Two Months of blogging, two months of family adventures!
I thought it would be fun to write a little bit of a recap about my first 2 months blogging! I started this blog two months ago, to try and encourage me to get out more, walking and biking with the my family (2 boys, 10 and 8, and my husband). I hoped my own blog space would hold me accountable somehow. Life had started to stagnate and I felt we were doing nothing to make memories with our boys. Hampered by a lack of time due to work, a lack of money (thanks cost of living crisis) and a lack of sunshine, we found ourselves doing very little, inside or out! That all changed just a couple of months ago, when I started this blog and we began to look at things differently, instead of making excuses.
Our workload didn’t change, and my husband still works Saturdays for the most part, but we vowed to no longer say ‘I’m tired’ or ‘But it’s raining’, and to make sure at least one of those days had a plan against it. Our income didn’t change either (sadly haha!), I’ve just found lots of free or super cheap things we can do together (walks, bike rides and more!). And the weather certainly didn’t change either, (good old Blighty!) but we have waterproofs and good walking boots, so why are we waiting for good weather?
In these first 2 months I’ve been astounded at how much we’ve actually done! I thought we’d probably manage a couple of activities per month, and maybe by now I’d have written 6 posts, but the family have really embraced this change, and we’ve done more than I could have ever imagined we’d do! My husbands jumped on board with this in a way I hadn’t expected too, finding apps and walk ideas with such enthusiasm. I get so excited when I see him browsing maps on his laptop, wondering what ideas he’s got for this coming weekend. Already I have a summer of wonderful memories – but more importantly, hopefully our boys have too!
July and August in Numbers
I am secretly a bit of a numbers gal, so here are the last two months in numbers! I wonder what September will hold!
Walks completed: 23 (July 6 | August 17)
Miles walked: 88.8 (July 18.2 | August 70.6)
Geocaches found: 9
Bike rides completed: 1 (this will hopefully increase when we can afford a bike rack to cycle somewhere safe!)
Miles cycled: 3.2
Posts written: 35
Conclusion
Ultimately, this blog was created for myself and my family, but I hope it can also be a great source of ideas for other families looking to do more with their children on a shoestring budget. In this short space of time I’ve also ‘met’ some other wonderful bloggers and taken inspiration from them, finding fun walks I hadn’t heard of and getting them added to my long list of walks I’d love my family to do! If you have a similar blog please reach out so we can support each other, and please do subscribe if you’d like to be kept up to date with all our latest family friendly walks, bike ride reports and anything else family- outdoors related! Thanks everyone for reading and your support!
A summary of posts since I started blogging
Treks, Trails and Travel: what it’s all about.
Geocaching at Ford Hall Farm, Shropshire
13 Free Outdoor Adventures you can do with the Kids in Shropshire this Summer
Our first family road trip: 2-days on the road with toddlers!
Balancing the scales: when did I get so boring?
Family Walk: Hawkstone Follies, Shropshire. An Unforgettable Family Walking Experience!
Orkney Family Road Trip – Part 1: Whaligoe Steps, Struie Viewpoint and John o’Groats
Going back to basics: favourite family games for on the road!
Orkney Family Road Trip – Part 2: Arriving at Orkney, The Italian Chapel and Scapa Beach
Family Walk: Ford Hall Farm, Shropshire.
Embracing the Adventure: Exploring Great Britain with My Family on a Budget
Family Walk: Tern Valley Walks (East), Shropshire
Orkney Family Road Trip – Part 4: John o’Groats, Wick and Muir of Ord.
9 Fun (and Free!) Road Trip Activities to Keep Kids Entertained – Without Resorting to Electronics!
Orkney Family Road Trip – Part 5: Homeward Bound, via Loch Ness.
Family Walk: Tern Valley Walks (West), Shropshire
The Best FREE Walking Websites for Routes around Great Britain
Free or Cheap Outdoor Activity Ideas for Children: Magnet Fishing
Family Walk: Bishop’s Wood, Staffordshire.
Family Walk: Swynnerton Old Park, Staffordshire.
I Stopped Making Excuses and Started Making Memories.
Family Walk: The Wrekin, Shropshire.
Family Walk: Allanton ‘Blackadder Circular’, Berwickshire.
Hiking with Children: How to Keep Them Safe and What to Bring on Walks
Family Walk: St. Abbs Head Lighthouse, Berwickshire.
Family Walk: Sutton upon Tern/Colehurst Circular, Shropshire
Free or Cheap Outdoor Activity Ideas for Children: Geocaching
Family Walk: Reston Riverside Circular, Berwickshire
Family Walk: Return to The Wrekin, Shropshire
Hiking with Children: What to put in your First Aid Kit for those outdoor adventures.
Family Walk: Cheswardine, Shropshire (Walk 1)
Free or Cheap Outdoor Activity Ideas for Children: Blackberry Picking
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Enjoyable read EJ, keep blogging and keep walking! Your boys are at those family memory making age, so you’ve started at the right time! enjoy them 😀
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Thank you so much Jim! Ahh I do hope so 🥰
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I’ve enjoyed reading your posts so keep them coming. I would have found all your ideas and enthusiasm really helpful when my kids were smaller. 88 miles in a couple of months with two youngsters is highly impressive! Keep it going (walks and blog!)
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Wow, Thank you so much! Aww well I hope it will help out other families too ☺️ I’m so proud of the boys, I was quite shocked when i saw how much it all added up to! We will definitely keep it up, both walking and blogging is so much fun!
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Great to hear that writing your blog had helped you enjoying more of the outdoor and that your family is enjoying it.
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Thank you Mélodie – I’m also pleased the family is enjoying it too 🙂
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