Our camping trip. Or proof that lists are a force for good

We're back from our latest trip to Wales which was both exhausting and relaxing in equal measure. Choosing the busiest weekend of the summer holidays was probably our first mistake. Camping always catches me out in that it seems like such a laid back and easy way to holiday. In reality, it takes a fair amount of organising to do it well and forgetting this was definitely our second mistake.

We left everything to the last minute. The morning before we left, Dan dropped Alessi off at nursery before heading off to work, leaving me at home to get everything together. If we had put together a list first, this point of the process would have been very straight forward. Instead it was basically me running around the house, remembering things as I went along and hoping I didn't forget anything. Which of course I did.

I have no idea why we were so rubbish this time around. I can only think it's because we've been juggling other things at home too. DIY and an attic clear out have left the house (and our thoughts) in a bit of a muddle. I guess trying to organise anything when our minds were so jumbled was always going to be a struggle.

All that said, we were back home surrounded by trees, hills and sea so in between the odd pocket of stress, we both had moments where we were able to breathe it all in.

And looking on the bright side, as I said to Dan, each time you go camping, you learn something new which will make future trips easier. This time our lesson has been to plan well in advance! Actually, you can add avoiding bank holidays, meal planning and if you value your sanity at all, remembering to bring along toys to keep kids entertained, to the list of things we learnt from this trip.

But oh, Wales. 

I wouldn't have thought it possible to feel so connected to a place if I didn't feel it myself. It’s home and I miss it. Unfortunately though I can't see us moving back any time soon.  Dan and I are very different people in terms of what we need. I like the quiet life and countryside. He likes people, stuff to do and reliable internet access. To be fair, I'm with him on that last one. And of course there's Alessi and what is ultimately best for her. 

Who knows, maybe one day we'll return to the motherland, but for now at least there will be more trips like this one (well, not too much like this one I hope), and more posts with pictures like these..

The tent is now lying in the garden drying. And so endeth the camping spam. 

Fresh air

We went to Wales last weekend.

My little beach bug lost her mind. Large open spaces to run about in. Heaven for a two year old.

And yes, she's wearing crocs. I don't want to talk about it.

We went for a walk and found a hillside absolutely covered in bilberry bushes. 

We came back the next morning with a tub and for the second time in as many days, Alessi left the hillside with stained clothes and a full belly.

Speaking of the little gannit, she was obsessed with this cheeky gargoyle. Can't think why.

Sitting in meadows, counting dragonflies. It's not a bad life sometimes. Does that sound a bit smug? 

I got bitten by a horse fly minutes after taking this picture.

And balance is restored.

Summer Manifesto 2014

Last summer I posted a list of things I wanted to do while the sun still shone. Summer Bucket List 2013

I loved working my way through the list and had so much fun while doing it. In fact, we made so many warm and fuzzy memories as a result of that list, that I've decided to make it a summertime tradition!

So here's my Summer Manifesto for 2014.

It's a shame that that things are so much busier this year, which prevents me from adding more. That said, I think the things I've chosen will provide some fun for all of us and add a few more 'warm and fuzzies' to the old memory bank!

Does anyone else have a summer list? What sort of things do you add to it? 

I would love some inspiration for future summer lists! 

2013 - Year of the toddler

Last year was The Year of the Slug. This year, rather than slugs, it seemed appropriate to give the pest title to none other than my daughter. She got into everything. Everything. It was hard enough to get things started in the first place what with the late appearance of spring, but really it was the first time she'd been able to explore outside properly since she learnt to walk. So explore it she did.

Plants were trampled on, handfuls of soil were grabbed and thrown into the air. Curious fingers picked and pulled at seedlings and even my mini greenhouse seemed like a good climbing frame.
It got to the point where spending even brief periods of time in the garden with Alessi was becoming stressful rather than fun. I knew I didn't want to spend my time running around after her constantly saying no this and no that. Most of all I wanted the garden to be somewhere I could relax and watch her play and explore to her heart's content. So I gave up. I ditched anything high maintenance and left the garden to it's own devices. Sadly, this meant also having to re-home the chickens. They wanted to roam the garden which I used to let them do during the spring and summer months, but I didn't want Alessi playing in and picking up chicken poo either. Luckily at the same time a friend of ours was looking to get herself some chickens so she took them on and I honestly think they were happier for it. Maybe when Alessi is a little older we'll look to get some more,but for the meantime it was the best thing to do. I do miss them though.

Anyway, back to the veggies. Here's what worked (and what didn't) this year plus tips in blue for my own reference, so that I know what to do differently next year..

THE GOOD

• Pumpkins - plant in the sunniest spot, they love it there
• Strawberries - hanging baskets are a winner, copper tape will keep the more determined slugs and snails at bay. Will need watering twice daily in hot weather though
• Salad leaves - don't bother with raised beds, they're too much of a lure for a toddler who likes to play with soil. Sow directly into the veggie patch and don't be precious when it comes to spacing seedlings.

