After weeks of listening and dancing to the DVDs of CantaJuego, full of new and old nursery rhymes, playground songs and cartoon tunes, I can safely say that nothing touches my sensitive fibre like the songs of my childhood.
Mothering a bilingual child in a country different to the one where I grew up has been a learning curve, until recently my only knowledge of something resembling an English nursery rhyme was One Little Indian or One potato and that was from my first years of learning English at school in Spain (i.e. in the early eighties). I have had to learn songs like The wheels on the bus, you know those that go round and round, together with Row your boat and, a firm favourite in this household, We're going on a bear hunt. I had to learn them through necessity, as I was otherwise the only one at toddler group who wasn't singing.
I can sing English tunes just fine (or rather, once I learn the lyrics, I can work my way through them as badly as I have ever sung). My heart did melt a little bit when my daughter started doing all the signs of the wheels on that darn bus with the people who go up and down and the wipers that go swish swish swish and the fact that every time you hear the song on a CD or on TV and every time you sing it at toddler group you realise that there are a million and one versions of that tune and no one can agree on one.
However, when I sing a Spanish song from my childhood, like El patio de mi casa, Abuelito dime tú and a myriad of other tunes that saw me jump, skip, run, hold hands and go round and round in circles during my childhood waiting to see what happened to Heidi or to Marco, the boy with a monkey called Amedio, or to Maya the bee (yes, our cartoons were a bit different to yours), strange tears fill my eyes, a weird feeling invades my soul and grips my heart.
I have had to learn a few new Spanish tunes too: Soy una taza (I am a mug, well yes I look like one dancing to that one) and El zapatero (the shoemaker).
I leave you with the one that leaves me looking like a mug, literally and, so that you know why all the mad positions, it goes through kitchen utensils: I am a mug (soy una taza), a teapot (una tetera), a spoon (una cuchara), a ladle (un cucharón), a bowl (un plato hondo), a dinner plate (un plato llano), a knife (un cuchillito), a fork (un tenedor), a salt shaker (un salero), a sugar bowl (un azucarero), a blender (una batidora) and a pressure cooker (una olla exprés). Enjoy!
Play it to your kids, say cuchara, tenedor or cuchillo the next time you or they have a spoon, fork or knife in their hand and they'll be speaking Spanish in no time, so will you.
PS-Yes, the video is bad, yes the guys look dodgy but seriously my daughter loves them and it amazes me how much she learns from them and how much they are helping he recognise and say words.
One determined Spaniard married to an Englishman, mother to a bilingual and bicultural child, we may live in England but my daughter is most definitely half Spanish! Lover of bags, chocolate, my profession as a translator and now also passionate about blogging
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Valentine's day - Back to basics
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| Our wedding time capsule with the poem |
I came across this beautiful piece of writing when searching for the perfect reading for our wedding and chose it because it describes us perfectly as a couple. It was read in Spanish on the day, English-speaking guests could follow it in English as it had been included in the wedding "programme" that was left on their seats.
The author is Jesús María Hernández Gil aka Txus di Fellatio, double aka El Príncipe de la Dulce Pena (the Prince of Sweet Sorrow). Some of you may know him as the drummer of Spanish band Mägo de Oz. In charge of the English translation was yours truly (it shows why translators are only supposed to translate into their mother tongue!). If you understand Spanish, here you can read it in his website and here you can listen to the poem narrated by The Prince of Sweet Sorrow himself.
My favourite line, which was included somewhere else on our wedding day is: "two halves that create a dream".
{The poem is right after the Spanish text below}
Para los que no leais inglés, esta es la versión española (que no la traducción) de lo que cuento más arriba:
Ayer mi marido me envió este poema para recordarme el día de nuestra boda y las promesas que nos hicimos. En Inglaterra el día de San Valentín es una locura muy comercial, algo que a mí no me va, este año quiero volver a lo que verdaderamente importa: el amor, en todas sus formas.
El autor de este poema, una de las lecturas de nuestra boda (elegida porque nos describe a la perfección como pareja), es Jesús María Hernández, es posible que le conozcais como Txus di Fellatio o el Príncipe de la Dulce Pena; es decir, el batería de Mägo de Oz. Lo podeis oír aquí narrado por él mismo y aquí está publicado en su web.
