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My Sunday Photo 21 July 2017

July 21, 2019 by Anne Sweet 8 Comments

Ash on the Carpet

Ash the cat stretched out asleep on our new purple carpet — *looks cosy doesn’t he?*

The living room is finally finished. I may take some photos at some point, but just because we’ve decorated it doesn’t mean that the house ever looks tidy, sigh. It took moments for the floor to be covered with toys and the shelves full of junk. Minimilistic our home will never be! I do love my new coffee table though. It has drawers to hide everything away.

As a family of five our house is very much lived in, and always has that ‘lived in look.’ Most of the toys have been taken upstairs, but we still have a cupboard full of board games and boxes of lego. Then there are the games consoles, I think we could open a shop with the number of consoles and games we have. Thankfully, they have put away the amiibos which adorned one of my bookshelves. (amiibos – interactive game figures that come in many characters.)

Back to the photo. Ash, was not impressed with the carpet for the first couple of days, maybe it was because it smelt different (i.e. clean and not of cat!) Or maybe it was too soft. But he didn’t want to spend much time indoors. Then we had a day of rain and I found him stretched out like this. I guess the carpet will soon be smelling of cat again. My Cats do not have the full run of the house. They are allowed on the landing but not in the bedrooms. Sabrina,Our older, mostly indoor cat, was not amused with the new carpet either. Someone had left and empty cardboard box on the landing and she spent most of the time up there.

My Little Prodigy!

In other news, Ive taught Boo how to crochet. She’s learning pretty quick and although she’s a long way to go I she’s incredibly keen and is working her way through my stash of spare wool. I taught her how to make a chain and do simple stitches, then I coached her through making her first granny square. If she sticks with it Im sure she’ll get really good, she’s very determined.

Holidays

The School holidays have begun and for us that means mostly birthday month! First up it’s Boo’s 12 birthday next Saturday. She’s going to help me make a cake and is having a couple of friends around for our own version of ‘afternoon tea.’

We have lots of plans for this holiday, and it’s only just over three weeks until we go away to Cornwall. I’ve set a time table to encourage the kid’s to use less screen time. One of the new rules is no screens before breakfast. So, this morning they got up half an hour early so they could have breakfast and get on their screens the usual time!! Oh well, if that’s they want to play it, I can always fetch them off half an hour earlier than their alloted time…’insert evil laugh!’

Word of the Week #27 2019

July 5, 2019 by Anne Sweet 7 Comments

Hello and welcome to the home of Word of the Week, a nice and simple weekly linky, with everyone welcome to pop by and share. The idea of the linky is to reflect back on your past week and share it with us. It’s great if you can sum it up in a word or phrase, hence giving us your Word of the Week.

I’m not totally strict on using just a word or phrase but please try to stick to the theme of summing up your week.

There are not too many rules with this linky, just remember to read at least another couple of posts in the link up after adding your link. I will read and comment on all posts and tweet them out for you. I also have a Pinterest board devoted to Word of the Week and I will add posts to Mix Please add the badge below to your post so that others may find us and join in. If you comment or tweet then please use the hashtag #WotW

Word of the Week is open from 6am on Friday Morning to 12 noon on Monday. Plenty of time to join in!

If you are unfamiliar with the Word of the Week linky then please feel free to ask any questions. New linkers are always welcome, we love to hear what you have been up to in the past week.

MY WORD OF THE WEEK.

My Word of the week (or phrase) is Go Go Go.

It has definitely been a busy week since last week’s post. Sunday was my daughter’s birthday and we had a lovely meal out. Then Monday it was back to decorating the living room. This spilled over to Tuesday but it was worth it. I helped as much as I could, which wasn’t much, but I tried.

I did sew up the curtains so they don’t drag on the floor so much. I also helped with cleaning up when I could. So, now we have painted walls, ceiling and door, and the wallpaper and new curtains. Graham just needs to gloss over the skirting boards now. We’ve decided it will be easier to do when we take up the carpet.

On Wednesday we went to choose our carpet and it’s a lovely damson colour. I’ve requested it to be fitted to save Graham another job. So, it’s just a waiting game of 7 to 10 days. Then we will move the furniture around a bit and it will all be done, yay!

