seasidesparkles

A lunch date, sobs in the cinema and cricketing debuts #littleloves

Published on May 19, 2017May 17, 2017 by seasidesparklesLeave a comment

Welcome to another week of #littleloves, there is a real mummy and son theme to this week’s post as we enjoyed a weekend together whilst Mr S and Little Miss went to Bristol. The split was the only way we could fit in all the weekend’s plans and whilst we all enjoyed our weekends it did seem strange to be apart. I felt much happier and mpre comfortable when we were all back together on Sunday afternoon. We are a little team of four!

This week, I finished Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forget, an excellent read. I’m really enjoying discovering Moriarty’s work and have no doubt another of her titles will be on my Kindle soon.

I always like to have a book on the go, so I started Britt Marie was here by Fredrik Backman. A Man Called Ove is one of my favourite reads of the last few years and this book has the similar gentle but engaging pace.

dog

On Saturday Little Man and I took the train, which is a real treat for him and went to our county town for lunch and the cinema. Little Man was keen to see A Dog’s Purpose. I didn’t realise that this story is an American children’s classic book but what a tear jerker. The story is going to sound a bit odd as a dog is reincarnated through the story and has different lives with different owners as a different breed. Despite this premise its actually very good and strong on issues such as caring for others, loneliness etc… However with the dog being reincarnated I, foolishly hadn’t made the connection that the dog needed to die for this to happen and these were the tear jerker moments. There was lots of crying in our screening, Little Man was sad but didn’t cry yet I had a few tears roll down my cheek throughout the film. Predictably Little Man is now even more desperate for a dog after watching the film.

Well after the miserable weather during the week, I’ve been making lots of winter comfort meals for tea, casserole and dumplings, a roast chicken. I am done with these meals, I want my salads, its May!

A bit of a tenuous link but I also made my first ever cricket score sheet at Little Man’s cricket match. Our team needed a scorer and with everyone else volunteering for other roles, I was given a crash course in scoring and did the role. Fortunately the scorer from the other team was lovely and helpful and our scores matched!

Little Man and I had a lovely lunch out on Saturday. His sister is a chatterbox and it is hard for any of us to get a word in sometimes so the opportunity for the two of us to talk was lovely. We talked about cricket, football cards, favourite players, team etc.. and all the latest Lego minifigures. He was a pleasure to take out for lunch and I loved listening to his talk.

For cricket on Sunday, I wore my daughter’s cricket hoodie. I’m not that small its just there was a mistake when the girls’ orders went in and they were made up in ladies sizes not girls. As they were all personalised and the supplier acknowledged their error we got to keep them free of charge and replacements made in the correct sizes. It is the comfiest hoody I have but does confuse people as I’m not who it says on the hoody!

Whilst we are all at home this weekend our diary is still busy, we have more cricket matches (if the rain stops) and Little Miss has a concert rehearsal for a production in an arts festival in a few week’s time.

Thank you to Morgana for hosting the inspiring linky #littleloves, hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

The School Run

Published on May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 by seasidesparklesLeave a comment

The school run is one of my precious times. I’m not going to romanticise the school run as I have just returned from a damp school run where both children fell off their scooters despite my words of caution and I was chief bag carrier, but it is a special time with the children, 10 minutes of walk and talk twice a day. Sometimes we walk with friends, sometimes its just the three of us. sometimes its just 2 school bags, other days we are balanced with guitars, lunch boxes, PE kits and any ‘art’ work returning home. Over the past 5 years, I’ve learnt that umbrellas are useless, best to stick to hoods, likewise I never take a handbag, pockets are good for keys and a phone so I can hold something else, whether it be a hand or junk model. Its also the school run law that the day when you are 30 seconds late that it will be the first day in months when the children come out of school on time.

I think one of the reasons that the school run is so important to me is that I never had a parent doing a school run with my when I was a child. We were bussed to our primary school and we walked ourselves to and from the stop. I was always slightly envious of those friends who met their mums in the school playground. I have been incredibly fortunate that I have been able to negotiate my work hours around the children’s school day, so I do the school run everyday. As one of my children has a 1:1 TA I need to do the run to be able to liaise with the school daily. The mornings I work are pressured and I have to take the car on these mornings so I can get to work asap, I can be dropping the children at school at 8.50am and be presenting assembly at 9am! The afternoons are my favourites, I always walk and sometimes we just let the mood take us. Last week we ended up with an impromptu play in a friend’s garden, we might have a walk along the beach or on sunnier days we might go for an ice cream. I think the walk gives everyone the time just to de-stress from the day and reconnect.

