Minimalist Mum Blog

Such wise words from Magda Ge**er
Less directing play ➡️ more autonomy
Less interrupting play ➡️ more observing
Less taking over play ➡️ more following
Ironically the less we do the better their play skills flourish! But by nature we want to make it better, more “fun educational” or take over in some way
There are plenty of things we CAN do to spark play and create a play rich environment , but mostly let’s take a back seat once it’s begun and let the child be the captain!

Lovely to see Turtledove Play Cafe back open.

It has had a lovely revamp inside 🥰 The baby area has a selection of sensory toys and soft play whilst the main area has a larger soft play section that C loved. It is all looking clean and fresh again.

It is busy so be early to guarantee a table although you can enter and play without a table if you like.

Current opening hours;

9-3.30pm

Entry;

0-6months free
7months-2 years £3.95
3-7 years- £5.95

*Not a paid for promotion*

Good morning! From today we are trialling some new menu items.

✅ Cheeseburger
✅ Chicken Burger
✅ Veggie Burger

All served with our delicious chips, salad and coleslaw.
We’ve got a feeling these will be very popular! 😋🌈

Last chance ..

Save £11.25 with this jawsome limited offer Kids for a Squid is back! 🦑

We know you don’t want to be on strike. We know you’d rather be in the classroom, doing what you do best – teaching and supporting your pupils. But we have to

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Such a fun idea when you start your gardening theme!

https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/slide-shows/Bean-Sprouts

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Saturday feels today. Take time to take care of you too

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I remember this vividly, I have felt so unwelcome in a public space. Especially one attached to a park

Today I met my friend in Glasgow. Between us we have 5 children, 3 of which are under 4.

We decided to go to Kelvingrove Park to get fresh air and let the children and puppy explore the grass and trees freely. We had such a lovely time and it is one of the only activities that keep all 5 entertained long enough that we can talk.

We stopped by a cafe right next to the play park to pick up refreshments and snacks. When we arrived we were informed that they were closing in 30 minutes so we quickly ordered some drinks to warm us up as it was baltic outside and 30 minutes wasn't long enough to get full meals for us all. Well the toddlers being toddlers were tired from playing and one in particular began to get upset towards the end- mainly because she was having to rush her milk. We had been there 20 minutes and a staff member approached us. I had thought she was coming to say they were clearing up but instead she informed my friend that her child was disrupting other customers and something along the lines that it was irritating having her cry.

Oh my days! Have you ever been a parent and no matter what you do your child is unsettled? Where you are trying to feed/ dress/ keep them safe in a public place and they just don't play ball. Well that's children! Children have emotions and off days just like us, but sadly for them they do not have the understanding, conceptual thinking or communication to express fully why they are upset in a given situation. So they cry, stomp or scream.

We all done it! So when you see a parent or carer in a situation where the little one needs some time do not, and I mean DO NOT, go up to them and make them feel like even more s**t in a stressful situation. Ask if they are ok or if there is anything you can do.

Also my sausage roll was chewy and the tea was mediocre. 😂

This is great, I took Charlotte to classes here when she was a baby.

Good food for little ones will give you the confidence to know what your baby can eat - helping your baby to love good foods and avoid to have fussy eater at home 🙂
A series of 5 classes will explain how to prepare healthy foods and give your baby a balanced diet. They will cover topics such purees and baby-led weaning, what foods to avoid and allergies and how to avoid them.
We will also cook during the class to taste the delicious and nutritious food.
And the best bit is that you bring your baby along – it’s a friendly and relaxed session!
Book your 3 theory sessions and enjoy 2 practice cooking with us. You don't need to bring anything, we provide all the ingredients and even creche for your child 🙂
When: 5 weeks, Thursdays
(26/01, 2/02, 23/02, 2,03, 9/03)
Time: 11am-12.30pm
Where: Gate55, 55 Sighthill Rd,
Edinburgh EH11 4PB
Email to Alicja to book your space
[email protected]
or
book your FREE ticket on Event brite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/478029367707

This made me giggle

I recently became a single mum and some days you feel like you are smashing life, the next you feel like hiding under a duvet.

I have organised a Solo mum meet up at my cafe Tots Spot . It's free to attend and the café will be closed to the public. You can bring your own food, although food options will be available to purchase.

Use this link to book your space: https://bookwhen.com/totsspotplaycafe/e/ev-s22s-20230128130000

This meet up is for single mums or solo mums to meet and build friendships. All age of children welcome ❤️

Been there😂

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Today was my first day back in the café after a two week break and to say we hit the ground running would be an understatement

I am in a place of temporary chaos of juggling; café, kids, training, eating on plan, paying my continually increasing bills and trying to keep myself sane through it all. I know this will pass and the light as the end of the tunnel but the interim is HARD

Self Care is a must. Self Care isn't selfish.

For me I love nothing more than sitting in my car before school pick up, scrolling through rubbish on my phone and having a coffee.

It helps me re-regulate between my daily transitions of mum, employer, customer facing Amber and back to mum again.

What do you like to do to re-regulate yourself after a tough day?

This month so far has been a blur....

Last year I closed two businesses and I'm in the process of selling my last café. I honestly have no idea what my plan is for this year after that's complete other than spend more time with the children, finding out who I am now, have a slower pace of life and my stress, bills and life as much as possible.

Today I started again, life is a funny old thing. 10 years since I graduated uni studying childhood studies and I continually get drawn back to working with children. Last year I kept lacking fulfillment and I think alot has been that I missed caring for children. Being present in play is such a fascinating experience and I just love watching their brains and minds work.

