Exploring life, one footstep at a time
In the middle of November, when I had time on my hands and a desire to be a better writer, I set myself a task of writing every day for 30 days. The task was to write a 500-word blog post, complete with a complementary image, every single day for 30 consecutive days. The Commitment… Continue reading Reflections on my 30-day Writing Challenge
This post follows part 1 of The Letter. "It's nice here." "Yeah." "It brings me a sense of peace. I lost my husband last year, and this is the only place where I feel allowed to be sad anymore." "Yeah, I get that." "It's like time goes by and I'm just meant to forget the… Continue reading The Letter (Part 2)
I've been resident on the East Coast of North America for almost four years, and there are still things I miss about England. The English pub is most certainly one of them. An English pub is not to be mistaken for a bar. There are significant differences between pubs and bars. In America, so far… Continue reading Day 28: What Makes an English Pub?
How could I forget that in London it rains? Frequently. I packed for the cold; the weather is much like it is in NYC right now, but the rain is something I forgot to factor. The 'inclement weather', as it's typically described on London Underground, surprises me as I walk out of the house, even… Continue reading Day 27: Back in London
New York I have always believed I am capable of travelling light. When I pack, I'm sure I've only put in the necessary items and yet, the bag always topples at the weight. We get to security and it's then I realise I've packed too much. I take off my shoes and coat, take out… Continue reading Day 26: Travelling Light
Today is the second time I've flown solo with my son. Last time he was 10 months old; now, he is just approaching 14 months. The feature picture is him playing in the airport lounge before we boarded on our last trip. Shortly after this picture was taken, I took my eyes off him for… Continue reading Day 25: Baby & Mama Flying Solo
It's here! We leave for England tomorrow morning! Our bags are packed, there are only 12 days of advent calendar doors to open, and we're ready to eat mince pies until we're bursting! I think everything my son and I own is in my suitcase. Despite this fact, it's less important what's in the suitcase… Continue reading Day 24: England Eve
It's 9.30 am. The bulk of the commuters have been and gone leaving me and the off peeker's to a train where seats are a'plenty. I realise I've forgotten my phone charger and I know I need later in the day, so, to save juice, I pull out my book. I always carry a book, and… Continue reading Day 23: The Commute
There are days when life is busy; when every time we tick something off the 'to do' list three more tasks magically appear. When tomorrow becomes more important than today; when we forget that every moment matters. On those days, we stop noticing. These are the days when tension rises with every thought; when stress… Continue reading Day 22: We Can and We Shall
Confusion is rife The media - social, online & offline - is full of advice about what we should and shouldn't eat. Bookshops are bursting with books on the latest and greatest diets; low fat, high fat, low carb, low salt, the Mediterranean diet, the Keto diet, the Paleo diet, the Vegan diet and the… Continue reading Day 21: Everything in Moderation
With tales of Christmas indulgence just around the corner, but my sweet tooth ever present, today I baked some 'healthy' sweet treats. Baking is another of my loves in life, but lately, I don't seem to find the time. When I was pregnant, you couldn't get the spatula out of my hand and, before my… Continue reading Day 20: Spiced Carrot Christmas Cookies
For those of you who were expecting to see the next installment of last night's story, I'll write it soon. As that style of writing is unfamiliar to me, it took a lot of effort to construct. Today I'm back to writing what I know and love; tales of life. Plus, I'm dying to watch… Continue reading Day 19: The Miracles of Childhood Development
He raised his eyebrows, nodded and went back to his shelves. Once she was no longer in sight he pulled out his phone and dialled Kara. "She did it again. I'm done with this place." "You've said this before, Carl, you need a plan before you can leave." "I've got one." "Really... what's it this… Continue reading Day 18: The Letter
The warmth embraces us as we step in from the cool winter's air. We make our way to the counter, and our eyes shift to gaze at the options. I'm not really looking; I know what I want. I try not to be seduced by the array of cakes and pastries staring at us from… Continue reading Day 17: The Coffee Shop
Since my post on guilty pleasures, a few people have asked me about my Stitch Fix subscription; here's the low down. I'm no fashionista and I hate clothes shopping; more often than not, it's just another thing on my to-do list. I never know what to buy and when I do I always seem to… Continue reading Day 16: Clothes Shopping Without the Effort
