Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 41

Family Fun in Fuerteventura

When you’re searching for family holidays, there are plenty of wonderful, sunny places to tickle your fancy. Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Florida, the list goes on. One family-friendly destination that certainly ticks all the right boxes is Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and it’s not hard to see why.

This sun-baked island is located just off the west coast of Africa, so as you can imagine it gets pretty hot. The summers are scorching, with temperatures regularly hovering around the 30 mark, but if that’s too hot for the little ones you can always travel out of season. That’s the great thing about the Canaries – you can visit all year round and still expect to go home with a suntan afterwards, even in the middle of January – although on some days you may need a cardigan.

So whether you head off with the kids in October half term, hop over for a Christmas with a difference or enjoy a New Year escape, there’s always a good time to have a family holiday in Fuerteventura.

So, sunshine aside, what can you expect? Well-equipped resorts for one thing, complete with great beaches and a lovely laid-back vibe. Of all the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is the ‘quiet one’ – so don’t expect stacks of booming bars or all-night clubs. That’s what makes it a great spot for families – there’s just enough going on to give you a little entertainment here and there, but most of the fun and activities happen during the day.

Take Costa Caleta for instance. It’s a purpose-built resort and a great spot for families, with a golden sandy beach fringed by handy cafes and shops, and plenty of watersports going on by day. Whisk the kids off for a boat trip, either a wildlife-spotting tour or the glass-bottomed variety, or have fun in the designated children’s beach area, which offers fun activities and games.

It’s clear to see that when it comes to family fun, holidays in Fuerteventura certainly tick all the right boxes.

Find out more about h olidays in Fuerteventura online at Thomas Cook, the world’s best-known name in travel. Look out for the latest special offers and hunt for late deals to save money and to help make your family holiday that little bit sweeter.

The post Family Fun in Fuerteventura appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Retirement?! Deciding where to live – decisions, decisions

If you have been living in your home for a number of years but are thinking about making the move to somewhere more manageable, there is a lot to consider. Moving out of home after you’ve retired can be a difficult and emotional decision, particularly if you have been in the family home for a long time. However, it’s important to prepare for your later years and focus on the opportunities a retirement property could provide.

There are several options available, depending on your personal circumstances. McCarthy & Stone‘s retirement properties offer a choice of lifestyles and accommodation. They are designed to show how much enjoyment you can get from your later years.

Whether you want to spend less time on domestic chores and more time on the finer things in life, or perhaps you need a bit more help with day-to-day living, you can find new opportunities in a retirement development.

What are the options?

Later Living

After running the family home for so long, you might want to spend your time in later years enjoying life, rather than spending time doing mundane tasks and household chores. Continue to enjoy your own privacy and independence but in an environment where you can benefit from a little house help and enjoy the companionship of other homeowners.

Assisted Living

Personalised care plans mean that you will always get the support you need but are still free to enjoy your independence. All retirement apartments are designed around the needs of homeowners so you won’t have to worry about finding space to park your mobility scooter or bending down to load the washing machine.

What are the benefits?

Retirement accommodation helps you to feel safe and secure in your home, but with the knowledge that help is never too far away.

It’s all the little things that can make a huge difference to quality of life. It’s not necessary to spend later life worrying about how you’ll maintain the property or how you’re going to get the shopping – all that can be taken care of for you.

Enjoy the freedom that retirement brings by knowing that you don’t have to worry about the day-to-day running of the development, and that all shared areas are maintained to a high standard. If you require further support, you can even enjoy hot meals from a serviced restaurant and have help getting in or out of bed.

It’s important to remember that moving into retirement property can mark the start of your freedom and independence, rather than the end of it.

The post Retirement?! Deciding where to live – decisions, decisions appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

#makechildcare100percentaxdeductible – it is time!

Childcare isn’t a #feminist issue it’s a #social issue 

For #parents who need & want to work 

#makechildcare100percentaxdeductible

 

Please tweet, share and spread the word.

