#52LittleThings Week 31 – Explore The Great Outdoors

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Jaime Oliver

52LT-Week-31So here we have it for 30 weeks so far I have been taking part in weekly challenges with  AXA PPP healthcare to make small changes in my lifestyle one week at a time to become healthier and happier and I have to say where has the last 30 weeks gone? 

So for week 31 its all about exploring the great outdoors! 

Easy you may think, and as much as it used to be for us, Ollie’s hips and back have made sure he is in constant agony and along with me setting up my own business and actually working from home I have not really addressed my work life balance … which I have vowed to make changes to in September…. however I digress.

To get the ball rolling however I have decided to share why we love getting outside:
Out and about

  • We love the quality time it gives us being out 
  • It’s great finding somewhere new to visit 
  • Everyone gets to stretch their legs
  • There is almost always something for every age range to do
  • Vitamin D is good for us! 

Since the Summer holidays have now started for us and so we can drag take the teen along with us, I have started looking as some new places for us to visit to keep everyone occupied. 

With it now also being National Parks week it made sense to check out what the Peak District has to offer us as this is the area closest to us and one in which we have been saying we would like to visit! 

So this Summer holidays we are going to finally go and visit Bakewell, I have had the privilege of visiting before but hubby is saying he hasn’t and even with his ropey back and hips there is plenty to see and do and we have to stop for a sit down there is plenty to look at! 

We are also planning through the holidays to visit some local parks and places of interest such at Colwick Park, Wollaton Hall and even Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak (the village in which I grew up)

As it stands we may not be hiking over the North York Moors this year but if fitness improves next year it may just be an option!

Team Honk Blogger RelayAlthough you never know if another charity event such as the epic hike I undertook for the Team Honk Bloggers Relay is anything to go by … I certainly explored outdoors … even If I couldn’t walk for 2 weeks afterwards. 

So where would you like to get out and about to explore this Summer? 

Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with AXA PPP healthcare’s #52LittleThings, in which I have been compensated. However all words and thoughts were developed and written by members of The Oliver’s Madhouse 

Posted in Fitness, Health, Sponsored | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Magic Moments 28/7/14

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Jaime Oliver

Magic moments Link Up BadgeWell Happy Summer Holidays … I think its now official that here in the UK our children are now all on Summer Holidays, that being said I am rapidly trying to come up with some magic ideas for both of my kids… how about you.. what do you have planned?

So on with Magic Moments this week ….

Feel free to tweet me your links throughout the week several times if you would like and I will happily retweet you every time you do .. (please don’t tweet me every post you write this week .. just the Magic Moments one) 

I will be sharing your links on the Magic Moments Link up page on Google + so if you are on G+ it would be fab to see you guys over there too, its kind of lonely over there on my own.

I will try and tag you on G+ if I know your account but if not I will still post over on the groups wall too and feel free to tag yourself and shout up so I will know for next time.

If you are new to Magic Moments never fear you can find some further information over HERE.

Don’t forget that linkys only work when people take the time to visit and share with others. With such a large crowd linking in please don’t think you have to comment on every one. I know many of you don’t have time for this and it’s unrealistic, however please visit as many as you can manage to share some love and build community spirit.

If you would like to join in  I would love it if you would pop on the Magic Moments badge or a link back to me  as it also helps others to see where you are linking up and they may decided to pop over and link up too! Remember the more people who take part and link up, the more people who are likely to visit, but its only a polite request not a prerequisite 



 Loading InLinkz ...

Posted in Linky, Magic Moments Post | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Silent Sunday 27/7/14

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Jaime Oliver

Silent Sunday

                                                          Silent-Sunday   4d06e438-4e6a-4f3b-88b2-0c1093350397_zps361ad0e9 (1)

Posted in Linky, Silent Sunday | Tagged , , | 90 Comments

Project 365 Week 30 of 2014

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Jaime Oliver

week 30week30So it’s really only 22 weeks till Christmas?? … does that mean in my excited warped way I can start to get excited? 

Back to this week .. what have we been doing in The Oliver’s Madhouse….

Saturday 19th July – I spent the morning with the teen while she had a young driver driving lesson in Nottingham .. We loved them 

Sunday 20th July – Some Maxi-Cosi time in our new car seat (Maxi-Cosi Axiss) it even swivels! 

Monday 21st July – After wanting my implant out for a while it seemed that it had gone very deep and so I had to have a special appointment to dig for it! .. needless to say it was not the most pleasent! 

