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Little Sparkles

Published on by seasidesparkles

This is a lazy write up in the hope of catching up with the sparkles of March, its a month which seems to have been pretty busy and I seem to be constantly battling with a migraine and the subsequent nausea and tiredness that accompanies it.  I am in one of those periods when I know I am doing too much but can’t resolve the situation.  I am definitely missing Mr S who is still working away, life is so much easier and fun when its our little team.

 

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Sparkle 1 : My beautiful home made Mothers day cards, I love the blossoms and the messages inside are gorgeous.  I have saved these away to my memory box as precious little memories.  Mothers day is a funny old day, there’s great pride and love but a tinge of sadness too.  Mr S did well and I got the book I wanted Deliciously Ella Everyday, he did comment it was another cookbook but I do love my homemaking and I do use my recipe books regularly.  Mr S also treated us all to Sunday lunch out at a lovely local pub, which was much appreciated.

 Sparkle 2: On Mother’s Day morning we went to the dedication of a family friend’s son at the local church.  It was a warm and welcoming service and one filled with the love of family and friends.  As well as the dedication there have been lots of children’s parties this month so weekends have been organised around these events.

Sparkles 3 & 4 : I had my neurology appointment at the hospital following my referral after my falls late last year.  I cannot praise the NHS enough as the visit was so organised and efficient, I took a book and never had a chance to open it.  I was seen early and after a very thorough consultation went straight for an ECG and had a screening and made an appointment for a MRI scan.  I was delighted to learn with the ECG that I have a resting heart beat of 62 bpm which according to charts is excellent for my age.  I can also start proper running again as the neurologist thinks that my migraines are affecting my balance and its nothing more sinister, this should be confirmed by the MRI, so as long as I avoid running with a headache I should be fine.

Sparkle 5 : The television is really poor at the moment and on my ironing afternoons I have rediscovered some classic films.  I loved watching Strictly Ballroom, I have such happy memories of going out with my Uni housemates to watch it at the local Indie cinema, we left so exhilarated and one of those magic moments is us dancing in an underpass spinning each other round and singing Love is In the Air, the echoes just added to the atmosphere.  Such a random moment but one 24 years later I remember so clearly.  I also caught 10 Things I Hate About You, another classic and the scene with Heath Ledger singing Can’t take My Eyes Off Of You on the sports field is one of my favourite cinematic moments.

Sparkle 6 : March saw World Book Day and I was pleased with our costume efforts as Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and 2, simple and effective.  Perhaps next year I can persuade Mr S to dress up too!

Sparkles 7 and 8 : This was our Poppy Treffry embroidered picture for Mum as a Mother’s Day present.  In her new house she has a room nicknamed the Sewing Room so this seemed the perfect present.  I love that it is hand made in the UK and such a pretty picture.  As you can read from the text message, she liked her present.

Sparkle 9 : My Lightbox has been changed regularly this month, first we had the phrase above, followed by Be Awesome Today and now we’re on Terrific with a little spider and web from Charlotte’s Web.  It keeps me happy!

 

 

 

Month in a word- February

Published on by seasidesparkles
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FRUSTRATION my word and feeling of the month but also a game we’ve liked to play this month!

 

My word for January was Homemaking and despite all my hopes for a fun, frolicking February I think it’s another f word for February, frustration! It’s been a month of domestic disasters, I’m pretty realistic and sanguine that these things happen but it’s the frustration to get things resolved that has caused the problems. It’s been a month of waiting and waiting and waiting… days have been wasted on the phone and stuck indoors waiting for engineers and second visits and deliveries (and redeliveries)

I don’t like to dwell on the negatives so away from the frustrations this month, I have loved the half term break and all our little treats, particularly our theatre trip to Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat which was amazing and very memorable. During the month, we’ve had pancake tossing, a lovely Valentines meal out and now we’re all having lots of fun with the new football goal in the garden which replaced our slide broken in the storms. Here’s to the Spring and blossoming of March.

