Smart tricks for feeding hungry children on busy days

This is a collaborative post

Busy family life often means mealtimes become a juggling act. Between the school run, work obligations, and endless extracurriculars, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to feed children something quick, affordable, and vaguely nutritious. Many parents face the constant dilemma of finding meals that don’t take too much time or effort but still satisfy hungry kids without resorting to daily takeaways.

Although it’s tempting to grab whatever’s convenient, the pressure to maintain some sense of nutrition and routine can weigh heavily. Fortunately, a few clever habits and time-saving tools can take the stress out of family feeding routines. From smart use of food ordering apps to batch cooking and weekly planning, there are several ways to keep things running smoothly even on the busiest of days.

Quick meal solutions when time is against you

The after-school period is one of the most intense times of day. Children are often hungry and tired, while parents are dashing between work commitments, homework support, and prepping for the evening. When dinner feels like one task too many, fast and reliable solutions become essential.

Fast food apps have become an invaluable resource for parents trying to save time. Many allow you to place an order before the school pickup or during a short break at work, ensuring food is ready and waiting when you are. You can find deals with the Burger King app to make this process even more affordable, which helps relieve the pressure when you're short on time and energy.

Ordering ahead cuts waiting time, which matters when you’ve got impatient children in tow. It also allows parents to plan mealtimes with more control, choosing when and where to pick up dinner, which can help avoid food-related meltdowns.

Batch cooking and freezer prep for busy evenings

Spending a little extra time on weekends can set you up for an easier week ahead. Batch cooking involves preparing meals in larger quantities, then freezing portions for quick reheating on weeknights. It takes the guesswork out of dinner and limits the need for midweek shopping trips.

Photo credit Ella Olsson

A big pot of chilli, stew, or pasta sauce can be divided into meal-sized containers and frozen. When you’re low on time, pulling a homemade option from the freezer is far quicker than starting from scratch. Pancakes, muffins, or oat bars can also be made in advance and stored, which makes mornings less chaotic.

Children can help out with prep, too. Even small tasks like portioning or labelling containers can help them feel involved while teaching valuable kitchen skills. The key is to match portions to your family’s appetite to reduce food waste and ensure there’s always enough.

Making smarter fast food choices

Fast food doesn’t always have to mean unhealthy. Many apps now display clear nutritional information, allowing parents to compare options and guide their children toward better decisions. Some offer swaps, apple slices instead of chips, water or milk instead of sugary drinks, or grilled over fried items.

These small changes can help create a balanced approach to occasional takeaways. Parents who use the nutritional tools on fast food apps often find that their children become more open to exploring healthier options when they’re part of the conversation.

It can also be a teaching opportunity. Involving children in the decision-making process helps them understand moderation and feel more in control of what they eat. Having occasional fast food as part of a week that also includes home-cooked meals builds a routine that’s both realistic and sustainable.

Family meal planning to simplify the week

When you already know what’s for dinner, the evening feels far less stressful. Taking 15 minutes on a Sunday to create a basic weekly meal plan can reduce daily decision fatigue. Some families stick to themes, like pasta on Mondays or takeaway on Fridays, to keep planning simple.

Having a rough guide gives you structure without being rigid. It also reduces the chances of last-minute panic ordering or defaulting to less healthy choices. Children can be involved in choosing meals or deciding between two options, which improves their mealtime buy-in.

Saving favourite meals or orders in your chosen food app also speeds things up when time is tight. This means fewer repetitive decisions and a faster route to a reliable dinner. Click-and-collect services are especially useful if you’ve got young children; no need to queue with tired toddlers in tow.

Keeping expectations realistic at mealtimes

Hungry children are rarely patient. Having a supply of quick, nutritious snacks on hand, like cheese, crackers, fruit or yoghurt, can help bridge the gap to dinner without spoiling their appetite. These are easy to prep ahead and keep in the fridge or car for emergencies.

Setting clear routines helps children understand what to expect. Eating meals at roughly the same times each day can help regulate hunger and reduce stress. Visual timers or countdowns can help younger children understand when food will be ready.

Disagreements about treats are common. Some families find that designating one specific “treat day” each week works well. It gives children something to look forward to while setting boundaries that help reduce repeated requests or emotional bargaining.

Talking openly about food choices without using words like “bad” or “naughty” encourages healthier attitudes. Children learn the difference between everyday meals and occasional treats without attaching guilt or shame to either.

Keeping mealtimes budget friendly

Feeding a family doesn’t need to break the bank. Fast food meals can seem cost-effective during a busy week, especially with family deals and app-based discounts. However, costs can add up without careful planning.

