Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure - Review

Noah is a big Octonauts fan and it’s actually something that took me by surprise because with Isla being the older sister she really does dominate what channels are watched in our house and I thought we’d lost CBeebies forever! But somehow he managed to reclaim the channel and he is now permitted by her ladyship to watch Peter Rabbit and The Octonauts. He loves it, sings the theme tune and has already asked for an Octonauts birthday cake (birthday in 2 months time). When I told him that we were going to see the live show, he was so excited and actually Isla loves the theatre and the fact that it wasn’t one of her choice didn’t matter.

We went to see Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure at the New Wimbledon Theatre, which is fairly close to us, we’ve been there a few times, seeing Dora and Ben and Holly there previously. We took our seats, gave out the obligatory sweets and waited for the show to start and when it did it was clear that Noah was going to love it, having human sized versions of his favourite characters right in front him gave him such a thrill. He knows all the characters which was useful for me because there were some that I hadn’t noticed before in the TV show.

In Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure the entire crew of the Octonauts, led by intrepid explorer Captain Barnacles, Lieutenant Kwazii and Medic Peso, embark on an exciting new underwater quest and visit amazing underwater worlds full of adventure, with surprises around every corner. I won't go into anymore detail as I wouldn't want to spoil it but it has a real sense of drama in line with the age group it caters for.

Things we loved about it were all the audience participation – from being told to help steer the Octopod to being encouraged to call out to Captain Barnacle, it was great and it really helped to make the kids feel that they were part of the whole adventure. There were also some really lovely songs throughout (from BAFTA-award winning composer Mani Svavarsson no less!), songs aren’t usually a feature of the TV show but they were great and catchy too. I personally loved the bit when the stage was blacked out the UV underwater creatures came out – this was also something that happened in Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt and it was really effective in that show too.

All in all it had a good plot and was easy for the kids to follow. Both of them loved it, Noah in particular felt like this was a big treat for him and seemed to believe that these were the real Octonauts. The show is around 90 minutes in length and there is a short interval in the middle, which allows for the inevitable kids need for the toilet!

If you would like to see Octonauts Live, go to and check out www.octonautslive.co.uk  and see if they are near you.

We were given tickets free of charge to see the show. All opinions are our own.

An Afternoon at Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave

We’ve been meaning to go along to Big Fish Little Fish for a while and finally this weekend we went! We’d had a little taste of how fabulous it was going to be when we went along to the free Big Fish Little Fish event they held at The Southbank Centre as part of the Imagine Festival. We loved it and I knew that I wanted to go to one of the monthly events at The Bedford in Balham and I did a little dance around the room when Natasha invited us to come along as a family and see what it’s all about!

The event runs from 2 – 4.30pm on a Sunday afternoon and is only a 5 minute walk from the train station, and the journey from our house is half an hour – perfect – no driving required. We went along with our best friends and their kids, who had also come to the Southbank before and loved it. We already knew that the event was a sell out but rather wonderfully that didn’t mean that it was filled up to capacity – there was still plenty of space to move around, on the dance floor and in the upstairs craft room and chill out rooms.

On arrival the kids were given a glow stick each and then they hit the craft room, the theme was Mad Hatter's Party and Captain Cookie, the resident craft person had all the materials a kid would need to make a Mad hatter hat. It was genius! And it was all laid out so that the kids could adorn their hats with any extras, like playing cards and streamers. Isla got stuck in and I couldn’t resist being involved too.  There was also a fabulous Alice in Wonderland mural for the kids to all colour in and add to, you could even buy a copy of it to take away to use at a party of your own – such a great idea! Also in the room was face painting and temporary tattoos, all included in the ticket price, which is something I really appreciate as so many places you go, you have to pay for a ticket then everything else is extra. There were some great little biscuits and cake you could buy that were in keeping with the Alice theme.

