Personal Archives - Page 52 of 79

Me and mine – October 2017

31/10/2017

by This glorious life with No Comment Personal Photography

Considering the fact that I’ve been counting down these last few weeks, waiting for half term to arrive, the end of the month still sort of caught me by surprise!

I really wanted to get out to the beach or the park to take some nice family photos for October’s me and mine project. But the children had a sleepover at their grandparents’ house at the weekend and the weather wasn’t really cooperating in the morning before they left.

So we set up the tripod in the kitchen and just took some photos there instead. And even though I moaned a bit at first that they just weren’t what I wanted, the end results actually really make me happy.

I like the top photo. The ‘proper’ photo of all of us doing what we should be doing, looking at the camera, smiling nicely.

But I love the others.

I’m so happy that I bought my little remote trigger for the camera. It means that I can keep snapping away and capture these sort of in-between moments. They show so much more of ‘us’ than the posed photo does.

Living Arrows 2017 – 44/52

30/10/2017

by This glorious life with 8 Comments Personal Photography

We made it. After 8 long weeks we made it to half term in one piece.

Now to enjoy a week away from the routine of multiple school runs every day. I’m not sure who is happier about that, the children or me!

We didn’t really get out and about much last week, so my photo choices for this week’s living arrows post were limited to ones I’d taken of the children playing in the house. Luckily I managed to get some that I absolutely love of Nerys a few days ago.

She was given this Elsa dress last Christmas, and honestly hasn’t worn it that much up until now. But all of a sudden she’s been asking to wear it pretty much every day, including on the school run in the afternoons to pick up Rhys.

I think she’s made so many people smile this past week, rushing through the crowds outside the classrooms in her pretty blue dress.

She’s definitely made me smile, in an oh-my-word-I-love-this-child-so-much kind of way. She’s been watching video clips of ‘let it go’ on the ipad, and acting along with it. Pulling her gloves off when Elsa does, taking off her ‘crown’ and throwing it dramatically across the room.

And singing along as best she can.

My favourite part is when she gets to the line ‘I’m never going back, the past is in the past’. Her version is so much better – ‘I’m never going back, the plaster’s in my hair’.

Genius.

Living Arrows 2017 – 43/52

23/10/2017

by This glorious life with 9 Comments Personal

One more week. One more week until half term and a little break from the routine of multiple school runs every day.

We are all in need of the break here I think.

Nerys in particular is just seeming so tired at the moment. She is learning so much at school, and doing so well, but I think it is starting to wear her out a little bit.

So we had a rather quiet time this weekend. After a quick walk along the seafront on Saturday morning to see the crazy waves that storm Brian was whipping up, we didn’t really leave the house much for the rest of the weekend.

And I think that was just what Nerys needed.

On Sunday I took Rhys out for his swimming lesson and we took the long way home to give Steve and Nerys a bit more quiet time together at home.

She played on the ipad a bit, rode her balance bike around the lounge and spent a fair bit of time playing with her doll house.

Not a bad way to spend a windy and wet Sunday when you’re three. Now we just need to make it through this last week of school, while I try and ignore everyone else on social media who already seems to be on half term holidays!

bach-original-flower-remedies-modern-look

Bach original flower remedies – a modern new look for the original remedies

17/10/2017

by This glorious life with One Comment Personal Reviews

For as long as I can remember we’ve had a bottle of Bach’s Rescue Remedy nearby for times when we need a little emotional helping hand. If you’ve not heard of it before, Rescue Remedy is a combination of 5 flower essences which help balance emotional well-being. Whenever you feel like you need a little comfort or reassurance, for the big stresses in life and the little everyday ones, you can take a few drops of rescue remedy in a glass of water or directly on your tongue.

I used to take it as a teenager to help with school-related stress. I took it a lot when I was learning to drive to calm my nerves. I take it quite a bit now, for specific worries or for when I’m just generally feeling anxious.

Rescue Remedy has always been my little bottle of comfort whenever I’ve needed a bit of a helping hand emotionally.

So I was really pleased when the lovely people from Nelsons contacted me to see if I would like to try out a few of their other flower remedies, and take a look at their beautiful new bottle design.

I really love the new designs on the bottles.

They definitely still feel like Bach. The font and the classic Bach signature means they are easily recognisable as Bach original flower remedies, and they still feel safe and familiar. While the new colourful plant drawings and bands of colour really add a lovely modern twist.

The colours are really helpful too, when you’re in a shop and trying to pick out a remedy the different colours will make it much easier to choose the one you want.

See, there are 38 different flower remedies, separated into 7 emotional categories:

Know your own mind
Reach out to others
Live and let live
Live the day
Stand your ground
Find joy and hope
Face your fears

Knowing the categories helps you to narrow down which remedies are best for your current personal and emotional needs.

And as each category now has it’s own colour, it’s easier to pick them out from a shelf full of remedies.

I haven’t really written about it before, but I have a fair bit of anxiety and quite a few, for want of a better word, habits that I think are down to OCD. I’m building up the courage to go and talk to my doctor about it, as these things are starting to have quite an impact on daily life.

