Blog
Here I will share my latest blog posts with you.
6th March 2025
Holidaying with a Puppy
In all of the years we had our previous Labrador Storm, we never went on holiday with him, we either used a company called Barking Mad which was a brilliant concept, our dog stayed with a host family, was looked after how we would have done, was picked up and dropped off at home and normally came home exhausted!!! If we didn't use Barking Mad, Storm would stay with my parents which was his home from home, my Mum had everything at her house that we had at home (bed, water & food bowls, toys, treats and his food), yes he was a very spolit dog at his grandparents! So we never really had to take anything away with us for him.
2024 brought Copper into our lives and completed our family once again (it had been five years since we lost Storm) and our first holiday was booked four weeks after we collected him. The plan had been to go on holiday first, and then find our puppy, but we found Copper first, completely fell in love with him, so we adapted our holiday plans. We booked to go to Center Parcs, so knew they were dog friendly. We did end up having to change parc due to no dog friendly cabins being available at our original parc. The cabin was amazing, wooden floors throughout, so if Copper had any accidents, and at 12 weeks old, he was still undergoing toilet training, so accidents were likely! There were designated dog walking areas, and you could take your dog to certain restaurants - we didn't use any of those facilities because Copper still had to wait 2 weeks after his final jabs.
So what did we pack to take away with us? I think we left the kitchen sink but packed EVERYTHING else! All joking aside, I did over pack for this holiday. I wanted to make Copper as comfortable as possible with ALL of his things, so it was a home away from home. So I packed his crate - he didn't even sleep in it! His toys, he played with the same three all week, blankets he didn't want, the list goes on and on.
The things I packed that did work really well - I premeasured all of his food, instead of having to take the huge bag of dry food. I took floor wipes, kitchen towel and poo bags to help clean up the inevitable accidents.
The first holiday with Copper was a real learning curve, and taught me what he really needed. So, packing for Cornwall in November was so much easier. there was no crate, no full basket of toys, no excessive amounts of treats that he couldn't possibly eat. We pcked his favourite 4 toys, premeasured food, towels to dry him off after his beach walks, his lead, his harness, coat (because it was near the end of November), his food and water bowls along with the mat to put them on. It was a lot more streamlined.
The other things I would mention about holidaying with a puppy or fully grown dog is do your reasearch of the journey - how long will it take? Where can you stop safely with a dog? For our journey to Cornwall, I knew it like the back of my hand as we used to live there, so it was a journey I had done many times and knew the best places to stop. I can't recommend Gloucester Services on the M5 enough, they have a designated dog walking area, lots of bins available for dog waste and a fantastic coffee for my husband. I also knew that the journey would take around 7 hours, so made sure to pack food for Copper (only half a portion, so not to overload his stomach), and plenty of water.
Once at your holiday destination, where are the best walks for your dog? Again for us in Cornwall we were staying near to where we used to live, so knew the area really well and also knew that in November dogs were allowed on the beach (there are restrictions during the summer months). That's where we took Copper every day and he LOVED it!
Are there any dog friendly places you can take your dog whilst you are away? Such as restaurants, cafes, pubs or shops? The other thing I would check is are there any restrictions within your accommodation? We stayed in a beautiful cottage, that was dog friendly, but once we got there, we found out that dogs weren't allowed upstairs, which might not seem that big of an issue, but Copper has always slept upstairs with us!
So, to conclude my holiday essentials for travelling with a puppy/ dog are:
- floor wipes
- kitchen wipes
- kitchen towel
- food and water bowls
- mat for bowls (if you use one)
- toys - favourites only
- food (pre portioned to make life easier, and safe space in the car)
- treats
- towels
- poo bags
- water bottle and bowl for the car
- blanket
- lead & harness
- coat if going away in autumn/ winter
- food/ treats for the journey, especially if it's going to be a long journey
I hope this helps you not to overpack like I did on our first trip! If you thinks of anything else to add to the list please let me know.
13 February 2025
15 Lists to Write at the Beginning of the Month
Following on from my last blog 2025 The Year of Me, I wanted to find more ways I could increase my organisation.
I recently read an article written by Korra-Shay (April 4, 2021)https://korrashay.com/2021/04/04/15-lists-to-write-at-the-beginning-of-the-month/ on Pinterest about 15 lists to write at the beginning of the month, because as I have said 2025 is going to be the year of me. The lists included in the article are:
- Goals for the month
- A running shopping list of things you need to buy
- A master to do list
- Budget list - include expenses and income tracking
- Meal planning/ Meal prepping lists
- Monthly cleaning projects
- Pantry, Fridge and Freezer list
- Any appointments or meetings you need to do
- Fitness plan list/ goals
- Emails to send
- Errands to run list
- Bills to pay and when they are due
- Books you want to read/ Shows to watch list
- Restaurants to try list
- 30 Day challenge
I actually found that I already used a couple of the suggested lists, but that doesn't mean that there isn't room for improvement! If I can create great habits/ systems, then maybe they will rub off onto my son and get him set up in a positive way before he leaves home (which is a few years off yet, but if I start early...)
The article was more than just a list of lists, it gave a detailed summary of benefits to writing lists. I highly recommend that you give it a read.
