Pit & Peak Of The Week #2

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Oh there have been a hard few days this week, it seems very fitting to remind myself of one good and one not-so-marvellous aspect of the past seven days.

Pit:

Ears.

Anyone who really knows us will be only too aware of the terrible times that The Boy suffers at the hands of his ears. Ever since his second Winter, he has been at the peril of many an ear infection, the climax of it came last year when we visited the doctor seven times. We were referred to an ENT specialist who informed us he had glue ear in both ears with a 10% reduction in hearing in his left ear and 5% in his right. Luckily once April arrived, his ears cleared up and I knew he'd be fine until November. [Read more…]

The Mad Blog Awards 2014

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This is a post which I have debated writing for a few weeks now.

I've thrashed it out with friends (both real-life and online), family and peers.

And I have spent the last six months fairly adamant that I wouldn't be putting myself in this situation again, and yet two days before the close of the nominations for the MAD Blog Awards 2014 I find myself writing this post. And it feels a little odd.

For those non-blogging readers amongst you, the MAD Blog Awards are like the Oscars for those in the blogging world. I am incredibly fortunate for the past two years to have been a finalist in the Photography category, and quite frankly considering the calibre of the other finalists it was a very humbling situation to find myself in. I was also very lucky to be a finalist in the Family Fun category, which my great friend Fiona from Coombe Mill won.

It genuinely was amazing to me that so many people would nominate and vote for me, thank you to each and every one of you for that. Due to various, dull and frustrating self-esteem issues that I quite frankly won't bore you with, I'd made the decision not to put myself in the position of not winning again.

And then people nominated me. Not just in one category though…

  • Best School Days blog
  • Best Family Fun blog
  • Best Blog Photography
  • Best Writer
  • Best Craft blog
  • Best Food blog
  • Best Home & Interiors blog
  • Best Family Travel blog
  • Blog of the Year

It's all a bit astounding really. Looking around my living room, I'm not entirely convinced that I deserve a nomination for Home & Interiors though! But thanks!

Which is why I'm writing this post and adding the badge to my blog. I believe the awards are a wonderful celebration of all things blogging, and obviously so do the very generous people who've taken the time to nominate me again this year.

And so this badge is added to my blog to thank those people for taking the time to think of me.

If you're looking for bloggers to nominate, may I be so bold as to suggest the following:

A Garden Makeover

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Pegging the washing on the line for the first time this year, I glanced around the garden and was shocked. Shocked to see how in disrepair various bits of fencing were, how the shed needed a wood treatment, the amount of weeds that had swamped the flowerbeds over the Autumn and Winter. The bench seats need sanding and varnishing, the hanging baskets need replacing, the bushes need trimming, the bamboo needs hacking down to allow new growth.

I love the promise of Spring, the promise of outdoor play, sunshine and laughter, picnics and barbecues. However with all of that brings the realisation of how much work is needed in a garden to make it look a wonderful haven for a family to play and relax in. [Read more…]

Foot Development in Children: Did You Know? (Guest Post)

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Buying school shoes for your children can be a bit of a minefield. With so many types on the market, varying in cost and style, as well as being equipped with various features, shopping for the humble school shoe can be more difficult than you may think.

Some parents insist on spending over the odds on shoes bought from specialist retailers, where you can end up spending £40+ on a pair of school shoes that, if most children are anything to go by, are scuffed and well-worn within a couple of weeks. You will find that many children in the playground can easily get through two or more pairs of shoes every year, which soon adds up in cost – a price that many of us can’t afford. So, is it possible to scrimp on the cost without affecting our child’s feet and their development? You’d be surprised at how affordable school shoes can be if you head to the supermarket ranges, such as George. But before you do, here are a few facts that may interest you. [Read more…]

A Digital Postcard From Tanzania

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On Thursday I watched a video of three bloggers (Mummy Barrow, The A Residence and Mammasaurus) who have gone over to Tanzania to investigate the way in which donations to Sports Relief last year have impacted on the lives of women and families in the country.

To celebrate International Women's Day today Tanya, Annie and Penny have been visiting female entrepreneurs and investigating the Lasting Change for women, their families and communities and beyond – rippling out #lastingchange in Africa.

The update video that I watched discussed various women that the Team Honk team had met during the day, however the one which captivated me was Claudia (who Annie talks about at 2:53 ). I immediately signed up for a digital postcard from the team and when I received it and the accompanying story, I was really pleased to find out it was about Claudia! [Read more…]

The Holiday Book Selector (Sponsored Post)

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How do you select your reading material for holidays?

The idea of reading a themed book to suit the location of a holiday had never occurred to me until we were waiting in Heathrow for out flight to Italy about seven years ago. I was browsing the book stand in one of the many shops, and came across the book 'I Love Capri' by Belinda Jones. I'd never read any of her books before but as our destination was the Amalfi coast and a day trip to Capri then it seemed an apt book for a bit of holiday reading. It wasn't until we returned that I had the chance to finish the book, and in actual fact we planned another trip out there the following year visiting many of the places that the main character visited. It felt more real somehow; the holistic immersion into the culture of the people and the places we were visiting really made me appreciate where we were so much more. [Read more…]

10 Tips To Help Your Child When Reading A Book Together

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It seems like listening to your child read a book should be simple: sit down together, and work through the text from the first page to the last.