Using apps that offer rewards or loyalty points makes it easier to stick to a budget. Many major chains now offer free items after a certain number of purchases or limited-time offers that are only available through the app. These benefits are especially helpful for families who use takeaways more frequently during busy periods.

A mixed approach also works well. Pairing homemade sides with a purchased main, like a fresh salad with a burger, can stretch your budget further and improve the meal’s nutritional value. This hybrid strategy gives children some of their favourites while still incorporating fresher elements.

Photo credit Filip Mishevski via Unsplash

Another great way to control spending is to buy pantry staples like pasta, rice, and tinned vegetables in bulk during supermarket sales. A well-stocked kitchen means you're less reliant on last-minute purchases.

Most food apps also store your order history, making it easy to track how often you’re relying on takeout. If you notice an uptick during busy weeks, you can plan with more home-cooked meals or prepare extra freezer-friendly options to keep things balanced.

Make mealtimes easier with simple strategies

Juggling daily family life doesn't have to compromise mealtime quality. With some basic planning, freezer-friendly recipes, and smart use of ordering apps, feeding children on a busy schedule becomes less of a struggle.

Try preparing snacks and breakfasts in advance, keeping a go-to list of ten-minute dinners, and using app tools to order ahead when you're short on time. Click-and-collect options, flexible meal templates, and small, smart swaps for more balanced meals can take the stress out of busy evenings.

These small changes quickly add up to better routines, fewer food-related meltdowns, and more calm at the table. With the right habits in place, even the busiest families can enjoy smoother, stress-free mealtimes.

Embracing K-pop in Seoul - K-pop activities, things to do and see in the city

If you are a K-pop fan, you can't beat a trip to Seoul in South Korea to indulge your passion. From the moment you step off the plane you are surrounded by K-pop - posters welcoming you to Korea featuring photographs of your favourite idols, K-pop music playing in taxis and shops, screens broadcasting music videos, and merchandise filling the shop windows. 

Here are some ways that you can really indulge your love of K-pop in a visit to the city.

Watch a live broadcast K-pop performance - The Show and Inkigayo

The Show is South Korean music television show which is broadcast live every Tuesday from the SBS Prism Tower in Seoul. As a foreign tourist you can book a tour which includes tickets to watch the show, and I'll be writing a detailed review of our tour because it was so good. 

We booked through Trazy - SBS MTV The Show & Seoul Tour Package. As well as a city tour you receive seated tickets to watch The Show being filmed. There were also some areas filled with enthusiastic Korean fans with their light sticks and signs, and I understand that these tickets are available for locals by raffle. 

It's worth booking early as spaces are limited, and our ticket numbers were allocated on arrival so it might be worth arriving early so that you end up closer to the front. It does also depend on which company you book tickets with as they are seated in turn - luckily we discovered that with Trazy we were seated first. 

When we visited we saw performances by Han Seung Woo, KARD, ONEUS, H1-KEY, POW, Baby DON'T Cry, AHOF, NouerA, TIOT, DPNS, RESCENE, Blingone, DIVA-X with all but one group there in person. Some of them performed a full song which was broadcast live, others danced along on stage to a previously recorded film of the song. I'm fairly sure that apart from one none of them were actually singing live, but they all performed excellent and energetic dance routines!

A larger live K-pop experience is Inkigayo which tends to have some better known groups. Unfortunately you need to be over 15 years old, and my daughter was too young! This show takes place on Sundays and can be booked in a similar way through various companies like this one - SBS Inkigayo (Popular Songs) & Seoul Tour Package.

Enjoy some free K-pop street performances

If you spend some time in the Hongdae area of an evening then you will likely find some street performers entertaining the crowd. We saw some excellent performances and although they were promoting their social media channels they didn't seem to be passing around a hat, they appeared to genuinely enjoy performing. 

Film your own K-pop music video

HiKR Ground is a fun and free place to visit if you have some spare time. We only found it because it was part of our tour to watch The Show! It's located inside the Korea Tourism Organization Seoul Center, and among other things it features some recreated K-pop themed sets which you can use to film your own music videos. It's all indoors over several floors, and there is a cafe on the top floor.

There are also plenty of filming locations from K-pop music videos all over the city, so it's worth doing a search for your favourites in case it's somewhere that you would like to visit.

Shop for albums and other merchandise

We spent a lot of time wandering the streets looking for K-pop albums and other merchandise. We spent most of our time in Myeondong which was near our hotel and had a huge selection of shops. The Myeongdong Underground Shopping Mall is great for browsing, and being air conditioned was a welcome relief from the heat. There were a few shops selling albums, and also lots of other merchandise.

