Author: Sarah

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#VLOGSTARS // 6 things that wind me up

I’ve been meaning to join in with the Vlog Stars linky for the last few months but haven’t quite managed to get round to it…until now! I’m going to let the video talk for itself but basically I’m having a bit of a rant about 6 things that really wind me up.

I’ve not done many of these talking to camera vlogs before and I’m still learning. I’ve still got a way to go before I get my set up right but it’s all good practice right?

Anyway, enough waffling – here it is…

Linking up with Colette at We’re going on an adventure and Katy at What Katy Said

Things that wind me up / Vlogstars video
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10 things that make me happy

I was tagged (ages ago now) by Tasha from Mummy & Moose to write about 10 things that make me happy. You would think this should be pretty easy but I’ve actually found it quite difficult to think of ten things, that aren’t all food! (N.B. Some of them are food)

I’m just going to launch right in with this, so here goes…

Sleep

I love sleep. I always have. Well, according to my mum I didn’t sleep until I was three but after that I have always loved sleeping. I have also inherited from my dad the ability to sleep anywhere at any time. Before the boys arrived and stole all my sleep away from me I loved nothing more than a long lie in, and then maybe an afternoon nap too. If I was on a long journey whether by car, train or plane, I would just sleep to pass the time. I used to fly from Edinburgh to London quite a lot and had perfected my technique of falling asleep before take off and waking up when the wheels hit the tarmac at the other end.

So I love sleep which is why the last four years have been so hard. I am hoping one day my kids might actually sleep all night and I can indulge in my love of sleep once again.

Family days out

Family day out at Grizedale Forest

Days out with a preschooler and a toddler are not always stress-free. Read more

- Sarah 17 Comments

Living Arrows 19/52 (2017)

We enjoyed another bank holiday weekend last week – in his old job Barry didn’t have to take bank holidays off so would often work them to save the annual leave for other times but now he has to take them and it’s actually quite nice to be forced to have some extra family time!

Last Saturday we went to the SEA LIFE Blackpool and had a lovely time seeing all the fish and other creatures. We had a day at home on Sunday with a visit from my in-laws and so on Monday we were all in need of some fresh air and time out of the house.

We drove over to the next village – it’s very picturesque with a village green that has a duck pond and a cricket pitch. We actually put an offer on a house there when we were moving but someone beat us to it! Anyway, just because we don’t live there doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, although this was the first time we’d actually been there.

Gabe watching the ducks with daddy

We took some birdseed for the ducks Read more

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Giveaway // Monski Mouse Baby Disco Dance Hall tickets

Back in the summer of 2014 when Toby was just one we reviewed Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Monski Mouse Baby Disco

Since then Monski Mouse has appeared at the Underbelly Festival in London, Brighton Festival, and been back to Edinburgh (among others) and this year she is back again.

Producer, mother of two and DJ, Monski Mouse first launched her show in response to becoming a mother after ten years of DJ-ing at clubs, festivals and events in Australia in 2012.

‘The massive lifestyle change involved in becoming a Mum, led me to look for an option to continue to work as a DJ without the 1am starts. It turns out I absolutely love performing for the 0-5 age group, it is such a blast and the show has catapulted my career far ahead of where it was before.’ says, Monski Mouse.

Set in the beautiful 1920’s spiegeltent, with it’s circular wooden dance-floor, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall makes a point of creating a space and experience appropriate for the 0-5 age group and their parents/carers. Playing a selection of retro hits and children’s music, Monski Mouse and her Dancers, encourage parents/carers to party and play hard with their little ones, while they are still young enough to not be embarrassed by ‘dad-dancing’ or the ‘mum-step’.

Monski Mouse

We had a brilliant time when we went to the Baby Disco Dance Hall and we would love to go again but London is a bit of a trek for us….so instead I’ve got a family pass for the May Bank Holiday to give away so you can go and see Monski Mouse instead (and tell me all about it!). The family pass includes four tickets (one of whom must be a child) to the disco on either Sunday 28th May at 3pm or for Monday 29th May at 1pm (you can choose which date you would prefer). All you need to do to enter is complete the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends midnight Sunday 21st May

Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 24 hours or another winner will be picked

Open to UK residents aged 18 or over

- Sarah 4 Comments

Family Days Out // SEA LIFE Blackpool

Last weekend, as Toby’s treat for reaching the end of his reward chart, we went to SEA LIFE Blackpool for a morning with the fishes. I lived in Blackpool for my whole childhood, and had spent plenty of time there visiting my parents until we moved back to the area last year but I have never been to the Sea Life Centre (as I knew it) before.

