Welcome to my Lifestyle Parenting Blog, where I explore topics related to chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia while embracing a passion for yoga, books, and blogging.
Mountain Warehouse Steve Backshall Collection
2016 for us as a family was about discovering our newly found love of the outdoors. We've never been an outdoors family, and we would avoid it in cold or wet weather. But that changed last year! Now, we love the outdoors and every weekend we make sure we get outside, taking the kids and the dogs. Thus, with the cold months, we need good outdoor gear, to keep us dry and warm. So when Mountain Warehouse invited us to review some items from their Steve Backshall range, we were super excited.
Dear Darling.. I Let You Down
My darling little girl, I am truly sorry. I let you down.
When you came to live with us at just 5-months old I promised I would protect you. You had ended up in foster care at just 3 weeks old, and from day one we fought to get you out of care and at home with us. When you finally came to live with us, I made a promise, a promise that I would protect you.
4 years on, and I have let you down, and to see how your little heart is hurting, it breaks my heart too.
Your birth parents came in and out of your life,
Roasted Vegatable Couscous #NowCookIt
Now Cook It is a new website that's just launched and includes a range of recipes to help get people cooking. As part of #NowCookIt campaign, I was sent a mystery box of items and a recipe for me to make. In the box included all the items need to make a Roasted Veg Couscous - which is one of my favourite things to eat!
We've Been Out and About Again - Our Walk
We'd only gone and left Jacob's wellies in the garden since the weekend before, hence, they were soaked when he went to put them on - (we had a half an hour of trying to find them before we checked in the garden!) So we had to make a detour to the shoe shop to purchase him new ones before our walk.
He had his "I don't want new ones, I want my ones" grumpy head on, so it took a little longer in the shoe shop and convincing him to pick new ones then we had wanted, but then kids are great at being a pain in the butt.
Our Walk
Every weekend, we take the kids and the dogs out for a walk, no matter the weather, come rain or come shine, we love to venture out. I love to take my camera and capture as many moments as I can. That same evening I will sit down and upload all the photos I took and go through each one. With this post, I'm sharing my favourite photos from our walk last weekend.
National Handwriting Day
I am a very sentimental person and I love to keep my memories, especially the memories I have of my children.
I keep all the kid's drawings, birthday cards, school work and anything to keep as a cherished keepsake; a collection built up over the years as they grow. Not only do I keep items that they themselves loved and cherished, but also items that remind me of them. Something I store safely away in the loft, memories being stored.
Christmas 2016
The past couple of months has had a lot going on for us, one bad thing after the other at the moment, and Christmas 2016 already seems like a lifetime ago. It was a Chrismas full of new adventures and a few challenges thrown at us. Most importantly It was a great day, we got to spend and enjoy the day with family.
Christmas Crafts
Wynsors World of Shoes kindly sent a huge box of crafting goodies, along with some super comfy slippers for Jacob and Summer and some special treats (hot chocolate reindeer, chocolate coins and chocolate balls).
We did a lot of Christmas crafts in December - the perfect cold weather activity and it really gets you into the Christmas Spirit! Christmas crafting is great fun to display the kids finished pieces and I love to get them out year after year.
Review: Christmas Eve Pack
Bedz R Us kindly sent Jacob and Summer a Christmas Eve Pack. The box was filled with a onesie each, bed socks, packets of reindeer food, some slippers, and a book each - including one from Jacob's favourite series, The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas.
Peppa Pig Blogger Ambassador Bundle
The Peppa Pig Christmas stationary (Colouring Set & Sticker Pad) can be picked up from Poundland, Primark or the Works. They’re lovely stocking fillers and a great way to encourage a little bit of calm during a very busy and excitable time!
Last Minute Christmas Presents with The Works
It's 4 days to Christmas! You are probably as excited as I am... and maybe a little stressed, especially if you've not finished your shopping yet. Nope, me neither! I've still got a few gifts to get.
I was invited to visit The Works to find some last minute Christmas presents. We were sent a £40 gift card and left to our own devices to visit our local The Works shop and to buy some gifts.
Crayola Doodle Delirium
When you hear 'Crayola' you instantly think 'crayons' - but now you can buy fun new Crayola board games - we love board games and were excited to receive Doodle Delirium for review.
This is a board game for 8+ years old and is a fun game to play, and played in teams.
Qwerkity Christmas Gift Guide for Teens Boys
Do you have teen boys and struggle to find gifts for them?
The two youngest (7 and 4) are easy to buy for, toys and gifts, no problem, however, for my two oldest (13 and 16), I find it much more challenging. They mainly request clothing, but I like to get other stuff too, some fun gadgets, something they will use and enjoy and maybe something that we can play with together. So what better site than Qwerkity to search and find those perfect gifts for teens?! (that are not boring clothes).
Chambers of London Dog Shampoo
Kiwi and Poppy both love their walks, and being typical Beagles they love rolling in fox poo - it stinks when they do this. (we have to drive home with the car windows open). Last weekend, not only did Kiwi roll in fox poo, she also took a dip in the very stinky dyke. She came bounding back to us soaking wet, muddy and very smelly - her tail was wagging and she looked very pleased with herself. Poppy's just as bad too, she loves rolling in fox poo, although, she's not too keen getting her paws wet, so no jumping in the water from her.