Nostalgia for my early days of blogging

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated seven years of blogging. Seven years! I never expected to still be blogging away, and I never anticipated how much both blogging and my blog would change over the years. It has made me all nostalgic for the way things were back in 2011, and so I thought I'd share some of the things that I remember. Were you blogging back then too? Perhaps I can take you on a trip down memory lane!

I was delighted when I was nominated for the Liebster Award! I did understand that it wasn't the greatest of accolades, but it did at least mean that someone else was reading my blog. I don't have my original post sadly, but as far as I remember you had to answer some questions about yourself, then keep the chain going by nominating other bloggers.

Another chain letter type blog post was the meme. The meaning has changed slightly over time, and back then it meant writing a blog post based around a theme. Someone would tag you to write a post, then you would pass it forward by tagging other bloggers. This sort of thing - Blog your heart out. I loved writing the posts but I was terrible at choosing other people to tag - I didn't want to burden anyone and I didn't want to leave anyone out! I've not seen one of these going around for years!

Blogs generally looked rather chaotic back then. There were lots of buttons and badges in the sidebar, patterned backgrounds, bright colours, lots of people using the same Blogger templates. There were very few professionally designed headers or graphics, and it didn't matter at all.

There were many more people using Blogger, and no-one was bothered about a blogspot.com domain name. People also used the fancy widgets that Blogger had to offer - like the word cloud to highlight frequently covered topics.

Everyone had a blog roll on their blog with links to their favourite bloggers. This is something that I really miss! It was a great way to find new blogs - if you enjoyed reading a blog then there was a fair chance you'd like the blogger's recommendations. Everyone also had a badge to grab that they hoped people would add to their blog.

There was much more emphasis on the writing, and the photography definitely took a back seat. Many photos were small, badly lit and with cluttered backgrounds, but it really didn't matter as people were following a blog for the text. I also don't remember any selfies - in fact there were hardly ever any photos of the actual blogger.

There was no need to maintain a presence across social media, and there definitely wasn't any scheduling of social media posts. I did join Twitter but no one was really promoting their blog on there, it was just for chatting, and adding your blog to your profile if people wanted to check it out. People tended to share posts from other bloggers as much as their own.

Connecting with a fellow blogger was all about the comments - you would comment to show that you'd read a post and if someone left you a comment you'd always go back and reciprocate with a comment on their blog.

You could write freely about brands that you liked and places that you'd visited without feeling the need to disclose that you'd paid for something yourself - collaborations and sponsored posts were much rarer.

I also remember everyone being obsessed with Page Rank - I've not heard anyone bother about it for years!

The way that I blog has also changed a lot too. I've come a long way, and hopefully I've made some improvements! This is how I used to blog:

I would often write a quick post with just a couple of pictures, sharing what we'd been up to that day. My blog was started to share photos with friends and family, and that's what I used to do. Now I worry that people won't find that kind of content interesting if they don't know me personally.

I wrote posts as they came into my head, and I never scheduled a post or thought further ahead than the next day.

I was always changing the design of my blog and trying out new templates. Now I'm just worried I'll break everything if I change one or two small things!

I wrote entirely for myself and never imagined anyone else reading. Quite freeing, although I must admit I did waffle on a bit.

I didn't care about image size, I just uploaded the pictures via Blogger. When I ran out space I moved to Photobucket, a decision that came back to bite me. I also didn't pay much attention to my photos, there were no white backgrounds and styled images.

I got to know other bloggers through blog commenting or on Twitter. It took me ages to add bloggers as friends on Facebook and it was exciting for me when I joined a Facebook blogging group and found other bloggers that I knew there.

There weren't as many people blogging back then, which made it easier to keep up with everyone. I feel so out of touch now when I see all the new blogs out there. I'm so glad that many of the people that I was reading back then are still around, and I wonder what happened to the ones that have fizzled out.

If you have memories of blogging over the years I'd love to hear them!

