23 Monday Sep 2013
Posted in Walking
My daughter climbed a hill today. Not just any old hill, but a really long, really steep one.
This is a big deal because, just over a year ago, she couldn’t walk.
In May last year we found out my toddler had hypermobile joints. Put simply, we were told her joints were too flexible to support her weight. Imagine a pipe cleaner or elastic band trying to hold up a marble, and you get the picture. Continue reading »
23 Monday Sep 2013
Posted in Money and budgeting
There’s nothing like the weight of responsibility that comes with being a parent. Looking down at my newborn baby, just over three years ago, it hit me. I had to provide for this little person. It’s a pretty humbling experience to know that another person’s life is totally in your hands.
I know the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine felt the same way. In fact, he had a bit of a wobble just after Frog came along, admitting to feeling overwhelmed and panicked by the enormity of our new role as parents.
When I found out I was pregnant we were living in a two bedroom flat in the centre of the town where we both worked. We chose that location because it was near to pubs and restaurants, clubs and shops. When we decided we wanted to have a baby, we knew we were ready to leave the out-every-weekend lifestyle behind us, so we moved out to a cottage in a little village. Continue reading »
23 Monday Sep 2013
Posted in Travel
Tags
With a husband who works as a teacher, I’m not familiar with holidaying in September, despite the fact my child is yet to start school. I’ve always thought of September breaks as being the sloppy-seconds of summer, imagining empty resorts and depressingly deserted beaches. But last week, on our break in Northern Spain, I found out that a trip taken out of season doesn’t have to be second best. In fact, there are many reasons that make it far more appealing.
We travelled by ferry to Santander and drove 45 minutes west to a little seaside town called Noja. This is an expanding resort popular with Spanish holidaymakers at the height of the season.
With dramatic mountains set against huge swathes of golden sand, Noja is certainly a scenic place – but there is also a sense of normality that removes it from your typical tourist resort. There are no pseudo Irish pubs, for example, nor cafes proclaiming “The Best Fry-Up in Spain”. It’s low-key, especially in September when many of the restaurants and bars have closed and the heat of the peak season has waned. Continue reading »
23 Monday Sep 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
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As technology has allowed the format of gaming to evolve, with portable devices replacing cumbersome board games, the popularity of games has likewise continued to rise among all ages. However, as with all forms of online interaction, virtual gaming brings with it a number of risks particularly harmful to children, whose inexperience makes them less discriminate regarding the websites they use. Such risks are financial (e.g. accidentally making in-game purchases with real money), electronic (e.g. the spread of malware) and even personal (e.g. befriending strangers on Facebook in order to receive in-game benefits and consequently risking exposure of identifying details). Continue reading »