My Sunday photo 21/03/2021

Spring I blooming love you

Hey readers,

Tomorrow (20/03/2021) marks the first day of Spring Equinox so here is a list of things I love about Spring.

This is the time when flowers start to bloom and blossom can be found everywhere.

Sadly, the blossom is short-lived but is beautiful seeing blossom like confetti blowing in the air.

What is lovely about spring is more colour dotted about and the sense of lightness that it brings through flowers, pastel colours in fashion to lighter meals that we eat.

Lighter evenings gives a sense of calm and wanting to stay out later. If the weather is good it is pleasurable to eat Alfresco.

Spring brings a mixed bag of weather but a lot of the time we are blessed with warmer. Therefore, meaning higher chances of being outside, making it a lot easier to look after children compared to being stuck indoors.

Something magical to do during the springtime is going to the woods and see the area covered in bluebells, so picturesque.

Spring marks the start of new life and it is lovely to see the new baby animals slowly emerging in the wildlife. You don't have to go far to find baby animals, I have to find the coots already making nests locally to me.

As wildlife slowly migrates back in England you get more of an opportunity to hear the birds calling and singing that takes place during the mating season.

One of the best things about the warmer weather is not having to wear heavy clothes making it more comfortable not to be so covered up.

 Plus, as the warmer weather occurs during spring we can finally get to wear sandals. I just love the sensation of fresh air brushing against my toes.

What are your thoughts on Spring? Love to see your comments in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

7 most useful websites

Hey readers,

The internet is a vessel of information from trivial to serious. I thought I would share n this post some really useful websites that are really helpful for me and they are of some help to you. 

1. Pixabay.

Now as a blogger I use Pixabay a lot to source royalty-free images that can incorporate into my blog posts. 

It is great they are free and there is a ton of images ranging from all sorts of pictures such as nature, people to buildings you name it probably find a picture at Pixabay.  

Also, you don't have to worry about crediting as anyone can use them in any setting and gives you confidence that you are doing legal and in the correct way.

2. Is it down.me. 

You know sometimes when you visit a site and it is not working is it your internet or is someone else have the same problem. Well on Is it down.me lets you check a website address to see if any issues have been reported by anyone else.

 The website also does a check to see if it is working and how long does it take to load a page performed on their survey, not your machine. 

4. CopyChar.

If you like me have a chrome book and don't have the options of emoticons or some icons such as a pound coin sign check out CopyChar.cc. 

It is a simple website but does a fantastic job that displays a variety of icons that you can copy and paste on a device that doesn't the available icons. 

5. Adblockerplus.

Fed up with ads on youtube videos or websites then adblocker plus is a brilliant option to block out adverts. Adblockplus is an extension to add to your machine and blocks any ads. 

You won't regret this one as it has made my life so much better getting rid of the ads when clicking on a site.

6. Canva.

Canva is a free graphic design tool website (though the option of professional with a fee). You can create many designs from youtube thumbnails, pin designs even Instagram posts. 

There are many free items you can use to create visual delights for you to use. There are thoughts of pictures, fonts, and colour schemes. 

If you struggle there is plenty of templates to get you inspired and can be used for your own purpose. 

7. Documentary Heaven. 

Love a documentary? Documentary Heaven is a place you should start as it holds a catalogue of free documentaries in one place for you to explore. 

There are so many documentaries for you to watch free online from history to political the choice is yours. 

What do you think about my list of useful websites? Have a missed any good ones that you deem useful?

 Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

Observations from having two children

Hey readers,

I am lucky enough to be blessed with two boys. I remember in the earlier days of having my second child how completely different my world turned, compared to just having one bundle of joy.

Firstly, when having two children you need to have skills in multi-tasking and making sure each child has their own needs met. For example, when it comes to playing having suitable aged toys available to them. 

An example of this would be a playmat for the baby but for the toddler more advanced toys such as stacking blocks.

Online shopping or having the opportunity to take one child out is a blessing. 

I found it so hard trying to navigate a child and a pushchair. I am really lucky enough to get my hubby to look after one child whilst I went shopping with the other child.

 This situation really good for me right now as my eldest needs a lot of one-to-one attention when it comes to practicing writing. Therefore, I don't feel as guilty. But I am slowly learning for everyone's sanity is it is ok to ask for help.

Make sure if you have two children of close age to make sure that whenever you chose something for them make sure that the item is exactly the same. 

Even if it is the same colour beaker, trust me the arguments over silly minor things like having a different colour cup are shocking. It keeps things calm and it protects your hearing from all the squabbling, win-win!

