Top tips for learning from home

As some of you may already know I work from home but prior to this while studying for my degree, in the last year I had to do a large portion of it from home, having had my son 6 weeks before the first day back of my final year at university. I learnt a lot about self-driven learning and creating a space conducive for learning and creativity. It's not something that comes overnight and it does have to be worked on. Also as I continually work on gaining more skills I am looking to doing a course at home, like many parents, online learning has opened a gateway to being able to improve employment opportunities and gain new skills around having a family. Today, jobs rely on learning more than ever before. Shifts in the economy mean that more people occupy knowledge jobs - like consulting, management and digital and IT-based roles more than ever before. People in these positions need to learn the skill of learning to stay up to date with the latest developments in their field. It’s......

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Let them be Superhero's

Having grown up in a creative household it's always been important to both John and I to provide our sons with a space that allows them to express themselves in a safe and supportive environment. We completely encourage moments of madness, imagination and believing in the unbelievable.  So when Vertbaudet set my eldest a challenge of putting together his dream superhero I had an inclination it would include Dinosaurs but what I didn't expect is that he would pair it up with super secret Ninja skills  and creating a crime busting Ninja Dinosaur that projects the smaller Dinosaurs from any rogue meat eaters that may be prowling the plains of our back garden.  I love how free kids feel when they are in character as Mr A spent the rest of the day in this superhero suit, roaring along the aisles of our local supermarket without a care in the world, if only I could be be so unselfconscious as my 5yr old.  Competition Do your little ones lov......

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Embrace the Force this Fathers Day

No longer are the days when the popularity of Stars Wars was mainly among adults who were old enough to see the original trilogy or the tail end of it. Of course the films have a massive cult status and have always appeal to fans of all ages but never has there been such an influx and renewed excitement with younger children as there is now with Disney taking the reins of the new films. My is now versed in all things Star Wars and has been teaching me all about At-AT's, storm troopers and the force. Star Wars has always been the exception to the rule but even so its great to see it's enthusiasm and love cross so many generations which is why something Star Wars related makes the perfect Fathers Day present, especially one that can be done together as a family. My 5yr old loves to build lego's and models so I knew these Star Wars activity book and cardboard models from Egmont would be the perfect thing to give his Dad this Fathers Day as this would provide a......

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Hello Spring

So it's been a pretty busy past two weeks with two trips to London with the little man, lots of adventures outside including a jaunt to Castle Coch, flying paper planes outside and playing ball games but unfortunately nearly all of these adventures have been lost due to my phone being stolen and a fault memory stick - a big boohoo but no worries we still have the memories in our mind to keep and with the sun finally showing it's face on friday we headed down to what I would term our "comfort" place and somewhere we have mentioned in Country Kids a few times  - St Fagans. I think everyone has a place that is simple, comfortable and stress free and to us it's this, I think it's a combination of farm animals, beautiful ponds, vegetable gardens, forest areas, hidden paths and birdsong that make it such a hit. It felt like this weekend was finally the start of spring and with it being the wettest winter on record it's so refreshing to feel the......

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Swimming - the perfect family activity

Mr A enjoying running through the water at the seaside As a family we love to keep fit and active, not only does it make you feel better about yourself but it's also a great way to bond as a family. We go out nearly every day except when it's really throwing down cats and dogs and for those days the pool is our place of sanctuary and it's an activity that truly is perfect for all ages from toddlers to grandparents. Have you tried... ...spending a day at the pool by spending points with Nectar Swim? We all know the health benefits associated with a few regular lengths, and making a splash at the local pool can be brilliant fun too! Now Nectar cardholders can redeem their Nectar points on a swimming session at hundreds of participating pools across the UK, whether you feel like some family fun or want a good underwater workout. To help you enjoy Nectar Swim to its fullest, we've put together a few of our favourite pool based activities, perfec......

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Waldorf Inspired Crafts

Mr A with our Waldorf star hanging over our nature table I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. I have been meaning to set more time aside for crafts, but as is life I always seem to run out of time. This week however I was determined to indulge in some simple and family-friendly paper crafts and with the little man starting Steiner Kindergarten soon it seemed only fitting to make a Waldorf/Steiner star above our nature table in our house. It's brings so much lovely colour into the kitchen and really brightens up the room. I thought some paper garlands would go well with the star and was inspired by two pins on my pinterest boards. The great thing is for both of these crafts you don't need anything special, we simply popped down to our local supermarket and picked up some tissue paper, natural jute string,  cardboard, PVA craft gl......

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