Friday 30 April 2021

guilt over every moment.

Hey readers, 

 I have a kind of confession to make and that is when someone says, time goes fast embrace every moment of your child or similar times of things. 

But the whole idea was that I should embrace that moment. Maybe I find it difficult because I am autistic and I take every word literally. I feel stressed or guilty because I don't embrace every moment.

 I might be selfish may be preoccupied. I just feel suffocated with this feeling of trying to encapsulate and treasure every moment.

 This is the side of social media that I found not helpful for parents and truth be told adds more pressure/guilt. It really can drag your mood right down and feel not good enough.

guilt over every moment.
 I bet if I weren't around in the social media time it would be a lot less stressful and less pressure to be perfect and enjoy every moment of my child. 

 The thing is life gets in the way, and sometimes I really can't wait for my kids to go to bed, does this make me a bad mother? Of course, I love my children dearly but life isn't always peachy.

 I just get so bogged down with the guilt about not enjoying every moment or not fully occupying my time with my child. 

But when I reflect I don't miss it. I don't miss the times I had. There are fun times, sad times, anxious times

It is an experience and something I am glad that I have experienced but would I seriously want to encapsulate that if I had the magic powers to make time stop? 

Honestly no I wouldn't. I am trying to let go of the guilt, I make mistakes and coming to terms with that and accept I am only human. 

I can't stop time or my children growing up that is just the nature of the beast. I do weirdly actually like seeing the change and growth in my child's development. 

Seeing them grow and become their own person in their own right. 

 Motherhood is tiring and challenging and all the other emotions are attached to it. 

I am trying not to be hard on myself and just take each day as it comes. 

As long as my children are happy, healthy, and achieving the best they can that is the goal for me. I need to accept my best is enough. 

 Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 28 April 2021

reasons to love summer!

Hey readers,

It won't be long now till summertime so let's get celebrating this hot season. Here are my reasons why I love summer.



Washing.

As a parent, nothing excites me more than to put out the washing on the line, to have that fresh feel when you bring it down. 

Nothing gets me more excited than getting four loads of washing washed, hung, got down, and put away in a day - that my friends are some achievement. 

 Not to mention the buzz you get of feeling all domesticated and winning at life.

Al Fresco.

Eating outdoors is ace when you have children because you can leave all the crumbs behind and don't have to hoover. 

It is fresh air and being around nature is no better place to be when eating. I found having picnics less stressful than eating at home, maybe kids too and they seem much more relaxed with this option to the alternative eating at a table.

Outdoors.

With the above point about picnics, this can be incorporated with going outside, as I have young children it tends to be the park, which that it was my children every really wants to be honest. 

They can burn off steam while I can get a moment to read some of my books, it is a winner and everyone is happy. 

It is also a cheap day out, the kids get sleepy and everyone is happy to come home and chill out. Going outside mess less bickering and the boys get on better without each other wanting to pull each other hair out.

Schools out.

During the summer period of late July and August, the boys have broken up from school and nursery.

It feels much more relaxed because there is an unstructured schedule but that sense of urgency to do homework or get out of the door early in the morning. 

It allows my eldest to be a bit calm as he hasn't got the added anxiety of spelling tests (this might not affect every child, however, my eldest is autistic and performance activities affect him greatly).

 If we have a day out somewhere on a Sunday or during the week we can take our time without having the thoughts in the back of the mind that we need to get home so the boys don't get tired the next day for school.

Holiday away from home.

Of course, holidays tend now to occur during the summer holiday as it is the best time to break up the six weeks of summer holidays. 

Getting away from it all, exploring new surroundings, and taking trips to the beach all makeup create memories for the family.

Food.

Summer normally means warmer weather, therefore the choices swing to lighter meals and anything that is cool to help get through the heat.

 I spend a fair amount of money stocking up on the ice creams and lollies, of course, a magnum or tip top are signs that summer has officially arrived.

What do you enjoy about summer?

