotes, pictures, articles, blog posts just like this one. People are there for each other on this day and who knows World Mental Health day may have just stopped someone from ending their life because they have felt heard, listened to even without speaking. It does get better. Today shows that. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you are all well....

That was probably the longest and most all over the place blog post I have ever wrote. But that is because to me this is like having a chat with a close friend. I ramble on, I want my blog to be a friendly and kind place that you feel like you are just chatting to a friend. I hope you all feel that way. I hope this has helped anyone who needs a little boost again I am more than happy to reply to messages on my social media page (Facebook, Instagram and twitter linked above this post). When I eventually leave this earth I want to of made a difference and leave the legacy to my amazing daughter that Mummy may have not been the richest, the most famous or even the most successful but she cared and helped and made a difference. A role model I would be happy to have and I hope to be for her. Thank you so much again. My next blog post will be up very soon. Love yourself, take care of yourself and as always......

Stay Happy Everyone :) !

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

First Recipe..

Hi Readers! I am excited to be posting my first recipe! I am in no way a Michelin star chef or away to write a cook book but I do like to think I can make a yummy meal and I really enjoy cooking! Reece always tells me he loves my cooking and I have hosted a few little dinner parties where I would cook food and I have always gotten empty plates. Ella-Grace, even though she can't tell me yet, her empty bowls tell me my food is at least edible. I have been meat and dairy free for a while now (let me know if you would like a separate post explaining why) and that has inspired me even more to do some recipe posts. I love trying new vegan recipes and showing people that yes, you can have yummy plant based meals that aren't only beneficial to you and to your environment which is SO important! So hopefully someone out there will give one of my recipes a try and give me some good feedback, I hope you find it scrumptious! Happy Reading! 

Suitable for Baby too...

I know not all of my readers are parents but for those who are and specifically those who have young babies who they are weaning onto solid food, this meal is baby friendly. According to my health visitor Ella-Grace (6 months old) can have anything I can have except honey (and obviously high sugar, salt ect). But you know your baby best and if you are unsure please ask your health visitor or doctor. But from what I have been told and my experience, it is safe for baby. Ella-Grace really likes this one. 

Ingredients

6 Salad Tomatoes
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes
1 Sweet Potato
1 Red Pepper
1 Red Onion
1 Mug Of Frozen Sweetcorn
1 Mug of Vegetable stock
200 ml Unsweetened Soy Milk
1/4 Can of Tinned Tomatoes
Free-From Basil Pesto (Or Basil leaves if you prefer)
Sunflower Spread (I use ProLife Sunflower Spread)
2 Garlic Cloves
Salt and Pepper

Method 

1. Pre-heat oven to 200^oC chop salad tomatoes into quarters and cherry tomatoes into halves. Chop garlic cloves. Place on baking tray and drizzle over vegetable oil. Cook for 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile heat 2 teaspoons of Sunflower spread in large saucepan. Place chopped pepper, onion, sweet potato and sweetcorn in pan. Mix well. Let simmer for 2 mins.
3. Add tinned tomatoes, vegetable stock and Soy milk. Bring to boil and leave to simmer.
4. Add Tomatoes to pan and 2 heaped teaspoons of basil pesto. Mix and leave to simmer until all vegetables are soft.
5. When vegetables are all soft. Blend to consistency you like.
6. Mix in another teaspoon of basil pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste (I do this after I have separated Ella-Grace's for her so she does not have the salt in it).
7. Serve with bread. Enjoy.

Till Next Time...

I hope you liked my first recipe post. Weird for me as I usually use my blog to voice my opinions or experiences, so writing a recipe is strange but in a good way. I love to cook and think knowing how to cook a healthy plant-based meal/s is important so I am happy to share it. I hope you try it and find it very yummy!! Comment below what you think of my recipe and don't forget to follow me on social media (links at the top of this post) for cute baby pics and positive posts. 

Stay Happy Everyone :)!