Things To Do Together When You're Broke or Can't Get a Babysitter

"You've got a friend in me ..."

We like going out, but sometimes the state of our bank balance tells us we have to stay in. Other times, the bank balance is fine, but there's no babysitter.  Here are some of our best budget / no baby sitter date night ideas:

• Movie night.  Put on a DVD or stream a film, crack open the snacks and the drinks, dim the lights ... Enjoy your film.  Lose all feeling in your lap when cat appears and makes himself comfortable.

• Board games.  We dig out Monopoly or Cluedo.  Playing them is like being transported back to when you were 10 at a time there was no Internet or Mobiles and only 4 TV channels.  (The Tubblet always looks horrified when we talk about this).  We are all very competitive, but Rev T usually wins. Some of us have mastered their "gracious loser" face whilst others are still learning.   You can also shoot things on the games console if there are enough controllers to go round.

• Go for a coffee.  We love spending an hour or so in coffee shops watching the world go by. It's much cheaper than going for dinner but still gets us out of the house.  We like window seats so we can sip and people watch.

• Walking.  Beautiful scenery, fresh air whilst talking about important stuff and getting fit. 

• Pinterest challenge.  Pinterest is full of pictures from days gone by - holiday brochures, knitting patterns etc.  Make like a model and recreate the photos.  Check out The Quirky Parent for inspiration.  Make things more interesting by having a competition.  Load the photos up onto Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to see who gets the most likes.  Loser buys coffee.

• Dinner parties.  One friend provides the venue and the main course, the other the pudding and both contribute towards the wine.  This assumes you have friends who like cooking and both sets of children get on, but hopefully! The children borrow a bed for a few hours being taken home and the parents get some adult time.  We only had issues with this once, when we suggested it to another Ministerial couple.  They only allowed family members upstairs.  We totally got it.  Having boundaries to ensure the Manse is a family home not an extension of the church is really important. Everyone draws them differently. For them, it was who went upstairs.  It took a bit of negotiation, but everyone got their dinner, the Tubblet got a place to sleep and a great time was had by all.

• Do stuff online.  iRazoo lets you earn points by doing tasks - taking a survey, reading a blog, watching a video, playing a game, referring a friend etc - that turn into rewards to spend at online shops like Amazon or turned into cash from Paypal.  See who can earn the most in an hour. (See.  Told you we were competitive).

Let me know what you think of these ideas or other things you've tried in the comments.

[Disclosure:  This post was done in collaboration with iRazoo but all views are my own].

A Caller at the Keats House, Hampstead

I  loved English, history and RE lessons when I was in school. I wasn't so good at subjects like Domestic Science or Maths and the less said about my (lack of) sporting talents the better.  I was that brace-faced, glasses wearing nerd in the front row who always had her hand up in the air and could rattle off loads of random stuff.  Still am.  Obviously minus the braces!  

Attempting to cram poetry into my dyslexic brain was more of a challenge.  Apart from vague memories of, "Seasons of mellow fruitfulness ..." and "Exit, pursed by a bear" there's not much I remember from the Keats and Shakespeare I studied back then.  I do remember visiting the Keats House in Hampstead with some friends.  Not sure about the others, but I've never been back since.  Until the other weekend.  

Keats shared some rooms in the house with his friend, Charles Brown, from December 1818 to September 1820 and wrote most of his major poems while he lived there.  He left to go to Rome in the hope of alleviating his tuberculosis and died from the disease the following year, aged just 25. 

The house contains original manuscripts and artefacts - all beautifully arranged - telling the story of Keats' short life.  There is also a small display on Keats's sweetheart, Fanny Brawne, who lived next door.   

It's a really lovely place to spend a morning even if you're not a big poetry fan.  Afterwards, go down the road to Polly's Tea Room and for a wander around the Heath.

Here are a few photos of my visit:

And a piece of Keats' poetry:

Hope you enjoyed looking around with me and that everyone had a great half-term break.  Thank you, as always, for reading.  

Good Vibes Only. The Happiness List

Sometimes it's good to slow down and look at the things - people, objects or products - that bring joy and help lift a mood.  Making the day better.  Goodness knows, we need it right now!

• When the man from the coffee shop greets you in the morning with the words, "Large latte?".  (This may also be a sign you go there way too much!)

• Lazy Saturday mornings.  Watching the rain.  From inside the house.

• Staring out of the train window.  In a seat.  During rush-hour.

• When a dog or cat comes up to say hello.

• Making someone laugh / smile.

• Starting a new book.  Or finishing one.  

• When your favourite song comes on the radio.  Or on iPod shuffle.

• Cheese.  Cheese, ham, potatoes and cream.  Cheese on toast.  Cheese.  (Almost as good as bacon.  Or chocolate).  

• Spring forward as the clocks have gone forward an hour so the evenings are lighter.  Which means summer is coming.  So we can get the barbecue out, sit on a blanket and drink wine in the garden.  In the sun.  (Provided the one sunny day doesn't happen whilst we're at work or school).

• When a not-so-small person decides they're not too cool to hold your hand.  The bigger one is, thankfully, never bothered.  

What's your happy?  Add to the list in the comments.

Easter Post from Rev T

As it is Easter week, Rev T has written a guest post for me.  It's not like he's busy or anything.

"What stories do you keep returning to? What is it about that story you continue to want to revisit? What’s the appeal? Perhaps the narrative offers an escape or adventure beyond the ordinariness of everyday life? Maybe it’s something else?

