Guest Post: Finding My Faith Again

God Loves you from Shutterstock

Another guest post for you today. In this one Rachel of Rachel in Real Life shares her experience of growing up a Christian and then walking away from her faith and rediscovering it a decade later. What a difference ten years makes! You can catch up with Rachel on Twiiter too - @Rachel_IRL.

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One of my earliest memories is of the day that I became a Christian. I was around six years old and it was the day of my mum's baptism. I can remember knowing what it meant to commit my life to Jesus and being absolutely sure that it was what I wanted. Although my dad never went to church he certainly never stopped any of us from going or made us feel uncomfortable for doing so. 

I was baptised when I was 14 and went on to help to run a youth group at 18. By 19/20 I had left the church and my faith behind. There wasn't a single event that made me leave but an accumulation of events and feelings. I never really felt as though I was a part of the church or that I had any friends there. Everyone seemed to be a better Christian than me, loved God more, were more holy, doing everything right, they were happy while I had started my battle with depression, a battle that would continue for years to come. 

My mum also felt unsupported which certainly influenced me. My mum died when I was 21 and neither myself nor my siblings felt as though we had much support from the church although I guess that was probably because her own attendance had dropped in the months prior to her death. I then spent 10 years not really knowing where I was at as a Christian. I still believed in God but I couldn't say with a great deal of conviction that I had a faith. I still believed in heaven but I couldn't be sure that I would be going there and I didn't know what that meant for me.  

Last year, after my youngest sister arranged for lifts for me, I attended an Alpha course and I started to go to her church.  During the first four weeks of my going there, I cried during every service. I came out with panda eyes and tear-stained cheeks, the husband would ask me what had happened and I simply couldn't explain but somehow, I knew I had felt just something of God's love for me. Earlier this year I had major surgery and was in hospital twice. A lot of people who go to the church got in touch, offering support and love and seemed to be genuinely pleased for me when I was back on my feet. People I have known only a short while have asked me how I am recovering and continue to ask after my health each week. 

What's the difference between now and over 10 years ago? Jesus has become personal to me and in the church I now attend I don't feel like I have to pretend to be filled with the Holy Spirit all of the time or to be immensely grateful 24/7. I have a thirst for more knowledge that I never had before and I am active in the church again, this time working with young children. 

There are, of course, difficulties. Jesus never promised us that a life following him would be easy, in fact he promised just the opposite. For me, the biggest challenge is that my husband isn't a Christian and doesn't ever come to church with me. A few months ago we attended a dedication and he enjoyed that service, even telling me he almost responded to ask for prayer but he didn't. Just this morning he said he might come along then decided against it. Unfortunately the service would have been the perfect message for him to hear but I have to trust that there will be another opportunity. 

My son comes along sometimes and I get upset when he doesn't, when he would rather stay at home with daddy because he does have fun when he goes. The husband is however very supportive of me attending church and of my Christian values. Despite not going himself he always tries to encourage our son to come along (sometimes he will even say he has to work when he doesn't, I'm not sure what God would make of that!) and he drives me the 20 minutes each way and picks me up because I can't drive myself. 

While Sunday mornings may be a bit of a write off for the husband being my personal chauffeur, our home life is actually a lot better. Yes I have changed as God has worked in me but so has the husband and I can see God working in him too, even though he may not even realise it. Despite being 32 years old, I still find it difficult to admit that I am a Christian. Sure it is easy enough to tick the box on a questionnaire but it isn't something I particularly bring up in conversations. We are viewed as "Bible bashers" or "weird" for having a "religion". 

The Christianity I know isn't full of rules and regulations and orders and religious practises but is one of love and simplicity. No Christian is any closer to God than another, none of us has sinned any worse than another despite what the laws of the land might say. Nothing I can do can make God love me any more or any less. I don't have to pray 10 times a day, offer myself as a sacrifice or convert people; He already loves me as I am, He always has and He always will.

Thanks so much for sharing Rachel, it sounds as if the recent leg of your journey has been a good one, I pray you continue to find great joy in your faith and that your husband will come to share it too.

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Dear So and So - Welcome October

The West Lawn at my home

Dear Jesus,

Thank you so much for healing my knee. There I was last Wednesday ready to cry and in pain. My knee felt strained again like it was back in June and I was hobbling around. Gutted that I needed to cancel my weekend trip to Blog On Win and out of pocket to the tune of £55.

As much as I wanted to go I knew being sensible and staying home was a far better idea. Well how chuffed was I that after some considerable prayer I awoke Saturday morning to have a nice long bath and no pain in my knee. I'm again walking well and I pray this continues.

Thanks again mighty healer,

Love you, Mich xx
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Review: Y Flicker Air A3 Scooter

For quite some time now my girls have been going on at me about the new style scooters, the ones that have split foot boards and you can ride them without putting your feet on the floor. Miss M has been the one, on and on she has badgered, can she have one and I said yes, if she paid for it.  They both have perfectly good regular scooters and I didn't want to be spending money out where I didn't need to.

