bryonyashaw

[bryonyashaw]

Inspired by yesterday's Milestone talk, I created some alternative Milestone Cards for 0 to 12 month old babies based on Bands! 🎸🥁 had fun doing these!

- Blink 182 "Fresh From the Oven"

- Sum 41 – “Milk Drunk”

- Neck Deep – “First Meltdown in Public”

- Simple Creatures – “On the Bottle”

- Stand Atlantic – “Drool Monster on the Loose”

- Paramore – “Clap Clap Hurray”

- Box Car Racer – “First Latch”

- Slipknot – “First Taste Test”

- Green Day – “Who Needs Sleep”

- Metallica – “Spit-Up Artist at Work”

- Black Sabbath – “First Bath”

- Angels & Airwaves – “Welcome to My Crib”

- Stone Sour – “First Fang”

- My Chemical Romance – “I Can Sit”

- Evanescence – “I Can Clap”

- Yungblud – “On the Move”

- Panic! At the disco "Nap Attack"

- Killswitch Engage "Pee Demon"

- Lacuna Coil - "Sun's out belly out"

- AFI - "Rolling with the homies"

- Fallout Boy - "Sippy cup revoltion"

- New Found Glory - "Snack Attack."

More here

[bryonyashaw]

[bryonyashaw]

Milestones, mayhem and Mum fog

Three months in with Dottie and she’s already a whole little person - she smiles like she’s in on the joke, babbles like she’s hosting a podcast, tracks objects like a mini hawk and startles dramatically at loud noises. She’s found her hands (obsessed) and has different cries for hunger, boredom and pain - like a tiny diva with a soundboard.

Watching her show excitement when she sees me? Best part of my day - my older kids I get eye rolls and answers back!

But also… I’m tired. Like, bone-deep, foggy-brain, “did I eat a vegetable today?” tired. Postpartum is no joke - there’s the hormonal chaos, the hair loss, the body changes (I feel saggy), the weird aches, the tears that come out of nowhere. Some days I feel like I’m doing everything and nothing at once. And the nights? They’re long. Even when she sleeps, my brain doesn’t always switch off.

Being a baby mum again is beautiful and brutal. So I’ve started creating milestone images for anyone else riding this wave - whether it’s your first time or your sixth. Every baby goes at their own pace, and so do we. No comparison, just survival and celebration.

Feel free to save, share, or just nod along while covered in muslin cloths, snack crumbs and a vague sense of “what day is it?”

Welcome to the 0 to 3 month phase, also known as “The Fourth Trimester,” “The Milk Era,” or “That Time I Forgot What Day It Was.” Your baby is technically doing nothing... and yet somehow doing everything.

They can’t sit, crawl, or hold a grudge (yet), but they can scream like they’re auditioning for a horror film, hiccup with dramatic flair and stare at light fixtures like they’re receiving divine messages.

Milestones include:

- Neck strength: floppy with occasional surprise sturdiness that makes you question physics.

- Communication: a complex language of grunts, snorts, and cries that all mean “I’m fine but also fix everything.”

- Sleep: for them, maybe. For you? Only if you’ve made peace with being horizontal for 17 minutes at a time.

They’ll smile once (probably at a wall) and you’ll take 50 different photos at different angles. You’ll Google “is my baby bored?” at 2am, even though they’ve literally just discovered their own feet.

And through it all, you’ll be told to “enjoy every moment,” while wearing a top that smells like cheese and wondering if you’ve hallucinated the sound of silence.

So yes, 0 to 3 months. A time of great mystery, mild chaos and tiny socks that somehow disappear forever.

Welcome to 3 to 6 months, where your baby is suddenly very busy despite having zero responsibilities. They’ve discovered their feet, their voice and the art of fake coughing for attention.

They still don’t sleep like a human, but they do roll over at the exact moment you try to change a nappy. They’re training for Cirque du Soleil and you’re just trying to keep the wipes from drying out.

Milestones include:

- Rolling: mostly during inconvenient moments, like on the edge of the bed or mid-poo.

