Month: May 2018

#5yrs Collect things

~ Fridgesays ~ 13 Comments

For the last two years I’ve documented the little dudes ‘favourites’ with twenty questions. I realise it may not be the most scintillating post to read, but sometimes a Mummy blogger has to be selfish and use her corner of the internet as a place for memories. So far, we are have done this three times and its been interesting to see that he’s like have stayed pretty similar (Mummy was scared School might sanitise his imagination) click here if you’d like to read the previous years post, otherwise enjoy. Let me know if you decide to do, or already do something like this.

1. What’s your favourite colour? Green

2. What’s your favourite toy?   My plastic crocodiles and sharks.

3. What’s your favourite fruit? Banana

4. What do you like to watch on TV? Transformers on DVD (Daddy is creating a retro child)

5. What do you like to eat at lunch? Fish and chips at school on Fridays, with baked beans.

6. Who’s in your family? Mummy, Daddy and Moët…Nanny Bonkers, Nanny Gill, Grandad Tom and Grandad Ken, Nanny Choc choc, Margaret the African snail and Ragnarok the stick insect.

7. What item of clothing do you most like to wear? Jogging bottoms and my pjs. Oh and my favourite costume is…all of them. (J often leaves the house in something from his costume box, today he went out topless with a cape and dagger, it was a strong look)

8. What game do you like to play? On my Leap Frog, Octonauts and Frogs and Friends. Dinosaurs, animals – so many things Mummy.

9. What’s your favourite animal? Tortoise, Hedgehog, Crocodile, Shark and Octopus

10.  What song do you most like? You don’t know me (by Jax Jones feat Raye)

11. What’s your favourite snack? Smokey cheese and Halloumi but not together

12. Favourite book? My new sea monster book, it’s precious (encyclopaedia of prehistoric Sharks and other sea monsters – seriously worth remortgaging the house for)

13. Who’s your best friend? Henry James Garrad.

14. What’s your favourite sport? Obstacle courses and Judo

15. Which holiday do you like the best? The school holidays, (why?) because they are lovely and you get to stay at home.

16. What do you sleep with? Muzzy (Muslin) and my toys, books, anything I can’t sneak in really.

17. What do you like best for breakfast? Rice crispie’s

18. What do you like to do outside? Find mysteries

19. What’s your favourite drink? Lemonade

20. What’s your favourite dinner? I can handle this question easily – pizza. It’s from Italy, all the good for is…Macaroni, pesto pasta and my favourite pizza!!!

The Saturday Session #35

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Whoop, its not just any linky – its #thesatsesh bank holiday special, also known as week 35. Amazing for bloggers across the globe as we are extending the opening times to 8pm Monday GMT, with an extra 24 hours to play there are no excuses – this means if you are busy in the sun and spending time with loved ones, you still have the opportunity to join the party. (Extra special for Teachers as its also half term – a week of adventures with my little dude)

At the moment its Friday evening, my belly is full from a yummy curry, I am sitting with my bi-fold kitchen window open, at my new bar that the Mr and his mate built me, sun on my back and rosé in my glass – if thats not winning I’m not sure what is?

This notion of winning is completely the opposite of my featured bloggers post. Its titled ‘5 things not to say to someone struggling with depression’ and is written by the talented Naptime Natter creator Wendy. You can click the link here to read all about her top tips, but actually I didn’t pick it for its content. I selected it because I love it when writers create a piece that has heart and raw pain but also in the darkest lines, strands of hope and humour. Its a toxic and delicately balanced recipe for joy and something I think Wendy does so well. As Wendy highlights ‘Cheer up it may never happen’ has to be the cliché of things not to say, but humans are weird at the best of times. My worst insult when I was grieving for my daughter who had passed just months previously was “Do you want to hold my baby? it might make you feel better” needless to say I declined the offer and in my head shoved the baby someone that unlike my bar, the sun doesn’t shine. Please give Wendy the love that her blog of joy deserves, or just scroll over to Hayley’s blog to see who she has selected as her featured blogger by clicking here.

The rules to week 35 are just the same as previously BUT with the bonus 24 hours typing time. Have a peek below if you are in doubt, or click the blue box below.

