Children’s Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul

Last updated on November 19th, 2023 at 12:37 am

Oh man, is it Friday today? I have lost count of the days. Hours have blurred into days into weeks. My head has been spinning for about 8 days now, no joke. We have been over exhausting ourselves the last two weeks somehow when I said we weren’t going to be doing this anymore it, happened. While I am not complaining that I have work to do, it’s hard to go from semi busy to over busy in one week. I have been working on a lot of work for client’s sites instead of just mine own which I love. But on top of that, my Dad is still in hospital from his life changing stomach surgery so I am texting, calling, and emailing my mother every moment I can. Then we have had three children’s parties in the last week, one included me having to jump on large trampolines for an hour with littlest because she wasn’t old enough by herself. Never again without no liquids for a week prior. We also had to prepare for world book day, pancake day, and parents evening. Add in the kids swimming, Spanish and sport activities, phew, I am wrecked today. I could keep going on but I think you get the picture. It’s been crazy in this house. I always find too when we are super busy like this the house is a pig pen. Everything just explodes everywhere because no one has time to pick anything up. It’s in and out constantly day after day. 

With that being said, I have also been taking photography classes from the lovely Sara Jayne – Keeping Up With The Jones Family. I have been playing with aperture mode and manual mode for over a year and my photos just weren’t improving. I just couldn’t teach myself how to get the balance of that triangle and lighting etc. (not that I can now it’s a work in progress). I just started so you haven’t seen much difference in my photos but I am hoping you will soon. While I still struggling with lighting and getting the focus exactly where I want I am able now to go full manual without auto forever. I also can blur the background and get a bigger variety of photos of my children playing which is fab. I would have never taken a photo of my two in my front lawn with the street behind because it looks bad in photos but I can blur that out and still capture them being silly after school with their umbrellas or riding their scooters on the driveway. While I have SO MUCH to still learn, and improve on, I had to shout out that Sara is amazing she helps every step of the way with every question answered and will work on whatever you really want to focus on to get where you want to be. I just started but I am so excited that maybe one day I can be really proud of the photos I take. 

Children's Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul THIS WEEK I AM LOVING…

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I am just finishing King’s Cage, I know that’s all you hear me talk about here for weeks but its’ huge. And as I said above I am super busy this past week. I did scoop a new book up at the grocery store. I love those random easy reads that I throw in while picking up the bread and milk. All I Ever Wanted by Lucy Dillon seems like a good weekend book with a good double life story.

Children's Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul

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It’s almost UK Mother’s Day. I am lucky enough that I get two Mother’s Days. I think I deserve it having left my own country, everyone I know and my culture for my husband’s to become his wife and mother to his children. It’s only favor that I get that extra pamper. hahaha We have this discussion pretty much every year since I became a mother. Normally, for one he gets me a card and chocolate and the other he takes us all out to eat as a family. So we don’t go big on presents but just little things that say, thanks Mom. I absolutely love Hotel Chocolat. I have teamed up with them almost every holiday and special occasion to share my love for their chocolate with all of you.  Mother’s Day is no exception. One lucky mother will be tucking into this delicious Mother’s Day Hotel Chocolat Sleekster box of chocolates. Enter to WIN below. 

Children's Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul

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Along with sharing my lovely #littleloves each week, I also love doing vlogs for them too. I love them in post form as much as I do vlog form. So I have decided to do a monthly #littleloves roundup on the last day of the month as well as my weekly posts but making sure to keep them different. I find you get more detail with the vlogs for each section and it’s funny sharing just that little bit more. Here is February’s Little Loves and this time it’s full of a shopping haul too.

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My littlest is taking over this section this week. I couldn’t help but share her new Mini Boden outfit. I love their sales they have such vibrant beautiful clothes. I think my wishlist for them is very long for myself too. I even bought a gorgeous orange jacket from Mini Boden for myself realizing I could wear the children sizes. My list just got that much longer. OOOps. How adorable is MM here? I know, I am bias.

Children's Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul

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We took crafting to a new level for the Mark Warner Mum application. So many have done some amazing videos and creative posts, it’s been fab reading them all. I never classified myself as crafty but boy did we give it a whirl. Two days of crafting straight and a fun, silly photo shoot later we had made over ten craft projects including: sewing, glueing, cutting, cardboard, fabric, paper, markers, crayons, glitter, cupake liners, printouts, and cotton balls. My craft tools doubled and the kids had an absolute blast playing with all our creations afterwards. Would love you all to check out what we made here.