- Grabbing: your hair, your nose, your dignity.

- Babbling: a mix of vowels, conspiracy theories, and what sounds suspiciously like sarcasm.

They’re teething but also not teething, depending on which relative you ask. Everything goes in the mouth - hands, toys, your debit card - and they now scream when you leave the room, even if you’re just going to the loo to cry in peace.

You’ll be told to “start solids soon,” as if you’re not already elbow-deep in mashed banana and existential dread. You’ll try tummy time, they’ll faceplant, and somehow it’s your fault.

But they’ll also laugh (like, properly laugh) and you’ll forget you haven’t slept since February. You’ll catch them watching you like you’re the most fascinating creature on Earth. Which, to be fair, you are. You’ve survived 3 to 6 months of this nonsense.

Welcome to 6 to 9 months, where your baby is no longer just a potato with feelings - they’re mobile, opinionated and deeply committed to chaos.

They crawl (or invent their own method of floor travel), they sit like royalty, and they bang things together like they’re testing sound for a garage band. They’ve got intentions now and none of them involve staying still.

Milestones include:

- Cruising: aka walking while holding furniture and looking smug.

- Pulling to stand: usually on unstable objects like laundry baskets or your leg.

- Picking up food: and immediately throwing it at the dog.

- Waving and clapping: mostly at themselves.

They now laugh at peek-a-boo like it’s high comedy, cry when you leave the room like you’ve betrayed them, and show fear of strangers unless said stranger has snacks.

You’ll be told “they’re learning so much!” while you Google “how to baby-proof a house built in 1890.” You’ll try to feed them something organic and they’ll lick the table instead.

They’re expressive, explosive, and somehow louder than a blender. But they’re also hilarious. You’ll catch them clapping at their own burp and suddenly everything feels worth it.

Welcome to 9 to 12 months, where your baby is basically a drunk tiny roommate with boundary issues and a strong opinion about cupboard doors.

They’re crawling with purpose, cruising like they own the furniture, and possibly taking first steps - usually toward something they’re not allowed to touch. They pick up crumbs with surgical precision but somehow miss entire spoons of food.

Milestones include:

- Pulling to stand: on furniture, your leg, the dog.

- Cruising: aka side-shuffling with confidence and zero spatial awareness.

- Gestures: waving, clapping, and shaking their head like they’re done with your nonsense.

- Saying “mama” or “dada”: but mostly to the wrong person.

They now cry when you leave the room, laugh at peek-a-boo like it’s Shakespeare, and show fear of strangers unless said stranger is holding a biscuit. They bang things together for sport and copy your actions - so yes, they saw you sigh dramatically and now it’s part of their personality.

You’ll be told “they’re nearly toddlers!” while you’re still trying to figure out how to shower without an audience. You’ll attempt a family meal and they’ll eat one pea, throw two, and smear the rest into their socks.... Buttttt they’ll also light up when you walk in, clap at their own achievements and wobble toward you like you’re the prize at the end of a very chaotic game show. Which is cute.

[bryonyashaw]

Family Day Out at Rutland Aqua Park! 💦

The kids spent an hour at the UK’s largest inflatable water park and somehow managed to achieve the impossible: the kids forgot screens existed. No Roblox, no YouTube, no suspicious requests for “just five more minutes” - just pure, bouncy chaos in the outside world!

With over 40 obstacles including trampolines, climbing walls, balance beams and the towering 5.5-metre Rutland Mammoth slide! They climbed, splashed, slipped and laughed their way through the session like they were auditioning for a stunt show. You’ll find blast bags that launch people like popcorn, Tornado Tower (3.5m) Seadragon (10m) flip stations for the show-offs, climbing walls, balance boards, monkey domes and wobbly walkways!

