Links!

Interesting language history.

Great life advice.

Teacher life (5 & 6!!)

Dedicated journalist!

An interesting look at life with autism.

I need this right now.

Breathtaking.

This hit home this week.

August Goals Review

• Start my new job (and find a new routine) - no...
• Keep up with the videos - done!
• Get back to my lowest weight of the year - no...
• Day out with the kids - no...
• Get the garden in order!!! - in progress.
• Gonis Power Start. - no....

So it has been a struggle this month. Hold ups with my new job and in general have really set me back. Hopefully things will get back on track in September.

Garden Harvest

Despite our like of time and energy to really work in the garden this year, we have had quite a successful harvest.

It started with the fruit - we had so many raspberries that we have snacked on them, baked with them and even prepared raspberry rum.  

We had our first cherry, a couple of apples and lots of grapes so that Nico was able to make grape juice and turn it into smooth jam.

So far we have had one pumpkin which Nico turned into a roast dinner on Monday.

Yesterday I enjoyed my first caprese salad of the year, almost entirely from the garden, with our own tomatoes and basil.

These are our staples in the garden.  I finally feel like we are emerging from the mist of those newborn months and I am looking forward to working more in the garden next year, partly with the kids, to get back to some of our other staples like potatoes, carrots, courgette and beans.

Recipe: Easy chicken roast

Ingredients:

• Chicken pieces
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Rosemary
• Oil
• Seasoning
• Onion
• Garlic

Instructions:
1. Chop the onion, garlic, potatoes and tomatoes.
2. Spread on a baking tray with the remaining ingredients, topping with the oil, rosemary and seasoning.
3. Roast in the oven at 180 for an hour or until the chicken is cooked through.

Make it Monday - Flamingo Stencil

Here's a summery flamingo stencil that I finished before my Gonis party at the weekend to highlight a few different products.

I started by gluing together some lollypop sticks. I'd seen examples where the background is also painted but I quite like this effect.

Then I used one of my stick on stencils and Gonis Paint to make the flamingo. A little really goes a long way.

Finally, I used a Decopointer to do the eye. I love the pointers for finishing different projects.

When I have finished showing this one, it will go in Isabella's room.

Weekly Wisdom

Kindness is free, sprinkle it everywhere.

The Saturday Update

On the whole I've had a quiet week because I'm still chasing down papers and permissions for my new job and haven't started yet.

I've got a fair bit done around the house, made a start on the garden and caught up on various appointments both for me and the kids.

A friend came over for tea and cake yesterday and it was lovely to catch up.

I also had plenty to do with my Kindergarten work this week too.

Last night we camped in the garden. We were a bit apprehensive but the kids were fantastic - sleeping straight away, and it was a great test run for October despite the rain. 

Today I'm doing my second Gonis presentation, at home. Looking forward to that and we're catching up with friends tomorrow too. Busy times.

Links!

Travel goals!

What an amazing find.

Through the eyes of a child!

What a great business/charity idea.  (Sold out at the moment though!)

Bored?

Worth remembering.

Interesting take on parenting.  (I'm somewhere in the middle)

On a personal note, my friend is running the Yorkshire Marathon to raise funds for a children's heart charity which helped his daughter (my Goddaughter) through a terrible time lately.  If you can take the time to read their story and maybe donate, you can click here.

The Essentials

Recently I changed my handbag.

My shoulder bag was a gift which I have had with me daily for two and a half years.  It was lovely, practical when cycling, and falling apart.

The one I have gone back to was also a gift.  It is much bigger and a lovely summery shade of blue.  I feel so much more together when I am out and about with my 'new but not new' bag, at a time when I am actually feeling anything but together.

Although I know I should, I don't clean my bag out often enough and this was a great opportunity to consider what I need on a day to day basis.  What do you think?

- Purse

- Keys (I'm back down to two sets now)

- Phone

- Sunglasses

- Mints

- Earphones

- Passport

- Shopping bag

- Toiletries

- Dummy

- Hair bobble

The last two are just since becoming a mum.  Nevertheless, it was a squeeze in the old bag and I have space for a book or documents for work now, I love it.

