Activities for a Rainy Day

It's been an okay week so far weather wise and we've taken the boys out almost every day. This morning we woke to pouring rain.

Morgan's Milieu | Activities for a Rain Day: A photo of a rainy window.

It's always annoying when we're stuck inside because of the weather. 

But what kind of mum would I be if I didn't have rainy-day activities in stock?

50 Brilliant Walt Disney Movies

Back in March I did a post about the fantastic movie's that Pixar made and I thought I'd follow that up with the brilliant movies made my Walt Disney.

Morgan's Milieu | 50 Brilliant Walt Disney Movies: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs


Sitting right at the top of the list is Walt Disney's oldest animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Whenever I watch this movie I smile and remember being a little girl and singing along (trying to stay in tune but failing).


Why I Love Having the Hardest Job in the World (And You Should Too)

Do you ever find yourself just wanting to go into your room, close the door and ignore everything?

Morgan's Milieu | Why I Love having the hardest job in the world: a photo of a sunset obscured by trees.
Just stare out of the window and forget about it all...

I know I do.

Because being a mum, being there 24/7 for my children, is hard.

Magic Jeans!

I spend most of my days wearing jeans, they're comfortable (most of the time) and you can put all kinds of tops with them.

Morgan's Milieu | Magic Jeans!: Photo of Morgan Prince wearing Mango Jeans, pink top and Clarks leather shoes.
Pink Top (F&F Tesco), Mango High Waisted Jeans (House of Fraser),
Clarks Nude Sling-backs (Shoetique)

I have pairs from Ted Baker, Diesel, Tesco and Asda (amongst others). Skinny pairs, bootcut, straight, I love them all.

But sometimes you come across a pair of jeans that are game-changers.

Pop! Vinyl Figure Review

Have you seen the Pop! Vinyl Figures?

These awesome little figures are everywhere at the moment and my boys (including the Hubby) love them. We have quite a few already.

Morgan's Milieu | Pop! Vinyl Figure Review: A photo of four vinyl figures - Stitch, Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, Slimer from Ghostbusters and the Joker dressed as Batman.


When I was offered the opportunity to review one of these Pop! Vinyl figures I found it really hard to choose one. There are so many.

However when I saw this little guy...

Morgan's Milieu | Pop! Vinyl Figure Review: Photo of Pop! Vinyl Stitch.


I knew.

BP LOVES Stitch, he even attempted to draw him once (I think he nailed it).

This little Stitch figure was the perfect gift for BP. He shrieked when he saw it and it hasn't left his side since it was opened.

Morgan's Milieu | Pop! Vinyl Figure Review: A picture of Series 1 collectibles of the Pop! Vinyl figures.
Collect them all!
The collections of these figures come in series, Stitch is number 12 in the Disney Series 1. Other figures in this series include Woody, Mickey Mouse and Pinocchio.

The Pop! Vinyl figures measure 3 3/4 inches tall are colourful and collectible. As you can see our collection is growing.

There's mini figures too measuring 1 1/2 inches, and you get three in a pack. So if you're short on space perhaps the smaller figures would be better.

Zavvi has a massive selection of characters and prices range from £10.99 to £25.99. I love some of the older characters like Back to the Future Marty McFly with the Delorean (costs £24.99).

Zavvi have a new discounts page too, so you can save time by visiting their page to nab yourself a bargain.

I can see our collection growing, BP loves his Stitch and if he finds out there are other Disney characters I know he'll want to spend his pocket money on them. 

I think these figures would make great gifts (I already have a few in mind for birthdays), especially for any movie fans out there. And for any of you that are of a certain age - they have Egon from the Ghostbusters!

Who ya gonna call?

I was sent the Pop! Vinyl Stitch Figure free of charge for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Leaving the Novel Behind

After last week's tough decision I feel amazing.


Morgan's Milieu | Leaving the Novel Behind: A woman at sunset, raised arms in the air, staring at the sun.



I first started this blog as a way to document my writing journey and back then I was fixated on writing a book. It was what drove me to the computer every day.