It was for this reason that when I saw the Yvolution Y Flicker Air A3 Scooter available for review I applied straight away. When all three kids arrived home from school and saw the scooter box there was whoops of joy and both the 8 and 12 year olds were equally as happy and could not wait to try it out. I have to say I thought it would be Miss M that rode it most and would not be willing to give it up to the other two but actually it has been her twin Miss E who is besotted with her scooter. She has been ready at 7.30am each morning before school so she can have at least 1/2 hours play before school. I can not moan at that!

Do you think she is trying to tell me something?

Miss M has a bit of an obsession. Can you guess what?

The other day she told me she was going to re-do her walls and make her room over, a couple of hours later I found this....

Dear So and So - Body, I'm sorry you're falling apart!

Oh Mich,

Come on girl, we have had this conversation so many times. You have to change, you must eat differently. I know it sounds dramatic but you are slowly killing yourself. Do you get that?  Killing yourself. Yes that is what I said and you need to take notice. It is not good to be your size.

Why do you think your knee joints hurt and when you get up after a couple of hours on the sofa you can hardly move? It is not normal for someone of 42 to move about like they are 82. It will be the excess 8 stone you are carrying. That is, after all, the weight of a small woman.

There are so many routes available to you and frankly it does not matter which way you go but you just need to do something and dramatically cutting down on what you eat (particularly the junk) will make a really good start.

Stop being so busy with everything else please and just get to it. Carve some time out and give yourself space to exercise, sleep enough, drink more water and eat healthier.

You are worth it Mich, you need to start treasuring yourself in the same way you do others.

From your exasperated self
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LEGO Friends - How my girls love you! #LegoFriendsParty

I think Miss E's dreams came true at the weekend. She absolutely loves LEGO and more specifically LEGO Friends. Her bedroom is covered in posters, made up LEGO Friends sets, colouring pictures that she has printed off and junk modelling that she has created to be part of her LEGO world.

If you ask me I'd tell you it is all a bit of a mess and extremely hard to hoover around! If you ask her she will tell you it is a wonderful world and creates hours of fun and imaginative play for her and her sister and when put like that, how can I argue?

Miss E is just following in her brothers footsteps really. He has been crazy about LEGO since he was about 2 or 3 years old and was always building sets way above his age. Now at age 12 he is still creating his LEGO and wasting away a good few hours using his imagination and fine motor skills. I do love LEGO, it is a toy that never dates (some of JJ's LEGO came from my brother, who is now nearly 40) and it rarely breaks or looks old. Yes it might be a bit of an investment to buy a big set initially but when you consider the toy will last around 50 years (or even more) then it really is worth it.

At the weekend the girls and I were invited to go to a LEGO Friends party at LEGOLAND in Windsor and what a lot of fun each of us had. We invited my Mum to join us so we could have a real girlie weekend and after a night at the local Premier Inn and a big (and delicious) breakfast we headed to Legoland for a few hours of fun before the disco party commenced in the Legoland hotel.

Good News - There has been Progress but we need more...

Today was a historic day and sadly it pretty much passed unnoticed in the UK. I find it so hard to understand why massive things happen in the world and the UK just seems to ignore them and let it pass us by. Or it is just that the media want to focus on all the bad happening in the world and anything with potential to be really world changing is relegated to page 52?

Today the Sustainable Development Goals were ratified by the 193 member countries and that's a big deal.

Why is it a big deal?

Because change happens when people come together. Back in 2000 the Millennium Development goals were set and I'm pretty sure many of you reading this have no idea what they are but just read on to see the results of them. In 2013 the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced that “The Millennium Development Goals have been the most successful global anti-poverty push in history.”

The target to halve the number of people living in extreme poverty has already been reached, as have the goals for improving access to drinking water and making conditions better for the world’s 200 million people who live in slums. There have also been marked improvements in primary education and health. Progress in the response to malaria, tuberculosis and HIV has had a dramatic impact, according to the report.  

Taking HIV as an example, the level of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa fell by 25% between 2001 and 2011. The Caribbean saw an even sharper decline of more than 40% in the same period. A record 10 million people living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment and there has been a significant acceleration in roll out and uptake in the last year. (1)

See, this is massive stuff we are talking about and I hope you can see why I don't want the momentum to stop and why I'm so pleased that the new sustainable development goals (known as the global goals) have now been formally adopted.

The Global Goals set out to achieve 3 extraordinary things in the next 15 years -
1. End extreme poverty.
2. Fight inequality & injustice.
3. Fix climate change.

If the goals are met, they ensure the health, safety and future of the planet for everyone on it, but if the goals are to be achieved, everyone needs to know about them. You can’t fight for your rights if you don’t know what they are and this is where today's post comes in. This is just one of a series of posts over the next 15 years publicising the goals and (I pray) sharing the successes that have come about because of them.

Wouldn't it be amazing if our children are the first generation to live in a world where no-one is hungry? That could just be 15 years away....... Mind blowing, isn't it?

Have a watch of this short video and it will put it into perspective (in a fun way) why we have to strive on and fight for a better and fairer world for everyone.



Share your #GlobalGoals Selfie
Today thousands of people around the globe are sharing a selfie to help raise awareness of the Global Goals (remember we want to make them famous, so that world leaders have to act on them and keep their promises). Choose the goal that appeals to you most (see the image of the 17 goals below), snap a picture and share it socially. You can copy and paste the text below if you like or use your own words but just make sure you tag in @theglobalgoals or use the #GlobalGoals #TellEveryone #PrayerforEveryone hashtags as appropriate.