Vogue’s 73 Questions…

Published on by seasidesparkles

There is a popular blog post called 73 Questions doing the rounds at the moment. It’s taken from a series of Vogue videos quick firing 73 questions to celebs. I have watched a few on the website below and it is a really neat idea.

http://video.vogue.com/series/73-questions

The questions are different in each video so I took mine from Running in Lavender. These are quickly typed answers to the questions

 

  1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

No.

  1. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Watching a documentary on assisted suicide last week.

  1. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Yes, it’s very neat and always gets compliments. I love writing in fancy coloured inks.

  1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH?

Homemade soup with chunky, granary bread from our local bakery or avocado salad dressed with balsamic vinegar.

  1. INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER?

Twitter although Instagram is growing on me quickly.

  1. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I hope so.

  1. DO YOU BAKE?

Yes, I love to bake. Most of my Instagram follows are bakers and cake decorators.

  1. DO YOU LIKE FLYING?

It’s a means to an end, I like the excitement of airports.

  1. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

No. Never, I’m not that mad.

  1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL?

Granola with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit.

  1. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

No, definitely a bad habit of mine and really annoying when I have to untie and retie my laces when I go out running.

  1. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE STRONG?

Mentally, yes.

  1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?

A local company on the seafront. The ice cream is freshly made less than a mile from our home and there is always a different flavour to choose with their amazing specialities.

  1. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Bags and shoes – I’m always intrigued and can read a lot by a bag!

  1. RED OR PINK?

Pink.

  1. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

My mad, crazy hair.

  1. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

Mr S when he is working away, my parents who live 2 hours away and my grandmothers who are both dead.

  1. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS READING IT?

Gone Girl – I struggled to finish it.

  1. WHAT FILM MADE YOU CRY THE MOST?

Cinema Paradiso.

  1. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Avocado.

  1. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

The Golden Hour on our local radio station.

  1. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE?

Bright blue.

  1. FAVOURITE SMELL?

The sea.

  1. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

My husband.

  1. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?

Beach hut.

  1. FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH?

Football and cricket.

  1. HAIR COLOUR?

Brown.

  1. EYE COLOUR?

Brown.

  1. PUPPIES OR KITTENS?

Puppies.

  1. FAVOURITE FOOD?

Chocolate and fresh fruit.

  1. SCARY FILM OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings.

  1. LAST FILM YOU WATCHED?

Alvin and the Chipmunks at the cinema with the children. How I wish this was something different!

  1. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.

  1. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Summer, summer, summer.

  1. HUGS OR KISSES?

Hugs

  1. FAVOURITE DESSERT?

Crème brulee

  1. FAVOURITE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE?

My kitchen.

  1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON FACEBOOK?

I’m not!!!

  1. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COUNTRY TO VISIT?

Australia.

  1. WHAT WAS THE LAST COUNTRY YOU VISITED?

Spain.

  1. FAVOURITE SOUND?

My children singing and giggling. Waves lapping on the shore.

  1. ROLLING STONES OR THE BEATLES?

Beatles but I do love the Stones too.

  1. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Australia.

  1. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

I like baking and decorating cakes.

  1. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

London.

  1. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?

At the seaside.

  1. FAVOURITE HITCHCOCK MOVIE?

Not sure I’ve ever seen one.

  1. WHAT BOOK HAVE YOU READ AGAIN AND AGAIN?

The Gruffalo

  1. FAVOURITE TV SERIES THAT’S ON NOW.

Call the Midwife.

  1. DARK CHOCOLATE OR MILK CHOCOLATE?

Milk and white.

  1. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE DRINK?

Cold – Lime and soda. Hot – Hot chocolate with all the trimmings.

  1. WHO IS YOUR GIRL CRUSH?

Victoria Beckham.

  1. WHAT WAS THE FIRST FILM YOU SAW AT THE CINEMA?

Bambi.

  1. HEELS OR FLATS?

Flats every time.

  1. FAVOURITE BED TIME STORY?

Any from a long list of favourites, anything by Julia Donaldson, Judith Kerr, Oliver Jeffers etc.. it’s not the book but the special feeling reading to children gives.

