Sunday 26 May 2019

50 June blog ideas

Hey readers,

Are you a blogger stuck for ideas for June? Then you need to check out my top 50 blog ideas to get your creative juices flowing.



1. How to have a summer party. 

2. On a tight budget June's best 5k race.

3. Musical festival survival tips.

4. Tips for bearing summer boredom.

5. How to have an ace BBQ.

6. A  collection of your best blog post and link at our faviroure ones.

7. Summer bucket list.

8. Host a giveaway.

9. Tips for decorating with seashells.

10. Fathers day gift guide.

11. Write about your current favorite TV show and summarise it.

12. Share a recipe.

13. Beach day beauty tips.

14. How to survive a road trip with kids.

15. Your best Road trip destinations. 

16. Best festival gigs. 

17. Festival clothing wish list.

18. Ways to save money on summer sports.

19. How to organise your nail polish collection.

20. Tips for having a baby in June.

21. Self-care ideas for fathers.

22. June photography challenge.

23. June homeschooling ideas.

24. A list of  June twitter chats.

25. June gardening ideas.

26. International yoga day and local yoga events near you.

27. Last minute summer holiday saving tips.

28. Share tips and advice about potty training for potty training awareness month.

29. Last minute father's day gift guide.

30. Summer cocktail recipe.

31. Summer playlist.

33. Local events on in June.

34. Picnic tips.

35. Create a roundup of bbq recipes.

36. Make what's in my beach bag post.

37. How to stay safe in the sun.

38. How to deal with kids not winning at the school sports day.

39. Write about the great outdoors.

40. A recipe on how to make homemade lemonade.
41. Ways on how to do acts of kindness.

42. How to get a perfect tan.

43. Write about national donut day.

44. Write a July blog post ideas post.

45. Reasons to blog.

46. Do an A to Z of all things summer.

47.  A list of your best parenting hacks.

48. 10 reasons to ride a bicycle.

49. Teaching children the importance of recycling.

50. Why it is important if you can to donate blood.

Have I missed any blog ideas that you think are great? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday photo 26/05/2019






Friday 24 May 2019

Sleepyhead

Hey readers,

My word of the week is:


I don't know what happened over the weekend but I was bone tired and my body felt exhausted.

 I believe this is a time that I should listen to my body and take a res. This is because I think I had overdone it the past few days beforehand with anxiety and suchlike.


In other news, the boys did a Beaver sponsored walk and they walked over 5 miles and they raised a lot of money for Beavers. I was really proud of them and what they had achieved.

I had a lovely time on Sunday evening cuddling my eldest and taking it in turns to read Fantastic Mr Fox. 

Which sometimes is hard to get my eldest motivated to read so that was rather lovely because he was quite relaxed as well.

Both my boys also have been loving their new panda soft onesies and I am rather envious of them as I too would love to have one.

Hope, you have had a good week.
Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 22 May 2019

Ways to embrace change

Hey readers, 

In life, there are going to be times when the change will occur and it can be hard but here are my top tips to help adjust to change in your life.



1. Personal growth. 

Sometimes to move on with your life and envolve change has to occur. Learning something new or having change your environment can have a positive impact on your personal growth. 

2. New Beginnings. 

Change can be good because it means you are open to new directions and allowing things to happen rather than being closed off and staying in the same life. We don't know what the future has to hold but trying something new means you are open and you never quite know what is around the corner. 

3. Acceptance.

Acceptance can be really calming because you have accepted the situation and allowing change to occur means that you have let go and allow the anxiety to sleep away. Being prepared and open allows you to keep hold of the positive energy and give you a better chance of succeeding with the change. 

4. Question your fears. 

Sometimes reflecting on the reasons why you feel anxious and going through positive affirmations to help ease anxiety when dealing with change. 


5 Ask for help. 

If you're really struggling sometimes asking for help such as having someone to talk to or getting someone to do something while you adjust to the situation can help adjust to the change in your life. 

6. You are not alone. 

I know sometimes dealing with anxiety regarding change can feel like you are the only person in the world to feel like this. However, you have to remember that everyone has fear over change and you not alone. 

 7. Victories.

When going through change it is important to celebrate the little victories to help you can confidence to move forward. 

8. Positives. 

A clear and defined way to help with change is to write down the positives that have come as a result of the change to help with the acceptance of the new direction that you are travelling down. 

9.  Back up plan. 

Always good to have a backup plan if you are scared then it might be useful to have something in place. You can slowly build your confidence by taking small steps to move forward. 