Twitter - “I’m passionate to #telleveryone about @TheGlobalGoals Visit http://goo.gl/hFcr4x & now you take a selfie & share”

FaceBook – “I’m passionate to #telleveryone about @TheGlobalGoals. My goal is (insert your goal here) Visit http://goo.gl/hFcr4x for more information & now you take a selfie & share the goal you want to see realised”

If you want to read more about the Global Goals then head over to the website.

If you would like to blog or share details socially about the Global Goals then please do come and join our Facebook Group and you can have access to the briefing document which should allow you to share easily (or I can email it to you if you ask).

(1) Source UNAids. Org

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We Love Telford Town Park #CountryKids

If you are ever in the Telford area with your kids and need something cheap to do I can't recommend the town park highly enough. A couple of weeks ago we spent a week in Telford staying at a friends house and exploring a little of Shropshire. It is a beautiful area and so accessible, we could not believe the amount of motorways and A roads within easy access.

Guest Post: Praising God even when it Hurts

“All our troubles and, all our tears, God our hope, He has overcome. All our failures and, all our fear, God our love, He has overcome. All our heartache and, all our pain, God our healer, He has overcome. All our burdens and, all our shame, God our freedom, He has overcome...”

 ~ Take Heart, Hillsong United.

It’s 2011. I stood in the balcony of our church, arms outstretched to God, tears streaming down my face, overcome by grief, unable to utter the words of the song that everyone else was giving their all to. He has overcome? God our hope? God our healer? God our freedom?

The previous Sunday morning I hadn’t been in church. Laying in A&E, I had stared at bloodstained ceiling tiles while a consultant picked the remains of our twelve week old baby from my insides. I had awoken that morning, finally at week twelve, the safe zone, only to find that I was bleeding. The following day, the day I was actually booked in for our twelve week scan to check our baby’s health and growth, I was having a scan to check that the baby had been removed successfully.

Dear So and So - La Español Edición

Booooon diumenge!!!!!! #incostabrava

A photo posted by Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona (@costabravapirineu) on Sep 19, 2015 at 10:55pm PDT

Hey Mich,

Who would have guessed it? After a 30 year break since you last tried to speak a foreign language you are back in the classroom and shock, horror - you enjoyed it!

Those lies you told yourself for the last 30 years - that you are rubbish at languages and don't have an ear for it, well they are just that - lies!  You are a very capable and well educated woman and you can do anything you put your mind to. This includes learning a second language.

Now you need to keep practising - reading, online, games and most importantly talking. You are in a very unique and privileged position because you live with lots of native Spanish speakers, so make sure you make use of them and try your hardest.

I have faith in you Mich, next summer when in Spain you'll be able to chat to the natives!

Mich x

5 Thought Provoking Picks on Netflix for Adults #StreamTeam

Not so long ago I published a post highlighting some of my favourite inspirational watches for kids on Netflix UK. Well today it is time for the adults. So here are my recommendations of what to watch on Netflix when you want to feel challenged or inspired,

1,  TED Talks - There are so many of these short (anything between about 5 - 40 minutes) talks on Netflix now and there is something to suit every interest. My personal favourites are in the Love, No Matter What category. Check out Brene Brown speaking on Shame and David Epstein on a body by design.

Friends of Faith - We need you to join together for #PrayerForEveryone

As Christians we are taught to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and every one of us who is committed to an intimate relationship with Jesus knows the power of prayer. God speaks to us in many ways, but for me none stronger than through His word and I speak to him through prayer. Not always long, deep or particularly complex prayer, mostly just chatting throughout my day. Thanking Him, asking for strength, looking for guidance, lifting His name and praying for others.

Probably one of my most common prayers to God is about the state of His world. How broken things are here, so much crime, injustice and people going hungry. Countries at war and all for no good reason. Satan and the love of money often being the root of that evil but the day will come when all will be right again. Until that day we all need to play our part in both prayer and actions to support the people who are not as fortunate as us.

Guest Post: God wants You to Win at Life

Love Heart Hands from Shutterstock

I've got another Christian guest blogger today, it is going to be a regular thing on a Wednesday for the next few weeks. Here's a little intro to today's writer Emily -

Emily is a super-short (4’10”) kick-ass mummy to three fabulous (and loud!) children who are 5.5, 3.5 and 1.  Married to a Student Pastor of a city-centre church their house is often filled with extras coming to ‘do life’ in the midst of crazy but beautiful family life.  In her spare time (pah!) Emily paints and has been known to pick up the mic from time to time to share from her passion, the Bible. Emily also blogs at Emily's Blog.  

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You know the setting, trying to have an in-depth conversation with another mummy friend in the midst of children charging around noisily, interrupted by a nappy change, a bang to the head, an argument that needs to be resolved and then continue as if nothing had happened.

It’s in this context that I am imagining one of my mummy friends say – “So why are you a Christian anyway?” 

Dear So and So - The Random Musings

OK, uneasy Feeling,

You can bog right off. I hate you. There is no need for me to have this sense of dread, this worry that something might be wrong. Yes there are a few little niggling things but none of them are important and none of them need to take up excessive mind space.