• 50-minute sessions - enough to burn off sugar and test your core strength

• £20 per person + £5 wetsuit hire (or BYO)

• Life jackets included; waivers must be done online or pay £5 admin fee

• Ages 6+ only; must swim 25m unaided

• 6–7s need an adult on the water

• 8–15s need an adult watching from shore

📍 Location: Bull Brigg Lane, Whitwell, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8BL

🗓️ Opening Times:

— Weekends only from May 10 to September 22

— Daily from June 30 to September 8

If you’ve got time to explore beyond the Aqua Park, Rutland Water itself is huge - 4,200 acres of countryside with walking and cycling trails, a nature reserve, mini golf, a beach (summer only), and play areas at Sykes Lane. There’s even a 15-mile perimeter track if you fancy a scenic bike ride or long walk.

You’ll find cafés at Whitwell and Sykes Lane, toilets, and plenty of parking - even for motorhomes. It’s open daily except Christmas Day, with most activities running from Good Friday to 31st October.

If you’re looking for a summer outing that gets the kids active, off screens then Rutland Aqua Park delivers. Just be prepared for wet socks, sandy crisps and children who somehow still have energy after all that cardio.

What’s your go-to trick for getting the kids outdoors and joyfully exhausted? I’m building a list - preferably ones that come with hot chocolate and a bench.

[bryonyashaw]

A Shaw family favourite - home made Pizza! This is a 'Healthy Pizza' Recipe (with extra Cheese)

Alternatively just make a pizza dough the 'normal' way - you don't need to add all the veg and just go for your classic pizzas without the fuss! When I do those pizzas I have a simple white dough, add tomato puree, layer on salami and cheese and cook!

Two Pizza Base Options -

Option 1:

Wholemeal Yeasted Dough

🍕250g wholemeal flour

🍕1 tsp salt

🍕1 tsp sugar

🍕7g fast-action yeast (1 sachet)

🍕2 tbsp olive oil

🍕180–200ml warm water

→ Mix, knead 5 mins, rise 30–45 mins.

Option 2:

No-Yeast Greek Yogurt Dough

🍕200g self-raising flour

🍕200g Greek yogurt

🍕Pinch of salt

→ Mix, roll, use straight away.

HEALTHY PIZZA SAUCE

🍅200g passata or chopped tinned tomatoes

🍅1 tbsp tomato purée

🍅1 tsp dried oregano

🍅½ tsp garlic granules or fresh minced garlic

🍅Pinch of salt and black pepper

→ Mix — no cooking needed!

Cheese (Yes, Extra!)

🧀Use a smart cheese mix for melty, rich flavour without overload:

🧀75g part-skim mozzarella (melty + lower fat)

🧀25g reduced-fat mature cheddar (sharp flavour = you need less)

🧀15g grated parmesan (adds savoury boost)

🧀Optional: a few spoons of low-fat ricotta or cottage cheese for creaminess

Layer the mozzarella first, then cheddar + parmesan on top.

Toppings That Balance the Cheese:

•Sliced tomato

• Red onion

• Spinach

• Mushrooms

• Peppers

• Fresh basil or rocket (add after baking)

Optional: grilled chicken or tuna for protein!

METHOD

1. Roll dough thin for a crispier base (or thick for a chewier crust).

2. Spread sauce, add cheese and toppings.

3. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 10–15 mins until golden and bubbly.

4. Slice up and enjoy!

Why it’s still healthy:

• More veg = more fibre and nutrients

• Smart cheese blend = full flavour with less fat

• Wholemeal base = slow-release carbs

• No processed meats = lower salt and preservatives

#homemadepizza

[bryonyashaw]

🛒 Healthy-ish Family Shopping List! Balanced. Realistic. Sanity-saving.