  1. BATH OR SHOWER?

A long, relaxing bubble bath but the daily reality is showers.

  1. WHATS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A MUM?

Guilt at not doing, listening, playing enough.

  1. FAVOURITE BAND?

The Beatles, Abba.

  1. FAVOURITE SOLO ARTIST?

Adele

61. TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

To be.

62. WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY?

Seaside Sparkles.

63. BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

My engagement ring from Mr S and a painting from my parents.

64. BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER GIVEN?

A carriage ride in Central Park to my parents. Wisden annuals and a special collage given to Mr S.

65. FAVOURITE FRUIT?

Apples and mangos.

66. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST PET?

A brown Labrador, Ben who was a little bit too frisky and had to be rehomed.

67. FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?

Trivial Pursuit, especially entertainment.

68. HOW DO YOU HAVE YOUR COFFEE?

As a cappuccino in a coffee shop, I rarely drink coffee it’s a treat. Instant coffee doesn’t hit the spot.

69. BEST INVENTION?

The internet and digital devices.

70. DIAMONDS OR PEARLS?

Diamonds.

71. BLOW DRY OR AIR DRY?

Towel dry.

72. CHEAP OR EXPENSIVE SHAMPOO?

Whatever is on offer.

73. HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?

Not too difficult.

Go, Go, Go Joseph

Published on by seasidesparkles

This week we were treated to a trip to the theatre by my parents to see the touring production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was amazing; a joyful, energetic and kitsch interpretation of the musical.

In our family we have such fond memories of Joseph and it seemed the perfect choice for the first musical for the children to see live at the theatre. I went to a lovely little primary school where the highlight each year was our school play, it became the focus of the summer term and happy hours were spent rehearsing, painting scenery and making costumes. I feel so grateful to have gone to a school where the creative arts were valued and promoted. Joseph was one of the plays we did and I remember quite clearly being in the chorus with my white t-shirt printed with Joseph in vivid colours singing away happily to all the songs. When watching the play I could remember the scenes from our school production, especially the Deputy Head as a very frightening Potiphar! Our family loved the musical so much that we bought the cassette of the soundtrack and many, many childhood journeys were spent singing and listening to it in the car. It is some testament that nearly 35 years later, I am still pretty word perfect in all of the songs from the original musical. In what could be a sense of history repeating itself I downloaded the songs onto my iTunes this week and played it on the car journey home!

The atmosphere at the theatre was lovely, a real sense of excitement and it being half term there was a wonderful mix of children, parents and grandparents. The performance was sold out and the audience all appeared pretty excited and happy to be there and all knew the songs well; there was lots of enthusiastic participation, particularly at the end when among the standing ovations, reprises and dancing most of the audience were singing along too. It was one of those lovely moments you just want to freeze and take in how wonderful it is, this is live theatre at its best. The lead was played by Joe McElderry a winner from X Factor in 2009. I remember him vaguely from the time, Oor Joe, but I’ve always been a Strictly girl on Saturday nights. However I was so impressed by him, he was stunning as Joseph, his voice is incredible and his acting in the role was perfect too. He is what Joseph should be and is definitely my Joseph.    The other characters all were well cast and genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves in what must be a pretty energetic play. Despite it be a touring production, the scenery and props were fun and created a great show, Little Man liked the talking Sphinx and camel and there were some rather clever costume tricks too.

It was a really special afternoon at Joseph blending a little nostalgia from my childhood, the children’s first musical at a theatre and a brilliant show which had 3 generations of us standing and singing and clapping until our hands were sore. Needless to say I’m now looking for our next musical experience, there is nothing comparable to brilliant, live theatre.

Little Sparkles 6/2015

Published on by seasidesparkles

It’s been a week of kitchen drama this week in which I’ve become far too stressed than necessary.  Mr S has helped to put things into perspective and reminded me not to stress over material goods which can easily be replaced.  After many phone calls and emails things are now proceeding more smoothly but it’s been a challenging week. However, as always there are sparkles and it’s been Pancake day which is always a favourite in our household and with an Inset day today, we’ve had an early start to half term.