It’s time to get the jungle drums rumbling – this is what the people want.

#Democracy

 

The post #makechildcare100percentaxdeductible – it is time! appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

#KidsGrowWild gardening challenge

This post is an entry for BritMums’ #KidsGrowWild Challenge

In my living social experiment I am asking the question – can I live more sustainability? And so, also as part of the Brit Mums #kidsgrowwildchallenge, the menace and I began planting the seeds of the vegetable plot. Once they have sprouted I have the raised bed challenge to attend – in my ideal world I want railway sleepers filled with soil, a poly tunnel and a greenhouse. It’s really just a matter of time and budget. Any donations gratefully received. The piggies (RIP – bacon and sausgaes – yum!) have cleared the land so the next step is to create the veggie patch.

 

 

 

 

 

The post #KidsGrowWild gardening challenge appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .

Toys are the currency of children

In my book  A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline, page 97, in the chapter ‘Hagar goes to Afghanistan’ I write:

“What do I think? I want him to be vigilant at all times. To come home again. It is tiring though being strong, putting your head down, digging in and pushing through – again and again and again and again and again. I can’t sit still, rocking under the table waiting for him to come home. We all have a life to live. A life to celebrate so I think I am just going to work, dance and drink through it and keep my kids smiling. I’ll tell them that daddy is at work and when they say, “I miss daddy.” I’ll smile and say, “I miss daddy too. It’s fine to miss daddy but he has a job to do so that he can buy you toys.” When you are 8 years old, saying food and keeping a roof over your head, keeping you safe at night, doesn’t have the same meaning as toys. Toys are an 8 year old’s currency. (Before we get into a materialism debate – The Grenade has real sense of kindness, helpfulness, manners and solid values. But he loves toys – what kid doesn’t?)”

The Grenade loves his guns. He recently had his 10th birthday and toy guns were all he asked for. It feels like he has every Nerf Gun known to man and is always hankering after the  . Like many men I know, he knows everything about them and spends hours on You Tube watching toy Nerf Gun reviews and even making his own short films. For me as a pacifist, the gun hater, it’s a difficult decision to let him play with guns and create imaginary battles but after watching the documentary Restrepo, where one of the soldiers berated his hippy mother for teaching him to make paper and not allowing him to play with guns so the first thing he did as soon as he could leave home was join the army, I now think that you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t. Hagar the military father loves the Nerf guns and he teaches good nerf blast practise - target shooting and protective eye gear. So Nerf blasters are all the rage at our house.

The Menace, my 5 year old daughter, she loves the official toy story with Buzz and Woody. Woody, a cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure Buzz Lightyear supplants him as top toy in a boy’s room. It’s a timeless Disney classic that keeps her captivated again and again.  It’s hard to believe that it is 18 years old! Her favourite character is Woody - who is introduced as head child in the film, Andy’s favorite toy and the leader of all of Andy’s toys; however, his position is usurped by the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, an action figure given as a birthday present.  Buzz is convinced that he actually is the fictional astronaut and not a doll. Filled with jealousy, Woody uses Buzz’s beliefs that he is real against him to try regain his former status as Andy’s favorite toy. But Buzz falls out the window and, when they learn of Woody’s manipulation against Buzz, the other toys disown Woody despite him saying it was an accident.

Woody’s plan works, as Andy brings him on the car ride to the fictional pizza establishment “Pizza Planet”; however, he comes across the antagonized Buzz once again and they fight. As a result, they end up lost and when trying to reunite with Andy inside of the restaurant, but end up as prizes in a claw machine grabbed by Andy’s devious, nasty neighbor Sid, famous for damaging toys. Woody is frantic to plan an escape and meets all of the toys hideously remade by Sid, where he discovers that they actually prove quite friendly and hospitable. He enlists the assistance from the toys, to scare Sid. As the movie carries on, Woody and Buzz gradually become buddies, Buzz realising that he is actually a toy, helping himself and Woody to Andy’s car just as they leave to  move to a new house. Buzz Lightyear and Woody make up afterwards, and Woody is accepted again by the other toys, thus sharing the status as Andy’s favorite with Buzz. Toy Story is a great film….”To infinity and beyond”

 

The post Toys are the currency of children appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .

Summertime fun with grand garden designs

Essentials for Grand Garden Designs and Little Lawns

The notion that an “Englishman’s home is his castle” is well known – and no castle would be complete without the grounds around it. So okay, while the moat and drawbridge may have to be represented by the patio slabs and your back door, gardens are still often our pride and joy.

Outdoor living spaces are just as important as the interior of a home and accordingly décor and design should be given plenty of consideration.

Choosing Garden Furniture

Many of us are guilty of lavishing our DIY affections on our home interiors whilst unintentionally ignoring the garden. However, the way a garden looks can say a lot about the way you live; for example a beautifully manicured lawn more than suggests your home is run in a similar manner while a neglected lawn might say otherwise.

Regular mowing, spending some time digging out the weeds and planting some gorgeous flowers in a colour coordinated fashion and feeding your lawn with nourishing products is a great start, especially for front gardens that are on display.

The back garden must also be taken into consideration: while it is often hidden from view, this is the place where you will welcome guests in warmer weather and spend time with the family. While flowers and plants create the foundations on which to craft a fantastic garden, no garden is complete without garden furniture sets – especially if you are planning a garden party..

From rattan chairs to complement the natural surroundings in the garden to tables with intricate metal designs, there is ample choice when it comes to furnishing your garden. Some tables come complete with a parasol and holder to keep the sun at bay on warmer days and you can add unique design flair to the table with more subtle accessories that give charm and personality to your outdoor space. Shells, tealight holders, mosaic placemats…there is plenty to choose from to make your garden stand out.

Garden & Outdoor Furniture Covers

Just like we cover leftover food with cling film or cover our cars over in the winter, garden furniture needs to be protected if it is to stay in tip top condition. Even the highest quality furniture is more likely to need replacing far quicker if it is left to the elements; and it’s not just rain that can have an adverse effect.

While moisture undoubtedly causes some unpleasant effects, such as mould or odour, all weather conditions can damage the garden furniture you spent so long choosing. Strong winds can blow things over, from barbeques to garden chairs, while the sun can cause paintwork to fade. Regular visitors such as birds, squirrels and slugs can also wreak havoc on your garden furniture; from scratched surfaces and excrement to shiny slug trails which are difficult to clean.

So whatever the season, investing in garden furniture covers will keep your outdoor furniture safe from the harm that weather conditions and animals can bring and could save you money in the long-run.

Gardens are supposed to be beautiful places, and they are also a great place to socialize  with family and friends, dine al fresco or spend some time together. Accordingly, you should ensure your garden furniture is both functional and stylish.

This is an article provided by Homebase. As a leading provider of home and garden furniture, our extensive product range will work perfectly with these inspirational ideas on how to create a seamless indoor/outdoor living divide.

 

 

The post Summertime fun with grand garden designs appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .

Who Has Time to Volunteer?

At a time when the government is pushing everyone possible into work to reduce the welfare bill and gain some much-needed tax revenue it is perhaps unsurprising that fewer people have time to volunteer to help charities.

Charities rely on their volunteers because without them, they would simply not be able to carry out the work that they were set up to do. For example, the RSPCA would have to spend much of the donations they receive on staff wages if volunteers did not keep turning up to help. Volunteers carry out a wide variety of tasks, from administrative duties to helping in charity shops to walking dogs for their local shelter.