10. Vulnerability. 

It is ok to allow yourself to be vulnerable because we can't all be strong and have our sh*t together all the time. Sometimes, it is ok to vulnerable and not know what is happening with the time you will get through it and overcome the fear of the change and hey you may even be thankful of the change at a later date.

How do you deal with change? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Cheers for reading X 




Sunday 19 May 2019

Purple swirl meringues recipe.

Hey readers, 

Check out this twist to the classic meringues with these fun and colourful swirl meringues.

Ingredients. 

Blue and purple colouring. 
★ 4 eggs. 
★ Caster sugar (we have golden as it is what we bake sponges with but use any you have).



**The sugar should be the same weight as what the eggs (with the shell on) are**. 

Method.  

1. Heat oven 150°c fan or equivalent. 

2. Make sure that everything is washed with a load of detergent even if you think it is clean as a tiny bit of oil/grease will stop the egg white from whisking. Wiping the bowls with lemon juice works a treat as a degreaser and speeds up the whisking later.

3. Measure out the same weight of caster sugar as your whole unbroken eggs. 





being stuck with golden castor doesn't matter because it only slightly dulls the white colour of the meringues. 

4. Separate the eggs and keep hold of the whites. Separate one egg at a time then put that white in the main bowl, this way if one yolk breaks you only lose one egg, not all the ones already separated (doing it this way with our children resulted in two individual eggs lost but thankfully not the whole batch each time) 


5. Put the sugar in a bowl with the eggs white. 




6. Whisk the mixture - a couple of minutes slow speed, couple of minutes medium speed and then medium or high speed until you get 'stiff' peaks. 





When you pull the whisk out the peaks should pull up and fold down on themselves gently. This is when you should be able to tip the bowl upside down. 


7. For the colour, take out a spoonful of the mix and put in one bowl and the same again in another bowl. 

8. In each colour bowl and a good squidge of colour and mix in a little. 

9. Put the blue mixture down one side of the piping bag. This was messy but we just did the best then laid the bag flat and squashed to the side with a silicone spatula on the outside of the bag. 

10. Repeat on the other side with the purple mixture - much messier.



11. Add all the white mixture in the centre of the bag the best you can, we used a tall jug to stand the bag in but a pint glass or vase works well too.

12. Pipe the mixture on the baking tray. Make sure that there is space between each meringue as they expand a little when baking in the oven. A little tip- put a tiny bit of meringue mixture on all the corners of the baking tray to help stick the greaseproof paper down.





13. Put the meringues into the oven on a low shelf and turn the oven down to 140°c - bake like this for 50 minutes. 


14. After 50 minutes, turn the oven off but leave the meringues in there and the door closed for a few hours until they are dried out and cold.
  

15. Put the meringues on a rack and melt some chocolate whichever way you find best - we use supermarket own milk 30%  cocoa and dark 70% cocoa mixed together- very nice. The easiest way for us is to break the chocolate up and place it in a bowl in the oven at either 40°c or 50°c for a few minutes.


16. Finally, the children dipped their bottoms into the chocolate then into either sprinkles or chopped hazelnuts. (the meringue bottoms, not their own!)





17. This produced a lovely light crisp meringue, if you want chewy or soft on the inside then you can experiment with a softer whisk consistency for chewy or couple of drops of vinegar and a small amount of cornflour for softer innards. Another method of bake we used to use was 120°c for 2 hours then turn the oven off, this seems to leave the meringue less 'hollow'.




Cheers for reading X 


My Sunday Photo 19/05/2019


Thursday 16 May 2019

Happy

Hey readers, 

This week I have felt HAPPY!



This is because I just have got loads done and having the energy to do something has put me in a good mood. 

I had a lovely weekend with the boys and my eldest was much calmer compared to some weekends where is very anxious (loads of different reasons why). 

We enjoyed a spot of baking, went to the local park and just had a nice time without too many squabbles. Makes a big difference where there is more of a chilled vibe. 

I have also enjoyed the return of the sunshine of course and it has helped lift my mood. I found watching the new Louis Theroux documentary moving like someone who suffers from mental health issues along with parenting knows how tough it is. 

So, yeah I am rather happy and just enjoying the moment which often doesn't always come easy to me. 

Cheers for reading X 

Monday 13 May 2019

5 things to remember when you feeling anxious.

Hey readers,

When in the depths of anxiety it can feel like aq turmoil in your brain. It can be hard to get past the feelings of anxiety. So here are five things to remember when you are feeling anxious.



