Catching up (sort of)

I've been neglecting things here recently. Sorry.

I was busy looking for a new job. I found one. I start in September in a my first term-time only job. Heaven. No longer do I need to stress about what to do with Kit in the holidays, I can actually enjoy them with him. And the working hours mean that I'll have long weekends so expect more posts about things from outside London as we'll be going on lots more adventures, and be able to spend more time visiting friends. Not to mention I'm really looking forward to actually doing this job.

I've also been down South celebrating one of my best friends getting married, the hen-do and then the beautiful wedding. Yay. :)

I'm heading to neglect things again as we are off to France in a week and a bit. Thankfully Kit's passport arrived this afternoon. Excited as this will be Kit's first ever holiday, and my first holiday in 4 years.

I also have to work on a little something I'm making for a friend who is due to give birth in a few weeks. I'm not sure how it is going to work out, I think most of it will be done in France.

I will be back full-speed once we are back from our holidays, promise.

I'll pop up a few posts this week to catch up on the past few weeks.

Magpie Monday - Car-booting

I'm a huge charity shop fan (as I may have mentioned a few times before). But I'm not a very good car-booter. I've only been to shop once at a car-boot sale alone (i.e. since I was a child). Reading about other peoples treasures I thought that I needed to try it out again, so we headed off to Tripes Farm nr Orpington this weekend.

Kit wasn't on his best behaviour, despite attempts to bribe him with the offer of ice-cream for breakfast and the opportunity to get some toys or books, so I'm sure that I missed 90% of the bargains that I could have come away with. That was probably a good thing though as we are running out of room in the flat as it is. I did get two brilliant scores though. Firstly I managed to pick up the below ribbon lace and trimmings for £2 altogether. I have no idea how much is left on each of the cones but both the black and white thin ribbon originally had 250m, and I know the multi-coloured trim is 3m.

Secondly, I managed to get 12 Thompson and Morgan seed packets, all for different varieties of edible flowers for £5. That might not be the greatest price, because I'm guessing the seeds are out of date (they didn't have a date on them), but hopefully they will grow, but if I'd paid full-price for one it would have been £2.99 so if only two of the packets grow I've broken even! I've been so desperate to have an edible flower section in the allotment and had been struggling to find any variety of seeds so I'm stoked either way.

Kit did get an ice-cream, and then a trip out for egg on toast for brunch. He also came away with a pair of Converse (well worn but no holes) for £1.50, a Woody book (which has stuffed fabric arms and legs) for 50p, and a set of three Toy Story 49 piece jigsaws for £1.

I'm happy with what we came away with, I officially cannot haggle so I don't think I'd ever come away with huge bargains. We'll definitely be trying out another one before the season is over.
We are linking up with

Silent Sunday

National Trust: 50 Things to do before you're 11 3/4

I don't think that Kit is quite suffering from 'Nature Deficit Disorder' yet, but as we are exploring National Trust properties we thought he could make an early start on the Fifty things to do before you're 11 3/4.

We started with a nice easy one.

Rolling down a really big hill (well it was really big for a just three-year-old)

National Trust: Ightham Mote

Carrying on from our National Trust exploring, it was Tudor day at Ightham Mote last Thursday, so we headed there to join in. It was a glorious day for lawn games and courtyard dancing. The house was beautiful and another jealousy-inducing vegetable patch. I need to hire a National Trust gardener. Kit enjoyed watching the dancing, and was quite put out that not all of the 'princesses' (as he called the dancers), were joining in for every dance.

One of the stewards in the house was very kind in letting Kit try out some of the chairs, as he was bemused with those with pinecones on (which he wasn't allowed to sit on). And he found a home of his own.

It was a bit too hot to dress up. I was impressed that the dancers could manage it in their thick costumes. But it's never to hot to try on some hats.

They have other events on over the holidays. I'll definitely keep an eye out next summer when Kit is a bit older, as my only disappointment was that the ladies who were providing crafting activities weren't keen on letting him join in, apparently assuming he wouldn't be able to stick googley eyes on as I don't think the other children at the table would have done their own cutting. Despite the disappointment of not being able to make a jester stick I think Kit had a fun time.