Packing for a School Trip

My son is off today on his first overnight stay with his school and I am pretty apprehensive. I wrote about it in my daily blog: https://mydailythougthsandfeelings.blogspot.com/2024/05/my-son-first-trip-away.html

I did almost pack the kitchen sink but had to remember he has to be able to carry it so downsized my originally idea of what to pack and what he’ll actually wear as he can be fussy when it comes to clothes.

He doesn’t like hoods so I found this waterproof tracksuit which comes in its own bag which is handy.

This is from Amazon by a company called Regatta Outdoors.

I have showed him and tried them on him and is a good purchase and bought him some wellies and showed a hack on Instagram and TikTok Putting his socks and pants into his welly boots and his toiletries in the other:

@typicallondongal

Packing for school trip and did this hack to pack toiletries, pants and socks #travelhack

♬ original sound – typicallondongal

Because he won’t wear a hood I am going to pack a baseball cap and have labelled all that he is taking as kids will leave things behind. So the more you can do to prevent this from happening the better they will remember to pick their belongings up.

I bought some miniature toiletries from Boots. There are Shower Gel, toothbrush, Flannel and sun cream, and labelled these aswell.

Depending on the weather make sure you apply sunscreen, and wear light cool clothing and a jacket and a sweater should the weather turn cold.

I bought him some thick socks from TU Sainsbury’s when I bought him knew wellies and have put in a pair of sunglasses and then there is water and snacks.

The school are providing lunch and then will have dinner at the place they are going to and so going to be a great adventure for him.

It is going to be hard and was getting a little upset as I am worried about it, but will be so good for his independence and is overnight so going to not show my emotions, as I want him to enjoy it and often it is best to keep your feelings and fears to yourself because, you don’t want your fears to pass on to them, but ask if they are okay and if they have fears and go through it their emotions, so they get as much out of the experience as much as possible.

I have prepared him for it as the school did a little leaflet about it to go through of the itinerary with my son and won’t be on his own when it comes to bed time so feel good in that, and so its just getting him dressed and ready.

If you have any advice or a comment about this blog, then please leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Cheat Sheet: Celebrating the Bank Holiday with your kids

So next Monday it is the bank holiday, 6th May 2024 and my husband, son and I will be going to a cafe for a cooked breakfast.

It is a great opportunity to catch up with friends and family and this Cheat sheet gives some tips on what to do on the Bank Holiday. I also posted my cheat sheet for my other blog site: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com

Here is the cheat sheet, which free to download and please share.

celebrating-the-bank-holiday-with-your-kidsDownload

To let you know I do a life coaching programme at the beginning of May, called the Summer Project 2024 and will be blogs and videos to help you have a better life and better year so check it out, on Wednesday when it starts and did film a video talking about it too:

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Cheat sheet: Getting a good nights sleep

Check out my new Cheat Sheet about getting a good nights sleep. If you have children you may find these tips helpful.

getting-a-good-nights-sleepDownload

It is completely free to download.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Cheat Sheet: Planning for the summer

Hello it is my weekly cheat sheet where I give tips on planning, parenting and getting stuff done. This week is tips on Planning for the summer.

planning-for-the-summerDownload

It is completely free to download and print and so I hope you find them helpful.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Getting ready for the holidays

So Easter is this weekend, and still got to buy easter eggs, but will be doing this, this week and already have made some bookings for my son and where we are going go through the holidays, and so the cheat sheet I do for this week is dedicated to planning for School Seasonal holidays like Easter.

getting-your-kids-ready-for-the-school-seasonal-holidaysDownload

Some places like better gyms where I take my son Swimming can’t be booked in too far in advance but booked for my son to go to a holiday club and there are many in the UK.

Often schools have organization’s who run holiday clubs through the holidays, and if your schools around you does then book A.S.A.P as they can fully booked and great if you still have to work through the holidays and your kids get to still have fun and in a safe environment so you can drop then off and then pick them up. Many do half days or full day, so is worth having a check but can be expensive.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Getting your kids ready for spring

Yes tomorrow is the first day of spring and the days are getting lighter and looking forward to it. So means that kids can play out longer and put the laundry out in the garden and then also Easter is on its way, and I did a video on my Youtube channel My Way of living talking about Planning and Budgeting for the Easter Holiday, and means organizing an Easter hunt, and I am writing my Newsletter for March and sharing the things I like to do over Easter. This will be up on my blog site: Everyone can build a castle | Creating goals, habits and being empowered aiming for success

It means getting the BBQ out. Okay perhaps I am getting carried away, we no longer have one, but it good to be able to go outdoors and not with layers of clothing but in thinner jackets and have your kids to help organize and do a spring clean.

I look forward to having the windows open and read a book in the park and have your children’s birthdays in Spring outdoors in the park. There is a local gardens where I live when it starts to get warmer and lighter outdoors, have birthday parties.

Having playdates visiting local historical places, like one of my friends I met up with a weekend ago, visited Arundel and Winchester, which is in West Sussex and Hampshire and we have before now gone to Poole in Dorset and Bournemouth and such lovely places to visit and great for kids to run around and just being near the water can do wonders for you and your children.

There are bank holiday weekends coming and great way to get out, and often in some of the parks, like Wimbledon Park will have a funfair, and the theme parks will start to open.

