Welcome to my Lifestyle Parenting Blog, where I explore topics related to chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia while embracing a passion for yoga, books, and blogging.
Daily life of beagles mischief
Beagles eat anything and I mean anything.. and they eat a lot; they are lead by their nose and they live for food. For a beagle food is everything.
My Dad’s Wise Words
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.
IBS Truths
IBS Truths
IBS crept up on me so gradually that for the first year or so I didn't realise there was anything wrong. I'd simply ignored and dismissed the symptoms - I'd even resigned myself to accepting that I will probably have digestive problems for the rest my life, they were mild, annoying, and uncomfortable, but I just didn't have the time to go to the doctors for what I thought was something I could live with. I tried to put it to the back of my mind.
How to Choose a Sleeping Bag
How to Choose a Sleeping Bag
We went on our first family camping trip a few weeks ago, it was so much more than we expected. We all caught the camping bug and are already planning for our next trip.
We just about got all the basics for our first camping trip, apart from one sleeping bag as we wanted the right type and it wasn't available. Everyone had a sleeping bag bar one, but it was not a major issue as we took quilts instead and it was a really warm few days, so it worked out well. However, we definitely need to get one more for our future camping trips.
Spotting the Bull's-Eye Rash: How We Discovered My Son Had Lyme Disease
I spotted it as soon as he walked down the steps coming out of his class room.
I was picking him up at the end of school, when he came jumping down the steps like he normally does, with a big smile on his face, not a worry in the world. I instantly spotted the red bullseye rash on the side of his neck. I knew instantly what it was.
Me and Mine: June 2018
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.
How to explain an absent parent and what I learnt
When we think about motherhood, the first words that comes to mind are unconditional love and protection. This rings true for me as a mother, but not just to my boys who I gave birth to, but also to my little girl whom I may not have given birth to, but I am her parent.
It's normal that Summer has questions about why her birth parents do not come visit her anymore,
My First Father's Day Without My Father
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.
We Celebrated National Nail Polish Day With Num Noms!
Summer loves getting her nails done, and she loves Num Noms, thus, the Num Noms Nail Polish Maker is the perfect activity for her. In fact, we had loads of fun doing it together, painting each others nails and be creative.
How to Find a Rug that Matches Your Floor Type
A rug is a fine addition to any room - providing it’s a good match with the décor! Rugs that don’t match often make a room look less attractive, and it may even make the room a bit more dangerous, especially if slippery!
Therefore, it’s important to think about a few things when buying a new rug, with one of the most important being matching it with your floor. Doing so ensures you have a stylish rug that adds to the room, while also making sure it won’t slip or cause you to trip.
Gazillion Bubbles Brand New Bubble Pong Game
We were sent the Gazillion Bubbles Brand New Bubble Pong Game.
We love bubbles! There is something endearingly fun about them, so add bubbles to a game of pong, and, well, you have, a fab game!
Dear Oven RIP
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.
Anxiety in Dogs: Is Stress Affecting Your Pet?
We’ve all had restless night’s where the worries of the day have left us unable to relax — but did you know dogs can also be kept awake due to stress? According to a recent study, dogs suffer a worse sleep if they have experienced negative interactions and behaviour before laying down to rest. Researchers also discovered that canines that enjoyed more positive experiences managed to sleep more soundly than those that didn’t.
Design a T-Shirt with River Island
Just before Christmas River Island sent us one of their white T-Shirts along with stickers, glitter and pens/paints and gave Jacob the challenge to make his River Island white T-Shirt to stand out from the crowd.
Jacob loves challenges and especially anything where he gets to be creativity, and he enjoys messy activities, thus, I knew he would love this challenge, and he did.
Please don't blame yourself
"why doesn't she want to see me anymore"
"why doesn't she like me anymore"
"I think I annoy her"
"why doesn't she love me"
these are some of the questions Summer asks again and again.
The first few months, when her mum decided to blank us completely - 12-months ago,
2017 - The Worst Year of my Life
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.
My Son Turned 18
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
Rosemary and Garlic Shoulder of Lamb #HealthyRedMeat
As a parent, I want to make sure that my children are eating a balanced diet, because, eating well is so very important; they need to grow, develop and explore and eating well will help them flourish. No single food contains all the essential nutrients needed, and that’s why we need to make sure our kids are consuming foods from each of the main food groups.
It's easier said than done if you have a fussy eater and providing a balanced diet for your little one can be quite an uphill challenge. But, as long as they eat well most of the time, they will be getting plenty of nutrients and they will also slowly learn healthy eating habits.
My Dad's Cancer Diagnoses
At the start of the year our-lives were thrown upside down. My Dad, my happy, healthy, big hearted, beautiful and much loved dad was diagnosed with stage 4 small bowel cancer. Months, not years, months.
Our walk - Herringfleet
We've not been to Herringfleet in a few months - it's one of the kids favourite walks to go (because of all the tree swings in the wooded area). The main reason we've avoided it is, when we last visited in January the village owner put a note up warning they were placing cattle in the field. Which means we won't be able to allow our dogs to run free. And so we avoided it. Hubby drives past it everyday to go to work and he mentioned that the cattle were gone, and so, off we went. And, we had a great day!