The BBC produces a show called Meet The Author; I think it airs on their news channel, but I watch it through On Demand from time to time. What usually happens is that I start watching, get bored by what the presenter and author are discussing, and switch it off. One Read more…
How to know if he’s the one The question of whether a man is the right partner for a marital journey is one which permeates the thoughts of Christian women the world over. On the one hand, it doesn’t pay to have standards which are unrealistically high. OK, he may Read more…
I was sent a copy of The Hive by Gill Hornby by Mumsnet for review. It’s about the joys of playground politics at a fictional primary school in the Home Counties. The novel is written from several different perspectives, all of whom are women whose children go to the school. Read more…
As S and I are off for a little beach break this weekend, I thought it might be good to do a little post about taking care of skin in the sun…Playing outside in the sun is an important part of growing up. Parents have shooed their children out of Read more…
I was sent a copy of Above All Things by Tanis Rideout as part of Brit Mums’ Book Club. It’s the story of the 1924 British attempt to climb Mount Everest, and is written from three different perspectives: Andrew Irvine, George Mallory, and Mallory’s wife, Ruth. I have to be Read more…
I saw a man being interviewed on TV yesterday morning, and what he said really struck a chord with me. He was on The Wright Stuff talking about having been sexually abused as a child, and said that he had thought at the time that it was just something that Read more…
Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman is subtitled A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace. It’s a collection of essays about Waldman’s experience of motherhood. More than that though, it’s a collection of essays that make you feel so much better about your own Bad Mother credentials. Read more…
For a little while now, I’ve been writing for a site called Visit From The Stork, a website aimed at young parents.When Kimberley, the editor and founder, told me she was launching a magazine, I was really excited to be involved! So far there have been two editions posted online, Read more…
A few things have happened lately that have made me think about my “business”. For one thing, I saw a couple of speakers at the Big Business Event in Salisbury, including Lara Morgan and Hugh Vivian. If you’ve never heard of Lara Morgan, you really should click that there link. She’s amazing, Read more…
I rarely read fiction; I’ve always held it to an impossibly high standard, and if I’m not gripped within the first few pages, I often return the book to a shelf, and never bother with it again. In my teens, I read The Bell Jar and Salinger, and they sort of Read more…
Morrisons have recruited lots of bloggers to become #MorrisonsMums and #MorrisonsDads to investigate their new cheaper range. They’ve permanently lowered the prices of over 1000 every day foods, and challenged the bloggers to do their bank holiday shop there. There is a long tradition in my family, of driving to Read more…
I’ve mentioned before that I’m reading Bad Mother by Ayelet Waldman; I mentioned it in this post about the difference between a good mother and a good father. I’m really loving this book; it’s made me laugh out loud and also cry out loud. I’m beyond jealous that I cannot Read more…
Comments I have heard lately: Where do you get all this free stuff? I’m always on Facebook; I might as well set up a blog and get some free stuff too! Wow, blogging looks like a good gig, you get so much free stuff! Ooh, you’re onto a good thing Read more…
I’ve written before about how single mothers don’t get sick because there’s nobody else to look after the child or children if they do. As I write this, I am in quite a bit of pain. It started just before Christmas. I was sitting at my desk, and turned my head Read more…
September 2011. For the past few months I’ve been living in this house, returning to my own home only to pay rent and pick up my post. Living here is quite stressful; there are six children running around with very little in the way of discipline, guidance or boundaries. There Read more…
April 2012. S is almost 3 weeks old. We’ve been out of hospital just under a week. We have an appointment today to register her birth. Because I am not married to S’s father, he needs to be at the appointment in order to be listed on the birth certificate. Read more…