Words flowing from my fingers and onto the page fulfilled me.


But somewhere along the way the love of writing a book died. The darkness of my novel consumed me and writing it became a chore. I lost my way and each time I took a break from the book I felt great.

I forced myself to get back to the novel, thinking that was what I was supposed to be doing. 

As it turns out, what I was supposed to do is write. It doesn't matter that I'm not writing a novel anymore, I'm still writing every day. I can concentrate on creating short pieces, the ones I enjoy most. 

I've always loved writing my flash fiction and can often make a good impact with them. Some of my most powerful writing happens when the piece is short, like The Storm Rages On or Thankful.

My writing journey is still ongoing, I am a writer and will always be. Creative writing is only a part of the writer in me. 

I adore writing this blog. It has become the thing I most look forward to and it has given me opportunities I thought I could only dream of.

Writing every day, here, it's me. My words, my world, my family.

It's real.

Morgan's Milieu | Leaving the Novel Behind: A photograph of the sky at sunset. A darkened windmill in the distance and a car on the road.
The beautiful sky at sunset.

And right now the real world is calling more than a fictional one.


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Escape Soft-Play Centre Review

Escape is our local soft-play centre and we tend to visit during the school holidays. Soft-play centres are great when your kids need somewhere to burn off that extra energy.

Morgan's Milieu | Escape Soft-Play Centre Review: The Over 4s Area in Escape.
Slides, boxes, tubes and zip lines - you're kids will love it!



Escape is located next to the Giltbrook Retail Park, Nottingham and is open all year round. It's great for kids aged up to 11, although some children of that age might feel they're 'too old' for it. BP, who turns 11 in August, loves running around and climbing in the large area. On the website they say for kids up to 14 but I haven't seen any kids there older than about 11 or 12.

When you first walk in to Escape you enter a large entrance area, so if it's a little chilly outside and there's a long queue (fairly likely) you can still wait indoors. There's plenty of parking spaces too, it is located next to the retail park so you can park there and walk to Escape if necessary.

With many soft-play centres you find that the area for under 4's isn't adequate but the one at Escape is large and has plenty of cushions and climbing apparatus for your toddlers/babies. 

Morgan's Milieu | Escape Soft-Play Centre Review: A photo of the sports area in Escape
Above the Under 4's area is a section for older kids, it is filled with various soft balls and has goals built in at either end and basketball hoops attached to the walls. Perfect for those that like sports.

On the opposite side of the huge room is the climbing area. Filled with slides, stairs, zip lines, ladders, and tubes, your kids are sure to enjoy at least one thing here. Just outside the entrance to the climbing area is a place for your kids to keep their shoes.

For the adults that come along to Escape there are plenty of tables and chairs, you'll never be short of somewhere to sit. The tables are big enough for a laptop and planner so you could always get some blogging done while there (I've done this many times). The chairs could be a little comfier, although they're high-backed they have no arms and when you sit you sink into them. It's hard to get comfortable and I often leave there with a backache.

Escape offers food and drink for sale, no need to worry they have a range of coffee drinks including cappuccino and latte. A regular cappuccino costs £1.65. There's soft drinks (fruit shoots or dilute drinks) for the kids and a few muffins and cakes to choose from. 

Food on offer includes fresh sandwiches (ham salad, tuna mayo), toasties (ham and cheese, cheese and baked beans), pasta, and chips. There's a children's menu which includes pasta and beans on toast, amongst other things. 

Adult menu prices range from £1.85 (bowl of chips) to £4.75 (paninis). Children's menu prices range from 70p (toast) to £3.25 (pasta bolognese).

Opening hours:

Monday to Thursday   9:30am - 6:00pm
Friday to Saturday  9:30am - 7:00pm
Sunday  10:00am - 6:00pm

For a two-hour play session costs are as follows:

Under 8 months  - free
8 - 18 months - £3.25
18 months to 4 years - £4.30
4 years to 14 years - £5.80

Escape is a large play-centre with plenty of space for lots of children. My boys love going and enjoy climbing and sliding for the two hours. Most of the time they're completely wiped out when it's time to leave. 

