bits and pieces: fathers day

My dad and Trish came to visit us yesterday and we celebrate Fathers day. We went for pizza and beer (where else could you go for fathers day?!) // Walked around a nature festival in the centre of Bristol // took a ride on the steam train // walked around the docks looking at the boats and SS Great Britain // and of course jumped in puddles!

We had a lovely day, ending it with a look around the Mshed, with tea and cake! Even the rain seemed to clear up by the afternoon.

What did you do for fathers day? Do you have any fathers day traditions?

Whatever you did I hope you had a lovely day! 

twenty-four / fifty-two

- a portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2013 -

Another week has flown by and we've been busy clambering over tree trunks and running around the countryside. It's good to go to places where Theo can yell at the top of his lungs and run around freely for once. 

My favourite from last week has to be the gorgeous Charlie! Look at those eyes! I love peeking into Sarah's life and the beautiful world she lives in! 

bristol adventures: tyntesfield (again!)

It's been a little quiet around here, perhaps because of the weather I've been hermitting a little, or perhaps it's just one of those weeks where I don't have much to say. I kind of like it that way though, sometimes it's good to be a little quiet and take a step back.

I do love this little blog of mine though, I'm happy (and a little proud) with it. It isn't huge and it doesn't make me money but I enjoy it being my space to share and record memories. I love that I have made friends in real life through it, and continue to receive advice and support through the lovely people who read it! I'm not sure where this is all coming from, but perhaps I have been thinking and reflecting on it, and whats going to happen in the future. Who knows where this blog will be in a year or so, I hope still here whittling on quietly in the corner...but we shall see!

Anyway on with the post!

My weeks have been fairly unstructured since I stopped going to playgroups, which was perhaps one of the good things about them is that it at least got me out of the house in the morning. Sometimes I find it a little hard to get inspired to go out and do things if I haven't made a plan before hand. So early this week I called up my mother to see if she wanted to meet up somewhere local for a day out. Seeing as we all have National Trust memberships we took advantage and went to Tyntesfield. Rob and I visited a few months ago just as spring was starting to...spring! The weather on Wednesday unfortunately wasn't as good, and certainly not as lovely as it's been the last few weeks, but we still had a good time. This time the house was open so we were able to have a nose around there too, and explore a little more of the gardens.

Theo enjoyed exploring the gardens, climbing on the tree stumps and running through the bushes. We spotted cows and talked about the tall trees. I absolutely love seeing him run around and exploring the countryside, being adventurous and fearless.

we love.....leggings!

So lately I've had my eye on lots and lots of leggings! We've always been a fan of leggings over here, but suddenly there seems to have been an explosion of amazing designs around. These are some of my favourites I've been drooling over in internet land!

One: Tootsa Macginty Bude harem pants // two: Beau Loves Davenport triangle pants via Archies Boutique // three: Indikidual banana print leggings via Milly Mog // four: Mason and the Tambourine Teepee no.2 leggings // five: Mason and the Tambourine Ridges no.2 leggings // six: Thief & Bandit Stalactite leggings // seven: Thief & Bandit Mountain print leggings  // eight: Lotiekids Elephant leggings // nine: Lotiekids Bicycle print leggings  // ten: Indikidual yellow banana harem via Archies Boutique // eleven: Indikidual humbug jumpsuit via Archies Boutique 

twenty-three / fifty-two

- a portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2012 -

Another portrait with daddy, because let's face it there's nothing sweeter than seeing a father and his child. Please also note the matching chins...he's a Durbin alright. 

Today we had a lovely Sunday, we had a quick trip to Ikea, did lots of gardening, had a run around on the playing fields and ended it all with lasagne in the garden. Really really trying to make the most of our one day together at the weekend, not sure how much I can keep up with missing out on time all together. 

Last week I loved these amazing polaroids, there's something so beautiful about accidents and the unpredictable effect this will have when using film! 

a friday adventure

So Fridays are turning into little adventure days for Theo and I along with our friends. Since Rob is now working Fridays I have to think of things to do to fill them up, and because I work most Saturdays it's been really good to try and do something different and adventurous before the weekend.

As the weather has been so good all week we decided to take another trip to the beach, this time a little closer to Weston-Super-Mare. We've only been once before, last summer, when the weather wasn't so...summery! We left a sunny Bristol this morning, but as we got closer the clouds started to come in. It was pretty windy and a little chilly when we arrived, but the sun did poke it's head out every now and again.

We headed straight for the beach for a little play, which was fun until we made the fatal error of trying to have some lunch. Now I don't know if I've mentioned my hate of sand on here before (I probably have) but I had all my reasons for hating it reconfirmed today. You see I do love going to the beach, and especially if the beach is pebble or very grainy sand, but the beach at Weston is neither of these. In fact because Weston isn't technically on the coast, but on the Severn Estuary, which has a huge tidal range making it feel like the sea. The 'beach' therefore is pretty muddy, so the sandy beach is man made meaning that the sand isn't like proper compacted beach sand, just gritty loose sandpit sand. So this, plus a slight breeze and trying to eat sandwiches doesn't end too well! Sand just makes me feel horrible!  I hate the feeling of it and even more the fear of having it in between your teeth.....uuughhh. Like nails on a chalk board. So lunch wasn't so successful lets just put it that way...I may have freaked out just a little.

Anyway moving on from our slight lunch disaster, we made a mental note not to have lunch on the beach again and just leave that for building sand castles. But regardless of my freak out the boys said that they liked the beach which is all that is important anyway! We took a walk along the sea front, had a little ride on the carousel, played in the fountain, ate some chips and had a good chat. We of course ended the day with ice-cream before taking two pretty tired out boys home. The weather held out until we made it back to Bristol where we had some much needed rain.

We had a lovely day in the end, and it's always good to go somewhere new, and there is so much left to discover!