Friday 31 July 2020

How to survive holidays

Hey readers, 

it is six whole weeks of summer holidays and ok this year it is less daunting but still now that things are opening up and there is no school work to keep the little darlings entertained it can be a bit stressful at times shall we say.

So here are some ways that I have found helpful getting through the summer holidays without having a nervous breakdown at the end of it all. 



1. TV. 

I know TV argh but it is ok to have the telly on at the end of the day it is a holiday so it is ok to chill out and veg out in front of the TV.

 I remember watching TV as a kid chilling out with my siblings and watching the dust come through the window during the summer holidays, happy memories.

Also, nothing bad happened and I still got a degree and I am sure may other parents recall similar and most people turn out ok. 

2. Walk.

If in doubt for something to do go for a walk even when it is raining just whack out the old wellies and waterproof coats. 

You can still have a good time and play a game of spot the colour car - 1 point for the first person who sees a red car, 2 points if you see a black etc. 

3. The park. 

Hurrah the parks are open now so make use of the free time when it is warmer and check out your local parks in the area. You can't go wrong with a park, kids love it. 


4. Boredom. 

Learn to stop feeling guilty for the pressure of entertaining your children. One of the best life lessons for a child is learning to deal with boredom and not relying on others to keep them occupied. 

Through boredom comes independence and imagination - allowing them to be bored and finding their own solution you will be amazed at what they can come up with. 

5. Have an ok summer. 

Don't set yourself up to have the most amazing summer ever, have an ok summer. Embrace the normal and appreciate the little things in life such as having an indoor picnic for a change. You will be amazed at how younger children get excited about this small change. 

As long as they are fed, clothed and happy that should be the number one focus. It can be really hard to feel guilty for not doing enough when your scrolling through social media but remember it is only a picture of a snippet of a person's life. 

Remember a lot of people are in a similar boat and not swanning off every day of the holidays doing something that cost an arm and leg. 

So there you have my top tips on how to manage the summer holiday. What are your tips for parents to keep sane during the summer holiday? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X


Wednesday 29 July 2020

Thoughts on In The Night Garden.


Hey readers,

When you’re a parent you will end up watching kid’s programmes. You also get to think probably a bit too much about the programme itself. I know I have when I have watched In the Night Garden for the umpteenth time. 


I find ITNG such an interesting show as there say many ‘interesting’ observations I have made that I need to share them with you. So, where better than on my blog.


Why is Iggle Piggle always desperate to get it off with Upsy Daisy, trying to get her to kiss her all the time? He seems to spend most of his time chasing Upsy Daisy and he has even been caught in her bed.

Upsy Daisy is a dick tease, with flashing her knickers to everyone, any chance she can get she will be there pulling on that string.



The Tombliboos are such flashers aren’t they with, always having their pants fallen down or they really need a belt because they appear to be so loose.

I swear The Tombliboos house is made of pretzels.

One thing I am defiantly sure about is The Tompliboos are from Liverpool, I mean come on who else where’s hair rollers when they are out and about all day long.

All the people who enter the Ninky Nonk they can be guaranteed to be getting pissed drinking cocktail fishbowls, no wonder they are falling all over the place.

The pontipines are TOTAL bitches, seriously all they ever do is gossip all day long when they are not trying to lose their children.

Have you noticed that the Wottingers have the same amount of children as pontipines? Is it strange or just a coincidence.

The social services definitely need to pop in and have a chat with the mum and dad Pontipines because they don’t care about the safety of their kids. I have witnessed some of the children outside on top of the Ninky Nonk.

 Whilst the other children inside the Ninky Nonk don’t bother with a seat belt. Clearly, the parents don’t give a rat’s arse about their safety.

The Pontipines parents are not very nice to their children, when they eat dinner they always eat dessert whilst their poor children eat gobbles, unfair much?! Also, the parents go home without their children, taking no responsibility for them at all.