Whenever I feel like this, I have learnt that I have to acknowledge that my equilibrium is off and then I need to be really conscious to acknowledge what is troubling me and work out the worst case scenarios. At this point I know it is all manageable and I refuse to allow the devil to steal my joy.

So there you go, bleur feelings. You've had your marching orders. Time to leave Mich alone as I won't be succumbing to the downward spiral that you would love me to embark on!

I remain in control and God is the only one I answer to!

Michelle

What Does He See When He Looks At Me?

Just look at that picture. Is there anything as gorgeous as a child fully at rest, peacefully sleeping? It's all the more precious when that child is a live wire and you have had to coax and train her to be able to fall off to sleep without a fight.

Last week dh and I went out for the evening and when we got back I went in to check on each of the kids as I always do, but this time I stopped and really looked at Miss M and captured this picture. In that moment I remembered how important it is to focus on the good in a person, every person.

It goes without saying that I love Miss M, adore her in fact. She is so like me but that doesn't necessarily make things easy. It makes them harder if anything, as all those little traits I don't like about myself, well she has them too and all those rough edges I've been working on and smoothing out over the last few years since deepening my relationship with Christ, yep they are evident as well.

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Booked via TodayTix

My lucky, lucky boys got to have a wonderful day together this weekend; it is so important for JJ to spend time one on one with his Dad and for them to have the opportunity to be guys together.

They headed up to London to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane courtesy of TodayTix, a new (for the UK) mobile app that allows users to buy the best priced West End theatre tickets in around 30 seconds between one day and one week before the performance.

I got to use the TodayTix app to procure the tickets for my husband and son and it really was very simple. The app is available to download for iOS, Android and Amazon and just took a minute. Once you open the app you can start to browse straight away for the shows that take your fancy and you get an indication of the kind of price you might pay. Of course, there are various pricing options for each show depending where you want to sit.

Tranquility in the Craziness - Our stop at Hughenden National Trust

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We had the journey from hell last week, it was pure craziness, all I could hear myself saying were things like 'kids, will you stop', 'be nice', 'no more whining' and 'this is not acceptable behaviour'. We were heading home from Telford and our journey should have taken us 4 hours without any stops but we had issues from the start.

Our slip road onto the M52 was closed as they had found a human skull there the day before, the M6 was a massive car park and then had a stranded car and by the time we got to Warwick services we had been travelling for nearly three hours. We thought a quick comfort stop and to eat our picnic was in order but we had to laugh when we were greeted with toilet queues practically out of the services and not a spot of grass in sight as about 8 coaches had all stopped together.

Once on the motorway again we realised that there was something wrong with the car, it couldn't seem to accelerate in the way it normally does and felt as if it was missing a beat and then I checked the motorway flow app for the M25 and found that our stretch had average speeds of 15 miles an hour. Oh, joy, more traffic! So in a moment of inspiration, I suggested to dh that we stop off at a National Trust site and enjoy a couple of hours there instead of another motorway services or the craziness of the M25. By this time we were close to High Wycombe and my National Trust app highlighted that we could travel to Hughenden within about 15 minutes of leaving the motorway.

The Kids Enjoying their New GORE-TEX® Shoes

Back in July I was sent a pair of shoes for Miss M and JJ as part of the new GORE-TEX® Big Days Out Ambassadorship. They asked me to get the kids to have some fun over the summer and put the shoes through their paces to see how they perform. They received a pair of GORE-TEX® Legero Tanaro shoes each.

In general we were really happy with the shoes, they were comfortable for the children, easy to put on and great in all weathers. Miss M's leather shoes did start to look quite worn-in after a while but they polished up well. The black leather does dye onto the white laces but this didn't really create an issue for us but it is interesting trying to teach an 8 year old to tie her own laces

I wouldn't hesitate to buy Legaro sheos with GORE-TEX® in the future as they have performed super well.

Here are some of the adventures that the kids took their shoes on -

Climbing old castle ruins

Keep an Eye on your Tyres & Stay Safe in the Family Car

Get them checking the tyres young!

Safety and our families well-being are always our primary concern. For this very reason, we all like to choose a reputable family car that gives a better chance of safety on the road. We service them regularly, monitor the oil and cooling liquid levels, check the condition of our brakes and so on. However, there is one major thing that many people seem to forget and that is to keep an eye to ensure we have functional tyres.

Tyres are our cars only points of contact with the road surface. Damaged or worn tyres can’t fulfil their role properly and can pose a threat to our and our family’s safety. So how do you know when it is time for new tyres? Here are some warning signs from mytyres.co.uk:

Guest Post: Why am I a Christian when there is so much suffering in the world?

Bleak Beach image provided by Shutterstock

Today I am really happy to share this guest post with you, written by my friend Liz who is a kind and generous soul.

You may have seen the tragic and heartrending picture going round the newspapers and social media of the 3 year old boy from Syria, whose body was washed up on a beach in Greece. The picture is trending under the #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik ("humanity washed ashore") hashtag on Twitter. The little boy came from a group of Syrians fleeing the Islamic State group. His name was Aylan.

Why, if there is a God, would God allow this suffering? Why did Aylan, his brother and his mummy, and countless thousands of others have to die in this terrible tragedy of our times?

