Awareness Days

I use Awareness Days all the time for engagement, linking up and creating great stories and connections. Naturally, some hit me very personally too. Today is one of those days, and it’s been tough #worldpizzaday. Pizza Lover Issac loved pizza, which was a miracle after a long illness and fear of food for many years. We gave the gorgeous brooches in … Read More

Plans for 2023

A-Z in 2023 (too cheesy?). Being a little bit organised is one way I manage grief. It helps me to feel somewhat in control of the world, or at least our tiny bit of it. Feeling in control has been a real issue for me. When the world stopped back in 2019, the harsh reality that our actions had little … Read More

The Gift of Not Giving

Eh? The gift of not giving sounds a bit odd, right? This comes up every year, so I’ll tackle it again for people who are still baffled. Or maybe you’re new here… We don’t buy our kids any Christmas presents, and that’s OK. A few things to clarify quickly before you unfollow:🤶 We love being festive, this is not a … Read More

Powerful Words

I’ve been talking to my daughter this week about powerful words and the importance of language. It’s a topic I like to wax lyrical about, and often covered while teaching. Not just the words we say out loud, although they are undoubtably powerful, but also the words we keep inside. One word I have been using more over the last … Read More

Helping Children after the Death of the Queen.

So, I thought it might be helpful to consider some likely questions or conversations and take a moment to think about responses. Helping children to understand and manage their emotions, can also help us as adults to think deeply too. As always, keep discussions age appropriate and use language they already know. There are other useful resources on the site, … Read More

Getting Dressed

It sounds so simple, but getting dressed can be the hardest task in the world some mornings. It’s impossible on Stormy Days, but on a Cloudy Day, this is how I get it done. First… I became aware I was not taking care of myself properly, when I noticed the same behaviour in my children. It was an unpleasant realisation, … Read More

The Rebel Badge Club

I’m the first to admit, I’ve not been taking great care of myself. The Rebel Badge Club has been a refreshing way to focus on me, in short spurts. I found the Rebel Badge Club quite by accident. A friend online made a passing comment to it when I talked about being motivated by stickers. I’ve come to a place … Read More

Foodie Fun

I lovely friend sent us something they had found truly helpful, after the death of their partner. It changed things for me too, so maybe it’s a thing. Awareness Days MyLegoman creates a ‘Foodie Day’s’ Calendar each year. It’s bright and fun, as well as genuinely interesting. The reason I’ve found it helpful in grief, is that for little effort … Read More

International Women’s Day 2022

My mental load is heavy right now… I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to share today. I’m quite likely to go off-road… Yay Women! While I applaud all the posts on amazing women and their excellent contributions to so many essential walks of life. I’d prefer to talk about ‘ordinary’ women. Also, I sometimes feel crippled by the inaction … Read More

Talking to Children about War

Talking to children and young people about the war in Ukraine isn’t something simple. It certainly isn’t something I was expecting to be writing about. Funnily enough, I have a War Studies degree and an MA in History, my dissertation on conflict resolution and military law… So, my kids have seen Newsround at school and heard various things in the … Read More