Tag Archives: Family

Happy Friday!

Posted in Family Life by

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It’s been a long week and I, for one, am glad to see the end of it. Any illusions that we would all return to school and work well-rested and refreshed after the Christmas break were shattered on Monday when I literally had to drag the children out of bed before rushing to school in the pouring rain. I returned home with dripping wet hair and mascara streaks down my face – not a good look!

There’s not been much time for blogging – and even less inspiration I’m sad to say. But now we have arrived at the end of the week, the sun has shown its face for the first time in ages and my mood has slowly improved. A nice dinner tonight, a trip to the movies tomorrow night and a visit to Ikea on Sunday will hopefully chase away the last of the post-Christmas blues. Who knows, I may even make it to the gym this weekend to get my fill of endorphins!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend wherever you are and whatever you’re doing! X

This Week’s Favourites

Posted in Family Life, This Week's Favourites by

I guess I’m not alone in feeling slightly down in the dumps tonight as two weeks of Christmas holiday and family time draw to a close. Tomorrow the kids go back at school and preschool and I’m back at work (luckily I work from home so no commuting in the rain). It does feel like we’ve had a proper break and, although I don’t relish the thought of having to drag the children out of bed at 7.15am, hopefully we all have a bit more energy than before the holidays.

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We kicked off this week with a trip to Hampton Court ice rink. The boys did really well, ice skating in the pouring rain and howling wind, and were rewarded with hot chocolate topped with whipped cream afterwards.

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Rain, rain and more rain meant that indoor activities were mostly on the agenda this week. Luckily there were lots of new Christmas toys and games to keep us busy like this ice cream play dough set:

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I didn’t manage to take any pictures at all on New Year’s Eve. We were invited to a party at a friend’s house but as Clemmie had a cold she and Daddy stayed at home while the boys and I went for a couple of hours. All the kids were tucked up in bed well before midnight and the hubby and I gave the televised Big Ben countdown a miss and watched a couple of episodes of Breaking Bad instead. Does it get any more rock n roll?

The highlight of my week was without a doubt our trip into town last night to see the English National Ballet performance of The Nutcracker. With the children safely deposited at the grandparents, we took the train up London just the two of us, for the first time in ages. The weather had brightened up so we went for a walk around Covent Garden, taking in all the festive decorations like the giant red baubles..

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..and the massive Rudolph complete with shiny red nose.

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We had dinner at Balthazar, which opened its London outpost a few months ago.

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Delicious food and a glass of bubbly to set the mood..

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..before we made our way to the Coliseum for the performance.

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I saw The Nutcracker a few times as a child but my husband had never seen it before. We both agreed that it was a great night out and I’m sure we will go to the ballet again in the not too far future.

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As we had some time before our train, we decided to walk across the bridge to Waterloo Station…

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..and I was reminded of how much I love this city and how lucky we are to have all that it offers right on our doorstep.

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Today has been spent taking down the Christmas decorations, hoovering up thousands of pine needles (those things get everywhere! I’m sure I’ll still be finding some under the sofa come June), and getting the boys’ bags ready for school. With the alarm set for 7am, I’m going to have a cup of tea and some chocolate (no need to rush into the January healthy eating regime!) in front of the TV before heading off to bed. Wish me luck for tomorrow morning! X

Out with the old…

Posted in Family Life by

2013 Collage

{Some of my favourite Instagram moments from 2013}

…and in with the new, healthier, fitter, more organised and frugal me. I’m not a huge fan of grandiose New Years resolutions along the lines of losing ten kilos, running the marathon or becoming teetotal, but like most people I could do with making a few tweaks to my lifestyle, so in no particular order here are my goals for 2014:

1. Stick a regular exercise regime rather than my usual on-off routine (more off than on if I’m honest!). I started off well last spring going to the gym a couple of times a week and running at the weekends, managed to keep it going through the summer and into the autumn. Then it all went pear shaped at the end of November as Christmas preparations took over and the season of overindulgence arrived.

2. Start the day with a smoothie made with berries, bananas and almond milk. An easy way to get at least two of your five a day and will hopefully stave off those 11am sugar cravings.

