Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

Enjoying time at home – yes still!

Now that schools have opened again fully I am back to having at least some time by myself. It is absolute bliss!

I mean, sure, I am working for most of it. But even to be able to do that without the constant snack requests or questions or having to wade in to break up the latest argument.. well, it is something I am very much enjoying!

It has also meant that when I have a day off on the weekend I can once again look forward to it. Nothing is open round here as yet but it almost feels like we can spy the finish line now so it is not too bad.

We are still loving a bit of baking and have perfected our cookie game now.

I had my vaccination this week so that has probably boosted my mood too. Just the knowledge that I will be even a little bit protected feels very good. I also feel lucky that my parents and my sisters have all been invited for theirs too. It is all just a bit more of a weight off.

There is a small little voice in the back of my mind which is niggling me. I wasn’t brilliant at social interaction before all of this and now that I am out of practise I’m not sure how it will feel to be back and mixing with the general population.

A massive positive though that I keep reminding myself is that everyone is just as out of practise at this as I am. We are pretty much all starting on an even footing really.

I expect there will be lots of awkward conversations and plenty of those little both-dodge-the-same-way street interactions. Probably plenty of family members putting their foot in their mouth over sensitive subjects and lots of Mums sidling up to each other to feel that connection with someone with whom we share common ground in the form of mud covered gremlins hurling themselves down the slide like they forgot how much fun a play park can be.

Despite being slightly anxious about all of this. I am also rather looking forward to it. I just have to work on my masks-on eyebrow wiggle greeting I think.

And for my next trick… the juggle!

It’s been a bit of a year, hasn’t it? I don’t just mean good old Rona and the never ending story that is lockdown. Just everything. My children are now 19, 15 and 6. I haven’t seen my eldest, Col, properly, since last September when we had to take our lovely beagle to be put down.

I miss him very, very much. He lives with his Fiancée across town now. We haven’t really even been able to celebrate them getting engaged yet. He used to be a carer which worried me massively because of all of the contact he was having with so many people. Thankfully now he has a job as a contact tracer which means he is working from home. That, at least, is a little reassuring.

Bess is plugging away with her schoolwork. We just got her report. In a way I wish I had done what a friend of mine did and requested that they didn’t send it home. Thankfully Bess is a good student and is on course to get very high marks but I don’t really think measuring them in terms of grades is at all helpful right now. Our kids are living something which is unimaginable and we are still using the same way to measure progress? No, no thank you. I don’t care what she is currently getting in Maths or Dance. I want to know she is managing ok with so little social interaction. Is she keeping up friendships that she will need later? Does she have people her age to vent to about being stuck in the house with us oldies?

Is she coping? Are any of us?

Moose is a different breed to be honest. In a lot of ways he appears to prefer lockdown. We have tried to keep everything upbeat as much as possible so it is fun for him but he really likes home school and never complains so I think we are quite lucky really in that respect. We have good support from his teacher. He does miss his friends and I have made sure that he has video calls regularly with his cousin and his best friend. He absolutely loves those chats. Next week his teacher has organised a little Zoom meeting so that her class can all see each other. He is going to love that!

Boy in the snow in a yellow coat

G is working from home and will be for the forseeable future I think. Can anyone actually imagine that we are all going to return to offices after all of this and work like we did before?! I can’t see it. We are getting on better at the moment than I think we ever have. It’s actually really nice. Maybe we are both just too worn out to pick fights? Maybe seeing what the other does all day has stripped out some of the resentment I suspect was bubbling before lockdown happened. He got to escape, I got to stay home. I dunno. Whatever the reason, I like it.

And me?

I have had the biggest change I think. At the beginning of lockdown G was made redundant. With him being the main breadwinner this was problematic to say the least! I decided that it would be best if I took a look online to see what jobs were around and managed to snag a job as a contact tracer within 30 mins of starting to look! That contract ran it’s course and that was that. Luckily my old manager pointed me in the direction of new contracts with them and I got back into it. There I was happily doing that and home schooling Moose until last month when I got a promotion.

I am now working as a Quality Coach and I absolutely love it! I mean, looking forward to going back after a couple of days off love it. The ideal would be that this continues on a permanent work from home basis but who knows. I am still making cake toppers and writing too so for the first time in quite a long time my life feels quite full and a lot if it is things that make me happy!

