Seaside Sparkles

After a few busy weeks in the summer holidays it was time to relax and take things a little easier this week. We pottered around at home and on one day I went down to the pier and polished my birthday plaque. I do like being on the pier, it has a great view of the town and feels a very peaceful place. We also did walks, played football on the downs and I had a big decluttering session in the porch which was very satisfying!

We are having very serious talks about a possible house move so went to the neighbouring town to look at some houses for sale, not viewings, but just to see location. Our motivation for the move is due to my husband no longer being able to drive since his brain injury and the town being conveniently placed for public transport. However we still are trying to make a decision, there’s so much to consider. Whilst we were in the town we went to the local cinema to see Naked Gun. It was watchable with predictable plot lines but amusing and not a bad way to spend an evening.

We do try and do something special each week in the holidays and this week we went to Beaulieu. Whilst it is famous for its car museum, which is impressive and interesting, I think there’s so much more to do. I was delighted to discover there was a sculpture exhibition around the house and gardens and was in my element walking around and admiring the art. I also loved the little monorail trip around the estate, so cute. Beaulieu has so much interesting history and I was really taken by the exhibition on the French resistance movement some of whom had been trained at the estate as part was requisitioned by the government during World War 2. I studied this period for my French A level and by focusing on two resistance agents in the exhibition it made it very engaging.

I have started a book this week which is having a big effect on me Let them by Mel Robbins. The premise is let them, one cannot control others’ actions or emotions, and Let me, do what I can do. It’s a fascinating read. I also bought a couple of books on a shopping trip as I had some book tokens. One is a recipe book, autumn generally makes me more creative in the kitchen and a book on fashion ‘Clothes and other things that matter’ which is next on my to read list. I went shopping whilst the boys were at the first home game of the new season. The shopping centre is close to the ground so I was able to drop and pick them up. I like the football season it gives our weekends more rhythm and structure and the boys do enjoy their little trips.

This was such a busy week as we unpacked from our summer holiday, spent a few days getting organised and then went to Liverpool for a very busy couple of days. As I write this we are all relaxing and recharging after a brilliant trip away.

I seem to have done so much this week, but all of it has been very enjoyable. Last Saturday I attended a memorial service for a very special man. I knew him through running, but the service showed what an incredible and humble man he had been in all areas of his life, always there to help others and respected by so many. He had been one of the founders of our town’s running club and this was how I got to know him and his wife, whom still remains one of my running buddies. The club started about 20 years ago, and he took us newbies out and coached us to run. It was a testament to him that so many of us still love running and were there at the service. It was a beautiful, peaceful experience. It was not a sad service but one of celebrating his life, with songs, speeches and an afternoon tea, a beautiful event.

Normally we are not at home this week, as we traditionally took our summer holidays on this week. This was when I worked at a different school with slightly different holidays and it’s taken a few years to create a new schedule. This meant we were home for the first time in many years for the Lifeboat week. We took part in the annual duck race and then I ran in the Lighthouse Loop race. I generally don’t do races, so I was a bit nervous, especially as it’s hilly but I surprised myself by enjoying the experience and it’s on my to do list for next year.

This week I have also been playing with my new Garmin watch. It was my birthday present as I become more focused on my running, working towards the half in October. It is soo fancy, I haven’t worked out all the features but am loving what I have discovered. It does help that I’ve done a load of steps this week, so my stats are looking pretty decent.

Since we’ve been back from holiday, Mr S has been busy tidying up the garden and picked a whole bucket of fresh potatoes from his veggie patch. I love having home grown food on the dinner table.

After my summer holidays, I decided it was time to streamline my wardrobe and used the selling platform on Vinted. OMG, I’m impressed, I’ve sold lots this week and made a nice little pot of money which I spent on treats in Liverpool. I also won £30 on the lottery, something I very rarely do and this too went to the Liverpool pennies. Talking of looking after the pennies, I had a proper grown up meeting with a pension adviser this week too. It seems all is on plan for retirement at 60.