3. Spend less money. If our much-talked about extension is ever going to become a reality we need to tighten our belts this year. It’s all the little things that tend to add up like lunches out at the weekends, takeaway coffees, magazines and treats for the kids.

4. Spend more one-to-one time with my boys. Now that they are both at school and the afternoons are filled up with homework, activities and playdates, the weeks seem to whizz by. With a cute but demanding three-year-old at home it is not always easy to give them the full attention they need. My ten-year-old especially needs to chat about things that are happening at school etc. So I will make sure that my husband and I both have individual time with them at the weekend, even if it’s just a kick-about in the park or a game of monopoly.

5. Literally throw out the old by clearing out the loft and all the baby things we no longer need. Most of it will go to charity shops but some of the bigger items I will sell on eBay.

6. Be kinder to myself. I think us women have a tendency to beat ourselves up if we can’t manage to keep on top of everything. This year I will tell myself that it doesn’t matter if the house isn’t immaculate and that it’s OK to forgo the ironing in favour of a relaxing soak in the bath, reading a book or catching up with friends.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2014!

Our Christmas in Pictures

Posted in Family Life by

Christmas Collage 1

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Ours went by in a flash but it was wonderful and definitely one that we will remember and treasure for many years to come. Since having children, we have always spent Christmas at home or at our parents’ houses (which are less than half an hour away) so I was looking forward to going away to celebrate both Christmas and my father’s 70th birthday together with my parents and my sister’s family. From the moment we arrived at Moonfleet Manor in Dorset I felt all the stress from the run-up to the festive season melt away. The Georgian manor house was beautifully decorated with Christmas trees in all the downstairs rooms and mantlepieces heaving with pine and cone garlands. No meals to cook, no house to clean and no need to worry about entertaining the children as there was a swimming pool, games rooms and a huge indoor play area with room to play football and tennis as well as a soft play area for the younger ones. I even had time to read a book and, after a busy Christmas Day with stockings in the morning followed by a treasure hunt which ended in a truly magical Santa’s Grotto, my sister and I booked in for a relaxing facial and massage on Boxing Day. And of course, lots and lots of food, including a six course Black Tie gala dinner on our last night – so healthy eating is definitely on the agenda for January!

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Back home there were more presents to open under the tree (with only a small car we couldn’t bring any big gifts with us) including a dolls house for Clemmie and a new games console for the boys, which they were up playing early this morning. We managed to drag them away for a few hours to go to the zoo and enjoy the sunshine (a welcome change from the horrible rain and wind).

The boys have just gone to bed and when I said goodnight I asked what they thought was the best part of Christmas. I expected them to say ‘Getting a Lego set or an Xbox’ but they both replied ‘being together at the hotel and seeing our cousins’ which made me so happy because, to me, that is what Christmas is all about: family and togetherness.

There are still a few more lazy days to enjoy before reality kicks in again and I, for one, intend to make the most of them by doing not very much at all! X

This Week’s Favourites

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This weeks faves 23:12

Hello there, First of all I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your lovely supportive comments on my previous post. It’s very comforting to know that I’m not the only one to be hit by bloggers block! How are you all bearing up under the Christmas stress? I finished the wrapping last night and today has been a mad dash (in the pouring rain, of course!) buying new shoes for the boys, haircuts for all the kids, and packing our bags for three nights away. We leave tomorrow morning and although it feels strange not to be spending Christmas at home, we are all very excited to be trying something new. We (hopefully) have a fun packed few days ahead and I’ve been cramming the suitcases full with fancy dress outfits, Black Tie attire, wellies and swimming costumes.

It may be a day late but I wanted to take a few minutes to do my weekly round up:

 

1. It seems like ages ago now, but Cameron was off school with a tummy ache last Monday. Once I’d finished work in the morning, we played quite a few boardgames including Junior Monopoly.

2. Luckily he had recovered by the following day and was able to do a reading in church at his school’s carol service.

3. Amaryllis = Christmas and ours is now in full bloom.

4. Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the big guy in red himself. The boys were happy to pose with Father Christmas (a really good one this year who took his time to chat to all the children individually) but Clemmie preferred to stay close to Mummy.