El verso que más me gusta es: "dos mitades que forman un sueño".
¿Qué leíste
El verso que más me gusta es: "dos mitades que forman un sueño".
¿Qué leíste
Original Spanish
Si yo, tú
Si yo, tú. Si caes, yo contigo, y nos levantaremos juntos en esto unidos. Si me pierdo, encuéntrame. Si te pierdes, yo contigo, y juntos leeremos en las estrellas cuál es nuestro camino. Y si no existe, lo inventaremos. Si la distancia es el olvido, haré puentes con tus abrazos, pues lo que tú y yo hemos vivido no son cadenas... ni siquiera lazos: es el sueño de cualquier amigo, es pintar un te quiero a trazos, y secarlo en nuestro regazo.
Si yo, tú.
Si dudo, me empujas. Si dudas, te entiendo. Si callo, escucha mi mirada. Si callas, leeré tus gestos. Si me necesitas, silba y construiré una escalera hecha de tus últimos besos, para robar a la luna una estrella y ponerla en tu mesilla para que te dé luz. Si yo, tú. Si tú, yo también. Si lloro, ríeme. Si ríes, lloraré, pues somos el equilibrio, dos mitades que forman un sueño. Si yo, tú. Si tú, conmigo. Y si te arrodillas haré que el mundo sea más bajo, a tu medida, pues a veces para seguir creciendo hay que agacharse. Si me dejas, mantendré viva la llama hasta que regreses, y sin preguntas, seguiremos caminando. Y sin condiciones, te seguiré perdonando. Si te duermes, seguiremos soñando. que el tiempo no ha pasado, que el reloj se ha parado.
Y si alguna vez la risa
se te vuelve dura, se te secan las lágrimas y la ternura, estaré a tu lado, pues siempre te he querido, pues siempre te he cuidado. Pero jamás te cures de quererme, pues el amor es como Don Quijote: sólo recobra la cordura para morir. Quiéreme en mi locura, pues mi camisa de fuerza eres tú, y eso me calma, y eso me cura... Si yo, tú. Si tú, yo. Sin ti, nada. Sin mí, si quieres, prueba. |
My English translation
If I, you
If I, you.
If you fall, I fall with you,
and we shall get up together
in this united.
If I get lost, come find me.
If you get lost, I’m coming with you,
and together we will read in the stars
which path to take.
And, if it doesn't exist, we shall invent it.
If distance means forgetting,
I will build bridges with your embraces,
because what you and I have lived through
isn't chains…
not even links:
it’s the dream of any friend,
it’s painting an I love you in the sand,
and letting it dry on our lap.
If I, you.
If I hesitate, you push me.
If you hesitate, I understand you.
If I'm quiet, listen to my glance.
If you're quiet, I will read your gestures.
If you need me, whistle
and I shall build a ladder
with your last few kisses,
in order to steal a star from the moon
and leave it on your bedside table
to surround you with light.
If I, you
If you, me too.
If I cry, make me laugh.
If you laugh, I will cry,
because we are the balance,
two halves that create a dream.
If I, you.
If you, with me.
If you kneel
I will make the world shorter,
tailor-made for you,
because sometimes in order to keep growing
you have to get down.
If you leave me, I will keep the flame alight until you come back
and, no questions asked, we will keep walking.
And, with no conditions, I will keep forgiving you.
If you fall asleep, we will continue dreaming,
that time hasn’t passed,
that the clock has stopped.
And, if ever your laughter
becomes stiff,
if ever your tears
and tenderness dry up,
I will be by your side,
because I have always loved you,
because I have always looked after you.
But never ever recover from loving me,
because love is like Don Quixote:
it only recovers its sanity in order to die.
Love me in my insanity,
because you are my straitjacket
and that calms me down
and that heals me...
If me, you.
If you, me.
Without you, nothing.
Without me, if you want, try.
|
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Tapas Revolution - Westfield
Just before Christmas Mr Tapas took me out on a date in London, fully organised ahead of time and he knew exactly where he was taking me too: Tapas Revolution. This is not a regular occurrence for us.
I already mentioned this Spanish paradise in London and the man behind it, Omar Allibhoy, in a previous post about Olives from Spain, an initiative backed by him.