Cheers for reading X

Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday

Monday 26 April 2021

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.

Hey readers,

I will confess I love something novelty but even better when it actually really does a good job at doing the job, result. Here are some ideas that have been proven to be fun and work amazingly well as well. 

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.


1. Warming butter knife - Trouva.

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful

Is this warming butter knife the dream, there is nothing more frustrated than trying to cut butter from the fridge and it is rock hard. The knife is self-heated with a heated edge designed to curl up and soften cold butter. 

2. An egg timer - Car & Kitchen.

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.
I actually have an egg timer and it is a useful item to have in the kitchen. Basically, the idea is you put the egg timer in the water with the eggs and you cook your egg according to how you like your eggs.

 The egg timer has three markers soft, medium, and hard and you wait until the egg timer changed from its original colour to white when it hits the marker you take the eggs of the pan. I can confirm it works a treat!

3. Claw-shaped meat shredder - Shein.

.quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.

This is a fab accessory, the shredders fit into the hand making it study to shred your meat, useful especially during the summer if you are having a bbq. 

3. Jumbo cutlery drainer - Red Candy.

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.

This is a funky little holder called the jumbo cutlery drainer. Not only could you hold your cutlery but you could also use it to hold your toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom. I like the fun design to add character to make you smile. 

4. Vegetable spiraliser - Amazon.

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.


To add quirkiness to your dinner you need a veggie spiraliser, the hand one is good because it is less faff. You can make carrot or courgette noodles, for example, it is a healthier alternative. It is also small and easy to store don't need to use any electric power and can all be done by hand. 

 5. Prawn shell remover- Shein.

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.

This is a nifty little gadget where you can de-shell your prawn in on go. It is so easy, convenient, and saves a lot of time. 

6. Never soggy cereal bowl - Obol.

quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.
This is such a brilliant idea if you hate getting your cereal soggy this bowl is a must. It is designed so that the cereal is separate from the milk. Then you can take your time and still enjoy your cereal firm with the sogginess that you get quite quickly with cereal. 

7. Corn on the cob stripper - Amazon.

.quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.

This is a practical solution to stripping the corn off the cob in one great big pull. Makes life so much easier if you want to lose corn fast. 

8. Multi-purpose kitchen shears - Kitchen Knives.


quirky kitchen gadgets that are useful.

I love using kitchen scissors and one of the most overused items in my kitchen if I am honest. The above pair not only scissors but in the middle have a nut opener and a at the bottom end of the scissors has a bottle top opener, perfect pair there. 

What do you think about the items on the list? Are there any that you have already? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X



Sunday 25 April 2021

My Sunday Photo 25/04/2021


Darren Coleshill


Friday 23 April 2021

peppermint creme recipe

Hey readers,

A perfect treat to do in the kitchen is these peppermint creme treats. Easy to do and kid-friendly as well.  

peppermint creme recipe

Things you will need.

250g of icing sugar.

1 egg white.

Few drops of peppermint essence.

100g Dark chocolate.

Method.

1. Sieve the icing sugar in a bowl. add a little of the egg white and a few drops of the peppermint essence and mix really well. 

2. You will need to get the mixture into a soft dough, then keep adding little bits of the egg white until this happens. 

3. Add the peppermint essence try it every couple of drops so you get the strength of the peppermint right for your tastes. 

4. Break up the dough into small balls of dough then flatten them out with a disc of something, we used the bottom of a cup to flatten evenly. 

peppermint creme recipe

5. Put baking parchment onto a tray and space out the discs.

6. Next break up the chocolate into the bowl and place it into a microwave for intervals of 30 seconds and stir each time before placing back in the microwave. The chocolate needs to be melted thoroughly. 

7. Leave the chocolate out on the side for 5-10 minutes to enable it to cool down. 

8. Once the chocolate is cooled down, one by one get each disc and dip them into the chocolate so that they are half coated. 