5. She did manage to divulge that she wants a dolly for Christmas and enjoyed the visit to the playground afterwards.

6. Another festive tradition is making gingerbread biscuits. I buy the dough ready made from the Swedish food shop, so much easier than making your own. I had planned to buy some writing icing to decorate them but the kids managed to eat every single biscuit before I had time. Note to self: Buy two batches of dough next year.

7. As we’re away over Christmas (it’s my dad’s 70th birthday on Christmas Day no less so we’re going to stay in a hotel for three days), we enjoyed a traditional Swedish Christmas lunch with my parents, sister and family and the in-laws yesterday.

8. Clemmie and her cousin are only six months apart in age and get on really well, chatting away in a mixture of English and Swedish. It will be lovely to spend three solid days together over Christmas.

9. And finally I just had to share my latest purchase with you – the Nars At First Sight eye and cheek palette. My mother-in-law bought me a voucher for Space NK for my birthday and this week I managed to nab the very last palette in stock!

Right, back to the packing it is and in case I don’t get a chance to post in the next couple of days: A very merry Christmas to you all! X

When words don’t come easy…

Posted in Daily Musings, Family Life by

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Somewhere between the Christmas stress, starting a new job and a couple of exhausting nights looking after a sick toddler, I seem to have temporarily misplaced my blogging mojo. It’s not that I’m short of ideas or inspiration, I just haven’t got the energy to sit down and string the necessary words together. Tomorrow is the last day of school for the boys before Christmas and I’m sure the two week break will do us all good. At the moment, even getting out of the house on time in the mornings is a struggle, let alone keeping on top of the Christmas preparations and all the usual household tasks that mount up, regardless of whether it’s the festive season or not.

So, for tonight this is all folks. I hope to return in a few days with something more interesting to say! In the meantime, hope you all have a great weekend. X

This Week’s Favourites

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This Week's Faves 15:12

My lovely husband offered to wash up even though he cooked dinner so I’m earlier than usual with my ‘weekly favourites’ post. It’s been a great week – busy but not stressful – and even though there are only nine (!!) days until Christmas I feel quite organised and in control (a definite first for me!). So without further ado here is the roundup I know you’ve all been waiting for!

1. I finished off the last Christmas shopping this week and of course no trip into town is complete without a Gingerbread latte at Starbucks to keep the energy levels up.

2. Cameron’s school Christmas concert was a delight: the children looked angelic and sang so beautifully it almost brought a tear to my eye!

3. Casper was not to be outdone and sparkled as Roman in his school nativity the following day.

4. As I mentioned in my last post we have put up all the Christmas decorations and I’m already dreading taking them down in the new year. January and February are my least favourite months and the house always seems so dark and dreary when the Christmas lights are packed away.

5. The little nativity set is a favourite with the children who love playing with it and moving the figures around. I don’t mind as long as it all stays on the mantlepiece!

6. The Christmas tree has a real mix of old, new and homemade decorations. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but there’s plenty of time for an immaculate tree when the children have grown up.

7. We went to a 1960s theme party last night so I wore false eyelashes for the very first time. Luckily my friend was on hand to help with hair and makeup as I think I would have struggled to glue them on by myself.

8. All ready to go in my 60s dress bought on eBay for £20! I didn’t take any pictures at the party but there were some fabulous costumes, includng Twiggy, Audrey Hepburn and the 1966 World Cup winning England football team.

9. After last night’s party a lazy Sunday was in order. I’m trying to make more of an effort to sped one-to-one time with the boys so Cameron and I went to the cinema this afternoon to see the new Disney film Frozen (and I managed to not fall asleep!).

Hope you all have a fantastic Sunday evening! X

We’re getting there…

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The tree and all the decorations are up, the Christmas cards have been written and posted, the presents have been bought (and some are even wrapped). Apart from a couple of minor mishaps (nephew’s present going missing in the post and granddad unknowingly buying the same gift for Casper that I had already ordered), this year’s festive preparations have (dare I say it!?) been remarkably plain sailing.

