play

Talking is good, even if the topic is silly

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote original from Fridgesays

As far back as I can recall my Mum and I have spent time together ‘talking sh*t’ – this means being silly, talking about nothing of importance and absolutely talking for the sake of talking. Sadly, I don’t live in walking distance of my parents, so I will often pick up the phone to ‘talk sh*t’ with her.

Mr F thinks it’s foolish but I’ve always felt it was good for the soul. Talking sh*t isn’t to be confused with gossip – that is often toxic and breeds discontent and negativity. Talking rubbish however, allows adults to play and often begins with a hypothetical scenario or an aspect of make believe.

Last night at the dinner table I asked my son what food he thought of when I said ‘dream meal’ – not what your dream meal is but what image you conjure in your mind, mine is a burger and his is a specific chicken burger, Mr F reluctantly joined in and said that he thought of pizza, he then asked why I had asked and I had to confess it was for no particular reason.

This morning I was in a supermarket grabbing some snacks after Rugby and I thought about last nights chat and whilst I got a pain au chocolat for myself, I got Mr F a pizza slice. As I handed it to him I remarked on how sometimes playing/chat for no good reason at the time allows us to better understand each other and that last nights dinner table banter had resulted in the manifestation of pizza slices, had we not have had the conversation we certainly all would have had pastries. He looked at me, as he often does with utter confusion and walked away.

I read this paragraph in another blog recently

Talking nonsense isn’t frivolous or meaningless. It’s an act of trust and love, a way of saying, “Here’s my unfiltered, quirky self,” and inviting the other person to respond in kind.

And it resonated with me. It made me reflect on my childhood and how, perhaps without knowing it my mother’s conversation with me were one of the many reasons I have such a clear sense of self. They often ended it laughter or a joke that only we shared and even when the topic was of a heavier nature, talking it through in a nonsensical manner meant the mood never deteriorated.

I’ll attach the link to the blog I read at the bottom of this post, it explores topics we have discussed on this blog previously about adults playing, being childish and how positive it is for mental health, but I can see that it’s also enriching as a shared activity, a bond and does allow you to better know those around you. Perhaps this week you might also ask some hypothetical questions over dinner; If you was a dog what breed would you be? If you had to pick a celebrity to be your best friend who would you select and why? The list of talking rubbish is endless but I think it might be the healthiest rubbish your body has ever absorbed. Lastly, a shout out to my Mum who’s always a phone call away to talk to.

As promised, link to article: https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/the-joy-of-talking-nonsense-with-someone-you-love/

Don’t wait for the opportunity- create it.

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote Anon

This blog post was inspired by one of my tribe, I was telling her a tale over the phone and she said ‘Lucy, that’s a blog post’ despite me sounding insane, here it is…

Sometimes we can alter things that no longer serve us, stale relationships or toxic work environments…other things like paying bills and most adult responsibilities still have to be done. I deal with the miserable moments by reframing them, it doesn’t change the action but it changes the way I feel towards the action. Below is the story I shared with my friend.

I really hate putting diesel in my car. It feels like invisible money is being consumed and it’s not the actual act (of getting out of the car and filling the car up) that I dislike it’s paying for ‘pointless things like Diesel’ – I should probably note here, that I’m totally aware that without said product my car won’t run, it’s a necessity and as my job requires me to drive to various places and I opted to live in the countryside – fuel allows accessibility and is an essential…but my inner child just thinks it’s a terrible way to spend money and often a lot of money.

Last year I purchased my dream car. I talk to her all of the time, out loud and as if she were a person. Notice ‘she’ has pronouns and yes I’m that person that named my car. * not all cars, only the ones I truly love.

Last week I was coming out of work and had been in the office all day, as I approached my car I said aloud ‘ooo I love that you waited for me here all day – thank you, I do hope you had a lovely day too’ at which point a man (no idea who he was) said ‘it’s been ok’ – of course he would assume I was talking to him, we were the only two humans in the carpark, my then British upbringing quickly allowed me to reply ‘I’m pleased – and I do hope you have a lovely long Easter weekend’ *cringe. Obviously like any sane woman myself and my car had a good laugh when I was safely locked inside.

I digress, back to the pumps – even with a car I adore, I still hate paying for fuel. It actually makes me feel sad and even if my boyfriend is kind enough to fill it up for me, I still feel naff about the fuel and money situation.

