This Summer Bucket List is a great idea! It’s inspiring us to do all those little simple things that sometimes we forget to make time for.

Monday night is our family night. No work, no gadgets – just family time. We used Family Night as an opportunity to cross our first thing off our summer bucket list.

Bubbles!!

Tom brought home a bubble machine just for Holly and it’s taken Bubbles to a whole new level. We did get a little snap happy… but what a great opportunity to take photos.

I love being a parent and the opportunities it allows for us to be children ourselves again. We never really grow up do we?

Brilliant. It was just brilliant!

What was brilliant?

The Grasmere Gallop, thats what.

Last weekend 10 of us travelled up to the Lake district. 5 to run, and 5 to cheer. We drove up to Whitehaven the night before and stayed in a Premier Inn overlooking the sea. I LOVE the Premier Inn. They’re always clean and smart and the good night guarantee is amazing. When the fire alarm went off at 11pm for no reason we were all refunded our nights stay! Can’t complain…

The next morning I was excited, and I was nervous. I’ve been blogging my way through my journey to prepare for the race and it’s been a long time coming. It’s the first run I’ve really felt ‘fit’ for. I knew I could run the distance, and I knew there was a chance I could get a good time, I just had to mentally battle with myself and keep going. It helped having such a good team, it was great to all be running the same race together.

Grasmere is the most beautiful place, when we arrived the weather was a little bit too warm, at 23 degrees and with 1000ft to climb it was going to be a difficult run. We set off just after 11 and soon all split up. Simon & Kelvin pushed ahead and Mike & Tom ran the whole thing together, I fell somewhere in the middle. I can’t say I didn’t stop for a few rest breaks this year. It was SO hot, SO hilly and without the the water stations I’d have really struggled. However amongst the sweat and the hard work there are these glorious moments when you’re running on the top of a hill, surrounded by other runners, there are lakes and hills in the distance and it’s just incredible. Those are the moments I love, when you get a burst of speed and get a little bit more addicted to running.

As I neared the end I had no idea what time I was working towards and it was quite enjoyable to turn the Nike feedback off for once. There’s always energy left for a sprint finish and I made it back in 1:09. I didn’t make my target of an hour, but it still felt good to finish something I’d trained so hard for.

Last year I was so proud of myself for finishing and I felt like I’d achieved something magnificent. However, this year I was so proud of Tom, who at the last minute decided to run the 10k with us and finished in 1 hour and 16 minutes. He did so so well and has the medal to show for it.

Plus there’s always next year when we can go back to run faster and hit the goal of an hour!

Our Team’s Times:

Kelvin: 1:01

Simon: 1:03

Becky: 1:09

Mike: 1:16

Tom: 1:16

Big thanks to Jonathan & Mark for the opportunity and for the superb event they put on every year. We will be back!

Time to catch up on my project 52.

Here’s to a photo feast.

Enjoy.

The Month of May.

Two bank holidays, perfect sunny days, and a week off school, what more could we ask for?

May has been a lovely month. We seem to have had a lot of family time together. We’ve been to my brother’s lovely wedding, played in the garden and written our Summer Bucket List.

May’s family photo came from my brother’s wedding. It was a hectic day! Tom was the wedding photographer, Holly was a flower girl and I was a bridesmaid. Holly missed her afternoon nap so by the time we got round to taking the shot below she had had enough. You can see from her face that grumpy and toddler don’t mix well, but that’s how our family was that day and I love it.

June has a short family break, lots of running and a baby shower in store for us! Hooray! Here’s to another wonderful month.

Me & Mine is a family portrait project designed to inspire us to take more family photographs. Seven of us came together because lovely Lucy at Dear Beautiful challenged us to take one photo a month of our families. This month I’m sending you to Katie at Mummy Daddy Me. Her blog and her little family is just beautiful. Her writing is lovely and she takes gorgeous photographs, so make yourself a brew, put up your feet and hop over and see what they’ve been up to in the month of May.

This project has been more difficult than I first thought, but we’re really enjoying it and you can check out our Pinterest board to see how our children have progressed since January. Grab the badge, grab your camera and join in with Me & Mine!

