If there's one thing that being a member of the WI has taught me, it's that there's no such thing as being too old for anything at all! I've met women of all different ages and backgrounds through my time in the WI and it has totally smashed any subconscious views I may have had about what is a respectable age to do things at. It used to be that people, and women in particular, were expected to follow a certain path through life. We'd go to school, leave with some exams, get a "nice little job", find a boyfriend, be courted for a while, get married, give up work, have children and then be a ... read more
How To Maintain A Supportive Relationship With A Loved One In Aged Care
Image via www.thinkstockphotos.com Transitioning a loved one or family member into a care arrangement can be difficult. Communication barriers, physical distance and isolation can all affect the quality of your relationship. In order to maintain the love and support of your relationship there are a few simple actions you can perform which will help to ensure your loved one feels well looked after and cared for - even from a distance. Don’t Be A Stranger Communicate with your loved one frequently. Developing a supportive relationship is easier when you understand their daily routines ... read more
The Importance of Work-Life Balance for Small Business Owners
With the amount of pressure people feel nowadays to make money and reach sometimes unattainable goals, people often devote too much of their time to work. It’s not the type of devotion that employers want to see in those that work for them. It’s devotion that’s more of a chore. It’s not always on just employees either. Sometimes employers overwork themselves without realizing the effect that it has on their employees. You start to resent your job and dread waking up in the morning, knowing that you have to suffer through another day there. If you feel like this, you’re one of many in the ... read more
Going alone, or with the kids?
I'm going to get a tad controversial here today, just a tad, but this is a topic where my thoughts and opinions have definitely changed over the years. Yet, it's a subject that seems to really divide people, no matter which side of the fence you sit on. What's the thorny subject I hear you ask? Is it political? Moral? Well, children and weddings. It shouldn't be that hard to discuss. After all, a wedding is a celebration of love and, what love is stronger than that between parents and their children? Despite this though the question always seems to come up as to whether or not children ... read more
Life Is Hard Enough: Staying Smart
Life is hard, hard enough that one feels like they have the right to complain about how hard it is. Of course, not everyone is as unfortunate and some end up being able to take it easy a bit, but don’t let yourself fall into the mindset that you will never be able to do the same. In fact, even starting tomorrow, you could start making life easier for yourself, because right now, we have opportunities in life which were not around a mere few decades ago. We are living in rather tech-oriented times, and if the fact that the president of the United States keeps impulsively posting on twitter ... read more
Keeping Those Winter Wonderful Memories with Truprint #PicturesIntoPresents
One thing that I love about living here in the UK is the seasons. I just can't imagine living somewhere where the weather is the same all year round. By the time each new season rolls around I'm ready for it. Looking forward to the change and ready to embrace what comes along next. That's why winter for me is so special. After those cosy autumn evenings snuggled up as the weather starts to get colder there's something I love about the cold snap that signal's winter's arrival. As an outdoor lover I love going out with the family in those colder winter days when it's like the frost has taken ... read more
Time to Challenge Yourself?
Image source You have a pretty great life right? You have lots of fulfilling hobbies, a family you love and plenty of things to keep you entertained. But, do you ever wish for more? Not in a dramatic “I’m going to give it all up and join the circus.” kind of way, but in the “ I need to break out of this safe cocoon and try to do more; be more” kind of way? If you do, you’re not alone. So many of us have built up such cosy lives that we basically start to coast. We get up in the morning, feed and clothe the kids, do the school run, work, cook, craft, repeat -you know the drill - and it’s ... read more
Blog On 2017 Christmas Jumper Linky
There's less than a couple of weeks now until I head to Manchester again for the next Blog On conference. I know I've said it before, but Blog On is by far my favourite blogging conference and it's the reason I happily head to the wrong side of the Pennines twice a year. The goodie bags are legendary for starters, but I think that by now I'm enough of a Blog On pro to know how to get the most out of the conference. Not only the planned sessions, but also networking with brands and the other bloggers too. I've also pretty much nailed what you need to take with you. If I'm totally honest ... read more
My 2016 in crochet
Now normally reviews of the year come at the end of the year. It's the kind of blog post that people publish between Christmas and New Year as a sort of round up. That was my plan, but like all the best laid plans it didn't happen. Many reasons, but the biggest one being that by the time we got to that weird period between Christmas and New Year I was just absolutely shattered! I also sat down then with a notebook and realised that I actually did far more in 2016 than I'd realised, and just one blog post wasn't going to do the year justice. So, welcome to what is likely to be the first in a ... read more
My inspiring WI Summer
Yes, I know it's October. And mid-October at that, but I'm still catching up with the very, very long list of things that have been going on in my life that I want to capture here. In a way the summer seems like it was a life-time ago, but strangely it also feels like only a couple of days since it started. And boy did the summer start with a bit of a bang! I've blogged several times on here about the things that I've been getting up to at the lovely Herts Belles WI group that I joined here in St Albans a couple of years ago. Up until earlier this year though I only really went along to ... read more