Camping!

At the weekend we put up our new tent. It's much bigger than the old one but was manageable between the two of us and I think it will be even quicker work now that we've done it once.

This one has three 'rooms' and we're hoping to plan some camping holidays, starting with the Harz in October.

Isabella likes camping but Joshua hasn't slept in a tent yet so we are looking forward to trying it out at the weekend. I'm so excited!

Recipe: Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp lemon juice
• Salt
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Chilli
• Paprika
• Onion
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 peppers
• Wraps
• Lettuce
• Mayonnaise

Instructions:

1. Chop and brown the onion and chicken.

2. Add the lemon juice and spices. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve on a wrap with mayonnaise and lettuce.

Make it Monday: September Birthday Cards

Preparing for my next Gonis presentation, I've gotten a little ahead of myself with birthday cards for September.

I've stuck to a balloon theme this month and enjoyed getting out the stamps, coloured card and deco pointer to make cards for a range of ages, genders and reasons this month.

Looking forward to more card making soon. Gonis is really inspiring me on this front.

Weekly Wisdom

Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing direction.

The Saturday Update

It's been a frustrating week. I finished my work with my adult course and I've been running around, emailing and calling various offices, trying to sort out my new contract and get to school but I'm still waiting for various papers and information. The red tape really annoys me here.

The kids have had a good week back at nursery and kindergarten and I'm more or less on top of things there. Yesterday we met some friends at the farm and the girls went horse riding. It was really nice.

I've also used the time to catch up on things around the house and plan my next Gonis projects. I'm going to be crafting this weekend to get ready for two presentations next week. Really looking forward to it.

Links!

This photo story is my biggest joy and fear at Nico being a science teacher dad all rolled into one.

Cool!

Beautiful summer wall in Cornwall.

If only we could all give our past selves a pep talk like this.

True.

I found this interesting.

Be less busy.

Good news for the day.

Christopher Robin

I am crazy excited about this!

Motherhood

For the last four years a lot of my reading has been based around motherhood and I've noticed a couple of things.

First of all, despite what social media might lead you to think, 99% of mothers struggle, especially at the beginning.  I've faced the struggle myself with both of my children.  The thing is, there is no handbook.  Being a mother is such a huge responsibility and nobody can tell you how to do it.  Lots of people think they can tell you how to do it but at the end of the day it is such a personal thing - each mother and each child is different - and many of those well-meaning pieces of advice can end up putting more pressure on us.

Personally, I fell into the trap of thinking that my second child would be as 'easy' as the first.  I thought, "now that I have learned how to be a mother, I can think about having another baby" - I was so naive!  My son is so different and has taught me a whole new set of lessons over the last year and a half, plus my big one skipped the terrible twos but became a terrible threenager and turning four certainly hasn't helped matters.  I've now accepted the fact that I'll never be done learning with these two (and we're certainly not planning a third!)

Secondly, there is a whole different pressure on mothers as opposed to parents.  Nobody asks dads how they are coping with the work-life balance and nine times out of ten, it's mummy who has a lot more to plan and organize for a family.  Sometimes, I really feel the weight of that pressure. On the other hand, I am often the quietest when I am out with mummy friends and the 'husband bashing' starts because I am truly blessed to be with a man who pulls his weight around the house.

What mummy blogs and magazines have also taught me, is that there's not just a lot of struggling mums out there - but a whole lot of support if we learn how to ask for and offer help in the right way.  It has helped me so much to see that I am not alone in the struggle.  While lots of these blogger mums suffer a huge backlash for being open and honest about their feelings, exactly that frankness has helped me in some of the darker times and while I am not ready to be so open online, I do what I can in the 'real world'.

