Newbie Tuesday roundup: tricks and treats

Kids and Chaos is asking us this week what our strategies are for the sack of sugar that enters the household in the form of Halloween treats. Eat in one go? Eke out over the weeks? Or let the kids have some… 😉 It gave me the inspiration for this month’s theme: tricks and treats.

Kicking off with a trickster, I sympathised this week with Five’s a Fellowship, who was confronting the Mother-in-Law. Not a feat for the faint-hearted, this conversation is one that many of us have had, and I wonder how many of these women really consider what it may cost them to take a stand against their son’s wife? Maybe we could show the other woman in our lives just how scary we could be, by sending them over to see the Evans Crittens Halloween post!

A relatively new blogger, but one you will all know and love, is attempting a massive trick, in a completely new blog! And I for one am subscribing (as soon as she offers the facility – I’m looking at you @Pamper_Oxon)! Domestic Disgrace already promises to be a favoured food linky as recipe bloggers attempt to convert the author from disgrace to delight in one year. Can we do it? YES WE CAN!

Danielle lost her Grandmother last month, and described the impact this lady had on her own family. She reminds us that once our children have grown and fled the nest screaming for freedom, it is not the new kitchen they will remember, nor the ballet classes we shelled out for, but the time spent together, with their family. Making the most of each other, while we can, is a trick we would all do well to master. If you, like me, struggle for ideas to share quality time with your children, I can recommend a visit to Life at the Zoo – choc full of recipes, crafts and treats to suit the season, you will certainly find inspiration here.

Maybe when we take time to slow down and enjoy our families we also see the extraordinary in the ordinary; the little things that make our lives more beautiful or comfortable, that we take for granted every day. I’m a firm believer in counting blessings – literally, writing them down every night before I sleep; it makes me realise that for all the mundane crap in my life, I’ve got it pretty good where it counts 🙂

Young children are hard work, there is no doubt, but I try to resist my wine treat long enough to focus on the absolutely gorgeous things about mine that happen every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to recall them in the after-bath stress, but they are always there. My favourite treats to savour are the funny little things they say, or a baby’s new vocabulary. Blog about them, chat to your family about them, or write them down before you go to bed – they are what makes all the other s*** worth doing! And if bathtime is the worst stress you can imagine (as it is for me) try a sensory bath – sounds like an amazing idea (if only the kids would leave me in there)!

Now, the best treat is a good laugh, and you must subscribe to Ma Puce, a blog aimed at helping your children learn French, if only for the hilarious Friday phrases she posts. Idioms are the funny little sayings that make up our language. These don’t translate at all well, it seems, but have their counterparts. Who knew that “My arms are falling” actually means something entirely different in French! Check it out. You may learn, but you will certainly laugh, and have a better time on holiday next year!

Finally, we all deserve to treat ourselves to a good book, or a night at the theatre or cinema every now and then. If you need some time-saving advice on what to read next, or which films are worth taking your 4 year old to see, take a look at Maggy’s new blog Theatre, Books and Movies. She’s been there, seen it, read it, and is no stranger to laying out information in a blog so that you can make a quick decision. I guarantee you’ll find something for your family to enjoy right there.

So without further ado, your instructions for this month are to treat yourselves! Be it a bath, a book, a walk on a sunny day, or a cup of tea with a new blog, savour the moment. See you next time! xxx

About Helen Wills

Helen Wills is a mum of 2 children in primary school and blogs at Actually Mummy on parenting issues, school, travel, and life according to the kids. Since starting her blog in 2011, Helen has won 2 national awards, and puts a lot of her success down to the amazing online community of bloggers at BritMums. As her children grow older, her writing is increasingly influenced by their opinions, and her blog reflects this drive to get the most out of family life. Helen works from home in copywriting and social media. She is on Twitter @actuallymummy.

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