🥦 Fruit & Veg (Fresh or Frozen)

• Bananas (for snacking, smoothies or turning black and into banana bread)

• Apples (preferably the ones your kids won’t bite and leave on the stairs)

• Berries (frozen work great for porridge or yogurt toppers)

• Carrots (raw, roasted, hidden in everything)

• Spinach (goes in pasta, smoothies and your soul)

• Cherry tomatoes

• Bell peppers

• Broccoli

• Sweet potatoes

• Cucumbers (a.k.a. the veggie my kids all actually eat)

• Avocados (for toast, if you're feeling bougie)

• Garlic and onions (essential flavour warriors)

🍞 Bread, Grains & Pulses

• Wholemeal bread (plus crumpets or bagels if you're feeling friendly)

• Brown rice or basmati

• Quinoa or couscous

• Oats (for porridge, flapjacks, or face masks)

• Wholewheat pasta

• Lentils (for soup or sneaky spaghetti bol)

• Tinned beans (chickpeas, kidney, cannellini - whatever sounds posh)

🥛 Dairy & Alternatives

• Milk (cow’s, oat, or whatever your fridge war supports)

• Greek yogurt or natural yogurt (thick, creamy, goes with everything)

• Cheese (my kids and I love the mature cheddar)

• Butter or spread (would get Lurpak but the budget is Norpak!)

🍗 Protein

• Eggs (so many uses, including bribery)

• Chicken breasts or thighs

• Mince (beef, turkey or veggie)

• Tinned tuna or salmon

• Tofu (optional)

🧂Pantry Must-Haves

• Olive oil or rapeseed oil

• Herbs & spices (paprika, oregano, garlic powder – the usual suspects)

• Low-salt stock cubes

• Peanut butter (the good kind, not just sugar paste)

• Honey or maple syrup

• Pasta sauce or tinned tomatoes

• Baked beans

• Wholegrain cereal or porridge oats

🍫 Cheeky Treats (because balance)

• A bar of dark chocolate (we’ll pretend it’s “antioxidants”)

• Ice lollies or frozen yogurt tubes

• Popcorn (lightly salted, not toffee-coated unless it’s Friday)

• Chocolate rice cakes or snack bars

• A pack of biscuits for “emergencies” (read: every afternoon)

• Mini pizzas or frozen fish fingers (no shame in a freezer win)

Bonus Bits -

• Foil, clingfilm, or snack bags

• Coffee/tea (for obvious survival reasons)

[bryonyashaw]

The real adulting challenge isn’t just figuring out if cereal technically counts as dinner (because let’s be honest, sometimes it does) - it’s actually cooking a meal that can survive the brutal, unsolicited judgment of your tiny food critics. You spend hours whipping up something nutritious, tasty and borderline gourmet, only to be met with the timeless classics of " don’t like that," "I’m not hungry," or the all time favourite silent treatment while they sneak off to raid the snack cupboard like secret agents on a covert mission. Dinner quickly turns into a strategic game of "How many snacks can I bribe them with before they’ll eat the dinner I made?" and you secretly fantasize about a magic button that summons pizza or magically turns leftovers into a tasty dish. Spoiler alert: snacks for the win and you’re left wondering if you should just open a pastry cafe instead.

[bryonyashaw]

Which kids are you raising?

Also... Ugh, '90s kids cartoons were peak. Saturday mornings in pyjamas, heat changing spoon from the cocopops box and shows that were just unhinged in the best way.

You had Rugrats teaching us baby survival skills and Hey Arnold! making us feel deep things we didn’t have words for yet. Dexter’s Lab gave us science and sass, while Ed, Edd n Eddy was basically one long scam for jawbreakers. Cow and Chicken. Peak. And Recess? That playground was more politically complex than most governments.

The theme tunes? Bangers. You didn’t skip intros - you performed them. Animaniacs had us quoting Shakespeare and fart jokes in the same breath. Powerpuff Girls were tiny feminist icons in puff sleeves. Ninja Turtles. Absolute legends. Four mutant lads in bandanas, living in a sewer, eating pizza like their lives depended on it (which, honestly, it kinda did).

Everything was a bit weird, a bit gross, and totally brilliant. Monsters under the bed, talking animals, kids with secret lives - it was like the animators were just throwing ideas at the wall and somehow it all worked.

And the merch! Stickers, lunchboxes, those VHS tapes. Pure gold.