Once the kids had finished getting their craft on, we went downstairs for a dance and it was so nice hearing music that I used to love and dance to when I was clubbing in the 90’s! I love new music as well but there is nothing like a trip down memory lane and a bit of nostalgia. It’s a nice reminder that there was life before kids and gave me the feeling that it’s possible to go and dance with your kids. Hearing Raze - 'Break for Love' and Groove Armada brought me so much happiness. The venue felt really safe for the kids, although I'm  not yet comfortable with the older ones (aged 6) going off on their own quite yet, even though it was a small enough place. Every now and then there would be bubbles and confetti bombs going off and towards the end of the event the parachute came out and everyone piled underneath it.

My favourite memories of Sunday afternoon were dancing with Isla to Neneh Cherry's Buffalo Stance. Such a classic song and a reminder that before kids I LOVED music and I need to start sharing the music I love with them more. And also lifting Noah up to pop the bubbles as they came down from above. 

At the end the kids were given a box of Bear Nibbles and a Happy Monkey Smoothie which was such a lovely touch and we went on our way, slightly sweaty and after being in a dimly lit pub for the past two hours, marvelling that it was daylight outside (something that if you went clubbing back in the day you would also marvel about at 6am outside Leisure Lounge or Ministry of Sound!).

Details of the next Big Fish Little Fish's event can be found here http://www.bigfishlittlefishevents.co.uk/events/

I'm personally getting very excited about getting my Big Fish Little Fish fix at Camp Bestival in the summer and I'm considering a CB warm up at one of the three events BFLF are holding in the run up to the festival.

We were given free family entry to Big Fish Little Fish. 

Dinosaur Zoo, The Fairfield Halls - Review

On Saturday we went to see Dinosaur Zoo at The Fairfield Halls in Croydon. We decided to skip football and gymnastics classes for it as we love seeing shows and Noah is Dino mad at the moment. Every bedtime includes either a fictional dinosaur story - Dinosaurs Love Underpants is a big favourite or a factual book where I have to try and pronounce ALL the dinosaur names!

We arrived at the theatre and starting at the same time was a Frozen Singalong! All the little Elsa and Anna's were running around and looking very excited about the prospect of singing their hearts out to Let It Go (and the mums too I would imagine!). We went to a Frozen Singalong before Christmas and it was brilliant!

Anyway, back to Dinosaur Zoo. The show is really interactive with the kids, which is great - with each introduction of a new dinosaur a child in the audience gets invited up to take part. The whole show is about dinosaurs that lived in Australia, so that meant that we didn't see T-Rex but we did see his Australian equivalent, the Australovenator - he was fierce! Noah reassured himself that it was just a puppet when he told me that he could see the legs of the person inside! Aside from the fierce carnivore there were also some baby dinosaurs, some huge dragonfly type creatures that 'flew' round the audience and a really huge gentle herbivore dinosaur.

The presenter of the show gave the audience loads of factual information about dinosaurs throughout which was great for adults and kids and he was also really good with the children, poking gentle fun out of them to raise a laugh from the audience and with the little ones it felt like they believed the dinosaurs were real which was magic.

After the show the kids were able to meet and greet the dinosaurs, Isla touched the the Australovenator's nose and then got to stroke one of the baby dinosaurs. This was a nice touch as she is ever the child who wants to get up on stage, and this time she didn't so meeting the puppets more than made up for it.  

For more information about the show go to: http://dinosaurzoolive.com/

The Fairfield Halls always has a great selection of shows and screenings for all ages. This half term The Fairfield Halls are showing family films for only £2! For anyone who’s not seen Big Hero 6, then I thoroughly recommend it and it’s not long been released. Personally I think we’ll be going to see the Shaun the Sheep Movie, Isla is a big fan of the TV series and I hope to take the kids on the Shaun in The City Trail too. Going to the cinema can be such an expensive family outing, sometimes costing over £30 for a family of 4 but at these prices you could afford to go a couple of times in the holidays – particularly if we get typical school holiday wet weather! Details of cinema showings can be found on the Fairfield Halls website

 

Thanks to the Fairfield Halls for inviting us along to see the show, we look forward to visiting again soon!

