When you’re about to have your first child they talk about the challenges of parenting....the struggles of  sleepless nights, the tantrums, the messy house, having to take time off when they don’t feel well, helping them with homework, the never-ending laundry, the cost of bringing up a child, dinner-time challenges etc.. etc....

You watch and encourage them in their passions,

The Guardian newspaper recently published an article about my hometown, Lowestoft, and how stunning the town centre and our golden beaches are. As a resident of this beautiful town, I completely agree with their sentiment. We are lucky to live in such a stunning location, with no shortage of amazing natural surroundings.

With 4 children, 3 dogs, and a bearded dragon cleaning as a parent is a never-ending task, and I can feel overwhelmed at times - it’s a thankless task that can be rewarding, i.e. a labor of love.

Here are a few things that often don't get mentioned about cleaning as an parent:

Whether you’re a mum by birth, legal guardian, step-mum, or kinship, its bloody hard.

Yes, being a Mum is hard, but it’s also amazing. It is full of oxymorons, fear, doubt, joy, love, and so much more; it makes you feel like a failure, but then makes you feel like you are super human. It makes you feel like you are crazy. And makes you feel like the most patient person in the world, but makes you feel like the most impatient person in the world.

It’s father’s day yesterday, the 2nd year without my dad.

I lost my dad 22 months ago and it has been the most heart-wrenchingly painful, confusing time. Grief never leaves you, it is consuming and suffocating and… numbing - it changes you. 

Amongst all the pain and grief, I have many fond memories, many happy ones, ones that make me smile. 

My dad was always good at energising me but at the same time keeping me grounded, he did this in many ways, and one-way would be from his wise words.

Last week I finally got to visit my dream location, Inverness, the Highlands. I'd not been this excited about going on a holiday in a long time, and what surprised me, was how excited the kids were too - even the pending 9-hour drive didn't deter their excitement - they couldn't wait to see the mountains and visit the Loch Ness.  

I'm super excited to be taking part of the Me & Mine project for the first time. May this be the first of many.

June brought us joy and sorrow, as well as great memories. 

Sunday was Father's Day, the first Father's Day in my 39-years without my father.

There was no card to buy him, no gift, no visit to see him, no embrace, no kiss from him... nothing.

I have memories, lots of memories, good memories, but these memories are still coupled with the raw grief of losing him, bringing on immense sadness, aching, pain.

Dear oven, RIP. 

Our much loved oven gave us 10 years, 10 years of family cooked meals, thousands of cooked meals (good and bad). But, its' not been smooth sailing, we've certainly had some ups and downs over the 10 years; the good and the bad, we've been through a lot!

The first time the oven broke down, it was easily fixed. It was the heating element, I watched the engineer fix it, and I remember thinking to myself, wow that was simple, I'll change it myself in future if the oven breaks down again.

2017 was not only the hardest year of my life, it was the worst.  

At the start of the year, we lost my brother-in-laws dad, he had passed suddenly. My husband and his brother-in-law are very close, they are best friends.  We are a family, including the outer family that are very close. It was devastating. 

2017 was already looking to be a rubbish year, and then...

My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer, given just months to live.

This month see the celebration of my sons 18th Birthday.

Eighteeeeeeeeenn......

how did that happen?!

It seems like yesterday I was bringing my first baby home from the hospital, bursting full of an array of new emotions, mostly a mix of fear and pure love. I think I spent many