I like to have my say
So, we’re all now working from home. Monica at the Travel Hack put up a great post last week with some tips on how to do it for those of you who may be new to working from home with kids. For those who have school-age children who can entertain themselves safely for a little … More Little things
We’re deep in the belly of the beast. Yet, for some, it’s only just beginning. I have been immersed in Covid-19 for nearly two weeks. We started staying in on the 12th, when I really began to get a grasp on what was going on in the rest of the world. I had been watching … More A little bit of kindness
To get to my laptop just now I had to step around toys, over books, and through drifts of scrap paper and crayons. There are hoodies and hairbands on the sofas. There are plates of half-eaten scrambled eggs and raisins and cucumber slices everywhere. Naptime is precious. That hour to an hour and a half … More Messy living
Quietly, over the past half a year, I have been working on something. It has recently changed from an idle daydream to a very real possibility. I graduated at the height of the recession after the crash of ’08 with a degree in literature. It was almost worthless, especially as I could not afford to … More Tentative steps
A few weeks ago I was invited to speak on BBC local radio (and BBC Scotland) about bringing children to pubs. The experience was nerve-wracking, but what was particularly funny to me was that I was being put in a position I didn’t agree with. I don’t care if most pubs don’t let babies in, … More Swearing around children
It’s easy to feel guilty. Ask any mum. In fact, just ask any woman. There’s always something we think we should be doing better. I know that if I exercise, go outside, eat vegetables, drink water and read a book, I’ll feel much more energised and healthy, and that my quality of sleep will improve. … More Being gentle to yourself
Today is Blue Monday. Hashtag, etc. Not just a Monday, which Twitter and Garfield tell us is bad anyway, but a Blue one. Which is the most depressing colour, as everyone knows. Blue Monday is meant to be the day in the year when people are their saddest. Christmas and New Year’s Eve are distant … More Do it badly
Veganuary is in full swing and people have opinions. I’ve read more than one Facebook rant about how vegans are actually destroying the planet with their almond milk and lust for avocados, and have been tempted more than once to have a club sandwich after being exposed to a pious diatribe on the evils of … More Individual basis
For many years, my favourite place on the internet was the Guardian Experience column. Each week I looked forward to reading about whichever unlikely scenario had taken place. The column’s subjects were mostly affably bonkers, on just this side of comfortable. It stands to reason that the well of weird would eventually run dry. Recent … More Other people’s problems
Christmas is coming, and I’m one of the enthusiastic ones. I love the holidays: the cosy nights, too much food and wine, spending time with loved ones. Cheesy films, mince pies, Bailey’s. I’ve had my tacky jumpers out for a fortnight already. The history of Christmas goes back millennia, to pagan celebrations of mid-winter. Drinking, … More Fewer gifts, more heart
Jemma Beedie 