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Health and Wellbeing

Real-life reflections on physical and mental wellbeing as a parent. From weight loss and fitness journeys to gentle self-care and mindset shifts, this space is all about looking after yourself while looking after others.

How to mourn the loss of a loved one

September 17, 2025September 16, 2025 by Lavania Oluban
A boy in a red jumper labelled "MATT" stands beside an adult on a sunny pavement.

Losing someone close to you is one of life’s hardest experiences. Whether their passing was expected or sudden, the grief can feel overwhelming and unpredictable. There’s no right way to mourn, nor is there a set timeline. While nothing can erase the pain, small steps can bring clarity and comfort as you begin to adjust. … Read more

Categories Blog Posts, Health and Wellbeing Leave a comment

My Self-Care Glow-Up as a Single Mum

May 5, 2025 by Lavania Oluban
A woman in a blue dress stands on a wooden walkway, with sheep grazing in a field and a clear blue sky in the background.

Before I became a single mum, I didn’t even have the time to think about self-care. I let myself go, because honestly, I didn’t feel good in myself. I was stuck in a cycle of emotional exhaustion, sarcasm, and trying to please someone who barely noticed whether I’d made an effort or not. I didn’t … Read more

Categories Blog Posts, Health and Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Parenting, Parenting blog posts Leave a comment

Greetings, fellow brummie mummies, parents and adventure enthusiasts! I'm Lavania, the driving force behind "The Amazing Adventures of Me." If you're on the hunt for family-friendly escapades and hidden gems in and around Birmingham, you've just stumbled upon your new favourite hub!

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Recent Posts

  • How Seniors Can Stay Engaged with Holiday Activities and Traditions
  • How to Be the Best Passenger for Long Drives 
  • The New Harborne Mile: A Charity Shop Crawl for Millennials
  • It’s Never Too Late to Teach: Reflections from Five Years On
  • Four Destinations for Adrenaline Junkies

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Click to buy our NEW adventure journal and join us in having an amazing time!
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Creatively Parenting a little whirlwind
👩‍👦#teacher (DT food specialist)
📍#Birmingham
🍴#food
🎲 #toyreviews
🚗 #daysoutwithkids
🪲 #cricut ambassador

