This week my Word of the Week is: Wet! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

Is anyone else sick of the rain? I am! It has rained here most of the week. Wednesday morning it was bright but it didn't last by mid afternoon it was starting to drizzle and by the time Becky came in from college it was chucking it down. She got soaked!

Ellie has finally given in and admitted that she needs to wear a coat to school. She doesn't like to as the kids are not allowed to wear their coats inside of the school and have to carry them around. I refuse to pay the ridiculous amount to hire a locker for a year because she really doesn't need one. Yesterday she went to school with a jacket and a woolly hat on and left me with orders to buy her a coat with a hood. I found a couple which are more like mac's then thick coats so they're light and can fold up and be put in her bag. I of course had to wait to order one until she got in from school because she's a fussy so and so.

We were supposed to be going to the local bonfire and firework display earlier in the week but it had rained all day and it was cold so I didn't fancy it. I thought I would have my work cut out convincing them that we didn't need to go but they weren't fussed about going out into the cold. Phew! So we got to stay in the warm and I'm glad we did because we could see all of the fireworks from the front bedroom window! 

I was sat on the loo the other night and felt something drop onto the top of my head! I screamed, my first thought was it that it was a spider. I built up the courage to touch my head and it was wet! Phew! At least it wasn't a spider. I looked up thinking the roof was leaking but no there was loads of water drops on the extractor fan. I guess we really should start using it when we're in the bath. Oops.

Stu had an unexpected day off work yesterday because of the rain. He mostly works outside as a general laborer. (A big change from working in a shop when we lived in Northumberland but he loves it.) It was so wet that his boss rang to say don't bother coming in. It's fine, he has been working extra hours to make up for days like that so we're not losing out on any money. It meant he could do a few jobs around the house which have needed doing for a while.

It's got to that time of the year where there is wet washing hung everywhere. I have 3 big airers which is more than enough for a load of washing but I don't want to have the heating on all day to dry it so we're thinking about getting a tumble dryer. We're not going to buy a new one, it will be second hand from the local auction. We just have to wait for one to come in. I'm would buy new if we would be using it all of the time but it's only weeks like this that we need it.

Tips to make a Christmas holiday in the UK stress free.

Last Christmas we went away on holiday from the 23rd until the 27th of December. It was such a big deal for us as we had never been on a family holiday and going away over Christmas meant there was so much more to think about than the average holiday! 

Here are my idea's and tips to make a Christmas away in a hotel stress free.

Reserve your seats on the train!

I was able to reserve our seats from Newcastle to York as I had an idea it might be busy and on the way back reserved them from Leeds to Newcastle. I am so glad. The train was packed! Travelling by train makes people angry, me included. Without the reserved seats goodness knows where we would have been stood. The trains from York to the hotel and the one back from the Hotel to Leeds were practically empty. I think with the main routes you need to reserve a seat especially if you have kids. People are ruthless when it comes to travelling.

Sort the presents!

We started planning early and decided that the kids wouldn't be getting all of their presents while we were away on holiday. They would get their stocking and a few of the lighter/smaller presents. They all had to fit in one suitcase and I used one wrapping paper for Ellie and one for Becky so we knew who's presents were who's. When we got home they had a 2nd Christmas and opened the rest of their presents. It worked well.

Sort the luggage!

We decided that we would take 3 suitcases. One for mine and Stu's clothes, one for the kids and one full of presents. As we were travelling by train that's all we could manage as Ellie wasn't big or strong enough to pull one. We took a couple of backpacks too with all the electronics in which could be kept close to us at all times.

On the way home we managed to fit one of the smaller suitcases into the large one so there was only two to worry about.

Keep up the traditions!

We kept some of the same traditions. New pj's on Christmas  eve, leaving milk and a cookie out for Santa, sneaking into the kids room with the stockings while they were asleep, waking early to open presents, watching the Christmas day film and eating as many mince pies as we could!

Stay off social media (a little).

When we went on holiday we were not keen on letting people know we were away from home. We lived in a rough area, I didn't even mention it on my blog until we home. I wanted the house to be safe. I did share some photos on Instagram but I was careful about what I shared. There were a lot of close ups of various things.

Scrap the bedtime routine.

The kids didn't have a set bedtime when we were away and were up until midnight most evenings apart from the last one where we were all in bed earlish because we'd partied too hard. We even took time each afternoon to have a nap. 

Enjoy not cooking!

I think this was the best part of Christmas was away, not having to cook. I didn't have the big Christmas food shop to do but did book a delivery for the day after we got back home. It was so good to have a cooked breakfast every day and a big meal each evening. I think the only thing I missed was the leftovers from the Christmas lunch! I cooked a Christmas lunch over new year so I missed out on nothing!

Take snacks!

After having a big breakfast and a big evening meal we didn't really need to eat much during the day so I made sure we had plenty of snacks. Crisps, cereal bars and fruit which I bought after we got off the train in a shop near the hotel so there was less to carry when we were travelling.

Join in with the fun that the hotel offers!

We thought the kids might be a little bored and I made sure to take their tablets, colouring books and a couple of board games but they were kept amused the whole time.

Hot drinks and mince pies every afternoon, hot chocolate and carols on Christmas eve, they had board games, there was bingo and entertainment each evening. The kids thought the Christmas day disco was the best. They were the only kids there so got all the attention and had a good giggle at all the old grannies getting tipsy. hehehe They thought it was so cringy but loved it!