I'd recommend Escape to anyone with children, it's great when you need a rest but the kids are still full of energy!

This is NOT a sponsored post, I just wanted to write about Escape because I think it's a great place for kids.

5 Facts About Me

I've been struggling today with blogger's block and although I wanted to join in with Prose for Thought the words didn't come. Instead I decided to share 5 facts about me that you may not know.

  • I learned to touch-type in college when training to be a secretary. At the time I never realised how useful a skill this would turn out to be. These days using the computer every day I know it's one of the best things I could've learned. 


Apple Watch Sport Review

On 10th April the Apple Watch was available for pre-order. Usually, with the phone, the Hubby and I order on pre-order day but this time I wanted to see and try on the watch before ordering. 


Morgan's Milieu | Apple Watch Sport Review: Apple Watch Sport next to a blue Baby-G sport watch


Saturday 11th April saw me and the Hubby heading to Meadowhall to try on an Apple Watch. I tried on both the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch. The Edition was far too expensive, there was no way I was getting that one! 

After trying them on I decided the Sport would be best for me, I found the Apple Watch far too heavy. So we walked to the car and promptly ordered them, mine a blue strap and the Hubby's a black, with the larger screen. We were disappointed to find out that neither of us would get our watch until June. 

That's how it works with Apple products, if you don't order as soon as it's available you're looking at a 2 month wait, sometimes longer.

As it turned out my Apple Watch Sport shipped and I received it on release day, 24th April. I was more than a little excited!



At the time I shared my unboxing photos on Twitter and over the past few weeks I've been getting used to using this new piece of technology. 


And now I'm happy to let you know my thoughts on the Apple Watch Sport (this is the cheapest version of the Apple Watch starting at £299).





Strap


When I watched the Apple Event in March and heard about the strap I imagined it would feel plasticky and uncomfortable. Of course I should've known better, that's not what Apple want from their products. Here's what Apple say about the strap:

"Because it's made from a custom high-performance fluoroelastomer, the Sport Band is durable and strong, yet surprisingly soft. The smooth, dense material drapes elegantly across your wrist and feels comfortable next to your skin. An innovative pin-and-tuck closure ensures a clean fit."

The strap is surprisingly soft and it is a very comfortable fit. I don't find it annoys me or sticks to my skin, even when working out. The closure is easy to use and doesn't pinch, as I thought it might. To say it's the cheapest version of the straps it feels like a quality strap. You get a spare strap in the box with the Apple Watch Sport.





Watch Face


As my photos showed my first selection was Dancing Mickey, I LOVE Disney and to be able to have a happy, cheery Mickey Mouse telling me the time while dancing was brilliant. 

However I quickly found that I couldn't have enough information on the screen. The Dancing Mickey screen is customisable to a point but I couldn't have everything I wanted on there.

It wasn't long before I swapped my watch face to the "Modular" face. With this option I'm able to have lots of different information on the screen. My watch face shows the date, my diary appointments, the temperature, my activity rings and my battery level. You can also change the colour of all this information, mine is blue, like my strap. 




Turning on


Pairing my Apple Watch with my phone was super simple, all instructions were on screen and they were paired within two minutes. After pairing your watch has all the standard apps but you can use your phone to go to the Watch App Store and download more if you choose. 




Apps


There are lots of Apps to choose from but the ones I've found most useful so far are the ones that came already installed. 

Activity


This app tracks your steps, your exercise and your standing. In a glance you can see how active you've been, the bands make their way around the circle throughout the day. Using the crown you can scroll down on each of the rings screens to see how many steps you've done, how many calories you've burned and when you were most active. 

This is the app I was waiting for. I am now able to see how active I am and if I need to adjust anything about my routine. A useful feature is the stand reminder, if you've been sat down for longer than an hour it will remind you to get up and move around for at least 1 minute.

I've found this feature both useful and annoying. On days, like Sunday when I did the fun run, I would like to sit for more than an hour without feeling guilty. Also it reminds me to stand up when I am already standing. I'm not sure why that is. You can turn this feature off if you choose.

