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Snowdrop Walks at The Argory
This weekend The Argory (along with most of the National Trust) have launched their Snowdrop Festival, we went along for a walk. Snowdrops at The Argory The Argory is one of my favourite places. It’s beautiful even on the busy days when it’s full of day trippers and tricycles, but on its calm days when squirrels skip among the snowdrops, kingfishers glimmer as they dart just out of sight and a mournful mist rolls up from the Blackwater it is truly magical. The Argory wears its grandeur with grace and modesty and unlikely some other stately homes which feel austere the Argory is always welcoming and full of life. The…
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A Lingering Grief
My Daddy died when I was 21. Death is not like it looks in the movies, there is no grace or elegance, there’s no breezy sigh or dramatic halt. Instead it’s counting seconds between breaths and watching screens for neon flickers. And all the while you know what’s coming; that the person you love is going to walk though a doorway, close it behind them and leave you. The dread is exhausting. The fear is lonely. The certainty is crushing. Death is practically offensive by it’s invisibility. It pays no heed to the soul it takes or the dignity it costs. In life my Dad was scathingly funny, scarily smart,…
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Montessori – A Lesson For Parents In Trusting The Child.
Follow the child is a popular hashtag on instagram, but aside from letting kids pick their own books and toys what does it look like in practice? Sometimes it means trusting them when they tell you “I’m ready.”
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A Waste Free Week
Every month this year I’ll be focussing in reducing the waste produced by my household. Between Blue Planet 2, the Latte Levy and plastic free aisles in supermarkets it feels like everyone in the UK is waking up to waste. I decided to start the year by tackling our food waste. I’d be embarrassed to admit how many half used food items are thrown out in my house at the end of every week. It had become something I felt I couldn’t control and a fairly large source of anxiety and guilt for me. Taking the bull by the horns (as opposed to just shutting the fridge door and Parenting…
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Planning a Square Foot Garden – January in the Kitchen Garden
The first in our series on Square Foot Garden, this month looking at how to to plan a SFG and layout your veg in each bed.
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How to Build A Capsule Wardrobe for A Toddler
And easy how to guide for creating a capsule wardrobe for your toddler. What to look for, how to mix and match and what to buy.
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Keeping Chickens In Winter – A Guide to Healthy, Happy, Hardy Hens
If you’re a regular reader of the blog (not sure if I have regulars, say hi if you’re one!) then you’ll know I talk about my chickens a lot. I make no apologies for it, my girls are fabulous and I adore them! They offer the best return on care given of any animal I’ve ever owned. However during the winter it’s nice to offer them a little extra TLC. I am by no means an expert, in fact I suffer from advanced Hen Hypochondria (self diagnosed, naturally), and regularly panic and assume they are on the verge of death or depression. This is advice I have gleaned from the…
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Why There’s No Elf on Our Shelf
Four reasons why we don’t do Elf on the Shelf
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So much for #MeToo
If you’re Irish and you were using Facebook or Twitter during the football Orla Cup Qualifiers in Copenhagen you’ve probably seen the HILARIOUS video of the Irish fans shouting at the woman leaving Victoria Secret. It’s REALLY FUNNY, a group of about 200 drunk men scream at a woman in a language not her own until she shows them the knickers in her bag. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?! If you read that first paragraph with ever increasing blood pressure then congratulations you’re a decent human being. If you think I’m a “f*****g shrew” or “in need of a good ****.” then head on over to Facebook and join the hoards…
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The A-Z of the First Trimester
If you follow us on FB or Insta you might have seen that we are due baby number 2 in May! We are so lucky and so excited! Seeing as this is the second time round I know what’s in store. So here it is, an honest to goodness, I kid you not, this happened to me, guide to what to expect in the first trimester. Pregnancy is a wonderful time, a special time, a peaceful time to bond with the unborn, to cherish your belly and your relish your new glow…allegedly. Here’s what it’s actually like! A – Advice, you’ll get loads of it. Unless the giver has shown…