Have you ever had a Christmas in a hotel?

(Ad - Gifted) What you need for a cosy night in!

I am heading towards my 40th birthday and I am at an age now where nights out are far too much effort and are really overrated! The faff of finding something nice to wear, getting ready, finding somewhere to go which doesn't cost a small fortune and then being ready to come home by 10pm. lol

Items marked with ** were sent to me free of charge to feature in this blog post.

 At my age I would much rather spend a cosy evening in, having a bit of a pamper, soaking in the bath, burning a candle, getting in my pj's, having something nice to eat and drink and watching a box set or a good film.

A good pamper session needs a face mask and I have a new one to try. The **T-Zone Glitter Mask Peel Off - Silver. 

It draws out impurities to help keep skin clear. Enriched with skin caring Strawflower and firming Centella Asiatica Extract, to help the skin look more vibrant and glowing. Costing around £2.99 it is a lovely treat!

A bath of course needs a bath bomb and in my opinion the best come from Lush. The Snow Fairy one and the Intergalactic bath bombs are my favourites. Costing £4.95 they are a little expensive but they are a once in a blue moon treat!

When I'm soaking in the bath I do like to burn a candle. At this time of year I seem to notice candles more as they are an Autumn and Winter thing.

The **Handmade Jade Orchid & Lotus Blossom Scented Candle from Perfect4U costing just £5.90 would be perfect accompaniment to a soak in the bath.

The handmade Jade Orchid & Lotus Blossom Scented Candle has a beautiful, fresh and relaxing fragrance of indulgent orchid which is freshened with bergamot, leading into a heart of oriental lotus blossom spiced with cinnamon and cradling on a base of musk and vanilla.

Comfy pj's are a must. I love the pyjama sets from Primark and the fleecy one's are my favourites! They are so cheap too. You can get a decent set for about £12. I have my eyes on a couple of sets which I am hoping to get for my birthday in a few weeks. hehehe

For something to drink when I am having a full on treat night I want something a little different than my usual wine. The **Tomatin Scotch Whisky fits the bill perfectly! It is a Single Malt made by Tomatin Distillery in Scotland with 43% of alcohol strength.

The Tomatin Legacy derives its unique flavour from both virgin oak and bourbon casks. The young entry-level Tomatin is fresh and flavourful, with a crisp citrus nose and mellow palate.

There of course has to be something sweet too. I love this time of year because all the Christmas chocolates are on the shelves. I think my top 3 are Quality Street Fruit Cremes, the classic Terry's Chocolate Orange and After Eight mints!

What do you like to have on a cosy night in?

Blogging every day! How I do it!

Last month I joined in and linked up with a lot of other bloggers taking part in Blogtober where people blog everyday for a month lots of these people don't blog daily and it got me thinking about how I do and always have.

When I started blogging almost 7 years ago I had a lot to say and started blogging daily. The blogs I read did and I thought it was the done thing. It never dawned on me that some people only blog every other day, once or twice a week. I have never regretted choosing to blog daily and over the years I have found it easier then when I first started.

When I first started blogging I had no routine. I would blog about anything on any given day. Over the years I have got into more of a routine and joined in with some fab linkies where I've met some wonderful people.

After a couple of months of blogging I started meal planning and joined in with a meal planning linky which was ran on a Monday. It has really changed our lives. I don't buy random things we don't need and there is a lot less waste. Monday became Meal Planning Monday.

Then I discovered Silent Sunday. One photo and no words. It was a simple post to write, there was no writing as such. Back then I didn't even edit the photos, I just shared one that I liked that week.

I think it was in 2014 when I came across Word of the Week. Jocelyn from The Reading Residence used to run and Ann from Raisie Bay took it over! The idea of the linky is to reflect back on your past week summing it up in a word or phrase. I write about what we have been doing for the past week, the every day things which don't really deserve their own blog post but do deserve to be remembered.

In 2014 right through to the end of 2016 Wednesday were taken up with Wicked Wednesday photos. A linky that Brummy Mummy of 2 used to run. It was to share a funny photo from your life. Mine used to mainly involve the stupid things the kids did (mostly Ellie). lol I am still sad that Emma stopped running it. hehehe

As time went on I was lucky enough to receive things to review and once a week I would post a review blog post. I do try to keep it to once a week but sometimes there might be a 2nd review post especially in the run up to Christmas.

In 2015 I started taking part in Project 365 where I take a photo every day for a year and write a little about it. There is a fab community of ladies who join in with it and it is a brilliant way to record the everyday moments. 

So as it stands now it's.

Monday - Meal planning 
Tuesday - Family life or something personal.
Wednesday - A review.
Thursday - Something random! A recipe, tips, a wish list or something completely different!
Friday - Word of the Week.
Saturday - Project 365.
Sunday - My Sunday snapshot.

People sometimes ask how I manage to daily blog. I think it's years of practice and to be honest Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday's blog post's practically write themselves. On a Friday evening I have a blog post writing session and get my blog posts done for the week up until Friday's. I can't write the Word of the Week post until the week has happened, I write that usually on the Thursday.

I can't see myself ever stopping daily blogging, to me it would seem really strange not to. There is no right or wrong amount to blog. You do things your way. Your blog, your rules!

How often do you publish a new blog post?