Volunteers are often from affluent backgrounds; many are elderly, or students; some are semi-retired late middle aged people looking to use their time productively.  Some volunteer because they want to give something back to society, to help those less fortunate than themselves. Others volunteer because they want to mix with more people and make friends, or even just to put something useful on their C.V. to try to impress future employers. The reasons for volunteering do not matter very much to a charity: what does matter is that volunteers give their time on a regular basis; that they can be relied upon to turn up and that they are passionate and enthusiastic about the aims of the charity.

Whether you have one hour or one day to give each week, fortnight or month doesn’t really matter. As long as the charity can rely on you turning up regularly then it can find work for you to do that will be useful and productive. If you can help every day before work, for example, then you might be most useful to an animal charity like the RSPCA in helping to exercise or feed the animals in their shelters. If you can only give one hour a month then perhaps you might be asked to help with stocking shelves or reordering stock for a charity shop, or putting up posters advertising a fundraising event.

Even if you are already working full time and have a house and family to care for, could you possibly find an hour a week? Even if you know that you can only help during your annual leave or school term times, as long as the charity knows when you can help it can find you something meaningful to do.

Volunteers say that they feel a real sense of purpose and reward from giving their time to help a charity. They also make friends, meet plenty of new people and have a very healthy-looking C.V. so you can’t really lose by volunteering your time. If you have any time to spare then please consider contacting a charity that you sympathise with and either ring or look on their website for details of volunteering opportunities in your area.

The post Who Has Time to Volunteer? appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .

#sethtests @pengillyseth debut review of the Karcher K2 Pressure Washer

Let me introduce you to - @Pengillyseth He lives the beautiful life, with his beautiful wife in the Kingdom of Wessex, and he drives a vintage Massey Ferguson red tractor, looks after his two horses and his dogs Boz and Willis. He’s a bit of a looker, so is a nice bit of eye candy for the ladies, and for some reason he supports Scunthorpe FC, which he tweets about a lot, which is nice if you are into that sort of thing. (I’m not!) He’s a true west country character and he’s agreed to do some reviews for me. Now the caveat is that he has to be remotely interested in what he’s reviewing. But where’s the fun in that?!! It’s my plan to make him review other stuff too – but ssssh don’t tell him!! I have eased him in gently (cheeky!! not like that – yes, I am talking about you Kate Sutton) and so here is our debut of #sethtests with Karcher K2 Premium Pressure washer. A great gift for Father’s Day. I love pressure washing!! I think one of the most cathartic ways to spend a sunny day is to give concrete a good hosing down. Seth is not quite as keen as me but here’s what he had to say:

@Pengillyseth puts the pressure washer through it’s paces

#sethtests next #autoglym …..he’s going to valet my car and apparently he’s the best valet in the world…..probably!

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

The post #sethtests @pengillyseth debut review of the Karcher K2 Pressure Washer appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .

Did you miss my interview on @BBCWiltshire with Mark O’Donnell? Well listen again!

My life is bat shit crazy at the moment – seriously you couldn’t make it up. Do you remember 70s sitcom ‘Soap’? That is my life…here’s what’s been happening. Last Tuesday, I finished recording an audio version of my book – A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline with my record producer neighbour, Ant Clark. He has done a fantastic job – check out the audio here Hagar’s Fantasy Family Audio Excerpt

I am having difficulty working out how to get the audio file self published. Audible in the UK require at least 5 audio books before they will allow you to upload onto their system which sells on Amazon and i-Tunes. I am still figuring it out. I could try and get it played on the radio and then it could become a BBC audio book but I think the content is a bit racy for Radio 4!

I was invited as a guest on Mark O’Donnell’s show on BBC Wiltshire. It was done via Skype and I was surprised that it lasted for 25 minutes. But we had a good chat and you missed it you can listen to it again here. Due to my poor editing skills it starts about 1 minute in.

