Sands Between My Toes

I thought I would do a little write up on my weekend just gone. I worked a ten hour shift on Sunday -which was ok as I got to do quite a few bits in the morning like catching up with family - but Saturday was a nice easy day for me and although we did the boring Saturday 'stuff' in the morning we had a chilled afternoon. In the evening I took my eldest to the theatre to watch the musical Jesus Christ Superstar! It was amazing and was made up of a cast of teenagers; they were fantastic and both my daughter and I enjoyed it so much. We don't do many things just the two of us and I thought it would make a nice treat since started Secondary school we could both enjoy the night. She loves drama and it was an interesting play to watch - not only mixing history with modernity, but musical with rock and throw in a whole heap of emotions - I don't think there was a dry eye in the house by the end of the show (I didn't realise how dark the show got!)  I would recommend it if you ever get the chance. Sadly I wasn't able to take any pictures mid show but did sneak a pic of the stage beforehand!

This photo doesn't do any justice!! But the whole experience has made me want to go to the theatre more often. I use to go to the Minack theatre in Porthcurnno every week in the Summer with my Uncle and I loved the whole experience! My dream is to take the children and other half down there - hopefully next year, now that the youngest is older.

Well today I had a day off which was most welcome. I haven't been working as much lately with the holidays and going back to school routines but once last week settled I've been putting in the hours. Today has been productive - I've been for a job interview eeekkk - and so far made a fish pie! And as I was just writing this I was offered the job! It is another relief position - in the similar sector that I work in now but completely different if that makes sense! I'm not giving up on the day job but this is literally a ten minute walk from my home and is better money so it made sense to apply and who knows what will happen. I love the job I do now but it involves a great deal of travelling and the pay is not great, but because I enjoy it so much it does make it worth it. Who knows though...watch this space!
So I've treated myself to a week off. I've been for a lovely walk with a good friend yesterday picking blackberries and apples. It was an unusual walk; one I've not done before which was interesting and I hoping to go back soon. Here are a few photos:



These were the fruits we picked along the way there was a huge apple tree which had dropped so many apples on the floor there was a carpet of them! I made stewed apples in the evening just baking them in the oven for ten minutes then adding brown sugar and a drop of double cream. Yum! The walk is around the Poldice valley in Cornwall. It is really hidden away and popular with bikers for the varied terrain.

And rest.....ah I really wanted to blog more during the summer holidays as I know I've blogged very little lately but here goes! It's the last week of the holidays and we are all gearing up for going back to school here. The air is already turning cooler and darker and there is that feel of Autumn hanging in the air. I'm pretty gutted as I love Summer and feel it has gone all too quickly - but then there is a part of me that can't wait for cosier nights and the build up to Halloween/Bonfire night/Christmas! This is an exciting time of year and the next few months will  be exciting and challenging, I'm sure. My eldest is taking her first step into secondary school and it is going to be such a culture shock. Over the holiday's we have already had a barrage of attitude and mood swings thrown at us so the next six years should be joyful! Then my youngest will no longer be the youngest at primary where she will move into year 1 - and already this summer she looks as thought she has grown up far to fast her independence soaring and her head on those shoulders that little bit taller.
We are just about getting ready for our last camping trip of the season. I should be looking forward to it but apparently the weather is going to be pants (thunderstorms/rain the usual!) and I just dont seem to have any energy - I just cant muster any motivation at the moment - I'm hoping my mojo comes back soon! Perhaps being out of routine has thrown me off course so once school is back in full swing and Autumn rears it's golden head I will feel a little more centred. Here are some photos of our last camping trip. We were so lucky to have a heatwave (Oh my godness!!) the
 whole time we were away and practically lived outside for the week it was lush!
Here's to Summer 2016!

The beach was a ten minute walk away - you can hear the waves crashing onto the beach at night

View from the tent - beautiful sunsets

My dream cottage - how adorable?!!!

We took our new tent the Vango Avington 500 with us. We were excited as it is a big tent but not overly big that you feel like it takes hours to set up - it is ready in about 20 minutes and you can buy an extension for it which we think we will decide to do next year. Hopefully I'll be able to take some shots this week and blog them next week weather approving!

Oh dear....looks like someone hasn't blogged for a rather long while. In my defence I have been stupidly busy juggling work, family life, volunteer commitments....the list goes on but it has been crazy and I wanted to take a breath and  just sit down with my trusty laptop and write about it for a bit!