There was the Christmas rush, there was an ice rink, I didn't mind either as we looked for Tapas Revolution, a search that took us a little while as it didn't seem to be signposted anywhere but, as we say in Spain, preguntando se llega a Roma (basically meaning that, by asking, you'll find your way).
Mr Tapas asked me on the way what I fancied eating, for some reason I had a craving for croquettes, the Spanish kind with bechamel inside, the best way to use leftover meat (or even eggs that need eating soon by boiling them and making them part of the filling). Croquetas are something that I haven't mastered yet but I that I might one day, although to be honest, once you have prepared the mixture and before dividing and breadcrumbing it, it's all just so tempting sitting there. Who doesn't like bechamel?
Anyway, I was a tad disappointed to find out that there were no croquetas
but quite impressed with the layout, the décor, the selection of food on the menu
and the service so we were off to a good start and I soon forgot all
about them. We chose to share the Chef's Choice set menu: Jamón serrano de Teruel (Spanish cured ham), Pan con tomate (toasted bread, tomato, garlic and olive oil), Pulpo a la gallega (octopus with potatoes and paprika), Paella de marisco (seafood paella), Pinchos morunos (marinated beef skewers), Tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) and Chorizo al horno (oven-roasted chorizo), £15.50 per person.
It was all served promptly and the tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) was exactly how I like it, very spongy and not at all dry. Perfect for a bocadillo in fact! Take-away Bocadillos de tortilla de patatas are already included on the menu and at £3.95 they would spice up those boring weekday lunches for office workers. Omar, any chance of stalls all around the country selling Bocadillos de tortilla, Bocadillos de jamón serrano, Bocadillos de calamares...? In the colder months you could add Chocolate con churros to the mix. Go on, you know it's a brilliant idea, I might just start a "Bring the chiringuito to the UK" campaign.
We were amazed by the large amount of staff but to me this was key as, together with the decoration, it was giving it the real vibe of a Tapas joint: speed of service and hustle and bustle (and not just the one happening behind us in Westfield Shopping Centre, which was surprisingly easy to block out). Our waiter, a young Spanish lad (how English do I sound?!), was really efficient and, to show just how tiny the world is, he turned out to be from my hometown, Vigo!
I had mentioned that I was going to @tapasrevolution on Twitter and Omar had mentioned that he would be there so to let someone know when we arrived, which I did. He came to see us briefly and we had a quick chat, I mentioned how he needs to add croquetas to the menu and that I would like to see him more on TV, bringing young Spanish cooking to my favourite cooking show, Saturday Kitchen, not that I'm biased or anything but we do love that programme in the Tapas household.
He actually popped by to see us again before we left and to check how we were finding everything, which I thought was a lovely touch. He made sure that we ordered the Chocolate con churros before we left so we did and I am so glad we did, a tiny bit of Spanish heaven was all mine for a few seconds (well, I had to share it with Mr Tapas of course). I asked whether they did it to take away and they do, so if you're ever nearby and haven't got time to stop for long, make sure you order some to take away and have a sweet few minutes with them at home. Thick Spanish chocolate, sugary deep fried dough, what's not to love?
The finishing touch to a lovely afternoon came with the bill or rather the lack of it, our Galician waiter handed my husband, who had his card ready to pay, the bill and indicated we were invited and the only thing we were being charged for was the Cola Cao that at the last minute I decided to buy for my daughter, it's the Spanish hot chocolate that I grew up with and that she now has for her meriendas. We were a bit puzzled. Omar, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making a lovely date with my husband so special.
Check out Tapas Revolution and Olives from Spain for some of Omar's recipes and next time you're either in Westfield or Bluewater, make sure you stop to "eat like a Spaniard".
PS: Querido Omar, please open one of these, either "Tapas Revolution" or "Tapas Revolution goes mobile" (or "on wheels"?) in Cambridge, we promise to look after it.
All photos used in this post are mine therefore my own copyright.
I already mentioned this Spanish paradise in London and the man behind it, Omar Allibhoy, in a previous post about Olives from Spain, an initiative backed by him.
 |
| Christmassy view from the top, we got lost but we found it |
Mr Tapas asked me on the way what I fancied eating, for some reason I had a craving for croquettes, the Spanish kind with bechamel inside, the best way to use leftover meat (or even eggs that need eating soon by boiling them and making them part of the filling). Croquetas are something that I haven't mastered yet but I that I might one day, although to be honest, once you have prepared the mixture and before dividing and breadcrumbing it, it's all just so tempting sitting there. Who doesn't like bechamel?
