Dreaming Of A Holiday

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Is anyone else dreaming of a summer holiday abroad right now? I sure am. Last year we were supposed to go to the canary islands on a family holiday and it was cancelled, this years holiday was cancelled too and it has left me craving a holiday more than ever. The last time we went abroad was 2018 so I feel like we are long overdue a break in the sunshine. I have a sever case of wanderlust right now and just want to be relaxing in the sunshine around the pool with my lemon Fanta and bag of lays crisps, spending time exploring, going on boat trips and spending my evenings playing mini-golf, drinking lavish looking cocktails and trying out the local cuisine. 

I think it is safe to say we all want a break right now, a chance to relax and unwind with our loved ones and to have fun again. I feel like we have done nothing the past 16 months (thanks covid) and I want to make up for lost time and have adventures and see the world again. I want to feel the sun on my skin, have a break from the constant rain we have had here in the North East recently and to spend quality time with my family making memories. 

Home Plans 2021

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The past year so many people have been busy transforming their homes during the pandemic, I have witnessed on social media so many lovely transformations. From decorating whole homes, revamping just one or two rooms or creating welcoming gardening spaces that the whole family can enjoy. So many people have used the time at home to make their homes beautiful. 

And you know what I am a little bit jealous!

I wish that I had spent the past year doing something worthwhile like sorting out our garden or finishing some of the many jobs we have to do with our home. Our home still needs so much doing to it as we underestimated just how much work it would take to modernise our 50's semi when we moved in four years ago. But to be honest, the past year has been tough! having all three children home and having to home-school whilst my husband worked extra shifts and left me dealing with a very mischievous puppy was hard work! I bet I am not the only one who felt like that too. 

10 Lockdown Activities To Inspire Creativity

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For over a year now the UK has been under lockdown and restrictions due to the covid pandemic. Can you believe it has been that long? I don't think any of us thought that things would go on so long and be as bad as they were, I certainly didn't! During the first lockdown so many of us had so many good intentions, we exercised, ate healthier, baked and learnt new skills but as time has gone on so many of us have grown tired and uninspired. For the first time in a long-time, there is hope on the horizon with vaccines and the gradual reopening of thing's we once took for granted. 

For the first time in a very long time, I actually feel inspired and I want to start being creative again. I have big plans and so many ideas in my head to start blogging properly again, to help my daughter grow her craft business Rainbows and Daydreams and to get healthier and add a bit of colour to my home (it is all grey and white at the moment). During the last few weeks of lockdown, I have been inspired to get creative again and here are 10 lockdown activities that have helped inspire creativity in me once again. 

Unicorn rainbow stacker personalised gift from Rainbows and Daydreams 

Things I Loved March 2021

I can't believe we are halfway through April already, I am sure Christmas was only a few weeks ago! Time has been zooming on by. March was another quiet month as we did not do much, nowhere has been open with lockdown (again) so we have stayed home and took the dog on lots of local walks. There is hope on the horizon though and I really do hope that this time we can maybe return to some sort of normality, as it has been a tough year. I will be honest I won't be rushing on days out or visiting beer gardens or anything like that just yet, but I am looking forward to seeing family again and the return to the children's activities and some outdoor days out hopefully. 

Anyway despite not really doing much March was still an ok month, so here are some of the things that I loved from March. 

All That Matters Is Health And Family

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Has anyone else started worrying more about their health and that of their loved ones since the pandemic started a year ago? I certainly have. I hold my hands up and admit I am not the most healthy of people, I don't exercise, I eat way too many treats and could do with losing some weight. The current situation has made me realise that I need to change and I have slowly been making changes, like walking a lot more as I now take the dog out on a big walk most days. I am also making small changes like drinking more water, cutting down on caffeine (I used to drink a lot of coffee) and trying to eat healthier. 

I have worried about my families health more though as I am starting to realise that my dad is getting older (he is in his 60s) and so are my in-laws. They will kill me for saying it but I have noticed that they are not as agile as they used to be, you can see them struggling with stairs slightly or their legs going a bit stiff when they stand up and they tire more easily. They are fiercely independent people who are still active and working but I think in a few years we may have to start looking into supporting them a little more to enable them to carry on being independent. 

Things I Loved February 2021

 

For years now I have written a monthly post of the things that I have loved from the month gone by, a sort of happy post to record things we did and things that made me happy from the month gone by. Due to the pandemic, I have not really blogged much the past year and the last time I wrote a things I loved post was back in May and before that it was in January 2020. 

2021 hasn't got off to the best of starts has it? We have started the year in our third lockdown and the children have been off school for months again. I found this lockdown so much harder than the previous two, I think it was because the weather was rubbish and home-schooling was so time-consuming this time around. Even though we have been at home and haven't been anywhere or done anything we have still had a nice time as a family, well some of the time. So here is a little look at some of the things that I loved in February 2021. 

I No Longer Want A Carpet, Which Flooring Do I Choose To Replace It With

 

Guest Post. 

Like many of us, you have probably have had it up to your eyeballs in carpet cleaning. Chances are that if you understood every little instance that would lead you to be on your hands and knees for thirty minutes trying to remove stubborn stains, you probably wouldn't have gone for it - no matter how fluffy it was at first. 

Guaranteed you have not so fond memories where mud, sauce, wine and animal prints have had you close to tears, and I bet you have at least one area of that carpet hidden from the world due to some form of an incident where discolouration has occurred.