PODcast

What’s The Story? | 6th January 2014

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to What’s The Story? for w/c 6th January 2014. I hope you’ve all had a great break and you’re bursting with ideas!

Thank you to those of you that joined in with What’s The Story? over the festive period. As ever there were lots of fabulous stories and Christmas posts galore!

What’s The Story? is a photography based Linky that enables you to share the stories behind your photographs. It’s open from 6.30am every Monday through to Sunday.

To join in with What’s The Story?, all you have to do is share a photograph and the story behind it. You can say as little or much as you like in your post and your photo/s can be from any time – old or new. You can link up a old post too if it’s relevant.

You’ll find What’s The Story? posts from previous weeks here if you fancy catching up at any time – or indeed need inspiration!

Feel free to use the What’s The Story? badge in your post or sidebar – I’m happy to share your post in return. Please do take the time to comment on some of your fellow bloggers posts when you can.

Thanks again, have a great first week back #whatsthestory

Silent Sunday

Project 365: Week #1

This is the first week of our first ever Project 365. Love photography, love taking photographs but can I capture something every single day for a year?

Only one way to find out. Welcome to Project 365 week #1

Day 1

The last day together before POD went back to nursery. We coloured, we painted and we made dinosaurs. Mr Grasshead also made an appearance. He looks hilarious but I’m sure it won’t be long before his grassy mop needs cutting!

Day 2

Typically with it being POD’s first day back at nursery, there was no rain and the sun shone brightly. I went for an amble in the garden and found these.

Day 3

One of our fences is leaning at 45 degrees and flapping like a bird. But on top of it is this beauty covered in raindrops.

Day 4

POD wanted to dress up the minute she woke up. So she did.

That’s it for this short week. If you’d like to see other Project 365 entries, click on the badge below.

A slow toy birthday and Christmas

Following our recent visit to see Father Christmas in a crystal grotto, POD did begin to believe he might do more than just fish. She wasn’t convinced though.

With her turning three on Christmas Day, it was a perfect time to step up the magic.

So on Christmas Eve a biscuit and a glass of Baileys were left out for Father Christmas along with carrots for his reindeer.

The following day POD was delighted to see he’d left some presents for her. These included a colouring book and pen set, a finger painting set, Mr Grass Head, a couple of DVD’s and a blue balloon. She‘d asked for a scooter and a blue balloon when she visited Father Christmas in the crystal grotto.

The look on her face when the balloon was blown up was priceless. She didn’t let it out of her sight after that and even held onto it throughout our subsequent car journey.

Christmas presents came once we’d arrived. Daddy looked even more excited than POD when he set eyes on her Bubble Guppies bath toy – he’s yet to see purple streaks in her hair turn pink in water though!

POD also received a TOMY Megasketcher, several books including The Rhyming Rabbit, Paper Dolls and The Snow Queen as well as CD’s for the car and great crafting sets.

On a recent short break to Bruges we purchased a wooden picnic table – already being fully utilised for meals and colouring. We also bought her a small wooden kitchen from Pintoy while we were there. Adopting a few of the little people from a red wooden bus of hers, she’s taken imaginative play to a whole new level!

POD received some fantastic new games too including Peppa Pig Snakes & Ladders and Charades for Kids.

The Haba Sleepy Princess game from The Toadstool, is a great adaptation of the classic Princess and the Pea. The idea being to build a bed for the Princess without it toppling over. It’s a great idea for a game and POD’s already had it out several times so hopefully we can play it together soon.

The Shopping List game from Orchard Toys saw her win her first game – albeit with a little help. She also received Farm Snap although she’s not sharing her cards yet!

She loves her Doctors Suitcase from The Toadstool. POD already enjoys pretending to be a doctor so this set provides the perfect accompaniment.

Once she’d taken out the contents, she set about making her friends better. Peppa, George, a dinosaur, Mummy and Daddy were the first to be treated.

All this activity was a lot to take in so POD was tired by lunchtime. Not that it deterred her from eating a sizable Christmas lunch!

In the afternoon we all sang Happy Birthday while she blew out the candles on her cake.

Among her presents was Baby Annabell, complete with beautifully hand-made clothes, a smart new coat from Monsoon, tickets to see The Gruffalo live, films, her first Cath Kidston bag, clothes, a wooden hobby horse and the scooter she’d asked Father Christmas for!

We’re linking this post up with The Toadstool’s Slow Toys Linky which is open until 31st January 2014.

The year in pictures

Welcome to our review of 2013 – a look back at the highlights of the year in pictures.

January

This month saw the launch of Paloma, our marketing and new business consultancy, with the view to achieving a better work/life balance. PODcast grappling with a box of frogs was also born. POD touched snow for the first time. She also made a return to swimming after a year’s absence although it was short lived!

February

The Doves’ quest to explore what Surrey had to offer kicked off with Bocketts Farm, Birdworld and the Hunt for Big Billy. The photograph below was taken at Butterflies in the Glasshouse at RHS Wisley.

POD caught chicken pox in February but she did get to see Ben & Holly Live once she improved. It was her first theatre visit and she loved it.