Anyway, I was a tad disappointed to find out that there were no croquetas
but quite impressed with the layout, the décor, the selection of food on the menu
and the service so we were off to a good start and I soon forgot all
about them. We chose to share the Chef's Choice set menu: Jamón serrano de Teruel (Spanish cured ham), Pan con tomate (toasted bread, tomato, garlic and olive oil), Pulpo a la gallega (octopus with potatoes and paprika), Paella de marisco (seafood paella), Pinchos morunos (marinated beef skewers), Tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) and Chorizo al horno (oven-roasted chorizo), £15.50 per person.
It was all served promptly and the tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) was exactly how I like it, very spongy and not at all dry. Perfect for a bocadillo in fact! Take-away Bocadillos de tortilla de patatas are already included on the menu and at £3.95 they would spice up those boring weekday lunches for office workers. Omar, any chance of stalls all around the country selling Bocadillos de tortilla, Bocadillos de jamón serrano, Bocadillos de calamares...? In the colder months you could add Chocolate con churros to the mix. Go on, you know it's a brilliant idea, I might just start a "Bring the chiringuito to the UK" campaign.We were amazed by the large amount of staff but to me this was key as, together with the decoration, it was giving it the real vibe of a Tapas joint: speed of service and hustle and bustle (and not just the one happening behind us in Westfield Shopping Centre, which was surprisingly easy to block out). Our waiter, a young Spanish lad (how English do I sound?!), was really efficient and, to show just how tiny the world is, he turned out to be from my hometown, Vigo!
I had mentioned that I was going to @tapasrevolution on Twitter and Omar had mentioned that he would be there so to let someone know when we arrived, which I did. He came to see us briefly and we had a quick chat, I mentioned how he needs to add croquetas to the menu and that I would like to see him more on TV, bringing young Spanish cooking to my favourite cooking show, Saturday Kitchen, not that I'm biased or anything but we do love that programme in the Tapas household.
 |
| Omar Allibhoy |
 |
| Chocolate con churros, essential ordering material |
 |
| Un cafelito, coffee in a tumbler, caffeinated bliss! |
Check out Tapas Revolution and Olives from Spain for some of Omar's recipes and next time you're either in Westfield or Bluewater, make sure you stop to "eat like a Spaniard".
PS: Querido Omar, please open one of these, either "Tapas Revolution" or "Tapas Revolution goes mobile" (or "on wheels"?) in Cambridge, we promise to look after it.
All photos used in this post are mine therefore my own copyright.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Decluttering for charity
This post can be summarised with the following:
Need to declutter + Lovely items to sell + Not enough time to do it all + Desire to give part of the proceeds to charity = No idea how to proceed.
The much longer version is that we live in tight quarters at the moment with a toddler having taken over our bungalow and me working from the kitchen table. Both Mr Tapas and I have hung on to some beloved items but now we have a much more beloved daughter between the two of us and, although we will soon be moving, we really do not need to take certain items that clutter our space with us. Fresh start as they say.
A lot of what can be considered to be cluttering our home at the moment are actually lovely items of clothing that I can't get into anymore, there are a few that I want to keep for my daughter and there are a lot that until a few years ago I could still get into but I don't anymore nor do I expect I ever will again as, even if I lose the weight, gravity will probably affect my shape since I'm nearing 40 (argh it's weird to write that down).
Then there are a lot of accessories: hats, scarves and handbags (of course there are handbags!). some of rather good quality and most in a really good condition. In fact, some of them have never been used as they were unwanted gifts from my parents that never suited me but that I felt too guilty to give away. All of them could go to loving homes that regularly use them.
I do find it very hard to let go of quite a few of these belongings as they are my past, my history, my memories... and I would need a day of digging them out as many have been filed away, are out of season so have been put away...; I would need to go through them all with the help of someone who I can count on to help me be ruthless. I do need new clothes myself (the kind that actually fit me) as I only have a couple of things my size that I totally like (thanks to Mr Tapas dragging me to Monsoon recently). I can't live in denial of my size anymore, I most definitely need a wardrobe overhaul and to feel better about myself, so I looked into wardrobe consultants and declutterers but they seem to cost so much money which, firstly, I can't justify and, secondly, the proceeds of my memorabilia may not cover, plus there would be no money left for charity.
