On Those Days When You Wonder How To Keep Going...

You know those weeks, the ones where it feels like you only have to wake up in the morning for something to go wrong? That's basically been my week this week and I can't lie I am exhausted. Im stressed, crying at the smallest things and its left me contemplating some decisions I have made recently too.

I think its often the case that one little thing going wrong seems to spiral into more things happening and even when you try to stay positive, it can be pretty tricky when it feels like every time you get to your feet someone comes along to push you down.

At the beginning of this week our car broke down, in spectacular fashion with weird grinding noises coming from the bonnet right outside of the school gates! Of course I then had to sit and wait for the AA to come out and tow our car to the garage my husband works at. When the AA got out to me they discover that not only is the car broke, the lock for the bonnet is broke too so they can't even open it to try and get it started.

10 Things You Learn When Your Child Starts School!

Since becoming a parent I feel like I am always learning. Whether that's from other parents, my child or situations that arise since as a result of being a parent. One of the biggest learning curves for me was definitely when my children started school!

The school playground was just as nerve wracking for me as it was for them. The unwritten rules that parents follows, the cliques and the playground etiquette are all worries that start before you even head into the school gates! But there is so much more I have learnt since we started the school run routine a few years ago with James now and now with Evelyn in reception I have two schools to contend with!

Here are 10 things I have learnt since my child started school -

Living Arrows 5/52 (2019)

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

Last week things were thrown a little of course when I was called on Monday to collect James from school as he had been sick! I have to admit when I picked him up he looked a little pale but quickly recovered. He was asking for food a few hours later and kicking a football around my living room! Safe to say he couldn't wait to get back and see his friends by Wednesday. 

We also submitted our chosen races for a swimming gala James will be doing in May. He has been reluctant to enter races above 25m as he worries about him tumble turns but has agreed to do two 50m races and two 100m races as well as the 100m medley race this time. 

Evelyn has been absolutely loving being at swim club like her big brother and was super excited to be picked as the "line leader" at school this week. It also means she got to bring home a special box from school which she gets to fill with all her favourite toys and things to share with her class. Of course one of the first things to go in there was her new swimming hat, closely followed by her L.O.L Surprise dolls of course.

Of course though, this weeks photos could only come from one day.... our SNOW DAY! The kids were so excited to wake up on Friday to see a generous helping of snow settled on the ground. They were even more excited when they realised school was called off and they would get to go out and play in it. We met up with friends about 8.30am to enjoy the snow before it got too stomped on and turned to muddy slush. It was like a winter wonderland with a majority of the snow untouched and simply beautiful. The kids had lots of fun having snowball fights, sledging and building a snowman before retreating back home as we were all absolutely freezing!

Planning a Family Camping Trip with Simply Hike

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Last year I was finally persuaded by my husband and son James that we should buy a tent! It went from just popping down to our local camping store, to walking out with a huge 6 man family tent about an hour later and im not going to lie, I wasn't feeling very enthusiastic about the idea.

We went on our very first camping first during the summer holidays last year and whilst I was pessimistic about the whole thing we actually had a fantastic time. I actually think it was exactly what we needed, escaping the hustle and bustle of our busy town and work/school routine and just enjoying time together and the great outdoors.

I'm not going to lie, being so worried about camping I packed so much stuff! When in reality we didn't need half of what I packed but did need other things I hadn't even thought about packing. So I wanted to share with you today some essentials for a family camping trip, what to take and what not to take!

Keep one step ahead - best gardening decor ideas for spring 2019.

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Spring is on the way, and that means one thing especially for families: various members of the household will want to get out into the garden again! Of course, that garden could start feeling rather crowded as a result, so it would pay to prepare that outdoor space in advance of spring.

This shouldn't be just a case of tidying up a few loose twigs; it's also a great opportunity to redesign your garden to make it more family-friendly. Here are some ways to enact that transformation.

How to Get the Kids Involved with Decorating

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A family can transform a house into a home. It seems only right, therefore, that they should get a say in how we choose to decorate it. 

Ok, you may not want to fully adopt their suggestions. You can still make them feel like part of the process, however. 

So, why not invite them into the project? You can manage how exactly they help – and so, you’ll be able to avoid mess – and tantrums.

 

Here’s how to achieve this.

Snow Day 2019!

After days of the weather man insisting snow would fall and pushing back the date in which it would happen, yesterday we woke up to a blanket of snow covering everything we could see! When I went to bed Thursday evening there was barely any snow at all except for a few small flakes falling. However by 7am we awoke to a flurry of snow and two very excited kids.

As if the snow wasn't enough excitement imagine their cheers when I announced school was also closed! Unfortunately their dad still had to go in to work and thankfully the main roads were pretty clear so he could take a slow and careful drive in to work. Of course the kids were desperate to get out in the snow, so when a good friend text super early and asked if we wanted to join them in some sledging we couldn't say no.

We decided to head out super early so we could enjoy the snow in all its glory before it got enjoyed by everybody else. Stepping out of the door was like a winter wonderland, every tree, hedge and surface covered a heavy dusting of fluffy, glistening and untouched white snow. Well until the kids got hold of it of course and started a snowball fight!