THE BAD

• Courgettes - move to a sunnier spot and don't accidentally plant one in a hanging basket along with the strawberries. *Ahem*
• Onions - don't bother. Grow garlic instead.
• Beetroot - don't bother with these either
• Spring onions - ..or these
• Sweet peppers - Start growing early, in February and stagger the seed sowing. Treat for spider mite from day one.
• Sweet Potatoes - Don't bother trying to grow roots by sitting in water. You'll wait for months for a tiny tap root that will eventually give up and die. These things need a long time to grow so ignore what the online advice says and just chit like you would a regular potato. 

THE DOWN RIGHT UGLY

• Anything grown in the conservatory - Treat for spider mite as soon as the first buds appear. Don't ever try bug spray again! Stick with chemical free solutions and keep spritzing. As soon as signs appear on leaves, cut them off straight away and be brutal if need be. They will grow back. 
• Nettle plant feed - Making plant food with nettles was a great idea. Leaving it in a bucket to 'brew' and then forgetting about it for FOUR months was not. The stuff stinks after six weeks. Four months and the smell will linger for days.

So that's it. The lesson to be learnt here is Hell hath no fury like a curious toddler interrupted during a game of 'chuck the seedlings'. Next year I might just stick with a paddling pool for her and a giant glass of Pimms for me. Lovely.

It's Wales baby!

Many of you will know already (because I wouldn't shut up about it), that I went home to Wales last week for a long overdue break. We also nipped up to the Lake District for a wedding beforehand so there was a lot of driving involved. By the time we got home I was sick of being stuck in the car, sick of motorways and sick of listening to Baby Jack on loop to keep Alessi entertained. It was all worth it though.

The weather was a nice surprise. The sun shone the entire time so we were able to do so much more than I'd hoped. I even managed to tick off a few things from my Summer Bucket List.

We went for a ride on the Aberystwyth steam train which runs past my Dad's house. It was lovely to see the valley from a different perspective and Alessi absolutely loved it! You know when dogs hang out of car windows? Well that.

 I see you

 See what I mean? Dog out of a car window. :)

We had chips by the sea. Lots of salt and vinegar of course.

 Apart from having to chuck water to scare off all the pigeons, our chippy lunch was uninterrupted and lovely.

I got to play with Alessi on the beach. Dan hates what passes for sand on Aberystwyth beach, but my gravel loving daughter was like a pig in mud. So 'nuh nuh' to you Mr Bliss.

And my mum took a photo of the three of us so we have a family picture now. Too bad I hate it. This is our take on the awkward family portrait.

But we also got to do some unplanned things too. Dad took me up in a very pink helicopter which I had a good laugh at. It was pretty cloudy, but the view was still breathtaking and the freedom of being able to say "let's go over there...oooh what's that? Let's go have a look" was pretty amazing. Dan kept his feet firmly on the ground with Alessi and before I got in the helicopter, asked if it was ok to marry again if I died.

 The higher we went, the flatter everything looked until it all started to resemble a big, green, patchwork quilt.

 Taking a sneaky picture of me and Dad. He was very amused.

On our last day at Dad's we went down to the 'pebble beach' where we spent a happy hour chucking stones in to the river until it got too hot. Alessi absolutely loved it and cried when we had to leave.

A nappy, wellies, some stones and a river makes for a very happy Pip

The whole weekend was well needed. It made me realise what a country girl I am at heart. As soon as we arrive and I'm allowed to wander about again I start to feel less anxious and more 'me'.

Growing up in this place probably hasn't helped my hermit style ways, but at this point in my life I'm past caring about how outgoing I am - or not as the case may be.

And it was so wonderful to see just how much Alessi loved being outside too. She got upset each time she had to stop playing and come back into the house and hated leaving the river.

That's my girl. 

Summer bucket list

Summer is almost over and there is still so much I want to do so I've shamelessly nicked this idea from My Little Acorns. A bucket list for the next few weeks.

Summer catch up

I've left it far too long since my last post as we haven't got up to much. We're incredibly skint at the moment so there's been no summer holiday or festivals for us this year *cries*. So far my summer in a nutshell has consisted of keeping Pip entertained and cool, sewing and stuffing my face with fruit, Pimms and ice creams. That and wishing that we lived somewhere else, but that's a post for another day. For now here is a quick photo dump of my summer so far.

 Personally I am loving this heat. I think I'm the only one, but we so rarely get decent summers so I refuse to complain about it.

Although, sometimes it got too hot to play so collapsing is the game of choice.

Having given up on ever being able to sew in my sewing room, this desk has become my portable studio.

One of the dresses I've made, to be listed soon.

Watching Alessi's independence grow everyday. Running and exploring are her favourite things.

Having a visit from my favourite Dutch girl. Come back E!

Watching Alessi make friends with the animals at the local farm. We need a goat.

Car boot sales. The one this morning was an absolute bust, but sometimes you can unearth the odd treasure.

Ice creams, lollipops and..

Eton messes!

Pumpkin peeking.

They'll be pumpkin pie this year. So happy.