Working and kids

I am not going to pretend it is all plain sailing. Going from being completely freelance to having structured working hours and attending meetings has taken a bit of getting used to. For me and for my children. Moose said to me a few weeks ago that he wished I didn’t have a job. That stung a little bit to be honest. I need this though, having a regular income and a job I genuinely like doing has done masses for my mental health.

I know it is a little selfish on my part but I don’t want to give that up. It hurts that Moose felt that way but I have stepped up the time we do have so we “do” more. Well, as much as we can do right now I guess. I think it will be ok though. It has to be really.

So at the moment I am working a 40 hour week but making sure that on my days off we are spending time together. I would love to be able to take him out and about again but that will come in time. For now it’s a Scooby Do style repeat of baking, Lego, movies and Minecraft.

For now that seems to be enough and if I can just be enough then I think I am ok with that.

 

 

 

2021 Staycation planning

This post is in collaboration with hotels.com but all opinions remain my own

I realise that I could be tempting fate here given what has (or rather more pointedly has not) happened in 2020. However, I am sitting here and looking out to my frosty garden dreaming of getting away. Yes we are in tier 2 here in Cambridgeshire so things have begun to reopen locally but I still feel like my wings are clipped.

One of my favourite things to do is to get away with my family and top of our list for 2021 is London.

I’m not gonna lie, the thought of sun drenched beaches is tempting. Honestly though, I can’t help but to err on the side of caution. I am thinking a UK break will be just what we need.

Moose has been learning about London landmarks at school. He asked me the other day if we could go for a visit to see Big Ben. I think it would be so much fun to take the kids down to the capital. Maybe stay in a nice family friendly hotel close to the museums?

Earlier this year and before all of the madness began. I took Bess down to London for the day. We had lunch on Leicester Square, went to see the Be More Chill musical and took funny selfies at Trafalgar square. Afterwards we also venture to Camden Market which Bess absolutely loved. Exploring the markets with a teenager was great fun.

We all know that outdoors is best

It would be great to go and explore some of the parks. I think that there are so many things to do outdoors in London that it would be a great choice for a post Covid 19 restrictions trip. We will all still be a bit more careful of course so I would imagine that some practical social distancing rules will remain. That’s quite reassuring to me.

High up on my list of places to take Moose will be Big Ben and of course the Natural History Museum. The Science Museum will be a big hit with him too. I think we will also book a trip to The Sky Garden. Moose would love to explore the gardens and the views would be fabulous from up there!

I will definitely be travelling by train. We are only 45 minutes by train to London!

Further afield?

The thought of dealing with foreign travel is not a pleasant one for me at the moment. I would be up for going back to Guernsey on holiday though. All the charm without the hassle. You don’t even need a passport to go!

We stayed on Guernsey last year and it was so beautiful. It was my return to the island after spending many idyllic childhood holidays there. It did not disappoint.

 

How to financially plan for Christmas

It’s no secret that Christmas can be one of the most expensive times of the year. With presents to buy and huge food shops to tackle, the festivities can put strain on your bank account. If you’re keen to manage your finances well this Christmas, you’re in the right place. Here, we’ll explore how to plan your spending and top tips for cutting costs.

festive table

Be realistic with what you can afford

Many people feel tempted to splash the cash during the festive season – from indulging in luxury food to buying expensive designer gifts. But spending more than you can afford may put you in financial difficulty, particularly if you build up debt. The key is to be realistic with what you can afford to keep your finances healthy through Christmas and beyond. To do this successfully, you need to set yourself a budget for food, gifts and any other festive things, which we explain below.

Set yourself a budget and stick to it

When it comes to successfully managing your finances at Christmas, you should set yourself a spending budget and stick to it. Take a look at your finances and see how much disposable income you have to spend, or any savings you’ve got that you’d be happy to use over the festive period. It’s wise to follow the 50/30/20 budget rule, which divides your income into 50% for essentials, 20% on debts and savings, and 30% on anything else. If you follow this, you could use 30% of your income over the festive season on tasty treats, presents and other goodies.

shopping bags

Cut costs by making homemade gifts

Are you keen to cut costs this Christmas? With many people across the country facing financial strain due to the coronavirus pandemic, you’re certainly not alone. One simple way to cut costs is to make your own gifts this year, rather than fork out on expensive presents. You could bake homemade cakes or cookies. Why not create a piece of artwork if you’re particularly creative, or even make your own candles in your kitchen. The options are almost endless!

