changing

Valentines Smalentines!

- TracyB Leave a comment

So is Valentines Day it important to you?

I can see the point behind it, really I can, but to be honest it has become BIG BUSINESS!!

Florists and shops increase the prices of everything, and if you are materialistic then this is a concern as things get more expensive for this one day.

However, I personally think that it’s the little things that make the bigger impression. No this is not an excuse to be a skinflint or unromantic.

We as a couple do not take the day off or head out to dinner on that day. Today for example, my OH is on late shift starting at lunchtime. So there was no option of going out for lunch or dinner, and generally we do Valentines dinner as a family where everyone has a hand in it. My boys are 12 and 14 so it would be nice to show them a simple sense of occasion.

So back to today, what did we do?

We got the kids off to school, went to our local high street Wetherspoon pub and had a breakfast together! Not exciting, obviously not over romantic, but it was time to ourselves and a meal eaten without disruption/ arguing etc. It was washed down with a good ol’ mug of tea and it totally went down a storm.

We did exchange cards in the morning and the boys had a card each. But that’s it, and if I’m very honest it was really nice, chilled out, relaxing and enjoyable.

Now my OH is at work , my dinner is with the boys before taking my eldest to his Explorer’s club tonight!

I don’t feel unloved, under appreciated or anything else because I didn’t get over priced flowers, or chocolates that I’m trying to cut down on or something fancy JUST because it is Valentines day today………………..DO YOU?

How has your day been?

 

Things they used to say

- TracyB 5 Comments

My boys are now 12 and 14 years old. Most days I’m lucky enough to be grunted at, and if I’m even luckier ( is that a proper word?) they may well even have a proper chat that doesn’t begin with ‘ Can I have…….’

Anyway, after finding my Teenager Manual  ,yes I really did find it in the library, I started to reminisce about the little funny things they used to come out with.

So here’s a few of ours :

blackcurtains………………..for blackcurrant (juice)

stemming alive………………instead if staying alive ( The Bee Gees song!)

wanking wheel.………………for wagon wheel-yes this was said by my youngest although we wont mention this one until he is older!

go-go ……………………………for Gordon from Thomas the Tank Engine

scooby driver..…………………for screwdriver (my favourite)

These are just a few off the top of my head but there is a story to each of them which we still laugh about ( especially the wanking wheel one!! )

Now they are teens it’s more like

nuffink- nothing

s’up- what’s up

kk- Okay ( don’t ask me, text speak I think!)

That’s the stuff I can repeat in between their normal bouts of insult slinging and silent treatment. Oh the joys…..

Anyway, what do yours say for the words they just cannot pronounce yet?

I decided to link this post up to the lovely Actually Mummy‘s linky ‘What’s so funnee’

If you haven’t already been over there pop over and take a look or actually link up a post!

 She has committed to doing something funny for Comic Relief whilst raising money………so pop over and take a look at what she is going to do

Wot So Funee?

The Teenager Manual

- TracyB Leave a comment

No I’m not kidding I actually found this in the library today!

Yes the Haynes Teenager Manual!! So I couldn’t leave it on the shelf. I have 2 boys aged 12 and 14yrs and dealing with them is a complete minefield. They are both VERY different in character and also deal with similar situations in different ways. It is true that they cannot breathe the same air and DO NOT get on in any way!

I don’t want them to grow into delinquents or become estranged in any way and yet I do believe that it comes down to us as parents to do something about it.  WE must be doing something wrong if that were to actually happen and  to be fair I would be distraught.

So, in true fashion of ‘prevention rather than cure’ I saw this and thought………………well it worked out OK for cars didn’t it.

Well it can’t hurt can it?

 

 

 

Teaching your children through Apps

- TracyB Leave a comment

Teaching your children through Apps

So what do you think? A good or bad idea? Unfortunately we are in a technical age where this is becoming second nature! In fact I have to ask my boys how to do some bits on the laptop occasionally. But it doesn’t all have to be Play stations and Xbox’s and kids zoning out to mindless shoot ’em up games. With I phones, tablets and I pads children from a very early age can get in on the act for educational stuff and learn to be comfortable with technology at the same time.

Check out the web show below for tomorrow:

Log onto our live and interactive show where Jon Bentley discusses how to make sure your children are getting the most educational benefits from technology

Show date: Tuesday 29th January 2013

Show time: 12.30pm

There’s no denying that smart phones and tablets have become an essential part of life for millions of us, changing the way we work, socialise and communicate. Whilst they use to be solely the domain of businesspeople and the most technologically advanced, now they’re popular throughout the generations and even amongst pre-schooles.

Research from Vodafone shows that savvy toddlers first start using smart phones or tablets at a tender 2 years 4 months and that many parents are using Apps to help their children learn to read, write and count.

But how can parents make sure their little ones are benefitting from the technology and aren’t accessing inappropriate material?

Log onto our live and interactive show with Jon Bentley, former Gadget Show presenter and Libby Pritchard from Vodafone, who will discuss how children can benefit from smart phones and tablets and how parents can make sure their children are using these devices safely.