<div align=”center”><a href=”http://www.dearbeautifulboy.com/p/our-beautiful-family-life.html” title=”dear beautiful” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll320/looby_boo/meampmine-button_zpscc9f6437.jpg” alt=”dear beautiful” style=”border:none;” /></a></div>

374 days ago I ran a race.

My first ever competitive running race.

I wasn’t competing against anyone else. I was racing myself, pushing myself further than I thought I could.

I wasn’t built to be a runner. I am built to be a huffing, puffing, red faced stumbling wreck.However, I am a firm believer that if you set your mind to it, you can do anything. Anything you dream of. Our bodies are amazing things.I remember the first time I ran a mile I was so proud of myself and last year in June that self belief took us to the lake district. I ran a race called the ‘Grasmere Gallop’ and I finished it. I was red faced and puffing, but I did it!

5.7 kilometers.

It was long, and hilly and hard, but I did it.

This year I’m continuing to aim high. Onwards and upwards. I’ve fallen in love with Grasmere and in 9 days time we’re going back.

This year I’m running 10k.

What a difference a year makes.

Like I said, you can do anything you set your mind to.

See you in Grasmere?

You’ll never guess what?

We’re two weeks in.

And Nothing has died.

Things are growing, and things are green.

Some of my plants have been attacked by slugs but I am fighting back with my blue pellets of power. I don’t think these slugs realise just how hard I am trying to grow these things.

I am quite proud of myself!

Although I think I might need to buy some bigger pots?

A trip to B&Q is in order!

Hope you all had a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend!

I’ve stumbled upon something that’s made me feel inspired.

I love seeing an idea that’s so good I immediately fall in love.

This week I discovered the Happy Family Movement and their Summer Bucket List.

The Happy Family Movement is the brain child of the Solar Family. They believe in positivity, love and family.

Somewhere along the way they decided to start a Summer Bucket List. A challenge to write down all the things you and your family want to do this Summer. This year it only just started on May 20th and last year 2,500 families took part. I just think it’s the most fantastic idea!

We can get so busy and caught up in rushing around and packing for holidays that sometimes we forget to do those little, simple, often free, things that make our summer so special. Things don’t have to be expensive to be fun.

You should write a summer bucket list and link up below! Why?

Why not?

It’s free, it doesn’t cost anything. It might help you to organise your thoughts about what all your family members want to do this summer.

Get everyone involved

Writing it down gives you the chance to ask all family members what it is they’d like to do. It’ll help you to make sure you’re doing something that everyone wants to do.
It might also help you to plan out what you’re doing with those 6, long, summer weeks!

Sieze the Day

Life is too short. Plan beautiful adventures that everyone will enjoy and remember for years to come.

I really enjoyed thinking about what we’ve got coming up this summer and what’d we’d really like to do. It’s made me excited to make the most of this summer. Have a look at what we’re planning on getting up to! I’ll keep posting as we check things off our list.
Our summer is always too short. Tom is SO busy shooting weddings that it’s hard to find a Saturday we’re all together. But I believe in the power of the list. I love making a list, it helps me accomplish so much more! I love this new Summer Bucket list.

Hope you’re all enjoying the sunshine.

You can download a free printable bucket to colour and write your list on at Pen & Paint.

Join in with the Summer Bucket List.

#happyfamilysummer

@HappyFamMvmt

Hello again!

Last weekend was a rather busy one for our whole family. My little beaut of a brother got married! Married!
It was an amazing, simple and  emotional day. There was a real feeling for me that life had come full circle. As siblings we’ve all grown up together and now we’ve all started our own lives with our own families.

I was quite nervous on the day as Simon & Laura (Simon’s wife) had asked me to speak in the ceremony.

When they first asked me to speak months ago, I accepted quite gladly. I was honoured that they had asked me. But as time ticked by I started to feel a little worried about what I was going to say…

I’ve only been married for 4 Years… not 30, 40 or 75. I didn’t have the ultimate pearl of wisdom to share about the secret to a happy marriage. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what I do have are 4 years of experience. So I’m going to share with you what I said to Simon & Laura on their wedding day. These are my 4 secrets to 4 years of happy marriage.

