Thursday 24 March 2016

Poorly Children Vs School Rules


Sleeping Child
I am now entering my second week of Swine Flu and I think it might finally be starting to improve. It's a pretty horrible virus and I will be glad to see the back of it. Thankfully, lovely blogger Clare, from Emmy's Mummy has stepped in with some ramblings for you, so you dont get bored while I languish in bed, eating sweets and complaining. I'm feeling pretty honoured, actually, as Clare is a Super-Blogger *insert appropriate fanfare noise* and, amongst many other impressive stats, features at #79 in the Tots 100 Parenting Blogger charts; "Ooh, get you!" Over to you, Clare and thanks for helping out!

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Monday 21 March 2016

Win a Smartphone Projector from Qwerkity


If you're a fan of the quirky, or know someone who is, Qwerkity is the website to visit. There are so many different ideas for gifts, or treats for yourself, you are bound to find something fun to play with. A great example of a funky gift, which would be a brilliant investment for all the family is this Smartphone Projector and you can win one right here, just by walking through the Rafflecopter below. Enter now and I wish you lots of luck!


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Saturday 19 March 2016

Bristol's Hidden Architecture


On Sunday L was appearing in a music production, which meant dropping him off and much hanging around in Bristol. Our first thought was, of course, tea and cake, but first, I thought I would show Jade Christmas Steps; a hidden shopping street on a very steep hill between Colston Hall and the Bristol Children's Hospital. It wasn't my brightest idea, as everywhere was shut, but the quirky shopfronts and hidden alleyways made us realise how we have never really stopped to appreciate the fantastic architecture that Bristol has to offer. Bristol has so many amazing features, even the grafitti is fascinating, that it is easy to overlook the obvious. So we spent quite sometime seeking out some really interesting examples of Bristolian building work.
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Wednesday 16 March 2016

The Reality of Government Disability Cuts - A Guest Post


Silhouetted Lady, from BehindA note from me: I don't claim ESA. I would probably qualify, in real terms, if I applied, but the degradation and stress I have seen other people go through has left me too nervous to even try. What if they 'catch me out' and I get into trouble? The forms are very clear, if you give 'false information', you can be prosecuted. As with all disabilities and health problems, you can have the occasional good day, and I want to make the most of those, not be looking over my shoulder, in case I look too well. What if I 'fail' the extensive and humiliating tests? How would I cope with being told I'm a fake? I tell people I don't claim, because I want to work, which is true. I would rather be achieving something, making a difference, rather than being stuck at home by myself all the time. 
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Tuesday 15 March 2016

Wicked Uncle Toy Review

Since having a boy, it has come to my attention that buying gifts for boys is a whole different ball game. When Jade was growing up, party gifts were a doddle; pretty, cute or sparkly was generally considered acceptable and there was a wealth of different categories to pick from. Hair and beauty, cuddly toys, Jewellery, to name a few. Boys, however, appear to be different. All of the afore mentioned categories are not appropriate, due to their 'girliness' and what's currently popular seems to be far more important. For example; at L's school, last year was all about Minecraft, this year, it's Rubik's cubes.


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Monday 14 March 2016

How to Complain about Your Child's School


School railings with title overlaidComplaining is never easy, but schools can be particularly tricky, for a number of reasons. It's not something many people ever have to do and it's not really talked about, so it can be a a scary prospect. Some feel intimidated by schools in general, probably stemming back to their own school days! However, you have a right to take an active role in the care and education of your child and if you feel that child's needs are not being met, you may need to consider your options. As an ex-School Governor, I have outlined the steps you can take to resolve a dispute you may have with your school and hopefully reach a solution that benefits everyone. 
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Tuesday 8 March 2016

Internet Safety and Children; Can we Keep them Safe?

iPad on printer, with title overlaidIt seems everywhere you look these days, digital tech is getting the blame for the demise of family life. In a lot of cases, it's hard not to agree with the findings. There are definite security issues for children using the internet and it has led to parents having to be more vigilant and find new ways to protect their children online. It takes a lot of time and effort to unpick the parts of the internet that young people are interested in and, without spending that time, the mysteries of Social Media can leave parents feeling nervous of the unknown. The big question is; are we trying hard enough and is it possible to protect children completely online, or will there always be a risk? 
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Friday 4 March 2016

Looking Forward to our British Summer!


Meme featuring a garden crisscrossed with several washing lines!

A Clickable Image to Follow our Photo Trail

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Toilet Roll Crafts with Nouvelle


Boy Holding Butterfly Toilet Roll Creations
If you are very eagle-eyed, you may have spotted some of our craft efforts involving toilet rolls on Twitter and Pinterest. We love a good reuse and recycle craft project and have been working with Nouvelle over the last few months to create some really fun makes. I had no idea toilet rolls could be so versatile! The @nouvellesoft  #LittleAcorns project has almost come to an end, though, and I thought it would be nice to put all our projects together in one place, for those who don't follow on Social Media. If you would like to have a go at any of the projects, I have included the craft sheets as well. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter, where there are lots of other examples of finished projects, to give you some more ideas.
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Wednesday 2 March 2016

Mother's Day Flowers from The Flower Studio


Vase of fresh flowers with title overlaid
You know it's going to be a good day, when you receive a package marked 'this way up'. Or 'handle with care'. Or any package really. packages always bring joy. This box was no exception. It contained the loveliest bouquet from The Flower Studio, who sent it free, for the purpose of this review. They offer perfectly arranged flowers for any occasion, as well as gifts, plants and a Bridal range. What was especially lovely about these flowers, was that they arrived looking exactly like a beautiful bouquet already, without any interference from me, which was probably for the best. They were tied in such a way, that all the blooms were already the right height, and positioned so that all I had to do was literally drop them in a vase.
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