This time we made the most of the beautiful autumnal light and headed to north Cornwall, to Tintagel and Boscastle.
We parked at the large car park in Boscastle and caught the 95 bus to Tintagel (there are only four buses per day, so it's important to time your arrival carefully if you're planning to do this walk). In Tintagel there are plenty of little magical and crafty shops to explore. Our timing made this the perfect time to stop for a pasty and coffee at The Cornish Bakery, situated just above the path down to Tintagel Castle.
Suitably fuelled, we hit the coast path for the five-mile walk back to Boscastle:
It's a stunning bit of coastline with some amazing rock formations to marvel at, the turquoise sea, stacks, arches, caves and birds (we saw Gannets, a kestrel and a Peregrine).
If you're new to coast path walking, I should warn you, it does go up and down a bit, but every turn gives a new and breathtaking view.
I think our favourite bit had to be the section where we dropped down into Rocky Valley.
This was an adventure we had been hoping to do when we were in Cornwall in May half term, but we were defeated by staff shortages for public transport at the time, so were delighted to revisit it in August, not long after we moved to Cornwall.
First, we walked down to the station and caught the train from St Austell to Penzance (not at all expensive with our family railcard).
In Penzance the bus station and the train station are right next door to one another. We hopped on to the next available "Land's End Coaster" bus - an open-topped service which goes around the coast in both directions between Penzance and Land's End.
We hopped off the bus (not literally) just as it makes the turn down towards Porthcurno (not far from Polgigga), and walked cross-country to Nanjizal beach,
Nanjizal beach has some sand and some rocks. I went for a swim, but we had an ulterior motive for being here... There's a wonderful pool in a cave that you can access at low tide! We clambered over quite a lot of boulders, some of which were pretty slippery. I was glad I had my trainers on. There were certainly a few skinned shins and grazed ankles from others doing the same thing. It was well worth it though - you drop into a long thin pool - those with children, it's worth noting that the pool gets deep quite quickly - and you can swim through this deliciously cool turquoise water right to the arch at the end where you can feel the suck and pull of the Atlantic beyond.
This pool, known as The Song of the Sea (what an evocative name) was a truly magical place to swim and we all came out feeling fantastic. It's just a short walk (half an hour) from there to Land's End along the Coast Path. At Land's End you can find something to eat or drink while you wait for the next Land's End Coaster bus back to Penzance.
If you fancy doing this trip yourself, you do need to check the tide times and the times of the buses. The Song of the Sea is best accessed at low tide (when you'll also get some beach at Nanjizal), and you also need to leave yourself enough time to walk there, swim and then walk along to Land's End to get the bus. You really don't want to miss the last bus from Land's End - it wouldn't be a cheap taxi ride.
Fabulous daughter is turning 10 this weekend. For her lockdown birthday, she is having an online party with three friends, using Zoom to do a virtual escape room together.
She is very keen on Harry Potter, so I've put together a party bag for each child, which I'll be dropping off at their homes on my daily exercise on Friday.
They will also get some snacks to eat while playing the escape room, and a Chocolate Cupcake (still to be made) with a Harry Potter cake-topper.
Please note - this post does contain some affiliate links. That means that if you follow my links to buy the products on Amazon, I get a small commission. It doesn't affect the price you pay at all.
If you're looking for a quick and easy craft to use up fabric scraps and create something lovely, then this is right up your street. These lovely little dolls are cute and can be as complicated or simple as you want.
I first came across these amazing little dolls at the Medieval Christmas Fayre at Ludlow Castle a few years ago.
I lovely lady (who I knew from my previous existence in Medieval Reenactment) had a little craft activity where she showed how to make them, and also sold them.
I immediately bought this little family:
To make these dolls, here's what you need:
a circle-ish of cream or white fabric
a little bit of toy stuffing (just for the head)
thread (I use white/cream and black)
fabric and wool scraps, felt, binding, fripperies etc.
pinking shears are very useful depending on your fabric - felt doesn't fray, but most other fabric will unless you pink or hem the edges
Instructions
To start with you will need your circle of fabric, your toy stuffing and about a metre of white/cream thread. Place a little bit of toy stuffing in the middle of your circle.
Gather the fabric together and wrap the thread around tightly to create a head. Fasten the thread around the neck. You may need to arrange the fabric a little here so you don't have a big wrinkle where the face will be. You now have a head, and four corners of fabric hanging down. Take one corner, fold it under and then gather up to make an arm.
Take one of the loose ends of thread from the neck and wrap it firmly around the arm in a spiral down to the hand and then back up again.
Hold it in place while you do the same with the opposite corner and other end of thread to make the other arm. This may take a bit of trial and error to get the arms the right length for the proportions of your doll.
Wrap the threads diagonally across the front and back to create a torso and waist.
You have now created the basic body and for a female you would just need to add clothes.
To make legs, you manipulate the final two corners of fabric and repeat the same process as for the arms. These can be a bit rougher as most of them will be covered with fabric.
Next, make the clothes using fabric scraps:
Some bias binding or a strip of fabric wrapped around and held in place with a couple of stitches are good for leggings or trousers.
a little felt hat or a fabric scrap headscarf are good, or you can sew some wool scraps in place for hair.
