Hello and welcome back to normality! It is the start of a new term and means all systems go and so check out this Cheat she giving tips on Getting back from the holidays.
It is completely free and can keep and pass on if you wish and hope you are finding them helpful.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
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.
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
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
Being a mum has changed me, and my thoughts.. I see that he doesn’t multi task, but that it is good to focus on one thing at a time, and short spurts of changing areas in my life that leads to good results, is just as good as long spurts, and getting my life together.
Having a child with ADHD and on the Autism Spectrum, it is important to communicate better, as it doesn’t always sink in to them, and that I give him some control, when it comes to making decisions and that I am not saying no, but that we not going to it this minute, and if he is good, that he will be rewarded with the things he wants and making sure I make an effort to work on my behaviour too, like showing good manners and how to communicate correctly.
I know that sounds like what you’d do when training a pet, but given praise and rewards for when he does good, has a good impact, and that I teach him myself of good behaviour. I practice what I preach. I have to be careful of bad language and chatting, and allow someone speak first, as I have talked over someone and interrupted, and if you find it annoying, and your child sees this, they can copy and can influence other adults to follow the same habits and behaviour, too.
When it comes to diet, if I am encouraging good eating and being healthy, it has to come from me, in order not to snack all the time, and I am working on this, as I need to sort out my diet, as it isn’t always good, so I am in the process of having fuller meals, and not to snack so much.
Now we are going into a new year it is time to restart and reboot. So going to set goals for me and Henry to do together, and progress our relationship, as there are areas in which could be better, such as be a little more stricter, as I need to teach him about everyone is given a chance to choose what to watch on TV to, by making sure I do the same and respect others people property. That he is to respect other peoples decision and that everyone gets a turn, and not to kick up a fuss if it is not what he wants, as you can’t please your kids all the time, and that I make sure I am respectful in that area too.
If you have anything to share, then please do. You can leave a comment below.
So it is New Years day, so happy new year and lets all raise our glasses to all us parents and children, and hope 2024 is a good year.
Just to let you know I write a daily blog, and so if you’d like to check this out then you can, here is the link: https://mydailythougthsandfeelings.blogspot.com/
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
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/
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
Yes it is now December and I have bought 4 gifts, and still got to get my son a few more. I don’t go over the top, and budget but still want to let Santa know of what my son wants and make note of what he will be getting, and as Henry has grown it has been many different things.
Musical instruments and musical audio equipment: My son has a CD that he has been wanting to play and he loves dancing to musical, like Blippi and Justin’s House, and so got him a portable CD player and also my brother some years back got me a record player and so given this to my son so going to buy a record to see if it will play and in my opinion always a winner, and great to pass down to other kids.
Bikes, cars and scooters: Great to help kids with their motor skills, and helps with mobility and having fun outdoors, and great for playdates in the park and if in good condition can be passed down, and great way to get exercise.
Experiences: I did a video about this, on my youtube channel my way of living. https://youtu.be/i–zbKpxuos I bought a couple of Christmases ago a London Bus tour to see the lights of Christmas via Groupon, and my niece was bought by her nan, Horrible Histories tours, and was unwell to do it, so I was given the tickets from my sister in law, and it was really good, and my niece still went to next day, which I was glad about, as it was worth it and so if your kids like boat tours, then I recommment them, and there are many you can do.
Join your kids to a club. As a kid I always had a hobby, and for me that was dancing and great way to help your kids form good skills and interact with other children, and a great gift. Henry goes swimming and goes to a holiday club, and following on, on Experiences, why not invest them into a kids, club. Many offer a trial and have a whole year of fun. and making more friends. So good to have a hobby, and I enjoyed it. My niece goes to drama classes, and my nieces have done hobbies, and one of my nieces works at a local stable, and horse riding is a really good to do. My son was having horse riding at school, and really helps build their skills, rather indoors looking at a tablet all day.
Games. These never run out of fashion and loved playing games during the Christmas period. We would play many card games, board games and last year we played Pictionary and always a winner. It reallly helps to wind down after having dinner and having good family fun.
So I hope this helps give you gift ideas, and will be blogging more and then will a break over Christmas but will be posting on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/typicallondongal/and my Vlog channel: https://www.youtube.com/@typicallondongal
If you like a good book to read, then check out my book Mum&Me and will really make you laugh: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mum-Me-Gucci-Tits-Virtue-ebook/dp/B0BGSS7H9K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UIL0SMWJHEUM&keywords=mum+%26+me+carrie+holmes&qid=1701688294&sprefix=mum%26me+carrie+holme%2Caps%2C1163&sr=8-1
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie Challoner
Henry has a strange habit of putting a CD on the flour faced down, in the middle of the door leading to the kitchen and neither me or his dad can figure out why.
He has done this since he was able to walk and it is a CD with his name on it, and also wants to play it, so going to speak to Santa.
What stranges things do your kids do ? Please leave a comment below, about your kids?
My son also won’t wear a coat with a hood and often doesn’t like wearing a coat, and so got him a jacket where you can take the hood off.
I bought him a body warmer, and even that he is not sure of, but will wear jumper but won’t wear a fleece at all. He’s not sure about polo shirts, but has to wear one for his school, and has a pair of sandals for the summer, but takes us a lot of convincing for him to put them on, and loves walking making train noises, as he is mad about them. He wants to be a train, and fear this as he keeps saying he’d like to go on the train tracks, so little worried but of course will supervise him to make sure he doesn’t and will travel again up London by train, and if he wants to watch the trains for a little while, then we do.
As a baby he loved being winded, and this was from the very early days, and in hosptial as he was in there for a month, due to being premature, would when I was able to see him, as I development an Oral Virus, would wind him and he wouldn’t cry and enjoyed the sensation.