I know when I’m an old woman it will be those simple moments I look back on, the journey mapped out by the red post box and yellow grit box, the corner where we look for friends, the old man at his window who waves to us, the lollipop lady, the goodbye and greeting hug in the playground, this is what makes the school run special and one of my favourite parts of the day.

Badminton Horse Trials, new nail varnish and Britpop #littleloves

Published on May 11, 2017May 13, 2017 by seasidesparkles5 Comments

Welcome to another week of #littleloves. We had such a lovely weekend in Bristol that it has been one of those weeks in which the buzz of the weekend has filled your week. Its been a good week, quietly getting along with the daily routines and enjoying simple pleasures.

I finished the Cows by Dawn O’Porter this week, its a really good read and raises some very pertinent questions about social media and the online world. The characters find support and kindness online but it also shows how the net can close in on you and skew your view of things to the point where one character uses it to troll and abuse others. A tale of our times, with some very funny scenes and a twist I didn’t see happening (chapter 14, I really wasn’t ready for that!)

I’ve now started another Liane Morairty novel ( Big, Little Lies) What Alice Forgot and it was hard to pull myself away from the story to write this post. It is a corker of a book, the main character Alice bumps her head in a gym class and cannot remember the last 10 years of her life or understand how the important relationships in her life have changed. It employs similar devices to Big, Little Lies (check me out A level English Lit student speak) flashback, conversations with a therapist and is equally enthralling, I think it’ll be a late night to finish tonight. Just a word of caution, if anyone has suffered miscarriage or infertility, this is a significant theme in the book and whilst it is dealt with brilliantly, it may be upsetting.

On Saturday I watched the cross country competition at Badminton and even as a non horsie person I was totally captivated by the event. The skill of the riders and the strength and power of the horses is top quality and it is sheer sporting brilliance to ride the course well. The best thing about the cross country is how close you are to the action, front row at each jump as people tend to walk the course and you feel such a part of it, you hear the hooves, the breathing, see the concentration on the faces as they approach the fences, the horses muscles clenching etc.. It really is a spectacle not be missed. I wrote more about our Badminton experience here https://seasidesparkles.net/2017/05/06/badminton-horse-trials/ , it is a great day out and well worth a visit.

I am one of those people who buys little presents for Christmas throughout the year and this week I made a start on my present buying for Christmas 2017. There were some stunning craft and artisan stall holders at Badminton and I saw the perfect gift for a friend, I’m really pleased with it and that I’ve been able to tick off a present from my list.

I spoilt myself with a new Essie nail varnish this week using my Boots Advantage points, I never use rewards in any store for ordinary purchases only for treats. The colour is Excuse Me, Sur and its a lovely shade. a light coral perfect for summer.

On Sunday Radio 4 had some particularly good programmes, Ed Sheeran’s Desert Isalnd Discs was really good and then later I caught a Listening Project special on adoption which had some delightful interviews, the segment with the little boy talking about his adopted baby brother was beautiful. I’ve also discovered a new Spotify playlist Britpop etc.. which has taken me back to my late teens and early twenties and been the soundtrack to my runs this week.

Its another weekend with lots of plans and unusually we’re splitting up as a family to fulfil all the obligations. Little Man and I will be based at home so he can play his first league cricket match, whilst Little Miss is off to Bristol again with Mr S who is off out with his old friends on Saturday night to remember a friend whose anniversary falls this weekend. Grandad is babysitting and Little Miss is taking lots of games and Beanos to keep him entertained. I’m looking forward to the mummy and son date I have organised, its quite rare to have a day just the two of us and I intend to make it a special day.

Many thanks to Morgana for hosting and to all the lovely contributors who make this such an interesting linkie.