I am a Christian. I firmly and passionately believe that there is a God, and that God is good. You may ask me why I am convinced of this, when evidence appears to point so much to the contrary. The first thing that I would say is that there are times I ask this as well, ask God why, but time after time I become assured once again of God's overarching love for every human being.

Dear So and So - The Back to School Edition

Dear JJ,

Love you big boy. I know you are now at the age where you think it is quite embarrassing that mum wants to give you a hug or kiss you goodbye, so I'll respect that you are now a secondary school student and let you be.

I'm so glad your first days at your new school have gone well and I hope you continue to enjoy learning there. I also pray that you make some good friends and find some interesting extra-curricular activities. It is not all about maths and Minecraft JJ, remember that.

Standing with you always, Mummy xx

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A Season for Everything

Autumn Park provided by Shutterstock

When it comes to blogging I've been feeling a bit washed up just recently. I started my blog in 2008 on a whim and here we are seven years later and I am still going strong. Or am I?

I suppose if you were to look at the stats you would say I am still going strong, I pull in around 45-50K readers a month, I earn decent money from my blog, I'm consistently ranked in the top 10 mummy bloggers each year by Cision (now Vuelio). My placing currently with Teads for parenting is 28 and 'll quickly pass by my Tots100 ranking where I have plummeted to 76 (from the top 30 where I have consistently sat for the last four years or so).

The Rise of Dr Google and the Dangers of Self-diagnosis

Health app image from Shutterstock

We've all done it, there is no use pretending you haven't, in fact I was at it last night and what does it do? Cause worry and stress of course. I can't give you even one example where a friend has goggled their health ailment or symptoms and come up with a good and reassuring answer. There is even a name for this nowadays - cyberchondria, the anxiety and fear created when you search the internet and come up with a worrying diagnosis for yourself. If I'd been the sort to readily believe the internet then I'd be sat here this morning thinking I had COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) especially as my Mum has this disease. But I don't, I have a cough. Yes one that I need to get checked with the doctor as it has been hanging around a while but until a doctor tells me otherwise I refuse to be worried by it (just annoyed!). I firmly believe that for a lay person like me self-diagnosis is not the way to go.

Do you have to go to Church to be a Christian?

I put it out there recently and have said to real-life friends and those I know on social media that I'd love to answer their questions relating to my faith. As I get to know someone I often find that they then feel more comfortable to ask me about what makes me a Christian and what I believe. I am always happy to share but I'll be honest, they are not always easy or comfortable conversations as the answers I give have to be truthful and sometimes they are not what the person wants to hear.

I've now got a few questions lined up to answer and I am really happy to take more, so if you have something you would like to ask (even if it is really forthright) then leave me a comment or send me an email.

You'll have seen from the title of this blog post what the question is today - Do you have to go to church to be a Christian? - and this is what a friend Katie asked me the other day. Here is my perspective and I'll give bible references to support my belief but you may find that other Christians believe something different to me and this is the complex part of my faith, many feel the bible is open to interpretation but I choose to believe the bible is the word of God and is to be taken as such.

Science4You - Perfume Factory Review

Look at those happy faces.  I've just spent an hour with each of the girls having one on one time and they just thrive on it. We were sent the Science4You Perfume Factory set to review and it has created not only a great learning opportunity for the girls but also a wonderful time for us to chat and enjoy each others company. We have talked about the science of how each of their perfume and beauty products have been made but also what it means to be a woman and how and if we have to use products to beautify ourselves. It has been so good for them to see for themselves that too much scent in a product is over powering and off-putting and we've discussed that make-up is down to personal choice and not a necessity for youthful skin.

Below is the set we received, it came in a nice large (sturdy) box and retails at £19.99. I was impressed with the amount of items we received in the kit as other kits we have had like this before have been a bit skimpy and we have constantly been washing a pipette or such. You can definitely tell this is a premium product and the girls liked the fact they had two different cosmetic colourings (pink and blue) and three fragrances (vanilla, lemon and peach) wthin the set.

Dear So and So - The #Ashburnham2015 Edition

Dear New Ground,

Wow, you sure know how to put on a great weekend away. Your planning and organisation is seamless and my family have had such an amazing time. Thanks so much, we really appreciate all you have done to make this happen.

I sure hope we still live here in 2017 when the next mass gathering of New Ground churches will be.

Very happy to be a member of one of your churches, Michelle
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Family Fun at Alton Towers

Alton Towers is one of those iconic places that practically everyone in the UK has heard of. Being a born and bread Southerner it is not somewhere that I have visited much, in fact I've only been there just once about twenty years ago when I was the bravest I have ever been and I rode Nemesis and for someone who hates thrill rides, it was a big deal!

The memory of my husbands and my day out at Alton Towers in the 1990's was a positive one so when we realised we would be holidaying in the Midlands Alton Towers was one of the first places I contacted to see if our family could review the theme park. I often work with Legoland and have also worked with Thorpe Park, Shrek's Adventure and other Merlin attractions so I know they are a company that provides amazing days out and I can I trust them to provide a great experience.

I was shocked to see how much Alton Towers has grown in the last twenty years, of course there is still the world-renowned theme park but there are now also two hotels, a water splashlands, spa, extraordinary golf, treetop adventure and and enchanted village with lodges and luxurious treehouses to stay in. Our visit was to be just to the theme park which includes CBeebies Land.