And so onto Liverpool which again was an epic trip. I love Liverpool, the music, football and culture. It’s one of my favourite cities and did not disappoint on this trip. As soon as the football fixtures came out and the first game was away in Liverpool during my holidays it was a no brainer that we would be going. My daughter joined us too as she too is a big fan of the city. We wanted to make the most of our time and to get there for Fri lunchtime, we had an early start, the 6.30am train which meant a 4.20am alarm call as we’re around an hour’s drive from the station. Amazingly the buzz of the city meant it’s only today, back at home that the tiredness is showing, we were full of energy in Liverpool, the vibe is contagious! After a nice lunch together we split as a group with the boys going off to Anfield and the girls to Curiosity Quarter. This is such a quirky, fun attraction, tricks, puzzles and experiments to question your senses and very worth a visit. We then did a quick reccie of the shops and pottered around, collecting a pickie tea from M&S and snacks for the morning before a quick change and out again for a night in Liverpool. The atmosphere was awesome, we headed down to Matthew Street for the live music, football and dancing and enjoyed every minute. The boys returned home excited and emotional about the match, it was a loss, but one which showed promise and hope for the coming season.

On Saturday morning, I headed to Princes park. I can’t miss the opportunity of a new parkrun. This summer has been one of trains, planes, automobiles (and ships, metro and buses) and thanks to the Mersey travel app I was at the park via the bus in good time. It was a great parkrun, flat and in a beautiful park. The walk back to the hotel with a freshly brewed cup of coffee from an indie cafe in the warm sunshine was just a wholesome moment. For the rest of the morning, the boys went over to see the new Everton stadium whilst the girls did some serious shopping. I think for the proximity, number and size of the shops, nowhere comes close to Liverpool as a shopping destination and we had a great time visiting favourite shops and making a few purchases. I bought my first Christmas present, a special souvenir of the match for my son. My Christmas 2025 planning has started! Our train was around 5pm and we rolled back home just before midnight, very happy and content with our days away.

This year we have enjoyed a wonderful holiday in the Med. Last year’s cruise was supposed to be a one off special holiday, but the pull of another cruise proved too much to resist and we combined it with some extra days in Rome. We wanted to introduce our son to a city which we love and which has many special memories as we were also married here.

Rome was as magical as ever and also very busy with the Catholic youth Jubilee taking place in the same week. It was a joyful ‘busyness’, groups of young people wandering the streets, carrying their national flags and singing, only adding to the atmosphere. The Jubilee did mean that St Peter’s Square was closed off when we tried to visit because of the crowds but we did find a few different viewpoints so we did see it. We hadn’t planned to do the Sistine chapel this time as we have seen it before and had marvelled at its beauty and been pretty awestruck. I’m not sure our 16 year old son would have had quite the same reaction so we chose to explore the Colosseum and Forum, Trevi fountain and Spanish Steps. The latter two have important wedding day memories for us, particularly as in this week we celebrated our anniversary. We also went to the Olimpico stadium for our football mad son, as both Rome teams and the national football and rugby teams play here. Our time in Rome was well planned and all bookings had been made well in advance. I had also done routes to the attractions and we easily navigated the town on foot, metro and bus to get to all the sites. Our trip only strengthened our special memories of the city, I love Rome and la dolce vita.

Our cruise departed from Civitavecchia and we had planned our transfer from Rome by train. We got a high speed train which took 45 minutes. The train was so clean, with seat reservations and very reasonable, another example of great public transport. As we had taken the high speed train, our fare doubled as the journey time halved, however it was still less than £10 a head. One can’t help compare to our train network and prices, we need better, more affordable public transport.

This year, we cruised with MSC and I cannot fault the company. I actually think this was a better cruise than P&O last year, yes there are things which each do better but on the whole I preferred the MSC experience. There was so much to do on the ship and the aquapark was magnificent, I enjoyed the slide boarding slide, as it was enclosed. I was too nervous to do an open slide as I was scared that I would fling out and land in the sea! The enclosed slide was much safer and comfortable. I also loved the zip wire across the boat, I did it twice as you got a wonderful view at a gentle pace.

