experience

Parenting woes and stubbed toes…

Taaliah · June 14, 2013 · Random ramblings of a busy brain... · baby, child, children, experience, family guy, funny times, holiday, kids, lunatics, madness, mum, parenthood, social life, Stephen King, stubbed toe, teenager, term time, thoughts · 2 Comments

“Schizoid behavior is a pretty common thing in children. It’s accepted, because all we adults have this unspoken agreement that children are lunatics.” ― Stephen King

Remember the days before you had children?

The days of late nights for social reasons, late mornings for sleep catch-up purposes and being able to go to a party/holiday/shopping trip on a total whim – often catching a ‘last minute bargain’

This was the period of your life known as B.C….Before Children.

However, if, like me, you have entered the ‘other’ part of existence known as W.C…..With Children, no pun intended, life is probably rather different:

The dark days of late nights due to baby/child/teenager being sick/stubbing toe and demanding attention. Early mornings every morning as the kids seem to work on a time zone similar to that of Narnia. Never being able to go anywhere on a whim. Ever. This is also closely linked with supermarket meltdowns and getting fleeced for term friendly holidays.

Here are some situations that I am sure fellow W.C survivors will relate to, some more than others….

1. You know the name of every Skylander ever created but can’t remember where you put your door keys…again.

2. You try to pay for your shopping at the corner shop and find 3 buttons, 1 stone, a fluffy sweet and an elastic band in the pocket where your money used to be.

3. The only similarity your life has with that of a rock star is the group of whining ‘groupies’ that follow you everywhere you go chanting your name….think Stewie.

4. Your social life starts to resemble that of a very old nun. A very old anti-social nun. In fact you begin to suspect that said nun actually has a better social life.

5. On more than one occasion you have climbed into bed after a hard days parenting, only to find that one of your little darlings has beaten you to it, done a wee and then got back in their cosy dry bed…..true story.

6. Having a shower becomes a family event with the kids in and out wanting a poo, help with a shoe lace or other urgent ‘problem’ that needs immediate action.

7. Helping the kids with their homework consists of opening multiple google search windows and bribery on a massive scale.

8. Holiday priorities change from ‘great beach and stunning vista’ to ‘kids clubs and babysitting facilities’.

9. You start to sound more like your mum than she ever did…

10. You arrive at work in your slippers, very scary hair and last night’s bolognese on your shirt…and it’s only Monday.

If you have yet to experience the joy of parenthood, please don’t let me put you off, you might be one of the lucky ones that gets a text book child that is well behaved and polite…If on the other hand you have already had children and know the odds of actually being blessed with text book kid are less than 0.01 I salute you, feel free to add to the list if you feel I have missed something;)

Photo credits:

Girl smoking with kind permission of peagreengirl via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

Superman baby courtesy of simosmme via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

Naughty cupboard thanks to lucyfrench123 via Flickr/CreativeCommons.

Five reasons you should go travelling…

Taaliah · June 9, 2013 · Local News n Views · achievement, break, change, chilled, creative, culture, Dubai, education, Euro Disney, experience, families, health, holiday, kids, learn, Mary Poppins, Monte carlo, new, recommendations, thoughts, travel, travelling, Wales, wellbeing · 2 Comments

When I was a child holidays abroad were something other families did whilst we spent wet weeks in Wales, often camping.My first trip out of Britain was to Jersey where, aged 21 I got a small taste of life beyond the shores of the UK.It did more than whet my appetite and I have in the years that followed been to many amazing places around the world.

Learning something new about myself and the world on my travels, I have fantastic memories of souks in Dubai, lunch in Monte Carlo, shopping in Nice and meeting Mary Poppins at Euro Disney.Taking the children with us on many trips abroad has also opened their minds to different cultures and instilled in them the urge to spread their own wings when they are older.

The benefits of travelling are vast and the reasons numerous…here are my top five reasons you should go travelling today.

1. To connect with other cultures.

There is much to be said for getting down with the locals in another country.They will show you the true beauty of their culture, be it with traditional homemade dishes or giving you a heads up on the best place to get a bargain.Be prepared to have misconceptions blown out of the water as you see for yourself the reality of life in another country, it is often not what you would expect.