Drayton Manor Theme Park - Fabulous even in the Belting Rain!

As this publishes it been just over a week since we were at Drayton Manor and what a great time we had despite the fact it pelted with rain for a couple of hours in the afternoon. As the rain came down, our smiles went on as we realised this would be enough to scare a load of people off home and the park would be our oyster to explore!

We had a lot of fun at Drayton Manor and it is somewhere my family would happily visit again. Whilst it has loads of rides and attractions, it still feels like a manageable theme park and had more of a family feel to it than the very big glossy ones. Both in the customers on site and also with the staff working there. it is easy to see why Drayton Manor has become the UK's favourite family them park over the last 65 years.

Sometimes I dislike my kids...

I absolutely love this photo

I'm not sure you are supposed to be up-front and say that out loud but it is true and I'm always keen to be honest. You know - Mummy from the Heart and all that....

The first time I realised I didn't always like one of my kids I remember panicking and thinking perhaps there was something wrong with me. Maybe I was always supposed to feel complete love and adoration for them, maybe I should find their quirky ways endearing and not rage-inducing? But no, talking to other Mums I found out I was pretty normal. There will be days and times when you could happily give your kids away.

After spending four weeks of near 24 hour a day contact with all my kids I can readily tell you that there have been times I have been driven a little crazy. Three kids in a family is a difficult number I've come to realise, as there is often one of them feeling left out and that means the dreaded bickering. That, along with the following are a few of the times when I sadly dislike my kids -

How To Help Your Teen Get On The Road

Driving Test from Shutterstock

Driving is a rite of passage for most teenagers and a key life skill to learn. It can be fraught if not handled properly and, of course, there’s a price tag attached. Each stage needs negotiating carefully and there are plenty of ways that a parent can guide a teen in the right direction. Heres how you can help:

Learning to drive

This usually takes the form of lessons from a reputable driving instructor interspersed with further sessions - perhaps with yourself supervising your offspring as they practise what they’ve been taught.

Finding a suitable driving instructor is important, so research carefully. Ask around for recommendations – feedback from others can be invaluable.

If you can, provide a good foundation before lessons begin. It’s possible to run through the basic operations of a car with your child before they begin with an instructor. Having this basic knowledge in the bag can save time when it comes to paid-for sessions and help them hit the ground running.

If you think you’d find it difficult to stay calm while your teenager wrestles with clutch control and roundabouts, then you’d be doing them no favours. It may be better to ask a responsible friend or relative to help out. A clam, experienced granddad can be worth his weight in gold.

Review: Blists Hill Victorian Town #CountryKids

Last week we had a family week away in Shropshire and this most unlikely destination became the base for an amazing family break. As this is an area of the country that we do not know at all I put a shout-out on Facebook to ask friends were they would recommend we should visit. The response was varied but one place kept coming up again and again. 'Go to Ironbridge Gorge' people kept suggesting and specifically Blists Hill Victorian Town which was described as 'amazing, the best museum ever and fabulous for kids'.

So with those recommendations ringing in our ears we headed there Sunday lunchtime for an afternoon of fun. Ironbridge Gorge is a collection of ten varied museums all set close together by the original Ironbridge. You can buy an annual pass which allows you/ the family to access all the museums as much as you like (for a year) and had we lived closer we would definitely have taken up this option as £68 for a family of 5 is great value.

As a Christian what do I stand for?

Image Source

I had an amazing time at church this morning; I was really in need of a good dose of worship, Christian fellowship and sound bible teaching and I didn't leave disappointed. One of our Pastors has been on a sabbatical for the last 11 weeks and this morning he came back and started to share with us what God has been speaking to him about during his time away.

You could tell just by looking at him that he was glowing and had had an awesome time; he was literally bubbling over full of the Holy Spirit and it was infectious. I'm sure most of us went away feeling renewed and refreshed by his teaching about Christ being in each of us and that being our hope of glory.

There is no other answer, Christ is it. He is enough.

"...The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.."" Colossians 1:27 (Message)

Enjoy a Leisurely Meal at the Treacle Mine, Polegate, East Sussex

It was my birthday on Saturday and seeing as we were heading off on holiday at 6am I wasn't quite sure what we would end up doing that day or if we would have the energy to celebrate, so Friday night we headed out as a family to the newly refurbished Treacle Mine Whitbread Inn at Polegate, about half hour from our East Sussex Home.

Now let me tell you straight off in case you are tight for time or can't be bothered to read on.  If you are local then go and visit. It was busy and it didn't matter one bit, we had a fabulous meal and didn't feel rushed or crowded.

Summer holidays are made of these...

I love days at home in the summer holidays and especially when friends come to visit. What a nice day we had to chill when Anya and her boys came over to see us last week.

We really didn't get up to much. Anya and I got treated to a song, dance and acrobatic show in my front room where we got told off for chatting too much and were threatened with being chucked out!

We enjoyed what my kids call a pick and mix lunch, where we helped ourselves to pizza and salad and then we took a scroll round some of the grounds and showed off the amazing place where we live.

My kids were keen to show their friends the low-ropes course, so they all had an hours fun down there, practising their balance, laughing (and moaning) at each other and sadly having a tumble or two as well. Anya was superb at helping the kids and she got stuck right as in as the photos show.