A simple tunic held in place with a wool belt are nice and easy, but you can wrap fabric into a dress, skirt, cloak or apron, or even add wings for a fairy. You could also sew on little facial features.
My nine-year-old daughter sat and made these with me and was delighted with the results. It's such a quick and simple activity, and a great way to make use of your scraps.
This is one of the activities in our "Year of Crafts". I'd love to hear how you get on if you try this activity. Let me know in the comments.
One of my New Year's Resolutions is to allow more creativity back into my life. It's easy to become too "busy". I'm certainly guilty of wasting time on social media or on games on my phone.
This year I wanted to put the emphasis on my creative self. Creativity is a type of playfulness (see my other blog www.the-playful-way.com) and I think we all need a bit more of that in our lives.
It also allows you to express yourself, to find your self or your voice.
To help keep me on track and to explore a whole range of different types of creativity, I've come up with 52 different craft activities (this isn't even touching on the creativity I enjoy in the garden, in my writing or in my teaching or tutoring!).
I've divided them into seasons, with the intention that I'll do four or five each month.
For example, this month I'm hoping to
- macrame a plant pot hanger for the bathroom (1st attempt at macrame)
- make wine (I've been meaning to do this for ages!)
What I really like about this is that my daughter has taken a copy of my list. She's ticked the ones she wants to do with me, and has added her own crafts to replace the ones that she doesn't think she can do. We're going to get crafty together!
I've not been terribly good at maintaining the blog in 2020. I'm hoping that I'll be a lot better in 2021, and blog regularly about my crafting, writing, gardening and family exploits, so you'll be able to see how I get on with some of these crafts.
What are your crafting and creative intentions for 2021?
It's that time of year again where we all start making plans for the coming year.
Creating my own resolutions got me thinking...
Where do New Year Resolutions come from?
We know that more than 4000 years ago ancient Babylonians celebrated a New Year festival called Akitu. Akitu lasted for twelve days and in this time the Babylonians planted crops, crowned a new king or pledged loyalty to an existing one, and made promises to the gods to repay debts or return borrowed items. It was felt that keeping their word would give the gods cause to look favourably on them.
The Ancient Romans created the calendar as we know it, with New Year falling on the 1st of January, a month dedicated to the two-faced god Janus, who looked back into the previous year and forward into the next. The Romans made promises and sacrifices to Janus, vowing good behaviour for the following year.
So...
What do people resolve to do?
According to statistics in the UK, almost half of the New Year resolutions made for 2020 were to do with losing weight or improving diet. Other popular resolutions were saving more money, taking up a new hobby or cutting down on alcohol or giving up smoking. 27% of people have never made a New Year resolution.
If you're looking to make a real impact on your life, it's better to frame your resolution positively. Decide what you are going to do rather than what you aren't. Instead of "eat less chocolate", try "eat more healthily". That way you can make a positive choice instead of feeling that you are sacrificing something or losing out.
After such a strange year as we've had this year, I imagine there will be a lot of New Year Resolutions about spending more time with friends and loved ones (as soon as we are allowed) or cultivating hobbies and activities we've missed out on.
I know that during the first lockdown in the Spring there was a noticeable improvement in public spiritedness, a willingness to muck in, a benefit to the environment - as the covid crisis has continued those benefits appear to have worn very thin, but perhaps enough people remember that some of those might feature on Resolution lists.
Here are some positive Resolution ideas you might like to consider:
Create a positive morning ritual - whether you take your coffee outdoors or start the day with a meditation or you commit to a wholesome breakfast.
Keep a journal / take more photos - commit to preserving memories of your life.
Shop local - our independent local shops, restaurants and cafes have taken a massive hit over the past year. Supporting them keeps money in the local economy and helps preserve the individuality of your local area.
Find your tribe - who have you missed spending time with this year? Friends and family are so important as a support network. Loneliness and isolation are hard to bear - find people who resonate with your values and commit to spending more time with them for a happier life.
Learn a new skill - whether it's leather-working, computer-aided-design or speaking Spanish. Learn something new this year.
Volunteer - the world needs you, your time, your energy, your kindness and your skills. Whether it's the local Scout group, hearing readers at the primary school or gardening for an elderly neighbour, your contribution will make the world richer.
Go for more walks, in all weathers, to get to know your local area and to rediscover a connection with the wilder world.
My New Year Resolutions this year:
I'm quite happy with these. I took my time over the wording, as I wanted to frame them positively and for them to be about the life I want to live. Of course, my plans for the year also include more gardening, decorating the pantry and the dining room, lots of plans for Scouting... but I had to whittle it down to the core essence of what I want for 2021. These aren't measurable resolutions either, but I will know if I am following them.
Join me on my year of making it count, activity, living life more slowly, creatively and adventurously!
At the time of writing this blog post, it’s been more than a month since the UK government announced a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Schools, pubs, restaurants, gyms, and “non-essential” businesses are closed, and we have been told to stay at home and only leave the house if we can’t avoid it, for example, to go food shopping.
