Posts Tagged "Projects"
Have YOU seen Advent Rabbit?
Afternoon.
So Kai is ill, it is cold and I find myself stuck inside with too much time on my hands – the kind of time where I can’t really get anything of real use done that requires any real concentration because I have a boy attached to my lap, but still the kind of time that needs filling, and oooh look my laptop balances just nicely on the arm of the sofa here so I can faff about on the internet and stroke his head at the same time.
Seems like most of us with a child are battling lurgies right now, tis the season and all that. And we’re all feeling a bit bleugh at the weather and the fact we’re all broke and our advent calendars taste like crap.
But never fear dear reader. For I, queen of creative procrastination have come to your rescue to bring you some light in the dark days ahead to keep you going till Chrimbotide.
Those of you that follow me on Twitter will know that I have been serialising the contents of Kai’s advent calendar into a sort of advent mini-drama. If any of you ever watched Sunset Beach (which is quite possible the greatest TV show in the history of LIFE), you’ll find it’s a bit like that only with more disproportionately sized plastic animals (compared to disproportionately sized plastic boobs and botox) and less smouldering but with just as much sex, death and evil twin action.
In any case it seems to have gone down rather well so for the rest of advent I will be bringing you the adventures of “Have YOU seen Advent Rabbit” via the magic of this magical blog.
Come see.
Read MoreChristmas at the Great Toy Guide
As most of you know, I deputy edit at the fab new review site ‘Great Toy Guide’, where we provide independent, honest reviews by our team of mummy and daddy bloggers on toys and games for children aged 0-8.
Last week we launched our biggest feature yet, 100 of the best Christmas Toys for under £10.
I’m really proud of this one. We’ve sourced some AMAZING toys: a great mix of familiar names and old classics as well as some toys with a difference, including some gorgeous ethical toys like this Jewellery Making Kit (my absolute fave). I really, really would encourage you to go have a look – toys are organised by age to make it easier and I guarantee you’ll find an idea you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. I want to buy them all! Kai definitely has a few on HIS Christmas list, especially this fun bathtime toy, this giant bubble making kit, and this wonderful personalised memory game.
Personally I think we all tend to go a little overboard at Christmas: it’s so easy to fall into the habit of spending more and more each year. We’re not yet at the age where Kai is going to pressure us to buy the latest toys so we’re making the most of it and keeping it simple this year. I like that here you can get some lovely presents without spending a fortune.
As well our review feature we’re also offering THE best giveaway this Christmas. Four HUGE heaps of presents for your child, in four categories: baby, pre-schooler, girls and boys. We have some brilliant stuff, with vintage toys by Silver Cross and the best Early Learning Centre goodies, as well as your favourite character toys: Thomas and Friends, Ben 10, High School Musical, and loads more.
I am, quite frankly, gutted I can’t enter. But you can, so what are you waiting for!!
Oh, and it’s not to late to find yourself a gorgeous reusable advent calendar that you can bring out year after year as part of your family’s Christmas traditions. See our reviews for some of the best: the Pixie Advent Calendar that we got to test was especially stunning.
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On a more personal note, I am ridiculously proud of this whole thing. Can you tell? So apologies for the gushing commercial post (which I know is a bit of a change from the norm) but this was too good not promote. We all worked so hard on this and seeing it all come together was fabulous. Thanks so much to the team who contributed, and especially to Editor Sally who worked the clock round and kept us all organised xx
Read MoreWhat Josie Did
So… yesterday…
Actually, no. Back track. To last Sunday. When I finally managed to swallow a huge elephant sized chunk of pride and asked my Mother-in-Law whether she would like to have Kai over to play for a few hours every Friday afternoon. Kai adores her, they have a dog called “DEEEE” (Eddie in Kai-speak) and a back room full of toys. It was always going to be a win-win situation. I’m just not very good at asking for help… but… I did! And it felt good! (once the huge chunk of pride had worked it’s way past my windpipe anyway).
We can scoot forward again now. It’s Friday afternoon, I have waved Kai off happily sat in the back of Grandma’s car clutching his digger in one hand and a police car in the other and grinning like loon.
I have four hours. Four whole childless, peaceful hours.
What on earth do I do?!
Well for starters I have made a deal with myself that these four hours each week are NOT going to be spent doing housework. Absolutely not. I also made a deal with myself that these four hours would be spent outside, or, at least out the house.
So I packed up Clive and my notebook and my many pens and I put some gloves and a hat on and I went out. ALONE.
It was so weird. I did crazy things. I crossed the road when the red man was still showing. I carried a bag that did not contain a nappy, wipes, three toy cars or emergency raisins. I walked past people thinking “they don’t know I’m a mummy! I could be ANYONE!” and tried to look mysterious and alluring.
I bought a cheese sandwich and I sat on a bench in the middle of town with my legs on the arm and I wrote until I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore.
And then I sat in Starbucks and ate the cream off my grande hot chocolate with a spoon and wrote some more. And then I went to MacDonalds and stole their free Wi-fi while rebelliously not ordering ANYTHING but setting up camp next to a rubbish covered tray in a genius undercover stake-out maneauve.
And then I went home.
It was glorious.
And I learnt the following things:
1. I absolutely, unconditionally, obsessively love PEOPLE. Not to the point where I actually want to talk to them, but just to watch them all go about their busy little lives, overhearing snippets of conversation, noticing their funny little gestures and weird clothing choices. I am addicted to them and their randomness. I could sit and watch them all fricking day. Or all afternoon anyway. I am not sure how writers ever run out of things to write about when there are six and half billion of the wonderful weirdos to write about.
2. The prices for WiFi in Starbucks are criminal. I’ve just paid nearly £3 for a drink you evil multi-national corporation. How dare you try and charge me over a fiver for 90 effing minutes. Humph.
3. Clive is heavy.He could do with loosing a few pounds.
4. I can both miss Kai and be very grateful for his temporary absence at the same time.
5. Sometimes I really, really like not having to talk to anyone for a few hours. To not say a single word. It means I can hear the words in my head a bit easier. And that makes it easier to write them down.
6. I love Freedom Friday
Thanks Wendy x
P.S. Today, on my wanderings across the interwebs, I completely ‘accidentally’ happened across a rather cool and extremely interesting and brilliant blog. You should probably check it out… you know, if you like… Dunno who she is. But she seems pretty ace. Whoever she is…
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