This day I love.......

I was provided with complimentary tickets to see the performance in exchange for a review.

Last weekend the girls and I headed over to Elsecar Heritage centre as we had been invited to watch a performance of Edgar- A Hidden Life. With the show most suitable to the over 10s Little Man had gone to play at his Grandma's house and so it was just me and my girls. We arrived in plenty of time so made the most of Elsecar park whilst we waited.

Edgar - A hidden Life is written by Daniel Foulds and is based on the true story of Edgar Bower. Edgars story is one of secrets and shame, poverty and prejudice but also highlights the power of love. Edgar spends more than half a century hidden away in silence until social worker Lily Fletcher sets about to unlock the secrets of his past.

The play is part of the Hidden history project which brings to life true stories of historical characters from Yorkshire. The performance is all outdoors and set in three heritage venues in Bradford, Elsecar and Halifax throughout July. As the event is outdoors it is important to dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes as you do walk around as the story unfolds.

Edgar's story was quite complex and required a basic understanding of history. The girls didn't know what an asylum was for example or about the treatment of people with mental health problems in the past. Having a little bit of an understanding helped you to emphasize more with Edgar and gave the story a bit more context. I was certainly glad I had left Little Man at home because the girls at 9 and 10 struggled to understand at some points.

Personally I found the story very gripping, you wanted to know what would happen to Edgar. You also want to know if the story unfolding is what actually happened. Having the performance outdoors and within the grounds of the heritage centre added something special to the performance and made it seem and feel much more real.

There was absolutely no pressure to participate in the final part of the show, in fact my eldest daughter didn't want to and said no. My youngest however jumped at the chance to join in.

The girls enjoyed the show and it was great to do something a little different. Everything felt COVID safe as we were asked to wear masks and the whole performance was outside. I did have to explain some parts to the girls, as mentioned previously, but they said they enjoyed themselves. I thought it was a great performance and I immediately came home and googled Edgar Bower!

Thank you for inviting us!

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This post is a sponsored post and has been paid for.

Pre children, and what feels like a lifetime ago I bought my first house. I had just finished university and had managed to save up a deposit. Back then 0% deposit mortgages were a thing, and the housing market was booming. I bought a two bed end terrace house. I spent hours redesigning the interior, the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. I drew plans and picked paint colours.

After picking up the keys the first thing I did was start knocking down walls, taking down paper and generally gutting the whole house. The hard work paid off and I had a house I loved. After getting married I moved into my husband's house, a 4 bed detached. It made sense as there was more space, but the house never felt like home. The housing market crashed and so my little two bed terrace was in negative equity. I couldn’t sell it if I wanted to, so I decided to rent it out.

After seeking permission from the mortgage company I rented out my house to a young couple. They seemed nice, they looked after the property and paid their rent on time all was going well, until they decided to move out as they wanted a bigger property to start a family in.

I have had many tenants since then. Some were great and paid their rent on time; others have been nightmares. One tenant moved out and left bottles of urine under the bed. That was not a pleasant clean up job. My current tenant is an absolute dream tenant and I could not ask for a nicer person to be in the house.

Renting out a property has its highs and its lows. I have had some really amazing tenants, and have had some horrendous ones too. I have had dealings with the police where tenants have done illegal things and run-ins with bailiffs where tenants have owed lots of money. Over the years of renting out houses I have picked up a few tips:

Put a little away each month, just in case. The rent I charge is set by the mortgage company and so any extra I put to one side to cover random emergencies. This helps to keep a little pot together ready for the unexpected
Make sure you have buildings insurance, some mortgage companies require this as a condition but I personally would not be without it. Insurance gives you that extra piece of mind. It is always worthwhile taking the time to compare landlord insurance so you can not only see the level of cover but also the cost too.
Connect with local tradespeople. I have a good list of reliable, and hard working professionals who do a great job. I know where to turn for most emergencies that would crop up.
Don’t be afraid to say no, trust your gut instinct.

Even looking back on all the hard work, the tears that have been shed and the stress from unpaid rent I don’t think I would have done things differently. Renting out a property has taught me a lot about myself and along the way I have met some amazing people.

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This is a paid for featured post in collaboration with Wicked Uncle. All words are my own.

Fathers day is almost here, the year seems to be racing ahead now and before we know it it will be Christmas. Dare I even mention that word six months into the year. For now let’s focus on the next event in the calendar, Father’s Day. Where in this house in particular we spend far too long hunting down the perfect present for perhaps the biggest kid of them all. The kid's Dad is a huge gamer so anything game related usually works but what about the more adventurous or for the sporty can it be possible to find a perfect Father’s day gift hidden amongst what appears to be the ordinary? There was only one way to find out, except the items I found on Wicked Uncle seem to be extraordinary. You can check out the full range over on Wicked Uncle, but here are a few of my favourites.

Spy X - Night Mission Goggles

Now, I am not going to lie here but I would absolutely love these. I am not joking either. I mean how cool would it be to have some night mission goggles. I remember as a kid playing spies and wanting my very own pair of night goggles. These ones look really cool. They have magnifying lenses and blue light to make night time adventures even more fun. To be honest I would probably just use it for sneaking around the house so the kids don’t wake up if I put on the light but I can see they would bring a lot of fun and be an amazing present

Atomic Power Popper - Soft Foam Balls

My kids would absolutely love this. I think they would particularly like the satisfying pop noise when a ball is fired. I also think they would like that it can be reloaded easily meaning they can take full advantage for the rapid refire. They would certainly have a lot of fun with it and a perfect present for a big kid

Kelvin - 23 Tool functions in One

Every adventurer big or small needs a multi tool. One that has 23 tool functions is simply fantastic. The Kelvin features a 16-piece snap-action screwdriver, spirit level, 6ft/1.8m tape measure and there is even a LED torch. It is lightweight and compact, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. This really is all the tools you could require on your adventures.

Twistii - The Torch With A Twist

I had to include the Twistii. This clever little thing fits on your wrist, it comes in a variety of different colours and is a rotating wrist torch. Twistii is rechargeable using USB which is provided and will then last for 180 minutes before needing to be charged again. Twistii can be rotated 360 meaning you can direct light wherever you need it, and be hands free. I think this is perfect for any explorer.

There are so many other amazing items over on Wicked Uncle perfect for the big kids in the family too. I think I might be purchasing a Twistii as they look perfect for night runs, which are really just one big adventure in the dark!

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