Shop around for the best deals

Another easy way to save money at Christmas is to shop around for the best deals. If there’s a specific item you want to buy as a gift, look at various retailers. See if they have any offers you can take advantage of. Of course, this doesn’t only apply to present shopping, but food shopping too. If you have time, check out any deals supermarkets have on your favourite festive treats. Maybe you can get what you need for the best possible prices.

By effectively managing your money over the Christmas season, you can enjoy the festivities without having a financial hangover to face in the new year.

10 Benefits of Board Games

Family games have always been a feature of downtime for us and especially at Christmas when we have lots of time to relax together. We love nothing more than grabbing a board game and having good old fashioned family fun. 

This year has really been the year of the board game. From old favourites to new educational games. It really does feel like we have played them all this year. We have definitely had the time to! 

Now that I have started shopping for Christmas gifts for my family I will definitely be looking at The Works for great board games gifts as well as books! There are so many ways every member of the family can benefit from board games and here are just a few of the best reasons to start playing together

Board games are a great way to unplug

Sometimes you need to reconnect. A great way of doing that is to put away the screens. The complete lack of technology required by most board games makes them a great tool to help bring people together. Not only do you have to sit together to play a game but everyone benefits from the emotional connection of playing together.

Board games give kids an opportunity to teach adults

You can really only teach something if you know it well enough yourself. Let your child teach you how to play a game. Not only will you have fun but it will really help to build their confidence. 

This year for Christmas I have bought Moose a game of Downfall and also Perfection. I love these games from my childhood but he doesn’t need to know that. I plan to let him teach me how to play both of them. 

Board games teach kids how to be (good) losers

There are always going to be hard lessons to learn and not many of us have made it through life without having to lose sometimes. Yes, playing a game of Monopoly together can be tense but learning how to lose is a really important life skill to have. 

Board games promote literacy

Most board games involve reading. Whether that is questions on a card, instructions to learn how to play or something else. There is always something to read. Why not encourage little ones to hone their skills by reading aloud to other players.

Board games encourage teamwork

A massive plus point of board games is that often they are suitable for different ages. Being able to work as a team with others from different age groups is a skill that your children will need over and over again throughout their life.

Board games help with Maths skills

One of our favourite board games this year is a maths based game called Sum Swamp. It is a very simple concept but in order to move around the board you have to do sums. Games like this one are incredibly educational. It’s great to see kids enjoying maths and now we also incorporate sums into older games too. For example, when we play Snakes & Ladders we use the sums dice from the Sum Swamp game. Suddenly Moose has had an easy 30 minutes of Maths with zero effort.  

Board games help kids to understand how others think

Most board games involve tactical thinking. A lot of them cannot be played without thinking ahead. Playing board games together is a great way to show children that not everyone thinks the same way and that’s a lesson that will come in handy over and over again.

Whether it’s by perfecting their poker face or thinking ahead these are excellent skills to have. Games like Chess are classic and are awesome for building on tactical thinking skills.

Board games are a good alternative to time out

Sometimes when children act out it is a sign that they need you. In fact, I would say that sometimes is a bit of an understatement. Of course there are situations where a time out is absolutely appropriate. However, it makes sense that the more you use a particular method of discipline, the less impact it has. 

The next time your children are playing up why not try getting a game out and switching off distractions and just seeing what kind of an effect it has on you all. Most games have a level of structure to them so they act as a great opener for better communication too.

Board games help build the attention span

I think screens are generally a positive thing for us and our children. However. One of the massive downsides is the sheer number of distractions. The result of this is a notable decrease in everyone’s attention span. Not just children, adults too. 

Playing a board game from start to finish without allowing distractions from phones or tv most definitely helps to increase concentration and in turn it will also help to lengthen anybody’s attention span.

I love this Ted talk about the brain benefits of playing games