Workout


The workout app allows you to track details when working out. There are various options to select including Outdoor Run, Indoor Run (eg: treadmill), Outdoor/Indoor Cycle. You can keep track of your heart rate too, which shows you when to adjust intensity during your workout, if you need to. 

The app will show you a summary of your workout when you're finished and you're given an option to save or discard. I haven't yet worked out how to look back at your workout history.

Music


As long as you have your phone with you (and earphones connected) you can use Siri to play, skip and pause your music. I found this very useful when I did my 5k fun run on Sunday. I began running and simply asked Siri to "Play music" and it did as I asked. Much more simple than pulling out my phone, unlocking it and going to the music app to press play. 

Messages


As well as standard replies like "OK" and "Cool" you can use voice recognition to reply to messages. Not only that but there's also new animated emojis that you can send too! I love these and have sent them to the Hubby a few times. I haven't yet tried out the drawing pictures on screen and sending it to another Watch, I'll have to wait til the Hubby gets his watch for that. 




Siri


I didn't use Siri much before I got my Apple Watch, I never remembered I could. With Apple Watch it's the first thing you think of because it means you don't have to pull out your phone. I've used Siri more in the past two weeks than I have since I got my iPhone 6.

Sometimes it fails to hear me, or interpret my words, and I think it might be that it has trouble recognising female voices. I'm not sure why but it finds it much easier to respond to the Hubby's voice.




Summary


The apps I've found most useful are Activity, Twitter and messages. I am able to respond to messages without touching my phone, can ignore things if I choose and can see my activity levels at a glance. 

The notifications are great, they save me time and I'm able to get back to whatever I was doing quicker.

On a few occasions the Watch has paused, causing me to tap on something I didn't want to. I'm not entirely sure what caused the pauses but it can be quite annoying.



Overall I love my new Apple Watch, there are a few things that could be better but given it's the first of its kind I think Apple have done a great job.

A Tough Decision

As you all know I've been writing a novel for nearly three years. It's been a long time in the making and has gone through various stages but over the past few weeks I've noticed a change and I've made a decision.

Going on walks with my boys makes my day.


Since the February half-term I haven't touched the novel. Not one fresh word has been written, the document hasn't even been opened. 

But the funny thing is I don't feel guilty or sad about it.

Monsters Love Underpants Book Review

Are you looking for a book that's entertaining for both you and your young ones?

Then look no further than Monsters Love Underpants, one of a series of books written by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort.



Monsters Love Underpants is the perfect book to enjoy together. It will keep you smiling and your little one giggling right to the end.

LP absolutely loves to read, he can't get enough. At the same time it's hard to find a book easy enough for him to read but challenging enough that it will keep him coming back. Monsters Love Underpants fills that spot.

Time with the Family

Last weekend I decided to take Saturday for the family. My head has been filled with ideas for blogging and along with trying to stay organised my time for the boys has been disappearing. 

So, on Saturday I spent the majority of the day with the boys. LP and I played pool, BP and I talked, and there was Lego everywhere.



A few years ago we bought LP a K'nex set for Christmas. It was very large and we never expected him to build it himself but it was MarioKart and at the time he loved MarioKart. On Christmas day we built the thing and it stayed built for all of two days. LP was just too young to enjoy playing with it and didn't appreciate the work that had gone into building it.

Positive Changes

Today is a good day.

My trusty trainers
At 6am this morning I got up, donned my running gear and headed into the garage (where we keep the treadmill). My iPod wasn't working but that didn't stop me. I ran 1.5 miles, was completely exhausted, and loved it.

By the time 7am rolled around I'd finished my run and had a shower. All before the boys got out of bed.

I planned this new routine yesterday. I decided that I would do my run early, allowing me to get straight on with other stuff once I'd dropped the boys off at school.



If I'm being honest I thought I would wake this morning and not bother with the run but I forced myself to get out of bed.

I'm so glad I did.

After the boys had eaten breakfast I even had time to play a game of pool with LP, which he won, of course. He's getting so good at that game I can't beat him anymore.