So - looking back I haven't blogged since March and so much has happened since then. Mainly consisting of work which has taken a front seat. It seems that I don't do things in halves and instead when I do something I do it all guns blazing! For me getting a job meant working part time hours a few days a week that I could juggle effortlessly with family life but we all know it is never that easy. I work as a relief support worker and I must admit I've been picking up work left right and centre which is great but I am looking forward to a week off during the half term!
After 5 years of working from home/extended maternity leave/studying for my degree - I finally took the big next step and applied for jobs. For me I felt ready to move on - both my girls were in full time school and I had worked from home and it just didn't feel 'fun' any more. I use to enjoy working from home and running a small online shop but lately things had become harder and as it became more costly to run there didn't seem to be much reward at the end of the hard work I'd been putting in. I applied for a couple of jobs and because of my family situation (basically sharing childcare between my partner and myself) I was beginning to feel as though finding the right job would be near impossible. I thought about going down the teaching route after graduating but even trying to find volunteer work in a school was a matter of jumping through hoops of fire. For me earning my own money is important and I love the feeling of being financially independent even though my partner and I share everything - nothing quite beats your own hard earn money even if it is only in your bank for a short time! I was offered a couple of jobs but mainly working as a relief worker filling in sickness and so on which at first didn't appeal - I needed guaranteed hours. But then the company I work for now explained that they could almost certainly give me as many hours as I wanted working the hours that I wanted on relief as long as I was willing to chase up the hours it wouldn't be a problem so here I am! I completely let go of my insecurities and jumped into something I knew very little about doing things every day that challenge me and scare me but I love it and am so glad I took a leap in the dark and actually found myself; the person who had been hiding away in the dark for way too long.

There goes another week! Time is flying and there seems to be so much to look forward to over the next few months...Spring/Easter/warmer weather/lighter evenings/flowers in bloom....ah I could go on and on! Well there are exciting times ahead for me as I am looking at going back to work.I have been on a training course this week - it has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone - having to drive miles away, coming home late and just the simple act of walking back into a class room environment, yet it has been great. I have learnt so much and met some great people - sometimes you just need to push yourself do something scary and out there. I'l probably blog more about this over the next month but for now I thought I would post some pics of our weekend. We had a lovely time at a local park and lake then went to a secluded beach for a few hours that was just lovely. It was one of those days whereby you didn't want it to end - for me it is how a weekend should be!






Rounding the day off with a cake and cup of tea - absolutely 'ansome! I am so looking forward to this weekend.I feel like I have stepped back into working full time again - which is great I really love it - although I feel like I need Saturday and Sunday oh so badly now!!

I have always wanted to visit the Maritime Museum in Falmouth. I'm not entirely sure why, as I can't say I'm a huge sailing/boast enthusiast, although I do love the sea. My daughter went a few years ago and came back saying how good it was and I have always found some brilliant reviews online so we thought we would give it a go over the weekend. I have to admit for the entry fee it is such value for money as you pay once and get a year's free entry which makes a rainy day much more interesting. There always seems to be crafts/activities on and when we went we watched a few people abseil down the side of the tower for charity, very brave stuff! As you can see from the photos the girls had a great time and I actually found it really interesting, even the other half did and he isn't always one for museums. Not only did we learn lots but we found climbing the tower fun looking over Falmouth which was beautiful and going below deck to watch the tide come up and have a view of under the sea. We still didn't manage to squeeze everything in so am greatly looking forward to our next trip to the museum
. It is a great rainy day activity, or if the weather is fair the surrounding area of Falmouth is beautiful and there is always so much to do. I would seriously recommend taking a look if ever you get the chance!

The South West coastal path - I love it here.

I feel like the last few months have been full of days of endless rain. It has been so grey and dull outside it makes you feel as though you want to stay inside, wrapped up and hibernate, until Spring appears at least. This week the children have been on half term and the weather has been wonderful. Yes it is cold, but it is February after all. The sun has been shining and the skies have been blue. We have been to the beach and met up with friends. I thought I would share a few photos.

We spent so much time at this little beach in the Summer - I can't wait to go back here soon

Dark skies starting to roll in

Another view of the coastal path

Last one - I promise!