9. Once all the discs have been covered you will need to leave them for 3-4 hours or overnight so that the mixture is set. 

peppermint creme recipe

Cheers for reading X


Wednesday 21 April 2021

Auntie Anne's Too Good To Go Review

Hey readers,

I like to save money where I can and one thing I spotted recently was people talking about an app called Too Good To Go. 

So, I downloaded and bought my first magic bag the other day and in this post, I am going to review the app Too Good To Go and tell you all about it. 

Auntie Anne's Too Good To Go Review

What is the Too Good To Go app?

It is an app where restaurants and food places can instead of chucking out food at the end of the day bag that food called a magic bag which is available on the app at a reduced price.

 Therefore this cuts down food waste and also gives another a bargain of an item at a reduced price, so both the buyer and the seller are getting out of it. 

On the app, you can select between a 10m - 30m radius of places to check if the bags are available in the area. 

The prices vary depending on the shop and what the content is. 

The places for example that participate in this scheme are Greggs, Morrisons, |Spar, Auntie Anne's, Costa, Sainsbury's and some local places too. 

You do need to be quick,  I got my Auntie Anne's bag the day before. They do have a certain amount of bags so it will be on a first come first serve basis. 

Every day there are new goodie bags to purchase so always good to check the app frequently.

To pay for the magic bag you can use your card details, Google Pay, and PayPal. You can pay straight away. 

Once you have made payment there is a window of 2 hours where you can cancel the payment if you change your mind.

When the payment is made you will get an email of confirmation.

On the app, you will have an order number saved under your orders. 

When you go to collect your goodie bag you can show a staff member as proof it is a goodie bag you have purchased.

If you regularly use the app you can save your favourite places by hitting the heart button on the box where the place is that you like. 

The next time you open up the app you can quickly get to view your favourite places and what they have available. 

Auntie Anne's magic bag.

 Like I said earlier I placed an order the day before (4pm) and I needed to collect the order the day after between 2.00 pm - 2.30 pm.

 It will say on the app the time to pick up your magic bag as it is different each time. 

So, the cost of Auntie Anne's goodie bag was £3.59 and it does on the app what the equivalent amount of food you get for that in the original cost.

 So, my bag should come to normally about £10.00.  

As you can see I have a saving of £6.41 because I am buying food that is on a date but sadly it would end up in the bin because it is best before as the food is fine to eat but won't be at its best. 

Also, remember to make sure that you are on time. 

I just went to the serving desk and said I wanted to pick up a too-good-to-go magic bag showed the confirmation order and she gave me the bag. 

No problems waiting around and the food was formed when I collected so still fresh and on a date.

Of course, the thing about magic bags is you won't know what is in them until you get the bag because it will depend on the day and what food is left over.

In my bag, I got three big cinnamon pretzels from Auntie Anne's and the original prize is £4.40 for 1 cinnamon pretzel and I got three which I think is a good saving. 

Auntie Anne's Too Good To Go Review

They taste really good, fresh and I can't complain. 

I will be trying out different places to see what they are like but overall can't fault the app and think it is a really good idea to save money and food waste.

Cheers for reading X

Monday 19 April 2021

Why it's good to cry

Hey readers,

I really struggle with my emotions at the best of times but there is one thing that I always find helpful when dealing with my emotions and that is to cry.

Before, I used to hate crying, as I felt so weak and a useless lump. However, my mindset has shifted as I got older and I came to the firm conclusion that I do enjoy a good old cry. 

Why it's good to cry

It might not come to any solutions on how to deal with the problem but the feeling of when you cry feels like a cleaning of my motions, which I think is good for me mentally.

A lot of the time when I cry it occurs when I have had a build-up of all the frustration and believe me and I get frustrated A LOT

I am autistic and struggle with seeing the world in a non-autistic way,  therefore I feel at times really angry and sad. 

That is why it is also important for me to find an outlet to get the feelings out in the open so they don't get so overwhelming and interfere with my life too much.

