Wednesday 15 June 2016

Other Bloggers Family Lives Featuring Keeping Strong & Moving Forward


Welcome to another week of my guest post series Other Bloggers Family Lives. This week I am featuring one of my very good blogging friends Nikki from Keeping Strong & Moving Forward, we actually both started blogging on the exact same day two years ago! I have met Nikki twice in real life, I spent most of Britmums with her last year and I met her and her two boys when she was in Newcastle a few months ago too. She is really friendly, happy and lovely and I always read her blog which is about life as a family of 7, fun days out as well as raising awareness of down syndrome. 

Blogger Keeping Strong & Moving Forward

So lets find out more about the family behind Keeping Strong & Moving Forward. 

1.) Tell me a bit about yourself and your family ? 

We are a rather loud and chaotic family of 7. I have my 4 children T (11), P (7), E (4) LM (2) and then my stepdaughter A (9). I am a stay at home mum right now and I blog as a hobby but also to help raise awareness for downs syndrome and show that even though my youngest daughter has additional needs it doesn't stop us doing anything because we are just like any other family. 

2.) Where do you live ? 

We live in West Yorkshire, right on the boarder of Leeds and Bradford. I describe it as we are the black sheep of Leeds because we pay all our council tax to them but still have a Bradford postcode.

3.) What is your favourite thing to do as a family where you live ? 

We love to go for long walks down the woods and play in the park, if the weather isn't nice then we will happily settle for the local cinema or soft play centre. 

4.) If you could live anywhere where would you ? 

I don't really know, I have lived in this one little area all my life and I don't think I could ever really see myself living anywhere else. I just wish my house was a bit nicer but as it is rented I don't really want to put loads of money into it because it isn't mine.

5.) Did you grow up close to where you live now and what are your favourite childhood memories of where you grew up ? 

I have lived in 4 different houses that are all within a 5 minute walk of where I live. My mum and dads house is just around the corner, which is both a blessing and a curse all at the same time. I love them and they are great support network but my mum has a different parenting style to me and lets my kids get away with absolutely loads compared to what I would, because we live so close it means she is round here all the time.

My favourite childhood memories are of when we use to go into the farmers fields to play army, which meant we would crawl around in the tall grass and try to find each other and when you did you shot them. We only got to play the game for a short time though because the farmer would come out and end up chasing us out of his field. 

6.) Have you got any exciting family plans for the year ahead ? 

I have loads of ideas for fun days out to Chester Zoo and maybe even a holiday to Ireland planned.

7.) What is the best thing about family life ? 

I love how close my children can be when their not arguing over the same toy. I love the cuddles and being told " I love you mum ". Most of all I just love spending time together. 

Thank you for taking part Nikki I loved reading your answers and I am exactly the same I don't know where I would live as I live not far from where I grew up and this is home. I hope you have lots of amazing family days out this summer. 

To find out more about Nikki visit her blog www.keepingstrongandmovingforward.co.uk

Or visit her on social media

Twitter nikoteen87
Pinterest nikoteen87
Instagram nikoteen87

Don't forget to check out last weeks post featuring Babi a Fi if you missed it. If you would like to take part in Other Bloggers Family Lives then please just send me an email at Newcastlefamilylife@gmail.com , you don't need to be a parent to take part either as the questions can be easily adapted. 





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36 comments

  1. Ahhh love Niki. Had such a great time with you both at Britmums - sad there'll be no reunion this year!
    Keep up the great work at raising awareness of DS for your beautiful little lady xx

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    1. I know I wish we were all going to Britmums again this year just so we could all meet up and drink wine again! xx

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  2. Lovely post. Long walks are the best aren't they! Tries everyone out too :)

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed reading Claire, long walks are great x

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  3. Wow, four kids! I bet there's no boring moments in their family. Would love to have more than one and would also love it if my parents (or even my husband's family) just lived 5 minutes from us. That would be lovely, but I do understand what she said about "It being both a blessing and curse" :) x

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    1. I would love having family close by too, my brother lives near me but he is always at work. My dad pops in a few times a week but he lives a 10 minute drive away. xx

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  4. A lovely read and another great blogger to start following.

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  5. I love these posts - I have been aware of, and come to know Nikki and her blog from when I started blogging, she is a great lady. Kaz x

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    1. Thank you Kaz, she really is a lovely lady I am so glad I met her xx

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  6. My parents are close by and I am lucky that my mum parents the same as me, otherwise I could see we would have problems. A lovely interview x

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    1. I would love having family close by, mine and my partners are not to far away but not within walking distance. x

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  7. Aww "I love you mum" - that's what I can't wait to hear from my son. He's currently 11 months old so i have a while to wait!

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    1. He will be saying it soon my little boy is one and says it all the time xx

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  8. What a really lovely read and what a beautiful family x

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    1. I am glad that you enjoyed reading, they really are a lovely family - her boys are so friendly and polite too xx

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  9. I always think it's amazing how many people stay living near where they grew up. I moved away for uni and work, but then met the OH, so am back near my childhood home. And being on a farm, if N goes into farming he'll probably never leave. Love the black sheep analogy.

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    1. I would love to live on a farm! I am not too far from my childhood home too, none of my family have moved far from the north east xx

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  10. I found this post easy to read. Parents living close by can be a pain sometimes.

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  11. We were 4 while growing up so they remind me of my life growing up.

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  12. This is not a blog I have come across before so will pop over for a visit

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  13. I am wanting to visit Chester Zoo with my kids this year. Fingers crossed I can find a day trip going, as we don't drive

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    1. I hope you manage to go, we went to Edinburgh zoo recently and that was really easy to get to on the train although maybe a bit far for you xx

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  14. Thank you for sharing this. It's so lovely having family close by.

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  15. How lovely to have a family of seven. Nikki is definitely blessed.

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    1. I know it must be lovely growing up in a big family and having lots of siblings to play with x

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  16. Nikki is such a lovely lady, and her family are awesome. I really don't know how she does it with such a houseful

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    1. She really is so lovely. I know I struggle with just 3 children never mid 5 x

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  17. Wow you must be so busy! I think it is great that you are raising awareness of Downs and its true it does not limit what you can do.

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    1. It really is wonderful that she is raising awareness xx

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  18. Such a lovely insite. I really don't know how you get by with such a houseful!

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    1. I know I am the same I struggle with just three children x

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