Top 10 Travel Must Haves by my Mini Crafters #MarkWarnerMum

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It’s been amazing over on my instagram hashtag community #LIFECLOSEUP. You can see the snips of spring coming into everyone’s feeds and their pastel, bright photos for Mother’s Day and Easter coming up too. I love this time of year on instagram where the darker days slip away and everyone’s feeds feel happier and lighter. Here are this week’s favorite instagrammers, do click the instagram button below and come say hello or the link above to join our little community that is steadily growing fast.

Children's Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul

Photo Walks, Game Night, Pushing Myself

Linking up with Coffee Work Sleep Repeat

36 thoughts on “Children’s Parties, Photography Class, and a Craft Overhaul”

  1. I’ve got to agree this past week has been super busy, we too had world book day and parents evening and not forgetting Pancake day. I cant understand how one week can have so much stuff going off in it. It would be so much better to have it spread out. I too am a lover of photography I love capturing moments in time with my camera. I’m only still learning basics but I’m off to check out Sarah Jaynes site to see whats on offer your photos are always so lovely.
    I hope you have a great weekend #Littleloves

    Reply
    • It’s like a never ending week wasn’t it? I don’t know why they put everything close together either. We don’t really need to celebrate everything all at once do we? hahah Seems like it with school events and all. That’s kind of you, I felt restricted on auto and manual hates me still hahaha but hopefully in a year’s time I can look back and love my photos.

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  2. Thank you for the feature in the #LifeCloseUp round up! Oo I’m loving the Boden outfit, so bright and colourful. Just what’s needed on this miserable weather days! Also my favourite chocolate is milk 🙂 #LittleLoves

    Helen x

    Reply
    • Of course thanks for joining in with your lovely photos. What’s not to love about bright clothes. Hope you entered to win some yummy chocolates.

      Reply
  3. I think we have similar tastes in little girls clothing. I love mini Boden and the outfit you have picked. You definitely deserve two mother’s days. It must be so hard being all this way from your family especially with your dad in hospital. I hope he is on the mend soon. Love hotel chocolat

    Reply
    • It’s hard not to love all those vibrant colors of Mini Boden even for myself too. I love Ted Baker for bright colors. I am not a pastel lover when it comes to children’s clothes and yet my entire wardrobe for me is pastel. So funny isn’t it? Thanks for your lovely words for my Dad.

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  4. It must be so hard with your dad being in hospital Jenny. I definitely agree that you deserve to celebrate Mother’s Day twice, and I am going to pop over and read your Mark Warner post. Wishing you all the very best, and sending hugs too. Make sure you take it easy this weekend if you can #littleloves x

    Reply
    • We did have a lazy weekend planned somehow I was trying to catch up late nights while hubby is away on emails. blog commenting, linkies that I am behind on and then during the day playing hard with the kids at the park I am wiped out again. I think Monday needs to be a calm day. hahaha Thanks lovely for checking out our MW post and all your well wishes for my Dad, it means a lot.

      Reply
    • Oh thanks we had fun on the weekend of making it all over on our ig stories too. It was so tough but looks like Dad gets to go home tomorrow earlier than expected so that’s fab news. Thank you.

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    • He actually is recovery better than expected at 75 years old. He walked a mile yesterday so that he could go home. Probably was the hardest he ever pushed himself but he hates hospitals.

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  5. I feel exhausted just reading about your week Jenny ! It’s good to keep busy though. I think your photographs are amazing, I just point and click most of the time, I really must learn how to use my actual camera. Good luck with your Mark Warner entry, fingers crossed for you. #LittleLoves

    Reply
  6. Jenny, I was exhausted just reading that first paragraph! So much in one week!
    You know I too am a big Mini Boden fan so I’m loving MM’s outfit, she is such a cutie.
    You’re MW post is so wonderfully creative! I think you stand a very good chance in getting chosen xx

    Reply
  7. I used to adore Mini Boden for my kids when they were younger – such cute, unusual clothes that wear so well. Your little cuties looks fab as always! Loving the photograph too Jenny, you are obviously making good progress. I went on a half day photography course 2 years ago and really I haven’t progressed at all! I always revert to my iphone cos I just can’t get the hang of my big camera. I think half a day was nowhere near enough for me!

    Reply
  8. ooooooo My favourite chocolate is Hotel Chocolat Strawberry Cheesecake :)))) My mum would love these xx

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  9. How can you possibly choose a favourite?!! They’re all equally delicious. If you forced me to choose then today I would pick milk but tomorrow or the day after it might well be a different answer!

    Reply

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