We went on a bit of a geocache hunt this afternoon, we found one out of three which I guess was something! We did manage to walk part of the South West coast path that I have been meaning to walk for ages so I was pleased with that, but the beach at the bottom of the valley was non existent due to the high tide. The girls were desperate to paddle their feet (I think the sun confused them into thinking it was Summer) so we journeyed down the coast to another beach where the tide was less encroaching. All in all it was another lovely day, tomorrow we are meeting with friends again and then the weekend will be upon us...apparently the rain will be back in time for then so I'm determined to make the most of it!

So, it's been half term week and I've been in a rather reflective mood. Firstly it is a BIG birthday for me at the end of this week which I have mixed feelings about, and then I'm also looking at going back into work so it will be all change for our family routine. For the last five years I've been a stay at home mum in between working from home for myself. I can safely say I have loved every minute even though I have feel guilty at times that I am lucky to spend time with my daughters watching them develop and grow. Of course it hasn't been easy and hasn't been without sacrifice. Working from home for myself means that when something goes wrong it is all down to me, in fact working in general is all down to me and working for myself I can truly see that whatever I put in I get back out. For me it has been difficult, especially in the school playground trying to 'fit' in. I'm sure many other mums feel the same and it is like a mine field out there. I enjoy the school runs, and I have made some amazing friends and meet the most inspiring parents, although since going from a full time 'working' mum to a stay at home mum that works from home it is funny how your circle changes. I have noticed that in the playground the stay at homes and the working ones seem to form their own cliques; needless to say I have lost friends but made new ones too. I don't judge in any way shape or form. Life is too short simply. We are all doing the best we can - we are all being parents and it is a hard, muddle, fun, teary journey but hell, it is so worth it. But it does make you think that people's perspective of you changes with your circumstances or your decisions, which seems somewhat judgemental.  It has been difficult for me to return to work as we have no family to help support us and my partner's hours are all over the place. Now that both my daughters are in full time school I gave the working from home a go but the last few months have been stressful to the point that I feel like I'm forever taking two steps forward, one step back. I feel ready to return to work; I want to learn new skills, meet new people and enjoy a sense of doing something for someone else, getting something back, oppose to me working from home having no sense of real achievement. So....this week I have been getting out and about with the children (thank you very much weather, you are back on point!) but also thinking how different things will be when I return to work. I want to make sure I take TIME to enjoy them, enjoy the TIME we spend together and try to make special memories. TIME does fly by to quickly, and as much as I would love to spend weeks like this - no school - no work - no worries (ha) it realistically isn't going to happen, but that is life. It is up to us how we choose to spend our TIME and who we spend it with. For me I'm hoping that working will give me more balance, as I want to try to work when the girls are at school and part time so I can spend time with them on the holidays too. It is a difficult balance to strike, but working will, hopefully, make me appreciate TIME a little more, as it is such a precious gift.

Well, the weather has still been relentless. However, this wasn't going to deter us this weekend. Although we have been planning our zoo trip we had to put that on hold once again, we all got out despite the rain. We had a lovely trip to the beach, throwing stones in rock pools and climbing rocks trying to escape the sea. On Saturday the girls did the indoor play thing with the other half, which gave me a few hours to catch up on work. I'm not a huge indoor play fan and try to avoid them as much as I can, but having said that the kids love them and it enables them to let off steam when the weather is truly against us.
I thought I would include a few photos of our beach trip. I absolutely love the sea, whatever the weather and, although you can see from the photos, there were no blue skies or sun, I still think the light makes for a dramatic picture. For me, going to the beach helps me clear my head. It is so refreshing and there is something about the salty sea air that leaves you feeling much better. Having said that, after our beach jaunt we all come home ready to collapse, I think it feels like we haven't been out to the coast in such a while it knocked us all for six!!

'Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!'......even in the rain! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and managed to get out and about! Have a lovely Monday Love Bec xxx

This weekend was my youngest Birthday. I know it is a cliche and so overused by parents, but really where has the time gone?! Due to the horrendous weather we were not able to go to the zoo as we wanted but instead Freya wanted to go to Pizza Hut so that's what we did!


I thought I would share a few photos. Despite the weather it was a lovely day catching up with family, We hope to go to the zoo this week weather permitting! As I am typing though there is a hail storm going on outside, I am just grateful to be tucked up in the warm.