Visiting National Trust Corfe Castle #CountryKids

I posted last week about our trip out on the Swanage Railway and one of the stops we made was for Corfe Castle as they have a station right in the heart of the village. As members of the National Trust, there was no cost to us to visit the castle ruins but if you are visiting without membership it will cost you £20.45 for a family with two adults and up to three children at peak times. So it is no-where near as expensive as some attractions but to be honest you are probably only going to spend a couple of hours there.

Review and Giveaway - Chatty Feet BadAss Sock Collection

Last year I received some Chatty Feet socks to review and I love them.  In fact everyone I meet and who sees them loves them. I lost two pairs of mine to my Mum, I bought a load for Christmas gifts to give to people and my son JJ wears nothing else.  He has four pairs and they go in and out of the wash. I can happily tell you that JJ's socks are still in great condition and at this stage I might have expected some holes to be appearing or parts to be wearing thin but nothing after eight months of constant wear, so this brand definitely gets my thumbs up. You can check out my full review by clicking here.

I had to smile when I received my Chatty Feet newsletter recently and saw they have launched a new four pair gift box set, called the BadAss sock collection.  Now I'm not so sure about the name, I probably shouldn't be encouraging anyone I know to be a badass but I just had to get these..

The set contains four pairs of socks, each with their own take on the main character from a well known action film - we have the Sockfather, Mambo, Toeminator and Karate Feet. The set is £30, which is more than I would normally pay for socks but given that I know how well they last I'm actually OK with paying this amount and it includes standard delivery cost.

I'm keeping these socks hidden away, either for JJ's birthday or maybe even Christmas but I got my husband to model Mambo for me and he had great fun curling his toes and making him look more mean. As you can see the character is on the bottom and top of the sock and they can much amusement. The set is available in shoe size 4 - 8 or otherwise 9-12, so these socks are aimed at adults.

GIVEAWAY

I have a BadAss collection set of 4 pairs of socks to giveaway to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me which BadAss character would you be and what you would fight for. Please use the Rafflecopter widget so I know how I can contact you if you are the lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and make sure you check out the T&C's for the giveaway.

Thanks a lot, Mich x

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My Best Friend is Awesome

The peace in this picture is how I feel when I spend time with my best friend

My best friend is awesome!

My best friend never tries of me. He sticks by me even when I am getting it wrong again and again.

My best friend is a constant support to me. I can talk to Him any time of the day or night and He always listens to me.

My best friend makes sure I never feel lonely. Even when I've not seen anyone else all day I can just spend time with Him and I know I am loved.

My best friend accepts me. Warts and all. He is happy to know me as I am and nothing makes Him happier than when I choose to spend time with Him.

My best friend challenges me. Whilst He accepts me, every day He makes me think about how I can grow and be the better me.

My best friend knows how to calm me. When my heart is racing and life feels as if it is out of control, there is only one person who can help me to feel peaceful and that is my best friend. He is the Prince of Peace.

My best friend provides for me. In the times when it is tough, He provides all I need, be it something material, answers to a problem or a shoulder to cry on.

My best friend has plans for me, plans to use me for good. He knows best and His solution will often not be mine and at the time it might actually feel pretty awful and hard to stomach but as time goes on I see why and how it happened then I can understand. Even, sometimes when I don't understand then I can trust that it was for His glory.

Sometimes when it is just me and my best friend together, I get lost in the moment and I feel his arms around me as he waltzes me off to another place and then the cool breeze comes over me as He fills me again.

My best friend is for everyone. He is the most amazing friend, He will make you feel like you are the most important person in the world and you will know it is special and it is just you and Him in that moment. But what is so clever is that my best friend is doing that for millions of people across the world all at the same time. My best friend is omnipresent, he is the most amazing, powerful, loving and awesome God.

Thank you best friend for being you. Thank you for choosing me as your friend and thanks for all you do and give me.

You best friend are awesome!

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OVER TO YOU -
I know lots of people reading this won't be Christian and don't share the same views as me but many people ask me what it means to be a Christian and how if affects the way I live. So I'm going to be doing a series of posts to try and give more insight to what being a Christian means to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts, lively (but polite) debate is always encouraged.

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

Mich Recommends 5 Great Parenting Books

Open Book from Shutterstock

It's no secret that I love to read and I always tend to have a non-fiction and a fiction book on the go at the same time. In years gone by I could easily have had four or five books on the go but I've finally learn the value of cutting back.

Here are five parenting books that I have read and enjoyed -

1. Planet Parent - Mark Woods
I was recently sent this book by Mark to read and review and it is fabulous. Such an easy read and quite different in style to many parenting manuals. It gives great advise from a wide spectrum but there is no one formula suggested for bringing up the perfect child - this I like a lot! Some of it I have lightly skimmed through as my youngest children are now eight years old and I felt the early parts of the book on fertility, pregnancy and looking after a baby where not really required. Having looked through them they are still interesting though and I may well go back to them as the premise of the book is looking at all things parenting related from a world perspective, so it certainly was an eye-opener to read how the Chinese potty train their young babies.