It's worth noting that although the albums were the same as the ones that we can purchase at home in the UK, the prices were incredibly reasonable and in most cases around half the price that we are used to paying. Light sticks were also very well priced - we bought a Blackpink and Baby Monster light stick for around £20 each. I think it is also quite common to receive a free poster or photo card when you shop.

We had a couple of favourite shops in the Myeondong area. Music Korea was great for albums at really reasonable prices, and also offers a discount if you follow them on Instagram.

K-Mecca had a huge selection of merchandise, including a wide range of light sticks, and plenty of albums including very cheap mystery boxes.

Take photos "with" your idols

Photos and cutouts of idols are everywhere, and not just in the K-pop shops. You can find posters and advertisements featuring idols all over the place to take photographs with, and many shops have photo booths where you can take your photo and have it superimposed on to individual or group idol photographs.

Visit the headquarters of the entertainment companies

You are unlikely to see idols coming in and out, but many of the headquarters have a merchandise shop or a cafe, and fans may recognise the buildings from publicity around their idols. We made it to the YG Entertainment headquarters where we visited the shop and my daughter wrote a message on the wall outside. We weren't the only ones there!

You can find a list and map of entertainment company headquarters here - K-Pop Entertainment Buildings in Seoul.

Follow a trail of painted K-pop bears

K-Star Road connects Apgujeong Rodeo Station exit 2 and Cheongdam crossroads in Gangnam. Along a 1km stretch of road you can find seventeen bears (known as GangnamDols) to represent different K-pop groups. They tend to be the older groups, but they are fun to see and take photos with.

Spend some time in Gangnam

Also in Gangnam you can see the famous Gangnam Style statue with the crossed hands, great for photos! Close by is the COEX Mall for shopping, and outside are a couple of walls with handprints of K-pop idols. Again they are mainly older groups, but fun to visit. You can find detailed instructions for finding the handprints here - How to find the K-pop idols handprints at the Starfield COEX Mall. 

Check for special events

If anything exciting is happening in the K-pop world then it will definitely be celebrated in Seoul! We visited just after the start of Blackpink's 2025 tour, when parts of the city were lit up in pink to celebrate. The special locations were marked in the Naver app which we used for navigation, and were also highlighted on the Blackpink website. Although we just missed it, we were able to visit the Deadline pop up store and pick up some very reasonably priced Blackpink merchandise which wasn't available at home.

We were also there for the release of Blackpink's new single Jump which was broadcast on huge screens across the city, including one just outside our hotel which was very exciting. We joined with other fans to watch and record it!

If an idol is celebrating anything, perhaps a birthday, anniversary, new release and so on, fans will often organise special events in a cafe or other venue. As well as decorations you might find themed snacks, drinks and merchandise. These are often advertised on social media, although you might need to know some Korean to find out what is going on. You can try asking in some of the K-pop stores, or just keep your eyes open if you know that there is a special date coming up! We saw posters on the metro to say happy birthday to one idol!

Visit Idol Radio

Idol Radio is a live radio show run by MBC, and if you visit on a Monday or Wednesday evening you can watch it being broadcast from outside. We didn't manage to do this on our trip, but if you fancy it you can find full directions and instructions here -  Kpop Fan’s Guide to Visiting Idol Radio in Seoul.

I hope that you found some useful K-pop themed suggestions here if you are planning a visit to Seoul - let me know what I missed in the comments!

The Shanghai Greenhouse Garden at Expo Culture Park

Shanghai Greenhouse Garden opened very recently in September 2024, in the centre of the Shanghai World Expo Culture Park in Pudong New Area. Situated in glass domes somewhat similar to the Eden Project in the UK or Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, there are three themed glass pavilions - Sand Mirage (tropical and arid), Cloud Forest (tropical wet shade) and Cloud Canyons (tropical wet sun).

We found it easiest to travel to the Shanghai Greenhouse by taxi as it was a little way from where we were staying. The website states that advance booking is required - we didn't realise this, however we were easily able to purchase tickets on arrival. 

When we visited Shanghai in July it was very hot, and although the greenhouses were still warm insdie it was a perfect escape from the sun, and would also make a great place to visit on a rainy day. We visited on a weekday morning and it wasn't at all busy. It was a really pleasant way to escape the noise and bustle of the city centre on our final day.

The gardens are beautifully laid out, lovely, clean and relaxing. Unusually for some of the other tourist spots in Shanghai there were excellent English translations throughout, it definitely felt like a modern attraction. If you can't quite read the sign below it says 'Civilised garden do not littering' which I loved.