In the meantime though, I’ve been looking at what I can do to help myself to feel calmer, and less anxious. Things like yoga and getting out to the beach for some soothing sea air definitely help.

And I’ve picked out some flower remedies from Bach that fit my personality and my needs really quite well, to add to my arsenal in the battle against anxiety and OCD. Here are the remedies that I’ve chosen, that I think are a good fit for me.

Aspen (Populus tremula)

Aspen is from the ‘face your fears’ category, identified by the orange detailing on the bottle.

It’s generally used to give reassurance at times when you’re worried, but can’t identify the source of the worry. It helps to bring a sense of inner peace and security.

Quite a lot of the time there’s no obvious reason for the anxiety that I feel. It’s just there. I can’t put my finger on what exactly is making me feel anxious; it’s everything and nothing, all at once, making me feel on edge. Aspen is a good flower remedy to try when I feel that way.

If you do have a particular fear or worry, like a big presentation to give at work, or a child with a fear of the dark, then you might consider Mimulus. For those nameless fears though, Aspen is the way to go.

Mustard (Sinapis arvensis)

Mustard is from the ‘live the day’ category, identified by the green detailing on the bottle.

When you’re feeling a bit down and gloomy, mustard can help to bring some light and joy back to your life.

Mustard might belong to a different category, but it is useful in the same way as Aspen. When everything in your life seems great on the surface, and have every reason to be happy, but you actually just feel a dark cloud over you. Those are the times to try Mustard.

White chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

White chestnut is also from the ‘live the day’ category.

It helps to bring a sense of tranquillity and peace of mind at times that you’re fighting unwanted, intrusive thoughts. If you find you’re replaying conversations in your head over and over again, or having unwanted thoughts and arguments pop into your head then white chestnut can help to calm your mind and think clearly again.

White chestnut is good for helping me with the intrusive thoughts, and compulsion to check everything, that comes with OCD. It’s also good for helping to clear repetitive thoughts that cycle round your mind and stop you falling asleep easily at night.

Elm (Ulmus Procera)

Elm is from the ‘find joy and hope’ category, identified by the hot pink detailing on the bottle.

This remedy is for when you suddenly find yourself overwhelmed by everything that is going on in your life. Even though you’re generally doing well, things feel too much and you have a bit of a wobble in confidence. You worry that you can’t keep all your plates spinning.

This is a feeling I’m quite familiar with. I’m definitely prone to feeling overwhelmed by everything I have going on, everything I have to keep track of.

Elm brings back a sense of perspective and a renewed feeling of self-assurance at times when I feel that way.

The remedies can be taken individually, or you can combine up to 7 different remedies to make a personal mix to suit your individual needs. I’ve been taking the remedies individually, by simply putting 2 drops into a glass of water and sipping it. But I think I’ll look into making a little mix soon, I quite like the idea of creating something tailored to my specific needs.

For more details on how to use the flower remedies take a look at the ‘how to take the essences‘ page on the Nelsons natural world website.

As there are 38 different essences in the range, the best approach is to take some time to look through and see which ones suit your current emotional state and your needs. If you would like to get more detailed information though, or have someone else create a personalised mix for you, then you can find a local practitioner via the Nelsons natural world website and they will be able to help you.

It could also be helpful to have a chat with a practitioner if you’re not sure if flower remedies are for you.

See, here’s the thing.

On the one hand, flower remedies are for everyone. People of all ages can take them. You can even give them to your pets.

But at the same time, I completely get that flower remedies aren’t for everyone.

Some people think they’re just a bit ‘out there’, something for the hippies of the world. You might dismiss them completely out of hand as being nonsense. Deciding that any change they seem to produce is just down to the placebo effect.

All I know is that they work for me.

All I ask is that you look at them with an open mind.

I am still planning on visiting the doctor to discuss my mental health concerns.

I’m not sure that any one thing on its own can help us deal with things like anxiety and OCD. I do know that I need to take a holistic view of my mental health. I most likely need to change up my diet a bit, fit in some regular exercise and probably look into some talking therapies or CBT. If I felt I was depressed I would talk to my doctor about the possibility of taking antidepressants.

For the time being, I’m doing what I can to give myself a little helping hand.

Taking time to sit and enjoy a cup of tea. Asking for help from my husband when I need it. And getting some emotional help from the flower essences in these pretty little bottles.

It’s what works for me.

What are your thoughts on flower remedies? I would love to hear some intelligent discussion on this subject!

And what do you think of the new design from Bach original flower remedies?

For more information on Bach original flower remedies go to www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com

Bach original flower remedies are available on Amazon, click here to see the range.

Disclaimer – this is a sponsored post.

Living Arrows 2017 – 42/52

16/10/2017

by This glorious life with 7 Comments Personal Uncategorized

The half term holidays are edging closer, and I for one am ready for them. The children are definitely ready for the break too. You can see that they are both starting to get tired by the end of the week, and could really do with a week of not having to rush out the door every morning.

They’ve both settled into school really well so far this year though.

Nerys had one day a few weeks ago where she had a wobble and cried going into her class, but every other day she has given me a hug and a kiss at the door and then happily strolled in.

