Last week, Munchkin and I headed over to Dyrham Park with friends for one of their weekly Toddler Trails – a free event for the under 5s during term time, featuring activities, crafts, songs and discovery in the Park’s glorious gardens. After negotiating our way down the very steep slope from the car park, in…
Month: April 2016
Yeah, but I’m doing it…
You remember that wonderful episode of Friends, when someone steals Monica’s identity and she ends up living vicariously through this person’s crazy life, wowed by their spontaneity, and their unbridled enthusiasm to try new things? Then at the end, when she goes along to this tap-dancing class, joining in, even though she’s terrible at it…. Teacher: You…
Wintery Walks or Springtime Strolls?
The weather recently has been so strange. Last year, April was beautifully sunny and warm, but this year we’re swinging from balmy spring days in the sunshine to freezing, frosty mornings. Last week, I dropped Munchkin off at nursery, dressed in her short, spring-like dungarees, marvelling as she tottered down the path, her bunches bouncing…
400 years of wonderful words…
Celebrating the anniversary of someone’s death always seems a slightly maudlin subject, but with someone like Shakespeare, I think we can safely say that enough time has passed for this to be a joyful celebration of all he brought to the world. Full disclosure, I’m an English scholar and I have always loved Shakespeare – despite…
Mothers on Mothering
This week…Lucy Tobin, journalist and blogger at RUNOUTOFWOMB.COM, and mother of one. Lucy Tobin is a journalist at the Evening Standard and author of six books, ranging from a guide to uni life to a wedding guide for the DIY bride – and mama to a nearly-year-old baby boy. Her blog RunOutOfWomb.com was conceived (pun oh-so-intentional..!) because she…
A London Adventure
Last week, we were lucky enough to be able to house-sit for some family friends in Putney, giving us six days back in the big smoke, mixing business with pleasure, showing Munchkin the big city, visiting our old stamping ground in NW London and seeing lots of friends. It was a lovely change from normal…
Being a girl…
Since having a daughter, I have thought more and more about what it means to be a girl in this world. At times, I can look around at young women I see, or read the news, or speak to friends and feel really overwhelmed by how much of a minefield life still is for women. And especially…
Easter Baskets & Being Together…
We had a lovely Easter weekend – filled with just enough activities, family-filled fun and DIY to ensure we fell into our beds on Monday night, exhausted, but basking in that wonderful feeling of having really achieved something. Aside from dismantling and rebuilding an eight foot greenhouse we found on Freecycle (a two day job…
A Wild Life in Words 