We had five brilliant stops on this cruise. In Mallorca and Barcelona, we visited the football stadiums and had a tour, or as the Nou camp is being rebuilt a visit to an immersive museum. Both were really interesting in their own way, Barcelona is iconic, whereas the community culture and smaller stadium at Mallorca felt more like our local club. I really enjoyed walking around Palma after our visit, such a pretty city. Cannes was our one day without a plan, just to potter around the town and explore. We loved Cannes, it is gorgeous and the perfect place to mooch around. I went on the Ferris wheel, which has become a bit of a tradition, I can’t resist a big wheel and the views were excellent. We also had a lovely al fresco lunch and I enjoyed using my French around the town. Our day in Genoa was another real highlight as we did a Segway tour of the old town. The Segways were brilliant and as the town is mainly pedestrianised my worries about crashing into vehicles and every other worst case scenarios were not realised. The Segways were so much fun and our tour guide so interesting, I really felt I got to know lots about the town. Our final day was on a tour billed quiet rightly as a bucket list excursion, firstly to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and yes we did the pushing the tower photos and then onto Florence. I though Florence was such a beautiful city and a special way to end the cruise.

This felt a very special holiday, one in which we explored, relaxed, played, reminisced and created new memories. Now to choose (and save) for next year’s holiday.

This has been a reset and refresh week with the end of the school year and a few days to prepare for our Italian adventure. This was the name I gave to my holiday Spotify playlist, I like to have a playlist for our holidays, a mix of songs linked to our holidays and current hits. We have some lovely playlists of past holidays, they’re a great memento. I have also been doing all the research for our trip and have lists and notes in my little notebook, from metro routes for our itineraries to what to see in the different cities we visit.

I was at work for the first two days of the week, as we had two training days. They were good days, some mandatory training but also allocated time to prepare for September. I left work feeling organised and ready for the year ahead. I will still do some work over the holidays but I don’t feel that I’ll be catching up but working on some projects for the upcoming year. I like this part of my job, being creative and curious. It was also very nice to switch off all my alarms on Tuesday, that’s all except Saturday’s parkrun alarm. Over the years I have become a morning person and even without the alarms I was still awake at my normal time most of the week. It’s just nice to potter downstairs, have a cup of tea and just relax into the day.

Although I only had two days at work , I was very focused on finishing the excellent Blue Sisters as an audiobook on my commute. This is such a good book and one to recommend. It’s a story which focuses on the present day but with flashbacks you understand how the sisters’ characters developed. I also really appreciated the epilogue ten years later to tie up the loose ends.

It was another family birthday this week and we had a beach hut for the day. It was a simple celebration, the day on the beach, a lovely paddle and then a chippie supper from our favourite fish and chip shop. Is there anything more seaside than having chips on the beach?

It was great to have a few prep days after term ended and I have had a manicure and pedicure, a new haircut and other treatments. When I had the pedicure I sat in a massage chair which was bliss, I’ve never had a pedicure before but my feet are so smooth and pretty I can’t imagine not having another now.

Everything is now packed and we’re ready for our flight tomorrow. We’re staying near the airport so there’s not a long journey tomorrow. I am so looking forward to dropping off our luggage and heading off to the shops and bar. There’s something very exciting about the anticipation of a flight.

This was always going to be an emotional week as my son left school at the end of Year 11. As he’s attended a special school, there’s been no exams so no early leave and he’s had to go right to the end of term.

Fortunately our son has loved his school and has made some lovely friends. My husband and I have been doing a lot of reflecting this week and despite all the challenges I think we got his education right for him. There’s been so much time spent over the years on getting the correct support for him but I think we did okay, he attended a mainstream primary and then went to special school for his secondary education. Next year he’s doing a more vocational course / supported internship at college.

