Last week we had a new addition to our tribe in the form of a Springer Spaniel Beagle cross pup called Bonnie.

The plan was to wait it out and start looking for a new dog maybe at some point early next year. As it turns out that was a crap plan and I really had underestimated the difference a dog makes to my health.

Since losing Fudge last September my physical and mental health has nosedived. I am just a much better human when I have a dog around!

So, last week I had a ping on my phone and saw a post from a guy who was fairly local and who was having to find a new home for his dog. Not her fault or his, unfortunately his very young daughter had allergies so it just wasn’t working out.

I messaged him and told him all about us. I had everything crossed as I had obviously already fallen for her photo. In my defence it would have been hard not to.

A few hours later we were on our way to meet them both. Now, I had not intended to take Bonnie home the same day. I was just going to go along and see her in person (in dog?) and generally just see whether we were a good match.

It is pretty common knowledge that I have little patience at the best of times and zero chill whatsoever when it comes to dogs. As soon as I saw her I was sold.

Her (previous) owner suggested we go for a walk and over the course of the next half an hour told me all about Bonnie and how clearly gutted he was to be having to find her a new home.

Next stop, home!

Needless to say there was never any doubt in my mind where Bonnie belonged. She simply had to come home with me and luckily her previous owner agreed!

Over the course of the last week we have learnt so much about Bonnie

Things she loves :

• Cheese
• Sleeping
• Water
• All of the treats
• Snuggling on the sofa
• Rubbing herself against hedges as we walk
• A stuffed Pheasant we have named Clucky
• Very long walks
• Other dogs

Things she definitely does not love:

• Birds
• Cats
• Being brushed (it’s a mitt which she just about tolerates)
• Sleeping in.
• The magnetic dog gate (which worked for 15yrs with Fudge) which Bonnie pushed down within 5 minutes in a very indignant fashion

In the last week we have only had 1 very early morning wake up call where she started howling and crying at 4am. She hasn’t done it since though so hopefully it was a one off.

Bonnie is absolutely the dog I had pictured when I was missing company. She follows me everywhere and is such a sweet girl. We have already broken our no dogs on the sofa rule. She doesn’t shed too much and she is very good to cuddle up to in the evenings. The rule was stupid anyway..

On the plus side for me, my step count has soared! We go all over the place and it’s going to be so much fun to take her to the beach and to other places further afield. I am already making lists of dog friendly places local to us.

I cannot wait to introduce her to her doggy cousins Bonzo and Rosie! We are off to the dog park during the week to let them run wild (ish) and I know she is going to love it!

Bonnie worked previously in a school helping the children with anxiety and I think (especially with her being a lockdown pup) that this has really helped with her socialisation.

I honestly feel like I have won the doggy lottery!

New Ideas To Update Your Living Room

The living room is one place where we all spend a lot of time. So, it’s hard to ignore when the space becomes dated. It can prevent you from being able to fully relax and unwind. You may not be ready to completely redecorate the room or buy a whole new set of furniture. But making a few updates or having a restyle can work just as well. If this sounds like a good solution to you, then here’s a few ideas to help get you motivated.

Remove dated features

If your living room or lounge is dominated by dated features such as woodchip wallpaper, old fashioned light fittings or an ugly gas fire, it can spoil the look of the room. These can be tricky to remove but will undoubtedly help transform it. Especially if they don’t fit in with the character of your house or the rest of your décor. If you’re removing a gas fire, you will need a certified gas engineer. And changing light fittings may require the help of an electrician. However, things like outdated wallpaper you can do yourself. It may just take a bit of time and elbow grease.

Move things around

Having a good old move around of the furniture can give an almost instant refresh to a living room. But you don’t need to stick to just the furniture. Why not restyle the shelves too? Some people like to reorganise their books by spine colour, others like to go for a more eclectic collection of knick-knacks. Do whatever you feel like! And don’t forget about the walls. Swap your artwork around. Whether it’s moving your existing pictures to a different wall or even switching your pictures between rooms.