Chatting to BBC Wiltshire about Brit Mums Live INNOVATE finalist nomination

Now the lovely Ant Clark is the keyboard player in #TPAU25 – the UK tour of the 80s doyenne Carol Decker famous for the multi-million selling single China in your Hand. So Hagar and I, (Hagar loves a bird that can belt out a tune – he’s sucker for a rock ballad. I personally am more of a ‘put your hands in the air, like you just don’t care’ kind of chick) popped down to the Concorde Club, in Eastleigh, Southampton for quite frankly the weirdest gig in the world. I felt like I had walked into the set of TOWIE!

#TPAU25 – the tour to mark her 25 year anniversary is also being supported by the gorgeous, welsh lovely Nick Pendry who made his debut in my life at StockFest last year. Watch this space – he’s a lovely chap and his music infectious!! I am a big fan.

You can follow him here:

www.facebook.com/MarlandMusicManagement

www.facebook.com/nick.pendry.5

#TPAU25

#TPAU25

#TPAU25

#TPAU25

 

Welsh wonder Nick Pendry supports #TPAU25

Carol Decker is a sassy lady and she is funny to boot. She has a wicked sense of humour and the lady is all rock and roll!! I loved her. The tour culminates at the Isle of Wight Festival this weekend so look out pop pickers you are in for a T’PAU-tastic time!!

#TPAU25

After a great gig and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside on Friday I was slam dunked in the face by some nasty legal shenanigans. If you know me, you may know that over the last 18 months I have been preparing a work of non-fiction with a Chinese woman, called Li Quan. But recently as reported here – it all went a bit crazy. Now I have worked on this proposal tirelessly for 18 months and haven’t seen as much as a penny, because, as is the nature of co-writing, you make your money on the book deal. It’s been a bitter pill to swallow because it has left me high and dry, when on paper it looked like an incredible opportunity. I have no money but I won’t be bullied and that is all I can say for now. The South China Tiger is a magical beast and I just have a feeling that it will protect itself regardless who is holding the reins.

 

The post Did you miss my interview on @BBCWiltshire with Mark O’Donnell? Well listen again! appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .

Buying the perfect Father’s Day gift: mission impossible?

There’s some great advice to be found in the movie Grease, and it’s not that leather jackets and a perm will solve all your problems. It’s right at the beginning, when Frenchy tells a heartbroken Sandy that, ‘the only man a girl can depend upon is her Daddy.’ Through all of our tantrums, driving lessons, and career woes, it’s our fathers we turn to for love, support, and advice on how to make the little light on the dashboard stop inexplicably blinking at us.

You’d think we’d all jump at the once-a-year chance to let our parents know how appreciated they are, but it turns out most of us are missing the opportunity. A recent survey by Very.co.uk of 100 fathers found that over two thirds of them think we make more of an effort for Mother’s Day than for dear old Dad. With most fathers clearly resigning themselves to another year of scribbled cards and thoughtless presents, this Father’s Day could be the perfect time to wow them with the perfect gift.

It’s not about the money though, so don’t panic if you can’t afford that yacht in the Caribbean or the latest supercar. Most dads surveyed thought you should only spend up to £5, but its worth pushing the boat out a bit to make sure he knows you put in some effort.  ’I just never know what to get him’ is a common complaint, but with a little thought, you might be surprised at how inventive you can be.

The thing about Father’s Day presents is that they’re not necessarily about granting his heart’s desire, or even anything he really needs. It’s about making him smile, showing you thought about it, and proving that you have listened when he talks – at least some of the time. Think back on little comments he’s made, things you know he likes or has expressed an interest in and see if you can come up with something on a similar theme.

You can work with however much or little money you have – a DVD of an old movie he loved seeing in the cinema could be more than enough, or for a seriously special treat, send him on an ‘experience day’ to tick something off his bucket list. You can even gently poke fun with your gift – if he mercilessly mocks your onesie, get him his own so he can see how comfy they are! Chances are you know him far better than you give yourself credit for, so make this the year that you prove it by surprising him with a Father’s Day gift to remember.

The post Buying the perfect Father’s Day gift: mission impossible? appeared first on A Modern Military Mother .