Tuesday 22nd July – My best friends daughter (my soon to be goddaughter) was visiting her new nursery for a few hours as my friend is going back to work after maternity leave and so I went to spend some time with just me and my friend … although still got some Freya smiles so it was all good.

Wednesday 23rd July – Another fantastic delivery .. we are total crocs fans and these are the hubbys and toddlers pairs 

Thursday 24th July – A day jet washing and garden tidying meant Joshua decided to inspect my work in his pants and vest! 

Friday 25th July - I spotted some random flowers sprouting at the end of the road earlier in the month but for the last couple of days I have been taking photos of them as they really are beautiful! 

So what have you been up to this week? 

365

Posted in Life, Linky, Project 365 | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Review: The Goodyear Driving Academy Our Initial Thoughts

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Jaime Oliver

Parent PackA few weeks ago Beth and I were asked if firstly we had heard of the Goodyear Driving Academy and young driver lessons and Secondly if Beth would actually like to take part. 

Now for anyone that like us that had not heard of this programmed before  Goodyear, is on a mission to tackle the underlying attitudes and behaviours of young drivers which it believes are at the root of some of the issues of young driver road safety.

 When I passed my driving practical and theory test *cough, cough* a few year ago I was peeved at having to do 2 parts to pass my test. Now I am a parent of a teen, even the current test system that includes one theory test, one hazard perception test and one practical test I feel it’s not enough to ensure our young drivers have an extensive understanding of road safety and understand about the complexities of driving a car. 

Goodyear have introduced a graduated learning programme from an early age to allow tweens/teens to develop their understanding of what the whole package that driving brings. This programme is aimed at 11 -17 year olds and there are 30 locations spread across England, Scotland and Wales! 

Young Driver Online TrainingTo help teach our teens there is also an online driving highway code quiz and online game which to be fair were fantastic and Beth did really well with the online stuff.

To help more there is even a Parent Pack which covers things like pedestrian rules, speed limits, road signs, driving conditions and car maintenance. 

So how do we really feel about Young Driver lessons? 

We are both excited and anxious probably in equal measures … 

So now to go to the lesson …. if we can contain our excitement!! 

magic moments 150x150

Disclaimer: This was a complementary activity in which we were asked to give an honest review of our experiences.  

Posted in Book & Outing Review, Out & About, Reviews, Video | Tagged , , | 39 Comments

Personalised Graduation Photo Ideas

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Jaime Oliver

shutterstock_174215792 (1)Graduation is a special time for many people and although I never graduated in the formal sense of graduation gowns and ceremonies I love to watch others. 

Just one of the many important parts of graduating is the photographs, as it’s a day that you will want to remember and commemorate forever. There are always professional photographers on hand during the day to take your photo, but if you want something a little more personalised, here are some great ideas…

Doing it at home
Perhaps the most obvious place to take your photos is at home, as this is arguably the most personal place of all. You can get your family gathered in the garden or living room and then taken some photos of everyone in the smart get up. However, unless you have bought or privately rented your graduation gown, then you probably won’t be wearing it in the photos. Marston Robing have a decent selection of gowns and mortarboards if you do want to get your own.

Get together with friends
For most people, one of the biggest things to take away from your time at university is the people you meet and the friends you make. Therefore, it’s only right that you’ll probably want plenty of photos with them on graduation day. You can get together with your friends at some of your favourite places at university, whether that’s someone’s bedroom, your favourite restaurant or just somewhere picturesque you enjoy hanging out.

Professional photography
If you want your graduation photos taken professionally but don’t fancy the same old photos they take on the day, then you could always go to a professional studio and try something a bit different. For example, if you go to Venture, then you can come up with all sorts of graduation and family photo ideas aside from the usual ‘standing still holding a plastic scroll’ picture. You can make the photos a lot more fun and get family, friends and even pets involved if you really want to.

The hat throw
Probably the most famous of all graduation photos is the obligatory hat throw in which graduates all toss their mortar boards in the air to show they’ve finished at university. You can take this photo pretty much anywhere so try doing it somewhere special to you if you can and try and get your closest friends involved. Having said that I still love the You’ve been framed moments when someone gets a clunk on the head! 

Get your lecturers involved
When you’re at school, teachers aren’t considered the coolest people in the world, but there’s a good chance you get on pretty well with your university lecturers and will want something by which to remember them. They will almost definitely be at your graduation ceremony in all of their own official regalia, although you can always grab them at the end of your last lecturer and pressure them into a photograph then.

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted in Learning, Sponsored | Tagged , , | 2 Comments