Food tech lessons!A few pictures of dishes from Food tech lessons!A few pictures of dishes from my classroom, - I’m always super proud of the pupils, especially during exam season when they go to so much effort.When I remember my own food lessons I cringe, I think I remember making scones and maybe having two other lessons but that’s about it.I think it’s vital that all children have access to a good education which enables them to develop confidence in the kitchen and also gives them the skills and knowledge to make healthy and informed food choices.So two questions for you…..1. what do you remember cooking in food tech lessons at school?2. What do you think pupils should be cooking in school now?Pics show:Vegetable soup with bread roll
Lasagne (ragu and roux based sauces)
Swiss roll (home made jam)
Ravioli (home made pasta)
Potato bake
Stuffed peppers
Mini savoury tarts (shortcrust pastry)#foodinschools #foodtech #foodtechteacherlife #foodlover #foodinspo #gcsefoodpreparationandnutrition #gcsefoodtech #gcsefood #foodtechnology
Get your craft onI love looking through the mem Get your craft onI love looking through the memories which crop up on my photo albums every morning and these little gems just appeared back from 2020. This period of my life feels like a hazy distant dream - so many days filled with random activities to keep busy whilst at home.Anyway - I thought I’d share because there’s so many pine cones and leaves around right now that this is the perfect activity which will keep you busy. Head out for an autumn walk to gather some nature treasures and then after an afternoon nap set up a station with some paints and get your paint on.Back in 2020 everything was rainbow themed and I’m totally here for it!
Which furReal pet do you think we adopted? /adT Which furReal pet do you think we adopted? /adToday we visited @smythstoys to visit the @officialfurreal petting zoo demo zone. Ever since we first saw these @blogonuk at the beginning of summer Arlo has been asking for one in particular but today he spent over an hour with the team testing out all the different features.From Maggie the highland cow who follows you around chasing her bottle to Coco the panda who somersaults around the place when you stroke her head and JJ the pug who loves to jump up and play.They each have so many different buttons and sensors to learn and figure out how they respond, it’s like learning to train a real pet. They make so many cute little noises too - I have a feeling that these are going to be at the top of Christmas wish lists for many children this year.I’ll reveal which furReal pet we bought home with us and share a full review with you soon! 🐼 🐮 🐶#furRealPettingZoo #furReal #IsThisfurReal #justplay
The new Harborne MileIf you’re a Brummie of a The new Harborne MileIf you’re a Brummie of a certain age then you’ll know what the Harborne Mile used to be - an epic bar crawl which took in a dozen pubs and bars along the High street.These days Harborne is popular with millennials for an entirely different reason. My sister was dancing around her handbag when I took her to my favourite charity shop for the first time.Along the High street are eleven charity shops, each with their own unique offerings and on many an afternoon I’m content with starting at one end of the high street and taking my time to visit each for a browse.There something for everyone, pocket money treats, vintage clothing, kitchen treasures and plenty more bargains to be had with purchases going to many a good cause.@oxfamgb
@oxfam_books_harborne
@oxfamharborne
@barnardosretail
@teampdsa
@pdsaharborne
@the_bhf @bhf_harborne
@acornshospice
@cr_uk
@headway_uk
@suerydercharity
@relovedbrum
@brumshospice
@frenchicpaintMy latest blog post shares my hints and tips for each store!
https://arloriverrex.com/the-new-harborne-mile-a-charity-shop-crawl-for-millennials/
Halloween Farm /ad 🎃Cattows farm have done i Halloween Farm /ad 🎃Cattows farm have done it again - their @halloweenfarmuk event has everything you could possibly want to do on a family day out to embrace the fun of spooky season!Entry to the farm starts at just £3 if you just want to get yourself a pumpkin and take cute photos (and they have sooo many different props all over the place for this)All the different activities are individually priced so you can build your own bundle and pay as you go or for £19.99 go for an adventure pass to do everything.I think this represents great value for money as we were there the whole day and the kids aged 8-13 were happy enough to try everything.Our highlights included:⛳️ mini golf in the corn fields - the kids got really competitive
🎪 the spooky circus USA - with a high octane 🏍️ finale which impressed the pre teen!
🎃 the huge pumpkin patch - not to miss!
🍬 trick or treat street - sooo many sweets and an amazing animation team with just the right level of spookiness.
🏰 Rodeo Ranch - a huge tent filled with inflatable castles, slides and more!
🐎 the cowboy town show - shout out to the stunt team as they were awesome!The only thing not included with tickets was food and fair ground rides - I did notice the vendors had kids meals on offer - chicken and chips meal £6 with very generous portions.
This one right here! 🎃 (ad, sort of)Today I’m officially declaring it spooky season….. the equinox happened, the leaves are changing colour and I need to wear a jumper most days!Today we went to @cattowsfarm for their @halloweenfarmuk event launch and I’ll share more about that tomorrow but I just have to mention that I’ve never seen a field so full of pumpkins. On the way home we delivered a real monster sized specimen to the grand high witch herself @doodles_by_donna_o and now we can officially embrace the season.I feel like we need to pause and enjoy what’s going on…. Seems ridiculous that the shops are already parading their crimbo wares.I’ve decided I’m not rushing around this year. Bring on the crunchy leaves, Conker collecting, cosy vibes and pumpkin recipes….The tinsel can wait! 😂
Happy Birthday Paloma 💖The bad ass girly of t Happy Birthday Paloma 💖The bad ass girly of the family who is forever keeping the boys in check and is a totally fearless adrenaline junkie!Thank you for being Arlo’s sidekick and adventure buddy!So many different memories from the past year to look back on - not many people can say they’ve danced at the Tower, stayed in a haunted castle, cycled half a marathon, met wrestlers, been on rollercoasters five times in a row…….. and all the rest!!!May your ninth year be as fabulous as the eighth. 💖💖
Sharing for the vibesMy mom @doodles_by_donna_o Sharing for the vibesMy mom @doodles_by_donna_o bought me back this chocolate bar from her holidays and I felt like it deserved its very own grid post. Not only did the packaging look beautiful but the dark chocolate had just the right bit of bitterness and caramel bits to make it really moorish.Also…..because @arthouse_unlimited is a limited charity.They support artists with learning and physical disabilities by hosting art workshops enabling people to express themselves creatively and featuring their art on the packaging and various products to which are then placed for sale.Take a look at their website to find out more - my mom always picks out the best little treats from her adventures and this was a company I loved to read about and will certainly be purchasing from again in the future ♥️
Still here 💖Hi guys, just a quick post to say Still here 💖Hi guys, just a quick post to say I’m still here. My zest for life still continues to thrive, I just don’t share as much on social media anymore. For a variety of different reasons but mainly because I’m very busy and there’s more to life than Instagram.I worry more and more about social media, especially now Arlo is getting older. Online bullying, materialistic posts, consumerism and trolling are all a massive problem. Part of me worries about whether the content I have shared in the past contributes to this.I don’t have any regrets but I have been thinking more and more about my online footprint and what I want my messaging to be.I don’t really want to share too much of my personal life and my weight loss journey or diet plan because I don’t want to be part of the conversations about body images.So here’s to being more mindful in the future.Positive vibes only, posting with intent. Nothing for the sake of it. Gone are the days where I feel like I need to post twice every day or that I need to create content for a brand collaboration.If I share something it’s because it means something. Real life, real me. That’s always been enough.Pic taken at the Webbs flora fields which was a collaboration project (for transparency) - but also one of my fave places to visit ever! 🌺
A set for Maeve!No idea why we thought it would A set for Maeve!No idea why we thought it would be a good idea to (attempt to) learn to play Padel at 11pm during a yellow weather warning but we had a fab time and all to support an amazing cause.Just thought I’d give a shout out to @corte_sport again - you can hire the Padel Courts for an hour at a time.A huge good luck to @danaplin and the squad who will be playing Padel through the night in the pouring rain and wind …. They’ll be going non stop until 10am!!!Just don’t ask me what the rules are or how the points work 😂https://www.gofundme.com/f/jgux5c-help-maeve#padel #padelfun #padeltennis #cancerfundraiser #asetformaeve
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A children's adventure journal, red rubber boots, and an orange backpack with art supplies rest on a stone wall, with white flowers and greenery in the background.

New! A journal just for kids who love big adventures!

Introducing "The Amazing Adventures of Me" - A fun filled kids journal designed to help little explorers record their big moments, silly stories and awesome ideas. With some hints and tips for grown ups to help plan and plenty of journal pages to fill in. 

This is perfect for recording memories of road trips, school holidays, travel, weekend activities and more. 

Great for curious kids aged 5+ 

Buy the journal now

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