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Raisie Bay

Word of the Week 47 – Gratitude

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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. My word this week is ‘gratitude’ and you can read more about that below.

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 – Gratitude

I’ve been a bit miserable in my last two Word of the Week Posts so I was determined to make this one more positive. I can’t think of any better way of bringing positivity in your life than practicing gratitude. My lovely blogging friend, and word of the week linker, Louise from Little Hearts Big Love, practices gratitude every single day. I really don’t know how she does it, but she’s my inspiration for this weeks post.

So here are some of the things I have been grateful for this week.

  • Boo and the Little Man getting merits at school on a daily basis, for excellence, endeavour and bravery.
  • The mild weather which always helps, even if I don’t go out.
  • Playing computer games with all my family, I think we have clocked up over 20 years of Mario and Luigi
  • The love and care of my family, we may not always get on but I know they love me
  • The gifts my daughter has been showering me with, this week she treated me to a new coat from Joe Browns and a magical handbag
  • The smell of a brand new candle
  • The cuddles from my kids and my cat
  • Some really nice meals lately and not from the take out
  • Teacher Training Days (ahhh a long weekend without having to get the kids up and out for school in the morning!)
  • The smug feeling that my Christmas shopping is almost finished and the turkey is ordered
  • Selling two items on my Etsy shop, they were my first sales and made me so happy
  • Finishing another good book
  • Finishing another crochet project
  • Starting a new crochet project

It really makes you feel better, feeling gratitude for big and small things. I started this list without even knowing what I was going to put on it but I feel I could carry on now.

Now it’s over to you, what word or phrase sums up your week this week? What has made you feel grateful too?

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Decorating a Bedroom with an Aquatic Theme

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As you may know we are planning on decorating the Little Man’s bedroom. It’s not done yet but as soon as it is I promise to share some photos. I’m sure it won’t be long now. He decided he would like an Aquatic theme for his room and straight away we started our Pinterest board of inspiration. The Little Man decided he wanted a sea blue colour on his walls but other than that we were desperate for ideas.

The Walls

We finally went for an Emerald Green paint which looks quite dark, but we may brighten it up with some stickers of sea creatures. We are even considering a feature wall like this one with amazing Flounder Fish.

The Bedding for an Aquatic Theme

There are so many different bedding sets available for an aquatic theme and we had a hard time choosing but we eventually went for this set from Very, which is actually glow in the Dark.

The Little Man has a cabin bed so it will look a bit different, but I’m still hoping it will fit in and he’s going to love the glow in the dark effect.

We are keeping his sea blue curtains, they are plain but they will fit in with the rest of the decor. We are also keeping his blue carpet although we may add a blue rug.

Furniture

The Little Man has a lovely storage cupboard in blue and white which we will be keeping and his cabin bed is also blue and white. It will fit in nicely with the theme. It also means he has plenty of storage. The main issue has been getting rid of all the outgrown toys he has, he has toy boxes full of them. So much sorting and decided what to do with them. I’m still looking for places to donate them.

We are hoping to get him a desk as he wants a desktop PC sometime soon. So we need to make some space for this in a very small room. Furniture needs to be kept to a minimum.

Accessories

Finally, it’s the little touches that make the room special. We are still looking for the perfect lampshade but will probably go for something plain that matches the curtains. He also wants a night light and has chosen an Animal Crossing one as he’s a big fan at the moment. I don’t know how that will fit in with an Aquatic theme but I guess it’s his room and his choice.

I’ve seen some lovely sea creature soft toys to place at the end of his bed. He is already a big fan of his reversible squid toy so I’m thinking of getting him a bigger one like this.

I don’t want to put too much on his walls as it’s a small room and I don’t want to make it over fussy and look even smaller. I’m going to get him a hanger for his door to hang up his dressing gown to pop on when he gets up on cold mornings.

I’m excited to show you the finished result. Have you ever decorated a room with a theme?

This is a collaborative post you can read my privacy and disclosure post here.

What You Need to Know About Safety and Mobility Equipment

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If you are concerned about the health and wellbeing of an aging family member, it’s important to be aware of the most effective tools available to help prevent accidents at home.

The following article outlines some of the most important equipment that can be used in homes with seniors. You can find such specialty equipment on websites such as safetyandmobility.com.au. The following article also talks about the guidelines on how to use and maintain specialized mobility equipment.