RULES

  • Link up You can link up to 2 posts, old or new
  • Grab a badge Please do add #thesatsesh badge. You can do this by copying and pasting the badge code into the text/HTML area of your post within your publishing platform and its located in my side bar for your ease.
  • Tweet Share your posts on Twitter using the linky hashtag #thesatsesh and tag us in for retweets @fridgesays @mummy_mindful. Follow us if you don’t already please.
  • Comment sit back, relax (its the weekend after all). Please use #thesatsesh and in usual linky etiquette comment on each of the hosts posts, mine and Hayleys, the post before and after yours. If you comment on more, that would be wonderful but FOUR is more than enough
  • Following the rules means you may qualify for our featured blogger announced weekly, plus this linky is run by school teachers so detention for anyone that doesn’t. 

OPTIONAL EXTRA: Come and play in our IG community by using #thesatsesh for photos of your weekend or perhaps connected to a post you’ve linked. Follow us on Instagram @fridgesays and @mission_mindfulness_blog and we will keep up to date and follow you back.

Good shoes take you to good places.

~ Fridgesays ~ 21 Comments

Quote by Seo Min Hyun

When my son started school I took a photo of his new shoes, not him by the front door like every other home, but of his new shoes. I then realised something about myself, I mark chapters of my life with my passion for footwear, mainly heels.

Shoes speak to my soul. I have fond memories of going to Russell and Bromley as a child to be fitted for my ‘Start Rite Mary Jane’s’ in the latest colour. The child section was up a winding staircase (totally impractical for parents and little ones), it had a light fluffy carpet and around the edge of the room was a huge, long tropical fish tank. The shoes were expensive, lasted and made me feel like a princess. The new shoe box was often held by me on the journey home (except for, on the winding staircase previously mentioned) with pride and my collection over the years has grown and only increased in quality.

I have high heels that make me smile; some symbolise the break up of previous relationships, I always buy new school shoes for the new term and have shoes purchased following births, deaths and marriages.

I’m not that fond of bags….an impractical sparkly clutch bag and I’m happy. Life is too short for practical black/neutral bags and frankly I take my hat off to those that change their bag daily…hmmm hats I don’t do those either?

I don’t have shoes for every occasion, just shoes that make me smile, feel happy or in some way complete. I only own two black pairs of shoes, may be three (?) and I don’t tend to buy shoes that are cheap and as a result have never suffered with rubbing or blisters. I don’t wear shoes for comfort because how they make me feel is more important.

I asked my son about this quote and in he’s five year old wisdom he said “What’s a good place?” he raises a good point. A good place to me will be different to your perception of a ‘good place’ perhaps thats why there are so many places and so many types of shoes? In my life I plan to go onwards and upwards, it makes sense that a pair of eight or ten inch heel’s are my best companion.

Perhaps, living life in comfort is a priority for you, may be you are simple in expectations and live life exposed – the flip flop may be your choice of footwear?

My son, predictably likes wellies, adventurous and practical in the UK. Quick to put on and in some jarring design.

I make judgements about people on their shoes, do they care about themselves, do they look after themselves / are we compatible? What would your shoes tell me about you and where is it taking you?

The Saturday Session #34

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

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Welcome to week 34 of #thesatsesh .This weekend I plan on focusing on breathing, seriously that week was like surviving a whirl wind. You know you’re old when you’re excited because you don’t have any plans…thats my weekend, so I’m going to feel it with chill time, forrest walks and some meditation. Anything more and I’m not sure I could cope.

Each week myself and my super mum cohost Hayley pick a featured blogger each, you can click here to see who she has picked, or keep reading as I reveal mine.

My featured blogger really got me thinking about boredom. Andy from Dads sofa discussed the issue, so much so that I think I might write my own post on the topic. You can read Andy’s interpretation here. In essence how reliant we are on our mobile devices for entertainment and to kill those awkward waiting moments in the day…some children need them to occupy them in queue’s or restaurants but actually theres a learning curve in waiting, in patience and in occupying yourself. Andy’s post is simple and to the point, I always enjoy his humour and would definitely like to sit on his sofa at some point in the future and share a cuppa. I imagine its full of laughter and moments of pure joy…who knows perhaps we could just chill and share some boredom time?