Rhys was really quite nervous about going into year 2, but so far he seems to be doing well. I think the long break from school over the summer holidays did him a lot of good, and he seems much better able to cope with his big emotions and stay calm.

And on Friday he came out of school with a big smile on his face, hiding this little trophy behind his back.

Throughout the week his teacher gives out what they call dojo points to the children. They’re handed out for things like being determined, trying really hard, being quiet and ready to learn and generally being nice, helpful members of the class.

At the end of each week, the child with the most dojo points gets given this little trophy to take home for the weekend. And last week must have been a good one for Rhys as he was the one clutching that trophy on Friday.

He was incredibly proud of himself, it was such a lovely way to end the school week.

I really quite like the concept behind these dojo points. What I like best though is that Rhys’ teacher must be doing something right when she announces the winner each week because every other week up till now Rhys has been nothing but excited for the child who had the most points.

There has been no jealousy, no upset that he didn’t win.

Just pure excitement and happiness for the person who did win.

And from chatting to the other parents, it seems that the other children in the class are the same way. So I get the impression that, while there is a prize each week, the whole thing isn’t being presented as a competition. It seems to be much more about encouraging everyone to try their best and, to celebrate those who try their hardest each week.

Does your child’s school use dojo points? If they do, what do you think about them?

The siblings project – October 2017

14/10/2017

by This glorious life with 6 Comments Personal

I absolutely love the fact that these photos for October’s siblings project post were taken just last weekend, and it was warm enough for us all to be out without coats. We spent a sunny afternoon at Swansea bay, mainly building sandcastles.

In my living arrows post on Monday I wrote about how the children normally build sandcastles together, but on this particular trip to the beach they chose to build their own, separate ones instead.

When I saw them playing like this, both caught up in their own little worlds, I just had to snap a quick photo.

I love that they are happy to play on their own, as well as with each other.

There’s a lot to be said for being happy with your own company, for having the ability to create your own entertainment and fun.

With their sibling relationship it seems that Rhys and Nerys have the best of both worlds. Because when they get tired of playing alone, they can come together. And that’s just so lovely to watch.

I love how Rhys looks so protective of his little sister in these photos, with his arm wrapped round her shoulders.

The long break from school over the summer seemed to really do him a lot of good. He’s settled well into year two at school and seems better able to control his emotions, or walk away from situations if they get too much for him to cope with.

He’s always been a loving child, and his caring side is shining through more and more as he gets older. He’s starting to become really empathetic, which isn’t all that surprising when he’s as sensitive as he is in general.

It’s just so lovely to see, when he reacts with such care to other people being hurt or feeling sad.

There are, of course, times when he’s not quite so empathetic. Like when he’s absorbed in Minecraft or desperate to tell us about something he’s read in one of his books, and doesn’t even seem to notice that his sister is crying about something.

Anyone else have a little one who seems to tune out everything else around them when they’re really focused on something?!

In general though, he really looks out for Nerys and cares about her so much. And she in turn really looks up to him still, wanting to do everything he does. She wanted to do some of his times tables questions the other night, and I had to gently remind her that she needed to learn all her numbers properly before she could start doing sums like that.

I think she might know her times tables soon enough though because I’m planning on getting Rhys chanting them with me as often as we can. Which will most likely mean going over them in the car on the way to school in the mornings, so Nerys will probably be quite familiar with them too before long! That’s the thing with second children isn’t it, they’re exposed to things much earlier thanks to their older sibling.

If you have more than one child, what things have you done earlier with your second than you did with your first?

Living Arrows 2017 – 41/52

09/10/2017

by This glorious life with 13 Comments Personal

After spending last weekend away visiting my family and experiencing BritMums Live for the first time, it was so lovely to have some quiet time at home this weekend.

On Saturday Nerys and I popped out to Lidl in the morning, at her request. She really loves doing the supermarket shopping with me, funny little thing that she is, so it was actually a nice way to spend the morning.

Then in the afternoon Steve went out for a bit, and the children and I baked cakes together.

Sunday was a gloriously sunny day in Swansea, so after Rhys’ swimming lesson we jumped in the car to head down to the beach. We took a bag of buckets and spades with us, and the children quickly got to work building sandcastles.

Most of the time when we build sandcastles at the beach the children will work together to build just one, giant creation. Other times though, they prefer to do their own thing, building their own individual castles.

This Sunday was an individual creation kind of day.

Rhys brought a little minion toy along to the beach with him, and he happily played by himself with that on the little castle he built. Nerys enlisted Steve’s help to build a castle, before getting upset that he added a tower to it before she was ready.

That was the first of two castles that she razed to the ground. I think she’s a little bit run down, and so her ability to cope with things is a little bit reduced.

Despite all the destruction though, we all went home pretty happy and feeling a bit brighter after a blast of sea air.

And sitting at the computer that evening, looking through the photos I took, I was reminded quite how lucky we are to live here, so close to the beach.

To be able to head down for a play on the sand and a breath of that wonderful salty air whenever we fancy it. And for it not to matter if we only stay for a short while before deciding to leave before any more sandcastles get knocked down.

We really are pretty lucky.

Madeline Littlejohns is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk

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