I cannot fathom that October is almost over already – where has the time gone?! We may well be slowly losing our sanity whilst locked inside but those clocks keep on ticking… Here are a few of my #LittleLoves from the past month. Read Back in 2006 I read Cecelia Ahern’s ‘PS I Love You’ and shortly after I’d finished reading Cecelia’s award-winning book, the film was then released. It’s been fourteen years since I first read Cecelias work and though I’ve read many of her books since PS I Love You, I have always fancied reading a sequel to what was one of the biggest tear-jerkers I have ever come across, and this month I downloaded just that – Postscript.…
First released in August 2017, The Star Tarot proved to be a popular deck with readers of all levels. Three years on, the second edition of this beautiful tarot deck has recently been released and I was lucky enough to be selected to receive a copy of this divine deck, along with a drawstring bag in which to store my cards to review and to feature upon this here blog. Cathy McClelland Designed and created by Cathy McClelland, a freelance illustrator designer, art director, and muralist based in Lake Tahoe. Cathy has always had a fascination for symbolism, nature and the mysteries of life and beyond.…
With Halloween less than a week away, we’ve decorated the house and the kids have their costumes at the ready to wear whilst we play games, watch movies and enjoy an array of activities. It may be a little different this year but we can still have some spooky, scary but safe fun as a family. Mal the Magnificent Our ‘not so little’ Dare DEVIL I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very spooky, spectacular, and SAFE Halloween. Thank you for reading and as always, I look forward to catching up with your #LivingArrows either through your own posts or comments upon this post.…
With Halloween and Bonfire Night just around the corner, it seems only right to feature and to review an awesome, autumnal tarot deck such as The Bonefire Tarot – a vivid, hand-painted Rider-Waite based tarot deck inspired by the vintage, old-school tattoo flash of Sailor Jerry Collins. The Bonefire Tarot is the ideal tarot deck for the explorative reader as it features visual keys and symbols to enhance and encourage intuitive reading. Gabi Angus-West Designed and created by Gabi Angus-West, The Bonefire Tarot began as a painting based upon ‘The Lovers’ which was created in honour of an engaged couple, who sadly never got to ‘tie the knot’.…
Since relighting my love for reading the tarot back in the springtime, I’ve collected countless decks, a few of which I’ve made storage bags and pouches for. Here are a few of the bags which I’ve thrown together over the past six months or so… Handmade At Home Though I’m not too bad on a sewing machine, my work is far from perfect, thus it’s rather nice to have a couple of professionally made bags to add to my ever-growing collection. Professionally Perfect I was very kindly sent two professionally made tarot bags by a good friend (from OrsettiCraft tarot pouches) during a rather dark time – I must say her work rather put my own to shame and despite turning the bags inside out and inspecting them thoroughly, I’m yet to figure out how she made such seamless bags (they are quite literally seamless!).…
Though it may be a smidgen early, Halloween has officially arrived in our household, and why the heck not?! It’s the half-term holiday, the clocks have turned back an hour and the dark nights are now drawing in so I’m all for anything to lighten the mood and to lift our spirits a little. I’d have ideally liked to have bought a few extra decorations and to have changed things about for Halloween this year but with Covid, it simply wasn’t to be. Thankfully, we’ve got plenty and as a result our living room now looks pretty spooky-spectacular! I’d have really liked to have taken the kids out to Muncaster Castle for the day to see all the spooky sights but it’s bound to be busy and therefore not worth the risk – here’s hoping that we can visit next year perhaps and until then we’ve got plenty planned to keep them both entertained and on their toes.…
Welcome to this week’s #MySundaySnapshot post, which is part of a snap-sharing-blog-linky series that you are very welcome to join. Click here for further information and guidelines upon this linky should you wish to take part. It’s been a wet and windy week and as a result, we’ve been chasing rainbows almost on a daily basis. Here’s one of the many rainbows which I’ve caught on camera – I hope it brings you a little brightness in what seems to be a very dark time. Thanks for reading my #MySundaySnapshot post, I look forward to catching up and sharing your #MySundaySnapshot pictures either through your own posts, social media shares or comments upon this post.…
With the temperature dropping, the dark nights approaching, and the prospect of another lockdown looming, we’ve become accustomed to the concept of keeping ourselves occupied indoors. From baking to board games, we’ve kept the kids entertained where and when possible but I must admit, the idea of having to spend another however many months locked within the same four walls is far from ideal. Beating Boredom With Board Games It’s such a shame for the kids with Halloween just around the corner as they aren’t able to go about their traditional trick or treating – instead, I’ve ordered various sweets and treats which I plan to offer as prizes for a range of games which I’ll set up for the kids to play in-between movies and such-like.…
Apparently, there’s no such thing as a break when you’ve got two kids and a poorly parent thus I’ve given up trying to have a weekend these days. We spent Saturday catching up with E’s reading and kindness collection homework prior to stripping beds, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning, tidying, and getting the house into order before going baking bonkers as we made various loaves of bread and a cake which was then to be iced as a plant/ animal cell as part of J’s science homework. By the time that we had ticked off the many tasks, it was almost evening and I was off out on ‘Dad duty’ to offer Mum a little time to herself so that she could enjoy a bath in the hopes that she may feel slightly more human. …