Sparkle 1 : Pancake Day

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We normally do pancakes after school but as Tuesday is our busy day we decided to start with a pancake breakfast as we have more time in the mornings. It was a brilliant way to start the day and whilst Little Miss had a little toss of her pancake, Little Man preferred not to risk his.  The fillings were classic lemon and sugar. As is tradition I took a photo of the children cooking their pancakes, it’s one of those traditional poses we do each year and send to the grandparents and this year Mr S too who was away. As I had some batter left over we had a little pancake for tea too but our best ones were definitely for breakfast.

Sparkle 2 : Bright sunshine

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There were 3 occasions this week when the clouds lifted and we had some stunning weather, crisp blue skies and warm sunshine. Luckily, I was outside on all 3 occasions and felt wonderful, the sun makes me happy, relaxed and energised. Life is better in sunglasses! On Sunday morning, we were at a local beach in the sunshine and the children were happily playing in the sand dunes, rolling down, laughing and pretending they were Star wars heroes, a man passed us walking his dog and commented that it was a little bit of heaven, I couldn’t have agreed more.

Sparkle 3 : Quality Viewing

I’m not a teary person, but two programmes had me in floods of tears this week, Call the Midwife with another tragic tale of a thalamidime baby and a documentary on assisted suicide. On two consecutive evenings this week, I happened upon some really quality viewing, connected unexpectedly by a theme of Motor Neurone Disease. The first was a documentary called Simon’s Choice about a man’s decision to take his own life in an assisted suicide, it was honest, thought provoking and heart breaking and offered a credible argument for assisted suicide. However by chance I also watched the film, The Theory of Everything, based on the autobiography of Stephen Hawking’s first wife for another perspective on life with MND.  In a particularly striking scene she insists that he is to be  resuscitated and to live when doctors thought it may be kinder otherwise. It was a curious juxtaposition of programmes, one showing a man living with MND and the other showing a man dying of MND. Personally I think assisted suicide is a very difficult and complex decision and one that needs to be addressed with a calm and balanced debate.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/feb/11/how-to-die-simons-choice-review-beautiful-film-assisted-dying

And finally ..

Its been a quieter week than normal, as most of my free time has been occupied with domestic matters. However we’re on holidays now and off to my parents for treats, surprises and sparkles.

 

A few of my favourite things – A painting

Published on by seasidesparkles

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If I was to rescue one item (not people) from my burning house, it would be this painting of a local landmark just a few minutes from our house. It’s a beautiful picture, I love the colours, the blue of the sea, the delicate colours of the flowers and the white of the lighthouse and the location really is as beautiful as it looks in this picture. However this picture is so precious to me as it is the closest connection I have with our baby boy whose ashes were scattered here.  Whilst the nurses gave me photos of him I prefer to remember our darling little boy by the real time I spent with him wrapped up in his little basket and now through this beautiful picture which everyone can appreciate without ever knowing the true significance of it in my life.

The picture was bought a couple of years after our tragic loss and the moment I saw the painting hanging in a local gallery, I knew it was fate. I was with my Mum when I saw it for the first time and upon understanding the significance of the picture she just went into the gallery and passed over her credit card. It is the most precious present I have ever received.

I am relieved that we didn’t choose to leave our little boy’s ashes at the baby remembrance garden at the crematorium. It is a significant distance from our home as I needed specialist treatment from the nearby hospital and I didn’t want to be separated by lots of miles from him, I needed him close. I love that he is in such a beautiful place and that I can be there in minutes. I have never gone there to cry or mourn and I’ve never left flowers or teddies but it’s my place for stillness and being at peace. By nature of its location it’s a place I often would walk our dog, I run here and take the children here on walks, rarely a week goes by when I’m not by the lighthouse. Seven years later, I don’t experience the raw, painful grief I once felt, if I’m on my own and just thinking I simply feel very sad and wonder what he would be like at this age. It helps enormously that we have our children. I am spiritual and look on our two children as a very special blessing. Our two are one year in age apart and our son’s due date was exactly the middle of this year. I comfort myself that by losing one so much longed for and loved son we were able to have two amazing children. It is not a consolation but helps me to try and make some sense of what happened to us.