I do have a dream of having a totally lovely streamlined wardrobe in the new house with only clothes that not only fit me but the wardrobe too, clothes that I will actually wear during that season. I think this may work wonders on my, lately slightly damaged, confidence. In fact I need to buy an actual wardrobe as there is not a single one in the new house. Make that two wardrobes, another one for LittleT's room. At the moment my wardrobe is in her room in fact, which makes it a bit awkward when getting ready if she is napping.
I also don't want to just drop everything to a charity shop as I know as there is more money to be made that they may realise and I could really use some of it towards a bit of childcare to help me, even if it only covers a few days it will still be of help as we have none at the moment and my work from home is becoming quite a challenge. Plus, this is going to leave me a bit short on the clothes side (and by that I don't mean that I am going to take to wearing ultrashort skirts!!).
I have already taken bags full of lovely things to my local charity shops, I have a gift-aid card for my favourite one. I am also fully aware that there is eBay but unfortunately there are so many things that need describing carefully that eBay may become another full-time job to add to my never-ending list. My lovely friend @indycelebrant has offered a day of her time to come over and help go through it and put it all on eBay. I'm not sure she knows just how much there is and that it really is going to be one very long and tiring day, plus then there are all the items to watch and send on time, which realistically I would only be able to do on a Saturday morning.
I have considered eBay trading agents and second hand shops but they both seem to take quite a bit of commission and, if the items are not sold (should I take them to the wrong shop), I will end up with them back at home in 4 weeks time anyway. Once I decide to let go of the space they occupy in my home and my heart, I don't want to see them again, unless hanging from someone who truly loves them, otherwise I'll never be able to let go of them. That commission could be the money that goes to charity you see so I feel guilty about thtat.t
Now, I tend to favour cancer charities because of my own family history but I don't want this to be a little contribution to the charity sea. This is my history that I am letting go (some of it spanning about 30 years), so I want it to mean something to both my daughter and one or more people out there.
I have no idea how much I can raise, it may only be £50 but those £25 may mean a lot to a child: it's a pair of new shoes or a brand new toy for the first time, for example. Which in turn means a lot to their parents as they see a smile on their children's faces. But I hope that, with the right selling knowledge, experience and kick in the butt for me to get rid of everything, a bit more money may be raised to help one or more people.
So, I need your help, how can I raise the most money so that I can give a big chunk to charity. Bearing in mind that I really need to do this but that I really don't have that much time in my hands. How can I get my history to make someone's day? Has anyone who has done this before have any advice? Is eBay better or are car boot sales worth it? I could drop whatever doesn't sell at the charity shop on the way back from a jumble sale... A one-stop place would be ideal. Or, should I just give up, drop it all off at one or more charity shops and get it over and done with?
Well, all but one or two as I want at least one item to become a #travelingreddress. Even if it's not red, a ballgown or even a dress. If you don't know what I'm talking about, make sure you check this feature on Forbes and follow The Bloggess on Twitter.
Even if I end up feeling guilty about keeping any of the money and decide to give all proceeds to charity, that will surely mean that when I look in the mirror in my out of shape clothes (a bit like me really), I will feel much better about myself, no?
Need to declutter + Lovely items to sell + Not enough time to do it all + Desire to give part of the proceeds to charity = No idea how to proceed.
The much longer version is that we live in tight quarters at the moment with a toddler having taken over our bungalow and me working from the kitchen table. Both Mr Tapas and I have hung on to some beloved items but now we have a much more beloved daughter between the two of us and, although we will soon be moving, we really do not need to take certain items that clutter our space with us. Fresh start as they say.
