Now that the half term holiday is over, I can't believe that the children only have five weeks until they break up for the summer. These last few weeks have gone so quickly, and the end of term will be here before we know it. They have both had end of term tests, and although Harry still has a piano exam in his final week, things definitely seem to be winding down. Their school shoes are looking scruffy as I'm reluctant to buy them new ones that they will grow out of over the summer, and I'm anxiously watching the hemline on Mia's tunics - she only needs to wear them for one more year and so I'm hoping that I can get away without buying expensive new ones!
I always spend this time of year fretting over school uniform. Admittedly last year was much more stressful, as they both started a new school in September and I had two complete sets to buy as frugally as I could. There will be a second hand sale at some point in the next few weeks so I need to get my list together for the school branded bits, then stock up on the remainder and the generic bits as soon as I can before the shops start to run low. This year I'm determined not to leave it until the last minute like I often do!
In my memory the summer term at school lasted for ages, and was mainly formed of long lunchtimes sitting out on the grass field, making daisy chains which we rushed to put into water as soon as we got home in the hope that they would last. I remember the excitement when it was warm enough to wear the summer dress, and it had to be very hot indeed for us to be allowed to bring a water bottle into school (there were just a couple of water fountains).
I hope that the children are making fun memories of their time at school, although quite different to mine. Some things are the same though - when I was at school one summer craze was a Coca Cola yo yo (I still have mine...), which is not all that different from a fidget spinner!
The children's school is very close to the sea, and Mia's class have been spending alternate weeks having 'beach school' which sounds fantastic. They've been drawing the pier, looking for shells, making art and doing some beach science.
I'm really looking forward to the end of term and having the children at home with me all day. I love the long summer evenings when there is no pressure to get up the next morning (although of course that doesn't stop them rising at the crack of dawn...), no packed lunches to make, no homework, and no school run.
However I'm sure I will have forgotten my enthusiasm a few weeks in, when I realise that I have literally no time to myself and the only way to get a break is to let them play Minecraft for a bit, which ties up my computer so I can't even do any work! I'll be coming up with a list of activities like I usually do, and spending some time browsing Pinterest for inspiration. Hopefully we can organise some play dates and day trips with friends!
What are your memories of the countdown to the summer holidays?
The children are now back at school after a busy half term break, so I thought I'd write another catch up post! Here's what I've been up to lately...
Thinking about
I've been reflecting on the fact that the children have been in their new school for almost a year now, and remembering this time last year when it was a flurry of taster days and uniform sales before the end of term. I'm so proud of them both, they have settled in brilliantly. Mia barely remembers her old school, and while Harry found the transition a little bit harder for the first couple of months he is perfectly settled now. This summer term seems to be going by so quickly.
Crafting
I've started working on a new granny square crochet blanket which is coming along nicely and is using up some of the yarn from my stash. I've also been having fun playing with some mini Hama beads, and made some little kittens from a kit which the children have adopted. Also staying with the Hama beads I was really proud of my Hama bead flower wreath which is currently brightening up a corner of the kitchen.
Watching
We are enjoying the latest series of Better Call Saul on television and have also started The Handmaid's Tale, an excellent adaptation but tough viewing.
I've been to the theatre twice this month, first with Harry to watch Horrible Histories, a fun show which taught us both a lot. Then three of us enjoyed the excellent Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London which was amazing.
I've also discovered a new genre of videos on YouTube - speed cleaning and decluttering videos! It might seem a bit pointless to be watching videos of other people decluttering when I could be doing it myself, but I find it really inspiring, especially watching videos of people that have more stuff than I do. A new favourite is the Messy Minimalist, I just love watching her have a sort out and she is really motivational.
Eating
It was Mia's sixth birthday last week, a celebration which ended up being spread across several days and involved four different birthday cakes, so there has been a lot of cake eating!