Fabric covered decorative plant pots

I am currently working with Bostik to create a series of crafting posts with projects that you can complete using Bostik products. Each month I'll share a themed craft, and this month my theme is garden decor and accents. Here's how I made these colourful decorated plant pots, using fabric and other embellishments. Although they will last much longer if you use them indoors, if they are placed in a shady, sheltered spot they should still stand up to the weather for some time!

You need:

Clean plant pots (terracotta or plastic both work well)
Fabric scraps
Embellishments - for example ribbon, decorative shapes, twine or wool
Bostik White Glu
Bostik All Purpose Clear glue
Bostik Glu Dots

Instructions:

For the plain fabric pot:

Cut a piece of fabric. The length should be the circumference of the pot and the width should be 5-10cm longer than the height of the pot. Wrap it around the pot to make sure that it will cover the pot completely, and trim as much excess fabric as you can.

Coat the pot with Bostik White Glu using a paintbrush to make sure that the glue covers evenly. Stretch the fabric around the pot and press down, making sure to smooth out any wrinkles as you go. When the fabric is all in place you can trim away any extra. To cover the bottom of the pot, cut the overhanging fabric into small strips and pull them into shape over the bottom. Hold them firmly in place with a thick coat of White Glu, and leave to dry.

To decorate the rim of the pot I used a strip of contrasting fabric. The fabric was already hemmed, which made a nice smooth line. Use the White Glu to stick the fabric to the pot. Fold over the excess fabric around the rim and glue down firmly.

When it has dried, use Bostik All Purpose to add a strip of ribbon. The All Purpose glue can stick all sorts of different surfaces together and is a really strong adhesive.

For the patchwork fabric pot:

Cut your fabric into small squares - it's a great way to use up any fabric scraps that you have lying around! Then once again use the Bostik White Glu to stick the fabric to the plant pot. I used a brush with stiff bristles which was really good for making sure that the fabric stuck smoothly around any ridges.

I made sure to use plenty of the White Glu on top of the fabric to hold all the edges down smoothly - it dries with a really nice finish and it's strong enough to make sure that the fabric holds firmly in place.

To finish:

To add some extra embellishments I used Bostik Glu Dots. The ones that I used are the Extra Strong Sticky Dots. The thing that I love about glue dots is that they stick things together instantly, and they are also clear so you don't need to worry about anything showing through on your project. You just remove one side of the plastic covering, press the dot into place, remove the second plastic side, and add your embellishment, making sure to press down firmly.

Here are my finished pots! If you want to put a plant inside them you'll need to put it inside another flower pot so that it doesn't leak and spoil the fabric, and take care when watering.

Of course they don't just need to be used for plants - they'd make great storage for pens, paintbrushes, make up brushes...anything that is calling out for some cheerful storage!

You can find lots more crafts to celebrate Spring here!

This is a collaborative post in association with Bostik

The Angmering Garage Sale Trail 2018

Last year we really loved taking part in our community garage sale trail, and so I was definitely keen to take part again this year! Around 60 houses took part, and everyone was published on a map so that the shoppers could find us all. I do declutter regularly so I didn't have a huge amount to sell, but we sorted through the children's rooms and they came up with a tables worth of bits and pieces each to sell. They were really excited to be joining in.

Like last year I made a big batch of brownies and cookies to sell. To be honest it probably cost nearly as much in ingredients as we made selling them, but they were very popular and hopefully enticed people over to view our wares! I split to proceeds between the children and they were very happy with that.

I also had a big box of free stuff to put out - things that weren't quite good enough for the charity shop but were too nice to throw away. The vast majority of it went and one couple even gave me some money for it - hopefully I managed to save some things from landfill.

There was a steady stream of visitors, not nearly as many as you'd get at a car boot sale but it felt much friendlier and it was lovely to meet and chat to so many people. I didn't make a fortune but I got rid of nearly everything that I had, including lots of crafty bits and pieces, and the children sold some of their larger things too.