Dinosaur Zoo at The Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Fresh from its success at the Edinburgh Festival and following a UK and international Autumn tour, West End hit show DINOSAUR ZOO is back by popular demand this spring for its fourth major UK tour, stopping at Fairfield Halls, Croydon on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March 2015.

Australian-based creators Erth use ingenious puppetry to bring dinosaurs to life in this interactive and imaginative live show. Suitable for all the family (ages 3+), DINOSAUR ZOO introduces audiences to a range of creatures from cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants, including a carnivorous theropod known as the ‘Australovenator’ – Australia’s version of the American T-Rex.

Intrepid audience members who are brave enough to get up close and personal with the dinosaurs are invited up on stage to assist the Zoo Keepers in their daily tasks - but be warned - not all of these ravenous reptiles are as tame as they seem! Each performance concludes with a post-show ‘meat & greet’ session offering every audience member a chance to meet the dinosaurs in person.

 

We will be going along to the show when it's on, so pop back here for our review. Noah is a huge dinosaur fan at the moment, every library visit yeilds another 5 or 6 dinosaur books to read. He loves finding out their names, knowing most of them off by heart and he knows if I get them wrong!  

If you've also got a dino-mad child then go to Fairfield Halls for tickets.

Running time: 50 minutes + post-show ‘meat’ & greet

 

Photography for Parents Online Photography Course Review

I've always loved photos and keeping a record of the things I do. Not only since having children, I have stacks of photos from my teens and twenties when big nights out were captured from beginning to messy end and holidays and festivals were recorded in technicolour. I always had a camera, or for times when I didn't I'd rely on disposables. I remember loving the anticipation of going to collect my prints from Boots and thinking of the moments I'd captured and hoping they looked as good as I remembered them to be. And then there were always the photos that I couldn't remember taking and being surprised by them as I leafed through the prints.

In recent times I've used my iPhone as my camera, which in the most part is fine because they give ok results and if the phot isn't as good as I'd hoped there's always a photography app like A Beautiful Mess and Instagram where I can fade out imperfections with filters and other gizmos. There is absolutely nothing wrong with photos taken in this way as it's so convenient given that I always have a phone in my pocket, but I decided to delve into the world of DSLR and bought a Nikon d3200. I soon realised that if I was going to have a clue what I was doing with this wonderful technology I'd need to go on a little photography course.

Photography for Parents online photography course is perfect for people who can't make it to face to face lessons and given that the subject of my photos these days is mostly kids it seemed the course was perfectly titled for me. The course comes in 6 modules of learning, running weekly and alongside it there is a forum where you can ask questions and gain support. For every module there is also a homework element and you submit your homework to the forum for the moderator to appraise and give pointers of how you could do things differently and also say "Yes! You really captured that!". Because the course has live support it also means that you get feedback really quickly and in the case of this of this course we were asked if we would like a week midway through to help us process some of the technical information about aperture and depth of field etc.

The idea of the course is to get people off the 'Auto' setting and to get some really great photos of your little ones. It gets you thinking about light, composition, aperture, shutter speeds amongst other things. I have to admit that if I hadn't started this course I think I would have definitely left the camera on Auto and not braved it. There is a lot to take in when you are getting to grips with a DSLR and I won't deny that it didn't frighten me slightly in the same way that my weekly physics lessons in senior school used to terrify me, but the course is so clear and the moderators online really make you feel at ease. There is nothing intimidating about it. I feel that I have a better understanding of the settings on my camera now and like I can navigate my way round without fear. My only wish is that my brain would work quicker and I'd be able to think through best settings for different situations faster. In the time it takes me to remember what ISO I need or whether spot metering would be best I potentially lose the moment. However this is really just me getting to grips with a fairly new camera and with more practice it will come.