I got that feeling …

Published on May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 by seasidesparklesLeave a comment

I love this line from Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t stop the feeling’

Its Sunday night and I want to write about that feeling …. Its not a feeling of worry or anxiety about the coming week but of a weekend so well spent that I have that buzz, that happiness which will help the week flow. I’ve been really lucky to have had that feeling after a number of weekends recently and it got me thinking about what makes that feeling. The three weekends which have had me feeling so positive have all been different, a weekend at home hosting family to celebrate a special birthday, a day out at the seaside and a party and a weekend away. No weekend has been quiet and relaxing yet I’ve felt more energetic and alive after each one. I don’t have an answer to what creates that buzz, family is a feature in all weekends, as are friends, good weather certainly helps but does not make a weekend, the activities can be grand, a weekend at Badminton or simple, a train ride, a walk, a cup of tea overlooking a bay. I wonder if its appreciating others, this could be Grandad’s 85 years, a rider’s sporting prowess, being inspired by artists and crafts people or seeing and enjoying the world through a child’s eyes. I don’t have the answer but I know that a busy, inspiring weekend with family and friends can give you the freshness and sparkle to start the week.

Badminton Horse Trials

Published on May 6, 2017May 13, 2017 by seasidesparklesLeave a comment

Whilst I have never ridden a horse, Little Miss loves everything equine so we decided that this year we would visit the Badminton Horse Trials. By a great coincidence, England played a cricket ODI in Bristol yesterday, so Mr S travelled up early on Friday morning to watch the cricket with his dad and I drove up with the children after school and work. My Father in Law lives close to Badminton , just a 10 mile journey which made this morning’s drive over quick and easy. I was really impressed by the organisation for Badminton, I had envisaged queuing traffic both in and out but it was minimal thanks to a very efficient system and arriving and leaving slightly earlier than the main crowds. We arrived just before 9 and left around 4pm. When we arrived at 9, we parked and walked over to the traders, this area was huge and we didn’t visit all the stands. When we have a day out like today, we tend to have breakfast on site and like today, its often a pancake. After breakfast we pottered around the stands, whilst there were lots of specialist equine stalls there were many country crafts, artisan stalls and food specialists, I particularly liked the Country Living marquee. Grandad had given the children money and they were delighted to find the must have fidget toy on sale at Badminton, without a doubt the busiest stall today. They were a good buy and when Little Man got fed up with the cross country he was happy to sit on the grass and play with his new toy.

Before the main event of the cross country there was a fun event in the main arena, the Shetland pony derby. This was a good starter, the children got to see the arena and some of the jumps and then cheered the ponies on in a race. After the race we headed out on course to follow the cross country. Next year we’ve decided that we would change this plan slightly, perhaps watch the first couple of riders in the arena and then get some lunch before heading out to the jumps. The food stalls on the course were very busy and there was more variety and choice in the centre. Being out on the cross country course was a fantastic experience, you are so close to the action and see the pain etched on the rider’s faces, hear the thunder of the hooves etc.. Most people move around the course so you have front row action for each jump. The jumps were designed and presented beautifully, lots of natural features complementing the materials of the jumps. We saw a variety of jumps, water, steep hills, jumps very close to each other, high jumps, wide jumps etc.. I found it was helpful having the programme for all the details of riders, horses and jumps and I really enjoyed following the cross country, much more than I had expected to. The skill needed for a successful round is immense. Whilst it is difficult to follow the placings and timings, you can buy a radio for full commentary or there are loudspeakers and large screens around the course.

I had never been to the Badminton estate before and it is a beautiful stately home and perfect setting for the event, its trees and features simply merge into the course. The crowds were huge but as most people walk around the 30 fences, it is easy to get close to the action. The whole scene was quintessentially British, lots of tweed, hats and Labradors. I was quite taken by our day and we are already planning our return next year. Our horsie mad daughter has written such a lovely piece about Badminton, these words and her excitement at being there have helped make a special family day out.

Lip gloss, live music and a moment in time #littleloves

Published on May 4, 2017May 5, 2017 by seasidesparkles3 Comments

Welcome to another week of #littleloves and what a lovely week its been. Last weekend was one of those really special ones. We had lots of fun on a family day out on the train to a larger seaside resort for funfairs and boats. Whilst my friend’s 40th birthday party was such a brilliant night out with superb live music, great guests, lots of dancing and sparkles all in the most beautiful castle setting. I really felt blessed last weekend and appreciated spending such special times with my family and friends. I did realise though that I can’t do the late nights I used to, children just won’t do lie ins for you.

