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The alphabet project – Y is for Yummy!

by with 6 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

We’ve been doing a fair bit of baking around here recently.  After watching a certain episode of Something Special, Rhys has been asking to make carrot cakes, which did make me smile considering he’s never tasted them before.

We made a batch last week using a recipe I found online that tasted good but just didn’t really rise.  So we tried a new recipe yesterday and they came out so much better!  I’m going to have a play around with the recipe I think, adding some raisins and maybe some apple, and will try and post the final recipe next week.

But for now, I present you with one of our lovely, well-risen carrot cakes – Yummy!

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Do you have a favourite recipe to bake with your children?  I’d love to know what you like to make together!
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Some days are just hard

by with 12 Comments ParentingUncategorized

If you’ve visited my blog before you’ll know that I try to keep my posts positive.  I do truly believe that this is a beautiful world, full of wonderful people and that life really is glorious.

I am working to foster a positive outlook, not just in myself but in my children too.

I honestly feel that there is always, always something to be thankful for.

But, at the same time, I have to be honest and admit that some days are just hard.

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Some days it’s hard to get out of bed at 5.30 am when you’ve been up in the night with a child who’s having bad dreams.

Some days it’s hard to get anything done with 2 children around, constantly demanding your attention.

Some days it’s hard to cope with the constant noise and commotion.

Some days it’s hard to know where to start when you look at the piles of washing, the dirty floors and the dust-covered surfaces.

Some days it’s hard to think, let alone hold a proper conversation, when your brain is frazzled from an endless to-do list.

Some days it’s hard to express to your stressed partner how truly grateful you are for everything they do and how much you love them.

Some days it’s hard to walk away from your crying child who wants one more hug at the classroom door.

Some days it’s hard to believe that you have the talent, the skills and the guts to make your dreams come true.

Some days it’s hard to remember all the things we have to be thankful for.

Some days are just hard.

And you know what, that’s ok.  Life may be glorious, but it’s certainly not always easy.

Some days are just hard.

But tomorrow we get to start again, and with a new perspective (and maybe a bit more sleep!) tomorrow will be a better day!

In case this has left you in need of a pick-me-up, here are a few of my more positive posts:

There is always something to be thankful for

Say yes more!

Encouraging a positive outlook in our children

Mummascribbles
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The week that was.

by with No Comment PersonalUncategorized

We had a pretty eventful start to the week last week.  On Monday afternoon Rhys slipped while playing and clunked his face on the edge of the big windowsill in our lounge.

I was so worried that he’d knocked a tooth out or really hurt himself, but after a trip to the doctor and the dentist I’m pretty certain that he’s ok!  He was pretty swollen and sore for a few days though, and we have to wait till his adult teeth come in to make sure he’s not done any damage to them, but fingers crossed he’ll be ok.

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After that drama at the start of the week we spent the rest of our days quite quietly, doing some baking, playing at home and venturing out for a little play at the park.  Rhys had a teddy bear’s picnic at school on Friday as one of his teachers, who was there on placement as part of her teacher training, was finishing her time with the class.  We made fairy cakes to take in as our contribution to the picnic, Rhys loves putting the sprinkles on the top!  I think he’ll really miss this particular teacher, she was just lovely.  Miss Pearson, if you ever read this, thank you for taking such good care of Rhys while you were at Parklands!

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Nerys has grown again this week, I’m sure.  Last time we weighed her she was on the 99th centile – no wonder people think she’s older than she is!  She definitely takes after her Daddy; she’ll be taller than me in no time!  I am really enjoying this stage with her, hearing her speech slowly develop and watching her cheeky personality emerge.  She’s going to be a real handful, I just know it!  But just look at those big blue eyes; she’ll get away with almost anything with a look like this!

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TWTWC
I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining

I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining!

by with 6 Comments QuotesUncategorized

There’s an advert on tv at the moment.  I can’t for the life of me tell you what it’s for, just that it features the song ‘raindrops keep falling on my head’.

