The problem with thank you cards

The gifts are unwrapped, the leftovers are in the fridge covered in foil, and Christmas songs have lost their lustre. That means only one thing in our house: the race to complete thank you cards is on. On my husband’s side of the family, we draw names and everyone buys one “big” present for someone else. This is good, since there are 5 siblings along with their partners and children. That also in...

Join #healing4kerry to share prayers

Usually on this blog I write about travel, expat life or London. Today however I’m going to write about Kerry from Multiple Mummy. Earlier this year Kerry experienced a brain hermorrhage and recently experienced a setback that’s affected her rehabilitation. She’s battling to regain the ability to give hand squeezes and as her husband has posted on her blog, there is limited response on family...

How do you pack for a life-changing trip? #ONEMums

You could say I’m a great packer, if only because of the amount of stuff I cram into a suitcase. I never want to be caught without a cardigan/the “right” jeans/my trusty swimcap. That means that I lug 26 kilos of shoes and shirts around the world and wear a fraction of them. Now, preparing for my trip with ONE.org, for the first time I’m facing a whole new raft of challenges. On Saturday I...

The Joy of Swimming

  On BritMums we’ve just launched our Joy of Swimming Linky Challenge, sponsored by British Gas. You could win a year-long family pass to theme parks and zoos or £250 to spend in JJB Sports. While as a founder of BritMums I can’t compete, I love this theme. The smell of chlorine and the percussive sound of a bellyflop transport me to summers in Texas. The cement around the swimming pool turns...

How to make and print your own advent calendar

Instead of the usual store-bought advent calendar with chocolate in it, I decided to make a personalised one this year featuring pictures of the family and past Christmases. I did this for the Kodak #printerprojects Christmas challenge – post a picture for the Linky challenge and you could win a camera or a printer package. There’s still time to take part if you enter today! This video describes how I...

The truth about teaching children to knit

Because our parents lived through our own childhoods and then endured those years when we thought they didn’t know anything, the grandparent years must be a rich time. It’s when they can spoil your kids, reverse your decisions whenever your bring your brood to their house, and hand over a big bag of sweeties just as you’re getting in the car to spend a glorious Sunday afternoon on the M4 to...

Sex after parenthood? Yes, with these 3 tips

My latest video blog. This one imparts my solutions for maintaining a hot sex life even when you have kids – all three of them.   Photo: Niallkennedy via...

What makes the world go round: other parents

It was the kindness of strangers that Blanche Dubois relied on, but for people with children, the largesse of other parents makes all the difference in our lives. This was especially brought home to me this week, with the month-long school break yawning before us, unimpeded by school or any other form of childcare. A friend happily agreed to host a 5-hour playdate today so I can attend an event. Another, several...

How to sing high, according to my daughter

  Walking to school this morning, my daughter and I were taking turns singing – “a very beautiful song”. She sang a lovely, barely audible high tone. When she finished her warble, she then turned to me. Strangely, the only song to come to my mind was  Looking Through the Eyes of Love. I started la-la-la-ing to the tune but when I got to the high range, my voice cracked. “I can’t...

Is being a mother an important job?

At a school careers day a while back, my daughter knew what she wanted to dress up as: “I’m going as a mother!” she said. Of course that’s FINE. But we talked about how mothers can also be other things, like, y’know, Freudian analysts. In the end she decided to go as Amelia Earhart, whose flying attire is jauntier than that of mothers or shrinks. But in recent years – and indeed...