Your route takes you through the three domes in turn, which are linked by underwater corridors and walkways. You can also wander about at your leisure, and there are places to sit for a while and enjoy your surroundings. Although there are quite a few steps, it's reasonably suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. There is a marked accessible route, and there are plenty of toilets.

 

There are several suspended walkways which give you lovely views across the gardens. It was so peaceful with the sound of running water from the waterfall and the streams.

I loved walking slowly around the gardens, enjoying the peace, and taking it all in.

I have a newly developed interest in gardening, and so I loved admiring all the beautiful plants. I'm always drawn to flowers, and I particularly loved the tall pillars which were packed with orchids in the Clouds Canyon zone. There are lots of great locations for taking beautiful photographs.

At the base of the orchid pillars is a long shallow pool where small children are allowed to paddle, which I thought was lovely. I can imagine locals coming here to entertain small children away from the heat and crowds. 

I felt that being so new, the Greenhouse Gardens are a little bit off the tourist radar when it comes to places to visit in Shanghai. Although the greenhouses feel set up to deal with larger crowds, it was very quiet when we visited and there was none of the hectic bustle that we found elsewhere in Shanghai. If you are looking for somewhere pleasant to spend a few hours away from the crowds, or if you are travelling with young children that would enjoy a paddle, I would really recommend a visit.

Furthermore, there is also plenty to see in the surrounding park areas. It was a little too hot when we visited to explore outside, but at a cooler time of year I think you could easily spend a day here. In fact you might find that the free outdoor areas are just as lovely as the greenhouses!

A typical adult entry fee to the greenhouses is ¥98-128, and opening hours are 9am to 5pm with last entry at 4.30pm. The greenhouse is closed on Mondays except for Chinese statutory holidays. Tickets can be booked in advance using WeChat. You can find more details and visitor information here - Buying tickets to Expo Park Greenhouse. 

Visiting the Myeondong Cat Playground cat café in Seoul

Somewhere my children were desperate to visit in Seoul was a Cat Café. I was hesitant, mainly because my son has a mild cat allergy, but he was fully prepared to accept the consequences in exchange for the experience, and fortunately he was fine!

There are several cat cafés in the Myeondong area of Seoul where we were staying, but it was difficult to find out information online. In the end I chose the Myeondong Cat Playground because it was close by, had a reasonable fixed fee for entrance that included a drink, and you could stay as long as you wanted. It wasn't possible to make advance reservations, so we did have to wait for a short while to get in.

On arrival you need to swap your outdoor shoes for a pair of plastic sandals, and you are provided with a plastic sack to keep your belongings safe from the cats. There was a good selection of hot and cold drinks included in the entry price and you could buy more as you needed them as well as cat food. 

In the centre of the room was a tower structure with dozing cats, there was a heated floor area to sit and hope that a cat might want to sit on your knee, all the tables were provided with a basket and often a sleeping cat, and the cats also roamed around freely.

You aren't allowed to pick up the cats, and some of the cats were wearing a blue collar which means that they may get grumpy if you play with them too much. The cats all seemed really happy and well cared for, and they were all beautiful breeds, including a hairless cat.

I didn't like to disturb them too much but they honestly didn't seem to be bothered by the attention (and I know that a cat would make it pretty clear if they were fed up of being bothered!) There were plenty of hidden places that the cats could escape to if they needed a break, and they could rest high up and out of reach.

Our table had a basket but no cat, so we were delighted about halfway through our visit when a lovely cat jumped up on the table and came to visit! After some stroking and photographing the cat ended up settling down for a nap.

The café was beautifully clean with no cat hair in sight. It looked a little hectic at first when we were waiting to go inside, but once we were settled at our table it felt much calmer, and people were generally very respectful of the cats. It was a really relaxing space to sit with a drink, especially if you are lucky enough to end up with a sleeping cat on your table!

I would love to have a cat of my own but it's not practical for us, and probably not a good idea with an allergy in the family. So the cat café was a great place to hang out with some cats for a little while, and if we ever find ourselves in a part of the world with a cat café again I'd love to visit another!

Our fantastic summer holiday to Helsinki, Tallinn, Seoul and Shanghai!

We have just got back from our summer holiday, and it was a very exciting one for us! We travelled to Helsinki in Finland, took a day trip to Tallinn in Estonia, then spent a week in Seoul in South Korea followed by a week in Shanghai in China.

The itinerary came about for several reasons. Firstly, the trip was booked using Avios Air Miles. We wanted to visit Seoul, and because you can't fly directly from London to Seoul with British Airways we began the trip with a short stop in Helsinki. 

Secondly, we were able to easily travel to China without a visa by taking advantage of their 240 hour visa free transit policy. You just need to arrive from one country and depart to another within 10 days, with proof of your onward travel. So we took a short flight with Korean Air from Seoul to Shanghai, then used Avios points again for our return to the UK from Shanghai. 