2. The sense of achievement.

The feeling of managing and planning a journey into the unknown is great, especially when it is a success.In all our travels we have yet to have a ( major ) mishap and a little forward thinking goes a long way.The confidence boost of getting to your destination without losing a child or your luggage alone is worth the effort.

3. To take a break.

They say a change is as good as a rest and never is this more true than when travelling.The time out is sure to charge weary batteries and force even the busiest person to slow down.

4. See something new.

There is a whole world out there waiting to be explored and never before has travel been so accessible.Flights are available to many far flung destinations and can be very reasonably priced, especially when booked in advance.Who knows, you may come back inspired to make a change or at the very least will see life in a different way.

5. To learn.

You are never too old to learn something new, from a different language to cooking an exotic dish. You can always learn about yourself too and what better classroom than on location in an interesting part of the world.

The bottom line is travelling is good.Young, old and everyone in between can benefit from a break in routine and a journey to somewhere new and exciting.

Where are you planning on visiting next? Me, well Italy has great pasta and I love a good lasagne so who knows…..

Photo credits:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/summonedbyfells/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dubai_night_skyline.jpg and http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trunki_1.jpg via Creative commons

Himalayan Salt Cave Experience

Taaliah · February 16, 2013 · Uncategorized · birthday, experience, health, Himalayan, Manchester, recommendations, salt cave, wellbeing · No Comments

It was my birthday recently and my younger sister surprised me with a trip to The Himalayan Salt Cave in Cheadle, including lunch and, to my delight, without the children.

We got our deal on Groupon, a bargain at £20 for two, including 45 minutes in the cave followed by lunch, however the prices are very reaonable without the discount and they also offer a range of discounts for block and advance bookings.

pretty salt

We followed SatNav and reached the cave no problem, in fact we would have had time to spare had we found parking a little easier. There are parking bays outside the parade of shops where the cave is situated, but as these were taken we were forced to park quite a substantial distance away.

When we arrived at the cafe/cave we were greeted by a very friendly young lady and were shown through the cafe and into the cave situated behind an ornate looking door.

The cave is actually quite small, cosy and there is comfortable seating for up to six people at a time, although it can be booked for private use too.

cafe salt The walls and floor are made entirely of pink salt rocks, the ceiling has man made stalactites tipped with fibre optic lights and the overall effect is rather impressive.

Initially as we sat in the cave it was unclear as to what was going to happen, however as the last guests arrived and the door was closed it all came together.

The lighting was dimmed and the ceiling became a sea of colour changing twinkling stars. The sound of a babbling brook filled the air and meditation style music was played through hidden speakers……..Relaxation heaven.

The air is also infused with evaporated salt during this time and left my lips tasting a little salty, almost like a day at the sea side.

Left to our own devices the time quickly passed and we were both left feeling relaxed and ready for an afternoon nap.

We were brought back into reality as the lighting slowly became brighter and the door was opened, by the lady who had welcomed us earlier as she invited us to the cafe area for lunch. door salt

The cafe has a reasonable menu with something for everyone and no restrictions on what we could order. The waitress/hostess was very chirpy and attentive, she really made us feel comfortable and was more than happy to offer recommendations.

We ordered cheese toasties and cookies, as well as a much needed pot of tea. It arrived quickly and was freshly made, very nice indeed after our relaxation experience.

On the way out there is the opportunity to purchase Himalayan rock salt in different forms, for the home, cooking and even in the bath. My sister chose some large pieces for around her home whilst I picked up a bag of smaller stones for in the bath.

The healing qualities of this salt is well known, and whilst I am lucky enough not to have a skin or chest complaint, I did feel somewhat refreshed and smooth when we left, a little taste of tranquility in an otherwise busy world.

I would highly recommend a visit to The Himalayan Salt Cave and am looking forward to going back soon.

The Himalayan Salt Cave can be found at 8, The Old Rectory Garden, Cheadle.

The website address is http://www.himalayan-saltcave.co.uk or you can call them on 0161 6375898

It is also worth noting that children are welcome at the Himalayan Salt Cave, they are offered discounted rates and even have their own play area within the cave, perfect.