Friday, 17 July 2020

When Your Child Hates School


Child in school uniform looking down at the floor sadlyNot all children like going to school for a number of reasons, such as; separation anxiety, not enjoying certain lessons, not appreciating some of their teacher's methods or even just objecting to following someone else's rules! If any of those descriptions applies to your child, or even if you have one of those children who are generally fine with school and loves it once they get there, but you still have endless problems getting them to go, then this may interest you. Many children go through phases of hating school and I've put together this guide with some ideas to help if your child is reluctant to go to school, based on my own, and other parents' experiences.

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Thursday, 2 April 2020

Home Beauty Treatments and Remedies - Tried and Tested


Pile of assorted lemons, one sliced, four whole, with text above the image.
All the beauty treatments included in this post can be made using ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard and I've tried most of them, so I know they work. Beauty treatments are a great way to relax and enjoy some me-time and that's something we could all benefit from at the moment. I've also included some remedies for common skin complaints, which could be really handy since it's hard to shop for beauty supplies right now. There is no reason not to look your best, even if you can't go out, it might be just what you need to lift your spirits and you could even rope in other family members to join you in some of the treatments too. 

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Friday, 21 December 2018

Beautifully Simple Gifts to Make with Children


Everyone loves a handmade gift, and it's a great way to get children involved with the gift giving process. Little ones don't have much concept of shopping, or choosing gifts for important relatives, so a gift they have made is something that they can personally be a part of. Two problems often arise with crafts though: they can be time consuming and surprisingly expensive. In this post I have some ideas of gifts you can make with household items that won't break the bank, take ages, or make a crazy amount of mess. If you're having a last minute panic about gifts from your children, this might just be the answer!
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Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Free Printable No Trick or Treaters Sign


Small No Trick or Treaters SignHalloween is a lot of fun for children, but it can be a scary and nerve-wracking time for elderly or vulnerable people. Genuine trick or treating children don't want to venture where they are not welcome or disturb people who would prefer to be left alone, so a sign like this can be helpful to everyone. You are very welcome to print this out and use it if you would like to. You could perhaps take one round to an elderly neighbour or relative if it would be useful to them. Some older people get quite intimidated by lots of people knocking on the door, particularly if they are in costumes and it's not easy to see who they are.
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Friday, 27 July 2018

Free Printable No Cold Callers Sign


Free Printable No Cold Callers Sign
I am not an antisocial person, honest, and I really don't want people to think I am. However, cold callers knocking at my door causes people problems. If you have mobility problems, it's a pain to have to answer the door to someone you don't really need to see. Sometimes the unwanted callers are VERY persistent, which is a problem if you have a baby or night worker sleeping during the day. Personally, I don't think I should have to answer the door if I don't want to. Where we live, they call at dinner time, L's bedtime, sometimes when I'm in the garden, so I don't hear them until they've got REALLY loud. It's a real pain and I think we need to reclaim our front doors. 
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Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Ideas for Decorating Holiday Shells


Shell Necklace with Union Jack DesignEveryone loves a good day at the beach. Especially me. We spend a lot of weekends at the coast, enjoying the sea air and indulging my favourite pastime of shell seeking. It's a great, low cost activity that everyone can get involved in. The children love seeing what treasures they can find, or dig up. You can tailor it towards their interests, for example looking for pebbles with possible fossils in for dinosaur hunters, or finding shells with holes in, to make into jewellery. Decorating holiday shells is a great craft, with the added bonus of using up old nail varnish.
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Monday, 23 July 2018

Coping with Hay Fever, Top Tips and Ideas to Help


Child blowing dandelion clock
Hay fever is a common, and really annoying, seasonal problem for many people. It isn't always taken seriously, but the symptoms can be similar to those of a heavy cold. Although not life-changing, these symptoms can leave the sufferer feeling exhausted and miserable, especially as they can last for most of the summer. The condition is a particular nuisance for students, as it tends to land right in the middle of exam season, which is the last thing anyone needs.  I've put together a few tips that I hope might help, including some ideas we've tried and some that we might! Wishing you a healthy, snuffle-free summer!
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Friday, 13 July 2018