Safety and Mobility Equipment for Seniors 

At some point, most seniors require assistance with mobility. It is mainly the case if they cannot walk independently or have family members who can assist them. There are many options available in the market, but the most common mobility assistance equipment include:

Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs can provide firm support for seniors who cannot walk or stand up independently. 

There are both manual and electronic wheelchairs. It’s important to note that when choosing a wheelchair, it is crucial to ensure it can be used safely in the environment where they live.

Wheelchair Lifts 

It is common for seniors who use wheelchairs to require assistance with getting into cars or other types of vehicles. It is where wheelchair lifts are helpful. A wheelchair lift can provide an accessible platform to help them transfer from the wheelchair to a vehicle seat.

Transfer Benches 

A transfer bench allows users to slide across a stable surface, such as their bed or couch, into a seated position. They are available both with and without handrails.

Crutches 

Crutches can be used to support a person who has difficulty walking, for instance, due to arthritis. It is because crutches reduce the amount of weight that they need to place on their legs and feet. 

Walking Frames 

Walking frames can be useful for seniors who require support to stand up safely. Walking frames commonly feature four supporting legs, making it easy to balance. They also have handrails so that they can hold on if needed. 

Crash Mats

Crash mats are designed to protect individuals from falling from the bed. They must be placed on the floor beneath the bed’s mattress, with an area cut out for easy access. It is also important to ensure that the mat doesn’t get bunched up under the mattress.

Bed Alarms

Bed alarms effectively prevent seniors from getting up at night and avoid falling. Bed alarms can be installed underneath the mattress or on the bed frame to provide added protection.

How to Buy Safety and Mobility Aids For Home Use 

When it comes to using mobility equipment in homes, there are some essential things to consider. For example, it is crucial to ensure that the equipment is durable and withstand regular use in the home environment.

Moreover, they must be stable when in use. It means they won’t trip or move when someone transfers onto them from their wheelchair, for instance. 

It’s also crucial to ensure they are safe when in use. For example, wheelchairs need to have brakes to stop moving if they want to. 

Additionally, all mobility equipment must be well-maintained. It means having a good understanding of how to clean and store them correctly between uses. 

It’s also essential to ensure that the user can easily access all safety and mobility equipment. For example, if seniors use a wheelchair, they must get in and out of their car or safely transfer onto seats in other vehicles. 

When you’re looking for a website that provides all types of equipment for special needs, consider looking through safetyandmobility.com.au, which has multiple models for different types of requirements.

*This is a collaborative post, please see my privacy and disclosure policy

Our Winter Wedding on a Budget

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We had a winter wedding and next week it will be our fifth anniversary. This is our Wooden anniversary, and I have some ideas for my gift for my husband. But I haven’t really spoken much about our wedding on Raisie Bay Before and today I just wanted to let you know how I planned a winter wedding in just eight months and on a very tight budget.

The Proposal

It was on February 29th and I didn’t really plan it, but Graham had asked me to marry him several times. I’d always said I didn’t want to get married again. I was already divorced from my ex husband and I just didn’t see the point. I gave it some thought and wanted to make it official after all, so on February 29th I proposed to him and he said yes.

We decided it would be a small affair and popped off to the Registry Office to sort it out. When they said they had November 26th available we jumped at the chance as it was my birthday.

Dressing Up

I was new to being in a wheelchair and I thought that a long flowing dress wouldn’t be ideal. I bought a few to try at home as being disabled getting dressed and undressed is no mean feat. A few just didn’t work, but then I found one that was perfect, it felt and looked like a wedding dress but it didn’t have the long length that would cause problems in my wheelchair. Looking back at the wedding photos I don’t like the full length ones but I do have my favourite ones.

The girls chose their own Bridesmaid Dresses. Boo went for blue and Star went for Pink. We bought the Little Man a lovely little suit in grey to match his Dad.

When you don’t have much time it’s hard to get the right clothes, plus we had to factor in that it would be really cold and the dresses available for weddings are quite flimsy. I bought a faux fur stole and the girl’s wore faux fur jackets. We had a bit of a panic as I’d ordered them from an unreliable online site and they didn’t arrive in time, but I managed to get other ones just in time. The original ones finally turned up in January, three months too late! Be careful where you buy from online.

