Category: Activities

Everything we get up to – activities, learning and play

Oxford walks – Holywell and Botanic Gardens

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Oxford walks - Bubbablue and me

It’s not often I get the chance (and excuse) to go out with my camera and just roam without having an agenda.  But when my car is in for service, it’s a perfect excuse as N never wants to come with me. Unfortunately I hadn’t realised that my day in Oxford coincided with the global instawalk, otherwise I’d have tagged along with the Oxford instawalk gang. Being lazy I decided against taking my mirrorless camera.  A slight mistake as it… Continue Reading “Oxford walks – Holywell and Botanic Gardens”

Holiday photos with Samsung Galaxy S8 from Three

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Taking holiday photos with Samsung Galaxy S8 phone = Bubbablue and me

I love having a new phone (don’t we all), but I’m on a sim only contract so buy my phones outright and make them last 3 years.  So I’m some way off being able to change to the Samsung Galaxy S8 that I was loaned by Three.  I’m an Android girl through and through (can’t cope with no back button) and I’ve had 3 Samsung phones, so I know what I like…and the S8 I definitely like. The S8 camera… Continue Reading “Holiday photos with Samsung Galaxy S8 from Three”

Welsh beaches – Three Cliffs Bay and Caswell Bay

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Beach days in Gower Wales - Bubbablue and me

When you go on summer holiday with children, the main aim is usually to spend time on the beach.  For 3 years running we’ve always gone camping with friends in the same week, and so far have had pretty good weather throughout. This year though, only going for 4 nights instead of the usual 6, and we weren’t as lucky.  We had 2 beautiful days of sunshine – arrival day and the second day, and did manage to make the… Continue Reading “Welsh beaches – Three Cliffs Bay and Caswell Bay”

MOKURU fidget toy review – addictive desk toy

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Mokuru samples

I’m not really a fidgeter but I do get easily distracted.  And I get bored a lot at work if I’m doing the same thing over and over again.  So being sent the MOKURU fidget toy, a desk based fidget product, was going to help give me some time out at work (and home). Expected to be the next big thing to take over from fidget spinners, and brought over from Japan, the MOKURU is a really simple desk toy. … Continue Reading “MOKURU fidget toy review – addictive desk toy”

Reading levels and book bands in Key Stage 1

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how to understand reading levels and book bands in primary school - Bubbablue and me

When children start school the one thing that is the most confusing (other than where do all those lost jumpers and water bottles go?) is reading. Not the learning to read because phonics system makes sense.  But reading schemes, book bands and reading levels. Back in the 70s and 80s when I was learning to read it was easy to understand. Everyone seemed to do Roger Red Hat, Billy Blue Hat etc, and then whizzed on to whatever books were… Continue Reading “Reading levels and book bands in Key Stage 1”

Why you should edit blog photos and tips on how

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How and why you should edit blog photos - Bubbablue and me

With the rapid increase in Instagram users, and bloggers wanting to make their blogs really reflect their content and life visually, photography seems to have enjoyed a resurgence in interest.  Many of my non-blogger friends have ‘big’ cameras (DSLRs that they mostly only use on auto), and the talk amongst bloggers is often about what cameras they should have for photography and/or vlogging.  But there’s so many bloggers who use photos on their blogs but don’t show them off properly. … Continue Reading “Why you should edit blog photos and tips on how”

My Sunday Photo – Strictly show

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My Sunday Photo - beauty and the beast Strictly Banbury costumes and dancers

This weekend has been the local Strictly show, with local ‘heroes’ and ‘pros’ from the local ballroom dance school.  This year 2 of my friends were taking part – they both danced nicely, but for the matinee I was at they didn’t make the final stage. There were some lovely dancers – some I couldn’t tell who was the pro, others were definitely not dancers!  I’d love to take part in something like this, maybe if I lose my weight,… Continue Reading “My Sunday Photo – Strictly show”

Learning basic maths in Key Stage 1 – maths printables

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Key stage 1 maths and printables - Bubbablue and me

N does enjoy school, although he would prefer to be at ‘farming school’ with his dad. Reading and writing are the areas he has to work at more although he is coming round to it. He’s a much more practical learner, so maths is much more his thing with the more experimental and practical learning they do. I’m really pleased he’s found something at school that he finds quite easy, so hopefully once things get harder in year 2 he’ll… Continue Reading “Learning basic maths in Key Stage 1 – maths printables”

Lost without my broken camera and how to fix them

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Where to fix your camera - Bubbablue and me

Over the past few months I realised that my lovely mirrorless camera (*affiliate) had broken.  I’ve just got it back from being repaired, and realised how much I really loved that camera, and how much I feel like I’d lost a limb when I was without it. I realised my camera had broken and was gutted.  It’s not that old – well, 2.5ish years old.  It still worked, but the shutter dial would only work one way.  It would turn both… Continue Reading “Lost without my broken camera and how to fix them”

Living Arrows 2017 week 18 – sleeping bag snuggles

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Living Arrows 2017 week 18 snuggling up

This week’s Living Arrows shot was going to be a totally different photo.  And then I found this (and a series of other similar shots) that I’d taken of N when I got my camera back and was testing it out again). When N gets tired, he brings his sleeping bag and pillows downstairs to snuggle up in and watch tv (currently Horrible Histories is his obsession).  He kept hiding from me but eventually agreed to have his photo taken.… Continue Reading “Living Arrows 2017 week 18 – sleeping bag snuggles”