Thinly Spread - Parenting From Tots To Teens

Posted by Chris on Mar 6, 2014

Winnie the Pooh Activities for #LoveLiteracy & World Book Day

It can hardly have escaped your notice, particularly if you are a parent to a school aged child, that today is World Book Day. In the UK this has come to mean small children all over the country dressing up as a book character which is either Absolutely Wonderful or just Incredibly Stressful for frazzled parents and reluctant children alike. This year Bonus Boy’s school have combined it with their...

Posted by Chris on Mar 3, 2014

Simple Things – Ripples, Spring Flowers and Comic Books

I started recording our Simple Things as the year started, this week our Stuff Which Costs Nothing But Is Actually Priceless has included the first signs of Spring, making the most of the rain and a small boy drawing. The rain has seemed endless and we are beginning to tire of puddle jumping, raindrop racing and being wet on the walk to school but I do enjoy a bit of ripple watching. There is something so...

Posted by Chris on Feb 25, 2014

#FirstDay – Why The World Needs Midwives

Today sees the launch of the most important campaign that I have ever been involved with, the launch of Save the Children’s #FirstDay campaign to end newborn deaths. I am a bit overwhelmed by it, truth be told. So overwhelmed that I am going to repeat myself a bit, I’m going to say some of the things I said in my last post all over again – because they need saying – because the...

Posted by Chris on Feb 23, 2014

#FirstDay – End Newborn Deaths Twitter Chat

Tuesday 25th February sees the launch of Save the Children’s campaign to end newborn deaths. It is the next step along the No Child Born to Die road which so many bloggers, including me, set out upon with the charity back in 2010 – the long-term campaign has seen bloggers fighting for vaccinations and health workers, writing about nutrition and breastfeeding and has seen blogging produce...

Posted by Chris on Feb 20, 2014

Simple Things – Rainbows, Sailing and Sunshine

The February half term has brought a promise of Spring with snippets of sunshine and carpets of snowdrops. My Simple Things have been sunshine on my face a glorious rainbow of hope and our first whole family sail of 2014. We climbed Glastonbury Tor so I could show my children the huge swathe of our county which is underwater. As we reached the top the rain came down again but then something magical...

Posted by Chris on Feb 14, 2014

Last Minute Valentine’s – Quick and Easy!

Mr TS and I don’t really ‘do’ Valentine’s – I know he’s mine and he knows I’m his and that’s all that matters. I do, however, like a quick and easy last minute Valentine’s craft/bake/card, here are some of my favourites from my own back catalogue followed by a few by people I like! Click on the images to be whizzed off to the full post for each idea....

Posted by Chris on Feb 4, 2014

Simple Things – Oh I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside!

I started recording our Simple Things as the year started, this week our Stuff Which Costs Nothing But Is Actually Priceless has included wind leaning, beach jumping and mysterious finds. On Sunday four of us headed eagerly for the coast as the sun broke through the clouds at last! The other two were already otherwise engaged with studies, rehearsals and friends so we tootled on down with just our Bonus...

Posted by Chris on Jan 24, 2014

Born to Read at the House of Lords

Sometimes I have to pinch myself to check that this really is me, in this place, doing this thing. On Tuesday I went to work here: I had arranged for a group of bloggers who had supported Save the Children’s Born to Read launch back in October to join me, Save the Children, Beanstalk, children’s authors and illustrators, volunteers, local children, MPs and Peers of the Realm at the House of...