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The Home Office

October 17, 2018 by Anne Sweet 4 Comments

I used to have a corner of the living room as my home office. I had everything I needed, a desk, chair, pc and complete filing system including my luxury branded ringbinders.

Then I got sick and rarely used my work station so it was passed on to Star. She now has everything in her bedroom and my living room ~~was reclaimed~~ became a dumping corner for toy boxes.

I’ve decided now that I’d like it back as a home office. It just felt different having a space to work in. I seemed to get so much more done, I was more productive without distractions.

The Little Man’s bedroom should really be a home office, it has so many plug sockets and it’s just the perfect size. But I’d have to kick him out and he’s only eight so I don’t think I’d get away with that. Maybe in the future there will be a bedroom shuffle, because I’m sure if one of the other bedrooms became free there would be a rush to move around. The Little Man is happy in his little room for the time being though, so I will have to settle for my living room.

My Ideal Office.

I’m lucky enough to have quite a large living room so I can easily spare a corner. I do think my needs have changed since the last time though. For one, I’d need a very comfortable chair to sit in. I would be using my laptop so the desk would not have to house a pc. I’d like lots of storage for all my paperwork.

But, it’s not just work, there is also play involved. I like to do a bit of papercraft, so it would be nice to have the desk to use for that. And I really love stationary and pretty things, so it would probably be less office like than before.

And when I’m not working, I’d love to be able to store everything neatly away.

Inspiration

It will be after Christmas before I can set up my new office because that’s when we’ll be re-decorating. But I’ve been looking on Pinterest for some inspiration. I’m a long way from making up my mind though.

a simple white desk and matching chair against a grey painted wall with a wire bookcase — Maybe if we went for grey, but I’d need more storage

a dark wooden bench beneath a large bookshelf full of books and plants — A bit too cluttered, but I do love bookshelves

An old wooden desk with a a floral chair topped with a painting and a lamp and set against a handpainted mural on the wall — I love the wooden desk

two white cabinets with a plank of wood across the top to make a desk — Or maybe I should have something made to suit. This is a plank of wood over two filing cabinets.

Do you have a home office?

How to make that perfect garden the whole family can enjoy

September 2, 2018 by Anne Sweet Leave a Comment

A garden should be enjoyable for those who tend to it, but also for the entire family to enjoy the ‘green’ outdoor space together. So, how can you create an inviting space for everyone to make use of this summer? Consider some of these simple tips.

Add pop and colour

Choose flowers, plants, and arrangements which stand out. You don’t want a garden which is dull or is lacking something vibrant which sets it apart from your neighbour’s garden. So, consider a distinct floral arrangement, some fun garden ornaments, or other decorative pieces, so your garden will stand apart from the rest. If you are not a keen gardener and would like some assistance you could get a local gardener to come and help you. I would recommend looking on a trade directory like myjobquote.co.uk.

Add a spark of fun

Consider adding a swing set for the kids, a walking path, or even a jacuzzi or slip and slide area for them to play. If you have the space, add an attached deck or fire pit. The more interactive the space is, the more it is going to be enjoyed by the gardener, and the entire family. And, the easier it is going to be to bring everyone together, when you want to spend some quality time with family and friends.

Add a fountain

A water fountain or water pit, with surrounding gnomes or garden ornaments, will really stand apart from other gardens where you live. It is going to have a distinct look and feel, it is going to add a decorative flair to the space, and it can easily bring the entire garden area together, especially in a larger home, with large outdoor (or separate garden areas) space.

Photo by Alexandria Courtney on Unsplash

Your garden should bring enjoyment to everyone who sees and experiences it. These are some simple tips to incorporate to ensure it is enjoyed by yourself, as well as your family and friends who come to visit your home as well.

For further ideas on garden transformation please see my former post on how to make the garden a fun filled space for kids.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

My Sunday Photo – July 6th 2018

July 8, 2018 by Anne Sweet 15 Comments

The Twisted Tree

Just like this tree, sometimes I think I have many stories to tell, with lots of twists and turns. If I wrote a book about my life I’d probably have to write three volumes!

A long time ago, when I was a teenager, my brother and his wife would take me out to pubs with their three young children. I would see it as a real treat, but I guess they saw it as someone to look after the three little ones outside while they could have a drink in peace. They would even sneak me a drink sometimes, Snowballs were my favourite, or maybe a Babycham. To me it was the best of both worlds, a scamper around the woods or park playing with the kids and a very grown up drink! Oh to be 14 again!

Hopwood House

One of the places they would take me too was a lovely pub next to a canal. Outside was a wooden area and a park with swings and a roundabout. It was really lovely there outside, one of my favourite places to go.