So, I reframed it. I now give my car a once a fortnight vitamin top up. She has a full tank of vitamin B7 that helps her run efficiently, she deserves it, she’s earned it, she’s a legend and deserves the best. I would happily give her a spa day… if she wasn’t a car. I also use to go weekly to top up, but although I don’t run the fuel low (she’s a Queen after all), I find limiting the ‘vitamin top ups’ also helps to raise my positive vibration. Honestly, buying diesel now isn’t an issue like it was.

If you’ve read this far and are worried for my sanity, I fully understand why. I think the fact I know I play games (totally race cars on duel carriage ways that don’t know we’re racing, always thank green lights when they are in my favour….always thank red lights – they’re slowing me down preventing me from coming to harm in the future if I hadn’t stopped) in my head and I’m aware that not everybody else does is ok. Mainly, because everyone else looks a little miserable and for all my faults, I’m honestly a genuinely happy person.

If you’re able to take advice from a lady that talks to her car, then my advice is simple. If you have a chore of part of your universe that gets you down – think about how you can reframe it for a positive. I briefly mentioned the thanking lights game, however often when I stop at lights I see frustrated drivers, sometimes even angry drivers behind the wheel due to a red light stopping their flow – that can’t be healthy for themselves or other drivers on the road? A quick reframe can make a mundane task a little more bearable. Enjoy.

People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

Quote from ‘To kill a mockingbird’

As a lover of books, ‘To kill a mockingbird’ was a wonderful read I discovered when I was in my late twenties and it didn’t disappoint. I often find with literature that is respected and appreciated over decades that it often hits right, even if it isn’t usually the genre of book you read, you can usually appreciate why others do.

Today’s blog post is a simple reminder for you to refocus your lens on life. We can often get caught within our daily routines in producing outcomes and ultimately a quality of life that becomes predictable and repetitive, there is nothing wrong with that if you are content in your experience. As energetic beings we also attract similar people to our circle and therefore the people around us often have similar goals, interests and outlooks…again, great if you’re content with you circle of friends but this can feel stagnant and even claustrophobic if you desire more.

I recently invited you to ‘play more’ (Click here to read more) and in this post the game we are going to play is based on manifesting our desires into our reality. To believe in your own power we often need to see evidence to inspire us.

Today was spent at a Rugby game in the UK January weather…it’s no surprise that the light rain, wind and cold made for a negative concoction. This seemed to relate to the process our team was having on the field. We needed to see the joy around us, so with the help of a seven year old sidelined little sister we began to see who could see ‘xxx’ first and set each other goals that we completed at the same time. Within minutes we began to see tiny flowers in the mud drenched grass, a disguarded gem (something that sparkles) at the edge of the pitch and suddenly the bleak weather didn’t matter. With our spirits lifted we were magical manifesters and the game results also began to pick up. My son even scored a try.

If you walk into the office expecting to hear gossip and moans…you’ll find them. Instead on route to work lookout for a feather or something purple to help raise your vibration. If you’re greeted my negative conversation in the office, remove yourself and where possible lift your vibrations, this could be as simple as paying someone a compliment or making a cup of tea.

If we do see what we look for, then we need to make sure our expectations are high if that’s the life we wish to attract. Give it a go, you’ll be surprised at what you can attract.

Don’t forget to play

~ Fridgesays ~ 1 Comment

Quote Anon

Congratulations, whether you’ve had a wonderful Christmas holiday or perhaps things didn’t go to plan – you’ve made it to the other side!

Holidays where groups come together can be idyllic like a Christmas card scene or dry like an over cooked Turkey. This season can mean so many things to so many people; missing absent loved ones, overwhelmed with to do lists, or a rollercoaster of all the above and everything in between.

However, it’s also a wonderful excuse to play! Playing is how young children learn to navigate our world, interact and develop social skills, ignite imagination and it is written in the United Nations convention of the rights of the child, ‘the right to play’ is crucial to allow children to processing emotions and is foundation in their development, for this reason the UN will set up refugee camps in war zones that provide, shelter/safety, water and food and…a play ground if children are living there. Even in our worst times play is necessary, to help us process our traumas and circumstances.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to allow access to ‘play’ for all ages. Some people gather around the dinning room table for board games and laughter (check out the rules of most board games and they often say ‘age appropriate for 4+ to 99 years) others may gather to sing, put on nostalgic movies that allow our memories to recall events for Christmas’s past, but actually there are many other ‘play’ moments that surround Christmas.

Wrapping presents, pulling crackers, the entire narration of the mystical Father Christmas, lights in shop windows or over and around houses, decorating trees, even giving and receiving gifts has a certain playfulness about it.

As you set goals and objectives for the new year that we are blessed to begin, make room for play too. The serious aspects of life will soon come with or without an invite, don’t leave the opportunity to play in the past as it will enhance your future.

