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Book review – Oy Yew, by Ana Salote
Oy is a waif. Except he doesn't know it. He doesn't know anything about who he is or where he came from. Hiding out in the back alley of a bakery is all he has ever known, until he is captured. When the waif-snatchers ensnare him in their net and deliver him into the...
Some things you may or may not know about me
As a blogger, I share a lot about the things going on in my life, both the good and bad, but you don't always get to hear the background stuff; the bits that most probably shaped my life and made me the person I am today. In response to a challenge from Renee at Mummy...
Outdoor garden fun
Who needs expensive day trips when you can get outdoors and have fun in your own garden? Well, that's what I said this morning and my two little ones looked at me as though I'd gone loopy for even making that suggestion. Regardless of what they may have thought, I...
6 ideas to keep the children amused in the summer holidays
What are your top tips for keeping the children amused in the summer holidays? This is the first year I haven't arranged lots of activities for the children and I'm going to see how that goes. Wish me luck eh? My theory is, the children are old enough now to be able...
Interview with children’s author, Karen Inglis
I love meeting other authors. For me, it's very inspiring and gives me hope that I will one day be in a similar position. It's incredibly hard work though and takes a lot of dedication, as my guest today will tell you. Karen Inglis is a children’s author living in...
British Summer – what summer?
I know everyone has a lot on their minds at the moment, what with the political and social meltdown that is consuming our everyday lives (and our Facebook feed). However, I have a problem I'd like your help with and I admit that it's in no way up there on the scale of...
The results of the referendum are in – the UK is leaving the EU
What will the 24th June 2016 mean for the future of the UK? Will we look back on this day and wonder what all the fuss was about, or will we remember the results of the EU Referendum as the day everything changed? A nation divided It seems we are a nation divided, but...
How relationships lay the foundations for good mental health
Relationships are vital for our emotional wellbeing. Whether connections between partners, friends, family or work colleagues, the networks of people we surround ourselves with can provide a framework of support in both good and bad times. Human beings are social...
I’m struggling to understand how such a senseless tragedy could happen in a place I know so well – RIP Jo Cox
A senseless tragedy that should never have happened It was a normal afternoon, but whilst speaking to my mum on the phone, she said there were police helicopters flying overhead. After we finished talking, she text me back to say local MP Jo Cox had been shot dead...
Executive PA required, immediate start
How do you manage your family's social calendar? I don't know what's gotten in to me at the moment, but I can't seem to stay on top of the family's social calendar. I don't work as an executive PA in the real world for a reason, I suck at it. Tell me, what more can I...
Manuscript planning
This is my work station at the moment. When I get time to work on my fiction writing, that is. It's been too lovely to sit at a desk staring at the wall. I'd much rather be in the kitchen, looking out over the garden, lush and green as it is at the moment. I'm...
What I’m Writing – week seventy-six
Welcome to week seventy-six of What I’m Writing. If you’re wondering what the heck I’m going on about and where are the other seventy-five weeks, let me explain. You can find all the details about #WhatImWriting here but the short(er) version is, this linky is for all...
What did the Kids Strike mean to me?
Wow, what a day yesterday turned out to be. The Kids Strike against the new SATS testing saw parents up and down the country taking their kids out of school for the day. I was one of those parents and although one person was out to target us with comments about having...
Showing how learning can be fun
I am not the protesting type. To my shame actually. I'm one of the sheep who just gets on with things. But ever since my son's school called a meeting to show parents the new SATS tests, something has been niggling away at me. First of all, when my older girls sat the...
My middle grade manuscript
I’ve been quiet on the blogging front recently. Sometimes, I feel as though I could quite easily spend all my time blogging and never get anything else done. I have to pull myself away from it every now in then so I can concentrate on other projects. That means I’ve...
A weekend ski trip in Bulgaria
A weekend ski trip can be more accessible and affordable than you think If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll probably know already that my family and I ski yearly in Pamporovo, Bulgaria. It's the only place I've ever been skiing, so I don't have anything to...
Why it’s important to spring clean your blog
Continuing with the positivity that has seen me through February, I decided to do a bit of Spring cleaning. No, not my house, although it could do with it. I'm talking about this little 'ol blog here. I like to give it a spruce up every couple of years or so and it...
Stepping in to Spring, feeling fitter and healthier and taking positive steps forward
What a difference a month makes. In January I was lost in a sea of illness and chaos. Thankfully, February sees us fighting fit, even the puppy is back to full health. He's six months now and has settled down a bit, which makes it easier for me to work at home too. My...
Bouncing into 2016 – Pantomimes, gym competitions and puppy love
Read January was so busy and full of illness, that it left me with little energy or enthusiasm for reading. That said, I have an extensive list of books I've read over Christmas. These include: Boston Terrier (Smart Owner's Guide) - As we picked up our Boston Terrier...
Where has my writing mojo gone?
I'm glad I didn't make any new year's resolutions, because I would have been bitterly disappointed by now and it's not even the end of January. Work on my novel has come to a standstill whilst I work out where it's going and it seems this has triggered a fiction...