1. It will pass. 

I know this probably obvious to people however when you are experiencing anxiety it is hard to see anything else. But remember it will pass as time goes on and they feels will end. Hold on to this thought and if you can reflect back to previous feelings of anxiety and remember that they passed.

2. Facts. 

Remember that anxiety thoughts are not facts but feelings. You don't have to believe them as they are just thoughts. There are millions of thoughts going through your mind and you have the choice to listen to them or not put any value on them, It is amazing when you let go the anxiety thoughts will disperse, however, it holds work so stick with it be worth it in the end. 

3. Change.

Sometimes it is easy to opt to stay in one place and feeding them anxious thoughts. A good way to help think about something else is to change the scenery, it does not have to be complicated it could simply be a walk down the road or around your local park. Changing the scenery is great for the mind especially getting fresh air makes a big difference. 

4. You are not alone. 

When going through an anxious time it can help so lonely and like you are the only one person suffering from anxiety, however, that is not true and there are many people who suffer from anxiety and from all walks of life. It doesn't matter what your age, wealth or background anyone could experience in anxiety. It is a known fact that people in the UK 1 in 4 people experience mental health problems each year. 

5. It is ok. 

It is ok not to be ok. It is ok to have anxiety and sometimes just accepting the anxiety can help reduce the stress and pressure that builds up from the stress of worrying about it all.  

Cheers for reading X

Sunday 12 May 2019

Reasons to love lego

Hey readers, 

I assume most people have heard of Lego which is a toy for children and adults. The idea is to follow the instructions and build an item made of Lego bricks such as say a car or a hospital. Lego is brilliant and I have listed the reasons below why you should check it out.





Fine motor skills.


Lego can be fiddly and tricky but with the time you can strength your fine motor skills. It is a skill to hold one brick and using the other hand to place the brick into its slot.  

It's ageless. 

The brilliant thing with Lego is that there is so much variety. There are different blocks and skills fro different ages. Lego is available for toddlers right up to adults. Therefore doesn't matter what age you can still get that buzz from building something spectacular. 

Patience and organisation skills.

With Lego, you need a lot of patience because it takes time to organise the pieces in colour because in my opinion the easiest way to follow Lego. Then the process of building the model takes time but you will be rewarded with latent satisfaction. 

Planning ahead.

This key with Lego is to be organised with planning ahead and getting the bricks in order. It is important to read the instructions and then have a go at putting the bricks in place. 

Teamwork and communication. 

Now with teamwork and communication, this only applies if your working with someone else. Each person needs to know what they are doing and what the plan is. Say one person gets the brick, whilst the person reads the instructions and builts. Communication is important when it comes to Lego. You have to talk to one another as you need to know what each person is doing so there is no confusion or arguments. 

Facing challenges. 

With Lego at times, it can be challenging you may not have the strength or struggle to identify the colour brick in the instruction manual or working out the diagram to which way the brick is facing. Sometimes, you get it wrong and only later that it isn't going right and you have to go back and redo. This is rewarding as it helps you learn I think via your mistakes and accepting that you know things go wrong. 

problem-solving. 

Lego can be tricky where you have to work out how to solve a problem. Sometimes you have to do trial and error and this teaches you how to come up with a solution through trying different scenarios. 

Spatial awareness.

Using Lego can help with improving spatial awareness by working out how mentally rotating objects and planning how bricks will be placed before building can help understand where to place the bricks. 

Rewarding. 

Finally, the best part of Lego is the reward you get for all the effort and time you put into building into making the Lego item to then be able to tangibly see it at the end and know you have created that design through the Lego instructions. 



Do you like Lego? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 



Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday photo 12/05/2019


Thursday 9 May 2019

16 thoughts whilst on my period


Hey readers,

Today I am going to talk about periods and that thought that occurs when I am going through the dreading menstruation. Some people may think this is a bit too much information but at the end of the day, it is so important to talk about periods to help period taboos.



So, what kind of thoughts do I have when I am on my period.....

1. Everything is annoying me, even the bloody kettle that leaks are getting right on my nerves right now. 

2. I hate my husband, absolutely 100% because he doesn't have the pleasure of having to deal with a period every sodding month.

3. I am hungry, from the moment I wake till I sleep I can not stop thinking about food and eating. 

4. I feel like someone is stabbing me in the stomach or kicking me as the cramps are taking over and I hate life. 

5. Why do they say periods last 5 days, this is a joke because mine don't and maybe Mother Nature hares so much she tortures me with a prolonged period time. 

6. Right now I am so full of emotions, one minute I am happy and then the next I am having a full-on breakdown because of the anxiety and fear that comes with having a period. 