My son did a residential earlier this term and the next rites of passage was a Prom at a local country house. He was a little nervous about the formality of the occasion but as soon as he saw his friends all dressed up, the nerves dissipated and they all had an amazing time. Parents were allowed to wait and take photos in the gardens and on the red carpet and I have some beautiful images of him and his friends ready to print out and pin up on his corkboard. I really appreciate these friendships , I think they will last, they are lovely young people.

As if prom wasn’t emotional enough, we then had the leavers assembly on Friday. My first job of the day was to take the final day of school photo on the doorstep. I then compared it with his first day of school, a tiny little boy compared to the strong, tall young man and felt so proud. Fortunately I work at a school whom are family friendly and despite it being a very busy day for our school too I was allowed the time off to attend the leavers assembly. These little gestures are so important to me as an employee. I do work hard and to be allowed the time made me feel appreciated. The assembly was just gorgeous, each leaver had their special time, sitting on a chair on stage and the Head read a speech about them all, so personal and highlighting all their characteristics, strengths and what they brought to the school, a wonderful mix of emotion and humour. Then there was a PowerPoint with all the students over the years at the school, it’s so easy to forget how small they all were and what brilliant young adults they have become. Whilst there was refreshments after, I only stopped to personally thank the head and some of my son’s old teachers before returning to school and participating in our family picnic, awards, good byes and choir. It’s fair to say I did feel emotionally spent on Friday night.

As it was the last day for students on Friday, I was treated to some lovely gifts, so many beautiful flowers and heartwarming cards. There’s tough days in teaching but the good days are the absolute best and after 29 (!) years I still can’t imagine doing any other job, teaching SEN is the most rewarding and fulfilling job I’ve ever had.

I was very spoilt on Friday as I also received some early birthday presents from my work friends. I was so touched that they know me so well, the parkrun candle is brilliant and I also got a ‘in my runner era’ socks.

After all the emotion of last week, it is back into school this week for 2 training days, a day of nail, hair and other beauty appointments , packing and then holiday! This weekend we’ve been doing the final checks and all we can before the last day or so. Oh and there’s also another birthday and anniversary to celebrate. This time of year is crazy busy but also some of the best weeks of the year, I thrive on happy busyness.

Time for a catch up in what is always a busy period of birthdays, school and life. This year has been no different and with our son leaving school there are extras too with prom and a leavers’ assembly.

During the first week of this catch up, it was our daughter’s birthday. Her birthday treat was a session on the SUP boards at a local lake. Although the photo looks a little cloudy it was so hot that we were relieved by the clouds to protect us from the sun. The temperature board was reading 26*. Heatwaves are definitely en vogue at present, this weekend sees the 3rd heatwave in a matter of weeks. I did the SUP with the children and loved it and am keen to go again. However I feel it would need to be on a lake, the sea is more unpredictable. I did ache for days after but felt very satisfied. Our daughter chose Thai for a birthday meal and we found a lovely restaurant. It had a great open window, much needed in the heat, our photos look like we’re in the med, with the open window onto a tree lined terrace. It was situated in the area I grew up in and what had been my local record shop when I was her age was now the restaurant. I felt very nostalgic passing all my old haunts, all looking very different now.

This weekend we have been at my parents celebrating my son’s birthday early as there’s lots going on later this month. We had a great birthday barbecue and for dessert I prepared a birthday sweet platter. I did this last year and it went done so well that I shared it with my parents too. Again the response has been great and I feel that this may be a new tradition. With regard to traditions, the platter did include top hats, an essential ingredient of our childhood birthdays, a marshmallow dipped in chocolate and topped with a smartie.