I also put out a big tin of painted rocks for people to take, and we'll be hiding those left behind around the village over the next few weeks, I'm looking forward to seeing if people share their adventures.

It was a really lovely community event and I hope that I'll be able to take part again next year!

My canal boat fantasy life

We often spend the weekend with Ram's Mum, and the thing that I love about her house is that at the bottom of the garden there is a canal. Even though I'm quite used to it now the novelty still hasn't worn off, and when I hear a boat approaching I'm often rushing to the nearest window to watch it go past. I also love going for a walk along the towpath and trying to peer inside the windows of the boats that are moored alongside.

I like to imagine an alternate fantasy life where I live on a canal boat. It's not a perfect fantasy because I don't fancy the idea of crowded family life on a canal boat so I'm living there on my own, and it's not at all realistic because the thought of piloting my own canal boat terrifies me. I also definitely don't like the idea of navigating the boat through all those locks.

I think that what appeals is the idea of living in a small, cosy space with only the essentials. I imagine going for a morning run along the towpath, sitting out in the evening with a glass of wine and a book, nodding to passers by, and being gently rocked to sleep at night. I've always been fascinated with the idea of small space living, probably fuelled by Pinterest and various interiors magazines. I also love following Cruising the Cut on YouTube and learning a bit more about daily life on a canal boat.

The truth is that it's a fantasy that I don't really want to become a reality. Although I do strive to be a minimalist, I'm also a sentimental hoarder, and I'd much rather be living in a house with my family than on my own in a small space. But it's nice to dream sometimes!

Seven years of blogging

I've just celebrated seven years of blogging. I can't believe I've lasted that long! From my very first post sharing my homemade felt biscuits, through writing about life with a newborn and a toddler, sharing the crafts and activities that we got up to. As we started to travel more with the children I wrote about our days out and holidays, sharing tips and advice that I hoped would help others. Now although I still write a great deal about parenting and family life, I also write more about myself, my own thoughts and feelings, as well as the crafts and other things that I'm working on.

I don't publish a new post nearly as often as I used to. It seems strange as these days I have a lot more time to write, but for one thing I've drastically cut down on the amount of reviews that I was accepting, and so I hope that the quality of posts has increased along with the decrease in quantity! I do publish occasional sponsored posts as I need to earn some money somehow, but I hope that they aren't too intrusive.

Things have changed a lot in the blogging world, even just over the last couple of years. Many people are seeing blogging and social media as a way to earn some easy money, especially if you are wanting to work from home or around other commitments, and it's all become much more competitive. Luckily most people quickly realise that it's very hard work to be constantly creating new, interesting content - it's not nearly as easy as it looks!

With so many other bloggers and social media influencers out there it's easy to feel a little bit lost, and sometimes as though you are shouting into a void. It's also not just about the blog now, in order to be noticed online you need to have an active presence across all forms of social media. I get easily overwhelmed and feel that I don't have the time or energy to devote enough time to promoting myself and my blog. I just love writing my blog posts and planning the next ones, I'm not very good at shouting about myself.

I'm so glad that I started my blog though. There are so many happy memories shared, records of the things that we've done and the challenges that we've faced and overcome. I hope that I'm still here for a good while yet, I think that I have plenty more to share!

Photo credit Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Like lighting a fuse - when the children play together

Our summer holidays have just begun, and we are quickly settling into our summer routine. We have a couple of short breaks planned, as well as activities and play dates, but a lot of the time we'll spend together at home. I'm definitely a home bird and I like pottering about in the house. Luckily the  children do too, although I still need to keep them busy.

I'm very lucky that the children will still play nicely together quite a lot of the time. Although he's growing up fast, Harry still loves imaginary play and he's not ready to pack away his toys just yet. Mia loves playing with him, and they can occupy themselves for quite a while with the train set, the teddies, the Playmobil and so on. They come up with some lovely games, and I also notice them acting out scenarios which relate to things that they are going through in real life - it's wonderful to observe.

