The Simple Things

It is often the simple things that I enjoy the most. 

A day spent in the company of Leo doing those everyday things, 

never ceases to bring a smile to both of our faces.

It could be as simple as a stroll into town,

and popping down to feed the ducks.

Holding Leo's hand as he throws in entire pieces of bread at the awaiting birds.

Holding his hand that little bit tighter when he get's too excited.

Telling Leo to break the bread up and throw it a little bit faster,

as the geese and swans are now jumping onto the path.

Slowly backing away from the cheeky swan's as they get to close for comfort.

Warning Leo that they could bite and getting him to throw faster still.

Watching Leo as he doesn't heed the warnings and continues to smile and laugh.

Fear not crossing his mind at all...

Pulling Leo further back so that there is a little more distance between us and...them.

Smiling at Leo smiling and watching him enjoy our mishap adventure.

Throwing the last of the bread to the birds and hoping they will hop back into the water.

Hoping we can save our abandoned pushchair once they swim away...

And counting our lucky stars that the ducks were being called onto their next feeding spot further down the river.

It's the simple days, doing those simple things when we can just enjoy the here and now. 

It's being able to find the fun in everyday places and watching Leo's eyes glow with delight.

His innocence shines in everything we do, and these simple things that we do are so wondrous and magical to him.

This is why I enjoy the simple things the most... 

The Adventures of The Easywalker June

Since October last year I have been taking many more off-roading adventures with Leo.

You see we have been using the Easywalker June, a pushchair that knows no bounds, and has given me the inspiration to see where else we can venture to with the June, where other pushchairs can only dream about going.

Not even snow seems to get in the June’s way, I am yet to find a terrain that can stop those big chucky wheels in it’s path!

Where ever are adventures have taken us, the June has always been close by, giving us the ability to plough across the bumpiest field with ease.

Together we have tackled public transport and found the whole experience easy, especially when kind members of the public have offered their assistance in helping us on and off the train. 

A really handy aspect of the June is being able to navigate the cosy train aisles. I managed to push Leo in the June all the way down the train aisle to get to the other end. This is something that made my life so much easier, and also stopped me missing the train!

There have been occasions where I have had to collapse the June in a hurry, and juggle Leo at the same time. Something I have succeeded in doing without causing too much of a scene or ruffling to many feathers. 

I have managed to store the June away safely in taxi car boots and in the baggage storage of a train, with the added security of the transport lock that keeps the June locked down and together in one piece.

When the snow came down over the colder months and I refused to pull the car out of our road, the only way I would go anywhere was by foot. There was no question in my mind as to which pushchair would tackle the icy conditions best. 

The June of course was the pushchair of my choosing and it did not fail me or Leo once. We ploughed through the snowy paths, over snow covered grass and up to Granny’s house. I only had to look down at Leo to see how cosy he was in the June Footmuff, and he was none the wiser to just how bitterly cold it really was.

Oh how I longed to be the one pushed around in the June over those few days!

Long may our adventures continue, I have more plans to test the June on further terrains. 

For the moment I am looking forward to brighter skies and sunny days, so I can finally fit in that trip to the beach. I have been longing to test the June on the sand for some time now, but when all depends on when Spring decides to grace us with it’s presence.

Leo Feeds The Ducks

Leo and I have always been and fed the ducks together. 

But until recently I had fed the ducks and Leo has fed himself. Leo has sat there munching on the ducks bread and point blank refused to throw any of it into the river for the ducks.

Then all of a sudden last month on one of our visits to feed the ducks, Leo decided that he would throw it to the ducks instead. I do think he may have been aiming for the ducks...but the fact is he was actually throwing the bread!

He laughed so hard and even harder when he actually managed to hit the duck with the bread...

The ducks, seagulls and geese all gathered around, some getting a little to close for comfort. But with the river banks still being swollen and the water being right up to the steps it meant I could let Leo stand next to me as he threw in the bread, well away from the water. Safe and sound.

It gave him that freedom he craves and he is now loving feeding the ducks more than ever.

Riverside Adventures

With all this torrential rain falling in this awful draught, we have been beside ourselves with utter, doom and gloom boredom. I have been pulling my hair out being stuck inside, and I know Leo has felt exactly the same. I love the sunshine you see and I adore being out and about in it, this is not what I had planned for us, being stuck inside during the Spring months.

So today as soon as I looked out of the window and saw that the rain had listened to my few choice words that I had shouted up at the clouds. I whipped the Quinny out of the car and strapped Leo straight in, just in case the rain clouds came back with a vengeance. I marched us on a walk into town where we spent the morning at baby group and then made our way down to the river to grab a bite of lunch.

As soon as Leo saw where we were, he gave me a massive smile. I think part of that smile was tinged with relief, the kind of relief that comes after you have been locked up inside for over a week. The horrid weather really did leave us housebound, and we were both feeling the relief of escaping the same Four walls. Nothing beats some fresh air and spending some One on One time with your boy...

All that rain had filled the River right up to bursting, feeding the duck's from our usual perch was not going to be happening today....As ducks were now swimming where we usually stand. The water had not been very forgiving when deciding to flow up and out of it's usual course.

This was no problem though and we found a bench a little further along that was now right by the river edge, thanks to the bursting of the banks. It was nice being able to sit there and watch the world go by. The traffic on the other side of the road, the people taking a leisurely stroll along the embankment and of course the duck's who were swimming past, making the very most of all that extra river to swim in.