Why did we choose those destinations? Seoul was inspired by our 14 year old daughter's love for everything K-pop and Shanghai was an opportunity to visit Shanghai Disneyland. I'll be sharing lots more about these places over the next few weeks!

We had to change our plans slightly at the very beginning after our outbound airline FinnAir announced strikes on the day we were due to leave. We decided not to take a chance and to fly to Helsinki a day early, giving us an extra day on the itinerary. We didn't have much planned for Helsinki, so we made the great decision to take a ferry over to Tallinn in Estonia for the day (an option we only knew about after investigating alternative options if our flight to Helsinki was cancelled!) It's not that we didn't like Helsinki, but it was a great opportunity to visit a city which we'd heard things about and were unlikely to visit separately.

Tallinn was lovely and I felt that it had much more of a heart to it than Helsinki. We visited on a weekend when there was a Song and Dance celebration taking place with a huge parade through the city centre and lots of people dressed in traditional costumes. Unfortunately it did rain quite heavily all day, but we stuck with it and carried out our sightseeing under umbrellas!

After a second rainy day in Helsinki we were ready for some warmth and sunshine, and fortunately that's what the rest of the holiday delivered in abundance! We landed in Seoul and my daughter was in K-pop heaven - shops, billboards, posters, merchandise and music everywhere you looked. 

We did a lot of shopping in Seoul. Everything was incredibly cheap, it was a friendly and pleasant city, easy to get around and we also took two excellent organised tours.

The first tour was to watch a recording of 'The Show' - a weekly K-pop show featuring idols galore performing live on stage - an incredible experience for a K-pop fan. The second tour took us to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) border between South Korea and North Korea which was fantastic. We covered a number of stops including a visit to the observation deck where you can peek out across North Korea, a tunnel dug from North Korea that is now a tourist attraction, and a drive through the land mined area that separates the two countries. I'll be sharing more about this tour because it was truly excellent, but for now here is a picture of the toll gate to North Korea, now no longer in use.

Then we travelled on to Shanghai which I must admit was quite a change after Seoul. It was even hotter, very busy, and although we knew in advance that most of the familiar apps wouldn't work on our phones it was a bit of a shock to actually encounter the Great Firewall of China! Fortunately we had purchased e-Sim cards which allowed us to access most things through our data, and a bit of pre-planning and downloading of Chinese apps meant that we were able to cope. 

We stayed in a hotel with an amazing view across the Huangpu river towards The Bund area. 

Shanghai Disneyland was definitely an experience. Although the tickets for entry were reasonably priced, we ended up paying extra for early entry and to get on two of the rides as it was just so busy and too hot to be waiting around for long. We enjoyed the rides that were different from the ones that we are used to and we had a couple of fun days there.

We also visited temples and gardens in Shanghai and spent some time in the shopping malls to escape the heat, although the prices on the high end goods weren't any better than at home. We struggled a bit for food as we aren't adventurous eaters, but towards the end we found a fantastic Italian restaurant opposite the the hotel that kept us filled up! 

We had an amazing holiday and saw some many interesting and unique things, I think I'm still processing it all and I'm definitely still recovering from the jet lag!

Simple home organising tips for families in transition

This is a collaborative post

Moving house, changing schools, or going through a separation, family transitions can turn even the most organised home into chaos. When parents face major life changes, maintaining a sense of order becomes both more challenging and more essential. Children thrive on routine and predictability, yet these are often the first casualties during periods of upheaval. 

Creating structure amid change doesn't require complicated systems or pricey solutions. Simple organising strategies can help families move through difficult transitions while keeping daily life running smoothly. From establishing routines to managing paperwork and creating spaces for important items, practical organisation provides stability when everything feels uncertain. 

Why Home Organisation Matters During Family Transitions

Physical order in the home helps reduce stress during periods of upheaval. When families face major changes such as separation or divorce, maintaining an organised home helps everyone feel more grounded. This consistency gives both adults and children clear signals that some things remain reliable, even when circumstances are shifting.

Across the UK, thousands of families experience divorce or separation annually. These events often unsettle routines and introduce uncertainties, especially for children. Professional support from local divorce lawyers UK can help parents manage legal matters while maintaining home stability. Many families find that specialists offer guidance for addressing both immediate concerns and long-term welfare for their children, and reaching out early allows parents to learn more about their services and plan accordingly.

Children are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment. Psychologists note that maintaining order during uncertain times helps children feel secure. Even basic organisation systems provide visual cues that some things remain stable despite major changes. Families who create structure during transitions often notice children adjust more easily. 