Welcome to this week’s #MySundaySnapshot post, which is part of a snap-sharing-blog-linky series that you are very welcome to join. Click here for further information and guidelines upon this linky should you wish to take part. “Is there a way out of this? If there is I don’t see it Can heaven and hell coexist? Not when both battle for dominance Brush back my tears and he said “girl We have to soldier on Yes girl even when we don’t feel strong’ So how many young men have to lay down Their life and their love of their woman For some sick promise of a heaven Lies go back now to the garden Even the four horses say all bets are off We’re on the dark side of the sun We’re on the dark side of the sun We’re on the dark side of the sun” Tori Amos – Dark Side Of The Sun Thanks for reading my #MySundaySnapshot post, I look forward to catching up and sharing your #MySundaySnapshot pictures either through your own posts, social media shares or comments upon this post.…
It’s that time of year when I start to worry that almost all of my photos seem to be taken indoors. Though I’d usually try to snap some shots whilst out and about, we just aren’t getting out much of late as by the time the kids are home from school and have eaten their tea it’s dark and we’re happy hermits in the warmth of our four wall fortress that we call home. Whilst I’d love to spend time out and about over the weekend, covid is making that almost impossible of late. Although the kids are at school and they mix within their bubbles, I don’t really wish to extend the risk by taking them out around the area – especially as we live in a tourist trap that attracts people from all around the country.…
It’s so almost half term and boy do we need a break – it’s not just us adults who are feeling weary but the kids seem pretty worn-out too. Life seems so fast-paced and full-on right now and I think the kids feel much the same as I do. It’s not too long now before the clocks go back and we plunge into the darkness of winter and though I’m fairly sure it won’t be long before we see another national lockdown – I for one will be quite happy to stay at home if only to get some rest. Relaxing With Reading Taking It Easy With Tech To ensure that the kids make it to half-term (unlike myself as I’ve been the ‘man-down’ today thanks to ill health) I’ve encouraged them to take five, to kick back, and to recharge their batteries where and when possible.…
Life is far from easy at present, there’s just so much going on right now that I barely know where to begin… 2020 has been the most difficult year of my life thus far and whilst I’m desperately trying to cope with juggling the kids, finding my way around a new job, living through a world pandemic, and dealing with the heartwrenching reality of having to watch my Dad struggle through what the Doctors and I suspect are to be the final few months of his life, I’m finding it all to be somewhat overwhelming. Despite struggling emotionally, I’m doing my best to muddle on through and to take each day as it comes, a step at a time.…
Welcome to this week’s #MySundaySnapshot post, which is part of a snap-sharing-blog-linky series that you are very welcome to join. Click here for further information and guidelines upon this linky should you wish to take part. Don’t you just love autumnal sunshine days? With all that’s going on right now, I sure need some sunshine in my life. “Golden brown, texture like sun Lays me down, with my mind she runs Throughout the night, no need to fight Never a frown with golden brown.” The Stranglers – Golden Brown Thanks for reading my #MySundaySnapshot post, I look forward to catching up and sharing your #MySundaySnapshot pictures either through your own posts, social media shares or comments upon this post.…
There is a tough element to life that we often don’t talk about. That is coping with a loss of a loved one, a friend, relative, pet etc. We can all be affected in different ways but commonly we do share some element of grief. We just might handle it differently. A loss can hit you hard, there is no doubt about it. Whether it was sudden and unexpected, or something you even came to terms with, there is no right or wrong way to react and deal with it. But there are things that you can do to help you handle the situation, cope with the grief and ultimately come out of it stronger and yourself once more.…
After a busy day at school, what better than to curl up on the couch with a fizzy drink, a bowl of Maltesers, and to watch cartoons? Though October has only just arrived, the weather is ‘wet wet wet’ thus I’m all for fluffy blankets, hot drinks and keeping cosy on the couch. Curled Up & Cosy Sofa Surfer I’m all for downtime after a busy day, especially if it should offer me the chance to take five and to rest my eyelids for a moment. Thank you for reading and as always, I look forward to catching up with your #LivingArrows either through your own posts or comments upon this post.…
Like most kids, J & E love to bake, cook, and to muck in around the kitchen. Back in the day when the kids were tiny, we had a kitchen helper to lift the kids to ‘counter height’, they have obviously grown since then but E is still a little short and for the past few years she’s used a chair to stand on whilst baking, cooking and so on. However, E is a little too short for the counter but a little too tall to be stood on a chair so I recently decided to purchase a simple stepping stool.…
Welcome to this week’s #MySundaySnapshot post, which is part of a snap-sharing-blog-linky series that you are very welcome to join. Click here for further information and guidelines upon this linky should you wish to take part. And so here we are in October already, time sure flies though I can’t say that I’ve been having all that much fun. Though I usually adore the autumn months, things are entirely different this year and nothing really feels as it should. I really feel for the kids as they would usually be getting ready for the likes of Halloween and Bonfire Night but sadly we will be unable to celebrate all that much this year.…
So here we are at the end of September and I won’t lie – it’s not been the easiest nor the most pleasant month but still, I’ll do my best to list a few of the things which I guess that I have #LikedandLoved over the past thirty days. Starting School Both J & E moved up a stage as E transferred from the infants to the juniors, whilst J moved from being a junior to a senior school student. It feels weird seeing my ‘not so little man’ dressed in an entirely different uniform, catching school buses and all that malarkey.…
How is it that kids can go from being distraught to delighted in a matter of minutes? Honestly, I spent almost the entire day worrying myself sick as poor J had got himself into a bit of a tizzy over a bus journey. As it turns out, he arrived home safe and sound, with a smile on his face acting as cool as a cucumber, and if this morning’s many messages (which he sent me whilst in distress) were a figment of my imagination! Meanwhile, E went to school with a limp, claiming to have a sore foot which I also spent most of this morning worrying myself over only to find that this afternoon shes quite literally hopping through the kitchen happy as larry.…
