Tuesday 28 February 2017
One Day I'll get my Lantern Roof
Monday 27 February 2017
Review: Saltdean Tavern Stonehouse Restaurant, Brighton
Saturday 25 February 2017
Feeling Fulfilled…
I’ve probably had one of my best mornings of the year today. I’m currently sitting having a cuppa in one of my favourite cafes and you can’t wipe the smile off my face. I feel totally fulfilled right now as if I’m doing the right thing at the right time.
Why? You might wonder. Has Michelle landed a fab job, secured a holiday, lost a stone (if only)? No, nothing quite so dramatic, nor so self-focused. What I’ve done this morning is have my regular one hour appointment with a child that I am coaching through the Christian charity TLGfollow. I won’t tell you any specifics about the little boy I meet as that’s not appropriate but basically he is someone who is struggling at school.
Generally TLG take coaches into school to meet with children who need someone on their side. Often they are on the verge of exclusion, regularly being sent out of class, having volatile interactions with their peers or maybe completely withdrawing. Misunderstanding and unhappiness can of course manifest differently in each child and some don’t even know why they are not happy, they just live in a loop of anger and desperation causing poor choices and negative consequences.
I’ve been meeting my little mate (that’s what I call him) since September last year. We have just one hour each week in school that is time for him. TLG have set up their coaching resources perfectly and I have a whole host of tools I can use to fill 20 minutes with meaningful conversation – exploring actions, consequences and choices and the other 40 minutes is about fun, bonding and being together. Many coaches craft with their pupil and before Christmas we did this, making gifts for his family but now we have settled into a routine of game playing. He loves Uno, cards, monopoly, connect 4 – you name it, we’ve played them all.
The value of this game playing can’t be underestimated as I’ve seen him grow in fairness, integrity and honesty over the last five months and I pray those good choices he makes when he is with me start to feed through to the rest of his life. Today, for the first time we played the Anger Solution Game and it is an excellent resource to help your child explore their own feelings, hear your model answers and keep the child focused on gaining their counters and winning ultimately, so they don’t really realise how deeply they are opening up.
Today my little mate honestly talked about both the good and the bad of his week and he felt confident and comfortable to do so. He has worked hard against his target the last few weeks and as such next week during half term he will come out with my girls and I to our local seaside and the kids will all scoot the prom, play in the park and have fish and chips. Or if the weather isn’t so great then maybe they’ll swim but I hope this helps him to believe that kids who try hard are a pleasure to be with and they get rewards.
Could you volunteer?
TLG is always looking for new coaches. Maybe you’d like to do what I do? It would require a commitment of one hour a week for an academic year and you get allotted one child to get to know and work with. There is no academic work involved and you are the master of your own sessions but be reassured you’ll be trained before you start, you have an easy-to-use recording system, you’ll have a local co-ordinator and a prayer partner and there is always someone to help or talk to if you need to. For more information head to the TLG website.follow
Friday 24 February 2017
Review: Babe the Sheep Pig Live - Touring the UK NOW!
Thursday 16 February 2017
8 Positive Things to Do When You are Feeling Overwhelmed
Sometimes you don't even know what is bothering you but life just feels as if it is about to overwhelm you. You know how it is, some days you can take on the world and others the slightest thing may push you over the edge. Here I share five positive things you can do to help yourself when it all feels too much.
Sunday 12 February 2017
Visiting Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain with Children
Last August we took our first holiday abroad as a family and we had an amazing time. So amazing in fact that we are again this year heading back to the Catalonia region of Spain and will be enjoying a holiday with Eurocamp at the Playa Montroig Camping Resort in Miami Platja, Costa Dorada.
One place that I expect we will visit again will be the beautiful historic city of Tarragona. it is the capital of the Catalonia region and a real gem to visit. There is such variety and depth in this city that became a UNESCO World Heritage site in November 2000 when it recognised 'The Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco' (modern-day Tarragona) for its importance as a major administrative and mercantile Roman city.
Visit the Tourist Office
Tarragona is such a big and diverse city there are four tourist offices across the city for you to visit. Either plan your visit out using the internet in advance or arrive at one of the offices and let the very helpful staff advise you how to fill your day.