The children’s highlight of our day out …

Whilst I haven’t finished it yet I am reading Dawn O’Porter’s The Cows ( my Kindle ran out of power last night, yep you don’t get that with a book!) Its so difficult to describe in a few sentences and I’ve not finished it yet but its a story of three women with one strong theme being social media, one is an author of a famous blog, the other is filmed and ends up becoming an internet sensation for the wrong reasons and the other is drawn to Facebook as means of keeping alive memories of a loved one. There are some strong moral and feminist arguments in the book but these are presented intelligently and smartly. I am enjoying and will report back next week with the finished review.

I’ve watched a brilliant short video made by the children’s school, A Moment in Time. Its a mannequin style entry of a moment in time at the primary school and shows every single staff member and pupil. It is a magical video and thoroughly deserves a prize in the local arts competition it has been created for. The school have been brilliant at thoroughly disguising my children. Sadly, they are not normally allowed in anything published on the internet for security reasons, however through some careful and clever filming, Little Man and his friends are dressed up in a drama session, whilst Little Miss’ PE moves and strategically placed equipment make her unrecognisable. The video was just one of the highlights in the school’s annual arts exhibition, the standard and quality of artwork is just incredible and a credit to all.

I used these eggs to make a simple omelette. The deep rich brown shells were gorgeous but the yellow of the omelette made it such a sunshine meal. The eggs were freshly lain courtesy of Mrs Brown, a local chicken and totally free range!

I was able to dress up on Saturday night to the 40th party and loved it. I wore a fitted but flared crepe black tunic dress embellished with a few sparkles on the cuffs and neckline. Its a dress I haven’t worn for ages and normally pair with leggings as its quite short but I felt confident on Saturday and wore it with some tights. I also had been able to pop in and buy a new lip gloss on Saturday afternoon, its one of the Clarins lip oils and is a multi sensory treat, the smell, the colour, the feel all perfect. It was the gift I got for the birthday girl too, I knew she’d appreciate it.

There is nothing quite like live music and the band on Saturday night were superb, it was one of those parties where people are up from the first song to the very last dancing. The playlist was full of happy, uplifting tunes and it made for such a lovely atmosphere.

I know last week I wrote how much I was looking forward to the weekend but I have that same feeling again today. Tomorrow, Friday, Mr S is off to Bristol to watch England play a ODI cricket match and then after school the children and I will drive to Bristol (3 hours on Fri eve mmm) and join him so we can travel to Badminton for the horse trials on Saturday, its cross country day. Although I’m not a horsie person I’ve always wanted to go and now we have Little Miss who is horse mad it seemed a perfect family trip.

Thanks to Morgana at http://www.coffeeworksleeprepeat.com for hosting #littleloves.

It was 20 years ago today..

Published on May 1, 2017May 1, 2017 by seasidesparklesLeave a comment

Jane Merrick tweeted the above as it’s 20 years today since the general election of 1997 which gave new Labour its landslide victory. Whilst I made a response I realised that there was so much more that I wanted to say to 24 year old me.

Dear Me in 1997

Tonight watching the election results is one of the best times you’ll ever share with Dad, you’ll never feel this optimism and hope for our country’s political future again, so savour every moment. By coincidence you are in London at a conference next to Buckingham palace on the day Blair leaves office and Brown succeeds him, you will skip lunch and join the crowd to see the two PMs. Twenty years later you are still as interested in politics just frustrated and angry with the political system.

At present, your boss at work really is a horrible bitch, it’s your first teaching job and you’re not sure what to do. By Christmas you cannot cope with her and leave without a job to go to. It works out brilliantly you’ll end up at your old secondary school and have the best years of your career, your colleagues will be the best you ever work with and you will have many happy times. The boss bitch suffers a nervous breakdown and her husband walks out on her because of her unreasonable behaviour, you only feel pity for her.

