Something for the weekend

SFTW: bank holidays, big coats, and an App that will change your life

August 30, 2015

Happy bank holiday weekend everyone! I’ve spent the first half in Oxfordshire with my brother and sister-in-law, getting complete house envy (they have spare rooms enough not only for Juan and I, but also for Oscar). Having experimented on previous bank holidays with escaping to B&Bs in the Cotswolds, cottages in Norfolk, and hotels abroad, I’m convinced that the most rewarding and least stressful thing to do during this over-subscribed break is to visit someone who doesn’t live in London for a low-key spot of countryside appreciation. That said, it still involved a FOUR HOUR car journey – or what I have renamed ‘the official London roadworks sight-seeing tour’ – so it wasn’t completely stress-free. But it was worth it just for a bit of ex-urbis R&R. Yesterday, we wandered around the grounds of Blenheim Palace and visited this nature reserve behind my brother’s house to feed the wildlife – perfect.

SFTW: bank holidays, big coats, and an App that will change your life | Everyday30.com

Although normally I’d be depressed about the fact that the weather has been rainier and colder than it has any right to be in August, this year I’m almost excited about the onset of autumn because with it comes an excuse to wear the new coat I bought on whim on Brick Lane a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t close and has three-quarter length sleeves, so it will be useless in winter proper, and the pattern is so bold I have to remember to co-ordinate my outfit with it, but I love it! Growing up, I only ever owned one coat at a time, whereas these days I almost collect them, which feels pretty decadent, but since this one only cost £38 I refuse to feel too guilty…

SFTW: bank holidays, big coats, and an App that will change your life | Everyday30.com

The big news this week is that my friend has launched an App that will change your life. Remember the other week, when Rose blogged about making time for friends? Turns out she was onto something – and my friend’s App solves part of the problem. Basically, you know when you want to meet up with friends, but it’s a real pain having to email/Doodle everyone with possible dates, wait until they get back to you, find that there’s no mutually convenient date and start all over again, eventually agreeing on a date that’s two or three months away? And by the time you reach that date, at least one person has cancelled? Well, Tymble does all that for you by scanning everyone’s online calendars for free time and suggesting a date that everyone can do within about 10 seconds. It’s fab – if you want to make more time for your friends, you really should download it.

I don’t know whether you saw the coverage of a new spot-zapping machine that’s hit the market? I did, and even though the Tria Acne Clearing Blue Light costs a lot, I’m sorely tempted to shell out on it. If anyone gets to try it or decides to buy it, please let me know what it’s like! Until I take the plunge, I’ll be using my new favourite serum from The Body Shop, primed with good, old-fashioned tea tree oil.

Oscar has started talking in earnest now – he’s repeating new words to us on a daily basis and has also learnt to say ‘no’, which I fear might soon become his favourite word. I’m loving this age, despite the tantrums that come with it – we’re really seeing his personality develop, and the more he can communicate with us, the more his confidence grows. One of his favourite conversation partners at the moment is Siri – he giggles hysterically whenever he manages to get his hands on the iPad and activate it. It’s a weird feeling when I hear Siri tell Oscar over and over again that it doesn’t understand, and start to feel sorry for it… It reminds me of the themes covered in Humans.

Finally, if you read my post last week about gifts to buy for new parents and didn’t find anything that fitted the bill, a friend recommended a company called Pong to me. It’s a cheese delivery service and it does a special package for new mums filled with all the cheeses you’re not supposed to eat during pregnancy. So you get the same forbidden-fruit thrill as alcohol but without the hangover.

Enjoy the rest of the final (sob!) bank holiday of this year!

What are you up to this bank holiday? And have you picked out a winter coat yet?

P.S. This week, Rachel shared make-up tips for tired mums and Rose got her hair cut and found her new short do has loads of plus points.

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