My Sunday Photo 12/06/2022

 

My youngest went away this weekend on first water weekend with cubs (scouts) he is super excited. 

         

40 conversation starters for kids

 Hey readers, 

It can be hard to get your child to open up to you therefore a prompt can sometimes really help give them the encouragement to talk to you. It doesn't have to be anything serious the idea is to help with your child communicate and engage in conversation with you. 

Below I have got 40 different types of conversation starters for kids as it can be hard to sometimes think of what to talk so we all need some inspiration from time to time. 

40 conversation starters for kids. 

1. Tell me about the best and worst parts of your day.

2. What’s your favourite game to play?

3. If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

4. What’s your favourite thing to do in the car?

5. If you could be anywhere right now where would you be? What would you be doing?

6. What’s your favourite cereal? Why?

7. What’s the silliest face that you can make?

8. What’s your favourite song? Why do you like it?

9. What was the best holiday you ever had?

10. Where do you like to go in the car?

11. Who is your best friend and what do you like about that person?

12. Did you learn anything new in school today?

13. If you could wish for three things, what would they be?

14. What’s your favourite holiday?

15. If you were an animal, which one do you think you’d be?

16. What three words do you think to describe your personality best?

17. What’s your favourite subject?

18. If you could have any job, what would it be?

19. What’s something that cheers you up when you’re sad?

20. How does it make you feel when you see someone getting picked on?

21. If you could travel back in time, what decade would you choose to live in?

22. What’s the best thing you’ve ever bought off Amazon?

23. What was the last concert you went to?

24. What is one thing you can’t live without?

25. What’s the strangest dream you’ve had recently?

26. What is your favourite book of all time?

27. How many countries have you been to?

28. What’s your favourite city you’ve visited?

29. Would you rather travel via plane or boat?

30. would you be really really hot or really really cold? 

31. Can you remember a time when you made someone smile? 

32. Hold were you when you learned to tie your shoes?

33. Do you think you could go an entire day without talking?

34. If you could turn one room of your house into a giant trampoline which one would it be?

35.  Have you ever told a small fib so as not to hurt someone’s feelings?

36. Are you good at tongue twisters?

37. Do you have the same first name as anyone else at your school? Do you like that?

38. Do you like to look at a clock or do you prefer not to know the time?

39. What’s your favourite joke?

40. Who do you talk to the most on the phone?

What do you think about my conversation starters for kids? Have I missed any off that you think are good ones? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

5 ways to save money on travelling.

 Hey readers, 

You might be thinking of going on holiday in the next couple of months and looking for ways to save money. You can even save even landed in a foreign country just look at my five tips to save a small fortune and all it takes is a little bit of planning. 

5 ways to save money on travelling. 

1. Use flight comparison sights. 

An excellent way to save some money on your aeroplane ticket is to search on flight comparison sites, which will save you time and money. You can get to compare the different times and cheapest prices so you can work out the best deal for you.

 There are many great websites, for example, Skyscanner and Kayak to name just two of the popular ones but there are many more on the market so it is worth putting in the time to do the research as it will save you money in the long run. 

2. Keep within the luggage allowance. 

Make sure that you are aware of how much luggage you can take with you on a plane. Luggage allowance is divided up into hand luggage which you take with you onto the plane which is usually two small bags.

 The other type of luggage is called hold luggage which goes in the plane's hold. Normally you tend to get about 23kg free and then you would have to pay additional costs for extra luggage weight.

 This is where people get caught out and this can be a hefty fine. It depends on the travel company as to how much so it is vital to check these details beforehand and double-check that you are within the limits of luggage weight. 

3. Avoid extra flight costs. 

When I am talking about extra flight costs this could include things like having to pay for a seat that you can definitely get next to the person you want to sit with. It could be for things like earplugs, drinks and food. It might be best before jetting off that you eat and drink beforehand to save some money on eating up in the sky. 

4. Travel by train or coach instead. 

If you travelling to a European country you may want to consider catching the train or a coach. Although it does take extra time instead of flying it can save you some cash. Companies such as Mega Bus and National Express offer good value coach tickets to different countries from the UK so worth checking them out. The Trainline also offer some good ticket prices if you book in advance. 

5. Book low-cost accommodation.

Instead of staying in fancy hotels to cut costs but still be comfortable check out low cost alternatives such as Airbnb, as in “Air Bed and Breakfast,” which is a service that lets property owners rent out their spaces to travellers looking for a place to stay. Travellers can rent a space for multiple people to share, a shared space with private rooms, or the entire property for themselves. 

Alternatively, there is the option of hostels which are clean and safe places and you get to meet other like-minded people. If you don't like the idea of that in a room with a stranger then there is always to option of getting a private bedroom. There are two good hostel websites that can tell you more information and they are Hostel World and Youth Hostel Association. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 05/06/2022

Half term holiday all hail the tree to give us much needed fun :)

         

Supermarkets and autism.

Hey readers,
 
When going to the supermarket I can only handle short periods of time being in the store due to getting sensory overload.

I am autistic and normal things like shopping overwhelm me for a number of reasons.
 