Where the creators of INTG on drugs coming up with the idea of haahoos, they are so fucking scary. Super large, bright coloured inflatable, weird sounding and moving closer and closer to come and get you.

Macca Pacca clearly is suffering from OCD, not only is he cleaning all the time but he is obsessed with stones, stacking them and actually sleeping with one stone each night in his bed.

Macca Pacca looks lost and lonely wandering around ITNG, where are his parents? Is that why he is suffering from mental illness?

The most hilarious thing about ITNG is the perspective, for example, Macca Pacca is super small in the Ninky Nonk compared to Upsy Daisy. Then when Macca Pacca and Upsy Daisy are chatting outside in the greeny they are so much closer in height.

Why does that ball never stop bouncing, I mean come on.

SO, as you can see INTG has a lot of talking topics and make question what the fuck is going on.

What is your opinion of In The Night Garden? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

Monday 27 July 2020

How to be content.

Hey readers,

In this day and age, it is hard not to compare yourself.  I for one am guilty of this, it is so easy to assume that one has it all whilst you feel like you are floating above the water.

We can forget that what you see with your eyes on the surface may not be the actual truth. How can possibly know everything about someone when we only see a glimpse.

That is why it is important to look for content within and not on unrealistic ideas that assume make others happy.



Sometimes you can fall under the trap of negativity, where all you see is the bad stuff. That is why it is important to take stock of what is good in life. No one has it all but I am a true believer in that there is one good thing in life even if it is small.

Today I felt sad as if my life is going anyway. I could continue down the negative spiral but won't get me anywhere, it will just make me feel ten times worse.

The things I have succeeded in is getting up and making sure my children are well and happy. I have read a book and even writing this post is productive.

I think it is important to accept the things you do have and not dwell. Being content with yourself so a hard thing to achieve when there are so many messages everywhere telling us to be like this or that. You feel like you are questioning everything.

I think the main that I have learnt in my adult life is meaning and the value you put on something. I think that is a powerful thing. If you let go of connecting to something you would be amazed at how little impact it has on you.

I think the thing that is key in being content is questioning everything and working out what it means to you. Deep down is it really important to you?

What do you think about being content? Love to hear your views down below. 

Cheers for reading X

Shank You Very Much
3 Little Buttons

Sunday 26 July 2020

My Sunday Photo 26/06/2020


Friday 24 July 2020

Being a woman.

Hey readers,

Sometimes being a female can be lovely but other times it can totally suck. Let me tell you the things that I hate as a woman.

I suppose the most obvious one is periods, which occur typically once a month where your emotions are all over the place and if that is not bad enough, you have blood for five to seven days leaking out of your vagina.

U by Kotex Brand shocked facepalm smh period GIF

Pain is having to wear bras and dealing with twisted straps, it is so frustrating.

The size of female clothing is ridiculous and varies from one shop to the next. Men have it is so much easier because they have a certain measurement that fits whereas different sizes occur in women's fashion, grrrrrr.

Feeling that if you have too many emotions going on then your not taking seriously to the point where people deem you as being a drama queen.

 sad no baby crying emotions GIF

Pressures of being thin and trying to be this perfect ideal are horrible and you feel crap most of the time because I am so fucking fat.

You can't pee anywhere, you have to find a suitable place to sit. I am so jealous of men that can piss anywhere including a bottle.

This expectation that us females are good at cooking, talking and all the other crappy stereotypes, not round here mate.



The pain of having to frequently shave your legs in the summer if you want to wear a skirt.
If you chose to wear mascara are or eye makeup and restraining yourself from rubbing your eyes or else you end up looking like Alice Cooper's sister.

This idea that females are meant to be good at communicating and that we all love small talk. Well, I don't and I am suitable shit at, not to mention saying things at the wrong time.

What are your thoughts on womanhood? does it suck? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 22 July 2020

who am I

Who am I,
I have lost my identity,
I feel I am replaced,
by a robot,
everything seems to function,
but emotionless.