Given the extreme weather this weekend we simply stayed close to my parents home, the children spent a few hours on the pier and then chilled in the garden. I did take my son for a prom haircut and hot towel shave, it seemed all very grown up. Earlier in the day, my daughter and I did an incredibly hot parkrun at Ashton Court on Saturday morning. She is just returning to running so we took it easy with a mix of running and walking but with no shade it was tough. We stopped off at Costa to get iced drinks on the way home and as it was next to the Bristol city stadium we posed for a photo next to the Atyeo statue. When I lived in Bristol I was a season ticket holder at BCFC in the Atyeo stand so it was a special photo for me (and one to wind up my husband who is Rovers)

Away from the birthday weekends, we’ve been preparing and shopping for holidays and prom. I randomly found some Neom dupe oils in Aldi and am enjoying the new aromas. Vinted continues to be my go to for purchases. I have a stunning new black broderie dress for work and get so many compliments for a dress which cost £4. When in big town, we have also popped into the cinema, we finally used up a Odeon gift card, and saw Formula One. It wasn’t as bad as I expected although I did prefer Rush and Gran Turismo, I may not be a fan but my son loves these types of films.

With the heatwaves I’ve really been enjoying and appreciating my evening walks along the beach in the cool breeze. My son has even joined me on a couple of nights as a way to cool down. We may have enjoyed an ice cream from the artisan ice cream stall in town. Life is best with those little sparkles.

It’s a big week in our household with prom and leavers’ day and the end of school in our family. My summers will look different now, no school uniforms to buy, no trips to Clark’s or evenings labelling everything, the end of an era. Our son is off to a college on a supported internship type course so there will still be education it will just look different. It’s strange that this will be his first leavers assembly, he left primary in the Covid summer of 2020 when restrictions meant the good bye was outside, children only, sat on coloured circles 1 metre apart from each other. I really hope this is a very special week for him.

This working week was solely focused on report writing at every single opportunity, so it’s been nice this weekend to be able to relax and catch up at home. I’ve finished all the written elements of the reports so it’s now proof reading and adding a few photos and with the reports complete then it’s the final countdown to the end of term, yippee! Again my 5 things of the week are very much from the weekend, except my nightly bedtime reading.

1. One of my jobs to do this weekend was to create a blackout window. I bought a great kit from Amazon and it’s excellent. It was easy to cut and fit and does the job it was intended for. In the summer we sleep with our windows and curtains partly open for the breeze. This summer we’ve noticed that a security light for the neighbours dazzles straight into our room and we needed to black it out. For a few weeks now we’ve hung a sweatshirt up to block it out, not the best look but now we have a proper black out blind which can be put up/ taken off as needed. It’s not for the whole window, but as it’s split into three we’ve done the middle section and it looks good and practical.

2. I’ve also taken time this week to sort out my make up. I needed to buy a few bits and pieces today so I’ve washed the bag and brushes, thrown away the old make up and added the dates to my new products so I know to keep it in date. I like this feeling of being organised as it’s been quite chaotic recently and I’ve been out of my comfort zone.

3. I am trying to find me this year with my little mantra to thrive in 25. I’m being more creative in my clothes choice and wore a new pair of wide summer trousers yesterday. I felt so lovely in them, nothing like I would normally wear but so comfortable and stylish. I am toying with the idea of going to a stylist in the autumn, I’ve lost 3.5 stone this year and need to find the style for my new shape.

4. Where I sit at my bureau I like to look out into our little hidden courtyard and Mr S has cultivated some beautiful sweet peas this year, definitely his best to date. I’ve been quite taken not only by the colour but also looking at bees collecting the pollen. Life is about the glimmers …

5. Finally no matter how busy I’ve been in the evening I do always try to read (and do Duolingo) even if it’s simply a page or two. My current read is Adults, whilst funny it is also a very stark reminder of the addictive, obsessive and emotional impact of social media. I am relieved that I am a consumer of social media and do not post as I know it would only be too easy to obsess about creating posts and then worry about likes and comments. Life is for living in real life and not for the ‘gram.

It’s a birthday weekend next week, so this week gives me the time to prepare and organise all the little things which make a birthday special. It’s the start of a busy season of birthdays and anniversaries although as the last two are being celebrated whilst on the cruise hopefully there’ll be slightly less planning needed this year.