Thoughts on Homophobia #Pride


I was brought up in an era where being gay wasn't yet fully accepted. It was getting there, but homophobia and bigotry take a long time to die. Relationships in general weren't really talked about and I don't remember ever encountering an openly gay couple until I was in my teens. The word 'gay' wasn't spoken out loud, particularly around children, and it was an era of many, many euphemisms and wildly inappropriate expressions. I can talk quite openly with my children about sex, relationships, anything really, (age appropriately, of course!) but in those days, grown ups were excruciatingly embarrassed. All the time.
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Friday, 8 June 2018

Top Tips for First Time Flying with Children


First Time Flying with Children Child running on an airport walkway. I recently flew with my son abroad for the first time and I was really nervous about how he would take to it and if we would encounter problems. I needn't have worried, he was absolutely fine and it all went pretty smoothly, leaving me wishing I'd done it years ago. I was never brave enough to take mine abroad when they were small, but I really wish I had, as it's such an amazing experience for them. If you're thinking of taking a foreign holiday with your little one, I have got together with some brilliant parent bloggers to create the ultimate guide for first time flying with children. It's everything you didn't know you needed to know!
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Thursday, 17 May 2018

The Benefits of Pocket Money - Little Minds, Tough Decisions


The Benefits of Pocket Money for Children
There is a lot of debate about whether or not pocket money is appropriate for children and from what age. Another question raised is how much to give. I did a little Googling, in the way of research, and found that in 2016 Netmums set the figure at £6.55, The Sun suggested £5 was average in 2017 and earlier this year HuffPost produced an article which quoted a figure of £11.20 for 2018. This would suggest children's annual pay increases are far more impressive than their parents, but do they really need pocket money, or is it just another expense for parents? After handing out fivers for quite a few years, this is my experience of the benefits of pocket money. 
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Wednesday, 2 May 2018

20 Natural Remedies for Common Illnesses and Ailments


Aloe Vera Plant SketchNo one wants to get sick. It's depressing, often painful and, honestly, who has the time? As soon as most of us come down with something horrible, t's perfectly natural to want to get better as soon as possible. Whether it's a short term virus, or a long term problem that won't give in, this often means heading to the chemist, or even the doctor, for something scientific-sounding and probably expensive. For common conditions, though, it's often surprising how well natural remedies can work and this is a list of my personal favourites. They might not work for everyone, but are cheap and easy and definitely worth a try. 
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Tuesday, 24 April 2018

Fun Facts about Finland


View from a KLM aircraft flying over Finland
I must admit, when I travelled to Finland recently, I knew very little about it. I assumed, being very naive in such matters, that as it was in Europe it would be a little bit familiar, that we would have things in common and it wouldn't feel like too far from home. But it turns out it is further than I thought, 1598 miles to be precise, and there are quite a few differences that I hadn't expected, including a very different landscape, made up of better snow than we get here in the UK! If you've ever wondered what's different about Finland, I have the answers. Enjoy our fun facts and fascinating findings, full of Finnish flavour!
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Friday, 20 April 2018

All the Reasons not to Share your Child's Details Online.


A child in school uniform, with a yellow star over the logo. By details, I mean full name, full birth-date, school, family members, or location, which can include photos with your house or car in the background, or any other identifying features which could pinpoint exactly where he or she lives. Before you think I've gone internet-safety crazy like some kind of social media nosy-neighbour, I promise I will explain, and if you have ever tagged a photo of your child with their full name, which also includes the logo on their school jumper, please take a moment to read. I really would appreciate it, because this is something that really worries me and, each to their own, but I would love it if you could make sure you are aware of these security concerns first.
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Monday, 2 April 2018