At the weekend we attended a Sangeet pre-wedding celebration with family and there was lots of delicious food to enjoy. I came back with a box of Indian sweets which I love, although they are very sweet - I can't eat too many at once!
Travelling to
At the beginning of May we celebrated my Dad's 70th birthday with a family weekend at a cottage in Bedfordshire. It was a really lovely weekend, we went to Whipsnade Zoo, my sister took us swimming at Center Parcs Woburn where she works, and we had lots of family time.
More recently we spent a few days over half term at my in-laws in Warwick catching up with some extended family. We had a lovely day out at Warwick Castle and some nice walks along the canal, then finished with the Sangeet in Luton.
Reading
I've not done much reading of books this month which is a little disappointing. I've added a few books to my wishlist, mainly ones that have been recommended by fellow bloggers, I just need to set aside some time to get on with it. I did re-read one of my childhood favourites while hunting out old books to pass on to Harry - Back Home by Michelle Magorian. I've just started Harry off reading the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman which he is loving and I think they are definitely due for a re-read.
I have been keeping up with reading blogs though which has been really good, something that I had neglected for a few months. I'm now making the effort to have a daily read through the blogs that I'm following on Feedly, and looking for linkies to help me find some new blogs. There are so many talented writers and crafters out there!
Planning
Yesterday we held Mia's 6th birthday party at the local soft play. Because we were away in the days leading up to it I was very organised and got everything ready well in advance, with party bags ready to go and just a few bits of food to prepare in the morning. I'm always worried that there won't be enough food boxes or party bags and make extras, but this time there were no surprise guests and there was plenty for everyone.
At the beginning of July our village is holding a village wide garage sale trail. I've not committed to taking part yet but I've started gathering things together that I could sell if we were to join in, and I've amassed quite a pile so I think we will. I've been trying to group things into similar priced groups and saving boxes to display everything in.
I'm also busy trying to plan my blog and social media work in preparation for the summer when I will have children constantly under my feet!
Looking forward to
I can't believe that the children only have five weeks left until the long summer holiday. I'm very much looking forward to it as I love having them around, although it's hard work. At least it's much easier now that they are older and I have Minecraft as an option for easy entertainment.
At the start of July once the children have broken up for the summer we've booked a mid-week break to Center Parcs Elveden Forest. It will be the first time that we've visited during the summer as we usually aim for cheaper out of season breaks when it's cold and rainy, so I'm really hoping that we get some nice weather, maybe we will even manage a barbecue or two!
A small cardboard box with floor and sides (or you can cut down a larger one)
Newspaper or other thin paper
Tissue paper
Bostik White Glu
Black and grey paint
Alien cut out stickers
Stars and sequins
Instructions:
First prepare your box by cutting it down if necessary. Then tear lots of tissue paper into small pieces. Pour out some Bostik White Glu into a deep plastic cup. First make a rocky base for your box with some scrumpled up pieces of newspaper, especially in the corners and edges. Then take pieces of thinner tissue paper, cover them with the glue using a brush, and spread them out over the newspaper to make a smooth surface. Cover the inside of the box with tissue paper too in thin layers.
Wait until the tissue paper and glue are completely dry, then paint them with grey paint. Paint the rest of the box black to form the sky. When the black paint has dried you can add a coat of sparkly glue paint.
While everything is drying you can make your aliens. I used the foam alien stickers, and I stuck them to cardboard to make them thicker. I used a small square of cardboard to make a base for them, secured in place with a line of Bostik White Glu.
When the background to your play scene is dry you can decorate with star stickers and sequins. Then you are ready to play!
The box of craft materials was provided to me free of charge by Bostik as part of the Tots100/Bostik Craft Bloggers Club.
After I finished my crochet bunting I was planning on taking a break from crochet for a little while. But I found that I missed having a craft to work on that didn't take too much thought and was easy to pick up. So I decided that it was time to make another crochet blanket! I still had quite a lot of yarn left after finishing the bunting, in a lovely selection of pinks and purples. I try not to build up too much of a yarn stash, so I wanted to find a project that would use it up and could also be combined with something that I already had.