My top seven frugal tips 

Hey readers,

I love a good bargain and trying to save money when I can. 

So, I thought I would share some of the things that have helped me in the past to reduce the cost of my spending and maybe they might help you too :) 




1.  Plan. 

The best money advice I could give you is a plan, set a Budget for an X amount and stick to it. 

Then if you do give yourself an allowance to spend a set amount you don't have the guilt and feel more encouraged to save money as well, win-win.

2.  Supermarket.

To get the best deals at the supermarket timing is key. That is why it is best to aim to visit your supermarket near closing time to get reduced items and in some cases, this can be quite significant with 70% off items because they are close to their sell-by date.

Though don't let this put you off as you can freeze a lot of items.

3.  Receipts. 

You can put your receipts to good use by download Shopprize from an app store and scan your receipts.

 You then can over time exchange the coins into amazon vouchers. It doesn't take that long either. Sadly the app only works on Android at the moment.

4. Post-event.

The best savvy shoppers actually wait until after an occasion such as Halloween or Christmas to get knocked down prices on items and to grab some good bargains.

5. Meal planning. 

To save money on your shopping a good tip would be to plan your meals with what food you have. It is important that to save money you need to stick to your shopping list as this can help with reducing the impulsive buying as you know what food you need. 

This can be of help to reduce food wastage as well and keep on top of what you have got in the cupboards. 

6. Advantage cards.

 Take advantage of the advantage card. If you don't know what an advantage card is it is a store assigned card where you can get discount off products or earn so much money of items you have brought in the store. 

At a later date can exchange the points for money of shopping in the store or online. A couple of my personal favourite advantage cards are Tesco's club card scheme and Boots advantage card and they are nice little earners.

7. Savings.

A healthy habit that you can get into is to save 10p every day in a jar, it soon adds up after a while This helps get you in a habit of saving and before long you can increase the amount if you want.  

Do you have any saving tips that you have found helpful that I haven't mentioned? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Thanks for reading X

Monday 20 July 2020

In the evening light

Hey readers,

I am sat here all alone with no noise bar me typing away on the laptop. I like this time as it is my time, quite with no need to think or understand silly little rules.

 It is time to wind down and relax before I panic again how am I going to get through the next day.
One thing for sure is that I have made it through the day and nothing particularly bad has happened.

Both my boys are happily snoring their little heads off without any worry so I take that as a good day.
My body feels relaxed as I am watching the sunset and the colour of the sky brightens my eyes. I feel safe without any threat, which I am forever grateful.




There have been times when I have been really scared of the unknown, decisions that were out of control. Lies and deceit form people who were meant to be honest.

But all that does not matter now as we have moved on, like the earth continuing to spin on regardless of what life throws at us.

I suppose my favourite thing about the evening is getting the opportunity to slip into bed where it is warm and safe. Knowing that I may not have everything but what I do have is love from my husband and children. 

You can get so bogged down and confused with all the messages everywhere that you can forget what is in front of you. I am no means perfect for starters

 I am autistic but am grateful right now and feel blessed for what I do have. I have been knowing to moan and even cry myself to sleep with feelings of self dealt, confusion and hurt with life.

 Some days I feel absolutely terrified to get up in the morning, I put so much thought into the detail that you forget the basics of putting one foot in front of the next.

 Today is a different story, I take how to feel and to own it. I am learning more about myself through motherhood and just plodding along like the rest of us.

Cheers for reading X

Sunday 19 July 2020

50 random thoughts whilst trying to drift off to sleep.

Hey readers,

Ever wondered what people think about or have similar thoughts to you when going to sleep? Then check out my 50 random thoughts that I have had whilst trying to drift off to sleep at night.