Honestly, those cartoons didn’t just entertain us - they shaped our humour and our weird little brains. Still hits different.

[bryonyashaw]

Bring the cosmos to earth with this Galaxy Cookies Recipe! 💫

Tools Needed -

🌟medium mixing bowl

🌟 stand mixer with paddle attachment

🌟plastic wrap

🌟cookie sheet

🌟parchment paper

🌟rolling pin

🌟cookie cutters

🌟large mixing bowl

🌟small bowl for dipping

🌟cooling wrack

For the Chocolate Sugar Cookie -

🌙 1 and 1/2 cups (8oz, 225g) all-purpose flour

🌙 3/4 cups (3oz, 90g) cocoa powder

🌙1 teaspoon baking powder

🌙1/4 teaspoon salt

🌙1/2 teaspoon expresso powder or instant coffee (optional)

🌙3/4 cup (6oz, 175g) butter, softened

🌙1 cup (7oz, 200g) granulated sugar

🌙1 egg

For the Glaze Icing -

🌚3 cups (14oz, 390g) powdered sugar, sifted

🌚3 tablespoons milk

🌚3 tablespoons light or clear corn syrup

🌚1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

🌚1/4 teaspoon almond or butter extract

🌚gel food colouring in pink, teal and purple

silver or gold edible dust or sanding sugar

METHOD

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In the large bowl to your stand mixer, use paddle attachment and beat butter and sugar on high speed until smooth and fluffy.

3.Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating until combined.

4. Add the flour cocoa mixture and beat until combined.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill.

Once dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

6. Roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on your prepared baking trays.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through baking. The cookies will appear “dry” when they are done.

8. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

9. Once the cookies have cooled, start on the galaxy glaze. In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to mix together the powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and the extracts. Place approximately a half a cup of glaze into a shallow bowl.

10. Add 1-2 drops of food colouring randomly to the bowl. Use a toothpick to swirl the colour into the glaze.

11. Dip the cookie into the glaze straight down covering the surface. Let the cookie lay in the glaze for one minute before lifting it out, straight up.

12. Let any excess glaze drip off and place on a rack. Immediately dust the top of each cookie with silver or gold edible dust. Repeat this process until all the cookies have been dipped.

13. Let stand until the glaze hardens and then enjoy immediately!!

#cookies #cookierecipe #glazed #galaxy

[bryonyashaw]

Today’s inspo came from my little white fruit bowl - specifically the slightly squishy, neglected, definitely past-their-prime gang of peaches, bananas and apples - but not yet ready for the bin status, I have scribbled down a bunch of fruity bake ideas and created images you can save and use too! (Took me sodding ages ngl) you can alter each recipe to be vegan or veggie or whatever diet you require it's that simple!

1. Banana Soda Float

2. Apple Galette style Tart

3. Peach Puff Pastry Pockets

4. Peach, Banana and apple compote

5. Banana chocolate chip muffins

6. Fruity ice lollies

7. Fruit smoothie

8. Fruity snacks

9. Chocolate banana boat.

10. Protein fruit Buddha bowl

11. Spiced peach, banana and apple flapjack

12. PB&J with banana!

Plus 3 extras:

13. Why are oats and granola healthy

14. Why peaches are healthy

15. Why are bananas healthy

16. Why are apples healthy

All budget-friendly, low-waste and sneakily nutritious for small humans who think nuggets are a food group. It’s the summer holidays, the fridge is under siege and I’ve got a baby permanently attached to me - so actual cooking is a challenge - but even just planning meals feels like a win. Not glamorous but oddly satisfying. Might start calling it ‘mum alchemy’ - powered by overripe fruit and sheer determination.

Quick fruity facts for fellow fridge-foragers:

🥣 Oats and granola = fibre, slow energy, heart-happy. DIY saves money and less additives and sugar.

🍌 Bananas = potassium, gut-friendly and mood-boosting.

🍑 Peaches = vitamin C, hydration and skin-loving.