This year I really didn't want to go over the top with gifts. Freya wanted a baby Annabell doll and Play doh, I also bought her a watch to help her tell the time and a Frozen Lego castle,  although my eldest has been more interested in this! I feel like every year I go over the top a little with the gifts and looking around both of their bedrooms I feel they have so much already. I wanted to give them experiences they could remember, so that is why I want to take Freya to the zoo in Paington which is much larger than our local zoo. Fingers crossed this weekend we will manage it!

I'm in need of cheering up this week as they say bad things always happen in threes and they have indeed!Firstly my car had an oil leak, which is no biggie, but when the mechanic had a fumble around there were a few other bits and bobs that needed fixing, so a quick job to the garage turned into a long three week stay put in the garage and several repair works later I'm still unsure when the car will be fixed, and how much the bill will be! The the washing machine filter snapped over the weekend so I need a new one of those, and while I was cooking the Sunday roast yesterday evening my oven decided it just couldn't take any more of my cooking and packed up. I had to cook the half done potatoes under my grill, which just isn't the same! I have been saying that this year I wanted to buy a new cooker and fridge (oh so exciting!) I just didn't think it would actually pack up first!

Slow Cooker appreciation!

Adding the batter on top of the fruits

So, it seems I've been rather neglectful over the past week with my blog. Please do forgive me good reader, as it is all the fault of the common cold. (And the weather right now too!) I have been really trying to keep us all fit as a family over the last couple of weeks and have been walking the girls to school every day, it is a two mile journey there, so I have been clocking up 8 miles a day when you take into consideration there and back twice! The weather hasn't been so kind on us and with the rain one day to freezing temperatures the next it is all hit and miss and has been playing havoc with my immune system.

Up until now I have not been ill this season which is trophy worthy of me as I'm usually the first to be hit with anything dodgy. While everyone has been coming down with the season's latest germs, we have all managed to miss them, rather smugly I must add. But, here I am with chicken soup in hand (seriously!) and tissues at the ready. It did inspire me though to write something about getting through the cold season, as up to now I think I have done pretty well!

1. Prevention is better than a cure.....
If you look after yourself then you will be in with a much better chance of avoiding the colds that fly around this time of year. We all know this but how many of us actually put this into practice? It is difficult, to make sure we eat healthily and get enough exercise and so on and so forth especially if you are a carer or a parent, but it is crucial. I always think that, even as a mum, when I fall ill then the children suffer too because I am not at my best, so it is paramount to eat well. Plenty of fruit and vegetables, I usually have porridge for breakfast, a light dinner (soup or jacket potato) and a main meal such as a pasta dish or roast for tea.

2. S l e e p
This is my downfall. If I don't get enough I will become run down and end up with a cold for sure. Make sure you get enough, I aim to be in bed for 10pm and I'm usually up around 6.30pm.

3. Vitamins
I swear by vitamin B. I take a vitamin B supplement everyday and I love the way it has dramatically changed my whole well being. I am no longer tired, I can get up in the morning, I feel energised, and it also works wonders for your hair and nails! I do think this has also contributed to my health this winter.

4. Keep warm
It is important to keep warm. When I was younger I would roll my eyes when my Grandparents lectured me to cover up, crop tops were all the rage and I can remember my Grandparents shocked faces when ever they saw me baring an inch of flesh. "You'll catch your death of cold"  they would scold me and I would laugh in the teenager come know it all fashion. However, I do think that being cold and catching a chill do contribute to feel unwell and this in turn leads to a weaken immune system. There is probably some scientific explanation, but that will do for now! Jumper, anyone?


And if all else fails..........stock up on a vitamin C supplement and lemsip, just in case! As soon as I feel a cold coming on then I swiftly take these in order to keep it all at bay, or suppressed at least. I'm off to finish my soup, and then it's school run time for me....in the rain :(

I can' believe the weekend has flown by yet again! January has come and almost gone so quickly. Although I never like to think of wishing time away, I am so ready for Spring now, aren't you? I don't know what the Winter has been like for all of you, but here in Cornwall we have thankfully escaped severe flooding, but experienced so much rain and apparently this week is going to get wetter and windier too! My garden is a water logged mud bath and flower pots are over spilling with rain water it is such a sorrowful sight. So roll on Spring and warmer, drier weather. I cant wait to go camping and playing in the garden with the children; the lighter evenings and eating outside basked in the warm glow of the sun! But I bet once Summer is in full swing again, I'll be looking forward to cosy nights in by the fire. Ah, you just can't win.

Somewhere over the rainbow will be a sunny day....somewhere!