Siblings with a Large Age Gap - Pros and Cons


Brother and sister, with title overlaid
Not so long ago, it seemed almost expected to have children close together and it was common to have two or three siblings just one or two classes apart at primary school. These days, times have changed and advances in fertility treatment, blended families, and career choices have led to more diverse family units. There are many advantages to having children with a larger age gap, such as spreading out the costs of childcare, school uniform, trips, etc. There are also drawbacks, though. If you are considering spacing out your offspring, here is everything I’ve learned from having children ten years apart.
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Friday, 23 February 2018

What's in My Make Up Bag

Make up bag, with products, and title overlaid
Thanks to Lauren from Scrapbook Lives for tagging me in her post, asking what's in my make up bag. I was really keen to take part, since I've only recently started wearing make up more often. I used to only wear it for evenings out, but since hitting 30ish, plus VAT, I am finding I resemble the unfortunate victim of a Miss Marple episode, if I don't make at least a bit of an effort. So this post features the products I love enough to give them their own bag. In most cases, it's because they are great products, but there's at least one that I only keep in there for the name. Welcome to the shallow world of my make up bag!
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Wednesday, 21 February 2018

An Easy Cupcake Recipe that Saved the Day


Decorated cupcakes with title overlaid.
Who would have thought an innocent cake could cause so much trouble? It all started when The Husband innocently suggested he would make a cake to take into work, like he has done many times before. Except he forgot that this day was stock take, which involves 25 people, more than twice the usual cake-consumers. One cake was never going to be enough. What he didn't realise was, when you increase the volume of cake, the potential for disaster increases too. Here's what happened next, and how a decent fool-proof cupcake recipe can always put things right. Save this one for when you need your cakes to turn out right the first time!
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Friday, 16 February 2018

Is Autism Even Real?

Word cloud question mark with title around it. Anyone who knows me at all, particularly if you've read my Awesome Autism post, will realise pretty quickly that this is an ironic title, not something I personally believe, or have even considered. It is, however, something I hear a lot, so I would like to take this opportunity to explain why, in my view, the title above is a really stupid question. This will be based on observation and experience, which, in fairness, is something people really ought to rely on, before making silly statements that are likely to cause upset and distress to others, instead of just letting any old garbage fall out of their open mouths. Is Autism even real? Let the ranting begin.
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Monday, 12 February 2018

No School Attendance Policy will Prevent Childhood Illness

Pencil and sharpenings with text overlaid
School absence is a subject that comes up a lot these days. It's a society-wide issue, for many reasons and is often a subject of media scrutiny. It can be to blame for everything from criminal activity to unemployment statistics and, whilst I am not denying it's an issue, I'm really starting to think Ofsted have got it a bit wrong. To be clear, I fully support the need for children to be in school, but there are always going to be issues that cause a child to be absent, such as illness, and this is partly what I want to focus on. I realise holidays in term time are another issue, but that is a big enough issue for a whole new post!
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Thursday, 8 February 2018

House Cleaning: Budget Tricks and Short Cuts!


Rubber gloved hand cleaning a kitchen sinkI do love a good old fashioned housewifely remedy for a tricky cleaning task. In our current economy, you can really save a lot of money by having a few household staples in your cupboard for tackling a variety of cleaning tasks. Sometimes, even if you are really short of cash and everything is looking a bit tired and dated, a good spring clean can make you feel so much better and give your home a much needed lift. It's also much better for the environment and your health too. Everyone would love a sparkly clean home, but no one once the bleach smell and rough hands that often comes with it. 
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Tuesday, 30 January 2018

What Walking Stick Users Want You to Know


Penguins with walking sticks and top hats. Title overlaid.
When you have a hidden illness, you get used to people not realising that there's anything wrong, so when you are out and about, there can be a lot of tutting and general impatience. Recently though, I've thrown vanity to the wind and started using a stick sometimes. I found it on a camping website and it didn't look too much like a walking stick, more like a hiking aid, so I thought I would give it a try and it's bliss. It means I can walk for longer with less pain, or go out when I wouldn't normally be able to. I have been surprised by people's reactions though. Most are considerate, but some seem oblivious to the limitations of the stick user. 
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