The loneliness of motherhood vs the unity of parenthood

I've been struggling to get words onto screen recently. They've been in my head somewhere, but refusing to present themselves in any kind of orderly fashion. A bit like teenagers.

If only I could bribe them with snacks.

Luckily tonight, they're ready and waiting. Queued up like the sheep in Babe, all they need is to hear that whistle and they'll trot out obediently.

Maybe the delay is just down to how busy I've been recently, with starting a new job, trying to decorate our house (we've only managed one room in five months), visiting and applying for primary school, replacing the boiler, keeping a couple of kids alive

Top Easy Seeds For Your Children To Grow

Ever find yourself staring at your fridge drawer wondering how on earth you've run out of cucumber again? And then fishing out the leftover corpse of a lettuce you bought only last week? It's easy to be intimidated about growing your own fruit and vegetables but not only is it a lot simpler than you think, it saves you money, reduces waste and you can even get the children involved - what better way to show them where their food comes from than to grow it yourself?

I'm no Monty Don but growing something as simple as salad leaves can feel so rewarding, and you'll certainly notice how much better it tastes when you only picked it half an hour ago.

Here's my pick of some easy seeds to grow in your garden, on your patio, in a pot or even on your window sill!

Top Tips For Baking With Your Children

Baking with your children always feels like such a good idea to begin with, doesn't it? There's something wonderfully wholesome about donning an apron and showing them how to make food. And if that something happens to be sugary and buttery, then we've already fast-forwarded in our minds to the post-bake sample session that with any luck will involve a hot cup of tea and two minutes peace. To me, that's the point of no return.

The actual process of baking with children though? That's a minefield fit to test the courage of even the bravest soldier. Luckily for you, I've a few brilliant tips from my blogging buddies to hopefully make the experience more #instabaker than a scene resembling the aftermath of a natural disaster, with the attitude to match.

Best Reasons To Live In A Village

How To Teach Your Children About The Countryside Code

Great Ways To Bring Your Garden Into Your Home

Best Countryside Walks For The Family In Hertfordshire

Why I Want My Sons to Know My Welsh Heritage

If you are born in Wales, grew up there, learned the language at school, went to a 'jambori', ate ponchmeip, watched S4C and got soaked to the skin on school trips to Welsh outdoor activity centres but don't have a Welsh accent, does that mean you can't call yourself Welsh? I don't think so. 

Living in the south of England for over a decade means I've lost much of my North West twang, but I am still Welsh, born and bred, and will always consider myself as such. It is easy to make false assumptions about my origins though because, well, I just don't sound Welsh. Sometimes it feels like that part of my identity is fading from view but it's so important to me that my boys know their mother's heritage.