Some of you may have been put off by today's title, and trust me, I wondered whether to broach this subject, but I believe it's such an important topic that I couldn't not. Yesterday, when I was listening to BBC Radio 1, Professor Green came on as a guest to talk about mental health. For… Continue reading Day 15: Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Between games of 'how-many-times-can-I-throw-my-spoon-on-the-floor-before-mummy-tears-every-hair-out-of-her-own-head', to managing my son's latest dance move, 'the sausage' - an ingenious position where he contorts his arms straight up into the air making himself as slippery as possible so that when I pick him up he slides through my hands like, well, a sausage - it's been a somewhat colourful… Continue reading Day 14: Sausages and Tea Towels
We're lucky to live on a Connecticut road that is sandwiched between the two beautiful towns of Wilton and New Canaan. These charming towns date back to the late 1700s, and aren't what I would call typical American towns; they have unique New England beuaty. A hallmark of New England is that the surrounding country… Continue reading Day 13: New England Magic
Guilty pleasures are one of the necessities of the human experience. They take us to our happy place; even if it's only for a fleeting moment. Life is hard; we need these moments. I have a more than a few guilty pleasures and many of them revolve around food; I'm sure I'm not the only… Continue reading Day 12: Indulge Your Guilty Pleasures
Today has been a funny sort of day. This morning I was wondering what I'd write next on the blog, so I asked some friends to share what they'd like to read. Then something happened to make me rethink my approach. I opened my email and found written accounts from two important, brave and strong… Continue reading Day 11: Inspiration from Strong Women
My friend recently wrote an article about the quality of children's food available at restaurants. She describes her experiences of limited, unhealthy choices and being served overcooked food, often to the point that it's inedible. As I read her story and based on my experiences of eating out with my 13-month old son thus far, I… Continue reading Day 10: Feeding the Monster
Connecticut is one of those states that when you tell people about it they look at you blankly because they've never heard of it and have no idea where it is. They know New York state, for obvious reasons, and they've often heard of Massachusetts because they know Boston, but Connecticut is usually the forgotten… Continue reading Day 9: Connecticut Gems
The first time we introduced our son to 'Roomba', I thought he was going to run up my husband's trouser leg. He scrambled across the floor like a spider trying to escape a glass cupping. Since then, he hasn't exactly become fond of the little robot, but they do seem to have come to some… Continue reading Day 8: The Baby and the Robot
The pine candle is lit; the fairy lights are sparkling; the snow globe is snowing; It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! After feeling the Thanksgiving cheer of delicious food, Santa themed films and being curled up in our cosy home while temperatures plummeted, we decided it was the perfect time to dust off… Continue reading Day 7: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Being a mother is hard. There, I said it. There are days when I feel so much love for my son that I think my heart might spontaneously combust. Then there are days when I want to walk out of the house, get a cup of coffee and pretend it’s just me again. No child,… Continue reading Day 6: Mothering Tips From My Hairdresser
Often, when I read these articles, I see posts pop up from parents who are unable to get their children to nap at all. I usually read these snippets with a smug sense of: 'Ahhh, that's not me; I must be a better parent; I've clearly got this s**t down...' Have I hell got this s**t down.
What else could today's post be about but Thanksgiving; our new adopted holiday. This is our fourth year celebrating. The first two years we weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves; everything was closed, we had no family here to celebrate with, all of our UK family and friends were at work and apart… Continue reading Day 4: Turkey Day
Parenting is work One thing I didn't bargain for on becoming a mother is that parenting is relentless. Rewarding, but relentless all the same; babies can do little for themselves. They can't use the toilet, they can't put clothes on (they can, incidentally, take clothes off, but this is usually less than useful) and they struggle… Continue reading Day 3: “She likes to cook a bit”
Today someone asked me why I write and it took me back to when I first put pen to paper... When I was 20 I developed chronic fatigue syndrome. The illness meant I had to leave university, return home to live with my mum and leave my life behind. I was ill for three years.… Continue reading Day 2: Overcoming Adversity
I believe my son is training for this goal. To help him achieve his feat, he likes to practice daily the art of removing and eating his socks, to ensure he is mismatching at all times. Removing socks After my third hot flash of the day, as my slippery toddler squirms out of my grip… Continue reading Day 1: Apparently, “82% of young men wear odd socks at least once a week.”