The hardest thing this week has been getting the kids up in the morning and delivering them to school on time. Having notched up no less than six Christmas concerts between them in the last week, they are just plain exhausted and in need of a break from the daily routine. This weekend could not have rolled around soon enough but at least there are only five more days of school to go and most of the after school activities have already finished for the term.

On a different note, I’m after some Christmas movie tips. My all-time favourites are Love Actually and The Holiday but my husband finds them too soppy (can’t think why?!) so I’d like to find some films that we can enjoy together. Do you have a favourite Christmas movie?

Have a great weekend. X

Post note: I just realised that The Holiday is on TV tonight – yay! – and husband is out at a Christmas party – double yay!

This Year’s Christmas Card Trauma…

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Xmas photos

You know the saying ‘Never work with children or animals’? Well, the first part of that statement certainly rang true last week when I spent two separate afternoons trying to get just one decent picture of the children in their Santa hats to use for a Christmas card. Despite bribing them with promises of sweets (bad mummy, I know..) getting the three of them to all look at the camera and smile at the same time proved rather challenging, to put it mildly…

If one wasn’t picking their nose, the other was sticking their tongue out or the third was tickling/pinching/pushing their siblings. It was actually easier when Clemmie was baby, as at least she stayed in one place instead of climbing all over the sofa and her brothers. I came close to giving up but I know how much our friends and relatives (many of whom live abroad) appreciate these cards. In the end it was worth persevering as I did get one (yes ONE) usable picture. Jazzed up with a bit of fake snow and a red border it does the job, even if Cameron looks like he wants to be anywhere but in the picture (that’s a pre-teen’s prerogative I suppose..)

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This year’s Christmas card from the Anderson family. I hope the recipients appreciate the hours of hard work that went into it…

This Week’s Favourites

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This Weeks Faves 8:12

I could really do with an extra five (child free!) hours in the day at the moment. Despite my best intentions I still haven’t wrapped ANY of the Christmas presents and each day more packages are arriving in the post and added to the towering pile of cardboard boxes in the laundry room. I feel like one of those compulsive shoppers who keep keeps buying more and more stuff but just hiding the unopened bags in the cupboard (except none of the purchases are actually for me). Tomorrow I really must start opening the boxes and wrapping a few each night…

But first here is a quick recap of my week:

1. I’m doing most of my Christmas shopping online but I did venture into town earlier this week and stumbled across a cute Christmas market in the church yard, complete with traditional stalls and..

2. ..an old-fashioned cart selling hot chestnuts. I’ve never actually tried them (if anyone has – are they nice?) but they smell gorgeous.

3. The advent stars in our kitchen windows are switched on every afternoon as soon as it starts to get dark. I love how they make the room feel all warm and cosy and always miss them when they come down in January.

4. It was a very busy weekend for us and one of the highlights was the Christmas concert which Casper’s Beaver Scout group put on last night. Casper and his friend dressed up as The Proclaimers and gave a sterling rendition of their hit I’m Gonna Be (500 miles).

5. This morning we got up early to go to The Swedish Church in London for the annual St Lucia celebration. The boys dressed up as ‘stjarngossar’ (star boys) and Clemmie was a tiny Lucia. We all sang Christmas songs before going down to the church hall for gingerbread biscuits, coffee and juice.

6. I know I’m biased, but have you ever seen a cuter Lucia? Clemmie was very brave and stayed at the front of the church for the whole concert. My baby is growing up!

7.. Counting down the days: We lit the second advent candle today, not long to go now!

8. My husband and I also had a taste of this year’s Glogg (a bit like mulled wine but nicer, in my opinion!) before dinner.

9. We rounded off the weekend by heading over to our friends’ house to celebrate their daughter’s third birthday with this yummy red velvet cake. The perfect end to a great week!

We also finally bought our Christmas tree today, so the kids and I put the decorations up when we got home but the lights aren’t on yet so I haven’t taken any pictures. It’s on my list for tomorrow along with the wrapping and writing the Christmas cards…

Hope you have a great evening! X