He wouldn’t sit in the bath at one point, but liked swimming , and only liked me to give him a bath, and once he built his confidence on his own, with supervision, started to out of the blue sit in the bath. He wouldn’t want to come out, and why often you have to repeat making him a bath, for example, for him to discover that it is okay.
Now as I write this blog he is dipping his cracker into his hot chocolate. I remember as a baby when he would wake up from a nap be really grumpy, and to calmed down when I put on the song, Only You by the Flying Pickets or if I read to him. I remember a little boy I knew as a baby, and was a kid myself still, loved the Eastenders song, and Henry would cry to You Spin right round, by Dead or Alive, and I think it was the video of it that freaked him out and not the actual song.
Not sure if he’d like it now, as not tried, so may experiment at some point.
He at first wouldn’t be excited about Christmas, and was not interested in opening up presents, but overtime this has changed, and loves it.
So I will be posting more as we get near to the festive season, and so have a good week ahead.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
Yes it is coming up to the big C and deciding what to buy for our kids, oh sorry more Santa will be and means having a good dinner, and consulting Santa on what gifts our kids want.
So, first of all I think choosing what you kids can help with and set a date to have the Christmas decorations going up, and why not make everyone a hot drink whilst you decorate in your matching PJ;s, with some Christmas music playing.
Take them to go and see the lights in town, depending on where you live and many places in London will have Ice Rinks and I love a Christmas market where they have a Santas Grotto, like the Southbank in London.
Create a Christmas folder. I will be going to get mine out to update and I have decided on the theme for gifts and like traditional in many households, write a wish list.
Get out the games. Last year we played Pictionary type game, and growing up would play card games. Shut the box is a really fun game and great way to have everyone playing together rather then on mobiles or tablets and make it a tradition and each year buy a new game.
Have a table for the kids to eat together, depending on the room you have. Each child has a cracker they can pull and activities on the table to help with them not getting bored whilst waiting for the food and nominate one child and one adult to give out the gifts and take note of which child it was that did it that year, and then have another child do this on the following year or boxing day, to hand out the presents.
I have done a printable for Christmas tips and so check out here:
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
There is nothing better than spending time with family and with working, school and chores you don’t always get that time. The place to start is meals, choose a day to have a meal together and plan in advance and do like a buffet style or a sit down meal, with drinks non alcoholic drinks for kids of course and drinks for the adults and the one thing I am looking forward to in the summer is having a BBQ and sitting in the sun, have a good chat and catching up if your kids no longer live at home with you or they are grown up an living in their own place.
Take a day trip to the seaside. I have an aunty and uncle who live in Selsey and so when we can we will go down there to visit and I love being by the sea, it makes me feel peaceful and calm. Of course it means driving or catching a train, if you don’t want to go abroad but can get discount travel cards , and when I lived in the South coast I had one and it saved me a lot of money when I would travel from London to a place called Bognor Regis and back, then me and my son’s dad had a one as a couple, because when Henry was a baby he could travel for free, and we’d travel to Southampton and Lincoln, so it made sense to have a travel discount card.
If you are a Eurovision fan then why not make it into a last minute party if you haven’t planned already and do cheese on toast with some mugs of tea and get the blankets out depending on how big your sofa is and camp out. Why not make it fun by having a pen and paper of how many points you’d give for each country and where union jack hats and flags or if you from another country do the same but of the country colours and flags. I remember when they used to show Miss World and I was staying at a friends house and we had paper and pen to mark who we thought should win, and would do this with my grandparents when they were alive when watching a TV show called Countdown.
Workout together to get fit. When we had the pandemic the Body Coach Joe Wicks did PE lessons getting kids to exercise and today I did a indoor walking workout on Youtube and was really good fun and my son would often join in with me and my son and I will spend time when he comes home from school play football or dance as often I will have the radio on or music playing from Youtube.
Spend time visiting a national park and gardens. We have often done this and there are many national parks in England like Kew Gardens and you do have to pay but they often have events going on there in the summer and great places to celebrate birthdays or any occasion and I am looking forward to having a picnic and spending time around nature. It is such good fun and somewhere different to go.
Visiting a Zoo is good fun and there are places like Chessington World of Adventures, but there are other type of Zoos like London Zoo and Battersea Park zoo and if it is not busy you can just turn up but it is less expensive if you book in advance and check out newspapers and cereals as often they will do deals.
I hope this gives you ideas as another half term is coming up and then it is the Summer Holidays so worth thinking about these ideas and have some good family fun.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
Yes it is 3 days until the Coronation and we officially have a King now in England and I will be watching as it may only happen once in my life time who knows and many schools will be celebrating beforehand at school. At my sons current school, as we have just found out that he will be going to a new school in September because he is behind at school and will save that dilemma we are having in a separate blog, but focusing on the Coronation my sons school are having a picnic for it. The school has asked to help by giving the kids a blanket for it.
He has to wear something blue, white or red for the occasion and there are many street parties even though it looks like the weather won’t be so good, but still great to celebrate and so if you not going to not have a street party, you can still get some teas and cakes to celebrate indoors, with flags to decorate for it and today my son came home with a card he made for the coronation, so get your kids to make some decorations.
The Works have a good range of crafts and Hobby Craft if you live near one, and be as crazy as you like.
If you know how to face paint, why not face paint your kids faces if they want to and why not some bracelets and hair bands.
I want some memorabilia to keep and will be wearing the colours, and getting into the spirit of it, and yes gonna bring over my London mug with saucer to drink some tea and would like to get a bit of decoration to put on my windowsill in my room, so will be doing last minute shopping and it is good to see the city London decorated.
So I really hope the day goes well and you have a good celebration if you want to that is.
Many thanks for reading,
Carrie X
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