By reading this article myself, it has definitely given me lots of ideas on how to expand my list making - I think I might add a list of clothes in my wardrobe with photos, so I can potentially create outfits with out having to go out and buy more clothes, a capsule wardrobe if you like.
Now I am fully aware this isn't going to happen overnight, and for good habits to form, you need to be repetitive for it to become second nature, but I am more than willing to put in the hard work to make 2025 productive and MY year.
The lists I already use are:
4 - Budget List merged with 12 - Bills to pay and when they are due.
5 - Meal Planning, something I have done for years, but will incorporate the Meal Prepping lists
7 - Pantry, Fridge and Freezer Inventory list. I have made a freezer list for years, because it helps with meal planning and keeping costs down when preparing the shopping list. I will nowever, be includingthe fridge and pantry/ cupboard to my list.
The lists I want to try are:
1 - Goals for the month
2 - A running shopping list of things you need to buy
3 - A master to do list
6 - Monthly cleaning projects
7 - Pantry & fridge list
8 - Any appointments or meeting you need to do
9 - Fitness plan list/ goals
10 - Emails to send
13 - Books you want to read/ Shows to watch list
15 - 30 Day challenge
I am looking forward to the challenge, and as always I will keep you updated with my progress or fails.
Hearing Test results from November 2023, showing my hearing has deteriorated.
21 Jan 2025
2025 The Year of Me
2025 is going to be The Year of Me! and whilst that might sound a bit self centered and self absorbed, I am neither of those, but I do need to find me again.
The last couple of years haven't been the easiest for me or my family, and that was down to a shock diagnosis that I received. I started 2023 going to Boots Opticians to get my hearing checked, as I had some concerns regarding the hearing in my left ear, and rightly so after seeing the test results! To cut a long story short, I was referred to ENT, given a hearing aid and sent for a MRI to rule out anything untoward. This is where the shock diagnosis comes. The MRI scan found a brain tumour. After a few scary weeks, I spoke to my consultant, it was decided that as the tumour was small, we would monitor and rescan in 2024.
May 2024, I had another MRI scan, another meeting with my consultant where we were told that my tumour had not only grown, but it had also doubled in size and was now pressing on my brain stem, which brings its own set of challenges! On top of all of that the hearing has virtually gone completely in my left ear. The size of the tumour meant we were passed the monitor and rescan stage! I had two options - brain surgery or a form of radiotherapy which I would have to go to Sheffield for - I opted for the radiotherapy as it is less invasive and a far quicker recovery time.
I had the radiotherapy at the end of October 2024, and after a month of being extremely tired, I feel absolutely fine. I just have a two year wait to see if the treatment has worked.
Now I don't want to come across as though that any of this hasn't affected me in anyway, I can assure you that it did. When I first received my diagnosis, I as a mess! But I have a son with special needs who needs me, so I had to come to terms with my diagnosis quickly and look for the positives - which are this isn't cancerous, it won't kill me, and yes I might have days where I am particularly off balance and very dizzy, but I can have a normal life with this tumour.
This leads me onto why 2025 is going to be the year of me. I need to get my acid reflux under control again, so I will be looking at ways I can do that, and whiclst I'm doing that, I will be looking at how I can reduce my blood pressure. I know reducing my stress levels will help both my acid reflux and blood pressure, so finding ways to do that is essential.
I want to get back into exercise again, it's something I have always enjoyed, and for some reason has fallen to the wayside - time or lack of? For Christmas I actually got a pair of walking boots, an incentive to get back outside again! I am very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country, with lots of amazing walks on my doorstep, along with The Lake District just over an hours drive away. The best part it's a free activity that the whole family can do including Copper.
I also think I need to induldge in a little self-care, not quite sure how I will approach this yet. Taking myself away to read a book for half an hour? Maybe start journalling? Or restart a hobby? Learn how to meditate? Although I don't know if I have the patience for that!
Once a week I will definitely be doing a face mask, followed by a hand and foot mask, when I find my favourite masks, I will share them with you.
By doing all or at least some of these things I have mentioned I should hopefully get my health back on track.
My other goal for 2025 is to be more organised. I used to be, but over the last few years my organisation has disappered a little. My Mother-in-Law asked me to put together a folder to help her get organised...like me, for her Christmas present, which of course I did, and I accepted the huge compliment she gave me, but I did feel like a bit of a fraud because my organisation has been lacking to say the least. Am I putting unnecessary pressure on myself with everything I've been through in the last two years, probably, but if I can get things back to where they were, life will run so much more smoothly!
So what am I wanting to get put in place?
Number One has definitely got to be birthdays and Christmas. It has been known for me to buy ALL of my birthday cards for the year and Christmas cards in the January sales. I was even know to buy Mother's Day presents and possibly birthday presents in the sales as well. So, to get that back on track I have set up a spreadsheet with the cards I need to get, cards I have and the dates they are needed.
I have a list of post it notes to put in my diary throughout the year to prompt me to get organised. They start in June with put together a birthday and Christmas list and start buying bits for Advent calendars. All of my famliy birthdays are at the tail end of the year, starting in September so by starting in June, it spreads th cost a little more. These post it notes also include when to make the Christmas cake and start prepping the Christmas food.