7. I am definitely not wearing white because that is too dame risky.

8. Got to reach in the bottom of the draw for my 'period pants', all black, big and comfy around the waist.

9. I am out and randomly my period has arrived is it alright too makeshift and use toilet tissue for a pad? 

10. I think I am dying because there is no other way to explain this pain right now. 

11. If I sneeze whilst on my period that is a risk attached and probably best not to do in public unless you want it to look like a murder scene. 

12. I have eaten this tub of ice cream which is acceptable since I am on my period. I now have dealt and think I may become ever fattier and my life is destroyed by one single action. 

13. I wish I could live my bed for the next few days with my heated blanket on to deal with cramp pains and killing two birds with one stone by hiding away from the world because everyone annoys the hell out of me. 

14. Chocolate should be mandatory with sanitary wear just because it is helpful for when you are on your period, fact. 

15.  Why do men think they understand periods? you don't know the half of it so does all a favour with your advice f*ck off with it. 

16. When I start my period it comes to the realisation of why things happened recently and has enlightened me since being on my period. 

Have you experienced any of these period related thoughts? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Cheers for reading X 

Sunday 5 May 2019

Why is silence good?

Hey readers, 

Since recently I have found that I have really enjoyed now and again just sitting in my room in the evening when it is dark and just lying down on the bed. I just find it really calming and it got me thinking about silence the benefits of it for your health. So, in this post, I give you my reasons why you should embrace the silence in your life. 



Sleep

It is good to engage in silence during periods throughout the day as it can help with getting to sleep and insomnia. I think one the reasons is because you are taking time out to allow the noise to disperse and have the time to wind down during periods of silence which can help reduce the overactive thoughts that can occur during the day. This help calms down your mind when you go to bed at night because you are dealing with the thoughts. 


Relax.

When you actively enhance with having moments of silence in your day it is dealing with the tension so you can relax more. This, therefore, can help relieve tension as it is not being built up in your body as you are having periods when you calm and peaceful in silence.

Brain.

The brain needs time to rest without having constant stimulation. When you are embracing the silence you are shutting off more noise, therefore, allowing your brain to have a much-needed rest. 

Noise. 

Participating in silence allows me to think more and cut down on the noise. 

Rest.

  When I am having silent periods I allow my body and mind to rest. Therefore this opportunity of silence gives me the time to replenish our energy sources making my day much more manageable. 

Repair. 

  
Again the idea that having silence helps generate brain cells which mean overall will lead to a more better productive day because you are giving the brain change to heal and grow through silence and being still during the day.

Health.

 Research has shown that being silent during the day can help with lowering blood pressure which helps prevent a heart attack and boosts your immune system.

Mood.

  Being silence helps to get rid of frustration by letting go and just being quiet.

Listen.

 When you take up the art of being silent it allows you to listen to your mind and body with the messages it wants you to hear. 

Ways in which you can embrace silence in your day to day life. 

One way of embracing the silence is lying in your bed for five minutes before getting up or vice versa but don't turn anything on and just lie down and embrace the silence. 

Alternatively, you don't need to be inside to allow silence in your life just going for a peaceful walk outside but with no music on and just be present with the environment around you. 

Just sit die down on a bench and just watch the world go by.  

Do you enjoy the silence? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Cheers for reading X 

My Sunday photo 05/05/2019


Tuesday 30 April 2019

Me and sweat


Hey readers,

If you haven't noticed it is getting hotter and with someone who is fat, the problem with sweating makes an appearance.



I know this may be too much information for some people but this is my life and sometimes it isn't pretty, however, I think some people can relate to this topic.

So as we heading for more high temperatures now and the sun gets hotter there comes a time when your body wants to help you cool. How does it doe this? by sweating naturally. Therefore, sweating does have a purpose but still dame right annoying!

I like dresses and skirts and to wear them with bare legs **oo la la**. However, I can't be walking about in the sunshine for too long as I get this thing called chub rub. This is when my thighs sweat so much that it rubs and it is really bloody uncomfortable actually!

I hate the sensation of my palms sweating so much I am frequently having to wash the sweet of my hands. Of course, I always carry a handy sized bottle of antibacterial hand gel with me to help give my hands cool feel.

Another symptom is feeling exhausted because the heat is hard work to get motivation and worse still at night it is too hot to sleep. This makes me ratty and quite moody at times because I am miserable when I don't have enough sleep.


