Until we moved into this house, S and I had never had a garden before. Although we’d been looking forward to having an outdoor space, last summer it did get a little overwhelming, what with the lawn to mow, weeds to pull up, a whopping great grape vine taking over Read more…
Anyone that has been to my house in the last couple of years will know that it is, ahem, a little messy. Just recently though, I’ve been making a concerted effort to tidy it up! We’ve been clearing out, throwing out and organising in every room and I think we’re beginning Read more…
I know of very few people – especially parents – who aren’t looking to save money wherever they can. No matter how much money you earn, saving money here and there is always a good feeling. Here are five simple things you can do to save money at home: Look Read more…
When I was little my grandparents lived in the house where my mother grew up. My grandad was ill and slept in the room that had once been my mother’s bedroom – complete with silver ceiling and hot pink walls. He died when I was really young, so really my Read more…
Like many women, after having a baby I found myself with a diastasis recti – and then an umbilical hernia too. I lived with these for five years, and then in September 2017 I had an operation to repair the umbilical hernia. After this I had physio which has helped Read more…
If there’s one thing I’ve heard a million times by now, it’s that I’m “strong.” People tell me I’m strong, and that they could not have handled the things I’ve been through. My general reasponse when people tell me I’m “strong” is that I really don’t feel it. When I Read more…
Last year, I decided I might like to meet someone. After five years of being single, I thought it might be nice to not be quite so single any more. My first attempt at that didn’t go so well, and a friend suggested I join a dating site. I resisted, because… Read more…
I’ve written before about how I have trouble asking for and accepting help. It’s an ongoing theme in my life, but this year, I feel, has been a lesson in doing just that. It’s not so much that I’m this proud, independent single mother who wants to do everything myself; Read more…
Each Christmas of S’s life until now, shopping for her Christmas presents has mostly involved me trawling through websites, thinking, oh she’d love that and buying it for her. She had little input. Last Christmas the only thing she wanted was a wind-up mermaid for her bath. This year, she is Read more…
I’ve been reading a lot about codependence lately. I’m fairly sure it’s a term that describes me, but it’s also something that’s often mostly misunderstood. People tend to think that in order to have a codependent personality, you need to have another person upon/with whom to be codependent. What it Read more…
Everyone wants shiny, bright white teeth like a celebrity these days don’t they. But how do you actually go about making your teeth look all sparkly and worthy of a red carpet? Here are ten hacks you might not have tried before. Turmeric Yes, I know it’s orange and stains Read more…
S is an avid artist; she goes through phases where she can go through books and books of paper every day. She loves to draw pictures for people – but she also often draws them for me. That’s lovely – but it also means we have stacks of pictures all over Read more…
I’ve always been an “all or nothing” sort of person – in every aspect of my life. I have never once in my life eaten just once slice of cake, if the rest of the cake was available to me. When it comes to food, I either sit and eat Read more…
Right now, I’m recovering from an operation. As well as this, I am recovering from other things; some are those I thought I had long since dealt with; others are things I wasn’t even entirely aware I needed to deal with. In all cases, it has been a slightly strange Read more…
I wrote a post last week about being angry. I was very angry, both with my mother and with K, a man I had been spending time with… and probably with a lot of other things I didn’t go into in the post. And actually, if I’m honest, I was also Read more…
If you were to ask me if I’m angry — about anything — I would generally say no. I’m not an angry person; I don’t get angry. But actually, now I am angry. A while back I read a “self help” book where it said you should get angry, and Read more…