So here we are at the end of July already. The summer holidays are well underway and the good old British weather is in full force as it’s currently pouring with rain outside. Though it’s quite pleasant to sit with a hot cup of coffee and my laptop at hand whilst listening to the rain hammering against the patio doors whilst reflecting over the things which I have #LikedandLoved throughout what has been an incredibly busy month.
New Shoes
With the arrival of the hottest temperatures ever known in the UK, I felt the urgent need to switch my shoes from winter warmers to summer sliders and thus ordered some new boots ready for the autumn and not one but four pairs of sandals to ensure I was more than summer ready.
An Evening At The Cinema
Earlier this month my Mum and I spent a girly evening at the local cinema watching ‘Good Luck To You Leo Grande‘. Though the film wasn’t what we had hoped, it was still a great night out and it was nice to spend a night out and about with my Mum for a change.
Our Greek Goddess
E loves to dress up in various costumes thus she’s always enthusiastic when it comes to dress-up days at school. This term the teacher requested that the children came to school dressed in ancient greek-style clothing to celebrate the end of their greek topic. I was quick off the mark and ensured that I promptly ordered the correct dress, headband, and golden sandal shoes to complete the ensemble and boy did she look the part!
The Summer Dance Show
To celebrate the end of the academic term, E was asked to participate in the summer dance show and fortieth celebration where she performed in two dances (one ballet and one tap dance) and two separate outfits (one of which cost me an awful lot of time and money to source but was well worth the final result!).
E has come on leaps and bounds in terms of her ability and more importantly, her confidence. I couldn’t have been a prouder parent watching my little lady that evening – she looked stunning and she performed like a star.
E’s First Gig
Having listened to our tales of watching Ed Sheeran live in Manchester last month, E suggested that maybe next time she could come along with us. Knowing she is a big fan of George Ezra I, therefore, set about searching for tickets to see the man himself and low and behold found that he is touring in September thus booked three tickets for E, my Mum and I to go and see Mr Ezra play live in Manchester later this year. This will be E’s first ever gig and I’m a little nervous though super excited for her.
Kayak Cruising
Following the closure of our local swimming pool, my husband acquired two very colourful kayaks which have since been sat gathering dust in our garage. With the roof racks at the ready, I had no further excuses to avoid the inevitable thus Paul packed up a picnic and I organised bags of spare clothes ready to head out to the lake (or should I say water?) for some kayak craziness.
J was like a duck to a water and was happily paddling around in an instant whereas E wasn’t too keen on having to use the ore thus Paul dragged her around for a while before eventually acquiring the kayak and joining J for an hour or two on the lake whilst E enjoyed a swim.
The weather held out (raining only when we were about to leave) and the kids had such fun! With the Lakes right on our doorstop, we will be sure to repeat this event more often.
Clay Days
Having spent time at school designing monster pots, E was keen to demonstrate her clay skills at home thus we enjoyed an afternoon moulding and making various items including some new toadstools for E’s fairy garden along with further monster pots to add to E’s collection.
Stunning School Reports
Both J and E received stunning school reports this month; they are doing so well and I’m so incredibly proud of their progress. It’s been a tough few years yet they continue to give it their all and knock our socks off with their achievements.
Just Jigsaws
With the arrival of summer holidays came the arrival of spare time and what better thing to do to relax than to challenge yourself with a jigsaw? E certainly challenged not only herself but my Mum, Paul, J and I have also spent a few hours trying to piece together this 1000 (or should I say 999?) piece confectionary-based jigsaw. Thankfully the jigsaw is finally complete (minus one piece as it seems to be missing from the box) thus I can relax as my OCD wouldn’t allow for an incomplete jigsaw to occupy the kitchen table for too long…
The Summer Holidays Finally Arrive
At last, the summer holidays have finally arrived! Six whole weeks of sheer bliss as we no longer need to set the dreaded alarm clocks… Though we’ve spent the first of the holidays winding down and relaxing around the house, we are planning to spend some time away visiting family, we’ve got Harry Potter-themed birthday party events planned for E, and we’ve also got a couple of days booked at Alton Towers. Here’s hoping that the weather plays ball and we can enjoy a super six weeks of sunshine (wishful thinking!).
Thanks again for reading my blog – I hope that you enjoyed reading what I have #LikedandLoved throughout July.
If you fancy sharing some of your own #LikedAndLoved points from the month then why not join in either through your own blog post or by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear what you #LikedAndLoved this month!