1. Did I turn the oven off? 

2. What happens if I don't wake up in time?

3. How am I going to get through the day?

4. Do I need a wee? 

5. I need to get some milk.

6. Why did I say that to someone in 1999? 

7. Will I ever go to sleep. 

8. I am so tired but why can't I sleep. 

9. Must remember that I need to get some conditioner. 

10. Oh no I forgot to sort out my son's homework. 

11. Why are my feet so hot?

12. What would happen if someone tried to break in? What the hell would I do?

13. Imagine if I fell out of bed in the night what damage would I cause?

14. Should have brought that bloody dress earlier.

15. Oh, f*$% it's midnight? 

16. How much sleep will I get now if I go to sleep straight away...

17. Close my eyes and imagine being somewhere warm and on a cloud. 

18. Why are my pillows rubbish? 

19. Seriously, I need more pillows.

20. OMG, why can't I fall asleep? 

21. I swear to God I am never going to stay up late ever again!

22. Do I need a pee? 

23. Have I locked my front door? 

24. I need to empty the bin. 

25. Ugh, why is it so hot? 

26. I need to get a lighter tog quilt. 

27. Did I set the alarm? 

28. What am I going to eat for breakfast?

29. What am I going to do for dinner? 

30. OMG.... what is that noise? 

31. I wonder what I am going to dream about tonight. 

32.  Tomorrow I am going to bed earlier.

33. If I died how long would it be before someone found me?

34. How does the internet work?

35. What am I going to wear tomorrow?

36. Why do I never have anything to wear?

37. I wish I could have something to eat right now. 

38. I'm too hot so take my foot out of the quilt. 

39. Nope too cold now so going to put my foot back under the quilt.

40. Oh God, it is 5am...and I only have two hours more to get sleep in. 

41. I will just watch one more Youtube video and go to sleep. 

42. Oh no an hour has gone and I am still watching Youtube.

43. Should I wear the blue or green top tomorrow? 

44. Why did I have that drink before bed now I need to get up for that wee?

45. What is existence? 

46. Am I really here? 

47. What is better Coke or Pepsi? 

48. Did I get the chicken out of the freezer for tomorrows dinner? 

49. Yeah, I'm sh*t. 

50. Also, I've heard 'classy as f*ck.' How classy as f*ck? 

Do you identify with any of these thoughts? What random thoughts do you have before going to sleep? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cheers for reading X
Shank You Very Much
3 Little Buttons

My Sunday Photo 19/07/2020


Darren Coleshill

Friday 17 July 2020

Help you child stay in bed at night.

Hey readers,

Sometimes we go through difficult times with our children where they struggle with different things happening in their life.

 I have myself experienced with both my boys times when they struggled to settle and go to sleep.

They constantly would keep coming into the living room and saying they could not sleep. It was a blip and we worked through the difficulties.

I tried several different things and thought I would share some techniques that maybe someone else may find useful.





Routine.

Stick to a routine that suits you and your family needs. Kids love the consistency and if they know what is happening they can relax.

It does take time but they will get used to it and it will make it easier for the child to settle down long-term.

Stay calm.

It can be easy to lose your s**t as a parent, it is hard work and very tiring at times, especially when your little darlings try to test you.

 But stay calm, it can help make the situation run smoother without the added tension.

Returning child to bed.

Keep putting them back to bed without any comments just a kiss and cuddle.

 I have been through this settling period a handful of times and they will eventually settle down once they know that they are not getting any benefit from doing it.

Worries.

Sometimes your child may have anxieties or something that they are worried about that is stopping them from sleeping.

Ask them if there is anything that is on their mind and discusses options to help ease the anxiety.

Toilet.

Always make sure they go to the toilet before bed because of any opportunity they can get up for they will believe me, and you.

Blackout blinds.

This is more relevant for the summertime but having blackout blinds are a lifesaver during the lighter months to help keep the room dark for your little ones.

Music.

I have only recently tested out playing relaxing music but both boys respond really well to it.

We put a Bluetooth speaker in the room and have the music in the other room because I wanted an easy life. My children are the sort of kids to mess about at any given opportunity.