But the trouble is that it will only last for a certain amount of time. I liken it to lighting a fuse. They will start playing nicely together and everything will be going fine, then suddenly there will be an explosion - something will be triggered that causes an argument - and it will all end in tears.

There's no knowing how long the fuse will burn for before the explosion. Generally, Mia will become frustrated with something, blame Harry, he'll get upset and Mia will get even more cross. One of them will come up to me in tears, and then there's no going back to the peaceful state of play. I have to try and comfort both children and come up with some kind of distraction, usually a snack for Mia while letting Harry retreat with a book.

It's a similar story when we sit down to do something all together, perhaps crafting or playing a game. Everything will be going well and we'll all be having fun, then something will happen to trigger the explosion. The crafting scene below may look idyllic, but they are just minutes or even seconds away from meltdown.

Mia in particular gets very easily frustrated and will quickly lose her temper. I know there are hereditary factors at play, as well as hunger being a trigger, but I'm also wondering whether it could be caused by a little too much screen time. I worry that real life isn't as easy as a computer game, and it's affecting her ability to focus on a real world task and see it through to completion. She certainly doesn't have the patience for things that Harry does.

So I'm determined to try and cut down the screen time over the holidays and make sure that she's also spending time sat down with a book or playing a board game. Wish me luck, we still have many more weeks of the holiday left!

Make your bedroom the perfect relaxing retreat - Create the perfect ambience with dimmable LED bulbs

After a long day at work, chasing the kids, fixing dinner, running errands, spending summer days out in the sun entertaining the kids. You’re going to need somewhere to relax and unwind when you finally get the chance! We don’t tend to spend much time in our bedrooms – just using them for sleep at the end of a busy day. But creating your own relaxing bedroom retreat is a great way to ensure that you’re fully recharged for the next day, and ready to take on anything the kids or work can throw at you!

Here you’ll find some easy ways you can update your bedroom into the bedroom heaven you’ve always wanted.

Lighting 

Lighting is crucial if you’re hoping to relax in your bedroom. Many of us make do with a single light fixture that hangs miserably from the centre point of the ceiling. But there are so many other options out there! More and more homes are turning to LED lights to give bedrooms a much more relaxed ad stylish feel, particularly because they’re dimmable! 

Simply updating your light fixture can dramatically alter the look of your bedroom, and if you like the idea of finally putting your feet up and reading a good book whilst in bed, then adding a couple of table lamps to you bedside tables will be the perfect solution.

Photo credit Christopher Jolly via Unsplash

Embrace simplicity

It can be difficult if you have a busy household. But keeping your bedroom simple and free of clutter will give your bedroom and your mood, an instant lift. Try to keep things as simple as possible and don’t overcrowd your room with overbearing ornaments and furniture. A bed, a nightstand, dresser/wardrobe, bedside tables and maybe a painting over your headboard is ideal. Try to keep piles of ironing out of there, as these only serve as a reminder of all the chores you have to catch up on. You’re there to relax, not to worry even more! Keep the distractions to a minimum.

Photo credit Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Make your bed dreamy

When was the last time you had a good nights sleep? The quality of your sleep could be down to your mattress. Many mattresses come with a 60-90 day money back guarantee so there’s plenty of time to find the mattress that best suits your needs. If your budget won’t stretch to a new mattress then don’t worry, invest in a thick, cushiony mattress topper instead and you’ll notice the difference straight away.

It’s time to bin those old, brightly coloured sheets and covers. Try to keep things clean, crisp and simple when it comes to your bedding. Invest in some 100% natural fibre sheets and linen, such as cotton – which is more breathable and will last much longer too – purchase some new pillows too and remember to swap them every six months or so, this is not only god for your quality of sleep, but also for your skin and health!