Therefore, I appreciate it when I cry, it is my body and mind telling me to let go, just let it all out and to me, it feels like all the tension floating away. 

The after-the feeling of crying is what I enjoy the most, that transition where I can think clearer. I might not have any power to sort out a problem, nevertheless, it helps make me think a bit more logically.

I see crying as a healthy way to manage my emotional response to a problem. we all cry whether we admit to it or not. 

We should celebrate crying more and view crying as a natural reaction to situations when we feel sad.

Research has highlighted that crying actually has a chemical response in the fact that we reduce our manganese levels.

 It has been found that when we cry the mineral manganese affects our mood and it is 30 times greater concentration in tears than in the blood serum.

Crying gives us more control as we are actually physically doing something to help ease the pain, acknowledging the feelings and in a sense has been a way to helps humans survive in life.

What are your views on crying? Love it or hate it? Look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday

Sunday 18 April 2021

My Sunday Photo 18/04/2021

My Sunday Photo 18/04/2021

 

Friday 16 April 2021

spring instagram captions.

 Hey readers,

Sometimes it can be hard to come up with the perfect Instagram captions for a photo. However, seeming as it is fully bloomed springtime I thought I would do a section just for spring Instagram captions to help ease the struggle and capture any spring-based photos you want to share.                   

spring instagram captions.

       Cute spring Instagram captions. 

  • Let your joy burst forth, like flowers in the spring.

  • Happiness is waking up to a sunny day during spring.

  • A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.

  • Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

  • Plant smiles, grow laughter, harvest love.

  • You grow, girl.

  • My love for you blossoms like spring.

  • Springing into the season.

  • Sunshine is the best medicine

  • All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today

  • Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

  • April showers bring May flowers.

  • The best time for new beginnings is now.

Instagram captions for flower pictures.

  • Oopsy daisy.

  • I’m too busy working on my own garden to notice if yours is greener.

  • Some see a weed, others see a wish.

  • You’re simply Iris-istible.

  • I’m head clover heals in love.

  • I like big blooms and I cannot lie.

  • Put the petal to the metal.

  • A peony for your thoughts, my dear?

  • Just like a flower, I’ll grow on youI’m sorry for the things I said when it was winter.

  • Damndelion, I’m looking fine.

  • I will seed you later!

  • Have you botany any flowers lately?

  • Happiness blooms from within.

  •  Bee kind.

  • What’s up buttercup?

  • Not a daisy goes by where I don’t think about you.

  • I never want you to leaf me.

  • I can’t beleaf how much you’ve grown!

  • Help! I’ve pollen and I can’t get up.

Spring activity captions for Instagram. 

  • Find me outside soaking up the sun. It’s a great day to stop and smell the roses.

  • Keep calm and go outside.

  • Bring on the flip-flops, green grass, blooming flowers, and singing birds.

  • don't wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. 

  • watch me bloom like spring after a long winter.

  • a clean house is a sign of a wasted life.

  • It's finally time for me to come out of hibernation.

  • it's a beautiful time of year for a new beginning.

  • spring is the pewrfect time to turn over a new leaf

Spring Instagram pun captions.

  • Water you doing right now? *insert waves emoji*

  • Keep palm and carry on. *insert palm tree emoji*

  •  Sun of a beach. *insert sun and beach emojis*

  • Happy as a clam. *insert smiley of your choice and shell emoji*

  • 'm an aqua-holic. *insert champagne emoji*

  • Resting beach face.

  •  Throwin' shade (for sunglasses selfies).

I hope this has been of help, love to hear your thoughts in the comment section and any good spring-like captions that I have missed on my spring Instagram caption list. 

Cheers for reading X


10 mum thoughts

Hey readers,

Why is it such as pain the arse to get out of the home with two children? God, it is an absolute nightmare. Here are my ten thoughts that crop up going through the military process of getting them ready to go out.

10 mum thoughts
1. Do I really need to go out, I am knackered and we have only got one pair of socks and I am going to be hot and flustered before I even close the door. 