A lot of what can be considered to be cluttering our home at the moment are actually lovely items of clothing that I can't get into anymore, there are a few that I want to keep for my daughter and there are a lot that until a few years ago I could still get into but I don't anymore nor do I expect I ever will again as, even if I lose the weight, gravity will probably affect my shape since I'm nearing 40 (argh it's weird to write that down).
 |
| Two dresses I can't squeeze into |
I do find it very hard to let go of quite a few of these belongings as they are my past, my history, my memories... and I would need a day of digging them out as many have been filed away, are out of season so have been put away...; I would need to go through them all with the help of someone who I can count on to help me be ruthless. I do need new clothes myself (the kind that actually fit me) as I only have a couple of things my size that I totally like (thanks to Mr Tapas dragging me to Monsoon recently). I can't live in denial of my size anymore, I most definitely need a wardrobe overhaul and to feel better about myself, so I looked into wardrobe consultants and declutterers but they seem to cost so much money which, firstly, I can't justify and, secondly, the proceeds of my memorabilia may not cover, plus there would be no money left for charity.
I do have a dream of having a totally lovely streamlined wardrobe in the new house with only clothes that not only fit me but the wardrobe too, clothes that I will actually wear during that season. I think this may work wonders on my, lately slightly damaged, confidence. In fact I need to buy an actual wardrobe as there is not a single one in the new house. Make that two wardrobes, another one for LittleT's room. At the moment my wardrobe is in her room in fact, which makes it a bit awkward when getting ready if she is napping.
I also don't want to just drop everything to a charity shop as I know as there is more money to be made that they may realise and I could really use some of it towards a bit of childcare to help me, even if it only covers a few days it will still be of help as we have none at the moment and my work from home is becoming quite a challenge. Plus, this is going to leave me a bit short on the clothes side (and by that I don't mean that I am going to take to wearing ultrashort skirts!!).
I have already taken bags full of lovely things to my local charity shops, I have a gift-aid card for my favourite one. I am also fully aware that there is eBay but unfortunately there are so many things that need describing carefully that eBay may become another full-time job to add to my never-ending list. My lovely friend @indycelebrant has offered a day of her time to come over and help go through it and put it all on eBay. I'm not sure she knows just how much there is and that it really is going to be one very long and tiring day, plus then there are all the items to watch and send on time, which realistically I would only be able to do on a Saturday morning.
 |
| Bad photo of two lovely handbags that I never get to use anymore |
Now, I tend to favour cancer charities because of my own family history but I don't want this to be a little contribution to the charity sea. This is my history that I am letting go (some of it spanning about 30 years), so I want it to mean something to both my daughter and one or more people out there.
I have no idea how much I can raise, it may only be £50 but those £25 may mean a lot to a child: it's a pair of new shoes or a brand new toy for the first time, for example. Which in turn means a lot to their parents as they see a smile on their children's faces. But I hope that, with the right selling knowledge, experience and kick in the butt for me to get rid of everything, a bit more money may be raised to help one or more people.
So, I need your help, how can I raise the most money so that I can give a big chunk to charity. Bearing in mind that I really need to do this but that I really don't have that much time in my hands. How can I get my history to make someone's day? Has anyone who has done this before have any advice? Is eBay better or are car boot sales worth it? I could drop whatever doesn't sell at the charity shop on the way back from a jumble sale... A one-stop place would be ideal. Or, should I just give up, drop it all off at one or more charity shops and get it over and done with?
Well, all but one or two as I want at least one item to become a #travelingreddress. Even if it's not red, a ballgown or even a dress. If you don't know what I'm talking about, make sure you check this feature on Forbes and follow The Bloggess on Twitter.
Even if I end up feeling guilty about keeping any of the money and decide to give all proceeds to charity, that will surely mean that when I look in the mirror in my out of shape clothes (a bit like me really), I will feel much better about myself, no?
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Working from home with kids
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| Feisty Tapas headquarters (c) Feisty Tapas |
There are a lot of brave people out there considering starting their own business, freelancing, etc. but they can't afford crippling childcare costs and are overwhelmed by the guilt of having their child in nursery when they could perfectly be looking after them (I fall under both these categories myself). Even those of us who already do it need tips as our children grow and learn new things such as walking or climbing on things (yes, I'm speaking from experience!).
I would be extremely grateful if parents who work from home would come and link their posts with advice in the matter: how do you cope? do you structure your days in a certain way? does your job allow you to schedule your days at all? do you have a little desk space within your home, a garden office or do you, like I do at the moment, work from the kitchen table?
It doesn't have to be a new post, perhaps you wrote about this a while ago, do please come and link it here, any advice will be appreciated, even people who already work from home may learn something that they can adapt to their style of working.