These can expensive but often there will be offers in the Sun Newspaper and Cereal boxes advertising discount on theme park tickets, and great days out.

So lets put our puffer jackets away and looking forward to wearing my denim jackets and going to give my wardrobe and my sons a revamp and get some new items, and plan some good days out.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

What mother hood is all about

Yes it was mothers day at the weekend, in the UK and was away until Monday, and came back and my son made me a lovely card, and bought me a book.

In the early years, being a mum it is how to change a nappy without them peeing or poohing on you, and your spouse/partner complains about the stench from your baby’s pooh, and organizing appointments, for vaccines and health checks. Thank the lord that men do get Paternity leave.

Getting up in the early hours, and now my son gets me up out of bed. He will turn off my alarm, put on my light and pull the covers off. They say as they get older, your children become the parent, and is very much true, and can begin, which noone tells you, when they are still a child.

He loves food and is always telling me in advance of what he would like for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and likes me to go to the toilet with him and do bed time story when my eyes are on the floor, due to the early morning wake up call, and tells me to get dressed.

Its about being calm, when your child’s father strips them down before you’ve filled up the bath, for bath time and your child is hysterical, in tears wondering what the hell is going on, and leaving them with your child for the first time, and both of us, wondering which way the nappy should go, and planning, on who is going to do the first feed in the morning, unless breastfeeding as I as a baby never drank from a bottle, and do the late night feed, in the early years.

I love that I get a lot of cuddles, meal times, going out and visiting places and we do a morning walk at the weekends or playing football and rugby, seeing children shows, and seen many at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, The Rose Theatre in Kingston and we have gone to the cinema, going on train experiences, because my son loves trains and just have great days out.

We as mums do a lot and thanks to my husband for his help, and my family as they helped a lot, and being a mum you need that, just to adjust and learn. Talking to other mums and going to different children clubs. My son does Swimming at the weekend and has now joined a rugby club and been awarded with medals. It makes all those sleepless nights and early wake up calls, worth it.

So I hope you had a good mother’s day, and next it will be Fathers day.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Half term break over, new Cheat Sheet

Hello, it is Monday once again and my son’s half term break is over and now returned to school and so here is my new Cheat Sheet I do each week, every Monday to help you have a good one and return to normality.

getting-back-from-a-breakDownload

I have returned to writing my blogs and so check out these:

https://organize4thebetter.blogspot.com/2024/02/getting-things-done.html

https://buildingselfconfidencetud.blogspot.com/2024/02/being-able-to-look-yourself-in-your.html

When you need to take a break

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Getting ready for school Holidays 2024

So it is half term here in the UK and my son has gone to his holiday club, and then we off to a cat cafe and book swimming, but there are other things you can do so check this weeks Cheat Sheet for inspiration.

getting-ready-for-the-half-term-1Download

Please let me know if you like these cheat sheets, and I enjoying putting then together to share ideas of having fun and stress free, and are completely free to download and print off.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie Challoner

Creating Memories with your kids

The Christmas rush is here, and we can all feel that we haven’t got anything ready, and worry that the gifts we bought our kids may not be well received, and panicking a little.

Remember to take the price tag off and remember they won’t see the price, and even an empty box can still be fun and paint it to make it into a hide out, or into a Fort, and so, kids want fun and love anything that makes them laugh, sings a song or play imaginary play.

Party games always do well, including the old fashioned ones, like Pass the Parcel, musical Statues or musical chairs. Have your kids make presents. I love handmade gifts. I am going to get back into making handmade Christmas tags, greeting cards and food too.

I love Christmases as a kid, and yes there will be children that may not receive a gift so its not about how many presents you buy for your kids, and why not print off photos and have them make a scrap book, of the Christmas cards they received and something they can look back on, and if you have a foodbank donate a gift, and have your children do the same of their old toys they no longer use.

You can create photobooks on google with your google images, and these can make some gifts, and something they can look and keep forever.

If you have just lost someone, and you may feel sad about them, and your children feel sad too and not going to be there for Christmas. Have your children light a candle and do a display in their memory and have a toast to them. The first Christmas without my nan, who lived until she was 80, or around that age, was hard and then my parents got divorced, was tough and change can be hard. So the greatest gift is a hug, kiss and reassureance that things will be okay, and important to mend feuds so your kids have see all the people they love at Christmas, and don’t keep them in the dark, and be honest to them.

Yet I am installed with lots of good memories and that is what counts. I was lucky and it was good to see my cousins and aunty and uncles, and seeing friends. Coming together for our kids is whats important, and the greatest gifft to them, is you.

So I wish you a wonderful Christmas. I may blog over Christmas, and will be uploading on my Youtube channels and social media sites, see links below:

https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal

https://www.youtube.com/@mywayofliving1602

https://www.youtube.com/@carrieseducationyoutubecha4891

Link for my Pinterest:

Social media:

https://www.instagram.com/typicallondongal/

Tweets by Carrie82434764

https://www.facebook.com/typicallondongal/

You will alerted if you follow me on this site, and not miss a blog, so remember to subscribe and then you won’t miss a blog. Many thanks to those who subscribe to me now, it really means the world, so lets celebrate and work together to share the love in the parent community.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X