I hate feeling sweating especially when it so humid and sticky - you literally have to pull off your clothes. I have to multiple showers a day to clear that sticky hot feeling that comes across my body when I have been out in the sun. 

Not to mention that sweating gets on my nerves and makes me a moody bugger to be around. Yes, I do complain but I am British after all.

If I had to choose between sweating and freezing I definitely would opt for freezing my ass off to be perfectly honest with you. At least you can put more layers on but with the heat apart from standing in a cold shower hard shift that uncomfortable feeling.  

Do you hate sweating as much as I do? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Cheers for reading X 

Monday 29 April 2019

A to Z of autism

Hey readers,

As an autistic person and a lover of the A to Z post I thought I would combine the two and see what I would come up with...here goes!




A - Autism obvs!
B - Biological family members are linked to autism as well associated with me. 
C - Communication is somewhat a struggle. 
D - you can still manage in life even with a diagnosis
E - Elopment where I just leave without telling anyone or letting my husband where I am going. 
F - Focus is strong when I am obsessed with a topic.
G - Girls have autism too!!!!
H - Hypoactivity occurs most nights.
I - More information needs to be made aware of adults who have autism.
J -  An autistic person likes things just so. 
K - Keep things consistent.
L - Language is difficult whether it is non - verbal or verbal it is hard to know how to get it to acceptable levels at times.
M - Meltdown because I have had a fair share of them.
N - Neurotypicals need to be said because we have to abide by there rules.
O - Overwhelmed in most cases. 
P - Patterns are comforting.
Q - Quiet helps calm me down.
R - Routine is worshipped. 
S - Sensory over or under it will be there somewhere.
T - Tired because it is hard work trying to remember all these rules. 
U - If I am not overwhelmed then I am underwhelmed and it is hard work trying to get the right balance of stimuli. 
V - Vocal in terms of speech where I don't know my volume, can either really loud or quiet as a mouse. 
W - Worry seems to make an appearance often in my autistic world.
X  - Fragile X is a close relative of autism. 
Y - You are not less with autism.
Z - Zoloft medication helps my obsessive nature.

Cheers for reading X  

Sunday 28 April 2019

10 tips on how to have an awesome picnic.

Hey readers, 

Nothing finer than getting outdoors and eating Al Fresco, it just makes the food taste so much fresher and enjoyable especially when you are with the family. Even since becoming a parent I have enjoyed as a family picnicking more so when it so warm and sunny. I thought I would put down my top tips to have an awesome picnic. 



1. List. 

We all know I love a good list and planning is key especially with children. Make sure you write down all the food and equipment you need so you don't forget it when you are in a blind panic. 

2. Drinks 

Make sure you bring plenty of drinks even more so when it is hot so you all keep hydrated. Another crucial thing is to bring open opener if you need for bottles that need to be open with an opener. 

3. Blanket. 

Having a blanket that you can throw on the ground with soft material makes picnicking a much more enjoyable affair. I know it is a nice to be one with nature sometimes the floor is dirty or still, quite a dame plus you don't want any grass marks on your bottom from where you have been sitting, haha. 

4. Mosquito repellent. 

Always handy during the summer when there are bugs about and you don't want to be eaten permanently. So make sure you have some mosquito repellent ready on hand to apply and make a barrier between bugs and you. 

5. Ice ice baby. 

Make sure you have ice boxes or ice packs to keep food cold and not melt such as ice-cream or drinks. This will help your food and drink stay cool and more enjoyable. Plus nothing worse than have a melted mess in your picnic box to have to contend with. 

6. Stay clean. 

Something to add to your list of items to pack is wet wipes because they make life so much easier to clean sticky fingers. Napkins as well help collect or the crumbs and keeps the area tidy where you are having your picnic. 

7. Delicate.

Probably best to leave delicate food at home as it is another stress to worry about especially if you have children to deal with as well. Simple is key when it comes to picnics. 

8. Check.

If you are planning on going to say a country park check beforehand that they are open and that picnics are welcome, always best to be safe then sorry. 

9. Activities. 

Bringing activities to keep you and your family amused is something to consider. Things like a football or frisbee are good because it is fairly simple to play and you don't have to carry a lot of items with you, which ideal if you are a long way from the car or bus say and you don't want to carry loads of stuff with you.

10. Sunshine.

Always stay protected in the sunshine, make sure you have sun cream, hats and shady places to eat when it sunny. Also, if you go at high noon during the summer it can be baking hot and you don't want to get sunstroke so be prepared and stay cool. 

Have I missed anything off my list that you think is a good thing to do when you go for a picnic? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. 

Cheers for reading X