Perhaps your children are older and at school now but you started when they were very little, I would love to know how your work at home life and work-life balance changed as they grew older.
Or perhaps you started working from home in between school runs or you work from home certain days a week and the rest at an office, how do you find it?
You may even have started a small business from home but found it grew so much that you ended up having to move to bigger premises, how did that work?
Perhaps you have a full-time job away from home but try to juggle your blog when the kids are around. Or you don't have a job but have a blog or something you like doing at home, how do you find time for it?
Perhaps you don't blog at all and would love to give your advice but find you don't have where to publish it, in that case just leave a comment below or contact me on Twitter, Facebook or by email on the address you will find under my logo here and we'll sort it out, I will add your name to the post or you can of course be anonymous, it doesn't have to be very long.
The more advice we have, the more people will be able to draw from this. Thank you in advance to everyone who participates, I look forward to reading your entries and learning from them.
While I'm on the topic, you may want to take a look at Cara Sayer's petition: Help Small Businesses Grow- Allow childcare as a business expense. Cara is the brain behind Snoozeshade.
Now I'm off to write my own post on the matter to link it up, I know I should have it ready but time is limited when working from home, I had a brainwave and so I followed it before something else came and took its place!
*You can add as many relevant links as you want*
Saturday, 31 December 2011
2011 in review
The last day of 2011 has caught me by surprise. In fact until yesterday evening (i.e. the evening of Friday 30th 2011), I was convinced that the 31st wasn't until Sunday, but it turns out it's today. I was hoping to have time and inspiration to archive 2011 properly in my cramped brain but that may now have to wait until early 2012. However, this is exactly what in my mind sticks out most after the last 12 months, the constant wait to have or catch a break.
The year started with the Secluded Tea Party that inspired this blog, making friends and getting to know people better. Attending a Business Mums conference and getting to know inspiring women, hiring the accountant who sat at my table before attending her talk about tax.
March saw me going back to work full-time, trying to juggle my work as a freelance translator and the deadlines it involves with a baby without any sort of childcare.
In April I had my first Mothering Sunday and planned a surprise 40th birthday party at home for my husband, on the day of the Royal wedding. The grocery delivery arrived towards late morning, fortunately when he was outside doing the gardening so I managed to hide the party food and drinks in all sorts of places, like the dryer! Two old friends of his were the first to turn up, one of them he hadn't seen for over a year because she had been travelling. People kept popping in throughout the day, he told me off because he hadn't showered and was dirty from gardening. Well, yes it was meant to be a surprise!
In May I had my first Spanish Mother's Day. We also rented a fabulous Best of Suffolk property in Middleton, The West Ring, to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday catching up with his closest friends, who joined us for a couple of days of good food, drink, luxury and general togetherness, friendship, fun and laughter.
June was LittleT's first birthday, another party at home, a lovely birthday cake made by her auntie, lots of lovely visitors and rain! Unfortunately no one came from Spain to celebrate this milestone with her and us.
June ended with LittleT's first unaided step a week after her birthday, two days later, as July started, she was taking 10-12 steps at a time before falling on her nappy-padded bum. She was walking.
August was my birthday, my husband took the day off and we had a lovely day together.
September brought the sale of the flat where I lived for many years before moving in with my then fiancé. It marked the end of an era and in a few weeks time it should mark the start of another as we buy a new bigger home for the three of us.
In October I finally had the chance to finish an article that had been going round my head for a while, Little known changing bag brands worth knowing. At the end of the month I went to the Baby Show in London and had the opportunity to meet some of the people behind two of those brands. As well as the opportunity to meet some of my new blogging friends at The Fisher Price Party.
September and October also saw me trying to beat my fear of driving with refresher lessons and the AA Drive Confident Course.
In November I had huge amounts of work and therefore little time for blogging, Mr Tapas' work took him away from us for a while both in October and November, but we did manage to find some time to put in an offer on a house and are now buying it. Hurry up conveyancing process!
November also took me to The Secluded Blogfest.
December brought a lovely date with my husband and a special Christmas day for LittleT with lots of lovely presents.
On the last day of the year I have spent some time in The Sanctuary, I first had a facial and then I half wrote this post while sitting in the relaxation room, taking advantage of the fact that the lights were too low to read my magazine and that I had some time to put the year in perspective. I may turn it into a yearly thing, a couple of hours of the last morning of each year to take stock and relax before tackling another year.