Jon Bentley and Libby Pritchard join us live online at www.studiotalk.tv on Tuesday 29th January at 12.30pm

Click here to submit questions before the show

 

 

Out with the old and in with the new?

- TracyB Leave a comment

Isn’t that the general feeling after Christmas and New Year?

Christmas this year seemed to fly past, was it the same for you?

Also as the boys get older Christmas changes slightly, we no longer go for our Santa visit ( apparantly at 12 and 14 they are too old!), however, we start new traditions that will hopefully keep a bit of fun in the celebrations for them.

This year we got some colour in placemates but bear in mind we are talking teenagers and so they had free reign to do as they wished with each of theirs…………………

Amazing they actually sat and did it.

 

This was also the first year their pressies have been put under the tree on masse, as normally they will have their own pile and then they have their family pressies seperate. But as things they are interested in get smaller but more expensive it looked much better overal to put everything under the tree.

We also went for silly bibs at the dinner table and thankfully the grandparents played along!

This year my OH has been off over Christmas and New Year so we have enjoyed jammy days in, meeting up with friends, getting out for fresh air at Shorne Park and also having friends over to celebrate the New Year.

 

 

 

Thankfully a gust of wind came at the right time and we were spared a visit by the Fire Brigade, although admittedly our friends on their short walk home scoured the area for burned out bushes or sheds!!

Our decorations have all been packed away now and we are getting organised for the boys to return to school on Monday ( both of them are moaning about it already and I am dredding the early mornings again!)

Now for this year. What resolutions have you made? This year I plan to expand my home based craft business to try and earn some income and will be taking all the opportunities that come my way. So this time next year ( we’ll be millionaires- good ol’ delboy) it will be interesting to look back at what the year had in store for us.

What are your big plans for 2013?

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas memories

- TracyB Leave a comment

What does Christmas mean to you?

For me Christmas means lots of things:

Family……………traditions…………..treats…………..presents

However, images that make me think of Christmas are another thing. Santa, mince pies, Christmas trees, Quality Street, and crackers!!

So what would you think if one year the powers that be decided to take one of those away?

Well the makers of Quality Street may just do that…….

Quality Street tin end of an era?

Watch our video to see if you agree with what the public we asked think

It’s that time of year again, Christmas is just around the corner and we are all manically organising how to make this year even more memorable than the last.

But is it all about decorating the Christmas tree? Or is it maybe something as simple as sharing a tin  of the much loved Quality Street with the family?

What would you do if you found out that Quality Streets were no longer going to be sold in tin, but instead in a plastic substitute? You’d be horrified, wouldn’t you? Indeed, recent research conducted by Opinion Matters found that almost one in three (31%) people view plastic packaging as feeling less Christmassy than the  traditional tin.

Well plans are afoot to scrap the tin. We invite you to join us in saying  #Keepittin.

Watch our video to find out more http://ow.ly/g9LP3

 

 

Were you affected by PostNatal Depression?

- TracyB Leave a comment

I very luckily wasn’t, however, a very close friend of mine was after the birth of her twins over 12 years ago. It was difficult to see this bubbly, happy-go-lucky person fall into the depths of depression where she doubted herself all the time and totally lost all her self confidence and yet still try and continue looking after her babies.

She had suffered with depression before and was able to see the signs and get help early. However, it was only me who knew and to everyone else she looked and seemed fine. But it was a long journey and her children are now 12 years old.

Do you or someone you know suffer or have suffered with Postnatal Depression?

Learn to recognise the warning signs and help yourself or others.

Postnatal Depression

Join our live WebTV show to learn how to spot the warning signs in yourself and others

Show date: 20th December

Show time: 1pm

Postnatal depression is a spectrum which can be as mild as “baby blues”- weeping for several days after childbirth, to at the other end – puerperal psychosis, which can manifest in delusions, hallucinations and impulses to hurt the baby or the belief that there is something wrong with it. In the middle of these two extremes is what the majority of new mothers experience at some point; profound lows, as they struggle to deal with the new challenges that life as a mother presents.

Earlier this year, the Government announced more NHS help for women with postnatal depression to the tune of £400m, recruiting more health visitors across the country who will be trained to spot the early signs of postnatal depression. This means that for the first time, there will be more focus on the emotional wellbeing of the entire family, not just concentrating on the practical ins and outs of looking after the baby. But is this enough?

With statistics suggesting that roughly a quarter of women experience depression in the first year after childbirth, experts believe that the true figures are probably far greater, as postnatal depression is often misdiagnosed or missed. The most important thing is to be to able to recognise the symptoms in yourself, spot the warning signs in others and not to feel alone or that you are failing as a parent. 