I've been thinking... I want to become a better writer and to do that I need to write more. As challenging as it is to find the time to write while being a stay at home mum for half of the week and a working mum for the other half, if I want to get… Continue reading 30 Day Writing and Image Challenge
Kids make life chaotic I look around my kitchen; I see dirty socks and bibs, unwashed dishes, scrunched up tea towels and unread magazines. My floor is strewn with pieces of splattered fish and potato and there's one lone shoe. I know I've got about 90 minutes until he wakes again. Before I had my… Continue reading Kids Change Everything
How different my birthdays are now to what they once were. When I was in my teens and twenties I would anticipate them for months on end. I'd plan elaborate nights out, look forward to fancy gifts and expect lots of fuss. Now the things that please me most are the people I love, the… Continue reading Feeling Lucky – Birthday Pondering
She walks with purpose, head down, the end in sight until she reaches her spot. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a familiar face. She smiles, nods her head in acknowledgement. They continue their business. A few minutes pass and he stands and walks towards her. They share the table, one on… Continue reading The Library
I want to like them; the delight on her face tells me I should, but the thought of eating one makes my stomach flip.
It's quiet. How long do I have? I check the clock. He's had 30 minutes. Will this be a long nap or a short one? I rush to shower. I dress, but wonder 'How important is make-up today?' Is it worth those extra few precious minutes? I begin applying eyeshadow. I try to still my… Continue reading Mindful Moments
It looks black in the pot but, as I pour, the chocolatey silkiness seeps into my pupils. Drop drop: it spills the familiar spill. Every time I think “I must buy a new pot” and every time I forget as I get swept up in the buzz of the caffeine high. It’s a dull day… Continue reading When Coffee Calls
A couple of weeks ago my friend and I went for a birthday dinner at The Schoolhouse in Cannondale. The Schoolhouse is a small, but perfectly formed treasure in the heart of the historic Cannondale village. I wrote a piece on Cannondale a few weeks back and in 2017 The Wilton Bulletin featured an article… Continue reading A Rare Night Off
Art galleries are some of my favourite places to be. My mum always took me to them when I was a child and spent time educating me about the different artists and artistic approaches. I don't claim to know much, but I know there are certain periods and types of art I'm more drawn to… Continue reading Arty Farty
My husband sent me an article today; "The 14 Habits of Highly Miserable People". He often sends articles my way usually things of a psychological nature that he spots when reading the news and because of my love of all things related to the human psyche. I always read, and usually ruminate on, them for… Continue reading The Importance of Gratitude
As much as I love my busy life and beautiful family, I miss those increasingly rare moments of 'me time'. The moments where I'm just me.
It's a glimpse into the spring to come. It's only going to last a couple of days, but it's a welcome solstice from the chilled, snowy themes of February
It's the eve of our first 'moving to America' anniversary. This time one year ago, we were saying our fond farewells to our nearest and dearest and preparing to embark on a new adventure, and what an adventure it's been.... I've grown, learned, changed, adapted, become more British than I believed was possible, yet, at… Continue reading Yours Sincerely, Mrs ‘Living the American Dream.’
I'm currently sat in the New York Library typing this. I've walked past this building a few times on my minimal visits to the City but this is the first time I've been inside. It's beautifully grand, but it's certainly not made for comfort. I'm sat in an awkward wooden chair surrounded by gold clad… Continue reading Playing at Being a New Yorker
During the summer months, the town of Stamford, CT hosts concerts by a range of artists. These concerts make up the series Alive @ 5. When I discovered the event, I checked to see what was coming up. I scrolled through the list to see name after name I didn't recognise, (apart from Shaggy on the… Continue reading Reliving my youth – Boyz 2 Men style
Adjusting the mirrors in our 4x4 after dropping my husband at work, the realisation suddenly dawns on me, I exist. For the last two months of our adventure in the States, I've been without authorisation to work (EAD) and without a social security number. In the U.S., I was a nobody. On Friday evening my… Continue reading I Exist!
Now that our home has taken shape and we've been freed from the weekends of furniture shopping and fund deficits, our Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for a spot of fun and exploration. This weekend started with a Friday evening jig at a local country music concert in a neighbouring town of Darien. I… Continue reading Jigs, Grobs and Cobs
Driving over Tappen Zee Bridge, one of the gateways over the Hudson, we began to get a feel for the mountainous terrain that towered in front of us. My husband had decided this would be an interesting place for us to visit, namely because it is one of the big ski areas in NY State and… Continue reading Road Tripping Catskills, NY
So, my work life frustration is why the blogs have been a bit quiet. However, today, after a mini outburst about being bored over breakfast this morning, I decided to listen to the adage 'only boring people get bored' and start writing again.
City Girl Walking 