The canal is actually the one that runs alongside my current home and the pub is just a few miles down the road….but, I haven’t been there for many years, very many years.

We wanted to go to a pub for lunch and as the kids were off school on an inset day, we wanted it to be somewhere for them to play outside. I remembered this childhood venue and I was sure the kids would like it. We have our very own (almost) teenager so we knew they would be able to play outside, but Graham still kept popping out to see how they were getting on.

One thing I’d only vaguely remembered were all the steps to this pub. There was wheelchair access but I wanted to use my sticks. I’m glad I did, because the ramps went such a long way around and once inside you had to go up in one of those tiny open lifts that are just big enough for a wheelchair. There is nothing wrong with all this of course, I appreciate that they are there. But sometimes I just like to be a little more ‘invisible.’

So, once inside I was kind of glued to my seat while the kids and their Dad where coming and going. I’d have loved to have roamed about outside, see if any memories came flooding back to me, but it wasn’t to be. Those days are history now. But, it’s still nice that my kids can enjoy themselves like I once did.

They came in for food and regaled me with stories of broken picnic tables and fallen trees. They had made believe that there had been a hurricane and they were there to see if there were any survivors in the rubble. (I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, but it was enough to awaken their imaginations.)

The food was pretty nice too and I was so proud of my kids for ignoring the chips on offer and going for more healthier options. All washed down with milk and squash. I think it will be a long time before Star gets interested in alcohol.

Now we have rediscovered this place, I’m sure we will be visiting again. Do you have any childhood places you like to take your kids?

A Break, Home Education and a Kitten.

June 12, 2018 by Anne Sweet 5 Comments

Silence

It’s been a strange couple of weeks. I had a break from social media which also affected my blogging. I don’t know if the effect was direct or more because I just felt the need to spend less time online. Anyway, the break did me good and I had plenty of time to reflect. And to read and crochet 🙂

Half Term

Half term passed in a flash. I had to spend a day in hospital for treatment so Graham took the kids out. Then we had another day out at the Wildlife Conservation Centre. Then before I knew it, it was time to go back… well for the girls it was. We made a huge decision to keep the Little Man away from that school and now I am home educating him while we wait for a place at another school.

Home Education

This is not a new thing for me, both my older children were home educated for a while. And Star was for the eleven months she couldn’t go to school because of her operations and halo brace. (It was the fourth year anniversary of her cervical fusion yesterday.) But, I did have home tutors provided for all of them.

I’m educating the Little Man myself and as I hope he will return to school I’m sticking with the Curriculum for his year. Last week we had a de-schooling week where he didn’t do much actual work, just a few activities like word searches and crosswords, and some crafts.

This week, however, we have a timetable of lessons to stick too. When it’s one to one you don’t need to spend all day on lessons which is good because it really is hard to keep him working, he gets distracted very easily. Yesterday we were learning about electronics from a science kit I bought and he loved it. So now I’m thinking of how I can make other lessons like English and Maths more interesting for him.

His reading is brilliant, he barely stumbles over a word, but he can’t read for long when he starts fidgeting and rushing the words. It’s a shame because I think he could really get lost in a book if he just showed a little patience. We’ll work on that.

Kitten

Last week while browsing the local animal adoption centre, like I do frequently, I noticed they had a lot of kittens. Three families of them. I looked through all the photos and this one jumped out at me.

His name is Ash and I had to go and see him. He was with his four sisters and they were all so cute I just wanted to take them all home. But sadly, one cat is the limit at the moment and we thought a boy cat would be best.

We moved into this house, nearly five years ago, with four cats. Now we only have one, and bless her, she’s lonely. So we reserved Ash and went to pick him up yesterday. He is adorable! We now have to slowly integrate him into our family. We’ve not introduced him to Sabrina, our other cat, yet, so fingers crossed they get on (eventually.)

My Sunday Photo – 10th June 2018

June 10, 2018 by Anne Sweet 13 Comments

Lizard

Do you know my name?

This week I am sharing another photo from the Wildlife Conservation Park. This is one my husband took and I thought it was pretty good seeing as he took it through a glass window in a dimly lit place. When I asked him what type of lizard it was he had no idea.

He does look rather friendly though as he came right up to the glass to greet his visitors. If you have any idea what type of lizard he is I’d love to know.

I did try to remember what I was photographing and the following photo is one of mine. It’s a gorgeous little Tamarin Monkey. I could have took him home he was so cute, although I’m not condoning monkeys as pets.

You can read about our trip to the Wildlife Conservation Park here.

I think that’s enough wildlife for now, next week I’m hoping to bring you a photo or two of our new family member that we are picking up on Monday.

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