Don’t forget to play 

~ Fridgesays ~ Leave a comment

 Sometimes in life when we least expect it, you have to say ‘yes’.
I took the school trip opportunity to experience the clothes show live 2015 and I loved it! As always the pupils I went with were amaze and the staff were fabulous!

So what can you expect? Lots of #madeinchelsea celebs, a lot of gorgeous and healthy looking models – seriously it was abdominal central (sigh) and so much more.


I shopped till I dropped and paused to watch Andy Jordan (MIC) perform.

I was so impressed by the Textile and Fashion Uni’s section, Great Britain should be very proud – we have so much talent coming through.
  I paused by the doggy fashion stand (but none of it fitted me 🙂

Liberty (as always) blew me away. I’m a classic chick it would seem…and then we prepared for the live show and (see below) the storm troopers stole the show for me. Star Wars fashion is now a thing?  

It was an amazing show and I’m so very grateful ‘to play’.

Inspired or feeling like you need to play…prioritise this weekend some time to play!

Sensory play #4 Force

~ Fridgesays ~ 18 Comments

*disclaimer: not sensory at all….sorry! Still lots to learn.

Last week I taught J about items being ‘the same and different’ and this week I wanted to do ‘push and pull’, mainly because a cart horse in one of his favourite books has been pulling loads and I wasn’t sure he understood?

I then remembered a science lesson (originally aimed at 12 year olds) about force that I adapted for this game.

 The picture really explains all…
You will need:

  • Balloons
  • 2 chairs (or trees)
  • Sting, wool or any other kind of ropey stuff
  • Straws
  • Tape (I used electric tape so that it was more visually obviously, you could use celotape or even plasters.

I basically blew up the balloons (which made j laugh…until one popped, which caused a break down) took a straw and cut it in half, taped the straw to the balloon (see below)

 ‘Ta-dar’ and we were ready to race the balloons by ‘pushing’ them along and then ‘pulling’ them back to the start.
There are many variations that you could do with this – dinning room chairs indoors if it’s raining, more than 2 balloons if you have more little monsters at home, or you could even add height to one end to create a little more gravity. Like I said, I kept them flat because I wanted J to specifically push and pull, plus he is only 2 years old and perhaps an older child may like more challenge…you could even get the monsters to create an obstacle course for the balloons.

The best thing about this was it look 2 seconds to create and was a clear visual aid to teach him. I also left it out for several days (until the balloons shrivelled up) for J to explore by himself.

Warning: popping balloons may send your toddler into hysterics, mine is scarred for life (haha)

image

Sensory play #1 Bubble dough

~ Fridgesays ~ 8 Comments

LarabeeUK

Don’t hyperventilate but there is no quote today.

Instead, this post is dedicated to play. The summer hols give me the perfect opportunity to be an interactive Mummy.

A lot of parents are fretful when it comes to play. I can’t tell you how important it is to your bambino’s brain development, cognitive skills, social skills…ok, you get the message, we are passionate about play!

This morning it was the turn of bubble dough. I’d never made it before and searching for recipes I noticed many included naughty ingredients that weren’t little people friendly. So I played with the recipes and it came out really well.

You will need 3 ingredients that I already had in my larder (bonus) and this means although not exactly edible that are safe.

Bubble dough:

I’m a bit Jamie Oliver when it comes to measuring, partial to a glug or a dash. So don’t be too precise on the measurements it’s not that kind of recipe.

  • One cup of cornflour
  • One table spoon of washing up liquid (a big squeeze)
  • One table spoon of olive oil (a big glug)

Mix and play!

Now, if the mixture goes crumbly, add more soap. If it is too runny, add more flour and for extra stretch add olive oil (a dash at a time)

 Here’s some we literally made earlier.
I used Fairy Liquid and its fragrance was lime (because this is what I had) as a result it made the dough smell divine and also a shade of green. Hence J called it ‘Hulk’ and it wasn’t long until his figures were playing too.

 We can’t play anything in our house without cars.

 But mainly we stretched it…a lot
 The other bonus is that the olive oil gave us fabulous soft hands. A mummy manicure without leaving the house! #highfive

It keeps well as long as you wrap it in cling film and leave it at room temperature, you may need to add a dash of olive oil to revitalise it. Another bonus is any dough that made it to the carpet or our clothes was easily brushed off – so no mess, easy to make…what are you waiting for?

Let me know how it goes. The princess in me so wanted to add glitter, so also let me know if you find any variations.

Happy bubble dough X