Sitting by the river with Leo, is something special. It is a magical moment when you can just sit together and take in everything around you. Leo finds it all fascinating, every little thing. The noises the bird's make and all the stranger's who like to make a fuss of him. He watches the river boat's parading past, completely unsure what they are and what their purpose may be.

I plan on spending a lot more time down by the river with my beautiful boy. I am looking forward to the grass becoming dry, so we can drag Daddy down to the river for a picnic and let Leo crawl all around. To take Leo back to the park and re-introduce him to the swings. To aquaint Leo with those magical River Boat's, by taking him on his very first boat ride so he can take in the river sights from a different angle. I know he will love it.

There is so much we can do when the sunshines. So please sun.... Just shine! It is almost Summer after all!

Laura

xx

Saving as a family

Today we have a Guest Post all about how to save money as a family. I am alway's looking for new and innovative ideas to do fun and exciting things with Leo, but trying not to break the bank at the same time... sometimes this is easier said than done.

Our Guest Poster is Danny Ambrose and in his article he has some great ideas on how to save money and still have fun as a family unit!

Saving as a family

1. Use a Price Comparison Website　
In an effort to save money, do what you can to check out price comparison websites. These sites exist to help consumers find the lowest price for something that they want. Whether they wish to　find the best life insurance quote　or the cheapest price for a DVD, a price comparison website can help them. If you take a few moments to look at one of these websites, you will save a lot of money in the long run. You can　find the cheapest quotes　without paying too much, among other things.　

2. Use Local Playgrounds, Parks and Nature Trails　
Although some people may not believe that walking through the woods or feeding the ducks is a fun activity, it should still be considered. A family of any size can find something that works for them; getting rid of stress at the end of a long day is always possible when a playground or park is involved. Children can learn more about nature and have a lot of room to run and play. Parents or other adults can sit and talk or simply take in the activity around them. This can be done for free or at a very low cost.　

3. Eat Most Meals At Home　
Although one meal enjoyed at a restaurant may not set a family on a tight budget back too much, if it is done often it could start to cause problems. If you want to save your funds for something else, consider eating your meals at home. You can make it fun by giving every day of the week a certain theme. For example, one day could be devoted to Mexican food, while another could focus on Chinese food. In the end, it is up to you.　

4. Make saving Money a Game　
Turn the idea of saving money into some kind of competition. If you have children, ask them to come up with creative ways to save money. The first child that comes up with a suitable and good idea can get some kind of prize, such as extra dessert. Create a chart and place it in a room with a lot of traffic. This chart will showcase how much money has been saved, and how much more can be saved. When you keep everybody happy and motivated, saving money can become less of a chore and more of an adventure.　

5. Look for Local Events　
If you are willing, make sure that you look at your local newspaper on a frequent basis. When you do this you will be able to find out about upcoming events. If there will be an ice sculpture festival or a cooking contest, you can learn about it before it is too late to take part. Many community events are free to attend or take part in; you can have fun and learn more about the area that you live in at the same time. You may also make new friends and discover new places of interest.　

I will most certainly be taking some of these ideas away and applying them to our day to day adventures. We have already today been out to feed the ducks...but then we also ate out for lunch....(Bad Mummy). I hope you can all find some of these tips useful.

A duck feeding we will go...

With the arrival of Leo's new Quinny Zapp Xtra, we have been taking it for many a test drive on our walks around the area (In a bid for me to get comfortably back into my size 8's! Yes I am still TRYING to keep my New Year Resolution!)

We are very fond of our new Quinny (But that is another story...A review I will write up at a later date!) and I was wondering what Leo and I could do together while being out and about.

We happen to live a 15 minute walk up the road from the local town and the River Avon. What better way to spend a day, than to take a leisurely stroll into town for a Costa Coffee...and then taking the now 7 month old to feed the ducks for the first time!?

So that was our plan. On Saturday while Daddy was at work, Leo and I did just that. I was not sure how Leo would react...if at all he did react? Was he not to young to take any of the detail in?

Any doubts I had about him enjoying feeding the ducks were gone when he broke into a wide eyed smile and took in every detail. He loved the whole experience.

I had bought a loaf of bread so we could feed the ducks, and of course Leo took the opportunity to stuff the bread into his mouth, learning to share..or steal from the ducks.. Leo was excitedly kicking his legs and watching the Geese walk ever closer to us. My main worry was that the Geese may get a little to close and we would have to make a run for it!

The worries I had about the Geese increased when one took a snap for the other and ended up with many a feathers in it's beak! So I was edging further back...Yes I admit it...I was a bit of a nervous wreck.

It was a sunny but bitterly cold Saturday so I had to make sure that Leo was wrapped up nice and warm while we were by the river. I am so glad that I did take Leo to do this as it was something we both enjoyed doing together, and he has definitely proved my wrong...he is not too young to enjoy doing things like this.

I am most certainly going to be taking Leo to feed the ducks on a weekly basis. It gets us both out of the house and spending some quality Mummy/baby time together and of course...there is nothing wrong with fresh air!

We just have to get Daddy to come along next time!

It is safe to say that I am completely and utterly exhausted from all my walking, I seem to have abandoned my car on the pretence that I would rather walk...EVERYWHERE. I am quite impressed with myself, that and I am enjoying the Quinny. :-)

How have you all been and what was your first experience of feeding the ducks with your little ones?