I’ve had a busy week on the blog too, so many posts written. Don’t miss my competition post, I’m giving away a fabulous paint by numbers (for grown ups) set.

I send a lot of e-mails each week and I’ve been researching the apps. that you can now add to Gmail. Some of them are really great for mass e-mail marketing.

So as you can see, my week has been go, go, go! But that’s not all. The reason I chose that phrase is because tonight (Thursday) I‘m going to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Hippodrome. Go, go, go, Joseph!

Now it’s your turn, what have you been up to this past week?

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My Sunday Photo 30th June 2019 – The Stream

June 30, 2019 by Anne Sweet 15 Comments

The Stream

photograph of a stream with long grass and plants along the side.

It was a lovely sunny day and school was over. Graham asked the Little Man if he wanted to go to the park to play in the stream. How could he say no.

They always make a bee-line for the stream on sunny days, fascinated by water. Last year they built a damn from sticks, The Little Man had loads of fun.

This year it was their first visit but still it was fun dangling a stick in the water. It was warm so Graham suggested taking their shoes off and going for a paddle in the stream; and so they did.

boy with stick standing at the edge of a stream

They paddled, feeling the cool water rushing between their toes. And cooling down on a very hot day. What fun they had.

My Stream

On Sunday afternoons, Mum would prepare Sunday lunch and pop off to visit her Mum. Then Dad was free to visit the pub for a pint before lunch. He’d take me with him, it was much more fun than sitting in Nan’s kitchen.

The Pub he took me to had fields at the back with horses. If you held out some grass they’d come over to the fence for a nibble and let you stroke their heads. Then Dad would give me some pennies for a packet of crisps and a bottle of pop in the outdoor on the side of the pub. While he would pop into the pub for a pint of beer. We’d sit on the wall outside and enjoy our ‘picnic.’ Then, if it was warm enough, we’d go through the trees and visit the stream.

The photo above is the actual stream, well, it’s actually a brook. The little metal footbridge is still there. I would sit on the bridge and dangle my feet towards the water, but they didn’t reach.

Memories

At the far left of the photo you can just about see a dip, this led down to a little sandy area, which to me, an excited six year old, was like a mini beach. I’d rip off my socks and shoes and carefully place them on a rock then excitedly rush to water for a paddle. Feeling that lovely cool water wash between my toes. Turning back to my Daddy who was sat on a nearby bench and calling out that I’d seen a frog. There were teeny tiny fish in there too. I loved that little place, it wasn’t much but it was special.

Too soon it was time to go back and pick up Mum so she could finish Sunday dinner. I can’t remember any conversations I had with my Dad, he was a quiet man. I just remember that special bond that we had.

I’ve not been back to that stream since my Dad passed away just a couple of years later. Somehow, I don’t think it would be anywhere near as magical as I imagined it to be and I don’t want to bear the disappointment.

Memories are magical and nothing makes me happier knowing that my boy is making special memories with his Dad just like I did with mine.

Posture Corrector for Men and Women

June 3, 2019 by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

I was asked to review this posture corrector which can be purchased on Amazon for £15.99.

As you can see from the front (the photo isn’t me by the way, just in case you were wondering,) it looks rather like a back pack.

At the back you have the straps and a small fabric disc that sits in the middle of your shoulder blades.

As you can see, it’s quite unobtrusive and can be worn over or under your clothes.

What is a Posture Corrector?

ELIMINATES SHOULDER, NECK & BACK PAIN – Slumped shoulders due to bad posture and hunching over can cause upper back pain. Incorrect posture and alignment can create muscular imbalances, which can lead to further imbalances below the upper body. Treating the pain with the Calibre Posture Corrector will noticeably reduce discomfort.

CORRECTS POSTURE – Calibre Posture Corrector will counteract your tendencies to round your shoulders and hunch over. Even just 15-30 minutes a day can help alleviate your muscles to get you back on track to having the natural posture you strive for.

BENEFITS LONG TERM – Having good posture allows your muscles to work more efficiently, your body will then use less energy therefore, preventing muscle fatigue. It also helps prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and even back and muscular pain.

FULL ADJUSTABLE DESIGN – With Adjustable straps the Calibre Posture Corrector will ensure the most comfortable fit for all. The discreet design will fit snugly over or under your shirt while offering you comfortable support.