Or maybe I just need to tell myself that I can beat him. Repeat it again and again.

Because that's what I've found over these last two weeks. The more I tell myself I can do something the more I achieve. It's amazing.

I told myself I could get up this morning and go for my run, and I did.

I told myself I would get more blogging done, and I have.

There are still times when things don't go my way but I feel like I'm making positive changes. Changes that are going to alter the way I treat myself.

All this time I thought that by punishing myself I could trick me into trying harder. But when does that ever work? It's only been since speaking to myself the way I would my best friend that things have changed.

I give myself a pat on the back for the small victories, like finishing a pile of ironing or filling up the dishwasher. It may not sound like much but all those small victories pile up and make me feel like I've achieved something in my day.

And that's the key.

Treat yourself better and things start to pick up. Give yourself treats, pats on the back, whatever it takes to make YOU feel good.

Start with something small, like congratulating yourself for tidying up after the kids. Tell yourself your hair looks good today. Anything that gives you a boost.

Don't just say it, believe it.

And you too will start to see positive changes.


Mama and More

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GB British Teddies from The Great British Teddy Bear Company

Meet Sherlock Holmes, a GB British Teddy from The Great British Teddy Bear Company, and my new cuddly friend (and source of inspiration).


Morgan's Milieu | GB British Teddies: A teddy dressed as Sherlock Holmes by The Great British Teddy Bear Company.

As a girl I loved my teddies and vowed to keep them forever. Unfortunately circumstances meant I lost all my teddies, even ones I'd kept since I was a baby. I miss those guys.

Perhaps that's why whenever I see cute teddy bears my heart melts.

I love all kinds of teddies, ones that say "I love you", teddies from movies (I have a mogwai from Gremlins), but my favourite are the 'proper' teddy bears dressed in clothes. Nurses, doctors, teachers, all of them turn me into a gooey mess.





Bears sleep by day. At night they stay awake to chase away bad dreams.

Jesse O'Neil




As you can imagine when I came across GB British Teddies my eyes lit up like a kid in a sweet shop. A smile spread across my face as I looked through The Great British Teddy Bear Company's selection of dressed teddies. When I spotted Sherlock I fell in love, who better to sit on my desk as I write than the world famous Sherlock Holmes. 

Teddy bear dressed as Shakespeare




GB British Teddies were born thanks to Grandma Jessup who used to make clothes for teddies from charity shops. The story behind the brand is heartwarming and today you can see GB British Teddies dressed in "beautifully detailed iconic British costumes just like Grandma Jessup used to make." sitting next to Harrods bears.

Since launching in Hamley's London the affordable range of plush teddies dressed in detailed British costumes is being bought worldwide. These teddies are not meant for show, they're made to be played with and that means they're huggable, washable and safe.





You really don't have to be young to find a friend in a teddy bear.


Rachel Newman




GB British Teddies have become such a popular brand that celebrities like Ewan McGregor and Shane Ritchie are fans. Even royalty love these bears, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has one!

Every time I look at the website I smile at the cute bears and the costumes are adorable. They have police teddy bears, historical bears like Sherlock and Shakespeare and even Royal bears.


Teddy bear dressed as Catherine the Bride.


With the exception of Grace - The Bridesmaid (priced at £16.95) you can buy any bear for £29.95, an affordable price for an adorable teddy that could last for years, being passed down through generations to come. 


Morgan's Milieu | GB British Teddies: Teddy bear with Sherlock Holmes style clothes removed.


Each teddy bear comes with costumes and accessories that can be removed if you choose to do so.

I like the idea that this family business began because Grandma Jessup wanted to make her children happy. They were born out of love.




*Sponsored


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5 Disadvantages of Working From Home

The Hubby has been working from home for just over 6 years. I have been blogging for over three years, sporadically, but since the start of the year I've been taking it more seriously. We both work from home and think it is great.

Morgan's Milieu | 5 Disadvantages of Working from Home: Macbook Air with code on screen, a blurred cup in the background

But there are disadvantages...