When I was planning my Sky Blanket I was lucky enough to be sent more than enough yarn than I needed from Make it Coats. One colour that I barely used was white, and so I ended up with plenty of extra white yarn. So I decided to combine the leftover bunting yarn with some of the white, and go with a simple large granny square blanket.
So far each side of the blanket is measuring about 70 cm, and although I've just started my second ball of white yarn I have plenty of the coloured balls left. I'm intending the blanket to be for Mia as it will match her bunting, and she seems to be pleased with that idea. I'm now trying to think whether I want it to stay square or whether I need to turn it into a rectangle, either with rows of treble groups down each end or with plain rows, then with a border around. It will probably depend how much yarn I'm left with when it's reached the width that I'm aiming for!
I like doing crochet in front of the television, but when my husband and I watch our shows together we devote our full attention to them and sit in the dark with no distractions. So I do my crochet when he's out or away and I can stick on something that doesn't take too much concentration. I also enjoy sitting in front of the PC and watching videos on YouTube, catching up with some of my favourite vloggers. Recently I've discovered the world of speed cleaning and decluttering videos and I've found a few favourites that I'm eagerly binge watching - they give me the motivation to get on with my own housework (perhaps I should film myself while I do it to earn a few pennies from YouTube ads!)
I also have a few balls of blue left over from the Sky Blanket and a couple of balls of green yarn from other projects, so I'm thinking if this blanket turns out nicely I'll make a second similar one for Harry.
Today I'm sharing a guest post with some great holiday ideas!
Can’t decide where to go or what to do on your next family holiday? Our list should give you an idea of some alternative options for your trip away.
1. Try a ‘staycation.'
For busy families, a ‘staycation’ can be a perfect holiday option because you can forego the hassle of planning a trip abroad when you just don’t have the time. If you’ve always wanted to visit a certain attraction in your town or city or if you want to catch up on family activities, a staycation gives you the opportunity to do so. Plus, you’ll stay in the comfort of your own home which is sometimes the best place to be when you just want to sit back and relax.
2. Rent a cottage
Try a home away from home and book a cottage for you and your family. Somewhere like a cottage will have all of the amenities you and your family will need on a short trip away and will usually be set in a location that will allow you to forget all about your busy day-to-day life. Even if you’re unable to ditch the workload, bring your laptop along to a cottage that has Wi-Fi, and you’ll still be able to enjoy time with your family while keeping on top of your deadlines. If you have pets, Mann’s Holidays offer North Wales dog-friendly cottages that allow you to avoid the cost of a kennel or a dog sitter for a week.
3. Learn a new sport
Step away from work for a week and use all of that energy to learn a new sport while you’re on holiday. Every year, more and more families are choosing active holidays over lazing on the beach because it provides a sense of accomplishment once you’ve achieved something or learned something new. This can be anything from skiing in France to organising a competitive sports tournament during your staycation. You don’t have to travel far to learn something new.
4. Volunteer
Combine fun activities and the sunshine with work that can help others. A volunteering holiday is not only a unique bonding experience, but it can help your children to appreciate how fortunate they are through experiencing another culture and achieving personal growth. This can also be something that your kids can add to their CV. Volunteering holidays can be anything from helping an elephant refuge in Thailand or something closer to home such as helping keep the UK’s beaches clean with The Marine Conservation Society.
5. A family-friendly resort
Family-friendly resorts aren’t hard to find and allow you to establish a happy medium between spending time with the kids and letting them do their own thing with kids clubs and large open areas where they can run around safely. A lot of these resorts are year-round destinations making them a perfect option for any family with a jam-packed schedule.
Whichever you choose, a family holiday is always a great way to take a break from the monotony of everyday life and spend some quality, unforgettable time with those who mean the most to you.