February also saw Team Honk do #goodwork when they created something epic for Comic Relief’s 25th anniversary. Annie from Mammasaurus, Tanya from Mummy Barrow and Penny from Alexander Residence went to Ghana with Jonathan Ross and Davina McCall. They sent digital postcards from the places they visited and created pure magic when the entire blogging community got behind them.

March

In March we visited the Silent Pool – thought to be where Agatha Christie drowned in 1926 after her car was discovered at nearby Newlands Corner. We also saw the 900 year old ruins of Waverley Abbey and Godstone Farm where POD stroked a rabbit for the first time.

April

April saw POD caught dancing on video (just adorable!) and learning the alphabet while emptying a fruit and veg basket. She also enjoyed an adventure in the forest and pouring water on herself in the garden.

May

This was the month POD ran free at Newlands Corner, saw fairies in a bluebell wood and visited a secret garden. She sat in a puddle at Box Hill, licked her first lolly and blew her first dandelion clock.

She also received her belated Christmas Day birthday present – family members clubbed together to give her a surprise playhouse.

June

June was the month I got my maxi dress stuck in an escalator! POD had her first haircut and we saw pigs, goats and ice-cream at the Surrey County Fair.

The main event in June was BritMums Live. It was inspiring, educational, emotional and fun – I met so many awesome people too. Lots of images stick in my mind but this one is especially poignant.

July

We spent a lot of time enjoying the sun in July. It was the time for covering a wriggling toddler in suncream and keeping cool. We also explored Stoke Park and the wonderful Loseley Park for the first time. And returned to RHS Wisley.

I took a lot of photographs of bees…!

The What’s The Story? blog hop launched in July – created so everyone could share the stories behind their photographs. It’s been incredible so thank you to everyone that’s shared posts over these past months.

August

August is always a busy month for us with birthday celebrations and the like. We spent a lot of time in the garden.

September

After such a great Summer, September was the time to reflect on how fast our toddler was growing. She shot up about a foot!

It was also the month POD was Christened – certainly a day to remember. She looked like a little fairy.

POD also attended her first wedding – another excuse to wear a beautiful dress. Not ideal event in the midst of potty training but we weren’t to know she’d shout “Mummy I need a poo” in the the best man’s speech.

October

We started our quest for those Autumnal hues at Winkworth Arboretum, returning just a few weeks later! Another National Trust property we saw for the first time was Claremont – described as a place where the views always change, the water sparkles and the secret glades wait.

Polesden Lacey is another National Trust gem. It’s a beautiful country estate that was owned by a well-known hostess for her to entertain royalty, politicians and the best of Edwardian society.

Forest fun at Alice Holt is another favourite and provided great entertainment for POD. Cared for by the Forestry Commission, it offers walking, cycling trails and play areas. It’s home to Go Ape.

Autumn at RHS Wisley saw us enjoy an eye spy game that used all the senses. At the end of the month we threw ourselves into crafting with a spot of Halloween fun.

November

In November we joined 17,000 others for a magnificent firework display at Stoke Park.

We visited the follies of Painshill Park for the first time too – the highlight being the crystal grotto. Hundreds of thousands of crystals including calcite, gypsum, quartz and fluorite have been used to re-create an extraordinary folly.

Autumn was fabulous this year – perhaps because we saw it through a toddler’s eyes. This Autumnal round-up post showcases a collection of photographs from some of the places we explored. We also visited The Savill Garden at the end of November and spotted this beauty.

November also saw me win my first photography award thanks to Loseley Park and Surrey Life.

December

We took the chunnel to Bruges in the early part of the month. It’s a beautiful city full of medieval buildings and cobbled streets. Not to mention a Christmas market where we sampled Bratwurst and Glühwein.

Whilst there we were able to take in the Snow & Ice Sculpture Festival which was designed to celebrate Disney’s movie Frozen.

In the UK, we had a lot fun with the Children’s Trail The Twelve Days of Christmas at Claremont. Especially in their Ha-Ha!

POD was born on Christmas Day 2010 so the Christmas Tree going up always evokes memories of that time.

This year POD got to meet Father Christmas in a crystal grotto. She asked for a scooter and a blue balloon.

She got to enjoy mucking around in puddles and with trees before her big day which she shares with some interesting characters!

That’s it folks. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking back on 2013 as much as we have. Here’s to 2014 being even better – Happy New Year everyone!

What’s The Story? | 30th December 2013

Happy Christmas everybody! I hope you enjoyed yourselves over the festive period – we had POD’s 3rd birthday on Christmas Day so we ate a lot!

Well here we are, the last What’s The Story? of the year. Thank you to everyone that’s joined in since it launched, its been amazing.

If you’re new to What’s The Story? and you’d like to join in, all you have to do is share a photograph and the story behind it. You can say as little or much as you like in your post and your photo can be taken at any time. It might be one you took recently or a real oldie. New posts are always best but you can link up a previously published post if it’s relevant. You can include more than one photograph in your post if you wish too.

What’s The Story? is open at 6.30am every Monday until the following Sunday. Feel free to use the What’s The Story? badge in your post or sidebar – I’m happy to share your post in return. Do take the time to comment on some of your fellow bloggers posts when you can.

