Childhood memories – a beloved auntie, beach fun, summer log cabin houses and caravanning.

With Bug’s 5th birthday looming on the horizon and Jelly Bean reaching that half year mark, now a busy beautiful 6 month old baby boy, I often find myself thinking where has the time gone and how quickly my babies are growing up. Looking at my children growing up so quickly and making memories with them that I will cherish forever, memories I hope they will look back on fondly when they are grown, I often reminisce about my childhood memories.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are from holidays to Hereford and surrounding areas to visit my beloved great-great-great auntie Nansi (sadly now late great-great-great auntie).

During school holidays, the summer holidays in particular, my mum would pack up the car and take my sister and I on road trips to Hereford where we would pitch up at my auntie Nansi’s where we always had a fabulous time and lots of fun and adventures.

Wednesday Words - Naturalist.

Plans for green fingered fun #KidsGrowWild

Bug loves being outdoors.  He is in his element playing in the great outdoors.

He loves going on country walks.

He adores playing in the mud and making a muddy mess.

#23 Visit a Farm. Ranger adventure - 50 Things To Do Before You're 11 ¾

After exploring the 18 th century house, walled gardens, grounds and lake atLlanerchaeron we visited the home farm there for Bug to complete his first 50Things To Do Before You’re 11 ¾ adventure; #23 Visit a farm from the Ranger category of adventures.

The home farm at Llanerchaeron has been resorted to its former glory with its impressive range of traditional, atmospheric outbuildings now being used as a working organic farm with Welsh Black cattle, Llanwenog sheep and rare Welsh pigs.

Bug was super excited when he realised we were headed to see some animals as he loves animals.

In the stone cobbled farm courtyard we explored the stone outbuildings in the hope of seeing some animals. 

A day out at Llanerchaeron.

As I am hoping to encourage a natural childhood of playing in the great outdoors for Bug and keen to record his 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 ¾ accomplishments when we recently had the car on a lovely sunny day I thought it was the perfect time to get out for a day out, play outdoors and attempt a #50 Things task.

With the National Trust Wales promoting the 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 ¾ campaign I thought it would be great to go to a National Trust Property so Bug and I headed to Llanerchaeron in Ciliau Aeron, near Aberaeron.  As my mum has wanted to go to Llanerchaeron for a walk around the house for ages I thought it would be the perfect chance for Bug and I to spend some quality time with her on a family day out.  I also hoped that it would be the perfect day and place for Bug to complete 1 of the 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11 ¾ adventures.

Bug was super excited about his day out with his Mamgu and raced off to explore the 18 th century Welsh gentry estate.

First we decided to have a look in the house which was designed in the 1790’s.  The Llanerchaeron villa is according to the National Trust website is the most complete example of the early work of John Nash. 

Reminiscing with old photographs (Project 365 - 163/365).

Are kids growing up too fast?

The world that our children live in today is drastically different than the one we knew when we were growing up. The rise of social media, text messaging, adult-themed media content, and commercial pressures are all mentioned by parents and some psychologists as proof that children in today’s world are simply growing up too fast. In today’s world children face many social and emotional issues which may have a detrimental effect on their childhood and how fast they grow up.

* Cyberbullying.

Mobile phones and social media outlets have provided us with a more convenient way of staying connected but they’ve also given rise to a whole new type of bullying. Old school bullying was mostly confined to classrooms and outside play areas, where bullies could be reprimanded by schools and parents when their acts were discovered. But now, an increasing amount of bullying — harmful jokes, insults, and threats — are taking place in the virtual realm. The NSPCC estimates that about 38% of young people are affected by cyberbullying, raising the question of how such bullying should be monitored or punished. Should teachers be responsible for tracking children’s computer activity at school? Should parents have access to passwords on social media accounts and follow their children’s online activities? Suggested advice for helping children be aware of cyberbulling and what to do if they experience it is to help your children recognise instances of cyberbullying, have them block any children who are bothering them, and keep evidence of the abuse.

Recreating Revolting Recipes

When I was a child I loved Roald Dahl; I would get lost in his books for hours on end, getting caught up in the magic of his stories.  I read all of his books, reading them again and again.  I still have a lot of my old, extremely well read Roald Dahl books and have started reading a few of the battered looking but much loved books to Bug as I want to pass on my love of reading and the magical stories that Roald Dahl weaved in his magnificent books.  As well as enjoying the splendid stories that Roald Dahl wrote I also loved the vivid illustrations that complemented the stories which were created by the legendary illustrator Quentin Blake.

When I heard that for Roald Dahl Day 2012 they were celebrating 30 gloriumptious years of the loveable, swizzfiggling Big Friendly Giant (otherwise known as The BFG) I started reading The BFG to little man enjoying once again the story of The BFG and how he catches, creates and makes dreams come true.

Win A Beautiful Range Cooker With Iconic Kitchen Brand Rangemaster

When I was younger my grandparents had a farm and in the farmhouse was a beautiful Range Cooker.  It was the heart of the kitchen.  I have fond memories of seeing my mum and my Mamgu (Grandmother in Welsh) stood by the Range Cooker making delicious food.  As well as feeding the family, using the range cooker they made tasty food to feed the hungry workers who had been working hard all day on the farm.