Review: Cloggs Back to School Shoes from Kickers

As part of my getting ready for back to school early scheme I ordered a couple of pairs of school shoes from the online retailer Cloggs and boy was I impressed with their service. I'd not heard of Cloggs before but then in general I'm not a massive online shopper so its not surprising. I will from now onwards be very happy to shop with them though.

Placing my order was very simple and the shoes arrived quickly and in pristine condition. The mail package even had a handle like a shopping bag so I could carry it easily, which was a bonus.

The shoes I ordered were The Kickers Kick T Brogue shoe in infant size for Miss E and these retail at £49.99, which is a little more than I might pay for her regular school shoes from Clarks or such but these beauties are made to last and Miss E feels so very special in them. She has been putting them on all summer and dancing round in them!

Family Fun on the Swanage Steam Railway

Last week we were away on holiday in Poole. We visit every year and absolutely love the area, there is so much to see and do in Dorset and despite the fact that I have taken probably in excess of 30 holidays and lived there for four years I have never yet grown tired of it. I've now visited most of the main attractons of the area and some call you back time and time again and others are a once only visit.

On this holiday my family and I travelled on the Swanage Railway, which was a first for us and I can honestly say it won't be a last. What a nice addition to any family holiday, it is like a little trip back to the past. I chuckled as my kids looked horrified when they realised that the train door could be opened as the carriage moved (of course we didn't and you wouldn't) but it got me talking about my college days and jumping on moving trains - ekk!

New Honey Girls at Build A Bear

My kids have been Build A Bear crazy for a few years now. They made their first ones in late December 2010 and then we visited again in 2011 for a review and since there then has been an abundance of teddies, clothes and accessories bought.

So when my 8 year old twin girls were given the chance of making a new Honey Girls bear each they were a little bit (read extremely) excited. The Honey Girls are brand new and are aimed at a slightly older audience than the classic Build A Bear teddies, although personally I think both span all ages.

In case you are not familiar with the Build A Bear experience, let me show you the stages the child gets to enjoy when they create their own bear. All the little steps really are part of the fun and you can easily spend an hour in the shop, so it is not just a purchase, it is a full-on experience.

1.  We were greeted as we entered the store by Xowie and she took the girls over to meet the Honey Girls and to tell them all about this new range. So first they choose their bear each. Miss M choose Risa (the pink bunny), who is the guitarist of the Honey Girls band. Her tag said 'This imaginative girl always finds the perfect harmony! Shes all about music and being creative' and as Miss M loves to sing and make music this appealed to her.

Making a Commitment, Prophetic Art and Praying for Healing = Proud Mum

A proud Mummy moment last year when JJ openly prayed for someone else at their Baptism

Oh my word, I am absolutely exhausted. Not because I have physically done too much or got up too early but because the kids are wearing me out. I forgot how full-on it can be being with three kids full-time.

I find myself repeating a dozen times a day 'It's too much' or 'be quiet' as all three of them seem to want to talk to me at once. Some days I can handle it and others I just want to run away and hide. I know parents across the country can relate, it is summer holiday fever and as much as I have been looking forward to this, there are always days when it just feels as if you will fall over the edge.

It's my own fault today, I attempted to work for three hours this morning whilst the kids were at a kids group and I hadn't quite finished by the time they were out so that last 5 minutes of work felt like it took an eternity.

Back to School - Speeding up your Morning with M&S

I don't expect that I need to tell you (yet again) that I love M&S, it is my shop of choice. If I need something to wear and want it to be stylish and good quality then M&S is were I go to. Yes I may pay a few more pounds for a similar item to what I might get at the supermarket but the cut, the sewing and the quality of the fabric is just in a different league and the same is true for school uniform as well

For quite a few years my Mum worked as a shop assistant in M&S and this has left her with a wonderful legacy - the discount card! So each year around July before school breaks up my mum gets in touch and asks me what the kids need for the year ahead and then she goes and buys it and yes I do realise she is a complete angel.

There are certain items that I only buy from M&S as they are just so much better than other shops. Girls pleated skirts are one of these things. I can't stand cheap skirts that when you wash them, they lose their pleats and you have to spend time ironing them in, it takes forever and never looks as good as when you bought them. So M&S permanent pleat skirts are just perfect and my girls look really smart in them and they last so well that I can pass them on to a friends child as well. This one Miss E is modelling here is her newest buy and it cost just £9 in her size (age 9-10 years), it has an adjustable waist, uses crease resistant technology to stay smart all day long and has Triple Action Stormwear™, which is a technology that repels water, oil and releases stubborn stains keeping you dry in rain showers and helping to repel mud and release ground-in stains.

Stuck in the Snow with a Newborn - Why I Love Novotel

I have a bit of a soft spot for Novotel. It is not that I have stayed in lots of their hotels or even in just one of them but many times, it was the circumstance I found myself in when I stayed at the Novotel, Stevenage back in early 2004 that means the brand still tugs at my heart strings.

I had my first child JJ in October 2003 and he was a good little baby, he fitted straight into our lives and we continued to do all the things we loved. So one day when dh was off from work I asked if he fancied going to the Harvester in Stevenage for lunch. We love the salad and spit roast chicken so it is a fairly healthy meal out we can enjoy. As it was a weekday daytime we knew there should be room for our 3 month old JJ to sleep in his car seat whilst we ate.