During each module there are practical exercises to complete. I liked doing these particularly shooting at different focal lengths and also the exercise on focus and achieving blur in the background of my photos. At the end of each module there are homework tasks for you to complete in your own time and submit to the forum. I have to admit that I haven't been great at that bit and I attribute that to a few reasons. Firstly as it's winter, good enough light to take great photos is limited, and with me working full time these days I can't round up my trusty subjects when I get home and herd them outside like I could in the summer months. And our house is too dingy to get photos I feel happy with. I am also not so good at hooking up my camera to my Macbook and uploading my photos and resizing them so I can upload them to the forum. I am one of those people with a camera full of photos (just like my phone) and they're trapped in there. This is something I need to be better at.
I was given the chance to join the Level 1 online Photography for Parents course for free in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.




At the end of every module you are able to download that weeks course content in pdf form and print it out which I have found to be invaluable for when I'm commuting to work and I want to re-read some of the stuff I've read online. I also highlight some of the things I want to stick out for me. Once you come to the end of the course it doesn't end there, the forums stay moderated for another few weeks to allow for stragglers to post their homework (umm yes that's me!) and you can join a Facebook group to continue sharing your photography practice.

I'm personally really happy that I was given the opportunity ti try this course and I would recommend it. The course is full of information but it's delivered in such a way that makes it easy to understand. It's broken down into easily digestible chunks that allows you to not feel under pressure and for me that is key when I'm learning something new. If there was any pressure then it wouldn't work for me what with all the other stresses I have as a working parent. My aim from taking this course was to understand my camera better and to start getting some great photos of my family and that's already underway.

The Level 1 course costs £65 if you get an earlybird rate and the standard cost is £87. It runs for 6 weeks. The next course starts on Monday 2nd March so..... GET BOOKING!

If you're not quite sure you want to commit to the whole course fee, then Photography for Parents are currently offering a module 1 trial offer for 37 which seems like a bargain to me! It will allow you to get a flavour and see if you think the course is for you. If you like what you see then you can pay the remainder of the course fee and carry on. If you decide it's not for you then you can leave it at that and walk away, you're not obliged to carry on. Go to: Photography Course for your trial offer.


For more details and to sign up to the website go to: Photography for Parents

They can also be found on Facebook: Photography for Parents

Disney's Big Hero 6 - Review

On Sunday we woke up early (normal) and got ready to leave the house by 9 (not normal on a Sunday!) and made our way to the Odeon Leicester Square for a gala screening of Big Hero 6 in 3D, the latest big release from Disney. I didn't know a whole lot about it but Isla already knew that the main character was called Baymax and both her and Noah were hyped to be going to the cinema. I love going to the Odeon, Leicester Square. The screen is so huge and the sound is brilliant, it's also the type of place where people clap when the film finishes - something that rarely happens these days. 

Prior to the film starting we were treated to some Baymax balloon modelling and face painting which the kids loved and then we took our seats and prepared for 3D fun! As with most Disney films now there was a short film to warm every one up called 'Feast' about a dog, and we all loved it. I won't say anything about the story here, but as I was watching it I felt like it could be a longer film, it was that good....


What's Big Hero 6 about then?

“Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure, about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, an orphan living with his Brother and Aunt. Hiro learns to explore his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. Just as Hiro decides to turn his back on Bot fighting to go to 'Nerd' college and join his brother, a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo. Hiro turns to his closest companion—a robot named Baymax, created by Tadashi —and transforms the group of friends into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. I'm not going to spoil the film for any of you by revealing too much of what happens, you NEED to see it yourself! 

Big Hero 6 has some brilliant laughs for adults and kids alike. The robot Baymax is the source of most of this comedy genius. He was created by Tadeshi to be a robot nurse, to fix all ailments. He makes it his mission to 'fix' Hiro when his heart is broken after the loss of his brother. The way he takes literal meaning from a lot of the things that Hiro says is hilarious and were the bits that had me chuckling. Isla found the lumbering character of the huge vinyl, Michelin man shaped robot the funniest, laughing every time he was involved in some sort of catastrophe. She also loved the scene where Baymax is running out of charge and Hiro struggles to get him home. I loved that although Baymax is a robot, he learns human emotions and fragility and in his own blustering way he mends Hiro and returns him to being the person his brother would be proud of. For a character with hardly any features he is very loveable and we all felt such immediate affection for him. 