Make sure you check out the calendar of events in advance as there is so much going on in Tarragona from an international fireworks competition to Tarraco Viva (that looks to raise awareness of ancient Roman history) to L'Home dels Nassos (the man of the many noses) festival. In September you may be lucky enough to be there for the festival for the Patron Saint of the City - Santa Tecla,
Praying for Future Grace
Last night as part of my Freedom in Christ course I was introduced to the concept of praying for future grace. It is not a term I’ve ever heard spoken before but it really struck me and has sat with me all morning and I keep musing it.
I was asked if I ever pray the night before for the tools I’ll need the next day to help me through the day and whilst I do pray for situations that might be coming up the next day or things that are troubling me. I have never named all the things I’ll need to help me through the next day – things like patience, joy, self-control, wisdom etc
I like the idea of this if I’m honest and it seems really authentic, as if I’d be more purposefully connecting with God and invoking his help in my day-to-day life and particularly in my struggle areas, like that of over-eating. I absolutely know that God is willing to be involved in all parts of my life and that whatever I do He loves me the same but the bible tells me to ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7:7) and the answers will be provided and the door opened and I feel as if praying into these situations asking for what I need the next day will be actively seeking and unlocking the door.
That feels really powerful.
I had a bit of a google to see if others are using the term future grace and I came across a book of the same name written by John Piper and I’m going to treat myself to it as I feel as if the Lord has led me to this book. It appears that Pipers position is that too many Christians are attempting to be good disciples of Christ from a sense of gratitude, whereas it would be better to follow Jesus as we walk in faith and belief of the grace he extends day by day. I like the idea of this as it feels like a relationship built on heart knowledge rather than just head. Having wrote a blog post on here a while back I realised that I needed to move much of my knowledge from my head to my heart, so this sounds perfect. I really liked this quote taken from John Pipers Desiring God website
By grace I do not merely mean the pardon of God in passing over your sins, but also the power and beauty of God to keep you from sinning
How amazing if I can move from a place of feeling like I have no option but to sin (normally overeating in my case) to being confident of God’s grace and His conditional love for me being the antidote. I’ll keep you posting.
For now, here is tonight prayer for future grace for tomorrow –
Dear Lord,
Thanks for all You do for me, I love being Your child and being able to study Your word and get to know You better.
- Please Father can I ask for time so that I may sit and wait on You to hear what Your will is and what You want me to do each day.
- I ask for self-control that I may be able to hold back from eating foods that I don’t need or ones I know are not wholesome and useful for my body
- I ask for wisdom of how to spend my time and where to place my thoughts. Please help me to use the time I have effectively to glorify You.
- I ask for humility so that when things go well I remember it is about You and not about me. I can only do these things through Your gifts and strength.
- I pray for tolerance that when I come into contact with people who I find difficult that I might meet them in the supernatural and be able to extend Your love to them.
- Even though I don’t think I deserve it, I know that grace covers that and it comes without conditions so please Lord I ask that You help me to be fit and well. That my aches in my legs will cease, that my periods return to a normal and manageable level and that my lungs work to their full capacity.
- I pray Lord You give me a desire to move more and to exercise to help me be fitter and lose some weight.
- Also Lord, please I pray can You help me to be kind to myself. No longer do I want to label myself or call me names, I just want to see myself for what I am – an imperfect Christian trying her best but ultimately leaning on You to make changes.
- Finally Lord I pray that I feel Your peace all day tomorrow. There is a need for effort on my part but no need for striving as the things I’ll be doing are done for You and in Your power.
You Lord are the one almighty Father and I praise your name and thank you again. My life is so much richer since I came to know you. Blessed be Your name.
Friday 10 February 2017
Giveaway: Tommee Tippee Complete Feeding Set, worth £109
- Electric Steam Steriliser,
- Travel Steriliser,
- Electric Bottle and Food Warmer,
- 3 x 150ml Closer to Nature Easi-Vent Bottles with Slow Flow Teats,
- 5 x 260ml Closer to Nature Easi-Vent Bottles with Slow Flow Teats,
- 2 x Medium Flow Teats – 3-6m,
- 2 x Fast Flow Teats – 6m+,
- 4 x Milk Storage Lids,
- 6 x Milk Powder Dispensers – 0m+,
- 2 x Insulated Bottle Bags,
- 1 x Bottle and Teat Brush
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on here to share either your favourite memory of a time with your own baby or someone else's.