If you’d like to be considered as this week’s featured blogger or just have great content to show, have a peek at the rules below and click the blue box! All posts, genres and bloggers welcome – even the boring ones 🙂

RULES

  • Link up You can link up to 2 posts, old or new
  • Grab a badge Please do add #thesatsesh badge. You can do this by copying and pasting the badge code into the text/HTML area of your post within your publishing platform and its located in my side bar for your ease.
  • Tweet Share your posts on Twitter using the linky hashtag #thesatsesh and tag us in for retweets @fridgesays @mummy_mindful. Follow us if you don’t already please.
  • Comment sit back, relax (its the weekend after all). Please use #thesatsesh and in usual linky etiquette comment on each of the hosts posts, mine and Hayleys, the post before and after yours. If you comment on more, that would be wonderful but FOUR is more than enough
  • Following the rules means you may qualify for our featured blogger announced weekly, plus this linky is run by school teachers so detention for anyone that doesn’t. 

OPTIONAL EXTRA: Come and play in our IG community by using #thesatsesh for photos of your weekend or perhaps connected to a post you’ve linked. Follow us on Instagram @fridgesays and @mission_mindfulness_blog and we will keep up to date and follow you back.

Failure is a bruise not a tattoo

~ Fridgesays ~ 21 Comments

Quote by Jon Sinclair

We are designed to be learning machines and at the same time are absolutely terrified of doing something wrong? Weird or what.

Surely to learn you have to do something incorrectly to work out where you’re going wrong and amend it. If you are blessed to have somebody guide you through a new process then that’s amazing, it eases the journey and hopefully makes the process quicker.

Let me list some failures in my last twenty four hour existence.

  • At work the leavers got hoodies with the wrong names on
  • Came home to the Mr cooking dinner – several hours later I asked where the meal was (he hadn’t put the oven on)
  • A social worker didn’t turn up for a meeting, shouted at our reception staff and then I sent her the email feed where she changed the date.
  • I was in a group dance and probably went the wrong way
  • I was going to have a chocolate and ate ten

Okay, so not the end of the world, minor hiccups that can be sorted…wait what? Failures aren’t permanent, the world doesn’t stop…life will go on?

Often when I’m doing grief counselling the child will be disappointed that when their loved one died, the world didn’t stop. How can they feel so very low and yet the rest of the world continues to spin?

Failure is a perception in a moment in time, it’s actually not a helpful word either. I will not gain weight because of those ten chocolates that I scoffed. I will have a sugar high and it will quickly be followed by a sluggish low. I will not be unloved by my family because of this, I will not die. The world will continue to spin.

Thought: if we gave our accomplishments as much thought, momentum and time as we did the errors in our day, how much better would we feel? How much would life improve and how much more would we enjoy eating chocolate. Don’t ever get a tattoo that makes you feel sad every time you look at it, surely permanent moments are made for happy thoughts, quotes and images, apply that to life and you’re winning.

The Saturday Session #33

~ Fridgesays ~ 2 Comments

Welcome back to the linky thats full of love, hugs and self care. I hope the week treated you well and please use the hashtag #thesatsesh on Instagram / twitter to keep us updated on your weekend antics.

I often have trouble picking who will be my featured blogger, but this week I knew as I read the title that this post was something that would resonate with me. ‘How to practise self care’ is something I am passionate about. Inner love enhances all our relationships and frankly I’ll take any excuse for five minutes out of the rat race. The legendary Spectrum Mum has recently taken a leap of faith with a new direction to her blog – it paid off in my opinion and I love reading her ideas, perceptions and visions. The post linked above has a TED talk in it too (bonus) and I watched it whilst eating breakfast to add extra fuel to my day. Dr Guy Winch has a few TedTalks and they all are under 20 minutes and always easily found on YouTube. Catie also provided a list of things you can do if you are looking to enhance your go-to self care routine, as someone thats a pro at making time for myself, I still found a good few ideas on there. My new favourite this week is a spotify playlist called ‘Summer BBQ’ its so upbeat and eclectic, it really lifts my mood and some of the random tracks have been really nostalgic and not necessarily tracks I’d personally pick – but also absolute tunes in there own right! (Currently listening to One Love by B.Marley right now)

Now, lets unleash week thirty three – thanks for taking time to link, or use this as a really awesome way to read new material. Have a peek at the rules below and don’t forget to check out who my sassy cohost Hayley has picked as her featured blogger by clicking the link here 🙂

