How My Dad Is Keeping Active Now He Is Retired

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Last summer my dad retired at the age of 60, as silly as it sounds since he retired I have realised that he is getting older and whilst he is still active and probably healthier than me I do worry a bit. Mainly because he lives alone and I worry about how he will manage in his home now that he is getting older as he has steep stairs in his home and a bathroom with a shower over the bath. Since he retired he has been doing home renovations that he has been putting off for years, so far he has transformed his back garden and made a start on plastering and redecorating the stairs. Next on his list is to update his bathroom, as he has had his current bathroom suite since I was a child! We have been looking into getting him a walk in shower fitted from Bathing solutions as he never uses the bath and this would suit him much better as he gets older and less mobile.

Despite being in his 60s and being retired my dad is still active, he goes on long walks every day around the town where he lives. He has just returned from a camping trip at the Le Mans 24-hour car racing event in France and he goes on weekend trips walking in the countryside with his partner. But it got me thinking about ways to keep active when you are over 55 and some of the ways my own dad is keeping himself active now that he is retired. 

Two Weeks Until I Say I Do

In less than two weeks time I will be getting married and I honestly can not believe that after two years of planning the day is almost here! The past few weeks have been crazy busy sorting things out for the big day, we (well I have) ticked so many things off our wedding to-do list and things are starting to come together with just a few more things to sort and buy now. I am feeling surprisingly calm about the wedding at the moment, the only thing I have been stressed about is paying for things (thanks to the other half messing things up, but that's a whole other story). 

Conservatory Warming Solutions: How To Keep Your Conservatory Warm During Winter

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Conservatories are great to have around - at any time of the year. They provide a great view and with a conservatory, it tends to feel like we are outside when we are actually inside. However, we all know that during summer, it can get quite hot and in the winter, it can become very cold. Do you want to feel 'just right'? Guardian roof installers, CSM North East share some solutions for you.

Things I Loved May 2019

Can you believe that it is half-way through June and it is freezing cold and raining? I get married at the end of this month so I really hope the weather cheers up a bit, it would be just my luck it pours with rain on my wedding day and my hair and dress get ruined. I really need time to slow down a little bit as I still have so much to sort for our upcoming wedding and I am quickly running out of time to get it all done. May seems like it passed by so quickly so here is a look back at some of the things that I loved from the month of May. 

Inflata Nation North Shields Review

We received complimentary tickets 

Inflata Nation opened its Newcastle venue a few months ago and we were invited to the launch event. Sadly we couldn't make the event but we were kindly invited back to try it out and we visited during the recent May half-term holidays. Inflata Nation Newcastle is an inflatable obstacle course inside an inflatable building, so it is super easy to spot. It is located at the Royal Quays in North Shields so not technically in Newcastle but only a few miles away and its location makes it really easy to get too as it is not far from the A19 and Tyne Tunnel. Plus there is a bus stop and a metro station not too far away. 

We were booked to attend on a Tuesday lunch-time during half-term so it was busy but we could still get on everything without waiting and there was plenty of free parking available. We had already pre-booked the session online, which is recommended but you can just turn up on the day and see if there is space in the next session. When you arrive you just give the booking number and check the waiver is signed and then you go and watch a safety video. 

Wedding Ring Shopping

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After two years of planning, I am now just weeks away from getting married and it is all systems go for us at the moment finalising things for our big day. We have been lucky that we managed to get most of the big stuff sorted for our wedding pretty early on, booking a venue as soon as we got engaged swiftly followed by the photographer, DJ, venue dresser and florist. Sorting the big things have definitely been a lot easier than I initially imagined but the little things have been a lot trickier. 

One thing that we really struggled with was picking our wedding rings as they are something that we are going to wear forever and I wanted something timeless and good quality so it will last. Due to my partner's job we were a bit limited with the type of rings we could get as all he is allowed to wear is a plain gold band, while I don't have any restrictions on the type of ring I can wear I did want us to get rings that would match. 

Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years Of Magic In Newcastle This October

AD- I received press tickets for the show in return for this post. 

Disney On Ice is returning to Newcastle's Utilita arena this October to celebrate 100 years of magic and I for one can not wait! This year's show is set to bring more than 50 unforgettable Disney stars to the ice from 14 much-loved Disney stories. Mickey and Minnie will be on hand as always to introduce us to mesmerising skating scenes from The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Toy Story, Nemo and Aladdin to name just a few and I am sure the audience will be mesmerised and singing along to popular Disney songs from the start. 

As a parent, I adore Disney On Ice, let's be honest must of us do as Disney just evokes such wonderful memories. I have been going to see Disney On Ice for over ten years now, I remember taken my eldest to see Princess Classics all the way back in 2008/2009. She went dressed up as Cinderella, complete with glass slippers and she was thrilled to be watching the show as it set it off a love affair with Disney On Ice. 

One Month Until I Say I Do

It is now less than a month until my wedding date and it is all systems go at the moment, finalising last minute things and we still have little bits to buy. I know I keep saying this but I honestly did not realise how time-consuming planning a wedding would actually be, there is so much to sort out that my brain is just overloaded with wedding stuff at the moment. The last few weeks before a wedding are definitely a bit stressful as there is just so much to do, suppliers to meet, vows to pick, table plans to organise, the list could go on. I think that the reason I am finding it a bit stressful is also because we have a lot going on, we have the three kids to look after and take to various groups, my eldest is in the middle of her GCSEs and we also have a prom to sort out two days before our wedding. It is definitely a challenge planning a wedding as a parent.

Dining Out With Teens - Thaikhun Metrocentre

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My eldest daughter is 16 and I always try and spend time alone with her, just the two of us at least once a month. It gives us a chance to catch up and I think when you have more than one child, spending one-on-one time with each child is important. Normally when I spend time with my teen we go shopping and for food somewhere that she likes, as she is getting older she is enjoying trying new places as her tastes are a lot different than her younger siblings. So when I was recently invited along to try out the new menu at Thaikhun in the Metrocentre I knew she would enjoy trying out some Thai food and getting her mam to her self for a few hours. 

I have visited Thaikhun in the Metrocentre a few times, we have dined there as a family, as a couple and we also attended a cooking class there. It is somewhere that I always enjoy visiting as the setting is fab (it is decorated to represent the streets of Thailand with interesting things everywhere you look), it has a lovely laid back atmosphere, the staff are so friendly and most importantly of all the food is delicious. 

Feeling Nostalgic For The 90s With The Spice Girls

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I loved the 90s, being born in the early 80s the 90s was the decade I grew up in and I have so many amazing memories. From the cool TV shows, Saturday morning TV rocked! To the questionable fashion styles, Adidas popper pants, hair scrunchies, plastic dummy necklaces and platform trainers anyone? To the catchy pop music filling the charts, it was a decade full of fun that I remember fondly. 

So when I heard iconic 90s pop group the Spice Girls were back I was instantly transported back to being a teenager, waiting to watch them on Top Of The Pops on a Friday evening and heading to HMV to buy their latest single (remember when you could buy a single on CD or cassette tape?). I was 13 when Wannabe hit the airwaves and I used to make up dance routines with my friends and knew every word, I probably still do.