🍏 Apples = pectin, blood sugar balance (quiet overachievers)

Saving money, reducing waste, feeding chaos with magic. That’s parent alchemy fo sho!

[bryonyashaw]

BIBIMBAP RECIPE

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4)

• Meat and Meat sauce

• 100g / 3.5 ounces beef mince (or other cuts)

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• 1/4 tsp minced garlic

Vegetables and Others:

• 250g (0.6 pounds) seasoned spinach

• 350g (0.8 pounds) seasoned bean sprouts – (You don’t have to use them up if you think it’s too much but I love having lots of vegetables)

• 100g (3.5 ounces) shiitake mushroom

• 120g (4.2 ounces) carrots (1 small)

• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (1/4 tsp each will be used when cooking shiitake mushroom and carrots)

• 3 to 4 serving portions of steamed rice

• 3 or 4 eggs (depending on the serving portion)

• Some cooking oil to cook the meat, mushroom, carrots and eggs.

• Some toasted seasoned seaweed, shredded (long thin cut)

Bibimbap sauce:

• 2 Tbsp gochujang

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

• 1 Tbsp sugar – I used raw sugar

• 1 Tbsp water

• 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds

• 1 tsp vinegar – I used apple vinegar

• 1 tsp minced garlic

METHOD

1. Prepare and cook ingredients as below.

– For meat, mix the beef mince with the meat sauce listed above. Marinate the meat for about 30 mins while you are working on other ingredients to enhance the flavour. Add some cooking oil into a wok and cook the meat on medium high to high heat. It takes about 3 to 5 mins to thoroughly cook it.

2. Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl.

3. Cook spinach and bean sprouts.

4. Rinse, peel and julienne the carrots. Add some cooking oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a wok and cook the carrots on medium high to high heat for 2 to 3 mins.

5. Clean/rinse the shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice them. Add some cooking oil and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt in a wok and cook the mushrooms on medium high to high heat until they are all cooked. (It takes 2 to 3 mins.)

6. Make fried eggs. (While sunny side up is common, you can make them per your preference.)

7. Put the rice into a bowl and add the meat, assorted vegetables, seasoned seaweed, bibimbap sauce, and the egg on top of the rice. Serve.

8. To eat, mix the ingredients in the bowl, and enjoy!

Recipe from myKoreankitchen

#bibimbap #yourblendedfamily #recipe

[bryonyashaw]

Feeding older kids: because apparently they can’t survive on air and pastries alone

Ah, teenagers - one minute they're refusing to eat anything that isn't beige, the next they're inhaling three dinners and asking what’s for snack.

They're growing. They're hormonal. They're emotionally allergic to vegetables.

And yet - they still need balanced meals. (Inconvenient, I know.)

So here’s the truth bomb:

Healthy eating isn’t just for toddlers and Pinterest mums.

Our bigger, moodier, permanently-hungry kids need real fuel too.

Not just so they grow properly but so they don’t unravel into a hangry, sluggish spiral of bad skin, bad sleep and epic bad vibes.

Their brains are working overtime and their hormones are throwing daily tantrums PLUS school isn’t feeding them five times a day, so it’s our job to feed them super food.

But let’s keep it real - you don’t need to reinvent dinner. Just level up the usual chaos with simple swaps that don’t require a nutrition degree or a second mortgage.

Try these:

🍛 Burrito Bowls

Let them build it. Beans, rice, chicken, veg, cheese — they think it’s a treat. You know it’s a fibre bomb.

🥡 Stir-Fry with Noodles

10 mins. Chuck in anything. Soy sauce. Done. Pretend it’s takeaway.

🌯 DIY Wraps

Let them make it. Anything inside a wrap becomes 50% more edible, apparently.

🍝 Pasta with Sneaky Veg Sauce

Hide the spinach in the blender. No one’s checking.

🥔 Jacket Potato Bar

Tuna, beans, cheese, cottage cheese, leftover spag bol. Let them pick = fewer complaints.

