How to Help Your Children with a House Move

Moving house is stressful enough for adults: it comes with the burden of additional work, financial worries, not to mention the fear that in the worst case scenario, it could all go wrong and your family could end up homeless! While these might be the thoughts that keep you awake at night, you are, at least nominally, in charge of what’s happening. You can speak to estate agents and solicitors, find movers and London storage companies, and start packing. Children just have a move happen to them: it’s totally out of their hands, and it can be confusing, frustrating and upsetting as well as exciting. 

Here are two hints to help your children adjust to the move, so they’ll be as ready for moving day as you are!

Involve Them

The most intimidating aspect of a move for a child is the powerlessness: it feels like a huge lifechanging event is being foisted on them. Getting them involved with the process is important: it demystifies what’s happening, gives them some agency in events and also keeps them busy, which is a great defence against worry. 

Giving your children some responsibilities with packing is a great way to involve them in the moving process, and also reassure them that their possessions are safe: they don’t simply see things disappearing from all over the house while boxes appear instead. They’ll know their toys are being safely packed up to be retrieved later.

Friends

This is less of a concern if you are moving within the same town, and your children are staying at the same school – lots of familiar standbys in their life will be kept the same.

If you’re moving a long way, perhaps due to work, there’s a lot more disruption to your children’s lives. They’ll miss friends and favourite places and moving to somewhere new and unknown will be a disturbing idea.

Firstly, listen to their worries: dismissing them out of hand will just defer them to return more dramatically later. Find the time to talk with them and acknowledge their anxieties. 

You can help to reassure them by focusing on other ‘firsts’ they worried about and made a success of. For example, calling back to their first day at school, when they were worried and nervous but went on to have a great time. Also, do some research on your new home. Find a few things your children can be excited about there that they can’t do at home, whether that’s visiting a park or play area, or a local attraction make sure it’s specific to the child and to the area you’re moving to.

If they’re worried about losing friends, it’s a good idea in the run up to a move to find time to organise calls and skype conversations with the friends they’ll miss: this will reassure them they can stay in touch, even as they make new friends in their new home.

Joining A Running Club

In the last #Fitbitches update I mentioned that I was changing the way in which I was participating in running, both as a mentor and for self-improvement. Volunteering as a Team Leader three times a week with GroupRun Blackburn's 'couch to 5k' group and then one 'long run' a week with Blackburn Road Runners was working perfectly.  But I had to make a huge decision.  Did I want to make that huge leap and officially become a 'club member' and be part of a organisation with a fantastic reputation and a strong membership?

Long story short... YES, I DID!

What swung it for me was the support that I've received by all the Blackburn Road Runners (BRR), many of whom have come through the community couch to 5k programme and are now running half and full marathons! I hear the BRR members cheering me on at races. I love reading about their camaraderie via Facebook updates. I enjoy spotting the blue and white vest at events and even on the television occasionally.  I am proud to hear of the achievements as their members smash club records and "personal best" times.

After my four trial club runs in September I submitted my membership application form and was soon accepted. I paid my fees, ordered my running vest and then, weirdly, kept quiet about it.  To tell you the truth, I was very nervous about representing the club as a slow runner.

I had to go public eventually and I thought the Fylde Coast Runners Windmill 10k was the perfect opportunity.  This race was my first ever 10k in 2015 and is my old stomping (no pun intended) ground so I love the scenery and the familiarity of the surroundings. Its not a race for everyone as it's an "out and back" run and almost totally flat. When I had originally registered for the run I wasn't a club member so I emailed the organisers and asked them to amend my details.  It felt like the final commitment I needed.

I knew there was going to be a good turn out from BRR. There were plenty of blue and white vests in the field and the route was lined with enthusiastic supporters. In fact, you can read more about this in the BRR newsletter.

As mentioned in my mini write-up, Amanda and Bev from the club had offered to run with me to help me through. We organised the car journey to Lytham and made it there alive (honestly, if I told you how we took a wrong turning before even leaving Blackburn and how I'm lucky to have made it there and back in one piece, you would say I was exaggerating. There are films and stage shows with less comedy moment that have made millions of pounds...).  Those girls never left my side for the whole 10k even though they could have both finished in a much faster time. And that selfless offering has definitely sealed the deal for me; that alone was worth the annual club fee.  They told me that it isn't about sacrificing a 'personal best' opportunity - it's about being a team player and enjoying the day.