I liked the setting for the film, in fictional San Fransokyo, a cross between San Francisco, with all the hills and golden gate bridge and Tokyo with the snow capped mountains and Cherry Blossom. The film also projects the message that science is cool and since seeing the film, I've heard Isla say a number of times "I'm going to be a scientist". I think this can only be a good thing.

We give Big Hero 6 a big thumbs up and I feel sure that it could spurn a sequel, Baymax is such an enchanting creation that it would be a shame to only see him once. 

Check out the trailer here:



For a little bit of extra Big Hero 6 fun, check out these fun activities for kids:

Spot the Difference
Baymax Origami
Hiro and Baymax Balloon Experiment!

Big Hero 6 is on general release in 3D from 30th January. To get all the latest info about Big Hero 6 and other Disney releases: 

"Like" the official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyUK/ 

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/WaltDisneyStudiosUK/

Follow on Twitter : https://twitter.com/Disney_UK #BigHero6

Thank you Disney UK for inviting us to the film we had a super time!

Camp Bestival - Our Highlights!

When you approach the site and you see the Big Top and the Soul Park it feels really magical. It's plainly obvious how much effort and work has gone into the planning of it all and what I loved about the Friday at Camp Bestival was the vast amounts of space available. This was different on Saturday and Sunday where it was a lot busier. Here are our favourite things from the festival:

Meeting an owl!
As soon as we got on site on the first day we were drawn towards the birds of prey brought to CB by Haven Falconry. Isla was desperate to handle one, so I donated £3 and she got to hold a Little Owl. It was gorgeous. I'm a big owl fan and I would have liked to have gone back and seen one of the the daily displays that they held.

Lulworth Castle itself:
Isla had a good look around the outside of the entire castle every day that we went on to the festival site - she loved looking through all the windows, pointing things out that she could see and making up her own little stories about who lived there. It really is a stunning building. 

Making Friends & Trying New Things
Kids have a knack of making friends instantly. They are best friends for the weekend and there's no sadness that they won't see each other ever again at my kids age, they accept it was temporary and move on. I loved seeing them engage with other children. The other thing I was so happy about was seeing Isla become so brave and want to join in with everything. She was first to put her hand up to participate and she had no fear. I loved that.

Save The Children:
Near to the castle were some charitable organisations and we spent a really long time at the Save the Children tent where Isla made a loom band (aargh!) and had some glitter tattoos done, Noah also had one. The team at Save the Children were lovely and we had a brief conversation about Gaza as I'd signed the petition a couple of days previous. There is a real charity presence at Camp Bestival which makes it feel less commercial.

The Flying Seagulls:
Now, The Flying Seagulls were a real highlight of our Friday at Camp Bestival. They were brilliant. Isla was totally captivated by them from the minute the juggling show started with Billy Bang leading the team of performers in a very funny show. She sat amongst all the other children giggling and following all the instructions that Billy gave out. And when it came to audience participation she was first with her hand up and desperate to stand at the front and try to juggle. It was so lovely to see my girl showing the extrovert in her and I know she is braver than I was at her age. Noah was also quite taken with the Flying Seagulls but he chose to take more of a backseat sitting on my lap to observe what was going on. We must have been part of it for at least an hour and then they came round for donations to the causes they support. They work mainly in Romania, Albania and UK and their aim is to make arts accessible for all including those with disabilities and children in hospital.