Originally I had planned for the picture to hang in our bedroom but at the time we had just had an extension built and it looked perfect in the new bright, airy room. This room is now the children’s playroom and I love that it is a room full of fun, happiness and play. It seems right that the painting is on the wall there at the heart of family life.

Wahey, its Wednesday!

Published on by seasidesparkles

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This term has seen a change in our routine and I have a new highlight of the week, Wednesday. Whilst I work on a Wednesday morning, I am doing a little project at work on Wednesdays away from the classroom. It’s become my morning for being creative and trying new ideas and whilst I am someone who genuinely does enjoy their job this is really adding to my job satisfaction. Consequently I tend to leave work at lunchtime pretty excited and after a few necessary daily chores and prepping up a slow cooked tea I can do the school pick up and then spend some really nice time with Little Miss and Little Man with no distraction.  As Little Miss has moved up in ballet it’s now the one night when we have no clubs or activities and as I’m off on Thursdays too Wednesday has developed its own special feeling.

This term we seem to have developed a little routine, walking home to a kitchen set up for some baking. Today it was gingerbread cakes, last week lemon drizzle, I love a little midweek treat and the sweet baking smell just warms up the house. In between baking and decorating we play a little Wii U and then after tea the children decorate and taste their cakes as pudding. It’s a tea when we spend longer than normal around the dinner table and it’s just lovely to talk. After tea, we do a bath which is another treat as often we only have time for a quick shower and then its story time and a relaxed bedtime. I don’t do homework on Wednesdays I want to have fun with my littlies.  I love the quality time on Wednesdays and our current routine is perfect for the winter, I’m hoping that in the summer we’ll be able to go straight to the beach from school for sandcastles, paddling and picnics. I love our hump day!

Little Sparkles 1/2016

Published on by seasidesparkles

Last week I pondered how to continue Little Sparkles this year as I did find some of the categories a little constricting. For example, wore… I am so predictable, leggings and a tunic / short skirt / dress and boots in cooler weather with a few layers as necessary and top and shorts / cropped trousers / floral or patterned skirt and flip flops in warmer weather. It’s not going to make for inspiring reading week in and out. I had a little think and jotted a few ideas down and then came up with the blindingly obvious solution, don’t put my sparkles into categories and just write! So here is my first post in this new format, I hope it works.

 

Sparkles 1 and 2.

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Surprisingly for me, I am starting this new year on a health kick. It’s been a bit of a worrying time health wise and I am awaiting a hospital appointment for further investigation into the number of unexplained falls I’ve had recently. In the meantime I am doing a detox, my first ever! After its finished I am considering clean eating as much as possible without being a martyr to try and make my body as strong as possible. The detox is fine, I do eat healthily generally but it’s the cups of tea I’m missing the most and my odd cappuccino. Herbal tea doesn’t quite hit the spot. My father In law bought me a fantastic Christmas present of a soup maker. He was buying one for his daughter and thought I might like one too. It’s so easy and convenient and has helped me to enjoy the detox more with lots of flavoursome soups.

Sparkle 3

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Whilst all the house looks bare without our Christmas decorations, I really miss the LED lit Christmas tree in my kitchen. I loved its sparkle and twinkling lights. This week, I have treated myself to a bunch of my favourite flowers, tulips to put in my Ken Eardley vase and then used my lovely Lightbox to write a little inspirational message to help brighten up my kitchen. It’s definitely helped to add a little sparkle in the kitchen this week.

Sparkle 4

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Still in the kitchen, Little Miss commented this week that she feels sad when we sit down for tea and Daddy’s seat is empty as he’s back working away. So this week we’ve had guests for dinner, Colin the Minion joined us for his banana (that’s what Minions eat isn’t it?), Teddy had honey sandwiches and Miss Mouse had some cheese. I’m still trying to work out what Kylo Ren and Finn from Star Wars might eat for tea.

