Ideas for Decorating Holiday Shells

Everyone 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.

Coping with Hay Fever, Top Tips and Ideas to Help

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!

Pressure Washing the Patio - Before and After with Karcher

In our own low-budget way, we do try to keep up with the garden. Over the ten years we've lived here, we've turned it into a tidy, functional, yet low-maintenance garden, despite the drawbacks of heavy clay soil and either full sun or total shade in parts. One aspect that has been letting the garden down for some time though, is the ageing, grotty patio and recently, we got the chance to finally do something about it. Read on to find out how the Karcher K2 Compact stepped up to the task and see the results in our before and after pictures! This post is not sponsored, we borrowed the pressure washer from a friend. 

The Play That Goes Wrong - Bristol Hippodrome Review

The Play That Went Wrong is presented by Mischief Theatre, and consists of a very small cast and one equally small, but remarkably flexible, stage set. The whole vibe is reminiscent of traditional theatre, as opposed to the more showy West End musicals we've become used to and this is an aspect that I found really appealing, it brought back memories of school trips and local theatre shows I've seen in the past. The local theatre look is very deliberate and gives a clue to the theme of the show, which is a local theatre production that, well, that goes wrong. The clue is also in the title. 

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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Why I Love Instagram but Still get it Wrong

There are certain things I really like about social media, and certain things I don't. It has great power to affect a person's mood, outlook, even relationships, which isn't good, but on the other hand, it can provide a lifeline for people who are lonely, or just not very confident socially. The key seems to be not to take it too seriously, which is why I'm particularly fond of Instagram. It's mainly inoffensive pictures and quotes and a mindless scroll is quite relaxing. Also I love taking photos and looking at other photos, so it's perfect for me. It seems, though, that I've been doing it all wrong, but I'm not about to change. Here's why.