The Perfect Parent Night In

Twas the night after a work day, when all through the house,
No children are stirring, not even for snacks
Mummy is tired, Daddy is zonked,
Which means it is time to put their fab onesies on.

When I was young I thought I knew what tired meant. Oh boy, was I deluded! Fast forward many a few years later and I am a mother of two children, run my own business full time (from home), help with school trips/escort duty, shop, cook, clean, pay bills etc. Roy isn’t any less busy. His work day often starts at 7am (sometimes earlier) and may finish at any time. Then he likes to spend time with the boys, help with house stuff… you get it, we’re busy.

This kind of non-stop action is great in a Marvel film however when your parenting superpowers are starting to fade at the end of the evening you need some proper chilling out time to recuperate.

The Essentials

Food
Food is fuel. While I would happily flop in front of the TV with a takeaway this gets expensive and isn’t the healthiest option. The slow cooker is my friend. We tend to eat all together as a family but sometimes having a meal for just us, and one I haven’t just been slaving over, is a win.

Comfort
Oh boy, let me tell you. There is nothing, and I mean nothing more fabulous than ditching the jeans and socks, flinging off my bra and slipping into something comfortable. We’ve been married nearly fourteen years now and again, have children. My slipping into something “comfortable” no longer means something silky. It means a giant, fluffy, warm and comfortable panda onesie or similar.
For true glass of wine/cup of proper coffee in hand, TV watching, snuggled up chilling without the kids, proper attire is a must.

Seriously, I need to get us a couple of these! They have pockets FOR SNACKS and everything!

Entertainment
Once the boys are in bed our energy levels start to wane a little. We don’t want to do anything particularly energetic however we want to do something rather than fall into bed at 7.30pm (sometimes we are tired enough to fall into bed at 7.30pm). We watch TV (things we’ve saved up/recorded to watch together), he might play on the Xbox while I piddle about beside him on the tablet, he might do some of his crafty stuff, I might make a new piece of jewellery. 

 

Top Tips for A Perfect Parent Night In

Nothing is going to spoil your zen-like feeling of complete relaxation quicker than interlopers. You know the sort, small, cute-looking and very demanding? You need to pre-empt their disruption attacks by being proactive.

For example:

  • Water/juice in a sports bottle (age appropriate) may be left outside bedroom doors to quench the inevitable “I’m thirstyyyyy” calls.
  • Before bed make sure each child eats something you call the bedtime snack and make sure they know that this food is special and magical and will fill their tummy all night and that they can’t possibly have anything else.
  • Spray water around the bedroom from a bottle with a label that reads “monster and nightmare spray”. You are dealing with bad dreams and monsters in advance. It works, trust us.
  • Older kids can be threatened with wi-fi/digital time withdrawal if they come downstairs after a certain time (highly effective).
  • Leave a pencil and paper outside children’s room so that thing they HAVE to tell you can be written down and you will see it when you come up to bed.Job’s a good ‘un!

What’s your idea of a perfectly relaxing evening in?

The 5 Hottest Apps to Get You Through the Coldest Months

 

I’m all for old-school entertainment, especially during the winter but am the first to admit that digital apps and aids can be fabulous for keeping me going and entertained when my mood and my motivation just wants to crawl under a duvet until spring! This fabulous guest post is just what I needed to explore apps that make life easier and happier while the barometer is busy thawing outside!

Winter is certainly in full swing!  It may be cold outside, but there’s no reason an icy chill has to descend onto our social lives and sense of adventure!  There are a ton of fun-filled activities to help make the short days a little brighter, and some of them are right at your fingertips.  Yep, that’s right, I’m talking about your phones, tablets and gadgets of all kinds!  A world of opportunity awaits you and your loved ones, whether it be through educational apps, games or life-hacks to make your day-to-day a little easier this winter.  I’ve sifted through the app store and talked to all my techie friends to compile this gadget-friendly winter survival guide.  Thaw those frozen fingers and get clicking!

  1. WeatherMob

First things first!  When it comes to being ready for winter, you’ve got to know when weather is about to strike.  WeatherMob is an interactive, social approach to weather, and allows you to post photos and video from your area, along with viewing posts from others.  This app combines elements of social media and weather forecasting to give you an unprecedented view of every storm and sunny day.

  1. Mallzee

Shopping should be a joy and not a hassle, but when you have to scrape the car, warm it up, drive through slick slush to the shopping centre and look for parking all before you get to try anything on, it’s no wonder we all end up in ugly Christmas sweaters this season!  Mallzee is an intuitive shopping app that puts all the joy of shopping at your fingertips.  Browse through the top brands, save the clothes you like and check out in 15 seconds.  You may never go to the shops again!

  1. Hungry House

 

When the weather gets rough there’s no reason to brave the icy streets and biting winds just to pop round to the shop.  Download the Hungry House app and order delivery without dialling a number.  Having a pizza night, ordering snacks for a Sunday in or trying something new like sushi or Thai has never been easier.  Hungry House gives you access to all your favourite restaurants and even features special deals and discounts!

  1. Fitocracy

Here’s what you’ve been looking for!  It’s time to get moving again after the holidays!  Fitocracy is an interactive, social app that helps you set fitness goals and rewards you for completing them.  You can get workouts tailored to your unique needs and even have access to a personal trainer, right in your pocket!  Save your routines, sync your music and compete with others around the globe with this highly motivating app.

  1. Netflix

Say goodbye to boring days on the couch, flipping through channels.  You know there’s nothing on!  Join Netflix and all your favourite shows, along with Netflix’s award-winning original content, will be available for your viewing pleasure 24/7.  For a small monthly fee, you can stream thousands of HD films and shows, which are constantly updated.  Netflix also features loads of family-friendly content and some great, educational shows for kids.