Blog : Little Lilypad Co

 frog-facebook     frog-instagram   frog-pintrest  frog-twitter

 

The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
search engine by freefind advanced

 RSS Feed

Category: Views & Ramblings

  1. Why friends are like furniture

    Posted on

    Ok, so this sounds like a weird blog post. Strange title, and all. I know. But bear with me, hear me out, because I bet a lot of you ladies – and men, for that matter – will be in the same boat. Just a few hundred words in, and you’ll be considering whether Carol is an dark oak console table, I promise you.

    Cox & Cox Console Table

    I just want us to think how much time we invest into our homes. Sure, you may not be the obsessive type who hoovers five times a day and always keeps an immaculate home, but once you own your own place, we all become a little more house proud.

    We care how things look, we want it to be as perfect as can be. We design the décor, we take care selecting colours, we choose furniture that is built to last.

    We ditch the convenience of the cheap flat-packs and opt for pieces from higher end retailers such as Cox and Cox because you can rely on it, it’s going to do you good. It’s not going to bend and bow, and it certainly isn’t going to fall apart when you use it to support your stuff.

    Can the same be said for your friends, and likewise, could your friends say the same of you?

    As we get older, it becomes harder to make new friends. Friendship circles tend to grow smaller. We all go off, get married, have children, build our careers. There tends to be less and less time to fit in friendship. The flat-pack friends are the first to buckle under the pressure, and that’s when you realise who your solid friends are.

    When you’ve less time for gossip and trivialities, as adults we start to realise whose company we truly cherish. Who we would do anything for. Who would do anything for us. Who is going to bear the weight of our problems in the tough times, and who we will do the same for when the tables turn.

    After all, we choose furniture that is comfortable and makes us happy, and so surely our friends should be chosen in the same way?

    While we realise these things, it’s important to make time to care for these relationships. Go for a coffee, share a bottle of wine over a home-cooked dinner, take the kids on a playdate.

    And I guess that’s food for thought.

    While it’s trusty and always there when you need it, you must care for your favourite oak cabinet. Dust it, polish it. Don’t overcrowd it with your clutter, without being willing to take some of that away again to see it gleam. In the same way, although our dependable friends may always be there, we must make time for them too.

    Choose wisely and nurture the friendship. Invest in friendships that are built to last and care for them for years to come.

    Friends

     

  2. How Taking a Staycation Benefits Your Family

    Posted on

    Summer has arrived and now is as good a time as any to start making plans for the upcoming months. Whether you find yourself with some holiday hours you want to use up, or just desire to spend some time with your family doing something different, a staycation is a fantastic and affordable option.

    What is a Staycation?


    A staycation is a combination of staying at home and going on vacation. If done right, it can be comparable to a wonderful, relaxing expedition to another destination.

    Just like a vacation where you travel to a new place, a staycation is about enjoyment and relaxation. In fact, a staycation can also be about trying new things. After all, how many people have truly explored everything in their city, town or the area surrounding it?

    While a staycation may not have the exact same draw of setting up shop in a new and exciting location, it can be much less stressful than one in many ways, allowing you and your family more time to just enjoy the time you have together.

    annie-spratt-61561-unsplash


    Benefits of a Staycation

    Save Money - The beauty of a staycation is that you can avoid spending an abundance of money on air travel, gas and hotels. Being as a staycation is an inexpensive alternative to a tradition vacation, it is more likely that you will be able to take the time to enjoy one more often. Not only that, but any money you save can be put towards day trips or activities instead of expensive accommodations, making your adventure that much more fun.

    Get to Know Where You Live - Taking a staycation gives you the opportunity to explore parts of your community and its surrounding area, that you may not have otherwise enjoyed. Visit a new museum, have lunch at a restaurant that you haven’t tried yet or just go for a stroll at a nearby park.

    Relax - These days, families have extremely busy lives. Between extracurriculars, work and school it can be difficult to find the time to relax together. A staycation provides the perfect opportunity to lay back and just enjoy each other’s company, giving you time to truly connect and relax.

    Comfort - There is nothing more comforting than being able to sleep in your own beds, enjoy the comforts of home and just lounge in your pyjamas. A staycation allows you to enjoy all the perks of a vacation, without the discomforts associated with staying somewhere else.


    annie-spratt-167089-unsplash

     

    There are many benefits of deciding on a staycation with your family this summer. You will be able to save money, get to know where you live, relax and enjoy the comforts of home, and you get to do it together without interruption.

    Author Bio

    This is a guest post from my lovely blogging friend, Sarah Anguish who is a thirtysomething-year-old northerner who now lives in Norfolk with her husband and three children.  Previously working for the NHS in various roles for 15 years before being made redundant in 2016.  She is now a work from home mum who showcases family life, home decor, travel and everything in between on her award-winning blog www.boorooandtiggertoo.com. Whilst working from home may not have been part of the plan, it allows her the greatest flexibility around the needs and activities for her children.

  3. Let’s take things slow this summer

    Posted on

    Finally, summer is here. It’s the six weeks we’ve all been waiting for, right? No more school runs, no more bodging together packed lunches at the crack of dawn, no more after-school activities. Perhaps – for a few days at least – we’ll be able to lay in past the dreaded 7 o’clock alarm. We’re really living the life, guys. This is the good life.

