Five of My Favourite 2016 Moments ….So Far

2016 has been a great year so far, I wanted to take a snapshot of 5 of my favourite 2016 moments. Some of those things that I wanted to celebrate and share what has made us happy.

I realised when I started writing that actually there are many many more…this could easily be a weekly post! But here are just a few to start with.

It’s a year for roses and the other day my eldest son ‘M’ and I went around each of our roses and spent time to smell the scent of the different types. The look on M’s face as he really took to the moment was pretty incredible. The experience struck me as I was stood there with him and I am so thankful to have this beautiful memory. The garden has been a great source of fun and relaxation. Little ‘G’ also did his first vlog outside.

AFC Bournemouth brings joy to all of us, the club had its first year ever in the premier league and its rags to riches story was well publicised when they went up. As a family we have been attending for years and even have a brick on the ‘cherry brick road’ at the front of the club. For us it’s a family affair with 3 generations attending our home games as season ticket holders. The great crowd and friends make it a very special club.

My birthday ring from Tiffany & Co! I was so so pleased to receive this gorgeous ring which I had hoped one day would come my way. My partner brought it for me and  I love it!

Burns night at mine with the girls – we had such a great evening and threw ourselves into celebrating this great Scottish tradition. I love spending time with my girlfriends and letting our hair down. I feel blessed to have such great friends and family.

Enjoying our holiday to Spain with the boys and my mum. We’ve found a great place to holiday that suits all of our needs and we enjoy having this trip together year after year.

Thats a few bits and bobs which spring to mind. Mainly we are lucky that all of us are fit and healthy and are together enjoying the year and all that it throws at us.

How are you enjoying your year so far?

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Dorset Facts & Trivia – A myrealfairy infographic

Hello and thanks for stopping by. As someone who lives in Dorset, I’m still taken aback by the lovely countryside and coastline of this lovely county. While I’ve visited some parts of Great Britain I’ve still got alot to cover.

I thought I’d try and express this post in an infographic which I haven’t attempted before. For the subject I thought I would write about something I know and which I love – Dorset.

 

 

I’d love to know a little fact about your local area and maybe feature them in a roundup post.

 

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

Ilfracombe…where the romance is!

Hi, thanks so much for stopping by. Last week my partner and I went on a little 2 night break without the kids down to Ilfracombe. It’s always like a military operation to plan these things but so worth it. The kids giggle that we are having our romantic break and love their time with nanny and we appreciate to have a couple of days to ourselves. Like most parents, even on our time alone we talk about, email and speak to the kids. Still, I feel it’s important that all of the family gets their relaxation time and this is ours.

We booked through one of these sites that you contact the owner themselves and they rent out their place to you. We were so lucky to get an amazing little apartment which overlooked the sea, the crazy golf park and a weatherspoons…it doesn’t get much better than that!!

We were also right by a beautiful little Italian place which had such a gorgeous smell coming out of it that on the first evening we were so shattered that we had them make us pizza and pasta and we took it up to the apartment. It was great to sit there, looking out at the amazing view with our food and chill out.

Ilfracombe is such a gorgeous place. Most of the town dates from victorian times when it grew rapidly as a seaside resort. It seemed that most of the town around the harbour was on a slope and it nestled into the hills.

In the morning we took a walk down to the Tunnels Beaches. You have to pay £2.50 to walk down through them but it’s a fantastic sight once you walk through and see the view.

The tunnels lead down to a lovely little sandy beach which has a bathing pool which was made out of bringing lime into the bay and making an edge which, as the tide goes out, keeps in an amount of water in a large pool making it idea for bathing. This was created for ‘segregated bathing’ where men and women were not allowed to bath in the same bay or cove. In 1839 there was a guide book which stated that segregated bathing was tightly controlled and a ‘bugler’ would sit between the men’s and ladies pools keeping an eye out that the two did not mix. If a man attempted to spy on the ladies then the bugler would blow his trumpet and the man would be arrested!

 

View down through the tunnels.

There’s so much more to discover in Ilfracombe and the statue in the harbour is worth a post in its own right. Overall I would highly recommend a few days spent there, with or without the little ones.