To Simon & Laura…

Secret 1 – Never Stop Talking

It might sound silly now.

You’re getting married, your in love, you’ve just finished an engagement and planning a wedding. But don’t ever stop talking to each other.

Talk about everything, the good and the bad. When I’ve finished a day at work, Tom is the first person I want to talk to. Share your day with each other. You know each other so well, so you’ll know when something is wrong. When it is talk about it. The silent treatment doesn’t get you anywhere.

Talk about things you don’t agree on. It’s OK to disagree with each other. You’re still two very different people, but if you disagree then talk about it. Work it through and understand each others point of view. Learn to listen more than you talk. But there is a difference between a disagreement and an argument. If things escalate into an argument don’t say something you don’t mean. Leave, take time to cool off and think. Then come back and talk.

It’s important to say sorry. I’m stubborn and I don’t like to admit it when I’m wrong. But the word sorry is an important part of a marriage.

Talk about your hopes and your dreams. Set goals together, but don’t ever stop talking.

Secret 2 – Forver be Falling in Love

When you make the decision to get married, life as you know it is changed forever. It’s almost like you come to the edge of a cliff, hand in hand, together you make the decision to take the leap of faith.  You fall, fall in love together and you are comforted by the fact that  your husband or wife is with you. Whatever happens and where ever life takes you you’re together.

You hear a lot that marriage is hard work. It is, but that shouldn’t be a negative thing. Anything worth having is hard work. Don’t listen to negativity or cynicism about marriage.
Remember to date as much as you can. It’s easy to get swallowed in a whirlwind of work, study, house work and bills. Make time for a date. Even when you eventually have children you still need time together as a couple.

Make time for yourself, follow your own interests and your passions. Just make time, for yourself, for each other and for your marriage.

Secret 3 – Forget Yourself & Go to Work

There is no place for being selfish in a marriage. You have to be selfless, forget about yourself and go to work.

You stop using the words ‘I’ and ‘my’ so much when you get married and start using ‘we’ and ‘our’. You start thinking about that other person more than yourself, you care for them, you want them to feel happy and loved.

You live life together as a couple. You will both have other friends and families and they are so important, but nothing is as important as the family you make when you get married, you become a family of your own.

One of the most important things we have learned is to be open about money. Money is one of the things that is really important in a marriage. My advice would be to do everything together, bank together, pay your bills together. It means you’re both on the same page and everything is ‘we & our’ not ‘me and mine’.

Secret 4 – Make the Decision to be Happy

You have the choice to be positive or negative.

It sounds simple but it’s true.

You can decide to look for the good in each other. To look for the good in yourself. There is no place for cynicism or doubt. Find the good things in each other. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If it matters talk about it, if it doesn’t then don’t.

Whatever happens to you both, whatever life throws at you, you have the option to have a positive outlook. See the good in each other.

I have a quote on my desk that says, ‘When it Rains look for Rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars’.

Whatever happens to you and wherever life takes you, don’t forget to look for the positives. Be full of hope, be full of optimism and look for the Rainbows and the Stars.

Photo from the awesome, great, terribly good looking Tom Arber.

Word image designed by me

Tomorrow a new change is coming into our lives.

Tomorrow we’re going to be celebrating.

Tomorrow my little brother is getting married.

Writing it down makes me want to cry.

I am so, so happy for him.

He’s about to embark on a whole new journey of married life.

The best part about it all?

Tomorrow I don’t lose a brother, I gain a sister.

Tomorrow is going to be a most excellent day

I Love life.

I Love May and it’s double bank holiday fun.

I Love yellow sun hats.

I Love our new hose pipe.

I Love having a garden.

I Love sunshine.

I Love toddler fun.

I Love rainbow mist.

I Love pictures my husband takes.

I Love that Holly is desperate for Tom to play.

I Love dungarees.

I Love Holly’s energy.

I Love being a mother.

I Love snuggled towel cuddles.

I Love my family.

What do you Love?