If you have electronic devices make sure there are two. I will one day persuade hubby to get another tablet because really it gives us all peace. Currently, I dread when one child asks can they have the tablet, it is a nightmare. Sod the art of learning when it comes to technology, I opt for peace if I could. Until that day I am very much miffed at hubby, 😉.

A good thing about having two children is that the second time around you kinda know generally what to expect. I felt more relaxed and confident as a parent with things like potty training and weaning.

Having a second child close in age is fantastic as my boys have such a strong bond and have a play partner. Not saying that they always get on as Pickering often happens but I know they care and love one another. I don't think you can ask for much more than that as a parent of two children.

Cheers for reading X

 

How to get rid of a headache

Hey readers,

I suffer headaches a lot since being an adult and they are a royal pain in the bum. Now you can simply pop a pill to help ease the pain in your head. 

Sometimes pain relief doesn't always work so you might want to try an alternative treatment. 

Below I have some other suggestion that may be of use if you are suffering from a headache. 

1.  Turn down the lights. 

It can be of help to turn down the lights as this may be a trigger due to sensitivity to light. Of course, nothing beats lying in a dark room when you have a throbbing headache.

2. Cold compress.

Applying a cold compress where the pain is in your head can be a great relief. The idea that using a cold compress has a numbing effect that may dull the sensation of the pain. 

A cold compress can be as simple as putting some ice cubes in a tea towel on to the pain, a bag of frozen peas or even a cold shower.

 It is recommended to use the cold compress for 15 minutes and then have a break for 15 minutes. 

3. Get some caffeine. 

This is a strange one as some people benefit from using caffeine to help with the headache and others not. But it is worth a try to see if it helps you.

 With a headache blood vessels swell and tighten which results in an increase in blood flow. The blood flow puts pressure on the surrounding nerves which then, in turn, sends pain messages to the brain which then results in a headache.

 This is where caffeine comes into play with help in relieving a headache because Caffeine has vasoconstrictive properties.

 This basically means that blood vessels narrow to restrict blood flow, thereby alleviating the pain.

4. Hot bath or shower.

Have a hot bath or shower can help relax your tensed muscles which helps a lot with a tension headache.

5. Hydration. 

Being hydrated can contribute to a headache. It can be easily resolved with a glass of water to keep hydrated and think more clearly.

 Above I mentioned that some people have a positive effect on caffeine however some people having caffeine drinks such as coffee and fizzy pop can trigger a headache. So, if that is you it might be a good idea to reduce caffeinated drinks. 

6. Essential oils. 

The smell is a powerful tool to help with the pain. essential oils are extracts from plants to form a base of oil. 

Essential oils have properties attached to them such as peppermint oil as it has calming properties that can help ease the headache and help relax the muscles and help reduce the pain.

 You can use a few drops on a burner or in a bath and a diffuser are good ways to get peppermint oil in your environment. 

7. Sleep.

Having a nap can be worthwhile to help ease the headache as it gives your body time to relax and heal from the pain. 

Do you experience headaches? If so what methods have helped relief your headache? 

Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

 

 

My Sunday Photo 14/03/2021

6 reasons why dark chocolate is good for you

Hey readers,

It is often thought that chocolate is bad for you but actually chocolate can be good for you. However, when I refer to chocolate is it is dark chocolate that reaps the rewards. 

This has to be the best news for any chocolate lover out there.  There has been many a study that confirms that having 25 grams of dark chocolate a day has positive effects on your health. Here are 6 reasons why dark chocolate is good for you.

 

1. Mood enhancer.

Chocolate has been found to help lift your mood especially when you are dealing with a lot of stress.

 Obviously dark chocolate in moderate proportions however it is found chocolate can help increase the feel-good hormones endorphins and serotonin levels in the brain. 

2.  Skin.

Dark chocolate is good for your skin, in particular, being a natural moisturiser. Chocolate contains cocoa beans which are full of fatty acids which really good for nurturing your skin. 

The benefits are that it leaves your skin feeling pampered and soft. You can buy products such as a chocolate bar which is perfect to help deal with colder conditions that affect your hands drying out. 

3. Stroke/heart attack. 

Studies have shown that eating dark chocolate every day for 10 years can lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke in patients that are classed as high-risk patients. 

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids which known to have antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects, which relieve pressures on the heart (British Medical Journal, 2013).

4. Blood flow to the brain.

Compounds in dark chocolate have been linked to boosting memory attention, reaction time and problem-solving by boosting the blood flow to the brain. Chocolate contains caffeine which helps a lot with improving your performance levels. 

5. Blood pressure.

If you eat dark chocolate every day you could lower your blood pressure this is particularly helpful for people who have hypertension in just one month. Chocolate is rich in powerful antioxidant flavanols.

What do you think about chocolate? have you thought it has helped your health? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X