 

Heres a little teaser which we saw on one of the signs –  Can you make out the Ilfracombe elephant in my picture?

 

 

 

Do you ever get to have breaks on your own or if you have kids do you prefer having them with you?

 

 

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Silence

I have had a sore throat for a few weeks now and have just seen a consultant for it. He thinks that it is a swollen windpipe and suggested a steroid injection would ease it. The thought of having an injection into my neck gave me a small meltdown so I asked if there was anything we could try first. He said that I should not speak at all for at least 2 days and we would see how that went.

I am determined to give this the best shot I can so I can avoid anything invasive. The thing is, like most of us, how on earth am I going to do the 101 things that I normally do…..without speaking!

The kids, my business, talking to everyone I work with to get things done, other mums on the way in and out of school….oh goodness this is going to be tough.

It starts sooner than expected as my other half and the kids – ‘M’ and ‘G’ come and pick me up from my appointment and come bounding into the clinic. I thought I’d put the initial thoughts and the plan we came up with into a poem. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Mum mum what did they do

Mum mum, please tell us

Mum mum what’s wrong with you

Mum mum we won’t make a fuss

 

Oh my loves if only I could

I shake my head and mime

I point to my mouth like I should

And am careful to take my time

 

Oh boys please understand me

Oh boys when I try and say

Please little ones try and see

I can’t speak – at all – for today

 

We get in the car and I have a plan

It’s simple and to the point

Boys video yourselves, like I know you can

Shout your name – on your own – not joint

 

Thats right my clever boys

You know what to do

say it loud, make some noise

shoot the clip on my phone,  right through

 

Then, if I need you I’ll  press play

You’ll hear it wherever you are

and to me you’ll come without delay

To me, if near or far

 

 

I’d love you to subscribe to myrealfairy.com blog so that you’ll be updated on each new post. You can do so here:

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

 

Fantasy Dinner Party Guest List

Hi there and thanks for stopping by. Recently the lovely Carol over at Virtually All Sorts posted her fantasy dinner party guest list and asked me who I’d have on mine. I have enjoyed having this going through my mind over the past week and I’m pleased to share it with you now….

Firstly it’s got to be Paul Weller, he would smoke, swear and be so cool that I would forget how to eat with a knife and fork and probably miss my mouth when I tried to quaff my wine. I’d love to have him there but I would be a mess so I’m not too sure. I am pretty sure though that I would tell him that I loved him at some inappropriate point in the evening…  English Rose is amazing, have a listen if you can!

Annie Lennox, she’s the striking singer who I am sure would be fascinating to sit next to. I’d have to up my game when it came to interesting topics to talk about. I can only think of my one link to her, which would be that I once sat in a restaurant in Ibiza next to Siobhan Fahey who was married to Dave Stewart who was her partner in the Eurythmics….that should bring the conversation to a shuddering standstill…Ok.. she’s on the ‘maybe’ list.

Tim Peake, wow! 186 days in space aboard the International Space Station is pretty good going. Not content with whizzing around the earth at 17,000 miles an hour, he also ran the london marathon, completed the first spacewalk of a british astronaut and read a bedtime story to millions of children via cbeebies. Furthermore, he comes across as such a likable man. Luckily I won’t have to ask about how to wee in space as he kindly already answered that on one of his many video links, phew! He’s on the list.

My nan, she loved new experiences and would always come out with exactly what was on her mind, she’d be great at keeping the conversations flowing. She would recount tales of her and her best friend going to the dance halls in Poplar in the east end of London before the war and all the wonderfully funny situations they would get themselves into. OK, any ‘maybes’ can now come. I could entertain all of the above people, and more with her by my side as my co-host. I Love and miss her, she was so fab.

What about you, who would be head of the table? I’d love to know.

Just one more thing before you go….incase you weren’t convinced by the first Paul Weller song. I have been listening to him while writing this post, so here’s another little gem for you to have on in the background…

 

I’d love you to subscribe to myrealfairy.com blog so that you’ll be updated on each new post. You can do so here:

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.