2. Surely I  must lose a few pounds from profusely sweating that I don't need to do a workout later with the amount of running around that I do after two kids. 

3. Why do I also end up playing cat and mouse around the home with these kids, they never come to me when I call my name. It is like they have selective hearing or something, there is a thought. 

4. God my hubby is wanker because yet again I am left to get the kids changed, or go on the school run or deal with some sort of squabble over something silly. 

5. Why the fuck do you have to throw the shoes across the room and when I ask you to put your shoes on the shelf where funny enough the shoes live you without fail to do not do these. Your lack of motivation is astonishing and really mazes how much energy you put into doing nothing. 

6. I am turning into my mother, I never thought I would say ' stay still for Godsake' or another classic such as 'if your brother tells you to jump off the cliff would you?' My God, it is finally happening I am morphing into my parent, arghhhh!

7. Thank God for bribery you saved my sanity once again. I don't care what anyone says, bribery is the best to get an easy life. If you haven't tried it what are you waiting for?

8.  That's it CBBC is going on just so we can get the hell out of here by today or I can have five minutes peace without squabbling. Guilt do me a favour go fuck yourself because today I choose not to listen to you!

9. You take them to the park thinking you are being a good parent to get away from the screens for a bit to be then greeted with the constant moaning of how long are we going to be? This is boring I want to go home. Sometimes I wonder why I bother!

10. What is it with kids and their ability to not sit on the bottom for more than two minutes. They are constantly fidgeting like they have a whole family of ants living in their pants. 

Can you relate to any of these mum's thoughts? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X


Wednesday 14 April 2021

How to make a dragonfly peg craft

 Hey readers,

Looking for a simple craft then look further as I have one that takes less than 10 minutes but kids will love it. It is called a dragonfly peg craft and the materials that you will need are listed below. 

How to make a dragonfly craft

What you will need.

* Pegs

* Marker pens/felt tips

* Google eys

* Pipe cleaners.


dragonfly peg craft

How to make the dragonfly peg craft.

1. I found it easier to undo the peg and then colour the peg in, as it is easier to colour in the small spaces. You can use whatever colour or pattern you wish. I have two ideas below to give you inspiration. 

dragonfly peg craft

dragonfly peg craft
 

2. Once you have coloured the pegs in, fix the peg back on its hinge. Thread the pipe cleaners one at a time through the peg hole and then shape like two big circles for the wings. Once that has been done a little space and then do the same for the second wing. 

3. I used glue but if you have a glue gun to hand that would be even better. Of course, you don't have to use google eyes, I just knocking about. You could simply just draw on the eyes with a marker, it would still be as effective.

4. Leave some time for the dragonfly to dry out then there you have a funky little craft to get your kids excited about. 

dragonfly peg craft

dragonfly peg craft

Enjoy. 

Cheers for reading X


Monday 12 April 2021

**ad** video dating can be fun.

Hey readers, 

Even though we are easing out of lockdown restrictions that doesn't stop you from considering online dating. I think even if social contact rules get more relaxed the benefits of dating online are still quite strong. 

Not only is online dating accessible to anyone as long as they have the capability to get on the internet. It is also open for all regardless of background, sexuality, or where you come from. 

There are so many dating sites to choose from that cater to lots of different needs not to mention there now so loads of dating apps to consider such as Bumble. 

video dating can be fun.
However, life is a lot easy especially during current times to maybe not go too far afield but closer to home. This could be for example like the site Shropshire Dating Site where if you live in the Shropshire area can find like-minded people that also live in the Shropshire area. 

The site is really straightforward to upload your profile though it is always good to put up a photo for searchers so they can put the name to the face.  

Once you have uploaded your profile and details you can then go search for who tickles your fancy. The great thing about online dating is you can narrow down specifics such as if they are heterosexual if they smoke or a vegetarian for example. 

Another very popular element of online dating is video dating where you go on dates with people virtual via video call platforms such as zoom or what's app. 

The one reason I think online video dating has grown in popularity is that it is so convenient especially due to the lockdown measures. We have a lot more time on our hands. 

For single people that can be quite lonely so video dating is a really easy and convenient solution to meet people during the lockdown and have fun.

 I think video dating is taken over from the other types of dates such as blind dates because people have more time and to get to know the person beforehand. 

 With video dating the element of it being new and something that is a bit different is exciting. There are so many fun date ideas to have online such as doing an escape room together on a Sunday night for example. Another fun date is to play food delivery roulette. 

Basically, the person decides the food you are going to have for the night and versa. It is exciting as you don't know what you will be ordered and it is also fun to decide for the other person. 

 That is the beauty of unconventional dates they are out of the box and it is a bit more fun than just meeting up with a potential partner and going for a meal in a restaurant. 

Not only does it feel a bit safer because you're in your home where you turn of the chat it doesn't feel right. However, having video dates online is easier to be yourself because you in your safe place where you feel comfortable and more likely to be relaxed so it can be easier to get to know one another on a video date. 

Online dating is not just for young 'uns but older people like Shropshire Dating where it is focused on mature dating and the potential to find a relationship. Of course, an older person is more relaxed within themselves so they don't have the pressure to be something that may not be. A really good benefit also of this website is that it is a free dating site. 

Plus with being older then is less pressure to form a relationship quick as fewer commitments but that isn't a negative it just means you can have more fun to get to know someone and have fun. 

Cheers for reading X

This is a sponsored post however all opinions expressed are entirely my own. 


Sunday 11 April 2021

My Sunday Photo 11/04/2021

Friday 9 April 2021

things to do when you are having a bad day

 Hey readers,

We all have bad days and it can be tough to know what to do when we are faced with these types of days. So down below is a list of ideas you can do when you are having a bad day. 

things to do when you are having a bad day

1. Read a book. 

2. Take a Buzzfeed quiz.

3. Paint your nails.

4. Colour in a colouring-in book.

5. Do a face mask.

6. Scream.

7. Look at old videos saved on your phone.

8. Blow bubbles.

9. Watch a sunset.

10. Lay down. 

11.Play with animals.

12. Go outside.

13. Call up family members.

14. Practice deep breathing.

15. Read some motivational quotes.

16. Write down things you admire about yourself.

17. Go on a Pinterest bender.

18. Find a new recipe to try.

19. Take a hot shower. 

20. Learn how to make your favourite cocktail. 

21. Listen to music.

22. Meditate.

23. Get the camera out and take a photo of something.

24. Sing.


25. Watch some funny videos. 

26. Organise something.

27. Clean something.

28. Plan something positive.

29. Say some positive affirmations.

30. Watch a funny film.

31. Watch a sad film, sometimes this helps.

32. Eat some pizza. 

33. Have a bath.

34. Watch some cat videos on Youtube.

35. Wrap yourself up in a blanket. 

36. Do some exercise. 

37. Solve yourself out of an online escape room.

38. Listen to a true-crime podcast.

39. Play on your games console.

40.  Join a virtual choir.

41. Live stream the Northern Lights to help relax you.

42. Cry.

43. Punch a pillow.

44. Write a poem.

45. Wear some fluffy socks. 

46. Have a nap. 

47. Moan on Twitter.

48. Get hooked on a new mobile game. 

49. Watch the skies.

50. Practise yoga.

51. Try a new craft. 

52. Take a quiz.

53. Watch zoo animals online.

54. Learn to bake. 

55. Binge watch a box series.

56. Tour a museum.

57. Plant a herb kitchen. 

58. Learn a musical instrument.

59. Drink a glass of water.

60. Journal.

61. Make yourself a cup of tea.

62. Make yourself a list. 

63. Do a good deed.

64. Watch a sunrise. 

65. Order delivery food.

What do you think about my list of things to do when you are having a bad day? Have I missed anything that you think is a good idea? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X