LITTLE MOMENTS 2020: 35/52:PLAY AT HOME FESTIVAL

Yesterday after heading in to town with Blake to run some errands, we joined in with the Play at home festival.

The virtual play festival is free and you can watch back any of the live streams you have missed over on their YouTube channel. 

We watched a few such as Pirate Polly, Diddi Dancing and the Giggle Doctors. Blake's favourite was definitely the Giggle Doctors. 

The Play at home festival was the second one held this year. It's such a wonderful idea especially with staying at home alot more.

LIKES AND LOVES: AUGUST

 I'm not going to lie we've been finding the summer holidays hard. Blake has been very tricky to keep entertained and he is more than ready to be back at school. I also feel like we haven't really accomplished much this month. Saying that Blake has been playing outside whenever the weather has been nice which has really helped. My mental health has been a bit all over the place though and I'm on new medication.

Anyway let's jump in to some of the things I've been liking and loving in August.

Umbrella Academy season 2

 I absolutely loved the first season and was looking forward to season 2 which felt like a long wait. If you are into fantasy and superpowers than this is one to watch.

The Fall

I'm only a few episodes in but I had to mention The Fall. It's absolutely brilliant and has quite a few actors who use to be in Hollyoaks. It's a psychological thriller which is right up my Street. If you've not yet seen it definitely do so.

Baking

We've made lemon drizzle cake this month which was delicious and I'm planning on making some chocolate cake over the weekend. We don't bake often but it's been nice to do so.

Meals out

I had date night with Stuart one evening whilst we were over visiting family. We went to a Turkish restaurant and the food and drink was absolutely delicious. We also ate out with family whilst over at a local pub near the canal.  We have a table booked for this coming bank holiday Monday to look forward to at a restaurant we have yet to try. So far when eating out we've had a good experience when  it comes to social distancing. 

Blake's first football shirt 

I purchased Blake's first football shirt this month. My Dad was a Fulham fan so it felt right. 

Mrs Hinch Activity Journal 

I had this on my wishlist for awhile and caved and brought it. It's a great little journal that's great to do an activity from when I need a bit of time out.

Stamptastic stamp and ink pad

I hate labelling school uniform. I can't sew so that's a no go, iron on ones are just a pain to do and stickers come off easily. So I ordered a stamp and ink pad from Stamptastic and it's been a life saver! It's made labeling Blake's new uniform so much easier and quicker.

Hair cuts

Blake and I finally had a haircut. Blake's really needed doing it was so long and now he looks much more smarter and grown up. I had an inch off as I'm trying to grow my hair and it's a lot more easier to manage now.

2020 READING CHALLENGE | WHAT I'VE READ IN AUGUST

 August has been a great month for a wide mix of reads and ticking off some more Popsugar reading challenge prompts. I love that the challenge has got me picking up books I wouldn't have usually have gone for. 

This month I have read 6 books and ticked off 4 prompts.

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson 

This one ticks off the prompt A fiction or non fiction about a world leader. I love thrillers and if I wasn't doing the challenge I probably wouldn't have picked it up due to it being a political thriller, however I really enjoyed it. If like me it's not a read you would normally opt for but love the crime/thriller genre I definitely think you should give it ago as it may surprise you.

The Bookshop On The Shore By Jenny Colgan 

This one ticks off the prompt a book that has a book on the cover. I love Jenny Colgan for a feel good summer romance read. The fact this one features a bookshop is a book lovers dream. It's a sweet easy read that I fully reccomend.

The Quickening by Rhiannon Ward 

This one didn't tick any prompts but was for a book tour I was involved in. It's a gothic mystery book which I really enjoyed and you can read my thoughts on it here.

A Watermelon, A Fish And A Bible by Christu Lefteri 

Picked for the prompt a book set in a country beginning with C. The book is based in Cyprus and is a historical fiction about a Turkish army invading the town Kyrenia in Cyprus. It tells the story of 3 main characters and was one that I liked but wouldn't say I loved it.

The Circle By Dave Eggers 

I used this for the prompt a book involving social media. This is another read I'd have not picked if it hadn't been for  doing the reading challenge. I really enjoyed it and it did actually get me thinking more about our social media use. It is a fiction and some things are a bit extreme.

For When I'm Gone by Rebecca Ley

I can't go into much detail for this one as it's for a book tour that I'm involved in. It's my turn on the book tour on September 2nd so if this one interests you and you want to know more head back to my blog then. All I'm going to say is that it involves secrets and is an emotional read.

LITTLE MOMENTS 2020: 34/52: FIRST FOOTBALL SHIRT

Whilst over at my in laws last weekend I decided to order Blake his first football shirt which arrived this week.

My husband is a Manchester United fan and Blake had a Man U footie baby grow when he was a few months old. However my dad who Blake has never got to meet was a Fulham fan. 

Both my sister and I had Fulham shirts as children and went to a few matches at Craven Cottage with him and my mum. So I decided on a a spur of the moment to order Blake a Fulham shirt.

 Blake doesn't support any team atm but he does like seeing football on the tv. I think it's really special that his first football shirt is for the team his Grandad in the sky supported. Who knows what team he will support in the future if any. But to me his first shirt is definitely special.

BOOK TOUR| THE QUICKENING BY RHIANNON WARD

Ad – review. I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes and all thoughts are my own.