    AdobeStock_16697603

    So, can I ask, why are we so insistent on making summer time just as hectic as the weeks outside of the holidays. Oh. My. Gosh. We don’t half like to make things difficult for ourselves.

    Hands up, who’s enrolled their kids onto some sort of STEM activity? Why? Hands up, who’s scheduled in swimming, picnics in the park, a day at the beach? Why? Hands up, who’s spent evening-after-evening trawling Facebook evenings and Days Out With The Kids in an attempt to make every day adrenaline-packed and eventful?

    Oh, that’s right. The entire population of Internet-using parents have just raised both arms, both legs, and are twinkling their toes for good measure.

    Why do we do this to ourselves?

    Forgive me if I’m wrong, but we spend the whole of term time ensuring our children do their homework. We ferry each of them to their chosen extra-curricular. We spin on our loving bosoms to ensure that every school event, school run, and school project is done on time to a passable the highest standard. 

    And yet, when we finally get a few weeks to down tools and recuperate, we just can’t let it lie. We throw chaotic activities, blast our routine out of the water, and make life ten times harder than it really needs to be.

    And it’s not just about us. As Helen Lovejoy of The Simpsons famously said, ‘Think of the children!’ Surely they need a break from the hustle and bustle of the nine-while-three. Learning is hard!

    Remember in the good old days when summer was all about water fights, marbles, riding your bike, playing hopscotch on the yard, going to the park with your mates? Those where the good old days. We ate cheese sarnies and sat in the sun and enjoyed a Mr Freeze ice-pop for afters. And those were the best days.

    AdobeStock_166548367

    Whether it’s social media, and the need to impress. Whether it’s the normality of our relentless fast-paced lifestyles. Whether it’s the pressure from others to meet the ever-demanding highs of parenting trends. Whatever it is. Let’s call it quits.

    How about we strip things back. Paint some rocks. Read some books. Eat a jam sandwich and an equally unhealthy dessert. Sit in the back garden and set up Swingball. Bounce a tennis ball against a wall and learn how to catch. Get some chalk and make a hopskotch. Let our kids call on their friends and spend their days doing nothing. Let’s make ice pops from fresh juice and lemonade from real lemons.

    AdobeStock_65958496

    Let’s take things slow this summer, let's put down the technology and enjoy the rest that we all deserve.

    (I just need to take my own advice now).

  4. LOL Surprise : Biggie Pets Review

    Posted on

    Everyone we know loves LOL Surprise Pets, they are the collectables that all our friends have, so how do LOL keep the excitement growing with their newest launch ..... they simply get better and BIGGER! 

    IMG_5232

    The new LOL Surprise Biggie Pets have 15 surprises and in true LOL style, you have to unwrap to find your surprise – will it be 2 babies, or 3? Or, are they food babies? L.O.L. Surprise! Biggie Pets have tons of surprises inside and include wear and share accessories too – all for you.
     
    So who are the Biggie Pets?
     
    • Dollmatian (this is who we were lucky enough to get)
    • Hop Hop
    • MC Hammy
    • Neon Kitty
     
    The ball was a little tricky to open but not entirely sure if this was user error or just well made packaging but we got there in the end with a little help from mom!
     

    IMG_0016

    You will note that we perfectly matched our little reviewers outfit to our Biggie Pet as you can actually see the pet through the coloured ball but this is great as it gives you more of a chance to collect them all!

    We were looking through the glasses on the box but you can use the Eye Spy Series spy glasses to find codes and unlock even more surprises!

    IMG_0017

    Once the Biggie Pet is out of the packaging, you realise that it has an attachment and at first we thought this was a lead for your pet but realised that amongst all the other fun, the pet can be used as a backpack. If you don't want to use it as a backpack (our little reviewer didn't) it also (and rather brilliantly) doubles as a piggy bank! 

    Another element to the L.O.L. Surprise!  Biggie Pets is the kinetic sand that the L.O.L. Surprise Babies (or food babies) arrive in. Just like the Series 3 pet balls, biggie pet baskets include kinetic sand that needs to be scooped out to find pet babies.

    We will be uploading our YouTube video really soon but in case you can't wait, here are all the things you get with your Biggie Pet:

    1. Biggie pet
    2. Pet baby 1
    3. Pet baby 2
    4. Food baby charm or pet baby charm
    5. Spy glasses
    6. Pet necklace
    7. Wish bone
    8. Funny bone
    9. Fortune teller heart
    10. Baby reveal (use with the spy glasses)
    11. Pet scoop for pet baby 1
    12. 1st accessory for pet baby 1
    13. 2nd accessory for pet baby 1
    14. Pet basket for pet baby 1 (magnetic sand inside)
    15. Pet scoop for pet baby 2 (magnetic sand inside)
    16. 1st accessory for pet baby 2
    17. 2nd accessory for pet baby 2
    18. Pet basket for pet baby 2
    19. Giant carrying case

    Instead of being in the ball, the surprises in the blind bags come out of the biggie pet’s BOTTOM. Our little reviewer couldn't believe it when she opened the bottom of the pet and the surprises kept coming!

     IMG_5245

    The LOL Surprise : Biggie Pets retail at £36.99 and can be purchased from Amazon and various toy shops.