Groovy Mum's - via Chloe this week x

I love Groovy Mums and here is this weeks entry from me. Please pop over and check it out where it is being hosted by the lovely Chloe at Our Pea Green Pod

1. Body - Your Sunshine RitualsSummer, apparently, is here! Or at least, we're having a few days of sun & then it'll all be over. As we all know it's so important to cover up, but often we will put off smearing the lotion on if we can help it & then end up a lovely shade of lobster. As well as urging you to be safe in this window of summer we're having I would love to hear about how you've been spoiling your skin, your hair & your nails. I like nothing more than soaking myself in some aloe-vera lotion after a long sunny day & knowing it's doing my skin a world of good as well as feeling fabulously indulgent. What are your rituals? How do you keep safe & indulge? If you don't indulge then do! Treat your self & your skin & keep it feeling great too!
I am a massive sun baby, I love the sun, I love the heat. I am dark haired with dark eyes so don't burn as easily as some but I still always use factor 15, if it is really hot I will also use the kids factor 50 on my neck, shoulders and back. After a day out in the sun I have a shower or soak in a bath and then lather my skin in Vaseline Aloe vera or Sanctuary which is my ultimate luxury. I am getting a little low on my Sanctuary but thankfully it is my birthday next week and my brother (or rather sister in law) is very good at keeping my supplies of Sanctuary up!
2. Mind - That Niggling Feeling
Quite often in life there is always something that we need to do but that we keep putting off. If you are anything like me there will be about 23 of these things at any given time. This week I quite simply want to encourage you to tick one of these silly little things off your list & feel the satisfaction that comes with the knowledge that there is one less thing to do! For now...!
I am proud to say I actually cleaned my car out this weekend for the first time in months, I was beyond embarrassed at the state of it but it is now nicely hoovered, polished inside, seats washed down, even the boot done and it looks so nice. I have also started to tackle my ironing pile again and got round to doing some gardening so all those little things I have been putting off I am now trying to do a bit at a time so they don't get so out of hand or seem so daunting.

3. Spirit - Memories & Legacy
With the untimely death of two musical legends this week - Donna Summer & Robin Gibb - I've been hearing the phrases 'their spirit shall live on in their work' & 'thier legacy is their music' a lot recently. This has got me to thinking about what kind of legacy I'll be leaving my girls. The legacy I want to leave them is memories & stories. A knowledge of our family & what we are about. As a child I remember my grandfather telling me stories about his life in the Navy & being fascinated. Granted, perhaps some of my favourite rememberances aren't suitable for 4 years old ears but sharing is power - it gives such an insight. Memories, for me, also remind me of what happiness is. How would you like your spirit to live on? What stories would you like to share with your children that you haven't all ready? How do you want your children to remember you? Why not share a favourite memory with us? What else would you like to be your legacy?
I completely agree with leaving memories and knowledge as a legacy. I love my camera and try and catch as much on camera as possible. I have loads of photos round the house as well as they are treasured items to me. At uni I was always relied on be the one with the camera and even now 15 years on I get emails asking for pictures to be scanned from those days. 

I am also researching my family tree and a cousin has unearthed a typed document from the 1930s which details little stories like an ancestor and family working on an estate and a brother of his cutting down a tree he shouldn't of, so the family were told they were being evicted. As a result the daughters got in a horse drawn carriage and made the journey to the next town to appeal to the land owners who were staying there and as a result were allowed to stay in their home. I also have a hand written diary from a great great something Aunt written in the 1880's of her life on board ship, firstly with her father and brothers and then in later years with her husband. Both these documents go back and the authors are recalling things about their own parents and grandparents so actually take me back to the early 1800's. it is fascinating. From one of them I have found out I use to walk past old ancestors home when at University and one of the buildings now owned by Liverpool John Moores where I sat exams actually belonged to my family where they lived with their servants. I have learnt so much about my Mum's family through these documents, that I would like to leave something similar behind.
4. Special Days - Diamonds & Rings
They say in times of 'economic downturn' it is important for the people to keep morale up & to have events which lift people's spirits. We are certainly doing that this summer with the Diamond Jubilee & indeed the Olympics. Whether you are positively enthusiatic or just plain nonplussed about these giant events, why not have a think about what kinds of events lift your spirits. Could you get involved in some activities nearer to home? Are you taking part in any of the national celebrations this summer? Could you throw a tea party? Could you have a rave? What event, big or small, could you get involved with that would boost morale in your area?
The school PTA are doing a Jubilee cake stall so all buns and biscuits are to be themed to be sold so I am going to get creative in the kitchen for Friday. The Stray in Harrogate has a Jubilee celebration on, on Sunday which we will take the kids to and then we are having family back here for a BBQ and calling it out 'Royal Jubilee decking opening arty' as we have just had some decking put in! I also won tickets to the paraolympics in September so am so excited about that - thank you Sainsbury's!
5. A Big Question - Do You Do Enough?
As a mother (& occassionally a not so groovy one) I am constantly plagued by one, consuming feeling - I'm not doing enough. Of course, it is natural as a parent to want to do as best by our children as we can, but, honestly do we really think we are doing enough? Or are we doing too much? How can we tell that what we are doing is right? I'm not sure I have the answers but I'd love to hear you discuss...
I think as a mum you will never feel you do enough no matter how much or little you do. I a plagued by thoughts I should do alot more reading, writing and maths with my boys especially Little Man as he is 8 and so behind, but he is tired after a full day in school, he is not receptive to extra work on top of the daily reading and weekly homework he gets and I don't want to put him off. Its a fine line between over pushing and supporting. I sit and read with Mini man as well but again by 4pm they are knackered and concentration has gone. it does bother me though, I feel I should do much more. I try and go out alot with the boys, take them places, go to museums and parks and they do get alot from that. Other times though I am conscious they are downstairs while I am on the computer working and that makes me feel guilty, but then which is better me at home working or in an office and them in childcare? As I said though I don't think you will ever feel you do enough as a mum.

All in all I have had a really good week, of course the fab weather helps a great deal and makes me feel happy, but I finally feel a bit more steady with work, time to breath and time to do other things which is really helping me feel more on top of things. Hubby got a bike at the weekend so we also have bike rides to look forward to now which should help cut costs down in the long run.

So that's me signing out for the week, I will be back next week hopefully with another positive, good week!  Thanks Cloe for hosting this week x