The giveaway is run through Rafflecopter and will be live until midnight on 23rd February 2017.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms and Conditions (copied from Rafflecopter)
The giveaway will close at midnight on 23rd January 2017. The winner will be chosen at random. The winner will receive a Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Complete Starter Kit. The winner will be announced on this blog and twitter within 7 days of the giveaway close. The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative. The winner of the prize needs to be a UK resident and be over 18 years of age. The winner will have 14 days from announcement to email/ tweet me and provide their name and address for delivery. If the winner does not contact me I will re-draw. Tommee Tippee is responsible for the fulfilment of this prize.
Disclosure: I've not received anything to host this giveaway. Sometimes it is just nice to offer out a great prize to my readers as a thank you for your continues support, Mich x
Wednesday 8 February 2017
Parenting Expectations Versus Reality
Holding my JJ in the very early days! |
I've been a parent for over fourteen years now as I believe the parenting gene kicks in from the moment you find out you are pregnant, not just when the child arrives. I loved and nurtured JJ in my womb, I was planning for our future together and I was certainly already spending money on him before he had even been born.
I can vividly remember my lunch breaks from work in Hemel Hempstead town centre making frequent visits over to Mothercare and the Early Learning Centre to buy baby vests, pastel coloured toys, nappies, cot accessories, feeding bottles, more nappies and in truth a ton of other stuff that I probably never even used. If I added up the cost of all the mother and baby magazines that I bought we are probably talking at least three figures!
It is no wonder that parents underestimate the true cost of raising a child and of course there isn't only the monetary cost but there is also the emotional and lifestyle costs too. Truthfully as a younger woman I never thought I'd be a mother, I didn't have that desire but then for me, meeting the right man and getting married triggered that maternal want but with it came many sacrifices. I gave up my well paid job as I just couldn't justify having a child and working those kind of hours any longer, we stopped going abroad as of course the money I used to earn was now not there and I then had this little being that I had such a fierce love for and I had to let go of many of my selfish ways.
Sunday 5 February 2017
Rejection: Even Harder to Watch as a Parent
A photo posted by Michelle Pannell (@michelletwinmum) on
It's only been in the last couple of years that I have realised that at the age of 43 I suffer with deep-seated feelings of rejection. The root of these goes right back to primary school and being the last to be picked for gym or being the one left out when it was play time. I can still feel the hurt of being about 10 or 11 and sitting hiding behind a curtain at a birthday party, crying as I just knew no-one really wanted me there.
It's not easy being stuffed full of all these feelings of inadequacy and unlove for more than thirty years but the great news is that now I know about this issue I'm able to deal with it and I'm currently reading Uninvited by Lisa Terkeurst. It is proving really helpful, giving me insight into how I need to deal with those feelings of rejection that have stayed with me for far too long. I've also just started a course at church called Living Free and I had an amazing first week and can't wait to go along again tomorrow.
Thank the Lord that as I grow as a Christian God helps me to see all the issues that I have been burying for far too long and I have the opportunity to deal with them if I wish. This revelation isn't just helping me though it also enables me to see where my children might be having issues and right now one of my girls is feeling rejection in a big way.
Thursday 2 February 2017
Reasons to be Cheerful - Weight Loss, Curry and Living Free #R2BC
Here are my reasons to be Cheerful this week -
1. #1GoodThing and Instagram. I really enjoy Instagram, it is such a positive and visual place, so I love to have half hour there most days. Back in December I started the #1GoodThing hashtag for Advent and the idea was to stay grounded during the crazy run-up to Christmas. I enjoyed it so much and so did @teamlloyd that we decided to keep it going for all of 2017.
I'm loving seeing more people join in and use the hasthag and it is creating a nice little community of like-minded people. It's a bit like #R2Bc for Instagram I suppose!
A photo posted by Michelle Pannell (@michelletwinmum) on
Wednesday 1 February 2017
5 Months Later - Hotter School Shoes Update
Pictures taken in the Hotter Store, Eastbourne |
You might recall that all three of my children were super lucky back at the end of August and chose a pair of Hotter shoes each for back to school. They have all been wearing their shoes for all of Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan and I'll let you take a look at the shoes and see for yourself how they are doing.
The Pictures above were taken in January 2017 as they came off the kids feet, so without them being polished and the ones below are today with them polished ready to wear again tomorrow.