Mummascribbles – Mummascribbles meets…The Happy Weaner – Mummascribbles

This week we meet the fabulous duo from The Happy Weaner, Claire and Lucy! Thanks so much for taking part ladies 🙂

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family

Claire – I live in good old rainy Manchester with the Hubster and my little boy Finley. I’m a primary teacher by trade and a blogger by hobby.  

Lucy – My little family consists of me, my other half (we’re not married!) and our 1 and a half year old Theo. Theo’s cousin Fagus the dog lives up the road with my brother on a canal boat and our family all live really close, apart from my sister, who lives in Africa.   

What do you like doing to be you, when you are not parenting, working (if you do), or blogging? 

Claire – I love teaching, being a mummy and keeping busy with things like the blog and organizing street parties. I wish I liked to exercise but I don’t! I do however have a powerful obsession with Nutella *starts to daydream about eating Nutella by the spoonful* and if it’s washed down with a cold glass of vino, all the better. 

Lucy – I’m pretty much working or hanging out with Theo all of the time. I’m a photographer so I’ve always got something that needs my attention. Other than that I love sitting in front of the telly with a brew and the latest Walking Dead episode.  

What is your biggest achievement to date? 

Claire – Cliché, but becoming a mum. It’s one of the hardest things at times but also THE most fulfilling and rewarding. 

Lucy – Starting and maintaining my own business. I’ve come so far, and finally feel comfortable and happy with what I produce. I’ve also written a couple of children’s books and a novel which took a lot of hard work and effort.  

From your own experiences, what do you find the hardest part of parenting and what is the easiest/most rewarding part? 

Claire – In all honesty, I find one of the hardest things is when you can’t do something you want / need to do because of the little one. It could be something as simple as not being able to go to the loo or not being able to do the work you need to do. It’s just such a shock to the system after years of doing what you want to do when you want to do it. 

The highs most definitely out weigh the lows (thankfully) and I think one of the most rewarding things is when your little one is happy. Hearing them laugh or seeing them smile just feels AMAZING!  

Lucy – My easiest and hardest parts are actually the same thing. When only me will do. I love being my little one’s number one, but it’s so hard when it’s the middle of the night and you’re running on empty and the only person they will sleep on is you.  

Parenting in itself is no mean feat; how do you juggle everything you need to in order to get everything done on a daily basis? 

Claire – I am EXTREMELY lucky and just work on a part time basis so on the days when I’m not working / working on The Happy Weaner I can get on top of things (there are still unopened boxes in the spare room 1 year after moving in though, haha) 

Lucy – I don’t really, my house is a tip! 

Why did you decide to start blogging? 

Claire – I need a project in my life. I like doing new things and I also get a lot of pleasure from helping people. So if our recipes have given even one parent a meal idea then I’ll be a happy woman. We started the blog as we both can’t really cook but felt the desire to cook for the boys and thought we’d document our attempts along the way.  

Lucy – We’re both creative people and we both felt it complimented our videos perfectly.  

Tell me a bit about your blog? 

Claire – Lucy is a professional photographer and films me cooking recipes for the boys then we type up all the recipes for people to view online. We also have a review section and a shenanigans section where we film all other things that are not necessarily food related like how to build a DIY cardboard house.  

Lucy – It’s a laid back view into what goes on in the kitchen whilst cooking for our boys with pretty pictures and random chatter thrown in the middle.  

We also use confidence levels so that you can gauge what you feel confortable giving your baby/toddler if you’re a bit cautious.  

What do you want your blog to achieve and where do you hope to see it go as it grows? 

Claire – I’d love for it to reach more parents as our recipes are so basic (I used to burn fish fingers) so I think they could be helpful. We’d also love it if we could make a small income so we could spend more time working on it.  

Lucy – I would love it to develop into more than just food. I love making things so I’d like to do more crafts and maybe get in front of the camera instead of behind it.  

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting a blog? 

Claire – It is a lot of hard work and a lot of time goes into it but as long as you’re still enjoying, keep going and if you get to the point where you want to jack it in….remember why you started it.  

Lucy – Set aside a specific time for blogging and make sure you’re blogging about something you love, it’s really hard work and you’ve got to be passionate about it!  

If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive), who would it be and why? 

Claire – Mine are VERY random.

1. Keith Lemon (I find him quite hilariously inappropriate)

2. The Queen (Legendary)

3. Stephan Fry ( A fascinating fella)…..that would be one hell of an awkward dinner party but a great one for come dine with me.  

Lucy – 

1. Adam Buxton from Adam and Joe, (I’ve met Joe so it’s time for Adam)

2. Steven Spielberg because he created all of my favourite films (Jurassic park especially)

3. Drew, my other half, because I’d need someone to talk to about it afterwards.  

Tell me three random facts about you 

Claire – 

1. I can fit a malteaser up my nose

2. I have one leg ever so slightly longer than the other

3. I was once an extra in Coronation Street  

Lucy – 

1. At one point I had 21 piercings

2. I once assisted on a photoshoot with Mr Tumble

3. I’ve met Timmy Mallet.  

Along with their blog www.thehappyweaner.com, you can also find Claire and Lucy over on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.