Practical Tools for Schedule Management

Families moving between homes need schedule management tools that work in real-life situations. Setting up a shared electronic calendar helps both parents stay updated on school events, club activities, and collection times. Choosing a platform that both households can access on their phones simplifies keeping everyone informed. 

For added organisation, parents find it effective to set reminders for key tasks such as sending PE equipment or arranging consistent handover times. This approach reduces forgotten details and makes transitions smoother for children. When testing new calendar routines, start with just one type of activity before adding others as confidence grows.   

Photo credit 2H Media via Unsplash

Simple colour-coding systems help children understand complicated schedules. Assigning different colours to each parent or household makes visual calendars easier to interpret at a glance. For example, blue might represent days with one parent, while green shows time with the other.

Reorganising Spaces for New Family Dynamics

When family structures change, living spaces often need adjustment to fit new realities. This could involve creating a home office in a former playroom, converting a dining area to a homework station, or rearranging bedrooms. Careful changes help spaces suit the family's current situation. 

For children who move between homes, creating comfortable, familiar spaces in both locations helps them feel secure. Having similar bedtime items, familiar pictures, or matching storage systems in both homes can ease transitions. Parents can cooperate to provide this consistency even when other aspects of the homes differ. 

Many families downsize during transitions like separation or divorce. Smart storage solutions become more important when space is limited. Under-bed containers, wall-mounted shelves, and multi-purpose furniture help make the most of available space without creating clutter.

Children's Spaces During Transition

Creating consistent bedroom environments across two homes helps children feel secure during changes. When possible, having similar bedding, night lights, or comfort items in both locations eases adjustment. Even small consistencies like the same bedtime routine help children feel comfortable in both places. 

Helping children pack and move between households requires careful planning. Special backpacks or bags designated for transitions make the process more structured. Children can help decide what items travel between homes and what stays in each location.

Photo credit Tamara Bellis via Unsplash

Storage solutions for shared items prevent disagreements and confusion. Clear containers labelled with pictures or words help young children know where things belong. Dedicated spaces for favourite possessions ensure important items don't get lost during moves between homes.

Managing Documents and Important Information

During separation or divorce, families must organise numerous important documents. These usually include birth certificates, marriage certificates, financial records, and legal paperwork related to the separation. Creating a complete list helps ensure nothing important gets overlooked during this stressful time. 

Having a secure system for legal paperwork reduces the chance of lost documents and helps keep stress in check. Many UK families use a simple accordion file with clearly labelled sections for different document types. Those seeking more details about what professional legal services involve can learn more about their services from specialists familiar with family law in the UK. 

If using digital storage, choose a cloud provider that offers encryption and complies with UK privacy standards. Scan each document using a mobile app or scanner and save with clear filenames. Store backups on an extra device or encrypted drive. Share online folders with the other parent only as needed, using password protection.   

Self-Care Through Organisation During Difficult Transitions

Creating order can serve as a form of emotional self-care during challenging periods. The act of organising provides a sense of control when other areas of life feel chaotic. Even small projects, like arranging a bookshelf or sorting through a drawer, can bring satisfaction during difficult times. 

Simple daily organisation habits ease the mental load for parents facing transitions. Taking five minutes each evening to prepare for the next day, keeping a central family calendar, or having established places for important items helps avoid morning stress. These small habits create stability during unpredictable times. 

During major changes, adjusting expectations helps families maintain wellbeing. UK parents have found practical ways to set priorities, such as focusing on just one or two areas that need the most attention. Some families choose ready-made meals instead of attempting elaborate menus. Others prioritise clean school uniforms over non-essential laundry during hectic weeks. 

Key Documents Organiser for Separating Parents

Keeping legal documents organised is essential during separation. Important papers include birth certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce papers. Court orders and property deeds should be stored securely. Having a system for wills and estate documents prevents future difficulties. Organising these documents early helps reduce stress throughout the separation process. 

Financial records require careful organisation during family transitions. Bank statements and tax returns contain important information for legal proceedings. Pension information and mortgage documents affect long-term financial planning. Insurance policies may need review and possible updates. Child maintenance agreements should be accessible to both parents for reference and compliance. 

Children's information needs special attention during separation. School records and medical history should be available to both parents. Passport and ID documents require secure storage but occasional access. Vaccination records may be needed for school or travel. Emergency contacts should be updated and shared. Allergy information must be consistent across both households for children's safety.

