Autumn mornings make me sad! I drive to work with the crisp morning sun, past the field that is always swathed in mist and up the hill past the woods with leaves all golden and red......and I feel sad! I sat in the traffic queue this morning and pondered just why this is....... I'm a huge fan of winter and the colder weather so it can't be the end of summer making me glum. I love Christmas and autumn only means it's getting closer. So why does all this autumn beauty make me sad? Well watching all the kids tramping their way to school reminds me that I can't take … [Read more...]
Jiminy Spudrockets summer tour!
What a truly wonderful summer holiday this year! After several weeks of negotiating annual leave and holiday time for 6 people we finally all managed to get the same week off Time to relax, chill out and generally make each other laugh! Thank you family for being so wonderful - can we do it again next year? And of course a huge thank you to J & T for the wonderful house to stay in! The Lake District holiday from Mary Key on Vimeo. … [Read more...]
The cost of confetti
We all love a good wedding don't we? A new frock, cake, a bit of a knees up and of course the excuse to buy a big hat! Add in some bad "dad dancing" and a scrum to catch the bouquet and you have all the ingredients for an entertaining weekend. It's all good fun until the bill comes in and as the next invitation pops through the letterbox you realise you can't wear the same outfit twice! 'Cos weddings can be pricey affairs - even if you're not the bride's father! Once you have accounted for the clothes, travel, accommodation if needed and that hideous … [Read more...]
Siblings – August
I know it's late in the month to join in the link up with Lucy at Dear Beautiful, but we've been waiting for our family holiday to catch a snap of my two lovelies in the same place! University, distance and work commitments have kept them apart since Christmas and so we've had no opportunity to join in since then. It turns out the Lake District is about the half way point between us all and so we all met up for a week, to have some serious family time. It always makes me smile that no matter how long they have been apart these two always slip back into their sibling relationship as … [Read more...]
Can camping be romantic?
I made the mistake of listening to Woman's hour yesterday morning - I should have known better really - it is just such a load of old nonsense. The topic under discussion was whether camping could be romantic - and quite honestly I was banging head against the desk with frustration at the silly woman they featured - according to her camping can be a recipe for cystitis, while watching someone "hunched over like a prawn, dousing themselves with a wet wipe" Her patronising tone claiming that whilst it can be charming and pastoral, it can also get you too close to someone else's undercarriage, … [Read more...]
Things I learnt about meteor watching
The news is full of meteors showers this week, how best to watch them, which direction to face, weather conditions, etc etc etc. Well we decided to read half the instructions, make a last minute decision, and stumble through it as we usually do - so here is our our handy tips for meteor watching! 1. Plan in advance for meteor watching, making a decision at 10pm that it might be fun to have a go often leads to missed meteors and a cold arse. 2. Check before it gets dark how to open any ladders required for reaching you preferred viewing platform - doing in the dark can lead … [Read more...]
A Tudor Tourist weekend in London
I'm not the greatest fan of visiting our nations capital, huge crowds and busy streets aren't my idea of a fun weekend. But I was convinced this weekend to go along with Badger to see the Tudor Joust at the Tower of London, and seeing as he was taking part - it was rude not to go along! And what a show it was! Past pleasures & Griffin Historical put on a great show. Beautiful costumes and amazing horsemanship gave the audience a really good days entertainment! And as for the city itself - I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! Whilst it was of course heaving with people and very … [Read more...]
Summer’s nearly here!
My Facebook timeline is full of people counting down the days until the holidays start. Summer's nearly here! Parents filled with dread at the thought entertaining their little darlings for 6 weeks - the school staff holding their breath until they can finally relax! In our house? well it's rather an odd summer for Badger and I. We are stumbling towards the last day of term, bleary eyed, longing for next week, when we can turn the alarm clocks off and put our feet up! But it's also tinged with a little sadness this year, this is our first summer with a properly … [Read more...]
The perils of DIY
I do love our house - it's secluded garden, lovely big bathroom and huge range cooker, But the floors have caused some stress this year! We have really lovely wooden floors downstairs and this year we had to take on the mammoth task of sanding and re-staining the dining room, which is rather a walkway from the front door to the kitchen, as well as the best place for Bob to lay to insure maximum attention and trip hazard! So every stick of furniture packed and stacked in the front room, belt sander, wood stain, brushes, face masks and plenty of chocolate purchased. Of course the … [Read more...]
Managing Family Finances
Managing the family finances is something that I used to tend to view as a chore, a necessary chore, but a chore all the same. Don’t get me wrong, I did what I needed to do to keep on top of the finances, but it was something I’d dread, put off, and usually avoid at all costs. A few years ago, however, I made it my new years resolution to give my finances a proper overhaul and get into some really good habits (habits that I hope I’ve been able to pass on to my children). Here are some of the tips I’ve learnt along the way that I find really useful when it comes to managing my family’s … [Read more...]
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