Reward charts.

Reward charts should be used short term for best effect to help motivate a child to change their behaviour.

Basically, if you stay in your bed you get a star and put it on a chart. When you collect x amount of stars you will be rewarded positively whether it be going to the park, getting ice cream or magazine.

It can be anything like that to help keep the child motivated. It is a great visual if it is on the wall so they can see where they need to work to.

Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 15 July 2020

Selfishness can be good.

Hey readers,

I know when you hear the word selfish it depicts a negative picture but I want to share with you today why it is actually good for you SOMETIMES to be selfish.

Firstly, because you are listening to your needs and not others. Sometimes, we need to say I want this because I need it for my sanity.

It gives you assertiveness and feeling of comfortability to talk about your feelings to others. It is healthier because of not ignoring your needs and doing something about it can help you feel good. 



Asking for something should not be shamed upon, asking for help is ok, for me asking for timeout is important. It calms me down and others so, in the long run, everyone is winning.

You are listening to your needs and doing something constructive about it. As long as you are polite then I think it is ok to say look I need this for me because of XYZ.

You will help build your self-awareness skills in opening up to what you need. It will help increase your self-worth because you are being constructive and doing something to help you feel better.

It could mean better relationships because you are finding a solution to a problem, for example, if you cook a lot and say to a housemate I need one a day a week off and you need to do the meal for us instead. 

Even though they might object it gives you the change to discuss issues and talk about how you are feeling. 

There is less anger and being open will benefit making the situation more harmonious compared to if you sat on it and didn't raise your issues. 

At least then this could mean something productive has helped and lead to more positive relationships without any negative impact because you have talked about the situation.

Cheers for reading X

Monday 13 July 2020

How to create blog ideas.

Hey readers,

Have you ever suffered from writer's block and need inspiration for blog ideas? Well, look no further as I tell you some fab places to find content inspiration for your blog or whatever you need it for.




Here are my six ways to find inspiration to write.


1.  Websites of interest.

Obviously, a classic place would be to look on websites that relate to topics of interests, such as Mumsnet, Huffington post or even general newspapers. 

This can give you a broad sense of different topic ideas such as Mumsnet discusses parent matters such as potty training and dealing with getting a child ready to start school for example. But gives you a feel for ideas that they can inspire you.

2. Mind map.

A way to generate ideas is to do a thing called a mind map where you put your focus theme in the middle and generate subcategories relating to the main theme. 

You don't have to write sentences just words, pictures or anything that generates an idea. I find it really relaxing to get your creative juices flowing so to speak. 

The focus is on one word in the centre and then separate that topic into smaller ones such as school – bullying – education – special needs – learning – reading. 

You can just from that an example can generate a fair few ideas which then in turn such as education as a whole heap more and so forth.

3.  Blogs.

 The third tip is a classic one and that is to read other people's blogs that may be of similar interests to you.

 It can really help inspire when reading other people's work to get a feel of different styles of writing or ideas that you may not have thought about but trigger thoughts and ideas.

4. TweetChats.

Look at TweetChats on twitter as it is really good for getting you thinking. There are many regular chats on twitter, on a variety of topics so there are plenty of choices and look at things that may appeal to you to write about.

5. Answer The Public.

Answer The Public is a great website to see trending keywords on a topic of interest. All you need to do is type in a topic and it comes back with questions, topics and words that relate to your enquiry.

Plus it is free so take advantage of it,  I have found it very helpful for getting me motivated and finding ideas to write about and knowing that someone out in the universe will find it helpful.

6. Themes.

 Look up themes for a month or time of year you can find different ideas or do the block challenge which has a certain theme for each day can be really helpful in challenging you to write.

Also looking up specific days of the year for celebrations around the ones can really help find topic ideas and I've had a really successful place in the past because of that.