🍳 Omelettes

Breakfast-for-dinner magic. Bonus points if it cleans out the veg drawer.

🍗 Traybakes

Chicken + veg + olive oil + oven. Sit down for 30 mins. Bask in your domestic glory.

Helping teens eat well isn’t about perfection - it’s about persistence, patience, and planting seeds. Some days they’ll eat croissants for breakfast and call it a win. Other days, they’ll surprise you with a smoothie and a side of extra sarcasm and eye rolls (which is less surprising). The goal isn’t flawless nutrition - it’s building trust, modelling balance and making healthy choices feel doable, not punishing. Keep offering the options, keep the tone light, and celebrate the small wins - like a vegetable that didn’t get thrown across the room. You’re not just feeding their bodies. You’re shaping their relationship with food, self-care and choice.

[bryonyashaw]

Eating healthy is hard! Especially when the kids are yelling for waffles and you’re eyeing up their leftover nuggets like it’s fine dining.

But here’s the thing - healthy eating isn’t just about them.

It’s about us too.

The parents. The carers. The ones who eat the crusts, finish the cold fish fingers and forget we matter.

So here’s your gentle reminder:

✨ Swap that sugary cereal for overnight oats.

✨ Add a handful of spinach to your scrambled eggs.

✨ Keep fruit at eye-level, not sadness-level in the fridge drawer.

✨ Keep your water bottle in reach - not just theirs.

✨ If it’s good enough for the lunchbox, it’s good enough for your plate too.

Small swaps. Big impact.

Because a healthy home doesn’t mean perfection - it means everyone gets to feel good. 💛

- Swap: Crisps → Roasted chickpeas

Reality: Chickpeas taste like crunchy sadness. Still better than nothing.

- Swap: Ice cream → Frozen banana blended with cocoa

Reality: It’s not ice cream. It’s cold, brown, and vaguely smug.

- Swap: White bread → Wholegrain

Reality: Kids revolt. Sandwiches now taste like effort.

- Swap: Fizzy drink → Sparkling water with lemon

Reality: Feels like punishment. Lemon slice does not fix it.

- Swap: Chocolate bar → Dark chocolate square

Reality: One square turns into five. Still technically a win.

- Swap: Pasta → Courgetti

Reality: You miss pasta. Courgetti is a side character, not a lead.

- Swap: Biscuits → Rice cakes with peanut butter

Reality: You eat the rice cake, then the biscuit anyway.

- Swap: Takeaway → Homemade stir-fry

Reality: More chopping, more washing up, less joy. But you did it.

[bryonyashaw]

Teenager in the house = constant background noise of snack wrappers, sarcasm, and the occasional existential crisis.

But while they’re busy growing up at warp speed, we can’t pretend they’re not hearing (or Googling) things about sex, consent, and all the awkward stuff in between.

So here’s a friendly reminder:

• Condoms = protection from more than just pregnancy

• Consent = not optional

• STIs = common, often silent and totally treatable

• Talking = way better than guessing

Whether you're gearing up for 'the chat' or just want your teen to have accurate info in a sea of crazy.

https://www.brook.org.uk/

Raise them bold, kind and well informed - and maybe remind them that TikTok isn’t a sexual health service!

[bryonyashaw]

Today we summoned the stars. And also the sugar!

Behold, the magical crew: Captain Egg, Starlord Butter, and Mischief Chip.

We mixed dreams, memories, and maybe a bit too much cinnamon.

The cookies knew they were chosen. They celebrated accordingly.

Surrounded by cookie crumbs and cosmic swirls, mugs of warm cocoa in hand. Laughter and love.

[bryonyashaw]

The Meeting Place

In a field of sunflowers taller than memory, the children arrived.

No footsteps marked their paths. No voices called them in.

But each knew the others would be here - drawn by something ancient, something shared.

There were six in all: faceless figures shaped by bond, not by likeness.

Trix stood still, sensing the shift before it happened.

They stared skyward, hands twitching to decode the patterns in the clouds.

