Pinterest love: Monster bedroom ideas

We moved in to our house just over a year ago and so far have only completely decorated one room....our bedroom *smug face*. The poor neglected wee Monsters have been living in squalor, well not quite, their rooms are just creamy/beigey boxes and boring. So this summer I have promised myself to get them sorted into rooms they will enjoy spending time in (haven't told hubby this yet...oops!).

And where else to look for ideas....Pinterest, of course! (You can follow me here)

Here are a few ideas I like the look of, not saying I'll be replicating them...they are merely inspiration.......

I really like the idea of having a huge world map on Monster #1's wall. Colourful and educational!

Pinterest

Genius idea...Ikea spice rack! These are on my list for our next trip to Ikea.

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Monster #2 is obsessed with lorries,  I like the idea of displaying the chunkier ones on small shelves.

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This is a bit OTT but I think Monster #1 would love it!

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I'd love to be able to do something like this for the Monsters.....ain't gonna happen though, kids!
 

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 Erm......WHAAAAT?!

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Silent Sunday

Girl Guide

Last week the Daily Mail reported (here) that the Government are planning to give parents a guide to help bring up their daughters and 'tackle the lack of ambition in young women'.

I'm in two minds whether this is something I support. As a parent, I know it is my responsibility to nurture my children and encourage them to grow into honest, driven individuals. We play a vital part in helping our children make the right choices. So a part of me thinks a guide to help parents 'bring up aspirational young women' is a positive thing but I also feel that it's a bit insulting to parents and young women. 

OK, I know I have two boys but if it were a guide for the wee dudes how would I feel....are they assuming that I won't know how to encourage my Monsters to work hard through school? Are they making me feel a failure as a parent before I even get off the starting block? I'll probably get shot for this, but in my opinion, if the parents haven't got the will to encourage their daughters to aspire to more then a booklet on how to do so isn't going to make a scrap of difference. I think we need to give the younger generation more credit, regardless of their gender. I see and speak to a fair few children and young adults where I work and 9 out of 10 have a dream of becoming something great, these kids are already driven and ambitious. 

I also believe that, as humans, we need to make mistakes and learn from them. So what if you're not in your dream job by the time you're 30. There are so many opportunities to study later in life and learn new skills. Who's to say you can't get that CEO job when you're 40, would you want all that pressure in your early twenties.....maybe? 

Don't you feel there are enough pressures on children today? Are we making them grow up too soon?

Obviously there is more to it, the Government are trying to encourage women into senior, more prominent roles and 'maximise women's contribution to economic growth', but I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this. Do you think you and your daughter would benefit from guidance like this? Or do you think its patronising, mum knows best....right?

(N.B - read the second comment under the article.....what a dick!)

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Silent Sunday

Peg Legs

While I was having a nosey in Asda this morning I spotted a pack of wooden pegs, instantly it reminded me of my preschooler days when we would make peg people for the doll house. I've been wanting to make stick men for the Monsters for when we read Stickman but I've never stumbled across just the right sort of stick....I thought this would be the next best thing?!

It took all of five minutes, Monster #1 really enjoyed making them and it was relatively mess free! (I managed to get clue on my elbow which resulted in threads of fabric attaching themselves to me....a colourful, slightly hairy looking elbow patch....so on trend!)
 

Behold! The pink craft box!

What you'll need....

They were really cheap to make.... the pegs were £1 or so from Asda, glue £1.50 from Wilkinsons, as well as the googly eyes, and the scraps of fabric were from a craft fair but you could use anything you have lying around (old pillow case? cotton hankie? coloured paper?)

Scraps of fabric expertly cut by Monster #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nearly done....

Outfit of the day!

We decided against using the wiggly eyes, it made our peg people look like they were suffering from hyperthyroidism! It's not the look we were going for. Instead we used a felt tips to draw on the simplest of features and some hair.

Ta da!

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15 Things I Love

1. I love the silence when its only me in the house.

Link

2. I love sleepy bed-warm cuddles with the Monsters.

3. I love the noise of the rain.

4. I love when someone makes me laugh so much I cry.

5. I love tea made in a teapot.

6. I love the noise that the lenses make in those big glasses the optician makes you wear.

Link

7. I love Monster #2's wee lisp.

8. I love singing at the top of my voice when no one is around.

9. I love snuggling down into a freshly made bed.

10. I love baking

11. I love Monster #1's giggle.

12. I love mascara
 
13. I love sitting in the coffee shop, people watching.

14. I love making lists...and ticking them off.

15. I love my wee family, truly, madly, deeply....

                           

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The Great Outdoors

A wee while ago we took a walk around Brandon Marsh with the monsters. We had been cooped up indoors for about a week and thought it was about time we put some colour in our cheeks and blow away the bugs and germs that had been hounding us. It was absolutely freezing but half way round we stopped for a mini picnic. The monsters settled on a wooden bench and tucked into their sandwiches, their wee hands were nipping and wee noses running but they didn't complain once (in the meantime my inner voice is willing them to hurry up and finish so we could start heading back towards the car!). At one point it threatened to snow and other walkers were commenting on how brave we were for eating al fresco...if there is food involved the Monsters will eat anywhere!

It made me think about what my brother and I used to do when we were wee. I remember my granny, on several occasions, taking us to Glenoe Waterfall and Glenariff Forest regardless of the weather. We lived in our wellies, splashing in the (shallow) river under the canopy of trees searching for conkers while granny stood up on the bank sheltering from the wind and rain. We would often end up eating our picnic in the boot of the car, the door acting as an awning to keep the rain off us, but we didn't care. Trips to the beach would see my brother and I in our swimmers while mum and granny huddled together under big towels trying to keep warm.


One year my granda made us a lush sleigh, big enough to hold the both of us. We were fortunate enough to live beside a hill and to have decent snow. I remember playing out for hours, only coming in to put one pair of wet gloves on the radiator and swap them for a pair drying from earlier. 

The monsters love being outside, their wee faces light up at the mere mention of a walk.....they are like a pair of puppies! We're heading back to Northern Ireland this summer and plan to take them to the places my granny took me. I hope they can still do the things that I did, it would be great to see them reliving it all with me.


Why do kids not feel the cold, are they just having too much fun to care?

What's your favourite outdoor memory?

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