How Stress Affects Your Eyes

Guest Post

There's no point in denying it, life can be stressful sometimes. Whether you're moving home, starting a new career, or rushing to take the kids to school on a morning, the smallest act can often cause the largest amount of stress. Everyone has the capacity to deal with stress in different ways, while some are more affected by it than others. However, there are many effects of stress that often go unnoticed, especially for those that suffer from chronic stress or anxiety. From mental health issues to cardiovascular problems, stress can be hidden as an underlying cause, which is why it's important to monitor and deal with your stress where you can. 

Stress also impacts one of the most crucial organs in your body. Your eyes. Many people take their eyes for granted, but stress can cause strain and other conditions that could result in a serious long-term issue. Newcastle Family Life has partnered with the experts at Optimax to find out just what stress can do to your eyes, and how you can help yourself stop any long-term conditions before they appear. We're grateful for this partnership and hope that you (the reader) find our content useful. 

A Family Night In With Arla Goodness

Advertorial feature. 

September always feels like a fresh start, the children go back to school and families get back into a routine after the fun of the summer. I always spend September getting organised and trying to make healthier food choices for my family after a few too many treats during the holidays. As my children are getting older - they are 5,6 and 16, this is especially important as they always come home from school starving and a little bit tired and grumpy whilst they settle back into routine and new school classes.

So when we were challenged by Arla Goodness to enjoy a family night in I thought this was the perfect way to relax after a busy week of school. We all know that milk is a good source of calcium and important to support normal bones and teeth and Arla new Goodness milk provides 50% of an adult's daily calcium requirement in just one 250ml glass. Arla Goodness is a new milk that contains just 1% fat and 30% more protein than semi-skimmed milk making it perfect busy families to incorporate into family life for growing and active children. 

Discovering The Harry Potter Package At Macdonald Linden Hall

AD - Press Trip. 

My 6-year-old daughter discovered the magic of Harry Potter earlier this year and she had been desperate to visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ever since. So when an invite landed in my inbox (sadly not via owl post) to try out the new Harry Potter Package at Macdonald Linden Hall country house hotel in Northumberland, it was the perfect opportunity to make my very own little Gryffindors wish come true. 

Macdonald Linden Hall is a country house hotel, golf course and spa nestled in the beautiful Northumberland countryside - about 30 minutes north of Newcastle. Setting off on Friday afternoon after school we were soon pulling up outside the impressive 18th-century manor house set in 450 acres of private grounds and with plenty of free on-site parking. Checking in was super quick and easy and we were warmly greeted by the very friendly receptionist who really made the children feel welcome.

How To Reward Your Child For Doing Well At School

Guest post.

When your child is doing well at school, rewarding them not only helps to show how proud you are of their performance, but it also motivates them to continue. The trouble is, knowing how to reward them isn't easy.

If you're looking to show your child how proud you are of their academic achievements, below you'll find some great ideas on how to reward them for their hard work.

How To Make More Room For Family Time In The Diary

Guest Post.

Do you struggle to make time for family? When you're working hard, trying to balance work and family life, it can be really difficult. Most days you're left feeling exhausted, stressed and there never seems to be enough hours in the day. However, while it may be difficult, it's important to make sure you're taking time out for family. 

If you find it a struggle, here you'll discover some great tips and advice on how to make room in your diary for family time. 

The Best Places To Dine In London With Kids

Guest Post.

Being among the world's most vibrant and varied destinations, and an enormous draw for international tourists, it's probably not surprising that London has its fair share of quality restaurants - as well as a fair few which aren't of such high quality. If you're planning a visit to the capital with kids then you'll want to figure out in advance where the best places to eat are. Let's run through a few candidates for London's best kid-friendly dining experiences.

Cereal Killer Cafe

This ingenious little eatery has two branches in London - one in Camden and the other in Brick Lane. The menus are all entirely themed around different breakfast cereals: you'll find cereal paired with mac 'n' cheese, avocado and chicken nuggets. If you're in search of something truly different, then this is where you will find it.

Our North Tyneside Wedding Suppliers

When I was planning our wedding I spent hours and hours searching for wedding suppliers as I had heard so many horror stories of suppliers not turning up or going bust leaving brides and grooms stressed out. I wanted to book reputable suppliers that were local and didn't charge crazy prices and who would help create the day we wanted. 

One bit of advice I can give to any engaged couple is to take your time, research suppliers and book a trusted supplier as they honestly will make your day extra special. I left the whole day up to our wedding suppliers and they made the day so stress-free and relaxed for us as everything was taken care of and we honestly could not have asked for better. 

We got married in North Tyneside, just north of Newcastle and these are the suppliers we used who all cover the North East area. I recommend them all as we had no problems at all with any of them and without them, our day wouldn't have been as lovely as it was. 

Our Wedding Day

After two years of planning and so many wedding countdown posts on this blog, we finally got married back in June and I thought it was about time that I sat down and told you all about the big day. It seems so long ago now and myself and my husband (it still sounds so strange saying that) were talking this morning and said we both wish we could re-live the day again as it just went so fast and we wish we could enjoy it all over again. 

The day of the wedding I woke to lovely sunshine which I was so relieved about after the weather forecast had been rain and thunderstorms in the lead up to the day. I spent the night before the wedding at home with the three children and Lee spent the night at his mam's house a few miles away. I woke really early and enjoyed a coffee in peace before the kids woke, I felt surprisingly calm all morning which definitely made things more enjoyable. 

10 Pantomimes To See In The North East This Christmas

As a family we love nothing more than a family day out at the panto each year, it always gets us in the festive spirit and is something we can all enjoy together. I love watching the kids face light up, watching them shout 'he's behind you' and giggle at all the slapstick humour that panto brings. For the past few years, we have always headed to Whitley Bay Playhouse to see Blue Genies Pantomime production as they are perfect for young families and it is local to where we live - plus I highly recommend it as it is always a great show. 

If you're looking for a festive pantomime to see here in the North East this year then I thought I would put together this little guide to what pantomimes are on this year as we all know they can get booked up super early!

Things I Loved August 2019

August is normally one of my favourite months, it is my son's birthday month and the children are off school for the whole month. However this August has been tough, the kids have been fighting nonstop during the holidays as we have had hardly any days out compared to normal due lack of funds and the other half being at work 6 days a week during the holidays. I thought the month was rubbish and we had not done a lot, but by writing these posts each month I realise that actually we did do some nice things and it wasn't all bad at all. 

So here is a look at some of the things that I loved in August 2019.