It’s no secret I am a Star Wars nerd.  I have watched the original (naturally) films many times. But  to assume this would be my automatic film choice for a re-watch is incorrect.  The film I return to time and time again is ‘Where Eagles Dare’.  A WWII adventure with twists and turns throughout.  I love that what seem to be innocuous moments become integral to the plot as everything unfolds towards the end.  The screen version of Alistair MacLean’s novel. 

Two thousand years ago, Israel's major festival was  Passover. Families would gather to re-tell the story of their ancestor’s incredible escape from slavery in Egypt. The drama of how the most powerful empire in the world. led by Pharaoh, tried to defy the God of the Israelites. Two deities (Pharaoh’s were considered to be gods) facing off to claim ‘bragging rights’. In the end it was no competition.  Pharaoh escaped by the skin of his teeth. 

In the Jewish faith, families still remember this period in their long history by feasting and celebrating. The story retold to remind everyone of hardships and danger their ancestors faced. Jesus’ disciples thought they were going to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover on the weekend we now know as Easter. A room was prepared and the food all ready.

That night, a new drama unfolded.  For Jesus and the disciples it seems as if the darkness continues to press in and overwhelm. Events spiralled out of control.  At first glance, violence and hatred seemed victorious as Jesus was executed in the most brutal way ever devised by humanity.

The Easter story takes on another narrative, light pierces through the dense darkness, hope breaks through the despair and love and forgiveness turn the tide of hatred and violence back. It is this narrative my family hold onto and use to try and frame our lives.  Even when much of the world we live in seems determined to follow a worrying path. 

I am unsure whether anyone who reads this post is familiar with the Easter story. Perhaps you heard it years ago but for whatever reason it has faded into the background of your memory. There’s no sermon from me - please don’t tell the Tubblet - but simply an invite for you to look again. If you want to know more about this story or simply want to ask a question then please ask in the comments".

I'll get Rev T to reply once Easter Week is over.  Thank you for reading and Happy Easter.  Enjoy the well earned break.

Being a Foster Carer

Today I've asked our friends, C and C *, to share their experiences of fostering. C and C are an amazing couple, with three lovely children of various ages. They are the busiest people we know. Over to them:

"Fostering wasn't something we'd ever thought much about, but the idea came up.  The more we discussed it and pushed doors, the more we thought it was something our family could do. We're a close family, so we discussed it with the children first.  They all seemed keen on the idea.  We knew the reality of having a new child in our home wouldn't be without difficulties, but we decided to explore further.

We contacted our local authority to tentatively inquire about what what we'd be taking on.  They provided good training and tried to prepare us as much as possible.  There is only so much you can do in advance to prepare.  Each child is different.  A different story and needs.

The whole family needs to be on board or it won't be a success. It's important to have a close network of support around you.  You will need it! Fostering isn't for the faint-hearted. It's hard, stressful work. You will be a voice in meetings and work closely with professionals.

As Christians we believed God would send us the child who needs us. We saw God answer our prayers and count it a privilege to have been able to play a part in a child's life when they needed a safe place.

Our foster placements so far have ranged from a new born to a primary age boy, two toddler brothers and an emergency placement. We will never forget the children who come into our home and are placed into our care. They will forever have a place in out hearts.  Their smiling faces still shine from the photos on display in our home.  We continue to keep in touch with many of them.

Local authorities are always looking to recruit new carers. Foster carers can be any age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or relationship status. You don't need to fit a particular mould, but you do need a spare room.  The children come from many different backgrounds.  There is a high demand for foster carers who can provide a home for sibling groups or teenagers.  Respite carers for disabled children and long-term placements for children too old for adoption are also needed.

If you are thinking of fostering, I would read as much info as you can. We found 'A Home For Good' by Krish Kandiah a great help. Talk to people who foster and read up on attachment problems and therapeutic parenting.

Children in care are the most vulnerable people in society. A child comes into care every 22 seconds in UK. In the UK, 4,000 children are waiting for adoption and 9,000 foster families are desperately needed.

It's the hardest thing we have done as a family but also the most rewarding. Psalm 68:6 says, "You find families for those who are lonely." (CEV)"

Thank you C and C for allowing me to share your story here.  They've very kindly agreed to come back in a few weeks to try and answer any questions about fostering you may have.  So please ask away in the comments.

* They've asked to remain anonymous so those are all the details I can share.  Thanks for your understanding.

A Grand Day Out in Hampstead

Even though it's just a train-ride away, we've never been for a wander around Hampstead.  Apart from walking from one station to another to pick up a connection.  Until a few weekends ago when our friends, L and her daughter E, visited us from Canada and suggested it as a place we could all go.  We had a great time just hanging out, taking in the scenery.

Today, I'm sharing a few photos of our pottle around Hampstead Heath.  Hope you enjoy them.

We ended up at Kenwood House.  The house is rammed with art from Rembrandt, Hals, Vermeer, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Van Dyke ... It's an amazing collection and the pictures were stunning.  I took a few photos of the grounds, but didn't bother trying to take photos of the inside or the art.

The grounds are beautiful and full of statues - Moore, Hepworth and Dodeigne.  We were lucky the day was sunny so we got some great photos.

Flamme by Eugène Dodeigne

We went to the Keats House as well.  That's a whole other post that'll appear shortly.  Thank you for reading and have a great day.