There was a time, not so long ago, I was adamant that I was not joining a club.  I felt as though I didn't need to as I wasn't running for times or to score points - I was running for self-improvement.  I've since discovered that I can have that and £2 discount on race entries so much more from being a club member.

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Read other Fitbitches blog posts from this year

 January | February | March | April | May | JuneJuly | August | September | October | November | December

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One Year With My Dream Handbag | Fossil Sydney Satchel

I've been meaning to write this blog post for AGES but what has kicked my arse into gear was a recent chat with my blogger friend, Kate, about my Fossil Sydney Satchel and my search for a 'bag for life'. She's a bit of an expert when it comes to designer bags and she offered me some great advice which I've shared in the second half of this blog post. 

Over the years I have been the owner of lots and lots of different styles of handbags. I scour YouTube for handbag videos (my favourite content creator in this niche is Chase Amie - it's been lovely to see her channel grow over the past year or so) and drool over the top-end, designer bags, wondering if I could ever be lucky enough to own something considered an 'investment bag'. I mean, there's even a Burberry bag called 'Nickie' - if it was available in the UK, I'd be all over that!! 

About eighteen months ago I made a huge decision to invest in a leather handbag. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't super expensive but it was one I had lusted after for a long time. My friend, Tanya, asked me to evaluate the price down to an amount per day over a year to see if it felt worth it. This was great advice and the bag was very soon in my possession.

Fast forward to now and it's a bag that has never left my side.  It is so much more practical than I ever thought it would be because it is super roomy and is most definitely an every day bag. I was overly careful with it to start off with but now I realise that the quality of leather will handle a little bit of bashing around and each day it gains more character.  It can carry everything I need on a day-to-day basis and it's trained me not to haul too many unnecessary items around.  I don't see myself changing it any time soon.

I wish that I had been in a position to buy more than one at the time so that I could occasionally have a colour change. This bag style has now been discontinued by Fossil and the good quality, pre-loved ones don't come up too often. What I have heard on the grapevine is that Mia Tui (another great handbag company) have a new launch later this year that is of a similar style to the Fossil Sydney Satchel. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that! 

Anyway... over to Kate's fabulous advice.

You can find Kate and her Bagsposure updates here

>>> Blog | Instagram <<<

Go and show her some lurve 

WHY INVESTMENT BAGS ARE A GOOD THING

Investment bags come in two different guises - sought after bags you buy in the hope they will increase in value and bags you will use and love for years to come. Both can involve a serious outlay of cash but which camp you fall into depends on what you are looking to achieve from owning your bag.

If you're looking to make a tidy profit then choosing the right bag, looking after it and not using it are all paramount. But when some bags - like the iconic Hermès Birkin - are said to offer better returns than gold or stocks, there is some sense in investing. The trick is to buy a bag which is limited in numbers but enduring in appeal, like the Birkin or Hermès Kelly, a classic Chanel Flap or 2.55 bag, a Christian Dior Lady Dior or Louis Vuitton Sac Plat. These will all cost you hundreds, if not thousands, but could return a tidy sum if the demand remains on the same upward curve.

The other type of investment bags are the ones you lust after, save up for then reach for, use and love each day. They cost more than your run-of-the-mill high street handbags but the quality is made to last and they can even improve with age as the leather becomes softer and acquires a beautiful patina. Investing in a bag like this can be more cost effective than you think after your initial (often pricey purchase) if you think about it on a cost-per-wear basis. Fashion can still be so disposable but a quality bag - if you look after it, feed and clean the leather (I recommend with Collonil products) - can last years, if not a lifetime.

The important thing is to go for a bag you love in a style that works for you. Don't settle for second best and choose for a cheaper style that isn't quite right - chances are you will still long for your ideal bag and end up buying it anyway. I am a huge fan of the Mulberry Bayswater in classic colours but personally handheld bags don't work for me so I steer clear and instead go for styles with longer, crossbody straps. If you're looking for 10 tips of how to pick a designer bag you will love for life, I have a handy guide over on my blog with more info.

Handbags may appear to be a frivolous purchase, but if you choose wisely you could find a bag for life - or one that helps you to build a nice nest egg.

My Leather Diary for 2018 from Hope House Press

About 18 months ago, my friend Liz took ownership of a notebook shop and I was a bit jealous excited about it all.  Hope House Press sell luxury, hand made, personalised leather notebooks but have recently introduced more items to their shop such as pencil cases and pen sets.  Everything is made to order at their Cambridge studio and I've been lucky enough to receive a few samples along the way, including the diary I'm going to share with you now!