Today I'm involved in the book tour for The Quickening by Rhiannon Ward. Rhiannon Ward is the pseudonym for Sarah Ward, the bestselling and critically acclaimed crime author. Sarah has a masters degree in Religious History and has long been fascinated by the long tradition of spiritualism in England and is a member of the Institute of Psychical Research. Sarah is also a crime reviewer and book blogger at Crime Pieces.

About the book:

England, 1925. Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her six-year-old twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly re-married and seven months pregnant, Louisa is asked by her employer to travel to Clewer Hall in Sussex to photograph the contents of the house for auction. Desperate for money after falling on hard times, she accepts the commission.

On arrival, she learns Clewer Hall was host to an infamous séance in 1896, the consequences of which still haunt the family. Before the Clewer's leave England for good, the lady of the house has asked those who attended the original séance to recreate the evening. Louisa soon becomes embroiled in the strange happenings of the house, unravelling the longheld secrets of what happened that night thirty years before... and discovers her own fate is entwined with Clewer Hall's.

 

Historical fiction tends to be a genre I find interesting to read, mixed with mystery and you know it's going to be a great read. The Quickening is a compelling and engaging gothic mystery that goes between 1925 and the original sèance 30 years earlier. I found that I warmed to the character Lousia who is the main character and loved how descriptions of the eerie atmosphere of the house and overall feel it's a well written book.

COMFY LOUNGEWEAR WITH FEMME LUXE

Ad – I was sent these products and recieved payment for the purpose of this post however all thoughts are my own

We have been venturing out a bit more recently but we still are enjoying days at home, especially if like today it's raining. I always opt for comfy and casual clothing but if staying at home I don't like to spend all day in my pjs which is where loungewear comes in handy.

Femme luxe have a great range of comfy loungewear options. If you are looking for a loungewear set to wear during a chilled out weekend or pieces suitable for popping out in than Femme Luxe have got you covered. 

The oversized crew neck top and leggings set is ideal for wearing around the home especially on the hot days we've been having recently. The leggings are also high waisted so ideal for hiding that tum after having that takeaway whilst binge watching your favourite Netflix show.

Joggers are a staple for wearing at home and come in many colours and styles. Femme Luxe sell a wide range including skinny fit ones. 

These cute looking grey joggers are the perfect cosy pair. They are not only lightweight but are high waisted with cuff legs. They look great teamed with a t-shirt and slippers for the perfect at home combo.

 If black joggers are more your thing than these ones are a comfy choice. Not only do they have a slim/cuffed leg but they also have pockets which are always handy. 

They look great teamed with a t-shirt like the one pictured below and slippers or teamed with a pair of trainers when popping out.

A comfy t-shirt to me is an essential as they are ideal for wearing at home teamed with a pair of comfy joggers or teamed with a skirt, jeans, leggings etc when venturing out of the home. 

This black "No Bad Vibes" slogan top is a great laid back design and is in a loose fitting/oversized fit. It's a great addition to your t-shirt collection.

 

LITTLE MOMENT'S 2020: 33/52: HAIRCUTS AND SCHOOL SHOES

 This week Blake and I finally got round to having our haircut. Blake's needed his doing for awhile now. I had tried during lockdown but it didn't go well as he hated me going near his head. I can't believe how grown up a simple haircut has made him look. As for me I had an inch off and my hair is feeling more easier to manage.

We have also got new school shoes for Blake this week, so now we only have a new lunch box to get him ready for when he goes back in September. I've purchased a stamp recently so that it's easier for labeling his uniform. We've used iron on lables before which we found after awhile would peel off easily so I'm hoping the stamp is a better alternative. 

LITTLE MOMENTS 2020: 32/52: Baking Lemon Drizzle Cake

 

Confession time: Baking doesn't happen often in our house. It's something that I want to start doing a bit more often though. So this week we decided to make one of my favourite cakes lemon drizzle.

 When we were living back in Bedfordshire the preschool that Blake went to had a weekly cookery class where the kids would all make something new each week. It was something that I looked forward to as they would share photos with us of Blake joining in with the other children. 

Deciding to bake this week got me thinking it would be a good idea to try once a month doing some baking/cooking with Blake. He often likes to help with things such as washing and the dishwasher so I want to start including him in food preparation.

When I was in middle school as a child I loved going to after school cookery class. One of the things I remember making was a marble cake, so maybe this will be something we can attempt together at the same point.

LITTLE MOMENTS 2020: 31/52 : CRAFTS AND A POUNDTOY ORDER

This week has seen us get the crafts out a bit more. The weather has been lovely and Blake has played out with a friend and also been to the park too.

One of the first sets we got out this week is a sand bottle kit. We had lots of fun pouring the different coloured sand into the plastic bottle in different layers. We love how bright and colourful it is.

Then we moved onto a mosaic kit. Blake did find this hard to do as it wasn't so easy to peel the sticky back off to stick the felt down. However it was a good activity to pass the time.

I also ordered some Kreative Kids kits off Amazon. Blake loved sticking on the sequins on the one below of a mermaid. It was pretty simple to do. There is also a foil kit that I ended up doing by myself as I had to work out how to do it properly. 

Last of all I did another PoundToy order. I honestly love that I was able to get quite a few bits for us to do together over the summer. Most items were around £1-£2 with a couple of items costing under. I'm actually pretty excited to do some of the kits together as they look a fun way to pass the time.