How to make a stress ball

 Hey readers,

A fun to do at home with kids to make a homemade stress ball. It is perfect for kids to use when they are feeling angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is great relief putting your frustrated squishing a stress ball for some relief. Plus it is easy to make and fun sensory activity to do with kids. 

What you will need. 

* A balloon. 

* Funnel.

* flour. 

* Pen/pencil. 

How to make the stress ball. 

1. blow up the ballon then deflate it, this helps stretch the ballon. 

2. put the ballon end on the funnel. 

3. pour the flour into the funnel which will trickle down into the ballon. 

4. If a problem occurs with the flour not moving from the funnel into the balloon simply use a pen or pencil and gently push it through. 

5. Pour the flour into the ballon until you feel happy with the amount that is there. 

6. Take the funnel out and tie in a knot to the top of the ballon. 

7. There you have a stress ball. 

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday Photo 09/05/2021

why you should never read a parenting book

Hey readers,

As a parent in the earlier days especially when I was a first-time parent I read parenting books because it was all new and scary.

  I hadn't ever experienced what it was like to be a parent before I turned to information that was available for me.

 Of course, the most places a parent turns to is so-called parenting books who think they are helping you provide this available information to help you understand how to parent.

 But do you know what after 9 years of being a parent I can confirm that parenting books are a waste of time and if you are considering checking out parenting books I would suggest ditch them books? 

Why do I dislike parenting books? well, there are a few reasons. For one there always seems a rigid formula that you have to follow for all children even though let's face it all children are different. 

One box does not fit all and sadly that is one major reason why parenting books fail. Children and parents have different personalities and they may not work well with one formula. 

I think with parenting books there is so much pressure to be a certain type of parent and if you do fail then that then it could potentially impact your mental health negatively. 

It could be more detrimental with reading books because you sink into feeling not good enough, This is not good for a parent when it should be focused on forming a bond.

 If the parent is not fully in the zone because they feel not good enough how much damage will that do to the parenting that they try to do? 

Not only can reading parent books make you feel inadequate that can put on stress to try to be something that you may not reach because you work differently from what the book tells.

 I for one have felt absolutely rubbish when reading parenting books because I can't meet that standard that they try to portray in the words of the book.

 I felt at times feeling of despair and anger at everyone around me because I couldn't reach this ideal parenting model. It impacted my relationship with my husband as I was feeling bitter and angry with the world. 

I as an autistic person struggle with communication so it caused some rifts between my relationships. It then after a period of time affected me and the way I viewed myself as being a bad mother causing me to have suicidal thoughts.  

I think there is so much pressure with parenting books and the number of different types of parenting books can feel really overwhelming.

 Which one is supported to work? Bear in mind that parenting books will be focused on the zeitgeist at the time on what is trendy. For example, one time it was acceptable to follow weaning with purees the next it was all about baby-led weaning.

The problem with both these ideas is they are extreme ends and that middle is best and mixing it up to suit you and your child's needs. Again it chisels at your self-esteem especially if you are a first-time parent you don't have the confidence to go with the flow.

 I think because it is a new experience you're trying your best to succeed out what is right so you become vulnerable to the parenting guides feeling like that the information they give is gossip and if you don't follow it you're a bad parent. 

As you can see there is that pattern that your mental health is fragile and reading parenting books can contribute to worsening it when you need to grow to help give you the confidence to be the best parent that you can be. 

What are your views on parenting books? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

 

50 kid friendly snack ideas for the beach

Hey readers,

As we are getting more warm weather and staycations are still very much popular this year a picnic to the beach makes a perfect family day out.

 Sometimes it can be hard to know what to bring along to a picnic so below I have 50 ideas of a perfect food for kids and adults that would make the day amazing. 

Before I go into the food list I am just going to mention a few things to bear in mind when you go for a picnic at the beach.

Now obviously the changes of it being hot are high and you may have a day out at the beach. It is important to use ice packs to keep your food safe and fresh. It is something to make sure you pack.

Another item to remember when you go to the beach for a picnic is a blanket so as to make it comfy and separates the food away from the sand.

You may want to consider having a picnic box as they are a good size and shape to keep hold of your food.

When you do pack it might be good to back a spare bag for rubbish so you can keep it all together and check it in the bin at the end of the day.

With kids, one of the most important items to remember to take with you if your eating out is wet wipes as they are a godsend to keeping kids clean. There is nothing worse than sticky fingers smearing food everywhere.

Don't forget to pack cutlery and cups as so handy to make eating and drinking a lot easier forever.

Now, let's crack on with the ultimate kid-friendly picnic food for the beach.

1. Bread rolls.

2. Wraps.

3. Carrots/peppers/cucumbers/tomatoes plus hummus.

4. Sausage rolls.

5. Pork pies.

6. Cheese pre-cut cubes.

7. Fruit - strawberries, apples, raspberries, watermelon slices.

8. Breadsticks. 

9. Scotch egg.

10. Coleslaw.

11. Potatoes salad.

12. Crisps.

13. Crackers.

14. Ryvita's. 

15. Cheese strings.

16. Flapjacks.

17. Brownies.

18. Lemon drizzle cake. 

19. Quiche.

20. Chicken Satay.

21. Chicken drum sticks. 

22. Salmon slices. 

23. Salami.

24. Chicken tikka skewers.

25. Tail mix.

26. Nuts.

27. Granola bars. 

28. Boiled eggs. 

29. Samosas.

30. Falafel.

31. Koftas

32. Olives.

33. Shredded chicken. 

34. Prawns.

35. Couscous. 

36. Salad.

37. Corn on the cob.

38. Seafood sticks.

39. Cheese and onion rolls.

40. Feta and spinach parcels.

41. Ham and Edam rolls.

42. Chorizo and gouda rolls.

43. Mozzarella balls and tomatoes.

44. Fruit salad.

45. Hot dogs.

46. Pasta salad.

47. Tortilla chips and salsa.

48. Pitta bread and hummus.

49. Pizza. 

50. Sushi.

Have I missed anything off the list of picnic food that you nothing is a good item to bring along to the beach? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

My Sunday Photo 02/05/2021

My cheeky little monkey 😝 

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.

 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

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

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. 

1. Warming butter knife - Trouva.

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.

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.

.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

.

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.

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

My Sunday Photo 25/04/2021

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.  

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. 

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. 

Cheers for reading X

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. 

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. 

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

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. 

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

My Sunday Photo 18/04/2021

 

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.                   

       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

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