Where do you find inspiration for blog content? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X



Sunday 12 July 2020

Letter to the parents of children starting school 

To the parents of children starting in reception,

I know people get emotional when their child starts school in reception. My eldest will be in year 4 and my youngest tin year 2 child in September. So, I thought I would share with you what I have learnt over the year.




Firstly, I have read a lot about the emotional impact it has on a parent when their child starts school. Let's be logical here they are not gone forever and this is an exciting new chapter on their life.

 Some parents sadly don't ever get to see this opportunity so look on the bright side, at least they are growing healthy and growing into their own little personality.

They will still love you but they are now that little more independent. I sure for one don't want my child needing me so intensely.

Most of the time the child will enjoy the new experience. Sometimes, a child may have additional needs or struggle to settle in. but that is ok as the school is there to provide the support.


Not many people know this but the reception is actually classed as the nursery. They do not need to pay for time off if you go on holiday.


 I have spoken to a teacher who has told me this information. So, stand your ground if you want to take your child out for a holiday.


Reception year is more about settling in and adjusting to school life. They will learn to write phonetically (which is honestly a load of shite but I won't go into that, as that is a post in itself). 

They learn to read which is lovely as my son had book each week to practice at home and he loves reading now.

They go on trips which is so much fun as most children love to be like a grown-up especially when it is away from the family.

They will explore and learn all about the world, it will help them understand others.

it is also a testing time for a child as they need to learn to get on and share with other children. Some children are bossier whilst others can be shy. 

This is life and I believe something good for the child to learn about different types of personality. Using skills are adapting and working out what way would be best to get the result they are searching for.

It will change them but for the good. They will grow as we all do and develop that much further. But don't worry because they not alone as others are going through the same experience.



Cheers for reading X

Shank You Very Much
3 Little Buttons

My Sunday photo 12/07/2020

Wednesday 8 July 2020

7 ways to get your child to drink more.


Hey readers,

It can be hard to get kids to drink sometimes and they may need some encouragement so here are my 7 tips to get your child to drink more. 




1.  Frozen fruit.

My first tip would be if you are giving your child a drink of water it can be quite bland so to add some flavour a slice of frozen fruit can enhance the flavour. 

You can even try putting a small slice of fruit such as raspberry or strawberry into an ice cube and freeze that to see how they get on.

 2. Fun straw. 

Kids love fun things that grab their attention so having a fun straw will certainly get them to try drinking.

You can get a variety of different colours and styles that stand out for the child. They are available in a number of online and in-store. Below I have put a photo exam of fun straw so you get the idea. 

3. Let them chose their bottle. 

Kids love having their own independence so giving them the choice (obviously depending on price) this means they are more willing to drink from a bottle that they have chosen. 

4. Use a water app. 

There are many good free apps on the market that you can download and use as a visual tool to encourage your child to drink more water. 

One such app is Plant Nanny. If you haven't heard of plant Nanny is a health app with the element of fun attached to it. The plant keeps your company every day by living in your phone. 

It encourages you to drink regularly by doing this you have to water your plant at different times of the day to help it grow. 

The nanny will remind you how much you have to drink every day and just a fun way to get motivated to drink more. 

5. Role model.

Practice what you preach and sometimes just leading by example and drinking yourself can encourage a child to follow suit. 

6. Have a variety of choice.

Having a variety of different flavours of drinks makes it much more enjoyable for the child as they have a choice. 

Whether it be milk, juice, squash or even a smoothie can get a child excited because they are not just having the same boring drink again and again. 

7. Make fruit lollies. 

An alternative way to get fluid intake up for a child is to make fruit lollies. not only do they have fruit in but water as well to keep them hydrated. Here is a link to BBC Good Food with a fab list of different types of fruit lollies you can make at home. 

hope you have found this post helpful in getting ideas to encourage your child to drink. Have I missed out on anything? Or is there a technique you use that has been effective in helping your child to drink more? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X 

Musings Of A Tired Mummy