friends

Hitchin Lavender Farm #HDYGG

  By GG… Now, anyone will tell you that we are not gardeners in our family. Daddy occasionally plants a vegetable and then hapazardly sprays the hose in its general direction on random days, wondering why our table is not resplendent with home-grown produce at the end of the season. Mummy limits her gardening activity to spraying the patio with weedkiller, and hacking the shrubs into submission twice a year. No, we do not DO gardening. Unless you count the #warnonants that takes place every Sunday evening, which leaves our lawn looking more like a green dalmation. So we never …

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Taking a bet: Wot so Funee?

Conversations in the back of the car: GG: Talking of bets (were we?) Jodie owes me £3.20 The Bug: Why? GG: Because I bet her that she couldn’t do 7 sums in 5 minutes, and she did, and I was going to pay her, but when they came back corrected, she’d got 3 wrong, so she lost. Mummy: Why £3.20? That’s an odd amount. GG: *sighs* Because I already owed her £2.20 from when she bet me I couldn’t go all day without touching my face, and I nearly did it but forgot at the last minute. So then we …

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Tips for dealing with mean girls

Are you a bully? Some types of bullying are less obvious than others

  My darling girl, the time has come for me to tell you about girls. Girls are complicated creatures – I know you’ve got that nailed, you are complicated yourself! Girls can be wonderful, loyal, warm, supportive, nurturing, caring, and funny. They can share everything with you and make you feel like the best person in the world. But they can bring you down with a word – no, a look – and they can destroy your confidence. If you let them. Mean girls: they can be total bitches. I want you to be better than that. You are already better than …

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I believe… please help: Wot so Funee?

Four years ago me and the Bug, plus M&D went on holiday with some very good friends. We had the most fabulous holiday, and the presence of my friend’s Mum was a huge advantage, given that she is the best natural family photographer in Hertfordshire! I got this as a housewarming gift later that year: This was followed by a beautiful book of images that we treasure, laughing as we recall a game in the shallow water, a mocktail on the beach, or the sandcastle moat competitions organised daily by our fathers. Oh how we loved that holiday! And how …

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What to pack for a camping holiday

Camping was never Mummy’s style. She likes her super-kingsize bed with Hypnos mattress far too much to leave it without due care and consideration. But we have friends who twisted her arm tempted her into giving it a try. We are just back from our 5th trip with them, and Mummy reckons she has finally got her Camping Packing List maximised for comfort. So for anyone wondering whether they can cope with a camping trip, here are our best tips for what to take. Click the link above for a tick list you can use for your own packing. If you want …

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Guest post from Netmums Author Hollie Smith: Advice for parents on how to deal with friendship issues

I have never hosted a guest post before. I’ve had editorial from brands and companies on here occasionally, but I’ve never actually hosted another blogger. And not just any old blogger, either. A proper, bona fide published author-turned-blogger. I first came across Hollie Smith when I offered to review her Netmums Ultimate Baby & Toddler Q&A book. I thought that me having been an example of her subject matter not long ago, and an occasional comic to boot, would see me well-placed to write a riveting review. Time will tell; I’m up to the chapter about cutting baby’s nails, and …

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Friends: 60/366 Photos

Mummy cheated on the the old photo a day thingy today. Firstly she was so fed up with having no internet yesterday and this morning that she rather got the hump with it all. I know how it goes: you try, you fail, you give up. Except that’s not what she tells me to do, so she needed to get back in the saddle too! Internet back, she opened her inbox to find 159 new emails, the first of which was from her good friend Five Go Blogging, posting for the Gallery linky. No chance of Mummy seeing her friends …

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Social Stereotypes in the Playground

I have a learning partner at school, someone with whom I must discuss challenges posed by the teacher, and create – amongst other nuggets of learning – pointilism pictures. This partner changes weekly according to a random draw of named lollipop sticks. This week for the first time in 2 and a half years, I was matched with my best friend. After hurling myself across the table in ecstaticness , I reflected on the somewhat different process used for allocating playground partners, and the possible reasons. My playground partner (the person I line up with when we come back in) …

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Bullies and Cliques

Are you a bully? Some types of bullying are less obvious than others

Last week Blogland was in a tiz about bullying. A lovely mummy blogger wrote a post describing something she felt bad about; someone else criticised her very harshly, and everyone kicked off! Amongst all the discussion about bullies, another theme arose: cliques. It seems people feel that there is a kind of hierarchy of bloggers. Well there is. Some people have been at it for longer, they know each other well, they have stuff in common. It is natural. Allegations of cliques were bandied about, implying that some bloggers are hostile to newcomers. I take issue with that. I am 7 years old, and …

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