Watching Learning

I watched my family struggle this week with sad news. I also watched the Big One grow up a little bit. This is not a coincidence. 

Learning how to change the oil filter and oil on our neighbour's motorbike.

Worried that the wee one was watching the big ones and will want to stand on the swing next time.

He watched a boy choose a book from a series, and then chose one himself: Learning about new authors.

The children watched the kids at the skatepark. I learned to not gasp at every jump.

Yes, watching your mother and grandmother look at clothes is dull. You'll learn not to complain.

I learned that watching the Internet drop out continually, refereeing a football match in the back garden, and supervising homework, results in a cold coffee.

Learning not to be scared of time passing and my babies growing up because more adventures await. 

We all learn each and everyday; Sometimes we learn what to do, and sometimes what not to do. The Big One is getting it right.

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Silent Sunday

Love is

Love is.... a birthday Princess turning 6 and running out of puff to blow out all the candles.

Love is... hooking up a crochet border before the school run for a friend's birthday card.

Love is... a pretty tree reflected in a not so pretty puddle.

Love is... dragging yourself off the sofa on a very rainy day and poking your tongue out at the weather.

Love is... being very brave at the dentist (this was the before shot).

Love is... decorating a valentines cookie, and then eating it yourself.

Love is... making pom poms with friends.

Love is... a photo a day :-)

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Silent Sunday

Organising My Me Time

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

Me time used to be something that I would take for granted, frivolously disposing of it lying in bed on a Sunday morning with a soap omnibus. I might idle away an afternoon watching a film, or window shopping on the Kings Road. *insert a melancholic sigh here* And then me time became his-time, and her-time and their-time and finding me time amongst it all became harder and harder. And I became resentful.

Me-time keeps me sane. It gives me back a little bit of me and it is something that is entirely selfish. I can indulge, escape, break out of my routine and do what I want. It makes me happy and if I am happy, then my family get a happier version of me than they would otherwise which in turn makes for a happier family.

Me time is subjective, so for some it could be as simple as half an hour in the bath without anyone barging in needing a poo mid soak. For others is could be a weekend retreat somewhere luxurious involving gourmet food and 400 thread count sheets. My me time falls somewhere in the middle.

All I need is a couple of hours a week to be creative, to play and hopefully produce something that I can feel proud of. To escape back to myself I craft. I crochet, I sew and I make stuff. The ideas I have are always more than can be hot glued into the time avavilable and I struggle to decide where to start but once I am cutting, stitching or gluing I am on a roll and that is where I love to be.
Even better than spending my me time crafting is spending my me time shopping for craft. So imagine the pleasure it gives me to have a morning to myself, a 15% discount voucher for Hobbycraft (because I joined their mailing list), and a project that I am excited about.

Ten minutes of me time in the kitchen while cooking tea provided the inspiration via Pinterest, and a shopping list came together.


One hour of me time shopping in Hobbycraft provided the materials.

Look, Hobbycraft are at the end of the rainbow :-)

 Hard not to be inspired!

Everything you could possibly need and a bit more.

I am imagining that decoupaged giraffe in my hall. Maybe my next project...

One morning of me time provided the time to create the ultimate organise-myself-to-ensure-a-steady-flow-of me-time noticeboard'. Yeah, I'm going to patent that. Snappy title isn't it?

I bought a simple cork noticeboard which was very inexpensive and decoupaged the life out of the frame with fabric from a fat quarters pack I also picked up at Hobbycraft. I've never decoupaged before and how much fun did I have? Loved slapping the glue on and then placing scraps of fabric over the frame. I have no idea if I was doing it right but I just got such a thrill about being messy with glue.

 All parental controls were relaxed!

Let loose with scissors too!

Even the sun was smiling through my me time!

With the rest of the fabric I made a pocket section, laminated a piece to make a mini dry wipe board and stuck another piece straight onto the board for pins. I foresee this board having a very positive influence on my stress levels. No more rifling through piles of paper looking for school letters, no more tracking down that vital scrap of paper on which my plan to conquer domesticity was carefully documented, no more lost party invitations.

Ta-dah!

Pins, wipe board and calendar

Organised!

No excuses

This board will keep me organised. This board means I will be able to schedule more me time. And I will make sure it is clearly marked on the calendar for all to see.

I may even manage a few more trips back to Hobbycraft. There are still loads of crafts I fancy a go at!

Silent Sunday

View

We have lived here for 7 years and on a rare bright sunny day we took a walk to somewhere we have never been. It is no more than 2 miles from our front door and from this hill we could actually make out our road. The kids reckoned they could even see our house.

It pays to take a different path, see things you haven't seen before because it could bring you immense satisfaction. 

My view of a new pattern and I'm really pleased with my chevron cushion so far.

In our familiar home the wee one found a new place to hide. I wasn't so chuffed with my view though :-)

His view of the TV was unequalled but not sure how comfortable he was.

In my view cherries are one of the sweetest fruit.

My view from the dining table brought a huge smile to my face.

The view from up the tree was unimpressive apparently but my view of their smiles was perfect.

I wonder what your view was like this week.

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Silent Sunday

Getting wet

Hunkering down against the elements.

Braving the wind and sheltering from the rain. 

We have been lucky with nothing worse than a soaking from a passing car as it sends up a wave of water on a perfect trajectory to wipe us out from the waist down. Sodden we have trudged back and taken shelter in our cosy home, grateful for the new boiler and the hill on which we live.

I feel for those who have found their homes under feet of dirty water, with nowhere to get warm and dry, with possessions ruined, and lives wrecked.

We are lucky.

As much as I am impatient for Spring it is incomparable to their impatience for falling water levels. May spring be early, dry and beautiful.

Washout on the motorway.

Waiting for the weekend and a chance to relax. Oh wait! It's only Monday!

Bright umbrellas bring a little cheer.

Weatherproof play, indoors and having more fun with the box the robot came in.

Snugly onesie, homework and larking about.

Drip, drip, drip and (just to mix it up a bit) drop.

No rain but plenty of mud.

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