Father's Day frenzy

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With Father's Day around the corner, it is one of those rare moments when we heavily communicate with our siblings about gift ideas that aren't jumpers/ties/cufflinks/golfballs/all of the above. But why do we desperately try and be unique, year after year, when our Dads are probably the simplest out of us all? 

My siblings and I, every year make an effort to do something fun for Father's Day, probably to compensate the lack of originality of our present. Mum is easy - just like buying gifts for women is usually much easier than men (or am I just being bias because I am a woman?!) So, I thought it would be best to give some ideas of interesting things to do this Father's Day around London, that can be original and in place of a [insert nondescript present here]. 

1. Take your fathers somewhere they have never been before. When I took my dad to Chelsea Flower Show (see my last post), his first reaction was 'Wow, I have been wanting to go there for the 30 years I have lived in London and never been'. Right there and then, I knew that he would enjoy it and it would be ticked off his London bucket list. 

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A loo with a view 

The Shard is a great place to go - the half an hour 'View from the Shard' option is probably ideal. Not too long that they will get bored, but exciting enough as it a 'new' thing to do in London (think London Eye, just higher, much higher). The Shard also has a good restaurant if you want to splash the cash and massively impress. 



2. Hang out with the family. Most fathers actually just want to spend quality time with their children. There is probably no present you can get that can compete with family time (unless you happen to get them an Aston Martin DB9, in which case I fully understand). With the days of very busy lives, calendar invites and a constant need to check our phone, the best Father's day present is no doubt a good few hours together, phones and all other distractions aside, just to 'hang'. 

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Book a nice place for a meal, where it is casual enough not to be rushed, but nice enough that it still looks like you have made an effort. One of my favourites is Mildred's in Soho, which is a great vegetarian place, that even all meat lovers would love. 

3. Watch a movie. On a rooftop. Although watching a movie is probably not the most interactive of activities, try taking your Dad to a rooftop cinema (weather dependent, of course). If your father is anything like mine, he loves watching movies, just usually doesn't get much time to actually go out and watch one. The rooftop cinemas that are being organised around London are ideal - usually well-known movies in an excellent setting (a rooftop, of course!), where you can fuel yourselves with popcorn, drinks, and even BBQ food. Do make sure you are prepared for the chilly evenings though, which probably makes the experience all the more enjoyable. I would recommend a big coat, gloves, and some thick socks. Yes, remember, just because it is June, it doesn't mean it is summer. We do live in London, after all. 

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Try the rooftopfilm club, with their numerous locations around London, or if you are lucky enough to have a rooftop - set one up yourself! 

4. Take the gardening/handyman/cleaning pressure off them (from Mum) - with mybluetasks.com! There is probably no better present than to say - "don't worry Dad, those shelves that Mum has been pestering you about has all been taken care of". Find the exact service your Dad would want, exactly when they would want it (and to save them some grief!) with mybluetasks.

Have a great Father's Day! 

Getting to grips with gardening..

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Gardening can be blooming marvelous, once you bring out the fun in it. After attending the Chelsea Flower Show this year, I found a new appreciation for gardens, flowers, bulbs, seeds and all the rest. Not one to be particularly impressed by extravagant displays like the Australian winner, rather my favourite displays were the rows of Chrysanthemums in various colours, or the sole Bonsai tree. The best part about the show - I was able to get great tips about how to create colour and beauty in my garden at home, without trying too hard. 

1. It's important to get a good gardener to come and de-weed, mow your lawn and rake the leaves (have a look at our expert gardeners on mybluetasks.com)

2. With a 'blank canvas', planting seeds and bulbs becomes a lot more exciting. 

3. Pick the colours and types you want and arrange them in clusters - the best gardens are full and flowery rather than sparse. 

4. With the sun finally shining, take the opportunity to water your garden regularly (the hosepipe ban is still on, despite the horrific amount of rain we have had), so it is usually best to just use a watering can. Watering your garden can be extremely therapeutic, especially after a big night out.  

5. Summertime encourages growing herbs to use for your delicious cooking, or mint for your fresh mint tea. 

6. If you have a small garden or no garden at all, why not try and an innovative way to pot your plants - use an old boot, a tin can or even a big teacup. 

Happy gardening!