The Positives Found In A Global Pandemic.

The Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 has been devastating. Hundreds of thousands of people have died. We've faced danger from an unseen, unheard threat and we've had no prior knowledge to help deal with it. We've been plunged into a lockdown situation- something almost all of us have never experienced. Stripped of our jobs, support networks, family and friends our everyday routines changed beyond measure. It's been utterly terrifying but amidst all the chaos and disruption some positives have shone through and these are mine;

Days Out | Tattershall Farm Park

Tattershall Farm Park is a small farm park with plenty of outdoor animal pens, outdoor play areas and a small assortment of places to eat. We visited Tattershall Farm Park during the time period when indoor attractions had to remain closed under the coronavirus restrictions, due to this the indoor play areas, indoor animal barns and the cafe were closed.

Review | 1984 By George Orwell

Title: 1984, Author: George Orwell,  Pages: 384, ISBN: 9780141187761, First Published on: 8th June 1949

1984 by George Orwell is a dystopian classic. In fact it's THE dystopian classic. Even if you've not actually read it  you will have more than likely heard of Big Brother, The Thought Police and Room 101. 1984 was incredibly ahead of it's time, so much so that modern life shares many parallels with this book that was written in 1948.It's a book that everyone quotes but I  think very few have read.

Books I Read In 2020

Reading has always been a passion of mine. Since a very young age I was reading independently and disappearing into worlds of fantasy and wonder. Books were an escape from my sometimes scary, often confusing reality. As I got older I began to read less, not because I didn't want to, it was more that as I got older, life got fuller and things such as 'self care' and reading for pleasure took a back seat. One positive of the Coronavirus pandemic is that it allowed me to prioritise myself a little bit more and perhaps I needed to escape reality again. I've spent the last six months reading a few chapters before going to sleep and it has been so beneficial. When I read I sleep better, feel more relaxed and have something to get excited about. Nothing beats going to bed on 'new book day'. The joy of perusing my virtual collection and choosing a new adventure is so exciting. My enthusiasm also leads me to talk more. Seems silly but I find talking about books to be therapeutic. If i'm struggling with my mood you can ask me what i'm reading and i'll instantly come alive. It's been a real pleasure rediscovering my love of reading and I wanted to share with you the books I've discovered throughout 2020.

Diagnosing Coeliac Disease And Living Gluten Free

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. It is not to be confused with a gluten intolerance or a fad diet. People with coeliac disease have an immune response when they ingest gluten. Continued exposure to gluten causes damage to the villi in the intestine. The villi are finger like structures that usually stand upright and help the body to absorb vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. In those with untreated coeliac disease the villi become flattened and can no longer perform their function.

Visiting Rufford Abbey Park During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Rufford Abbey is one of my favourite places in existence. I've been a regular visitor for the last 10 years and even have old camcorder footage of me there with my grandparents when I was just a toddler. We love it so much it is our wedding destination of choice when the coronavirus allows us to resume our wedding plans. It's a place firmly etched into my heart but like everywhere it's undergone some changes recently.

Gift Ideas For A Two Year Old

It's been almost a whole year since Iris's 2nd birthday. It's been quite the year for us personally and also for the world as a whole. With the Coronavirus still raging across the world and the heightened anxiety about social interactions we've decided against a party for Iris this year which is rather sad as all she's actually asked for is her friends to come and play and a cake. I hope we can still give her an amazing third birthday. Over the last year we've had the chance to work out the most played with, most used and most helpful items from last years gifts and here they are, our collection of perfect gifts for 2 year olds.

Books We've Been Reading | July 2020

We haven't written a Books We've Been Reading post in a very long time. Largely due to the fact I had a rough 18 months where the blog lay abandoned but also due to the local library being struck by disaster...twice. Our town experienced extensive flooding in November, thankfully my families homes were okay but our wonderful local library was completely destroyed. A temporary library was set up in an unused retail unit in town but then Coronavirus made itself known and closed that! Those first few months with no new books were tough but thankfully our local The Works opened and took good care of us with their amazing 10 books for £10 offer. These are some of our favourites.

*please note that the books below were purchased in store and are not available to directly link online. I have therefore linked to the books elsewhere online. These links maybe affiliate links and may earn me a small commission but you will incur no charge. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Living Arrows | Sunshine & Sanitizer

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Another day, another park. I'm so thankful that the parks have been allowed to open and that the weather has improved over the last week. I used to prefer Winter to Summer but since having Iris I have come to appreciate the warmer weather so much more, being able to get outside for picnics, ice creams and play dates has saved our sanity over the last few weeks.

Days Out | Thoresby Park

After the success of visiting Yorkshire Wildlife Park we decided to venture out again. Initially we planned to head to Rufford Abbey Country Park but found that it was pre-paid parking only and though we have an annual pass, the people we were meeting didn't so we took a detour instead and headed towards Thoresby Park.

Living Arrows | Visiting Anderby Creek

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

We did it. We visited the beach. I said I wouldn't but as time goes on i'm starting to realise that my safety is in my hands and if I social distance, use effective hygiene procedures and avoid places that are busy then there's no reason we can't enjoy some of the activities we used to do before. We'd already tried Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Thoresby Park and felt quite safe so a trip to my parents caravan didn't seem so extreme anymore.

Living Arrows | Park Life

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Despite the ongoing Coronavirus crisis our week has been startling like normal. I think in part because it's been Daddy's first full week back at work so we've managed to get back into our 'before' routine.  We've been getting up, getting dressed and getting out the house just like we did in the pre-corona days. Obviously our activities have changed- there's no more play groups or music class but it's been nice to go to visit nannan and mama's houses and play in an environment that's not the same four walls.

Days Out | Yorkshire Wildlife Park

We've held annual passes to Yorkshire Wildlife Park for the last few years so it's a place we know well but due to the coronavirus pandemic it's undergone some changes recently to enable visitors to safely access the site. As someone with Aspergers I find comfort in familiarity and predictability so these changes  have been quite upsetting me for me even though I completely understand the need for them. I think all people, whether they have Aspergers or not, could do with some predictability right now so hopefully this review will help you understand some of the changes that have been made and help you assess whether visiting is right for you in the current climate.