HIGH QUALITY PREMIUM DESIGN – From soft shoulder lining to the adjustable straps we use the highest quality lightweight materials, ensuring that the Calibre Posture Corrector will last long into the future.

My Review

I’m a sloucher! I always have been, even my Mum used to moan about my ’round shoulders’ from slouching all the time. For some people, correct posture doesn’t come naturally.

Now, I know that the posture issues are hereditary in our family, four out of seven of us have round shoulders, and two have spinal issues. Bad posture can cause all sorts of issues and back pain.

I have tried things like this posture corrector in the past but not had much success so I was a bit dubious that it would work.

At first I found it difficult to put on, it’s just a strap after all. It comes in a simple package with a single sheet of instruction. It tells you that you put it on like a back pack and the disc goes in the middle of your back. Then you tighten it to fit.

It also comes with these extra protector straps added on by velcro. I first had these on my shoulders, but soon found out they were for more comfort under my arm pits.

How to Use

It took me a little while but now I can use my corrector easily. First I undo the straps, then put it on like a back pack. I adjust the protectors to fit under my arm pits and ensure the disc is in the middle of my back. Then I tighten the straps as far as is comfortable, and then a little more. It needs to be fairly tight for you to feel the benefit.

Straight away your shoulders feel like they are being pulled back, but it’s not uncomfortable. You can still move as usual. Your body is being pulled into it’s correct position, so although it may feel strange at first, it doesn’t last.

My Personal Opinion

I used the corrector daily for a couple of hours for a week. The first thing I noticed was that my back pain eased a lot, especially the aching I get in between the back of my shoulder blades. It was also making me hold my spine straighter and I felt more comfortable in my sitting position. I was able to move around and do all the usual things I do.

I wore the corrector over a t-shirt and on colder days I was able to pop my cardi or jumper over the top. It’s barely noticeable from the front and if you wear black, even less noticeable.

I found it comfortable and easy to wear. After my initial confusion of how to use it I soon found it real easy to put on and take off.

I have experienced less back pain and I know my posture is better while wearing it. With continued use I am hoping that my body will adapt to this improved posture without the corrector.

I was sent this posture corrector to review, but I can highly recommend it to anyone with bad posture, prone to slouching and back pain sufferers.

My Sunday Photo 28th April 2019

April 28, 2019 by Anne Sweet 12 Comments

On Friday we managed a day out at our local farm to see the baby animals. Here’s a couple of photo’s I’ve saved especially for today.

Donkey

I was going to title this photo ‘kiss my ass!’ 🙂

I love how my Little Man connects with animals. I swear he was having a conversations with the sheep while exchanging baa’s with them. Then I find him nose to nose with this baby donkey. How sweet.

Shy Goat

a black pygmy goat baby hiding behind a branch — Peek a Boo!

This little fella was so cute. He would hide behind the logs and then peek up to see what was going on. It was like he was playing peek a boo with us.

We had such a lovely day at the farm and if you wish you can read all about it in yesterday’s post.

My Family and Other Animals

My family are a little divided when it comes to animals. My older son and myself are the most wary when it comes to dogs. That might stem from when he was bitten on the face by a neighbours dog when he was two. I’d been brought up in a family of dogs and had not been afraid of them since that time. I’m not afraid now, just wary. My eldest daughter is not a huge dog fan either, but that’s mainly because she really is the epitome of a crazy cat lady. I can see her in her elderly years living in a flat with just the company of a dozen or so cats.

The younger three take after their dad and love animals of all kinds, cats and dogs included. Graham loves horses and will never pass an opportunity to get up close to one, although he’s not a horse rider. He hates horse racing too, he thinks it’s unfair on the horses.

Star wants to work with animals when she’s older, her dream job would be in a zoo. It will be interesting to see how that works out. My eldest daughter always wanted to be a vet but couldn’t face operating on animals. Now she works in the theatre of the children’s hospital!

I love sea animals and when we go to the sea life centre you will find it difficult to get me moving out of the underwater tunnel. I love watching the creatures swim around me, the sharks, the turtles and the rays. I love them all.

What animals do you like?