Health & Wellbeing mutual, Benenden Healthcare Society has acknowledged this issue and are inviting you to take part in a discussion on the issues surrounding PND.  Joining us in a live and interactive WebTV  on 20th December at 1pm are Liz Wise from The Ceder House support group and The Association of Postnatal Depression Committee and Natalie Ellis from PNI.org.uk W

 

Liz Wise from The Ceder House support group and The Association of Postnatal Depression Committee and Natalie Ellis from PNI.org.uk joins us live online at www.studiotalk.tvwwwww on 20th December at 1pm

 

Website: https://www.facebook.com/benendenhealthcare/app_152707621494540 OW

 

Kelloggs, Swimming and Olympic and Paralympic Hero’s

- TracyB Leave a comment

Although my boys are now 12 and 14 when they were younger there was one thing that I always thought was important. This was never going to be one of the things they had a choice in doing. They were made to do swim lessons until they were safe and comfortable swimming in the deep end. After that I left it to their choice. Both my kids still love to go swimming either with us as a family or with their friends independently. This is a life skill that will be with them forever and I can be calm in the knowledge that if they do water activities at all I know they are strong enough swimmers to at least help themselves should it be necessary.

Obviously the Olympics in London this year caused such a buzz for everyone and so it’s the right time to introduce more children to sport. This one is aimed particularly at swimming……….take a look below.

The importance of getting your kids swimming with our Olympic heros

Watch our video with Ellie Simmons to see the importance of swimming at the ASA Swimtastic Awards

Swimming is a skill that all kids should learn and a skill that remains with them throughout their lives;  and a great form of exercise which promotes both health and social skills in young people. The aerobic exercise doesn’t place stress on developing joints and the water provides a therapeutic environments for children, including those with disabilities.

One of the enduring images of the Paralympics was of swimmer Ellie Simmonds crying tears of joy as she overcame exhaustion and fatigue to beat her rivals to yet another gold medal. Ellie eptimosises the spirit of the Paralymics, overcoming adversity to become a world class sportswoman who has inspired a generation.

Not surprisingly the 18 year old is a huge advocate for the sport of swimming, considering the opportunities it has given her in her life and last weekend she joined a number of other British swimmers to celebrate the role of swimming in the lives of ordinary Brits at the ASA Swimtastic Awards.

Hosted by former Olympic swimmer and now commentator Steve Parry, the awards celebrated some of the country’s most outstanding non-elite achievements in the pool.

Held every year, the awards recognise children, as well as those responsible for providing swimming lessons. The awards are divided into ten clear categories and recognise achievements made through the Kellogg’s ASA Awards Scheme.

Watch our video to learn more about this year’s winners and see how Paralympians and Olympians, such as Ellie Simmons, have inspired people to get involved.

Check out the video here

AWOL……….GUILTY AS CHARGED!

- TracyB 4 Comments

MUM IN MELTDOWN– You are charged with being Absent Without Leave since your last post in the summer!!! HOW DO YOU PLEAD?

‘ Guilty m’lud!!!!! I have no excuses………………..what’s the penalty?’

A few weeks of HARD LABOUR getting your blog up to date and caught up on the social networks.

Like I’ve said I have no excuses, like everyone else life sometimes just gets in the way.

There have been :

CAMPING

TRAVELLING TO SEE FAMILY

A FAMILY WEDDING

BIRTHDAYS

NEW SCHOOLS

SCHOOL ROUTINE

CLUBS STARTING BACK

FISHING

KNITTING

READING

DECORATING

So in between eating and sleeping and all of the above I have failed to keep up to date on the social networking side of things.

So be warned, things to come…………….reviews, update to my knitting page, and more blog posts and updates on the crafty side of things from this end.

SO THE BIG QUESTION IS…………

HOW ARE YOU ALL?

 

 

 

 

Life since my trauma!

- TracyB 2 Comments

So I haven’t posted for a while since my trauma in London a few weeks ago- if you haven’t already then check it out here . It has taken me a while to get over the shock.

But I have also had a lot of mundane normal stuff going on. My youngest is in yr 6 and due to leave so we have been organising the Leavers party

We wont mention the Ralph Lauren Polo top I had to drive to Ashford for on my birthday!!

CD photo books and after school picnic’s and water fights!!

In between that I had my birthday. Yes *groan* another year older and wiser. Although I had to drive to Ashford designer outlet for my son’s Leaver’s party shirt (typical) I had a great day. It was very chilled, me and the OH had a lunch out and did my pressies when the boys came home from school.

A nice roast dinner out with the boys!
Complete with dessert

Sorry for the bad pics they were taken on my phone by my youngest in poor light!!

Anyway, moving on I came home to these…………

I also managed to squeeze a relaxing day fishing with the OH ( YES I DID SAY FISHING!) and I caught………………………………….wait for it……………………………….57 fish!!! AMAZING!

Ok I will admit some of them really were tiddlers however I was pleased to be catching some slightly bigger ones too.

Now concentrate on the size of the fish rather than the state of my barnet!! It had been raining people!!!

Sadly, I really have got into this fishing malarkey- even to the point of taking the hooks out after the catch!!! Something I thought I would never do.

Then we had some Groupon vouchers to use up for Namco up in London. I must say the deal was fab as we got over £50 in tokens for only £14!! Now I wasn’t expecting too much of the place, never having been there myself. I thought we would be in and out in an hour. How wrong could I be we spent several hours in there enjoying bowling, bumper cars, and arcade games!!!

The boys racing each other on the bikes!
The 3 of them gearing up for the race!

So that’s me caught up I think. I’m now preparing myself for an emotional week as my youngest goes through the traditions of the last week of primary school!

Cue the tears……………………………….

What have you all been up too??