My son thrives on routine, so I would like to build a routine that includes completing all household chores, his home education and meal planning (I have meal planned for years for a number of reasons - it saves money, stops me picking a food and actually eat a meal! and it helps my son knowing what he has for each meal). If that can be achieved, then it will free up our weekends for more fun stuff!
Another one of my goals for 2025 is to spend one day a month filling the freezer with sweet treats, and another day a month filling the freezer with meals, again this all stems back to being more organised and making my days easier and more streamlined.
It might seem like I have a lot of goals for 2025, and I probably do, but I honestly feel like if I can achieve them, then 2025 will truly be The Year of Me!
I will keep you updated along my way and share with you my favourite products and recipes along the way.
21 Dec 2024
Our Christmas
Traditions
I may be a little late to the party, as it is the last weekend before Christmas, but I thought that I would share some of my family's traditions, this year's Christmas menu including dessert, our favourite treats and this years' table setting.
Twelve years ago we had the best early Christmas present when we finally brought our then three year old son home to his forever home, he was one of the final adoption placements before Christmas. This is where many of our Christmas traditions started.
Let me be perfectly honest, before our son arrived my husband and I didn't even own a Christmas Tree! Let me put that into perspective - we worked in the hotel industry, we would definately be working Christmas Day, and had been "celebrating" Christmas twice a week since the beginning of November with ALL of the decorations, dinners, carols etc., so the thought of Christmas at home as well, well we needed a break from it!
That thought did change when we found out about our son, we bought a Christmas tree, the decorations and a few crafts to do, which leads me onto our first Christmas tradition. I still have the tree topper we made 12 years ago, and much to my son's embarrassment, bring it out every year to put on the top of the tree. It might be a bit tatty now, but it means the world to me and I will use it until I can use it no more.
When I was little my mum made my brother and I a Christmas Tree Advent Calendar each and filled it the pockets with treats and little toys, I don't ever remember having a bought chocolate advent calendar, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything, so I knew that I wanted to carry on the homemade advent calendar tradition with my son. I found a wooden train advent calendar (my son loved trains) and lovingly decorated it (I won major Mum points that year). Each year since I fill it with treats, they have changed somewaht over the years as my son has got older, last year he requested a hot chocolate advent calendar.
We always make a trip to Lidl at Christmas to buy their caramalised almonds (in bulk) and bags of the Lebkuchen, unfortunately they didn't have the almonds, they had peanuts instead, which I'm allergic to, so they stayed on the shelf! The Lebkucken hasn't made it to Christmas this year, but that is the only overindulgence we have partaken in this year...so far!
Christmas Day, I set up a hot chocolate station with the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser, a selection of hot chocolates (becauce my husband and son like different flavours), marshmallows are a must, along with fancy squirty cream (we discovered the French brand Predident had a can of squirty cream available in this country), and sometimes I'll get a flavoured syrup as well. Alongside the hot chocolate staion, I'll set up a selection of snacks. This year we have Walkers Shortbread (they do the best gluten free shortbread), Cadbury's Roses for me, Celebrations for my husband and son, Nairn's gluten free mini cheese bakes and some Cheddars for my husband and son. Now this may sound indulgent, but it will last a few days, and it means we can all have some of our favourites. It's also not something we do at any other time of the year.
This year we are not going for the tradtional Christmas dinner, none of us are overly keen on turkey, and my husband only has Christmas Day and Boxing Day off this year, so we didn't fancy spending one of those days in the kitchen! So we have been to the butchers and bought the best quality steak we can afford, I'm going to get the deep fat fryer out of it's box and make proper chips, make homemade onion rings for husband and child, and a peppercorn sauce from scratch. This meal is just a special to us as a roast would be, because it's not something we have often. Dessert will be homemade sticky toffe pudding with a homemade toffee sauce, agani I know it's not traditional, but my son doesn't like Christmas Pudding, so I have bought individual ones for my husband and I to have on Boxing Day.
This year I decided that I wanted to invest in a set of "good plates" for when we entertain. Don't get me wrong, I love my everyday plates and saved for a longtime to buy them (we have a Denby dinner service, which I found at a price too good to leave nearly 6 years ago). Along with the plates, I also bought some nice wine glasses, contrasting cutlery and proper cloth napkins with some Christmassy napkin rings.
After A LOT of searching and review reading, I found the plates I like at Next - 12 piece natural spekle Oakley dinner set (B12-802) £48. I aso bought the wine glasses from Next - Green Hollis wine glasses (QL-1017) £28, these are unfortunately currently unavailable. I found the cutlery, napkins and napkin rings in Dunelm. The cutlery is the Churchgate Ashwell 16 piece cutlery (30897312) £20, I chose the bottle green Isabelle napkins £7, and the Christmassy napkin rings are no longer available on the website, in fact I got the last 2 pairs from my local store. The placemats I've used are ones I bought last year (I think) from John Lewis, which really pull everything together. I feel I must point out that everything mentioned above has been bought and paid for using my own money.
However you celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a happy, healthy. and safe one.
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