Posted on January 3rd, 2012 by Dan. 3 Comments

We came back from Center Parcs early. Only a day early but for some reason it felt like a bit of a failure. Amy was ill, some sort of virus that gave her a temperature and a rash that, judging by her occasional proclamations of “I’m scratching!”, was a bit itchy.

I’m sure given different circumstances it would have been an ok holiday, certainly worth the £200 we paid for four nights. However I wouldn’t want to pay the full price summer rates, it’s just not that nice. The cabins were the main let down – all grey breezeblocks and you could tell the interiors were ten years old. The toilets interested me though (ass oddly they always do) they were a strange shelf design so you could see your turd laid out for you before flushing it away. I should have taken a photo (minus turd obviously). Even for one as predisposed to turd examination as myself it was a bit disconcerting.

Anyhow, we came back yesterday. Amy had the biggest tantrum I’d ever seen when we made her come away from the play gym into the car. Mainly due to a combination of her extreme tiredness and her really enjoying herself and not wanting to go. She made a friend that was very sweet to see, but a little poignant at the same time. One of the blogs I regularly read (in fact the main inspiration that made me start this blog) once said something about the sadness that goes along with the knowledge that walking along with her Daddy wont be the most important thing in a little girls life forever. That’s why I’m doing this I suppose, to try and record the time when it was.

Bookmark It

Posted on December 12th, 2011 by Dan. 4 Comments

Hi.

In case anyone is interested I have a new blog. Sort of.

If anyone is interested in community news and events in Slaithwaite and the Colne Valley then they could do worse than go visit my new community hyperlocal site Slawit.org

It bears very little similarity to what I did here – I’m using it more as a method of engaging with and providing a service to my local community than a form of self expression, but it’s there if you’re interested.

If anyone fancies throwing a link it’s way in order to push it up the google search lists I’d be eternally grateful. However I apreciate it’s not exactly on topic for many people :)

This isn’t a commercial venture, but if by any freak of fate I ever make any money from it then it will go to the Joseph Salmon Trust.

Bookmark It

Posted on November 9th, 2011 by Dan. 2 Comments

When it gets to Christmas, it is time to consider the pennies and see how they can be saved. Nobody wants to be breaking the bank at this time of year, and there are many ways in which you can keep yourself and your family warm without spending excessively on your heating bill.

Here is a list of top tips for your family to consider:

-Switching providers – Heating is essential in your home, in winter this is even truer, be sure that you are not paying over the odds on your bills by making sure that you compare energy prices between suppliers.

- Warm colours – In a lot of ways, it is possible to make yourself feel warmer through perception. Textures and colours that are warm give the impression of warmth, so give that a chance and curl up under a throw.

- Rugs – Floors are always cold when they are bare, get a rug to cover them up and add a bit of extra heat to your feet when you’re walking around the house.
- Sun – In winter you can get to a stage whereby there aren’t many sunlight hours in the day, but try to open your curtains during the day to ensure that your home is hit by as much natural heat as possible. At the other side of this, always shut the curtains at dusk to stop any heat escaping.

- Baking – Feel good food is always a huge plus of the festive period, and another great way of getting your home heated at the same time. Casseroles, soups, roasts and stews are all good, hearty foods that go down brilliantly throughout winter.

- Hot drink – What can be better than curling up with your hands around a warm mug of cocoa, coffee or tea?

- Keep covered – Wearing socks and a hat at all times, even in bed, can be an ideal way to keep you warm at all times of the day.

- Block draughts – You’d be surprised how much difference it makes where there is a gap in a door or window frame that leads to a draughty home. Get hold of a draft stopper or use a rolled up towel.

- Hot water bottle – The old ones are the best, as the saying goes. Dust your hot water bottle off and keep it with you when you are on the sofa or in bed to warm you up.

- Exercise – Whether you are going to get up and go to the gym or do some cleaning, get the blood pumping. Another top tip is to space your activities out during the day so that you are alternating between activity and rest.

Christmas can be the most expensive time of the year for families, so be sure to keep your energy prices down if possible. While this is a list of the best ways of keeping expenditure down, be sure to check that you are getting the best value for money with uSwitch.

Bookmark It

Posted on October 26th, 2011 by Dan. 13 Comments

Well it’s the school holidays again which can mean only one thing. Yup, it’s time for the Hughes family to be descended upon by the UK’s Premier Daddy Blogger and his son. Over the past two days we’ve played host to Ian and Max which, despite Ian’s general objectionableness, is always a pleasure and never a chore.

But like the Littlest Hobo Ian is never able to stay long – being ever driven onwards by the demands of his holiday spreadsheets. As we watched his Worzel Gummage like hair disappear over the horizon this afternoon I spent a bit of time reflecting on the nature of friendship, and how wonderful it is that it can spill over to encompass whole families within it’s circle of warmth and care.

But then I quickly came to my senses and texted him to point out what a cock-knocker he was. Phew, that was a close one. If I’m not careful I’ll be buying people birthday cards next.

————

In other news Kerry is now officially halfway through her pregnancy and we’ve started thinking about baby names.

To be honest we’ve had a couple in mind for quite a while now, but there is a problem. For some reason all the names we are favouring are also the names of Doctor Who companions.

I’m not entirely sure why this is happening. It’s not like Kerry or I are exactly die hard fans of the series. We enjoy it well enough, but it’s not an obsession that drives our lives. But looking at our shortlist you’d assume that we both have sonic screwdrivers for key rings and go to bed wearing fezs.

For boys names we like Rory. And to be fair I must admit that that’s a name that never really entered our consciousness before encountering the character played by Arthur Darvill in the program.

But to be honest I’m ok with that. Not only is Rory one of the best Dr’s companions there have ever been (second only to Bernard Cribbins’ Wilf) but he’s also a male nurse – which we all know is the coolest profession known to man. According to the name meanings list over at bounty Rory means “Red King” which as we all know is bollocks – it actually means “the man who waited”. Stupid Bounty.

*ahem*

As far as girls names go we like Rose. In fact we’ve liked Rose for quite a long time. The more elephant minded among you may remember that Evan was actually going to be called that should he have been a girl. However again i’m not entirely convinced that didn’t only come into our minds as a result of watching Billie Piper play Rose Tyler in the earlier seasons of the new Doctor Who.

Maybe it’s not us being complete and utter geeks. Maybe that it’s just that the writers on Doctor Who are just really good at picking names.

Then again, they did pick Micky and Martha, so maybe not.

——————

And finally there is a new episode of the Midnight Movie Club Podcast ready for your delight and delectation if you are interested. This week we are discussing the 1991 film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Hurrah!

Bookmark It

Posted on September 24th, 2011 by Dan. 7 Comments

Evan: What’s a heart attack?

Me: It’s when someone’s heart suddenly stops working and they get very ill.

Evan: Do you die?

Me: Sometimes.

Evan: Why do people get heart attacks?

Me: If they don’t do enough exercise or eat rubbish.

Evan: Oh No! Sometimes I eat paper!

Bookmark It