The Venue

When planning a wedding in a hurry it’s always a bit tricky finding a venue but when your wedding is a month before Christmas it’s even harder. We should have started trying to book straight away but it was a steep learning curve. After much ringing around we finally found three venues to choose from that were not already fully booked for Christmas events. We visited them and two of them were totally inaccessible for wheelchairs. So we had no choice but to go for the third. It still wasn’t the best as I had to go up steps to get to the ladies room. I tried not to drink too much.

The Cake and Food

I did not want to make my own cake, it seemed like too much work for my own wedding. But the cost of buying one was way above our means. We hadn’t had time to save and everything had to be done as cheaply as possible. So, I ordered three white iced cakes from a Supermarket in three sizes. I then purchased some pillars to separate the cakes and a bride and groom wedding topper. It was all quite plain but it looked nice when I set it up and put our wedding flowers around it.

The venue offered to provide the buffet for the evening meal. We got married in the afternoon so only had an evening reception party. We did, however, take most of our guests to a local pub in-between, no booking, we just turned up! We had a lot of say in the food for the buffet and we ended up buying a lot more than we actually needed, but it was a really good spread. (And we got to take a lot of extra food home with us.)

Tips For Planning a Quick Wedding on a Budget

If you want a big fancy wedding then you will need a lot of cash to plan it in a short period. We did not have a huge amount of cash so we cut corners where we could but still had the best day ever. I don’t think I stopped smiling all day.

  • Be prepared to cut corners where you can
  • Buy your wedding attire from regular shops rather than wedding shops, or look at charity shops (I saw some amazing, affordable dresses, but nothing that would fit me.)
  • Book your venue as soon as possible, don’t wait
  • Haggle for the best deal on food and drink for your guests
  • Buying plain cakes and adding a few bought decorations can cut your cake budget in half
  • It might not feel as special, but cutting out the wedding breakfast and just going for the evening buffet will save a lot of money

Have you ever had to plan a wedding on a tight budget? Do you have any tips to share.

This is a collaborative post

My Sunday Snapshot – Christmas 1991

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This week I’m back with old photos. I was looking through an old box of snaps and found some Christmas photos from 1991. At that time I was a young Mum of two living in my first house with my husband of five years. The first photo is my Christmas tree, and an impressive house plant.

I put it in the corner behind the tree because, well you know, I had toddlers! I look back now and I realise it was mostly because my eldest could not leave anything alone and had he been able to reach the tree he would have most likely pulled it down on a daily basis. Who needs pets!

This next photo shows some of my Christmas decorations.

Two Christmas stockings hung above the fireplace, handmade wreaths courtesy of my Mum who loved to make things like this and if you look in the mirror you can see that my ceiling was full of Christmas decorations. I miss the whole house covered look, I really do. Even if it was a real pain to do.

Look at the fireguard. A necessity with toddlers and a gas fire. We didn’t have central heating back then, the fire was the only form of heat in the entire house! We’d put the cooker on to warm the kitchen, but the bedrooms just required lots of blankets. Fire guards were ugly, but they were a good way of drying the washing if you didn’t have a tumble dryer!

Here are the presents, so this must have been Christmas eve because I wouldn’t have put them out before then…Father Christmas had to bring them.

Look at all those lovely gifts, the kids did well that year. Look at my television, but try not to laugh. It was top of the range and we had a meter on the bag to put our £1 coins in to pay for it! If we didn’t put the money in we didn’t get to watch it. Hilariously, the guy who fitted it put the wrong wire and we had to pay for our VHS recorder so we could watch television as much as we wanted but had to pay if we wanted to watch videos. We still made the payment every month though because we had toddlers and there was no all day television back then. We would pop up to the video shop and rent the kids favourites, Thomas the Tank Engine and Sooty and Sweep Show.

Christmas 1991 Presents

I can’t show my kids playing with their presents because I don’t have their permission to feature them on my blog. But I know that these were the favourite two gifts and they had many, many hours of fund with them.

For my boy who was three years old, his favourite present was his Big Red Fun Bus

This big plastic buggy was my daughter’s favourite toy, along with a baby doll. She was 18 months old so it was a great walking aid too as she was still finding her feet.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my journey back to Christmas in 1991. What where you up to back then…my guess is that you were mostly like my children and enjoying your presents under the tree (or the television 🙂 )