There was a time as an autistic adult when I would shop at 6-7am in the morning because I just couldn't handle it. 

 Often when my husband takes me to the supermarket can be busy and it can get overwhelming trying to navigate around people.
 
Obviously now I am married with kids and things are different for me.
 
However, that doesn't stop it from still being a struggle.
 
Over the years I have had professional help to help me get a bit better at the whole process of shopping.
 
At one point I never used to touch the shopkeeper's hands when exchanging money and simply place it on the counter.  Apparently, this is not the thing so I had to learn that you meant to place money into the assistant's hands. 

I have been able to do that, I still hate touching people I don't know but it is something I can do. Of course with modern technology you can use contactless however going to the corner shop is different.

 Plus I am not paying extra for the privilege of using my money card. I've learned to talk myself into placing money into my hands and focus on detail in the shop so I am not getting too anxious.
 
That is one difficulty I have had but still struggle with, it never probably will get easier but I can manage it.
 
Now my husband likes me to accompany him going to the supermarket. Of course, I do it because I want him to feel needed. I worry I get selfish and at times I have been. So this is a gesture to show I care that being said it is really difficult for me too.
 
I think because we go down each aisle and the more time I spend in the shop I get overloaded because I need to look at the detail of stuff regardless of whether I am buying it or not.
 
The noise of the shop is hard, especially near the buzzing of the refrigerators. Or when the fire alarm is set off as a part of the store testing out the fire alarm. Then there are the random loud announcements on the speakers that can be triggering because they are loud and stop your brain from thinking sending it into a panic.
 
Then there is me not very good at forwarding planning with moving about. At times I respond the way I should such as waiting for a person to come through in the isle and I go through. 

This tends to happen near the end as I am exhausted and just don't have the mental capacity to think about how to act. Bear in mind when I am being outside a lot of my behaviour is not natural, it is learned from experience and what has told me over the years on how to act.
 
My husband also likes to go out to a big store which I struggle with. The size of the store and high ceilings with lots of noise can trigger me.
 
I really hate touching people I don't know and accidentally touching people if they brush past me ups my anxiety.
 
I think another part of my problem with shopping with others is the fact o am not in control. When I shop alone I have a list and just go on, get what I need and get out. My husband likes to look around and just feels endless. 

We spend well over an hour in the store and the content concentration of trying to remember to do all the things correctly takes a lot of brainpower.
 
I am exhausted at the end. Sometimes I have a break as I just need quiet time o go to the toilet, close my ears, and just breathe. I feel really dizzy and disorientated by the end. Get home and I just need time to myself to rebalance my head and bring it back down to a calm.
 
Cheers for reading X
 

Why I love a no spend day.

Hey readers, 

I love a no-spend day and I try to fit one or two in twice a week to help save me some money. But if you may not have heard of this concept so let me explain what a no-spend day means down below. 

What is a no-spend day?

In simple terms, it is a day (24 hours) where literally spend no money whether it be physical in a shop or online to help stop you from buying unnecessary items. It gives you a pause button to stop and reflect on your spending and notice if there are some areas where you think you need to improve on and you can work out ways to make changes.

Having a no-spend day is an excellent way of breaking a cycle of spending if it becomes addictive and it is a way to move forward with positive spending habits. 

I have found them really beneficial to do and try to do one or two a week and really helps puts things into perspective. Definitely makes me think twice about what I am spending my money on. 

Although it is probably best not to do a no-spend day when bills go out so make sure you time it around a day when no money is going out of the bank so you have a 0 money bank transaction. 

Like all good no-spend days the key is planning and making sure that you have food that you need to eat, drinks, and anything that you need shower gel, etc. so you don't get tempted to go to the shop and may give you the urge to break the commitment of a no-spend day. 

Why I love a no-spend day. 

1. It is simple. 

It is a simple rule you don't have to spend any money on that one day, there are other rules and complications that you have to stick to. At first, it is a bit weird to get into it but once you do it just gets easier to do. There is also no tracking involved so I don't have to constantly think about what money I have spent. 

2. Get creative. 

With a no-spend day, that means you have to use whatever resources you have at home such as rustling a lunch up with the food you have in the fridge or snacks in the cupboard. Or finding entertainment that is free locally to you so you don't have to spend any money. It helps get you more organised and plan your days out with how they are going to be structured, which isn't always a bad thing and can be more productive than days that just go with the flow. 

3. Control. 

Doing the no spend challenge leaves you feeling more in control of your finances because you are taking positive action with the no spend days. You are watching your habits and working out if there are any flaws in your spending and how can you adapt to make improvements this all gives you the power of control.

4. The buzz. 

The buzz of completing a no-spend day is good as it makes you feel like you can work on improving your finances and that you are in control of money. It allows you to reflect on your habits and gives you the time to see what your relationship is like with money. 

Have you tried no spend days? Do they work for you? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday Photo 29/05/2022

My boys sang in the school choir with loads of other school choirs for especially singing event at the Royal Alber Hall this week, they absolutely loved it. It was easy to spot one of my sons as he had a red cast on lol.