And as a result I’ve found myself singing the song a fair bit in the last few days.  It reminds me of primary school – I’m pretty sure we sang it in our choir!  Back then the lyrics didn’t mean that much, it was just a fun song to sing. Now though, the lyrics start to take on a bit more meaning.  Especially this line:

I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining

“I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining”

It just seems to fit so perfectly with all my current attempts to see the positive side of things.

The rain will come.  Bad things will happen.  But complaining about them won’t change it.  It won’t make it better.  Well, it might make us feel better for a little while!  But there comes a point where we have to decide that the complaining is just useless.  For one it keeps us in a place of weakness.  The rain is happening TO us.  We are passive in the situation.

What we really need to do is take back our power.  We can’t stop the rain, but we can stop our negative thinking about it.  We can find the positives in the situation.  There is always, always something to be thankful for.

There is a post I read once on Pinterest that I just love:

“This is a brick wall.  It’s in your way.  You can climb over it.  Or tunnel underneath it.  Or kick it down.  Or try to walk around it.  Or you can sit down on the ground in front of it and weep bitter, life-is-not-fair, brick-wall hating tears.

But let’s be honest: When you cry, your mascara runs.  And so does your nose.  And your eyes get red and puffy.  And when you’re done, that brick wall will still be there, in your way.

But the choice is yours”

It’s all the same message really.  We can complain.  We can sit and cry.  We can shout at the Universe for being so unfair.

Or we can embrace the situation.

Look for the good.

Find a solution.

Dance in the rain and go kick some walls down!

Cuddle Fairy
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The alphabet project – X is for kisses!

by with 8 Comments PhotographyUncategorized
Ok, I admit it, I’ve struggled to come up with something for this week’s letter!  So I’ve used a bit of poetic license with it!  I always put kisses at the end of text messages and when I sign my name on cards or letters, so ‘x’ does represent kisses to me.

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This photo of my two kids was taken a few months ago and I just love it.  I’d asked Rhys to give his sister a kiss and she heard me say it so is just about to blow a kiss as he’s kissing her head.  Love it!
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Turn the damn light on yourself.

by with 18 Comments QuotesUncategorized

I am a big fan of Sarah Millican.  I think she’s one of the funniest comediennes out there at the moment.  Have you ever seen her on ‘Would I lie to you’?  She’s just brilliant on it!

So when I came across a list of quotes from her the other day I was really happy, and loved reading through it and having a giggle.

There was one quote though that stood out for me – “Don’t wait for a light at the end of a tunnel.  Stomp on down there and turn the fucker on yourself”.

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I’d never heard this quote from her before and I just love it!

I’m a big believer in the idea that things will generally work out for the best.  That things will be ok.  That life is basically good.  The problem with this is that I can often become a bit passive in life.  It’s so easy to just wait for that light at the end of the tunnel, to wait to be rescued or to wait for what we want to come to us.

This quote is a great reminder to me that sometimes you have to actively go after what you want – you have the power to take control and rescue yourself.  I know that sometimes it’s not that simple, but a lot of the time it really can be.

It might take a bit of work and a bit of effort to figure out where the switch is, but you have it in you to put that effort in and turn that damn light on for yourself!

Cuddle Fairy
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My Sunday photo – Happy Father’s day

by with 7 Comments PhotographyUncategorized

My Sunday photo this week isn’t actually from this week, but it’s in celebration of Father’s day today.

It’s a photo of my Dad that was taken at my wedding back in 2007.  I haven’t written much about our wedding, (I think that post will come in November for our anniversary!) but it was a really quiet, low-key affair, which was perfect for us!

After the ceremony we went down to the beach for a few photos and at that point my Dad produced a cool box with champagne and sandwiches.  Which was just so perfectly HIM.  I wrote recently about how, every now and then, I realise that there are real similarities between me and him and this is something I’ve definitely inherited from him, the thinking about food and making sure there’s food available!

So my Sunday photo is simply this; Daddy with a sandwich, in the gorgeous light of a Swansea sunset.

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Happy Father’s day Daddy.  And to all the other Daddies out there!
OneDad3Girls