Me in 2011? Good overall, although on occasion not great to be honest, a bit down at times, not always the happiest person but, despite my return to work, I have spent a lot of time with my daughter and I am happy to say that that means that I haven't missed a single one of her landmark moments, I really don't know how I would have felt if I had got to a nursery one day to be told that she had taken her first step or said her first word. I am delighted that I was always there to see her triumphant face.
It is hard and challenging at times, I do wish I had a bit of time to myself once a week to take stock like I did the other day and to put things in perspective. Spending a little time away from LittleT and Mr Tapas is weird but I think it's very helpful. It's good both for me and our relationship that I get to feel like me.
I ask 2012 to give me more time to be a mum, to play with my daughter or sit down and cuddle with not a care in the world. I ask the piles of unwashed clothes to calm down. The dishes, pots and pans to stay cleaner a bit longer. I ask family pressure to go away. I ask my self-esteem to come back. I ask for freedom to go out with my husband. I ask for flexibility to have time to think, moisturise and look after myself, and to once in a while have a duvet day!
Happy new year everyone or, as we say in Spain, feliz año.
 |
| The Secluded Tea Party - January 2011 |
March saw me going back to work full-time, trying to juggle my work as a freelance translator and the deadlines it involves with a baby without any sort of childcare.
 |
| 40th birthday cake |
In May I had my first Spanish Mother's Day. We also rented a fabulous Best of Suffolk property in Middleton, The West Ring, to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday catching up with his closest friends, who joined us for a couple of days of good food, drink, luxury and general togetherness, friendship, fun and laughter.June was LittleT's first birthday, another party at home, a lovely birthday cake made by her auntie, lots of lovely visitors and rain! Unfortunately no one came from Spain to celebrate this milestone with her and us.
 |
| First birthday table layout |
August was my birthday, my husband took the day off and we had a lovely day together.
September brought the sale of the flat where I lived for many years before moving in with my then fiancé. It marked the end of an era and in a few weeks time it should mark the start of another as we buy a new bigger home for the three of us.
In October I finally had the chance to finish an article that had been going round my head for a while, Little known changing bag brands worth knowing. At the end of the month I went to the Baby Show in London and had the opportunity to meet some of the people behind two of those brands. As well as the opportunity to meet some of my new blogging friends at The Fisher Price Party.
 |
| Drive Confident with the AA |
In November I had huge amounts of work and therefore little time for blogging, Mr Tapas' work took him away from us for a while both in October and November, but we did manage to find some time to put in an offer on a house and are now buying it. Hurry up conveyancing process!
November also took me to The Secluded Blogfest.
December brought a lovely date with my husband and a special Christmas day for LittleT with lots of lovely presents.
On the last day of the year I have spent some time in The Sanctuary, I first had a facial and then I half wrote this post while sitting in the relaxation room, taking advantage of the fact that the lights were too low to read my magazine and that I had some time to put the year in perspective. I may turn it into a yearly thing, a couple of hours of the last morning of each year to take stock and relax before tackling another year.
Me in 2011? Good overall, although on occasion not great to be honest, a bit down at times, not always the happiest person but, despite my return to work, I have spent a lot of time with my daughter and I am happy to say that that means that I haven't missed a single one of her landmark moments, I really don't know how I would have felt if I had got to a nursery one day to be told that she had taken her first step or said her first word. I am delighted that I was always there to see her triumphant face.
It is hard and challenging at times, I do wish I had a bit of time to myself once a week to take stock like I did the other day and to put things in perspective. Spending a little time away from LittleT and Mr Tapas is weird but I think it's very helpful. It's good both for me and our relationship that I get to feel like me.
I ask 2012 to give me more time to be a mum, to play with my daughter or sit down and cuddle with not a care in the world. I ask the piles of unwashed clothes to calm down. The dishes, pots and pans to stay cleaner a bit longer. I ask family pressure to go away. I ask my self-esteem to come back. I ask for freedom to go out with my husband. I ask for flexibility to have time to think, moisturise and look after myself, and to once in a while have a duvet day!
Happy new year everyone or, as we say in Spain, feliz año.
Sunday, 25 December 2011
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