You’re feeling lonely and just can’t seem to find anyone special. Later this month you go on a school exchange to Crete and meet theHeadmaster’s nephew, you enjoy a holiday romance for the next few months between the two countries and become so much happier and confident. Next year you meet Mr S on a night out with friends, you’ll move in together a few months later and marry in Rome in the week of your 30th birthday. As a couple there will be lots of amazing holidays including two Ashes tours of Australia and the Caribbean. Having a family will be the most heart breaking journey, there will be lots of fertility treatments and these will be the darkest, saddest times of your life. Don’t give up, you will eventually adopt the two most amazing children, life will get its happily ever after.

At the moment you live in Cardiff because of your job. When you leave it you return to Bristol for family and friends and this is where you live until 2004. In a surprising move you and Mr S decide to leave the city and to have a more relaxed, simpler life in a small rural seaside town. Its the best move you make and you’ll be your happiest in a small, friendly community. The move leads your career in a new direction too, you become a special needs teacher and in 20 years time you’ll be balancing being mum with your part time job as Head of School!

You will still have a few years left with your grandmothers, both live to an old age and see you happily settled with Mr S. It’s Nanny’s last Christmas when you and Mr S get engaged, a happy memory as you announce the engagement on Christmas Day, following the proposal at his mum’s memorial tree in the hospital garden. Grandma will develop dementia and she will no longer see you as her granddaughter but sister. You will be proud to have had these two women in your life and will still miss them. Your relationship with mum improves over the years and unbelievably she becomes a home making Grandma knitting clothes and quilting for her grandchildren. Her and Dad are incredibly supportive with the adoption and show unconditional love to your children.

Twenty years later you’re still in contact and see your old school friends although none of the trio live in Bristol anymore and visits are fewer. However when you do meet up it feels like no time since you were last together.

You’re going to your cousin’s wedding later this year, the date doesn’t seem important but you will never forget it as it is the day when Princess Diana dies in an accident in Paris. You’ll go to see the flowers at Kensington Palace with a friend and be moved by the scene. The Olympics comes to London in 2012 and it’s amazing, you’re so proud to be British and decorate your house with union jacks and cheer in the streets when the Olympic flame is brought to your town. Sadly the pride at being British is seriously shaken by Brexit and the politics of 2016. There are some brilliant tv series to be watched in these 20 years, This Life, Sex and the City, Friends, Cold Feet, Strictly Come Dancing etc. There is also a series of children’s books published, Harry Potter, you will cry more at the end of the final book than for any book you have ever read. You still follow Bristol City but despite coming so close in 2008, they haven’t made the premiership yet, on the positive they have been much better than the gas in these two decades! England fail in every major football championship. When you meet Mr S you start to share his interest in cricket, this leads to watching lots of cricket and the relief that sometimes the England cricket team is very good, 2005 is a vintage year. Whilst you do the odd aerobics class now you’ll be amazed to hear that despite hating cross country at school you start running and do races, even half marathons for fun! It’s your stress buster and all important me time!

I’ll leave the rest of the future as a surprise but honestly it’s remarkably good, in 20 years time you will be happy. You’ve never learnt how to walk in heels or been able to grow your hair long but you are you, a genuine person with family and friends you love dearly.

Enjoy the next 20 years, embrace it, love it and live it with passion.

Love Me in 2017

St George’s Day, Big Little Lies and French phrases

Published on April 28, 2017April 28, 2017 by seasidesparkles11 Comments

So its back to school now and routine. As much as I love the holidays and the adventures they bring I feel somewhat comforted by the order of routine of school weeks. It is only in school weeks that I have a little me time and I really appreciate this time. This week has been a perfectly normal week and after reading Suzanne’s blog post below that is just fine with me.

I haven’t read as much as normal this week but there were a number of blog posts which have really stood out. Suzanne’s post When did Ordinary Become Meaningless

http://insideoutsideandbeyond.com/when-did-ordinary-become-meaningless/

has resonated with me, It was refreshing to read a post which inspires us to look for the little pleasures. It also led me to one of my listens this week, an interesting TED talk by Brene Brown.

The Simple Things magazine was published this week so I read this too, it’s one of my favourite monthly reads.

Mr S and I caught up this week on Big, Little Lies. I finished the book just as the series started so its very fresh in the memory and undoubtedly leads to a comparison of the two genres. I liked the tv series a lot, the actors were outstanding, the music and the whole ambiance created was brilliant but there is so much more in the story not reflected in the tv series. Whilst I recognise its the difficulty of adapting a book I would highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoyed the tv series.