Finding Stability Through Simple Home Organisation

Transitions can be challenging, but creating a more organised home environment helps ease the pressure on everyone involved. By focusing on what matters most, involving the whole family in simple tasks, and taking things one step at a time, it's possible to bring structure and calm into even the most unsettled periods. With a thoughtful approach, your home can become a supportive space that adapts with you, offering clarity, comfort, and a sense of control when you need it most.

How I'm learning about gardening

Although I've had a garden for many years, this is the first year that I've really paid any attention to gardening, and it's become a bit of an obsession! We had quite a nice garden in our first house, but I never did anything with it. I think that it had been landscaped at some point in the past but it had become overgrown, and with a newborn I just didn't have the time to do anything with it apart from chopping things back to make a bit more space.

The garden in our current house was pretty much all laid to grass apart from a vegetable patch and a couple of small borders. I always hated the long boring fence across the back, but I lacked the confidence to do anything with it, and we only really wanted a garden that was suitable for small children to run around in.

But since we had an extension built and our garden properly landscaped I have learned so much. I've used my new found knowledge to shop at garden centres and plant lots of things - and so far everything has thrived and looks amazing! It makes me so happy to go out into the garden and admire all my beautiful plants.

Canna lilies

Here are some of the ways that I've increased my gardening knowledge:

* I'm addicted to r/GardeningUK on Reddit. I've picked up so much useful information, like ideas for what to plant, how to care for the things that I've planted, and just general inspiration when it comes to making the garden look how I want it to. I'm not a poster, I only lurk, but I find that often people are asking something I want to know the answer to, and it's really good for seasonal information.

* I've started watching Gardener's World and am seriously considering subscribing to the magazine. I love the slow format of the show, and there always seems to be a segment on something which is relevant to me.

* I've been using the RHS website to look up information about the plants that I've bought and I've also purchased a couple of their books - one on pruning and one on cut flowers - which are excellent.

* I take a lot of walks and runs around our estate, so I've been paying particular attention to what people have growing in their gardens (and judging the scruffy ones - even though ours was worse a year ago!) I'm really proud of myself when I can identify a plant.

* I've been taking much more interest in the gardens of people that I know, and asking them questions about what they've got growing there. Especially my Mum who has been digging out various things from hers to give to me!

* I do some volunteering work for a local community group that maintain the floral displays in the village and this has given me so much confidence when it comes to planting. There are also lots of lovely other volunteers that are happy to help with my questions!

I'm so proud of my garden, and I can't believe that I didn't start caring about it sooner!

Our transformed front garden

A couple of weeks ago I shared our back garden, and today I'm sharing our front garden transformation! Before it was very boring, just grass which was mainly weeds, always shaded because of the overgrown hedge.

We decided to take some inspiration from a neighbour's recent landscaping and open it all up with a pebbled garden inspired by our local beaches. Although we have removed the old hedge, we have left a marked out bed to replant it later in the year, perhaps with something a little lower in height. The apple tree remains, although it's definitely ready for a good prune this Autumn!

We needed to create a new gate to the other side of the house so we extended the path. The slabs are the same as those that we used in the back garden and they also match the indoor tiles. We added a deep new flower bed in front of each window and have planted those with hydrangeas. I'm trying to keep them blue so I've been using ericaceous compost and fertiliser which is supposed to enhance the blue colour! They are doing really well considering they had no flowers when we planted them a month ago. I'm constantly watering them! I chose blue petunias to match for this year.

We had the garden designed for us which really helped as I wouldn't have known where to start. The landscaper came up with the pebble arrangement and then my designer helped with buying the plants and where to place them. Me and Harry planted them and it was such a difficult job, the ground underneath was really compacted and full of gravel, stones and sand. Luckily despite the poor soil they all seem to be growing well.

We have a mixture of different grasses and also some different types of euphorbia. (I'm not very good with identifying plants!) If the garden opposite is anything to go by, in a few years they will have grown up quite a lot and it will look a little less sparse.

I really like the different mix of colours and textures. I'll be planting some bulbs in the Autumn for next year, and I'm hoping that the hydrangeas will grow to fill the borders.

It makes such a difference to the front of our house and although I do miss some of the privacy that we had from the hedge I've got used to it now. It's nice to be a bit more open, and the front of the house feels much lighter. Now I just need to come up with a plan for the front hedge area.

Looking at my current to be read pile

A few months ago I shared a photo of my to be read pile, and with my summer reading to plan I thought I'd give an update. 

Here's what the to be read shelf on my bedside table looked like in March:

And here is how it is looking now:

I think the first thing to notice is that two large books are still very much present and correct - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. They are among six books on the shelf that have a bookmark in but are not finished. I think that it may be time to be realistic and admit defeat on these two, or at least transfer them to a different location. They take up a lot of space and are not likely to be read in the near future. 