Add a new colour

Introducing a new colour is another good way to refresh a room. You don’t need to go overboard or change your existing scheme. Simply add a few pops of one colour to brighten up the room. It could be a few cushions and candles, or a throw and a few picture frames. It won’t cost much to do either. You could go a little further if you wish and add a new accent colour by painting one wall, adding a new rug and tying it into the cushions, throws and ornaments. Just be careful to add a colour that complements the existing décor.

Both MrG and I suffered with our ears as children. No surprise then that we are hyper aware when it comes to our own kids’ ear health. So far we have actually been pretty lucky. 

Unlike tummy upsets which we have encountered many times. We have only really had a couple of occasions to worry about our children’s ear health.

The time that stands out in my memory is when Bess used to love to swim. She got so many ear infections it was ridiculous. Luckily we had a walk in centre which we could access pretty easily when the GP was booked up (and aren’t they always?!) 

The worst bit

I do remember how uncomfortable the ear infections used to make her though and most of the time the only answer was a prescription of antibiotics and just a waiting game until the pain subsided. It did not make it any easier though when she would be up in the middle of the night crying her little heart out for some kind of relief. 

Ears are pretty low maintenance when you really think about it anyway. You don’t need to brush them and as long as you are aware of issues which might arise you are basically set. 

Do not insert things into your ear

I know that it can be difficult to restrain yourself when you can feel the wax and you have cotton buds in the cupboard but, really, don’t do it.

The ear drum is very very delicate and more often than not if you try to remove wax with a cotton bud you will just push it further down causing untold issues down the line. 

Luckily Auris Ear Care offer ear wax removal in London alleviating the need for you to have a go yourself. Some thing’s are worth trying to DIY but some, like this, are most definitely not! 

Swimmers ear

This was the issue that Bess had and what brought on the ear infections she suffered with as a small child. It is so important to keep your ears dry.

Swimmers Ear is an infection in the ear canal. Bacteria thrive in warm, dark and damp conditions and that is exactly why you are prone to Swimmers Ear if you get water in your ears when bathing or swimming. 

It is useful to keep your ears dry but of course that is pretty difficult to do when you are in an actual swimming pool.. Another good idea would be to purchase a set of earplugs to wear when swimming. 

Allergies and the weather

One thing I have always been aware of is just how much my ears are affected in cold weather. As soon as there is a bit of a breeze and the temperature outside drops I can feel it in my ears. 

I guess when you think about it there isn’t much to protect them. Unlike the rest of my body which has a layer of insulation. Our ears have nothing really. So as soon as the cold wind blows then problems can arise. Best to cover those ears in the cooler months. 

MrG and I also get hayfever. Both of us suffer pretty badly and I can definitely feel a difference in my ears. 

As well as pollen. Household dust and pet dander can also be a trigger and those allergies can make you feel rotten. They can affect your ears as well as your eyes, nose and throat. Symptoms can range from itching, swelling, difficulty hearing and earaches. 

Try not to fly with a cold

I absolutely love flying but do you ever get a pain in your ears during or after a flight? Usually the pressure in your ear is equal to the pressure outside. However, when you are taking off and landing on a flight that pressure is unequal due to a blockage in the Eustachian tubes. It’s called Aeroplane Ear and it can be really painful! 

 If you experience this try to chew, swallow or yawn as it helps to equalise the pressure when landing. If you do have a cold then try to take an oral decongestant before you fly. 

Keep the volume down

Music and machinery can expose us to over the safe noise limit – 85 decibels (dB) for long periods. MP3 players in Europe have a default limit of 85 dB. As a general rule of thumb, if other people can hear your headphone music then it’s too loud! (Remember that the earbuds on MP3 players funnel the sound waves directly into the ear.) Long-term exposure to high volume levels can gradually wear out the tiny hair cells of the inner ear that convert sound into nerve signals that go to the brain.

Take breaks if you must listen to music through earbuds, and try out noise-reducing headphones. Don’t fall asleep with earbuds in and make sure your devices are set at 60 decibels or lower – the level of normal conversation.