Update from Steve

Leta has Hyperemesis gravidarum which is proving very debilitating, so blog updates will be very few for a while.  Please keep her in your prayers, it's a horrible complication of pregnancy and she is feeling very unwell.  Thank you, Steve.

Originally posted on Wednesday 15th May

Could We Live Off-Grid?

Do you watch those programmes where people buy a plot of land to build the house of their dreams on, or re-purpose an old building to their own new specification?  What about the recent series with Ben Fogle where he visited some folk who live way out in the middle of nowhere, without all the stuff the rest of us deem essential?

Gadgets, Gadgets, Gadgets for Dads

Men just love them don't they?  Why count your coins when a jar will do it for you?  Why store your money in a wallet, when you can have your own home ATM?  Why have a normal clock when you can project the image of a clock onto the wall?

Indeed, why even create your own - ahem - bodily noises, when a little machine can do it for you?  And you just know the 6 foot tall 8 year old in your house is going to fall about at that one.  Ah men, what a weird lot, eh?!

Catering Escoffier-Style for Andy Warhol

Have you seen that film The Wedding Crashers?  I think we could quite easily do that, not to pick up women or even get free booze necessarily (certainly not at the moment!), but for the yummy free food!!  Who doesn't love going to events with delightful little canapes and tiny morsels of food, and even better if they have managed to cater well for us vegetarians.

Sleeping Woes and Bad Backs

One of the more annoying aspects of pregnancy is how it impacts on your sleep, almost from the very start.  Some say this is all part of dear old Mother Nature's infinite plan, a neat way to get mums ready for the restless nights to come when baby arrives, but personally I could do without it!

Summer Holidays The Whole Family Will Enjoy

As we draw closer to summer (finally!), there’s the same old dilemma: “Where do we go for a holiday?” Whether you’re a new mum or have a tribe of your own, trying to find something everyone will like is never an easy task.

What’s more, the perfect family holiday can take on various different forms from educational Egypt to picturesque Portugal. Whichever way you decide to treat your family this year, check out these great deals so that you can kick back and relax while the kiddies burn up all that summer energy.

Oils to Get You Through the Week

The working week (and the weekend after) can cause our bodies a huge amount of problems. A stressful week at work can lead to high blood pressure and pressure of your relationships. Tiredness can make you less attentive and less responsive. Lack of energy can cause lack of commitment. The list goes on – but there is a way to target these problems using aromatherapy – a practice which uses aromas and essential oils to deal with many different ailments and issues.

Explore the World of Doctor Who on a Trip to Cardiff

If you haven’t thought about fighting ‘weeping angels’, hovering ‘Daleks’ and emotionless ‘Cybermen’ while flying round in a little blue box at some point in your childhood, or adulthood, then you may have been missing out.

Tefal Fresh Week Meal Plan

If you saw our post about Fresh Week last Friday, you will know that we have signed the Tefal pledge to cook 100% real, from scratch meals this week using a host of fresh ingredients.  If you would like more info about Fresh Week, have a look here.

Review: Tree Fu Tom Pyjamas

Regular readers will know how crazy Lara is about Tree Fu Tom and friends, approaching biggest fan status I should say!  You can imagine her delight then when we were sent a pair of Tree Fu Tom pyjamas to review  recently.

Once The Musical - A Must-See!

Several years ago we joined the DVDs to your door service LoveFilm and have found it absolutely invaluable since having children.  There's always something to collapse in front of of an evening, and the ability to add films to your 'wanted' list as soon as they appear in the cinema means never missing out on something that we liked the sound of but had zero chance of getting to the cinema for.

The flipside of that is that we have added so many films to our wanted list that sometimes things drop through letterbox that we have no recollection of hearing or reading about.  So it was a couple of years ago, when a DVD called Once appeared.  One of us must have read about it somewhere, or had it recommended, but the brief synopsis on the DVD sleeve did not sound promising, so it lay unwatched for a week or so.  One evening, with a dozing Lara on my lap I decided to pop it in the DVD player and oh my goodness...

Great Gifts To Give Your Mum

When it comes to Mothers Day, birthdays or just to say ‘I love you’ receiving a thoughtful gift is always welcomed and very much appreciated by your Mum. We are all guilty of taking our parents for granted for one thing or another and it is lovely to just show a bit of thought and give them a gift that means something. Every Mum is of course different and it can be difficult buying presents for some people at times, however here is a list of a few brands which create great gifts that you could get for her, there is sure to be something here that would bring a smile to her face:

Four Signs That It's Time to Downsize

Maybe you always dreamed of having a nice, sizable home where your children could grow up. After several years of hard work and saving, this dream possibly became a reality. Buying your dream home is a major accomplishment, and once you move into the perfect place, you may decide to stay until the mortgage is paid off.