I also watched a quintessential English event to celebrate St George’s day, the Scouts St George’s day parade in a neighbouring town. I watched Little Man and his Beaver friends march and the parade also featured St George and a very long dragon. The parade ends at the town church for a service. Last year it was a bit dry and the Beavers found it difficult in such a formal event, this year they were given the option not to stay, however the dragon and St George had got their attention so they were all keen to stay which meant I sat in it too. I was so impressed by the service designed and presented this year by the scouts themselves, teenagers get a lot of grief but these had worked so hard to make it a fun, informative and appropriate service for everyone there.

Nope, I’m thinking and thinking and have no original makes this week, sorry.

This weather is so unpredictable, after enjoying some of my spring like clothes, during the Easter holidays I’m back to something a bit warmer as its turned so much colder. Spring come back please, I miss you!

This week I have listened to Little Miss practice her French, her class were invited to meet some French children who are in our town for a school trip. She has been so excited and its a delight to hear her saying her little phrases. Whilst my teaching career turned by chance to SEND I am a MFL teacher and have a passion and love of languages.

I also enjoyed this talk from Brene Brown which Suzanne quotes in her piece above. Its well worth a listen on vulnerability and belonging.

I am so excited for this weekend, whilst we have some nice family time planned my excitement is for Saturday night. I am going to a grown up party …. in a castle ( a proper fairy tale castle with turrets) …with a live swing band … for the 40th birthday of a gorgeous friend. Sometimes life is very good x

I am linking up with Morgana at http://www.coffeeworksleeprepeat.com for #littleloves

New Ingredients, Pretty Prints and Mini Adventures #littleloves

Published on April 22, 2017 by seasidesparkles1 Comment

Whilst last week’s #littleloves was a bumper edition summing up a few weeks this is a more stream lined version from the past five days. However as it was the school Easter holidays there was plenty going on. This week was a week of mini adventures in more off beaten tracks, too many tourists in the popular haunts this week. Our week has included trampolining lessons, a long scooter ride, exploring a nature trail, climbing to the top of a castle, walking along a river and meeting friends for play dates. We also had more mundane activities like buying summer school uniform but its amazing the promise of having a £1 to spend in the Poundshop can help to make a successful shopping trip!

schtum

I read Schtum by Jem Lester following a Kindle recommendation as ‘ a funny and uplifting story of family and love.’ I thought it was a well written and moving story. As with another recent read it was about a son with severe autism and the effect on the family, although there were other sub-stories too and it made for an emotional read. There is a fantastic chapter ‘voiced’ by the son at a tribunal and I hope to be able to use this professionally in staff training sessions. It is a book to make you thankful for your family and a reminder to listen to and to understand each other.

When Mr S is away with work as he was this week, I don’t often switch the television on, I prefer to read, to surf the web or simply potter whilst listening to music in the evenings. When he has been home this week he has had the snooker on, of all the sports I find snooker sooooo boring so have buried myself in my reading as a distraction.

I have been creative in the kitchen this week, with no work I have had a little more time to experiment. I’ve been reading around healthier alternatives to common foods and have tried a few new ingredients, almond butter, Algarve syrup etc.. and replenished lots of my herbs and spices. Two favourite recipes this week were a chick pea and cauliflower curry and ginger flapjacks. I’ve also made a few picnics to enjoy on our trips out.

One day this week, we needed to be out for the whole day to accommodate some work on our house. This led to a bit of a magical, mystery trip around our county with various stops which included a brief pause for me in a small town to check their new White Stuff shop which was holding an opening event. I bought this blouse and love it, its a great fit, that print is just amazing and I got a opening discount, win, win, win. It looked great with my jeans and is the sort of blouse which will look with a bright coloured shorts or trousers in the warmer days.

http://www.whitestuff.com/womens/shirts-blouses/chalk-white-print-faces-shirt/

I read about the #30daymusic challenge and started typing up my daily choices this week https://seasidesparkles.net/2017/04/18/the-30-day-music-challenge/ This has led to lots of research on Spotify and You Tube and really enjoying some brilliant songs.