Thanks again and Happy New Year #whatsthestory

Silent Sunday

Mucking around

A break in the clouds saw us head off to explore the magical quest that is the Enchanted Story Trail. Armed with a map of RHS Wisley, our mission was to discover the secret hideouts and burrows of a host of curious characters. From tropical treasures to plant-loving pirates, it promised festive magic at its most charming.

POD enjoyed Foraging for Father Christmas in the garden so we knew she’d love it.

Sometimes the best laid plans don’t quite work out the way they were intended! After queuing in the Glasshouse and reaching the front to discover there was another 20 minutes to wait, we cut our losses.

We’d been cooped up indoors for a couple of days so unperturbed we opted for a walk instead.

We re-visited the Christmas Display while we were in the Glasshouse then headed back outdoors. It was wet from downpours the day before but the sun appearing made for a beautiful day. The grounds looked as wonderful as they always do at Wisley.

POD was delighted there were so many muddy puddles to stamp across and jump into. No puddle was left untouched as she took it upon herself to test each one.

It was only a matter of time before she got muddy – not that it deterred her!

She got to sit in an ancient tree that looked like it had eyes. Despite perching above Daddy, she loved it and would have stayed for some time given half a chance.

After giving a tree a hug, POD adopted a large chair as her throne for a time where she issued orders and waved her arms around. Daddy played peekaboo with her from behind it.

She then occupied herself under a tree investigating the acorns, chestnut husks, leaves and sticks that lay beneath it.

When she stretched to remove a dead leaf from the branches you could really see how much she’s grown these past months. Hard to believe she was three on Christmas Day!

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Christmas Day birthdays

POD shares her Christmas Day birthday with an array of interesting characters.

Most notable is English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton. Born in 1642, he remains one of the most influential scientists of all time for formulating the three basic laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation.

Humphrey Bogart, said to be one of the greatest actors and coolest men to ever live, arrived on 25th December too. As did Sissy Spacek who is most famous for the original Carrie film. Playing the role of a troubled student, she used telekinetic powers to get revenge on her high school bullies.

In sport, Captain of the English Test and ODI cricket teams, Alistair Cook, has a Christmas Day birthday. Along with fellow cricketers Marcus Trescothick and Simon Jones.

Christmas Day birthdays in entertainment include Helena Christensen – the Danish fashion model, beauty queen and photographer who also appeared in Chris Isaak’s 1991 music video Wicked Game. It was voted one of MTV’s sexiest of all time.

Kenny Everett, the British comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer, was best known for his career as a radio DJ and for The Kenny Everett Video Show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGlfpzRL2O0

Annie Lennox was born on 25th December in 1954. She epitomised the Eighties with band The Eurythmics, with hits like Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), before later achieving solo success. She is the most recognised female artist at the Brit Awards and has also been named the Brits Champion of Champions.

Singer-songwriter Dido achieved International success with her first album which sold over 21 million copies Worldwide and won several awards. Her first two albums are among the-best selling albums in UK chart history – White Flag has had 27 million hits on YouTube.

Alannah Myles, the Canadian singer-songwriter, is most known for the popularity of her single Black Velvet. A song which outshone her entire repertoire of sixty recordings including top ten hits from several countries.

The final musician born on Christmas Day is the singer and songwriter of The Pogues. Shane MacGowan has a colourful past and was even thrown out of his band for bad behaviour. His best-known song, Fairytale of New York, which he co-wrote in 1987 remains a top Christmas anthem. The song is the 13th most charted of all time.

POD was born at 10.46am on Christmas Day 2010 to the sound of carols being sung outside the delivery suite. It was the coldest December for one hundred years and there was snow on the ground when we left the hospital.

It’s hard to believe our little baby in the photograph above turns three today – Happy birthday POD!

What’s The Story? | 23rd December 2013

Its hard to believe there are only two more sleeps until Christmas Day – the festive period seems to have come around so quickly!

Thank you to everyone that joined in last week, the faves were Feeling Nostalgic, Making new Christmas traditions, Stomping in the snow and Gymnastics Champion.

This week we bring you a post about POD’s first visit to see Father Christmas – in a Crystal Grotto.

What’s The Story? is open every Monday from 6.30am until the following Sunday. The What’s The Story? badge is below so feel free to use it – I’m happy to share your post in return. Do take the time to comment on some of your fellow bloggers posts when you can.

Thanks again for joining in and have a great Christmas #whatsthestory

Older Posts

Newer Posts

Visiting Mayfield Lavender Field, Banstead

A wander at Frensham Little Pond, Surrey

Summer activities at Barracudas

What’s The Story? | 6th January 2014

Silent Sunday

Project 365: Week #1

A slow toy birthday and Christmas

The year in pictures

What’s The Story? | 30th December 2013

Silent Sunday

Mucking around

Christmas Day birthdays

What’s The Story? | 23rd December 2013

Adventures

Visiting Mayfield Lavender Field, Banstead

A wander at Frensham Little Pond, Surrey

7 reasons to love Barracudas camps