Start the day as you mean to go on, organised and ready for all it has to bring. With our personalised pencil case and a heavyweight wooden writing pen we're confident you'll be up to the challenge. #pen #writersgonnawrite #woodenpen #brasspen #pencilcase #personalisedpencilcase #hopehousepresss

A post shared by Hope House Press (@hopehousepress) on Oct 9, 2017 at 11:35pm PDT

I'm already looking at diaries and planners for 2018 as I always have a few dotted around for various uses (personal, work, blog, etc) and Liz wanted to talk to me about their new collection which is based around secret codes.  The concept behind one of the diary covers is to include a wordsearch with hidden words that describe the owner.  Keeping in with the theme, I went a bit stealth on my Facebook page and asked people to describe me in one word. It was definitely a morale boosting evening (see the full conversation here) however Liz then took a few of these words and designed my diary cover. I also spy a clever placing of "Hope House Press" in there too. 

 

This version is A6 size with a charcoal grey leather cover (the leather is the finest softback, real Italian leather) and the paper is approximately 90 GSM which means that you should easily be able to use ink with very little ghosting or bleed-through. I would suggest doing a pen test first though because everyone's ink and pen pressure is different.

The 2018 diary has a monthly planner with a month-per-page layout and a weekly planner housing a week-on-2-pages with plenty of writing space. There's also a few pages set aside for notes at the back and a dedicated A-Z name/phone number section.   There are also a few pages which have the generic weights and measures conversations, international dialling codes and average temperatures around the world however I would rather forego the inclusion of these to make way for more 'notes' pages as I can guarantee that I'll never use them for referencing. 

I'm really looking forward to using this diary as it's a great handbag size and surprisingly lightweight which means that I can carry a similar sized notebook for bullet journalling and random daily brain dumps. 

You can read more about Hope House Press on their 'About Us' page. Their products make fabulous gifts for all occasions and you can get in touch with them if you have any specific requirements. All their products can be personalised and come beautifully packaged in a display box and tissue paper.  You can also keep updated by following them on their social media channels : Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

S'No Queen : Designer Thermals | Review & Giveaway

This is not me but it's how I imagine
I look in the S'No Queen thermals

It's a bit nippy up here in deepest Lancashire during the winter months and our house is an old Victorian end-terrace that seems to leak heat.  So during the cold months we wrap up in lots of layers and stick an extra blanket on the bed.  On the worst nights it's not unknown for me to wear more clothes to bed than it is during the day... *sexy* so when S'no Queen asked me to take a look at their designer luxury thermals in the limited edition colour of turquoise, I jumped at the chance! 

Long gone are the days of the off-white, slightly baggy long-john type thermals that I remember my dad wearing in the 1970s. First impressions are that they are super soft! They are ribbed which naturally helps to trap air between outer layer, boosting the thermal properties and - here's the science bit - the thermals are made up of 82% micro modal, 14% silk and 4% lycra - making the whole product naturally soft on the skin and are very ecological.

Now, I'm not going to be going skiing any time soon, and we're not quite into the throes of winter just yet so, rather than just sitting around the house, looking super sparkly (yes, my leggings and tops all have a gorgeous diamante pattern on), I thought I'd use them for training runs as the nights get a bit colder as I like to wear a thin top under my running vest rather than one thick layer.  I'll let you know how I get on!   UPDATE : the top is perfect - it keeps me just the right level of 'warm' when running!

BUT, NICKIE, HOW CAN I BUY, I hear you ask!

Now, the S'No Queen products are, as mentioned, at the luxury end of the scale but you definitely are paying for quality and design here.  Check out the new winter ranges and if you see anything you fancy then use my discount code - TCAST10 - at checkout for 10% off  your order.  

HANG ON... WHAT'S THAT... YOU CAN WIN WITH S'NO QUEEN TOO?

S'No Queen have also teamed up with myself and a few other bloggers to bring you an exclusive competition to win a super-warm thermal bundle of S'No Queen products to keep you toasty this winter whether you're skiiing, snowboarding, running or just lounging around.  You have to enter via the widget below but there's lot of ways to enter including sending in a selfie or interacting on Twitter or Facebook.  

GOOD LUCK!!  

S'No Queen Limited Edition Designer Thermals Giveaway

NB: The competition is hosted and organised by S'No Queen and not by Typecast. Terms & conditions are available via the link on the widget and any queries must be directed to S'No Queen.