With the half term holiday underway and the long summer holiday rapidly approaching I've been thinking again about how much screen time my children have. Their screen time mainly consists of playing Minecraft and watching videos about Minecraft on YouTube on their tablets, often with a film night at the weekends. They each have their own tablet but we look after them and they ask to use them, again they have to ask to use our PCs for Minecraft or other games. But we are pretty relaxed about allowing them.
During the school week I don't let them have any screen time after school until 5pm, which ties in nicely with them giving me some peace and quiet to make dinner and lunchboxes. On a night when we are home straight from school this gives them enough time for homework, piano practice for Harry, and some time for them to play. Several nights we are out, like for swimming lessons, and on those days they don't get any Minecraft time. Then they are allowed to watch their tablets while they eat their dinner. I know it's a bad habit, but it doesn't make any difference to the speed at which they eat their dinner, and they are usually so tired that they aren't in the mood to make any sort of conversation while they eat!
Mornings are another time that they are allowed their tablets. They both wake up so early and always have done, so they can come into us half an hour before they need to get up to claim their tablets, and it gives Ram and I the chance to wake up gradually.
At the weekends and during school holidays they do have more screen time than I'd like. If we don't have anywhere to be, the morning tablet-in-bed-slot is extended for as long as they are happy to wait until breakfast (although to be fair it's usually only a short while as Mia in particular can't go long without food!). Then if we are going to be at home most of the day, after breakfast I try to get them to have a break for an hour or so before letting them get straight on and play Minecraft.
We have a set up where we have two PCs that are linked, so they can both play together in the same game. They really love it, and when they aren't able to play they are often talking together about what they are going to do next time they have chance. They usually play really nicely together, but sometimes there can be disagreements and arguing, at which point it is swiftly turned off!
I must admit I find it difficult to criticise too much screen time when my husband and I are worse at using our phones ourselves. So I try very hard to show them other things that can be done instead of staring at a screen - for example by sitting and reading a book, doing some crochet or doing a jigsaw. To be fair they are generally very good when I say that screen time is up and they need to find something else to do, and any initial protest usually dies down quite quickly.
I'd love to know how other people manage screen time with young children?
Today I'm sharing a guest post by Russell Bowes - Google+, Twitter
The warm fuzzy feeling you get when you step onto a heated floor may be one of the simplest pleasures in life, especially when the weather is miserable outside. Unlike most luxuries in life, this is one that can actually save you money over the long term.
Unlike conventional wall mounted radiators, underfloor heating generates radiant heat which is even and ambient. Therefore a single panel will generate more heat than a wall mounted radiator of an equivalent size, which will enable your room to feel warmer at a lower temperature, bringing down the cost of your energy bills.
If you are going for maximum energy efficiency, a water based underfloor heating system is recommended. They rely on your boiler, rather than a direct electricity supply, so use energy more sparingly than an electric system. According to Aboutunderfloorheating.co.uk installing a water based underfloor heating system can reduce your energy bills by 40% or more.
However before installing underfloor heating there are some important practical aspects to consider. Firstly, underfloor heating is cheaper to install as part of a new build effort, or a major home renovation project. Updating an existing property to include underfloor heating is more costly and further complications arise with period properties.
Therefore a number of factors are worth considering such as the upfront costs, how long you plan to be in your property and whether or not you’re likely to offset the costs overtime with the savings you make on your energy bills. Even if your personal situation means that you’re unlikely to claim back the upfront costs of underfloor heating, you may decide it's an affordable luxury that you want for your home.
If you opt for underfloor heating, I recommend that you maximise the impact it has by taking other simple steps keep your home insulated and as warm as possible:
● Install cavity wall insulation
● Install double glazed windows
● Use draft excluders on doors, windows and letterboxes
● Replacing your old boiler with an A rated condensing boiler and use an insulating cover.
These measures combined could cut your bills by £300 a year and your carbon emissions by 1.5 tonnes.