Sparkle 5

books

It’s a return to routines this week and we have been reading together every evening before going up to bed. This week our book is Charlotte’s Web, I don’t think I have ever read it before although am familiar with the story and am thoroughly enjoying it, Fern is a pretty cool girl. I have been reading ‘The Version of Us’ a ‘what if’ story about choices and consequences, it is brilliant and I have been in bed early every evening to read more.

Sparkle 6

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I am not one for the sales and have kept well away from them this Christmas. It is my idea of hell to be walking around the shops on Boxing day. However there was one item I had been following and was waiting to be reduced, a new pair of boots in Fat Face. I sussed that the online sale was likely to start on Christmas Eve as everyone shuts up for Christmas, so late afternoon I refreshed the bookmark I had saved (really I am that organised) and I got the boots reduced to half price. I was delighted and have been wearing them this week, they are so comfy and gorgeous. That’s the best way to shop the sales.

Sparkle 7

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My final sparkle is my new Filofax, its not as ostentatious as it may first look. I am quite modest and don’t do a lot of bling but feel quite comfortable with its design. In September I decided to try one of those Mummy academic year diaries with spaces for everyone as the kitchen calendar in a similar design works well. However I hated it, the pages weren’t in the order I like and I could never find what I wanted. I never had the option to add anything. After really trying hard with it for 3 months, I admitted defeat and thanks to a little Christmas gift I chose a new Filofax. I feel so much better organised and prepared with a Filofax, I won’t be seduced by anything different again!

Isn’t it funny that even in what is supposed to be one of the duller weeks of the year there are still plenty of opportunities to illustrate the sparkles of everyday life. There are more I haven’t written of too, discovering an acquaintance’s wonderful achievements through her New Year’s honours citation, she is so modest of her amazing work.  I also received two compliments of how kind little Miss has been with some of the younger children at school.   Life’s little sparkles should always be appreciated.

Christmas Eve Sparkles

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This may be an odd time to write a blog post, but it is the quiet time on Christmas Eve just waiting for everyone to be sound asleep before we can start the magic. Everything is ready and there really isn’t anything else to do but sit and relax, I love these moments. It’s been a really busy week with lots of sparkles in it, some won’t make the set categories so here are some extra sparkles that made the run up to Christmas special.

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Sparkle 1: My lovely friend who offered to look after the children so I could go to ‘big town’ to do the big Christmas food shop. Not only did she look after them she made them gingerbread houses to decorate with her and took them for a long, fresh walk along the beach to burn off the sugar rush from the said activity. She is amazing and has inspired me to pass the kindness on.

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Sparkle 2: On Christmas Eve, we emailed Santa at NORAD (which is itself a heart-warming story) and got a personal response, the children were made up by their email and went to bed very happy. We also loved and got very excited tracking Santa on the NORAD website.

READ

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I read one of the Christmas books I discovered through social media, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It is an American book so possibly why it is not so well known over here, however it certainly deserved its excellent reviews. The book is a story with a very strong Christmas message and whilst it’s a children’s book there were deeper themes running through it too. It’s a book which I will definitely recommend to friends next year, a classic to be reread every year. I read it one sitting and shed a little tear.

WATCHED

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After much worrying and research over whether it was appropriate to take the children to see Star Wars (certificate 12a) at the cinema we made the decision for them to see the film this afternoon, Christmas Eve. It was brilliant and they loved the film. It was such a perfect trip, it will be a truly wonderful memory for us all, a full cinema and cheering and clapping throughout the film. Everything just felt so right. The film itself is wonderful, so true to the original trilogy and it all neatly fits together. I got goose bumps as the music started, I thought it was a nice touch to start with silence and a black screen for a few seconds and then the iconic music and logo appeared, I cheered when I saw Han Solo and Chewwie, cried a little tear at the sad part (no spoilers here) and clapped at the end. It was also so refreshing to see a strong female lead and a heroine to aspire to. It was so good in so many ways, an epic film.

