Category Archives: Newcastle and local

35-49/365 Joy in the Mundane

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Third row down third photo is my (slightly frivolous) What’s the Story this week. It features two of my joys, an old object refound, and vintage too. This necklace was a gift from Alex for my 24th Birthday from my fave little vintage store in Newcastle, it’s sparkly and retro but it’s heavy design gives it a ‘tough’ feel. I have way too much costume jewellery but when I changed jobs and found I had a smart enough wardrobe but it had no edge I got out my old leather jewellery case and remembered this beauty was in there. Joss spotted it straight away “pretty necklace Mammy” so I just had to wear it again, we’ve barely been parted this week! The first photo on the fourth row is my Small Steps… photo, Joss has started taking independent steps outside without holding my hand all the time, she’s growing up!

 

Team Honk Relay

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This week Hannah from Mumsdays was very proactive in organising a NE parenting blogger (pblogger) meet, we overcame challenges of geography and parenting to get together, we lucky three, Hannah, Rita from Three Boys and a Cat and I to get the ball rolling and talk about a very important endeavour.

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The first ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games take place from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March 2014. The public can join the fun and games by running, swimming or cycling their way to raising cash at over a thousand venues around the country, including the landmark events at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

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As one of the biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active raise cash and change lives. The money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help transform the lives of some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people both at home in the UK and across the world. An example close to my heart is that £500 could provide six months of support for a young person in the UK with mental health issues.

The Team Honk Blogger Relay starts in Lands End on the 12th January 2014 and finishes in John O Groats on the 23rd March 2014. We aim to raise over £20,000 for Sport Relief. #teamhonkrelay involves over 200 bloggers, their friends and families in a route that zig zags up the UK taking in 38 regional teams and a range of non-motorised transport, and Joss and I are part of the Durham team, getting the Team Honk relay baton from Durham to Alnwick, my girl and I will be taking the baton from Gateshead to Newcastle along the route.

Our plan says that on the 16th March Rita will collect the baton from the Darlington Team Honk team, on the 17th of March Rita will be braving a 20 mile walk in a onesie from Durham to Gateshead via Mammybear in Washington for cake (we like cake, we bloggers!) At the Angel of the North Rita will meet Joss and I for a photo opportunity and then we will carry the baton on foot with Joss in our toddler carrier from the Angel to the Sage in Gateshead and it is hoped that other slingy mams will join us on our walk!

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I will take the baton back home with me that evening and then 18th March we’ll be passing the baton on to Hannah who will cycle it from Blyth the 30 miles to Alnwick, phew! If you are a NE blogger who could take the baton from Newcastle to the coast at Tynemouth or further North then do speak up!

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How can you help? We have a local target of £500 to raise, and if you’d like to sponsor us you can do, here

You can also spread the word on social media:

Team Honk Twitter & Hashtags: @team_honk #teamhonkrelay

Sport Relief Twitter & Hashtags: @sportrelief #SR14

TeamHonk facebook: #/teamhonk

TeamHonk pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LoveAllBlogs/teamhonk-2014-relay-teamhonkrelay/

Honk honk!

What’s the story?

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“All these animals are dead y’know”

As a child I found Newcastle’s Hancock museum dark and scary, it was the place of dino bones and taxidermy, it had a distinctive smell and wasn’t the most exciting of attractions.

Fast-forward 20 years and a facelift and it’s now Jossy’s and my favourite place to visit, I do a spot of shopping, then we head off to explore for an hour. She has a predictable attention span, 20 minutes of interested looking followed by 40 minutes of running and laughing hysterically, it’s the wooden floors you see, big spaces to run and jump!

She knows most of the animal names now, seal, elephant, shark and giraffes are the big faves, but the raptor is by far the best!

I just love that new life has been breathed into my childhood memories and we’re making new ones twenty years on!

Arts and Crafts at The Laing Art Gallery

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A short photo post today as I’ve been at work and am feeling a bit tired! This week Joss and I had a lovely afternoon out at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, and looking back at my photos got me thinking that we don’t do enough art at home, mainly because we haven’t really got any materials since her last round of crayon eating, when she was probably that bit too young. She really enjoyed the light boxes, and the pots and pots of pencils, crayons and pens, lots to explore and lots of colours.
The Quentin Blake pictures on the walls were also a big hit, this little one looks like our Tobydog! I adore Quentin Blake’s illustrations so it was a treat for me too!
I have tasked myself with buying a few supplies this weekend, some pencils and pens and a piece of plastic sheeting, to compliment the paints and bits and bobs we do have at home, something to do on a rainy day, I think I’ll get some catalogues and photos too, so that we can have some themed sessions, as she loved the dogs at the Laing I think we’ll start with a ‘puppies’ theme! Photos from our sessions to follow over the coming weeks!