This looks like fun

FREE KELPIES TOURS! 👀

This is your chance to experience a 5 ⭐️tour for free from today throughout the whole month! You even get to go inside Duke with one of our wonderful guides.

1130, 1330 + 1430 daily.

No pre-bookings. First come first served.

This is my plan this month, each room, one at a time.

A decluttered and tidy space makes me feel so much better. It's amazing how much *stuff* we accumulate over a year

❤️❤️ I love this visual aid ❤️❤️

I love this idea for Hogmanay

🎇FIREWORK COLOUR SORTER 🎇 A very simple toddler activity that my beautiful baby girl wanted to do again and again! Not only are we working on naming colours but we’re working those little fine motor skills and size understanding 😍 Success and it’s such an easy one to make! . . . . #simpleplayideas #toddlerplay #toddlerplayideas #toddlerplaytime #toddlerplaytoday #toddleractivities #toddleractivity #toddleractivitiesathome #coloursorting #colorsorting #colouractivity #finemotorskills #finemotoractivity #finemotorplay #finemotordevelopment #simpleplayforlittles #recycleandplay #simplesensory_playtime #cardboardboxcreative #cardboardcrafts #cardboardtoys #cardboardboxfun #babyplayideas #babyplaytime #pompoms

I have been thinking a lot about why I like to shop.

Shopping releases dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. It enables us not only to see rewards but to take action to move toward them.

Shopping = Happiness

Here is a snippet of an article I read;

We think of shopping in terms of what we buy. But the reason we spend money goes beyond just acquiring things. Shopping, like almost everything we do, is the pursuit of pleasure. It is part of our daily search for happiness.

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman thinks there is a problem with the word happiness. He believes that the word really has two meanings relative to our well-being, each describing a different source of happiness

One is momentary pleasure—for example, the happiness someone might experience every time they wear a designer outfit or drive a new car. The other is life satisfaction. If someone has had the goal for a long time to always be on the cutting edge of technology, owning a new phone or car will bring satisfaction-driven happiness.

Researchers at two U.S. universities conducted studies about the happiness associated with consumer products.1 That research framed happiness in terms of "wanting what you have" versus "having what you want." The findings support Kahneman’s belief in these two dimensions:

Pleasure from “wanting what you have” implies that it is derived from use, creating happiness in the moment. Happiness results from experiencing what they bought. People who want what they have more than others do tend to be happier.

“Having what you want” implies that a goal preceded the acquisition. Happiness results from the satisfaction derived from accomplishing the goal. People who have more of what they want than others do also tend to be happier.

Thus, happiness does not come specifically from the objects we buy. It is an emotion associated with our motivations for making those purchases.

Full article; https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/inside-the-consumer-mind/201406/why-we-really-shop%3famp

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

🎄Our minimalist Christmas🎄

This year we headed to the sun, gift wise we only done stockings and used the money to do experiences whilst out here and eat good food. We went on a catamaran to spot dolphins and do watersports and Christmas Day we spent it doing a safari tour of the Island.

To me isn't just about not spending money it is about spending money on valued items. I would personally prefer to spend the same amount on money and take the children away than to buy a huge pile of toys which may not be used. The time spent together creating memories, bonding and helping the children experience different countries and cultures is important to me and I can tell you they have loved every minute of it.

Our group - no spend January- is reopen where I share tips on how to Budget and help be as thrifty as possible throughout January. Link to join https://m.facebook.com/groups/437361703965165/

#2023

I love this guide to surviving sensory overload, my eldest is autistic and I have been referred for ADHD diagnosis.

This time of year can be SOOO much to deal with, change in routines, more transitions, the excitement and the stresses.

Monday Motivation ❤️

Playing isn't just one activity. Much like adults, children have their own likes and preference for creative outlets.

Can you spot your child (rens) favourite?

Have you ever met up with an old friend and heard this?

We aren't meant to stay the same forever, this is called 'the maturity principal' some people will change a lot over time, whilst others won't.

Having children, life events, relationships, self development, jobs and friendship groups all impact *who* we are and how we identify ourselves in the world.

What is one thing you have noticed has changed in you as you have grew older?

Mine main one is being able to set boundaries and keep them, I used to so easily cave or people please to keep friends.

Winter invitation to play.....We like to keep it simple.

❄️A story
❄️Flashcards related to the story
❄️Animal characters so the children can recreate the story
❄️Sensory scarf
❄️Play snow

🎄A Simpler Christmas🎄

This year more than ever we are craving a simpler Christmas. The endless lists of things to buy, make and do! The pressure to make the perfect Christmas. Instagram filled with pictures of themed trees, beautifully wrapped gifts, glowingly happy children and the perfect elaborate meal. Sometimes it can all get a bit much!

I read a document this week from the Scottish Government: SPI-B: Insights on celebrations and observances during COVID-19, 29 October 2020. In it they state;

“Women carry the burden of creating and maintaining family traditions and activities at Christmas. “Messaging should be supportive of women adapting traditions and encouraging those around them to share the burden and to be supportive of any alterations to adapt for Covid-19 restrictions”3.”

So many questions filled my head. How should I feel about this comment? Is it true? Is it a burden? Could it be that we actively take on this role to the exclusion of others? Or is it just that it is easier to do it ourselves? I wonder if we as women have a stronger desire for perfection? For the perfect Christmas.