This Easter holiday seems to be going on forever, the children have Inset on Monday and then its finally back to routines on Tuesday for us all. When the children are at school and I am doing my part time hours, I do manage a few more hours to myself, sometimes the holidays can feel a little overwhelming as my children find it difficult to occupy themselves and I need a list of ideas to keep us all calm and happy. I hope you have all enjoyed the holidays.

Thank you to Morgana at www.coffeeworksleeprepeat.com for hosting #littleloves and her lovely writers who inspire with their choices.

Easter 2017 at the Sparkles house

Published on April 18, 2017 by seasidesparklesLeave a comment

0ee748f2-8940-4a6c-9e0e-fe56ad9ffdb0 — Easter decorations chez Sparkles

Easter is always a special time of the year for me. I was raised in a catholic family and Easter was a time of celebration, second only to Christmas. It was a time of church services but family get-togethers too and we would often celebrate Easter with aunts and uncles and cousins, all dressed up in new outfits and new sandals, whilst the house would be decorated with Pussy Willow Easter trees and fresh flowers. Sadly Mr S doesn’t appear to have celebrated Easter like we did and I think is quite bemused by the effort and excitement I hold for Easter. However I want the children to share the special nature of the festival and ensure we keep some of my childhood traditions.

This year we were away the week before Easter arriving home on Good Friday afternoon. It meant that I wasn’t able to go and buy hot cross buns in our local baker on Good Friday morning like I normally do. These are the most perfect hot cross buns. However, as we walked into breakfast at our hotel, the warm, spicy smell of hot cross buns wafted to our table in a much appreciated gesture from Butlins and we got to enjoy our traditional Good Friday breakfast. As I knew I wouldn’t have time to prepare for Easter when we returned home, I had managed to do most of my prep in advance. I decorated the house the week before, minus my fresh flowers and had bought all the necessary accessories for my Easter egg hunt. My collection of Easter decorations grows every year, we have some lovely shops in our town and I find it difficult to resist a few new decorations annually. I have a window display in the kitchen as this is my favourite room and where we spend a lot of time as a family and then a few more decorations in the living room. This year we had two Easter trees, one in each room and bunting in the garden. I am still looking for an Easter wreath which I think would be a welcome addition to our decorations.

One of the highlights of Easter is the Easter egg hunt which takes place on Sunday afternoon after an Easter roast dinner. It is not only a hunt for chocolate but Easter themed props too, including a stone with a cross on to remember the religious aspect of the festival. I hand draw a help sheet so everyone knows what they are looking for. I don’t like the idea of Easter simply being about chocolate so now the children are older, the first 6 eggs are activities, this year these activities included an egg and spoon race, spelling out your name with orange Kinder egg shells marked with a letter (and a mini egg inside) an egg full of Lego to make a model, a make your own rabbit decoration set (v cheap in last year’s Easter sale) guess the number of eggs contest, find the chicks for the nest etc.. These activities help extend the egg hunt too so its not a mad 5 minutes in the garden and then a chocolate fest! I really enjoyed our hunt this year, for the first time in a few years we actually got to do it outside in the garden in warm sunshine, an advantage of a late Easter.

I do like a theme, so our Easter lunch was a traditional Easter roast, the children had chicken whilst for Mr S and I who are both veggies, I made a goats cheese and Mediterranean vegetable pastry. I used a cookie cutter for the pastry so the pastries were egg shape and the bottom did have the imprint of a decorated egg. My daughter noticed and appreciated the effort, Mr S was bemused again! Dessert was a simple cheesecake, decorated with a variety of assorted chocolate eggs. I was realistic this year that given our holiday away I wasn’t going to be able to bake a Simnel cake, so again had purchased one in advance for Easter tea.

We are lucky that our children do not receive lots of chocolate for Easter, I’m not into the Easter bunny so we bought them a simple Thorntons egg as we knew there was plenty of chocolate in the egg hunt and their grandparents sent a small money gift. Our neighbours made a lovely present, filling a box with straw and a chicken made from natural materials with a few chocolates, they keep chickens so it was a really appropriate and fun gift. I bought Mr S his cricket Playfair annual and got a few bonus wife points.

Easter this year was a very relaxed weekend, we did all we wanted to enjoy the Easter celebration but also simple things like family walks and good food. It was just the 4 of us this year and a nice way to end our family holiday.

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