And before the bashing starts - just because I struggle at times does not mean I do not love my kids.  They are my biggest blessing.  Perhaps that is why I feel the pressure so much; because nothing is more important to me.  At the moment, our work-life balance is changing again and I am already feeling blessed to be able to spend more time with my children and after some close to home experiences, I am feeling more grateful and privileged than ever to be a mummy to my two wonderful children.

Recipe: Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 fennel
• 300ml stock
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Seasoning

Instructions:
1. Chop the potatoes, onion and fennel.
2. Brown the onion in the olive oil, add the potatoes and fennel and fry for two minutes.
3. Add the stock and if necessary water until the vegetables are covered.  Cover the pan and simmer for thirty minutes.
4. Chop and fry the bacon and spring onions.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the soup, puree with a mixer and serve with the bacon and spring onions on top.

Make it Monday: Crochet Ladybird

 At the weekend I finished this little guy. I got the pattern and wool on special offer when I was ordering some other wool earlier in the year.

I chose the ladybird because Joshua is in the ladybird group at nursery and I've got something else lined up for Isabella.

The pattern was straight forward for a relative beginner like me. It took me a month but it was a busy month and I hope my new commute will help me find more time for crochet.

My first crochet animal! Both kids love her already.

Weekly Wisdom

Be strong, you never know who you may be inspiring.

The Saturday Update

I definitely could have done with another week off to get over the holidays. As it is, I'm exhausted after the first half week of work.

I started my new job on Tuesday. We had a day and a half of meetings and training. I got to know my colleagues and the school a bit better which was really nice but I'm still fighting my way through the paperwork and red tape - wish me luck with that next week!

Wednesday afternoon and Thursday saw me back in my old jobs after the holidays and both went well. It was good to be working again even though it's all change soon.

Yesterday we had a playdate with Isabella's Kindergarten friend. The weather is still nice but slightly cooler after a big thunderstorm so they could play outside. 

We're getting some little jobs done today and celebrating a family birthday tomorrow before another chaotic work week. 

Links!

This really freaked me out.

Really enjoying series 2.

Good advice for difficult situations.

Help with one of my worst habits.

Sad but true.

Self help around the world. (I want to move to Canada)

What an adventure!

Constantly find inspiration here (usually while procrastinating).

Reading Review

Simple Genius - David Baldacci

An older murder mystery with links to the CIA, WW2 and code breaking, I quite enjoyed this novel. It wasn't extremely unique but it did keep me guessing.

Two private detectives travel to a research facility in order to investigate a death which has otherwise been ruled suicide. I liked the historical link and the odd twist in there.

Midwives - Chris Bohjalian

Another novel from my free 200 collection, this one was very different. It told the story of a midwife who faced a manslaughter trial in the 70s and is told from the point of view of her teenage daughter.

This one was a real page turner, very emotional, and it had a few twists in there. I liked the depth to this story and the character development.

The Man from St.Petersburg - Ken Follett

I love Ken Follett even though his early works don't live up to his more recentcontributions.

This story was set in the run up to the First World War and follows the attempts of a Russian anarchist to prevent his country being dragged into the war.

There are many complications and twists and I really enjoyed this one.

Home Grown Grapes

 Last year, Nico planted a lot of vine around the garden. They have been growing like crazy and last week, we enjoyed the first harvest. They taste so different to the supermarket variety and all of us enjoy them.

Looking forward to an increasing harvest over the next years.

Recipe: Paleo Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 250g mixed frozen berries
• 400ml coconut milk
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp honey

Instructions:

1. Blend ingredients in a blender!

Make it Monday - Oil Painting

Yesterday, I finally got around to finishing our four elements quartet. Nico did fire, and I did air and water a while ago. 

This could have been too boring (and maybe it is to some) but I love how you can incorporate texture with oil paints.

It was fun to experiment with texture and it was a quick little nap-time project. It takes a while to dry and then we can find a spot to hang them.

Weekly Wisdom

Stop a moment, cease your work, and look around you.

The Saturday Update

We've had a whirlwind week of family time and making some wonderful memories in England.  We got back to my in-laws' on Thursday night and drove home yesterday.  I'm still up to my elbows in washing, cleaning and unpacking but the weather is perfect for drying and the garden survived us being away for a week in this ridiculous heatwave.

