Liked & Loved {July 2026}
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It’s that time of the month where I share all the lovely things that have been happening in our lives. Everything that we have liked, that has brought us joy or has lifted our spirits.
I can’t quite believe that we’re already halfway through the summer. The year is flying by, but here is everything we’ve been loving in July:
Summer holidays
It’s now the summer holidays! Our children broke up earlier than a lot of schools, on 17th July so we’ve already had a week without alarm clocks, uniform and packed lunches. I love the summer – looser routines, lots of time to relax and even more time with my favourite people.
I also couldn’t be more proud of LP and Little Man at the end of the school year. They both had great reports, have done their best throughout and really are just wonderful people. Year 8 and Year 10 are now done but we’re looking forward to seeing what Year 9 and Year 11 have in store from September!
New (old) friends
A couple of weeks ago I met up with an old friend who I used to work with at Woolworths and hadn’t seen since I was about 18. Nearly 25 years later and it was great to see her again. We went for a walk – that turned into a 16km adventure around nature reserves and forests – and talked non-stop, catching up on everything that has happened since our teenage friendship. It was a great way to spend a day and I’m sure we’ll be doing it again.
Hotel reviews
Just after my last Liked & Loved instalment I had a lovely night away with a friend at the Thames Riviera Hotel on the banks of the River Thames by Maidenhead. It was such a nice break and just what we needed before the busy-ness of the end of the school year!
House moves
This month I also helped my little brother move house from London out into the Surrey countryside. I’m glad I could help, and it was lovely to spend time with him and see him all settled in his new home.
Sports day
As is tradition, LP and Little Man had sports day a few weeks ago. They go to a local stadium and watch a good chunk of the school compete in various sports. Neither of our children have ever been particularly sports and so they don’t tend to put themselves forward for sports day but are happy to cheer on their friends. This year was LP’s last sports day and it really is the end of an era! You can see all our sports days of years gone by here.
College open evening – and applications!
We had another college open evening for LP on the same evening as sports day. The college did all the courses she wants to do but we both preferred the other college we’d already been to see. As they are the only two colleges within travelling distance that do LP’s choice of courses, she has now also sent in her college applications! She has over a year until she starts college, and her GCSEs in between but it’s nice to have the college applications in and her so set on what she wants to do next.
Work experience
It’s all about LP this month! She had her much anticipated work experience a few weeks ago and it was a really positive experience for her. She worked at our local library as she loves books and it was a nice introduction to the world of work for her.
Harvester
We went to our local Harvester to celebrate LP finishing her work experience and it was lovely to have a meal out together – it’s really not something we do very often! We all love a salad cart so Harvester was an easy choice.
A trip to Somerset
I drove to Somerset just before the kids broke up from school to visit my Dad’s grave and lay some flowers. It’s something I’m trying to do regularly and it felt like a fitting time to go, part way between Father’s Day and his birthday.
To make the most of the long drive I stopped in Frome on the way home to wander around, stretch my legs and potter in the charity shops. Frome was a beautiful place to spend a couple of hours.
Hair cut
LP had her hair cut off ready for the summer just before the end of the school year. It’s the shortest her hair has ever been and it really suits her. She’s really found her style this year and I really love that for her.
Barbecues
We have been living off barbecues over the last few weeks – it’s been so hot that it’s been lovely to just throw meat on the barbecue and chuck together a salad and some kind of potatoes and sit outside to eat. We’ve had friends and family over for barbecues too and it’s just been lovely.
A new work space
This month we decided to extend our living space again – by building a garden room. I gave up my office just over a year ago so that the kids could have more space – a gaming room, sleepover room, Lego display room. And that room works so well for us as a family. But, I really miss having somewhere to work and somewhere I can close the door on all my work stuff and just forget about it. Plus, as we had a loft conversion a few years ago, we are really low on storage space.
We researched garden rooms and offices and got quotes from many companies. In the end we decided to go with CS Garden Offices who are a family run business covering the south east. They create metal, insulated garden rooms that don’t need regular maintenance and stand the test of time. Plus, they were within budget and could create the perfect room for us. The deposit has been paid and the room should be installed in the autumn. Exciting stuff!
And that’s us for July! We’re off to France in a couple of days to take the kids to Paris for the first time and also have our first Disneyland Paris experience. We’ll share more about that in next month’s Liked & Loved!
I hope you’ve had a great July and wishing you lots of good things and moments of joy over the summer too.