BigtopMania Kids Big Top:
Another place where we spent a lot of time. There were opportunities for the kids to show off their talents (we narrowly escaped Isla getting picked to sing 'Let It Go'!), theatre shows that involved the kids from the Treehouse Theatre Company  - (personal favourite moment was when they asked a tent full of kids how should someone die in the next part of the play and a kid shouts in a pool of acid!?! Nice.). This is also where Isla tried out the trapeze. I could have burst with pride over the weekend with everything she had a go at.

Making Stuff!
There were so many opportunities to make things and Isla loves crafting. So we made a brilliant pom pom using strips of mesh fabric, a flower headdress (my favourite make) and an elephant. The flower headdress was the only thing that cost money - £3 but it looked gorgeous and was worth that for keeping Isla occupied. 

The Food:
We ate some delicious food while we were there, some really tasty burgers and pulled pork but my most favourite lunch were the naan wraps from Rola Wala. They were absolutely scrumptious and I'd love to know where we can taste those again!

The Helter Skelter and Merry Go Round:
These both needed to be paid for but it was so cool to see Isla go off on her own up such a high structure. The Helter Skelter is something that she previously would have refused to try or insist I come on with her and I have to be honest seeing how big it was I did nearly say we had to do it together but parenting is as much about letting go so I encouraged her and she loved every second! Noah thought the merry go round was amazing fun too and we rode that together saying Giddy Up all the way round.

The Bandstand:
Some fabulous folk music to be heard here. We sat and enjoyed a cup of Yorkshire tea and listened to the music while Noah slept in the trolley. We particularly enjoyed The Jimmy Hillbillies and we ended up seeing them again when we went into The Travelling Barn Tavern where Isla struck up a 10 minute friendship with a little girl and I couldn't help but smile watching them as they danced and span each other round. 

The Insect Circus:
This was so cool, a travelling 'insect circus', all capable of amazing physical feats! Amongst them jugglers, trapeze artists and tight rope walkers. Isla and Noah were both captivated.

Miscellaneous:
Final things that we loved about Camp Bestival were all the impromptu stuff you would just come across. Random pianos to play, hula hooping competitions, brass bands. Ice creams every day were a must to celebrate the blue skies. 

Things I'm sad we missed are: Dingly Dell - we're big fans of being outdoors and the National Trust so it's a shame that we didn't make it there. The Wall of Death! Really wish we'd seen that, definitely on my list for next year. I'd also like to have spent more time in the Bollywood tent and in the Caravanserai Bar - particularly sitting in one of those Waltzer cars having a drink.

So as you can see there are just too many highlights to Camp Bestival and we will DEFINITELY be going again!

If you want to check out how other people experienced Camp Bestival then have a look at the following blog reviews, each and everyone had a very different experience and I think that in itself speaks volumes for how much there is to do and experience at Camp Bestival

Manneskjur 
Munchies & Munchkins 
76 Sunflowers 
Chelsea Mamma 
RocknRoll Mum 
Vicki Brown Designs 
Parent Shaped 
Purple Mum 


We paid for our tickets to Camp Bestival. This post is purely driven by a need to share our experience with you. 

Camp Bestival - A Family First!

This weekend was a first for us. We went camping as a family. But even better than that we camped as a family at Camp Bestival!! 

I love festivals. I've not been to loads but I have great memories of the few that I have been to. So I felt a bit like I was starting to reclaim back little pieces of me this weekend by going to Camp Bestival. 

We bought our tickets months and months ago and I thought the time would drag in anticipation of the event. I'm not going to pretend it's cheap, because it isn't, however Camp Bestival offer a really nifty payment plan where you can pay a chunk and then pay a small amount weekly. It made the expense feel more palatable and go unnoticed. 

In preparation we got all our camping gear, including a brilliant Outwell tent from eBay - a 6 man beast, which when up made all the difference to our camping experience, so much room and complete with it's own carpet! New sleeping bags, camping chairs, festival bunting made by my sister (v important), glow sticks, kettle and all manner of other camping equipment was acquired. We talked about our camping trip to the kids non stop until the event was suddenly here!

