Redeem Creations

Ah.....I love this time of year. Usually we get a little warm sunshine unexpectedly and after such a lot of rain this year - this sunny day is most welcome and can come back again any time.

On my way back into the house after Pre-school pick up I spotted these beautiful few flowers left in the garden. I planted for cut flowers this year, and they have provided me with plenty of little posies round the house - especially the sweet peas, whose fragrance I have enjoyed very much.

I'm not green fingered. I wish I was, but I do love pottering, when I have time and I love having a few flowers to brighten my mood if I need it.

Today the sun is providing high contrast and bleached colours and the air has that first gentle bite of Autumn in it. The smell of the leaves has changed too - I noticed on the way to school the other day. There's that pungent aroma in the air, but only a few leaves yet on the ground. It won't be long before that "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" begins in full swing.

For now, I'm enjoying every bonus glimpse of sun we get, even when it's accompanied by gusty winds and the odd surprise shower! How wonderful it is to have seasons that change.

I'm also working toward a stock sale through my Facebook Page. I'm feeling the need for a change of season with Redeem Creations too.....making way (and space!) for a new collection of bags, cushions, jewellery and quilts is the first step. If you want to pick up a bargain, pop over to my page at 8pm on September 23rd and type "sold" under the item you'd like. You'll find lots of bags, including a whole range of Teeny Totes made from the most beautiful vintage fabrics and trims, and a few cushions and bag buddies too. First to get there grabs the goodies!

See you then
xxxxxxx

It's been a lovely long Summer with the boys and I don't feel like I'm quite ready to give up on the long evenings and lazy bedtimes yet; the meandering days and carefree atmosphere. Life inevitably moves on though and I waved goodbye to them all, all kitted out in their new uniforms, slightly nervous and reluctant, but old enough now to know that it has to happen. (Me too!)
I think it takes a while as a parent to get the hang of summer holidays. You still have memories of when you were a child and they seemed endless and responsibility free, full of long days of sunshine and pleasing yourself. I'm finding that with each new year I understand better how to tackle this season. Maybe by the time they are all grown up I will have got the hang of it! This year, we did our usual Summer Activity Planner - basically a long piece of paper with the days on it, which we fill in together at the beginning and decide on the things we most want to do - interspersed by some of the things we have to do, like shoe shopping (UUuuuGGhGGhhh!!!). It worked well, and I felt happy that I had managed to entertain and occupy each day without any of us falling over the edge of sanity. I also trialed a short term pocket money chart this year. We don't do pocket money really; the honest reason being that we're not usually organised enough to remember! Short term though, to raise a little pocket money for our camping holiday, I could manage and as we expect the boys to help around the house, they gained ticks for things that were above and beyond - like helping a brother without being asked, being kind, generous and enthusiastic. All of these things thrown into the mix of 5 boys and one Mummy at home make a HUGE difference!

Goody bags for each of the children, left on the seat of the car, for them to find at the beginning of the journey to our holiday

This years' camping trip took us to Suffolk and a part of the world I hadn't visited since I was a child. My parents lived here when they were first married and took my older brother home from hospital to live in a mobile home on a friend's farm. We stayed on the same farm this year and it was beautiful.

I feel the need to write some more about some of the musings and thoughts I have had over the Summer, but I think they are still settling in my head, so I will leave them for another day when they have "Crystallised" as my dad would have said. For now, I'll mark the end of the holidays by sharing some of my favourite pictures of our time away.

Our campsite in the morning sunlight.