Winnie spun in circles, laughter twining with flower petals in the wind. She crouched low, her fingers sketching secret signals in the dust.

Oscar watched the horizon, calm and grounded, as if holding time itself.

And Dottie, the youngest—her green eyes flickered like distant stars, glowing brighter than the sunflowers ever dared.

The air shimmered around them. Time curled at the edges.

This was not the beginning. Not really.

But it was the first meeting, and it mattered

Page 2: The Static Hums

The field held its breath.

A strange vibration tickled the tips of the sunflowers.

Oscars sketchbook trembled in his hands.

Trix turned sharply—her shadow lagged behind.

Winnie giggled, but the sound came out as a whisper not her own.

Oscar stood perfectly still, as if listening to something no one else could hear.

Dottie blinked, and her glowing eyes pulsed—a soft, bright green.

The sky shifted colour slightly, like it was buffering.

Something had arrived. But it wasn’t visible yet.

Page 3: The Glitch Unfolds

The sunflowers twisted, slowly.

Their golden faces all turned to Dottie.

Symbols appeared in the soil where Winnie stepped. She reached for one—but her fingers passed through it like mist.

Trix whispered, “I know this feeling.”

Oscar nodded once. “It’s looping.”

Oscars pencil moved without touching the page.

The air shimmered. Time blinked.

Dottie’s glow deepened, illuminating words no one had spoken.

The field was becoming something else.

Page 4: The Whispering Loop

The children stood in a perfect circle.

Not arranged—placed.

Wind curled gently, tugging at their clothes, their thoughts.

Winnie began humming a tune in reverse and crouched beside the earth -letters, tracing them with wide eyes.

Trix swayed—not from dizziness, but familiarity.

Oscar scribbled frantically, pages flickering between blank and full then he raised his hand, and the sky responded with a soft ripple.

Dottie’s glow became a beam.

The sunflowers whispered together, in one voice: “You are remembered.”

Page 5: The Echo Door

The field opened.

Not split—not torn. Just… parted.

A space appeared: silent, glowing at the edges.

Trix stepped forward. The path accepted her.

Winnie twirled through it with a laugh that echoed twice.

Oscar held Winnie’s hand and walked as if gravity shifted - his notebook leaving a trail of light behind him.

Dottie was last—lifted gently by unseen waves.

As they passed through, the sunflowers bowed.

Behind them, the field shimmered.

Ahead—nothing yet. Just the sense that something was waiting to remember them, too.

[bryonyashaw]

Page Title: The Baby Witch and the Elder Emo

In a house full of giggles, of stomps, songs, and clatter,

Lived a mum who believed both the mess and the chatter

Were magical parts of the life that she knew —

With her baby and three kids, her wild little crew.

Her t-shirt said “Elder Emo,” bold black and bright,

She ruled with soft hugs and a fierce sense of right.

One hand held the baby — a witchling in pink,

The other stirred batter at the kitchen sink.

The teen wore headphones and quietly drew,

Her mind in a playlist, her heart steady too.

She helped with the baby and wiped icing spills,

A quiet big sister with invisible skills.

The eleven-year-old? Full of bright, boyish thunder,

He zoomed through the house, leaving snack trails and wonder.

He built forts from cushions and named every spoon,

And tried to launch cupcakes right up to the moon.

The seven-year-old spun with curls flying wide,

A whirlwind of glitter and fearless pride.

She hummed while she stirred, then danced on her toes,

With flour on fingers and jam on her nose.

The baby just blinked — a mysterious sprite,

With magic that sparked in the softest of light.

One blink, one yawn, and the chaos would slow…

(Or possibly vanish — you never quite know.)

There were dishes and cuddles, tantrums and tea,

Laughter at breakfast and cries over peas.

But through it all, they stuck close like glue,

A messy, loud, loving, extraordinary crew.

So they baked for the party, each one with a job,

While Mum multitasked like a mystical mob.

And though things got wild (as things often do),

They always had love — and cupcakes — and glue.