Thoughts Opinions & Memories | But I Smile Anyway...

Summer Plans!

24 Jul 2016 37 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Family, Sonu Singh, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Sonu Singh

I was looking back on a post from last year, and it seems I am somewhat in the same psotion.

Last year, we had every intention of sorting the kids bedrooms out, and I wanted to try and get fit, lose a little weight… but it didn’t happen.

I ended up lethargic, and unable to do anything. The fear or many things was whirling in my brain, and on the last day of the holidays I got the courage up to to to the doctors.

I was diagnosed with an extremely low Vitamin D level, so put on really high dosage supplements! It seems to be the trend nowadays, everyone has a Vit D issue!

But I was good, and things started out ok… until I forgot to take them, and the tiredness crept back in. It took me a while for my sunshine deprived brain to realise that I had been forgetting something important every morning! But I did remember, and I am back on them. I hope this holiday, we can accomplish what we wanted to last summer!

I’m prepared!

And I kick-started my trying to get healthy past by going for a walk in the Gurdwara playing field, which is a stone’s throw away from the house, yesterday evening, with the kids. It was so peaceful!

Serenity in the sports field!

And this morning, I managed a lie in, which was wonderful, with no night time visitors, except for the furry kind, and his was the face I woke up to this morning too!

I am currently packing for a few days at my parents, with the kids, and then the big makeover of the rooms will start! And I feel pumped! We will achieve this this year!

The Holidays Are Here!

24 Jul 2016 53 Comments

by Ritu in Children, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Bookmark, Gifts, Last Day of School, poem, Teacher Appreciation

I have spent my first vacation day in a truly lazy manner! Dozing on the couch, and eating takeaway!

But I had a wonderful last day of term! There was so much love, so many hugs from my little babies!

There were tears too, from Lil Man, and his classmates, as they were saying goodbye after being together for the last 7 years. So he enters a new phase in his life, and sheds that Primary School Boy tag, to now don the Secondary School Boy one!

I was inundated with gifts and cards again from my students, which was totally unnecessary, but so appreciated. Every year it humbles me how much these parents and kids think of us!

Handmade gifts, and cake! Pens, lots of pens, and chocolates! Flowers, and my first award! Check it out!

How sweet!

Then we were given a card which was written so sweetly, I just had to share…

This was to our whole team!

I’m not a meany. I wanted to do something that would show my appreciation but not just by giving a bunch of sweets, so I did what I enjoy a lot, and wrote a poem! This I then made into bookmarks, and explained to my munchkins that as they grow, they will read, and they should use this bookmark… so they don’t forget where their learning, and hopefully, love of books was cultivated!

From School to Nursery

When you started
You were so small
Now in a year
You’ve grown so tall
Without your mums
You’ve learnt to stay
With all your friends
You’ve learnt to play
Being your teacher
Has been such fun
We can’t believe
Our time is done
And come September
You’ll start big school
We hope you’ll find
That learning’s cool!

Ritu 2016

Hope you all enjoy your weekends and holidays if you are on them too!

Creating An Image Widget With a Link to a Specific Page!

23 Jul 2016 68 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Advice, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Haiku Hub, Image, Widget

Now, I have never professed to be a particularly internet savvy person, but I do try to learn how to do things so it’s easier for myself! And when I manage to figure things out, it stands to reason that I should share these little gems of information!

The other day the lovely TJ invited me to become a part of his new Haiku Hub, and I asked whether it would be ok to use the image as a widget on my side-bar, and maybe even link it to his page. He was more than happy for me to do this, but asked that I share the method, so here I am, trying to do this!

So if you want an image widget on your side-bar, you need to click on WP admin and scroll down to Appearance, then Widgets. Once you open this page there is a list of available widgets on the right, and the left should show you what you already have on your side-bar and in your footers.

Select the Image widget, and drag it to wherever you would like it to sit on the column on the right. (Bear in mind things sometimes look different once in place, so be prepared to revisit this part, to drag the widget to the optimum place!)

You will see this screen when you expand the Image widget.

Just fill in the fields as you wish. So, give it a title, and then you need to find the Image URL. What’s that you say??

Well, if you download the image you want in your media library, then open it, you see this screen.

Use the File URL in the Image URL box on the Widget set up screen.

Then add the caption you wish.

The Link URL requires you to pop the link in where you want your reader to land when they click the image.

Once you have done that, click save, then view your web page, and try it out!

Voila! A clickable image with an embedded link! Check me out!

#SoCS July 23/16 – Second

23 Jul 2016 9 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: #TJ's Household Haiku Challenge, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Second, Socs

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “second.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

Hmm…Second… Just a second, let me think… what can I write?

Now that’s a phrase I seem to use an awful lot “Just a second” or “One sec“!

But really, is that how long I am really expecting someone to wait…? I know, you know, they know, nothing ever takes a second, but I still say it. And now my kids are getting to that cocky age, where they will throw it back at me, and moan when I don;t really take a second! Cheeky monkeys!

On the topic of Second, Lil Princess had her Punjabi School sports day today, and her team came second! ( She didn’t pass the end of year exam, but to be honest I wasn’t expecting her to. She hated it, and I am so proud that she stuck it out for a whole year! This mummy won’t be forcing her to go back in September!)

Oh, and this is my second post so far this evening!

Have a great day/night!