On Thursday we set off from home to East Lulworth in Dorset with much excitement and our car bulging! We purposely bought tickets for early Thursday entry so we had maximum time to set up and get settled. The road was long and everyone was a bit restless by the time we arrived but with the aid of Mr Trolley we got all our stuff from the car to the campsite.

As we were Camp Bestival Newbies we didn't think too carefully about where to camp apart from to pitch within about 5 minutes walk of where we entered the site. This had it's pros and cons. Pros were that we were in a fairly quiet spot, meaning less noise and it wasn't crowded. Cons were that it was a real trek to the festival site, there were no showers in our campsite and toilets weren't plentiful. However I'm not going to complain about this. We didn't suffer for not having a shower (and boy was that shower on my return the best one I'd ever had). The kids loved breaking out of the normal routine and dry hair shampoo isn't bad really.

Once we'd set up (which took hours!), we cooked a nutritious meal (supernoodles), got to know our neighbours and their kids (thanks to them for helping us set up the tent and child minding while we did so!) and then went for a walk to get the festival vibe started. This is where we saw how hilly Camp Bestival is....!

The kids loved sleeping in the tent, they slept well all 3 nights we stayed (should have been 4 but we skipped the last one). Me and the OH on the other hand felt rather worse for wear after a night on the air beds and random car alarms going off, but that wasn't going to spoil our fun. After breakfast off we went for our first day in the festival.

Come back for the next instalment..... :-)

Wow, I've broken my blog silence, Camp Bestival must have ignited more than a passion for festivals. 

We bought our own tickets for Camp Bestival. These posts come from the pure delight that we experienced there and a need for me to get back to documenting our family fun.

This week I had a wobble

After having a really wonderful weekend that included Cybher (me time!) and Godstone farm (family & friend time), I felt like I'd got my life balance bang on! I was all happy that I'd had time for me, hanging out with blogging buddies and learning stuff to improve my blog and time with the people I love and being a mum.

Then Monday came and I woke up with a full on cold, head pounding, sinuses screaming and work to get to. My feeling that I'd got my life sorted and equal time for all things went out the window and I posted this on Facebook:

"Someone let me into this secret on how to be a good mum of 2, good wife, good employee, good housekeeper, just generally good at anything as at the moment I'm pretty shit at all the above!!!"

I'm lucky that I'm friends with lots of lovely mums who in times of need will either come up with practical solutions (get a cleaner) or just a bit of moral support - virtual hugs are always welcomed by me. Everyone reminded me that I have a wonderful family and that I'm probably putting too much pressure on myself to 'have it all'. Lower my expectations was the best advice. And I think I did do that in the early days when we'd just had Noah, but now I'm back at work there's a change in me that I don't like. I feel like I'm constantly having to prove myself. Take this week for example - instead of staying home and trying to get over the bad cold I've had, I've made myself go into work because I don't want to look bad, like I'm a slacker. When actually I'm far from it.

I know that there will be weeks when the overwhelming feeling is "I can't do this" and this is just one of them. But when you're feeling ill too the feeling magnifies by 100% and I really do question how us women do it. I like working I really do but it's putting an awful lot of pressure on me and my family. There is hardly a spare minute and everything feels like a juggling act and for someone who is used to being in control (I'm a project manager by occupation) my life feels like it's in a bit of a mess.

So my question is how do you do it? What tips do you have to keep yourself sane and feel like a good mum, wife, employee, housekeeper...there are so many roles these days that I wonder is it possible to be good at them all?

And as an extra note to this post, a really wonderful thing happened this morning that I will never forget. My lovely NCT friends sent me the most beautiful flowers (and chocolates!) and the card read:

"Just a little something to say you're fab and to make you smile"

I cannot thank them enough. It is the support of my friends and family that really helps me. I'm in no way 'suffering' in real terms but it's just so nice to have people look out for you and make gestures like this when you're feeling a bit low. Us mums should always look out for each other and spot when someone might just be needing a little boost or an ear to listen, it's tough sometimes in this parenting jungle!