RULES

  • Link up You can link up to 2 posts, old or new
  • Grab a badge Please do add #thesatsesh badge. You can do this by copying and pasting the badge code into the text/HTML area of your post within your publishing platform and its located in my side bar for your ease.
  • Tweet Share your posts on Twitter using the linky hashtag #thesatsesh and tag us in for retweets @fridgesays @mummy_mindful. Follow us if you don’t already please.
  • Comment sit back, relax (its the weekend after all). Please use #thesatsesh and in usual linky etiquette comment on each of the hosts posts, mine and Hayleys, the post before and after yours. If you comment on more, that would be wonderful but FOUR is more than enough
  • Following the rules means you may qualify for our featured blogger announced weekly, plus this linky is run by school teachers so detention for anyone that doesn’t. 

OPTIONAL EXTRA: Come and play in our IG community by using #thesatsesh for photos of your weekend or perhaps connected to a post you’ve linked. Follow us on Instagram @fridgesays and @mission_mindfulness_blog and we will keep up to date and follow you back.

She acts like summer and walks like rain

~ Fridgesays ~ 20 Comments

Lyrics by Train.

Sometimes a quote speaks to my soul. This is me at my very best.

My happy place. Light on my feet, smelling like sunshine (citrus and sun tan lotion spring to mind). Summer is carefree, adventurous and for me a vacation from the dark winter nights and long working days.

Sometimes summer can be ‘too’ hot and you can feel frazzled, sore and sweaty – rain can be torrential, devastating to flood plains and has horrendous qualities in abundance and drought. When I lose my sense of centre and get ‘scorched from the sun’ or when my work load is drowning me…. I go to this quote. It instantly makes me feel happy. It lifts my soul and this is why I find the power of reading and writing to be therapeutic. It can realign and invigorate me. So in case you thought this blog had all the answers, it’s simply a place where I remind myself of my inner summer. Keep shining, dance in the rain and find your centre spot because that’s winning and everything else is just a distraction.

The Saturday Session #32

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

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Its week #32 and I am thrilled, last week the community was buzzing with so many good posts, it was really hard to pick a featured blogger, but also super fun to read the various genre of posts and peoples passions that joined us. If you regularly or perhaps occasionally join us, I’d like to dedicate week 32 to you – thank you for making this linky so joyful to run. It should perhaps feel like another ‘to do’ on the list of doom but is much more a task of ‘cant wait to do’ and thats always a sign that you’re on to something special.

I did eventually pick a featured blogger, a Dad with a beard that impressed me – seriously if I was a man, or in my next life, I’m rocking a beard of joy; like Enda’s – its his blog endastories that I’ve selected this week. The post is all about singing, but as he write’s there were lines of pure joy that made my heart sing. I loved his unique style and passion for something many of us don’t realise we do…I know I sing because my son frequently screams at me to stop, but Enda’s approach to the mundane filled with me delight. Don’t take my word for it, click the blue link above and read it for yourself.

Below as always are a reminder of the rules, please don’t link and run – commenting is caring and if you enjoyed my featured blogger, you may also want to take a peek at Hayleys cohost too. Just click here.

RULES

  • Link up You can link up to 2 posts, old or new
  • Grab a badge Please do add #thesatsesh badge. You can do this by copying and pasting the badge code into the text/HTML area of your post within your publishing platform and its located in my side bar for your ease.
  • Tweet Share your posts on Twitter using the linky hashtag #thesatsesh and tag us in for retweets @fridgesays @mummy_mindful. Follow us if you don’t already please.
  • Comment sit back, relax (its the weekend after all). Please use #thesatsesh and in usual linky etiquette comment on each of the hosts posts, mine and Hayleys, the post before and after yours. If you comment on more, that would be wonderful but FOUR is more than enough
  • Following the rules means you may qualify for our featured blogger announced weekly, plus this linky is run by school teachers so detention for anyone that doesn’t. 

OPTIONAL EXTRA: Come and play in our IG community by using #thesatsesh for photos of your weekend or perhaps connected to a post you’ve linked. Follow us on Instagram @fridgesays and @mission_mindfulness_blog and we will keep up to date and follow you back.