Today we are going to get some jobs done at Kindergarten and continue getting back on top of the daily grind as well as getting the kids topped up on their sleep and back in a routine before school/work/daycare kicks off again next week.

Busy and exciting times around here - I'll be starting a new job next week, I'm on track with my Gonis work and we have a lot of fun memories to review and document from the last month!  What a summer!

Links!

Number 3 made me laugh.

I found this hilarious.

A good networking tip. (that I need to work on)

This is a similarly good point.

Lol.

Beautiful.

In England, Isabella loved playing photographer with my aunts' camera.  I'm thinking we need to follow up on this for our next holiday.

Handy internet tips.

England!

As promised, here are some photos from our trip to England last week.  We arrived in Manchester late on Thursday and spent the night in an apartment right outside Piccadilly station.  This coffee was much needed on Friday morning.

We spent the morning looking around Manchester.  It was hard for me to get my bearings after so long away but we went to Affleck's Palace for a late breakfast and really enjoyed it.  We also saw several of the bee statues that are taking over the city at the moment and will be used to raise funds for victims of the Manchester bombing.

On Saturday we were at my sister's wedding.  Above is the beautiful couple.  The weather had cooled off a little but stayed fine for them and we had a wonderful day celebrating their marriage.

Here's a picture of me at the evening reception with the beautiful bride, our mother (far right) and her friend (my sister's Godmother, Kathy).

Sunday was a quieter day.  The weather was terrible so I raided my sister's wardrobe, we showed my mother-in-law around my hometown of Morley, had lunch at Wetherspoons, bought long clothes from the charity shop and took her to Morrisons on a Sunday (the supermarkets in Germany are different and also don't open on Sundays).

Excuse the finger in the next couple of shots.  On Monday we drove to York for the day.  Dad took Isabella and her cousin on the train for an extra adventure.  We walked around the city and saw a lot.  The weather started off a bit dull but really brightened up for us.

We walked the city walls and met my sister and brother-in-law from their mini-moon.  At the minster was a tent with some Summer - kids - crafts going on and we kept the kids busy there while the rain blew over.

Here's Isabella's rock.  Looking forward to more crafts with her at home.  She had fun making this and playing in the tent.

We had a brief look into York Minster.  I'm always amazed at the scale of the building.

Afterwards we had lunch, said goodbye to the others, visited the castle, carousel and railway station.  We could have spent much longer there but we had to get back to visit friends.

On Tuesday we met some of my friends at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.  I'd been before with my Gran but only visited the indoor area.  This time, with the kids and my friends' dogs in tow, we explored the grounds in the beautiful weather.

There was an area with sculptures of the different Chinese years.  We posed in front of ours - the ox.

Here are my two best friends from my high school days.  It's always nice to catch up.  The last two years, we've met up at their weddings and this year was more relaxed but also nice that we were all celebrating anniversaries close together.

Afterwards, we had lunch at Blacker Hall Farm and bought some gluten free cake.

Our last day was very special as we drove to Scarborough.  I didn't think I would get quite as emotional as I did but it brought back lots of childhood memories and it was nice to experience this special place with my own children.  It was also new to both Nico and his Mum.

We spent a good hour on the beach, where we met my Mum, step-dad, nephew and nieces.  The kids played and we went in the sea!

Afterwards we went for fish and chips, bought some souvenirs, visited the 2p machines in the arcades (which both kids loved!), bought books on Bar Street and had coffee / ice cream before heading back.  It was a wonderful day and we drove along the coast before heading back.  It was nice to see Yorkshire as a tourist again for the week and while it was exhausting, we had a really fun week.

August Goals

Here's what I am aiming to achieve this month:

• Start my new job (and find a new routine)
• Keep up with the videos
• Get back to my lowest weight of the year
• Day out with the kids
• Get the garden in order!!!
• Gonis Power Start.