But I do definitely want to read the others! There are a couple of Haruki Murakami books which won't take long to read and then there is some non-fiction which I've picked up in charity shops and a couple of older local history books which were my Dad's. 

The reason that I need to make some space is that I have been kindly lent another lovely pile of books from a friend that I am very much looking forward to reading. I would much rather have these ones stacked up by the bed! They all look so good that I can't even decide which one to start with.

Then there is my Kindle which is filled with unread books, at least twenty, that I've downloaded as free Amazon First Reads, from the Amazon Prime library or just as free Kindle books that I spotted. They are easy to forget about because they aren't as visible, but I know that there are some good ones there that I want to get to. There are even a few books on my Amazon wish list which perhaps don't really count because I haven't actually bought them yet, but they are still lurking in the background calling 'read me! read me!'

Hopefully I can make some time over the summer and get caught up a bit!

Things that I'm looking forward to this summer

When I say summer I'm thinking of the school summer holidays, but honestly it feels as though it has been summer for months. We've been so lucky with the weather, even a few weeks ago we were sitting eating out in the garden, and so I really hope that it continues!

For Harry his summer holiday has already started now that his exams are finished, and Mia has also finished her end of year exams with only few more days at school to go. It will be such a relief to have all the exams out of the way. In the past I have often found the end of the school year quite a stressful time, but as the children have got older there have been fewer end of year events (no more sports day!) and the final term always seems very short. 

It's been a busy few months so I'm looking forward to being able to relax a bit over the summer. I always appreciate not having to do the school run, which has increased recently with extra trips around the exams. It makes my day feel so much longer! We don't have much planned yet - I know that the calendar will fill up, but hopefully there will be lots of time left to chill as well as getting out and about.

Although we still have some decorating to get on with over the summer we have almost reached the end of our big home projects which is a relief. I do need to have a big sort out in Harry's room once his exams are finished, which I'm looking forward to because it's a bit of a post-exams mess at the moment! Then I need to have another sort out of old toys and start listing things on eBay again. It always feels good to have a clear out.

Our garden is mostly planted now so it's just about maintenance, and I'm looking forward to making the most of our new garden furniture. In particular we have bought a fire pit table which we've already used a few times, it's so nice to sit out in the garden in the evening and enjoy the beautiful space. I love pottering around the garden deadheading, picking up weeds, and planning what I want to do with the empty spaces.

Finally we have a big holiday coming up over the summer which is very exciting. Unusually for us we haven't been away yet this year so it feels a long time coming. 

What are you looking forward to this summer?

How our back garden is looking now

A couple of months ago I shared some photos of our poor garden, which had never been that exciting to begin with and was looking very sad after our building work. It was pretty much a blank slate, mainly some tired grass and dominated by a dull fence across the back.

So here are some photos after it has undergone an amazing transformation!

When we were planning the garden, I knew that I wanted a pretty garden with lots of flowers. We wanted areas around the garden to sit and relax as a family, and I was keen to have something attractive to look at while I prepared food in the kitchen.

I've always loved my secret vegetable patch and so we now have this amazing arch which creates a lovely entrance to the area. I have a clematis planted on one side which will hopefully grow up and over the arch, and I may also add something else to the trellis next year. We added a wooden bench so it is now a really private place to sit, watch the bees buzzing around the lavender and admire my tomatoes, courgettes and strawberries.

We've been making regular visits to the garden centre and picking up things that catch our eye. These cannas were suggested by our garden designer and I love the bold colours, they also add some height to the bed.

I'm gradually filling up the beds with flowers and hoping that they will last through the winter as the cost is adding up! I'll be much more organised next year and plant from seeds which will save some money.

I've always disliked the long boring fence across the back which dominates the view from the house. It will take a few years for things to get going, but we've planted some shrubs which will grow up a bit, and also two trees. We already have an apple tree at the front so we are trying a pear tree and a cherry tree, so hopefully I can keep them under control and thy will provide us with some fruit over the years! We also have two smaller trees around the pergola - a photinia and an acer.

I want to create a garden that attracts wildlife. We are lucky that our regular hedgehog visitor has returned - when we had new fencing installed we asked them to cut a hole so that hedgehogs could get into the garden and as soon as we started putting food out they appeared. It has even spent a night or two in our hedgehog house. There are plenty of bees around the flowers but I'm struggling a bit with the aphids at the moment, I need to work out how to attract the ladybirds!

I'm so in love with our garden now. I'm always wandering about deadheading and pulling up weeds and just enjoying the beautiful space. I can't wait to see how it changes over the years when things start to take off!

As a reminder, here's what we had done: