20 non-screen activities to do indoors.

Hey readers,

Bored at home with the kids and looking for something to d that will distract them enough to stop watching the screen. Look no further as I have 20 fun activities to do indoors when at home. 

  

1. Make a fort.

2. Do some potato art  - simply cut out shapes from the potato such as a star and then paint the potato shape and cover the sheet of paper.

3. Can't go wrong with reading a book.

4. Have a bath any old time, doesn't have to be in the evening but sure is a time killer and most kids enjoy the bath right?!

5. Do a jigsaw puzzle.

6. Make your own playdoh, really easy to do and the kids will love it.

7. Paint some stones and leave them out when you go out on a walk for someone else to enjoy.

8. Play a board game – my favourite is UNO.

9. Turn the radio on and do some dancing in your living room.

10. Make an indoor obstacle course indoors using objects in your home. You could use pillows, toys and cushions to help create a fun way to make an obstacle course.

11. Let your kid’s vacuum (oblivious depending on their age, don’t recommend giving a one-year-old) but kids absolutely love playing the adult role and teaching them to look after the place they live in.

12. Play some bubbles.

13. Make a card for family or friend. You don’t need much simply use paper and colour pens. People will love to receive something handmade as it is that personal touch.

14. Learn the Japanese origami which is the art of paper folding.

15. Make paper aeroplanes.

16. Try some coin rubbing art.

17. Plant some seeds – a couple of simple seeds to plant is mustard or crescent and you can just place them in an empty yoghurt pot and watch them grow.

18. Make some homemade ice lollies.

19. Make tape roads – all you will need is masking tape and put on the floor to create roads and roundabout. Then after kids then can use their cars on it.

20. Make some gratitude paper chains – done a post here on how to do it.

What things do to you do when indoors with your kids? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday Photo 14/06/2020

Reasons to love Youtube

Hey readers,

We are now in the internet age and where better place to explore than good old YouTube especially as we are spending more time at home due to the Coronavirus.

 I love YouTube I will be honest and it has saved many a boring day or dealing with the awkward questions my eldest asks me. 

Not to mention the vast amount of variety of video available on Youtube from tutorials and reviews on products to name a couple (though there are many more).

 I would otherwise be clueless with things that I know thanks tog good old Youtube so let's celebrate all things YouTube!

1. Cost.

Most of the videos that you can watch on Youtube are free apart from the premium level but let's face it most people don't opt for that service.

2.  24/7.

Youtube is accessible to anyone in the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

3. Variety.

On Youtube the variety of information is amazing. There is so much out there from tutorials to free films. You can even get 30-minute type shows so there is definitely something on Youtube for everyone to enjoy.

4. Knowledge. 

YouTube is a platform where you can get a lot of information to help with learning. For me personally, an obvious example where I have learnt something off Youtube is navigating around Blogger.

It has helped me tremendously as a blogger to help me feel more confident in working around the Blogger website. 

Also, you can take your time,  stop and pause. You can even come back and do little bits making it more manageable to fit around you and your needs.

5. Accessible for all. 

Anyone regardless of background or experience cam upload a video and there are little restrictions on what can post (apart from the obvious). Giving people the free rains over the material.

6. Unedited.

It can be unedited and what you see is what you get.  I will be honest I love really dodgy amateur videos just for the comedy purposes alone.

7.  Individual. 

You can learn about someone's life and get to know the vloggers better on a social level. Because the individual is doing the recording and you get a sense of authenticity. 

Vlogging world is very popular with people because it is not like traditional TV shows because it is about someone's life and they are recording it for you to view.

8. Playlists.

You can create your own playlist on Youtube tailored to your taste.  Remember in the 90s making mixtapes and the effort with stop and starting again with the tape recorder. 

Well, using personalised YouTube playlists is the modern way to tailor your needs. You can also pick the videos without the ads so playing right through without skipping even so often, win!

Do you relate to any of these positive aspects of liking Youtube? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes (book review)

Hey readers,

Today I am going to do a book review of Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes. It is an adult thriller fiction book.

The main plot is about a woman called Sarah who was married to Jim but he died in a car crash.

Sarah is struggling with debt in her home up in the Yorkshire Dales. She had a visit from a university friend of Sarah and Jim’s called Aiden. 

He needs a place to stay and Sarah offers him a room her home. He insists on paying rent which is an incentive as she really needs the money and the fact that she is struggling with loneliness.

Sarah and Aiden get friendly and after getting close after a night out at the local pub and the end of the night having sex together.

Over time feelings between Sarah and Aiden grow for each other.

There is one problem with the situation between Sarah and Aiden is that everyone other than Sarah knows that Aiden is a masseur and provides organisms for women as a job.

They have fallen out and it progresses that it is purely a job for him. He has been honest with every question Sarah says. However, over time Sarah accepts this and trusts him.

There is another friend called Sophie who is having relationship problems with her husband and gets to know a friend of Sarah's called Will.

Sophie and Will have a fling but Sophie wants to continue it further. However, this point will I'd obsessed.

He gets threatening towards Sarah because she had a one night stand a whole back causing him to blackmail Sarah.

Sarah has two older children called Louis and Kitty. Kitty is at university and comes to stay over the holidays at Sarah's.

Louis has fallen out with his mum due to his dad's death, blaming Sarah for not driving when the night his dad died.

Sophie at this point has told George about will and his obsessive behaviour. He tells her to vanish for a while to try and make it cool down. However, this only leads the will to lead on to darker plans.

I won't spoil the ending but with the weather turning for the worst with heavy snow and we find out the lengths people will go for the one they get attached too.

I loved Elizabeth Haynes previous work and so naturally was delighted to see another title that I had not read yet. I found the book a real page-turner and engaging. I like the fact that it wasn’t dragged out but there was enough balance for the beginning, middle and end section. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy a good thriller that keeps you guessing.

I give it 5 stars out of five.

Cheers for reading X

7 ways to be happy everyday.

Hey readers,

Sometimes we can forget to find the joy in the simplest of things and life can drag us down.

 But we can do something about that and gain some control back. I have got seven ways that aren't difficult to help find happiness in ordinary stuff. I hope you find this helpful.

1. Time out.

Take the time out of your day to do something that you love doing, whether it be listening to music, reading whatever it is do it make some time to do it! Even if it is just for ten minutes a day it will be worth it in the long term for your wellbeing because you are doing something for you and giving you some time for self-care.

2. Write it down.

 A good habit to take up is to write down something that you are thankful for each day. It doesn't have too big it could be as simple as hearing the birds. This is a way to train your brain to look at the positives in your life and appreciate the small things in life that you have access too. 

3. Outdoors.

Take yourself outside and connect with nature. Go for a walk and just be, take time to notice the environment that you are, look at the different flowers or trees, look up at the sky because we live in a beautiful world and it has a lot to offer.

4. Laugh.

As the saying goes laughter is the best medicine. Laughing produces chemicals in the brain to make you feel good naturally and laughing is also brilliant at offering healing properties as well.

5. Time out.

Take some time out of your day to be mindful and present. All you need to do is it and be and just stop with the business of the world.

 The world goes by so fast that you may miss out and just sitting and slowing down can really be beneficial to your health.

6. Kindness.

Do something for someone else and spread happiness on. Some suggestions are making a hot drink, taking time to listen to the person and what they are saying.

7. Positives.

Write down your feelings and work out how you can help reduce the negative and increase the positive. This allows you to understand and think about how you feel. 

It also gives you some control because you're acting on how your feeling and finding solutions to some problems if you can. 

Have I missed any techniques to help make you feel happy every day? What do you do that helps you find happiness? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 07/06/2020

Little Miss Muffet (A Paraody).

Little Miss Muffet went off in a fuffet,

Swearing and huffing the day away,

Along came a numpty,

Who tried to woe her,

Only to get slapped away.