Interview with Mrs Lighty of All Things Spliced
#ParentingTheSummer series is all about celebrating amazing local Essex Mama’s and helping all mama’s boss the summer holidays. I’m delighted to launch the first interview in the series with the amazing Mrs Lighty from All Things Spliced
To start with it would be great to know a little bit about yourself and your family
Hi! My name is Nicola, but I’m probably better known as Mrs Lighty. I’m married (as the Mrs would suggest!) and Mr Lighty and I have a little boy, Baby Lighty…although he’s not so much a baby nowadays, as he’s just turned three years old. I work part time as the office manager of a local graphic design firm, and I also freelance as a copywriter, but am lucky enough to have quite a few days at home with Baby Lighty in between times. I also write a parenting and lifestyle blog at All Things Spliced.
What do you find challenging about the summer holidays?
For me, I think the challenges are possibly different to those mums who have older children. Baby Lighty isn’t even at school yet, or even preschool, but I still find the school holidays quite a challenge.
The problem I find is that all of the baby groups and preschooler activities that we usually go to stop for the summer. We have quite a nice little routine at the moment, with various activities and groups that we go to regularly, and without those, I struggle to fill the time in a way that we’d both enjoy.
Tell us how you spend a typical summer weekend or day with your family
At the weekends, when Mr Lighty isn’t rota’d to work, we normally try to get Baby Lighty out and about somewhere. We both find parenting much more challenging when we’re stuck indoors! At the very least, we try to get out in our garden to enjoy the sunshine (hopefully! If the British summertime allows!), or go for a walk at one of the many lovely parks in or around Essex.
What tips would you give other mums on making the summer less stressful?
My biggest tip — or at least, what works for us — is to have an activity or outing lined up for each day that you’re off with your child during the summer holidays. This could be a playdate, a trip out somewhere, or even a simple homemade activity. This year, I feel like many of the organised activities that I’ve seen advertised in previous years have opened up to us now that he’s turned three, so I’m looking to book up various activities to take him to during the six week break!
In terms of homemade activity, we like to do things like baking, a craft activity, or get out a toy or similar that we wouldn’t normally play with (in the Lighty household, the latter is always playdough — it only comes out in emergencies!).
We often do activities such as water play (Baby Lighty loves role play, so washing up his toy plates and cups or bathing his baby doll is always a winner!), and an activity we recently tried was something I saw on Pinterest which I’ve called ‘Dino dig’; I froze some tiny dinosaurs in a Tupperware box and then let Baby Lighty loose with his toy tools to break them free! I’m also looking to try to make something called ‘ice cream dough’ that I saw on Instagram recently. I think Baby Lighty will love both the sensory aspect of that, and the role play of ice cream seller!
To finish, what three words sum up the summer holidays to you
Trials, tribulations but also…togetherness!
Thank you Nicola for this amazing advice, you can find and follow Nicola via her Blog, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
I hope you loved reading this interview, stay tuned for more amazing Essex Mama’s sharing their views on how to make summer awesome. Join us on this this journey for more interviews, tips and tricks to put a smile on everyones face by watching #ParentingTheSummer on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook ☀️👧👶🌈🍦✌⚡️😘❤️