And in practise that is exactly what we've been doing with The Boy for months. Which is ridiculous because I'd never ask one of the children I teach in school to cold-read a book, and they're over seven years old. So why on Earth have I not been drawing on my professional knowledge with my own child? My son, who is only four years old and just embarking on to the voyage of discovery that is accessible through learning to read.

If I was one of parents in my school, I'd be criticising myself in the staffroom. [Read more…]

What Your Home Design Says About You (Guest Post)

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Your home design says a lot about you and your personality. How you choose to decorate your home and what colours you use, reveal a lot about the type of person you are. Individual tastes differ widely and are usually a reflection of your temperament. That’s why it’s important to design your house around what you like, the things you are drawn to. Don’t be talked into furnishing by a pushy salesperson. Browse around large furniture stores with plenty of variety like Super A-Mart and choose things you are personally drawn to.

Here are some clues what your home design might say about you:

The Family Lover

A person who is very family orientated can often be easily picked by the abundance of family memorabilia around the home. You will see lots of photos and family portraits and also ornaments that have sentimental value. This person will usually collect things, perhaps something from each family holiday. Their furnishings will be comfortable and encourage you to spend time lounging around. You will find things like soft inviting couches with lots of cushions in this type of home. Everything in the home will probably have a story attached to it. The house will contain sentimental objects and reminders of the past.

The Greenie

If the wellbeing of the environment is high up on your list of priorities, your home will usually reflect this. You will have lots of energy saving appliances and will use sustainable materials wherever you can. You will most likely favour natural fabrics and furnishings. You may have linen or raw silk cushions and an earthy woven rug. You will usually choose greens and beige for your décor. Your home will make the best possible use of natural light and you will probably have a great outdoor entertainment area because of your love for the outdoors.

The Fashion Queen

If you are a trendsetter your house will usually reflect the latest colours and trends. Your home will probably be stylish and also sophisticated. You will choose elegant furnishings but will also value good design. You will probably have a home cinema. You love shopping at interior design stores and spend money on the latest design magazines.

The Cheerful Soul

If someone surrounds themselves in warm colours they are usually friendly and nurturing by nature. Yellows and oranges hint at sunshine and cosy fires and are very welcoming. Walking into a home decorated in warm colours will give you a feeling of cheerfulness. Warm colours are energising and will stimulate conversation.

Peaceful and Gentle

If your home is surrounded in soft blues and gentle whites it is likely that you are a peaceful and gentle person who sees their home as their sanctuary.

The Conservative

Someone who uses lots of neutral colourings in their home is often conservative. If walls, furniture, kitchen bench-tops and bathroom tiles are all in grey, beige or white, you may well be looking at the home of someone conservative. These colours give a feeling of security and solidity.

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Samsung Mentorship With Gizzi Erskine

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In the twelve years that I've been teaching, I've seen quite a few changes to the way in which the curriculum is delivered and how the education system works. One thing stays the same though as far as I am concerned: my job as a teacher is to help children fulfill their potential, or at least to understand that they have a potential to fulfill. To inspire them to explore, to understand. To feed their hunger for knowledge and develop their understanding of how their world works.

To drive them onwards to find the one thing that they have a talent for, and to be the best that they can, or want to, be in that area.

Teaching isn't about disseminating information. Not any more. Not in the 21st Century. It's about facilitating a child's desire to learn. It's about supporting them, being a mentor almost.

'Lifelong learning'.

Finally a phrase to show that people don't just develop an education in school, that it continues throughout their entire life. There are always opportunities to learn, to develop and to be the best that they can.

And in Britain we do love a tale of success. We like to see someone gain a reward for all their hard work, countless television programmes demonstrate that on a weekly basis. My personal favourite in recent months was a series which involved three well-known chefs mentoring catering students, maybe because inside me is a wannabe or repressed gastronomist, the same goes for most of us I suspect? I know I'm one of those cooks who looks at a picture in a recipe book, looks at the ingredients, checks my cupboard for what I really have and then makes it up as I go along.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Imagine having a successful mentor nurturing your talent? Imagine having that someone who can help you fulfill your potential, who will ensure you succeed?

Samsung is joining forces with the UK’s hottest talent to give people with a passion for food, film, music and photography, the opportunity of a lifetime. ‘Launching People’ will see pop-up chef and Sunday Times cook Gizzi Erskine, award-winning actor and producer Idris Elba, singer-songwriter Paloma Faith and portrait and fashion photographer Rankin, search for undiscovered British and Irish talent. They will act as mentors as they help food lovers, budding film makers, musical game changers and picture takers launch their brilliant ideas.

The chosen candidates will work with one of the four inspirational mentors to collaborate on a unique project. Their journey, from meeting the mentors to the launch of their project, will be documented in a television series to air later this year.

Further information is available in this video on YouTube also.

To apply you need to make a 2-minute video all about you and your ambition. This is your chance to show off your passion, your personality, and your project idea, to get the attention of our mentors. Then we just need an image and a bit of copy and you’re good to go.  You can find out more and upload your submission at LaunchingPeople.co.uk

Up For Grabs – Two opportunities for everyone:

  1. The mentors will select four candidates with whom they’ll work one-to-one. The chosen protégés will spend 2-3 weeks together, working closely with their mentors in a house fully furnished with Samsung’s latest technology on their personal projects, building towards a grand launch event and making their ideas and ambitions a reality.
  2. And the public will get to vote for one winner in each category to receive £500 for personal tuition and Samsung technology up to the value of £2000.

This is a sponsored post.