Anemone

SEA LIFE Blackpool is just along the promenade from Blackpool Tower and there’s plenty of parking in the pay and display car park behind. As it was a bank holiday weekend we decided to get there in time for opening so it wouldn’t be too busy. We actually had to wait outside for the doors to open and were the second people in there!

Grumpy eel at Sea Life Blackpool

SEA LIFE is fully pushchair and wheelchair accessible – there’s a lift to get up to the aquarium itself but once you’re up it is all on one level. Read more

- Sarah 2 Comments

Remembering Childhood // Twinderelmo

It’s that time of week when another blogger is going to be sharing their childhood memories. This week’s Remembering Childhood comes from Beth at Twinderelmo.

Which decade were you born in?

The 1980s

What is your earliest memory? How old were you?

I was about three and quite morbidly it was when our pet dog passed away. I don’t remember him dying or anything – just that the vet reversed onto our drive. This was MAJOR as no one ever ever ever reversed into our drive! Bizarre.

A young Beth from Twinderelmo

What was your favourite toy at 5 years old? At 10?

At 5 I had my cuddly Sylvester from the Loony Tunes who I took absolutely everywhere. At 10 I probably was obsessed with a Tamogotchi! I remember my Dad got me one when he was working in Ireland and my whole class was jealous.

Read more

- Sarah 5 Comments

#BathBookBed with Jo Frost and BookTrust

If you’ve read my blog before then you may well be aware that I have not been blessed with children who like to sleep. In fact if we include the sleeplessness induced by pregnancy then I am probably looking at about four years now of broken sleep. So when we were invited to the Trafford Centre in Manchester last week for the launch of BookTrust‘s Bath Book Bed campaign with their ambassador Jo Frost I was eager to go along and see if we could get some help!

Jo Frost during the #BathBookBed Q&A

BookTrust is the UK’s largest children’s reading charity and they work to inspire a love of reading in children. They also know that lack of sleep is one of the hardest parts of being a parent and that getting them to sleep can be one of the biggest challenges. And that’s why they have teamed up with parenting expert Jo Frost to try and help some of those sleep deprived parents. They’re also getting a little help from Peppa Pig too!

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Living Arrows 18/52 (2017)

It’s been a mixed week this week – I started it with a bit of a sore throat and by Thursday I had full blown tonsillitis (again!). We had been invited to the Trafford Centre for a Q&A with Jo Frost though so I filled up on painkillers and throat spray and off we went. I was slightly apprehensive about taking both boys to an event on my own but they were both really well behaved.

This picture of Toby was when we had just arrived and I think he was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the place!

Toby looking awed by the size of the Trafford Centre

I was feeling slightly better on Friday so while Gabe had a nap Toby and I made chocolate cupcakes. Read more

- Sarah 3 Comments

Me & Mine // A Family Portrait (April 2017)

April seems to have absolutely flown by this year. I don’t know whether it was because of Easter or because it’s a shorter month but whatever the reason I seem to have blinked and missed it! Having said that, when I look back we’ve actually fit quite a lot into the month.

The first weekend we headed up to the Lakes to see my in-laws and had a trip to Cartmel too. The next weekend we went to the beach at St Annes after Toby reached the end of his first reward chart.  On Easter Monday we went back up to the Lake District to hunt the Gruffalo in Grizedale Forest. And then yesterday we went to the SeaLife Centre in Blackpool as Toby’s reward from his second chart.

So looking back it’s actually been a very busy month. No wonder I’m exhausted! Anyway, this month’s Me & Mine photo was taken on our trip to Grizedale. Read more

- Sarah 3 Comments

Grizedale Forest // Gruffalo Spotters trail

Growing up in Blackpool with parents who love the outdoors and especially walking, meant I spent a lot of time in the Lake District. Barry also spent a large portion of his childhood in the Lakes, and we even got married there. One of the reasons we moved back to the north west from Scotland was so we could be nearer to our happy place.

Having said that we haven’t managed to many trips to the Lakes since we moved but now the boys are a bit bigger we plan on changing that. And we started on Easter Monday with a trip to Grizedale Forest to do a little Gruffalo spotting!  Grizedale is one of 26 Forestry Commission woods and forests where you can follow the Gruffalo Spotters trail. There is even an app to help you in your hunt, but more of that in a minute.

Taking a picture of Toby with the fox using the Gruffalo Spotters app

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