Reasons to be Cheerful: Challenges, Wins and Guinea Pigs #R2BC

Hard to believe its the last day of November as its gone in a flash! The last time of Michelle hosting then its over to me for December. Here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) Challenge Complete
When I injured my foot in October I thought that I would fail to earn my 1000 km medal as its either run or walk and not a mix! I had reached 706 km of running and it was tantalising close so frustrating... Luckily thanks to Pokemon Go I have walked over a million steps to 1001 km since May, so my medal is on its way:

2) Guinea Pigs

As the temperatures have started to plummet the guinea pigs can't stay in their outdoor hutch. I have sacrificed a corner of my kitchen to keep them cosy for the winter. I love seeing their little faces and hearing their week whenever I go into the kitchen:

3) Rediscovering Hidden Treasures

Forest School: Bird Feeders

As I am just starting out to teach forest school with children from Nursery to Year 1 I have been researching simple ideas of things that they can make to incorporate into our sessions. We are going to be looking at winter as a topic from this week so I have been looking at simple bird feeders that we can make. These look easy enough for them to do (as long as they don't eat the cereals!):

These look good too as long as no-one is allergic to nuts:

A photographic walk through Kendal

I have taken so many photographs of Kendal that I have put some of my favourites together on YouTube:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Dancing, Adventure and Steam Trains #R2BC

Its Thursday which means its reasons to be cheerful with this month's host Michelle. Next its back to me so I will have to get organised! Here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) Steam Train
A group of photographers had booked our local steam train to run up and down the line at the same time as we were at parkrun this weekend. How many parkruns have one of these:

2) Parkrun Marshalling

My son and I volunteered together as marshals on the meadow hill and I had taken along my camera to capture some of the action. It was lovely to get smiles out of the runners and walkers as they took on the climb:

3) Ceilidh

On Friday night I went to a ceilidh with my mum and daughter. Us youngsters were out danced by the U3A folk and Scottish dancers but we had a really time:

#CountryKids A weekend of fun at Kendal Mountain Festival #Kendal17

Having popped up  quick post with just a YouTube video yesterday I thought I had better elaborate a bit more about the fun we had at Kendal Mountain Festival this weekend! First of all I got us tickets to see a talk about a new Channel 4 show Britain's Abandoned Playgrounds. This is a show where a free runner, slack liner, BMX rider and skateboarder have fun in some unusual locations:

There was a chat with the makers of the show plus the stars. A couple of them demonstrated their skills in front of us (check out the video from yesterday...) We watched some footage and then got to see the world premiere of the first episode. At the end the stars were happy to stop and chat to the children:

Outside lots of the children had a go at free running around on the walls etc much to the angst of us parents! Guttingly I had missed out on tickets to see Steve Backshall who was on next so we went home for the night.

On the Sunday we walked into Kendal to the Base Camp at the Brewery Arts Centre:

Kendal Mountain Festival 2017 #Kendal17

We had so much fun at Kendal Mountain Festival that I created a little YouTube video:

My dream adult escape spot

I heard from Boo, Roo and Tiger Too that the lovely people at Tiger Sheds are challenging bloggers to plan their perfect adult escape space in one of their sheds. Now as a single mum with a boy into gaming and YouTube I would love somewhere that I could shut myself away and relax...

So first up I need to choose my ideal shed. Of course I would like plenty of light to get in and enough room for all my requirements. I think that the Tiger Garden Studio Plus would fit the bill nicely:

So next up I will need somewhere comfortable to sit... I think this plum corner sofa from Marks and Spencer would be lovely and cosy:

I would need a nice coffee table with a bit of storage to put things on or in. As I have a bit of hankering for solid wood I would consider this piece from Oak Solution:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Fixes, Family and Fun #R2BC

The linky is still being hosted by Michelle so please pop over to her blog! I have got plenty of reasons to be cheerful this week but here are just a few:

1) Bargain

We don't have a sofa and our armchairs are the wrong shape to curl up on. So I grabbed a bargain off our local Sell and Seek of another armchair plus footrest that we can share when watching TV or a movie:

2) Girl time

This weekend I had lots of time with my daughter both country dancing, then with a movie marathon with pizza on Saturday and finally the bridge tournament on Sunday. We were supervised by this handsome chap:

3) Proud Mum

Reasons to be Cheerful: Birthday Fun & Fireworks #R2BC

The happiest linky around is still in the hands of Michelle so please join in, comment and share the things that have made you smile this week however small! Here are some of mine: 1) Birthday Boy
My son turned 11 this week (how did that happen!). He is growing up fast and this year chose a trampoline party at Jump Rush in Morecambe with his friends. It was so much fun and I wish I had been brave and joined in.... next time:

2) Bubbles

I had won some Prosecco with extra pop-a-ball and fun additions from a local company Fabulous Flutes. It was perfect to enjoy once my house was no longer full of tween age boys and I could sit back and enjoy Strictly:

3) Mummy Treats

Yellow Stickers

Hands up if you are a fan of a bargain? I know I am! With my local supermarkets I am learning the best time to go in for the best bargains. Tonight just after 7 PM it was Morrisons as they close earlier than other shops. I basically got a 3 course dinner for 97p:

What are your best yellow sticker bargains?

Annual Bridge Tournament

On Sunday it was the annual bridge tournament in memory of my Granny. My mum and aunt have been organising them since 2011 as close as possible to her birthday. We all helped out to get it set up:

Several ladies had been busy baking and making savoury goodies for the afternoon tea which were served up on an array of wonderful platters:

Then the serious part of the afternoon started with the backdrop of the castle. Even my daughter took part as she has been having lessons:

Growing Up

One of the great things about social media apps such as Timehop is that you can easily compare how things have changed on the same date over time. As a case in point here are three photographs of my son and I taken over the last four years. It really shows how much he has grown:

Age 8

Age 10

Age 11

The only question is... how long before he is taller than me? I am 5ft 8.5 or 175cm which isn't short but he is going to end up a lot taller than that!

A stroll through Kendal in pictures

Miller Bridge

Branthwaite Brow

Simple Cake Decorating

My son and I weren't too impressed with the party cakes on offer at Morrisons as they are all quite pricey when you only need enough for a few people. So instead we got the basic cake and he chose some things to decorate it:

I did the initial divide with icing and then it was my son's turn to do some decorating:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Family, Friends and Fun #R2BC

Now we are in November I have handed the hostess mantle back to the founder Michelle. We will be in good hands until I am in charge again for December! Its been a pretty good week for me from the tail end of half term and then some glorious weather. Here are some of the things that had made me cheerful:
1) Catching up with friends
One of my school friends was up north with her family for the holidays and we enjoyed spending time with them and showing them our castle:

One of my single parent friends is also in the area for a break and we met up for coffee and cake at Yard 46. 

2) Time with my girl

We had a delightful day trip to Lancaster to spend birthday money and try out a vegetarian restaurant:

Such a pleasure to spend a laid back day with her. Then last night we were at the Brewery as a puppetry project she worked on had a showing for the parents. She had done an amazing job!

3) Time with my boy

Historic Kendal: Yard 46

I am making the most of my free time to explore more of Kendal and its interesting places and history. Today I met a friend for coffee at Yard 46 which is tucked away off the historic Branthwaite Brow. It felt like we were in Narnia with the old fashioned street light down the yard:

It wasn't a day for sitting out in the courtyard so I had to make use of the very unusual front door:

I need to find out more about the history of the building as it is so intriguing and quirky! On top of that the coffee and cake were delicious...