I spotted this post on Sam's blog Griffblog. It’s part of a “link up” (or “linky”) where bloggers answer the same questions and link up their posts. The idea is to share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas on how to get through the coming weeks.
I thought it was a really good idea, and I’m sure in a few years I’ll find it interesting to read this post back and reflect on this strange time. Since I’ve missed the first few weeks I’m going to base my answers on the past 30 days rather than the past 7.
1) How are you feeling/coping?
Pretty well most of the time. I'm quite sociable and like the freedom and independence to get the things I need, go for a long walk and so on. However, I've not found being stuck in the house nearly as hard as I thought it would. I've been having plenty of contact with people through social media, on the phone etc. and I'm not lonely at all - given that I have Mr Build-it and Miss Busy imprisoned with me and Mr Fix-it comes home from key-working every evening (via the shower). The thing that frustrates me is knowing that the government scientists aren't actually sure about who really is "extremely vulnerable" (I'm on that list and have to stay in for at least 12 weeks) and who isn't. I don't feel any more vulnerable than the next person and it frustrates me that I can't go and help my colleagues at work, or that more than likely I'm going to have to continue to work from home even when the schools reopen (I'm a primary school teacher). Mr Fix-it is encouraging me to go out and get a walk (for some space aawy from the kids) but I don't feel I can. It's not fair to my boss or colleagues if on one hand I'm telling them I have to stay home and "shield" and yet on the other hand am out for a jolly. So I'm just keeping extremely busy and biding my time, hoping that as many of us as possible get through this in one piece.
2) What are you doing to keep yourself occupied?
I'm working from home as a Primary School Teacher. This involves making sure we have prepared work for the children to access from home, communicating with families, and also ensuring that all possible paperwork to do with school is up-to-date!
I'm also a volunteer with the Scouts and we are continuing as much as possible with virtual Scouting, so I'm supporting adults with their training, supporting Cubs and Beavers by posting lots of activities they can do and logging it as they work through their badges.
I've been writing more. Quite a lot more. I've also obviously been supporting my children with their at-home learning (and just coping - they are finding this really hard), keeping fit and setting myself challenges, reading and catching up on housework and gardening.
3) How are you dealing with everything at the moment – are you self-isolated, going out for essentials etc?
Because I'm on immune suppressants and have chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure (caused by a form of vasculitis) I'm in the governments “extremely vulnerable” category (people they believe could become seriously ill if they contract COVID-19). I'm not supposed to go out AT ALL. So I'm not. Mr Fix-it has been doing all the dog-walking, grocery shopping etc. in addition to going to work every day. Don't tell him, but I think he's a bit of a hero.
4) What advice do you have for others?
I personally think the best way is to keep busy. Being productive and useful makes you feel good. Having said that, if you are feeling down and need to have a day off to lie on the sofa and feel sorry for yourself, that's absolutely okay too. Miss Busy is eternally busy (hence the name) but Thursday afternoon and Friday she just wasn't feeling herself so I totally gave her licence to have a sofa day yesterday and not do her school work. Today, she's back on form.
5) What have you bought this week that others might like? Especially if from a small business.
I haven't bought anything this week. I'm trying to manage with as little buying as possible since I'm worried about all these busy delivery peeps. If I do buy something I'm going to try to source it from an independent if possible rather than "globecorp" aka Amazon.
Fortunately, because Mr Fix-It is going to work every morning, I am getting up at a sensible 7am. The children are up by 8am and we are all settled down to work by 9am at the latest. I tend to work through most of the day, with Wednesday off, apart from a break for an hour for lunch and an hour's break at about 3 in the afternoon to do my exercise DVD. I stop at about 5pm and do a bit of housework before cooking the dinner.
7) Have you planned anything for once lockdown is over? (Question by Don’t Cramp My Style)
No. Mainly because I don't know when that will be. It's difficult to plan anything really with no end point in sight. We've cancelled one holiday this Easter and will almost certainly not go on the planned holiday for the Summer (waiting until lockdown extension is confirmed so we don't have to pay cancellation fees on the ferry!). We'd like to go exploring in Cornwall again, would like to take a trip to Applecross, though this may not be until next Spring. I've also got two training courses to run this Autumn and would definitely like to get a Scout and Cub camp and at least a couple of Scout Group Activity days in the diary in the autumn... plus we'll definitely want to go and visit both sets of parents, and sisters and sister-in-law. It's going to be a busy Autumn!
Thank you to Sarah (lifeinabreakdown.com) and Bex for coming up with this linky. If you’re a blogger and you’d like to answer these questions yourself then I’ll share them again below so you can copy + paste.
1) How are you feeling/coping? 2) What are you doing to keep yourself occupied? 3) How are you dealing with everything at the moment – are you self-isolated, going out for essentials, etc? Has this changed? 4) What advice do you have for others? 5) What have you bought this week that others might like? Especially if from a small business. 6) How has your routine been this week? (Question by Don’t Cramp My Style) 7) Have you planned anything for once lockdown is over in the past 7 days? (Question by Don’t Cramp My Style) 8) Anything else?
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