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I also treated myself to watching Love Actually this week. It had been a few years since I saw the film and I had forgotten just how good it was, some of the performances are heartbreaking, Emma Thompson is often cited for her role but I thought Laura Linney was superb in her sad role too.

LISTENED

As I’m still waiting for the children to be sound asleep (its now 10.45pm) I’m tuned in to radio 4 for their festive short stories by Rachel Joyce, in the book at bedtime slot. I’ve managed to hear a few this week and its been nice to listen to some original stories with a Christmassy feel.

MADE

Its simple makes this week as I’m gearing up to cook my festive menu over the next few days. I love cooking so this is not a chore and I’m looking forward to some new recipes. One of our family traditions is to make gingerbread tree decorations so this was done on Wednesday, the recipe from BBC Good Food is excellent and the decorating is always fun if not a bit messy. The decorations are hanging on the kitchen tree for present but I have seen Little Man trying to sneak a little nibble!

WORE

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This week it’s any excuse and I’ll don a festive hat, I have a new Rudolph one for outdoor activities and a Santa hat for inside.  I’ve only got a few more days wear until they’ll be packed away for next Christmas.

That’s all for Christmas Eve, as I sit here still waiting for little people to be fast asleep, I feel the contentment and excitement that cannot be matched at any other time of the year.  I’ve just opened the back door to look at the full moon and heard the church bells ringing ( its now 11pm ) life is pretty perfect.

Little Sparkles

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This week has been all about preparations and getting organised. It’s that funny week before everything really starts to get going so I’ve used the time to wrap presents, write cards, buy a few foodie items for the season etc.. I really want to enjoy the events next week and not to be thinking that I should be doing things on my to do list. I’m feeling pretty relaxed about Christmas, I’m organised (hey that’s just me) but to me Christmas is simple it’s about being together and as long as I have my little family it’ll be perfect.

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Oh the tradition of the season, this week not only have I read The Christmas Radio Times but I’ve highlighted my favourites too. I’m already looking forward to cuddling up on the sofa with the children after Christmas lunch and watching Julia Donaldson’s Stickman.

I also helped the children read some rather special Santa letters. My mum has always taken the responsibility for organising the Santa letters and normally has them done through charities as a means of fundraising. However this year she wrote and printed them herself and they are amazing. The letters showed how much she listens to the children and their little adventures. Their personalities shone through the letters and they were truly magical. I was so touched and proud of my Mum’s gesture, as the Grinch says

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LISTENED

I’m still addicted to my Christmas songs playlists and have used music to enhance the mood whilst I did some of the less exciting Christmas jobs this week.

WATCHED

When Mr S left to go travel up to work on Sunday afternoon, the children and I cuddled up to watch The Magic Reindeer, a beautiful animated film with a lovely Christmas story.

I also got to watch the children’s excitement at the Christmas tree festival as they went from tree to tree guessing the theme and choosing their favourites.

MADE

Mummy bonus pints for remembering the cakes I promised to make for the ballet Christmas fair, Nigella’s Raspberry and Lemon muffins. However I couldn’t find frozen raspberries in town so they became strawberry and lemon which worked perfectly with my strawberry cake cases.

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Whilst I didn’t make my wreath I watched it being made by some of our brilliant students at school as part of their enterprise work. Our students all have complex special needs so for each to have played a little part in making this wreath is very special to me.

WORE

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So maybe a little late and I’m sure they would have meant that my hand injury would not have been so severe but I wore my running gloves out on my first tentative runs since my accident. I am only running in the light and have taken a ridiculous interest in the state of pavements and roads but I am out. As I’ve said before I need to run, it’s my thing to keep me sane and happy.

I’m also wearing my old Fat Face brown boots I’ve had them for years and with the demise of my black Clarkes boots they’re back to number 1. I’m hoping to pick up a new pair of boots in the New Year sales, I did try some on in Fat Face a few weeks ago so fingers crossed they’ll be reduced.

And …

Next week is Christmas fun at schools for me and the children. The week is a whirlwind of Christmas lunches, parties, concerts, fairs and Christmas jumpers. I love the week its madness and sparkle is just part of the build up to Christmas.