The weekend was another quiet one. I did get to watch a few films that I had be meaning to catch up and watch though. The Intern starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro was a brilliant comedy but with the backdrop of a sweet storyline. I really liked all the characters and the actors were suberb.


Sunday actually brought warmish weather and was wonderful to go for a walk and let the girls play in our soggy garden. they built a den and wanted to sleep in it but I thought this was probably taking things a little too far, after all it still is only January!

Oooh - who loves a pop of colour on their nails? I do..... and I don't. I have a love/hate relationship with nails - there are times when I fancy a change and will paint them and then I paint them and they chip.....you know what I mean, they end up looking a bit tatty but I don't seem to fit time in my day to grab polish remover.....ah silly of me really, perhaps it should be my resolution this year to stay on top of my nails'. But honesty, you can't beat the au naturel look, especially if your nails are kept short, square and healthy looking. For when they aren't....well there is polish! (Just don't get slack with it like I do and they'll look fab!)

So I thought I'd share with you my winter colours that I am loving (when I'm loving polished nails) with you. Beware - these are all on a strict budget. I can't image spending a huge amount of a bottle of polish because I never get a chance to use of the whole bottle anyway and it seems like a waste, especially for the amount of time they are on my nails for.

So without further ado...here are my fave budget polishes!












Poundland.....I'm sorry, did you just say Poundland? (que sniggers to oneself). Yes, I have to be completely honest here Poundland actually don't have a bad selection of polishes. If you don't believe check out these beauties from my megre selection below. And if that hasn't quite got you convinced  then check out this article from Cosmo here!  (seriously! Their blusher is good too!)




















Tanya Burr Selection

I was lucky because I picked this up from a discount store for £3! So these beauties worked out to be £1 each (no prizes for guessing there!) they are super. Really good quality and professional finish. I was super impressed with these, and they are possibly my favourites.

Cherry, Deep Purple and Bold Red

Wilko range

This one is from Wilkos. Good old Wilkos. They have an fairly nice selection in store, similar to Poundland. They go on well and have a nice finish too. However I do find they don't dry as quick as I would have liked but they are just £1.60....so who's complaining?! I actually bought this one a while ago but I've taken a look at their new range and they have some colours that I'm lusting after, like the essence range I love Nail Polish the Nudes. You can have a looky here in my link! 



W7 cosmetics

This was another £1 buy! W7 polish usually retails for around £4, but this was bought at a local discount store. I love the bright bold red, the colour is extreme and perfect for toes or to make a statement. It goes on ok, although can be fairly sticky but the colour is bright and it comes in a nice size bottle.

So there you have a round up of the colours I'm using at the moment. My favourite is the Poundland colour Magic 6, which is the darker brown. Although I'm loving these darker, richer shades I cannot wait for Spring to make an appearance so I can buy some lighter, fresher tones.

I thought I would blog about our weekend. It wasn't hugely eventful, admittedly, however it was nice and we spent some quality time together as a family.

Sugar rush

Firstly on Saturday the girls both were invited to parties, so they were kept busy and sugar induced for the day! (there were candy floss and pop corn booths). Parties are a little out of my comfort zone (surely I'm not the only mum who feels this way?!) although that being said once it is all over I usually think 'now that wasn't that hard really, was it?' It is a great way to socialise and get to know other mums and dads, especially those who are at the school gates which can be a daunting prospect in itself sometimes!

Bike riding with a looming rain cloud present!

Once Saturday was over and the sugar had left their system, Sunday looked like a more chilled day. We didn't have any plans, we didn't need to go anywhere and the weather was pants too which made it the perfect time to just relax and have a slop about in PJs kind of day. In the morning I played cafe with my youngest and my eldest then put on a show with her dolls, after lunch we took the girls out for a bike ride and then decided to chill watching Paddington Bear - which I have to say I really liked! I actually laughed out loud, I thought It was very funny, extremely British but also enduring (and a tad bit scary in places!) All in all a fun family film so if you haven't seen it then I would firmly recommend. We finished Sunday off with a scrumptious roast, it was the perfect end to a lovely, quiet day.


What really summed it up for me though was when I took my eldest to bed that night and she turned to me and said      ' Mummy, I'm really sad because I don't want the weekend to end, I've had a lovely time.' Aww - even though we didn't go anywhere exciting or do anything adventurous it's nice to know that it's the simple things still count.