http://www.helpful-ideas.com Blue skies of Spain, mountains of Marbella and blossom on the bourgainvillea Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:20:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I've just told my daughter that all being well we will head off to Tarifa next week camping for a few days. Her face lit up, "Yey, Primark." And there was me thinking she was happy to spend a few days in a mossie infested tent with her mum and dad. For those ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/shopping/happy-campers/ My son has just come into the bedroom to ask me if he can stay up until 11pm on Thursday for a party. Really pleased that he was getting a social life, maybe meeting a friend after years of just being interested in his own company so I said "YES!". Turns ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/family/teenage-party/ My better half has been away in the UK for five days, which is a long time for us to be apart. The first couple of days I found myself lovingly sniffing his clothes in his wardrobe and had to remind myself that he wasn't dead. I then had to ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/uncategorized/the-wanderer-returns/ Have been my swimming shorts from El Campo supermarket at 3.99 euros. No need to bikini wax ( sorry if that is too much information....) no need to worry about cellulite ( though at my age that is the least of my worries....dying is more of a concern ) and much ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/shopping/my-favourite-buys-this-summer/ [caption id="attachment_3797" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Children's dress down to 3 euros, H&M"][/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3803" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Gin Gin in her new summery dress"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3798" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Promod bracelet down to 3 euros"][/caption] The rebajas or sales have been on in La Canada shopping mal now for a while and I popped there recently ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/savings/rebajas-la-canada/ [caption id="attachment_3786" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="At long last I see red...."][/caption] It is just too hot for gardening. I have now run out of enthusiasm for even watering pots and my  tomatoes which I've looked after for months. I think they have had more attention than the children. However the twice even ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/spain/too-hot-for-gardening/ [caption id="attachment_3782" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The Hard Rock Cafe in Puerto Banus"][/caption] Our second visit to the Hard Rock Cafe in Puerto Banus, eight months apart and some things haven't changed. The front of house at the Hard Rock Cafe in Puerto Banus are the same as the restaurant name - hard. Hard ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/puerto-banus/hard-rock-cafe-in-puerto-banus-review/ In the campo you have the roosters to wake you up at first light. Here on the coast you have the dogs...... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/living/no-alarm-clocks-needed/ 9.30am as I headed to the re-cycling skips, bleary eyed as I'm going to bed too late I had the fright of my life. I'll show you.....I thought it was a real person. It scared the neighbour too.....then I took a close up photo which begs the questions "who buys this ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/family/bogus-bodies/ It is there, you may just have to dig deep. I think most mums find it difficult to make time to have fun. We are so busy giving to the family, giving to the workplace, that our idea of fun becomes an early night or a glass of wine. "Me time" ... http://www.helpful-ideas.com/index.php/family/release-the-child-inside-you/