#KidRatedMeets Briony from Any Way To Stay At Home

We created the blog series #KidRatedMeets to learn more about some of our favourite mummy bloggers on the internet. Today we meet, Briony from the blog Any Way To Stay at Home.

How did it all begin?

The whole family at Framlingham Castle

I started my blog whilst I was on maternity leave after having had my son. A close friend of mine suggested it would be a good way to keep my mind busy and that I would probably really enjoy it. So then Any Way To Stay At Home was born. It’s just a record of family life and ramblings about my journey through work life post baby and finding the right balance.

What is the philosophy behind your blog?

I try to keep my blog fun and positive. I strongly believe in making the most of what you have got. You’ll find the odd rant here and there, I’m only human, but mostly we’re just having fun.

Give us a snapshot of a typical day in your life

Briony’s son and husband at Wensum Park Norwich

 My days start early thanks to my son. The first thing he’ll always want is breakfast, so we’re normally up and fed before most sane people have even stirred. Then it’ll a cuddle and some TV whilst I try to get a bit of work done. We’ll always go out somewhere during the day, maybe a class or catching up with friends, often just a walk round the village. Then lunch followed by a drive to get L to nap, it’s the only way at the moment. We’ll spend the afternoon doing something crafty, maybe a bit of baking or just some colouring in. Then it’s dinner, bath, book and bed before I’m at the laptop working again.

Do you have any tips for aspiring bloggers?

Briony and her son at Wensum Park Norwich

 Just do it. The hardest thing is starting and hitting publish. But once you’ve done it once, you’ll find it easier to do it again and again. Then you’ll really be able to work on making yourself brilliant. On a more practical note I would personally say use WordPress as it’s really easy and there’s loads of support and I would strongly consider starting as self-hosted straight away. Oh and images, get amazing pictures.

What topics do you feel most passionately about?

 OK I have very strong opinions on a lot of things, so I’ll only share a couple:

• I really dislike people who turn down the corners of the pages in their books. Books are to be cherished and loved and kept as pristine as possible.
• Olives are the work of the devil.
• I’m also really passionate about education and making learning fun, it’s the basis for so many things and I don’t think a one size fits all system works.

Any future plans or upcoming projects?

at Bressingham

My next big projects for anywaytostay.com are Christmas related and I’m really excited about sharing some of our Christmas traditions.

Personally I’ll also be returning to the workforce, so expect to see some updates about how I’m managing to balance that. Don’t worry I’ve not given up on my Stay At Home dream, it’s just getting changed for a bit.

Tell us your top five local places your kids love…

at Banham Zoo

1. Banham Zoo. We have season passes and visit at least once a week. L loves the animals, the staff are great and it has very good facilities.
2. Framlingham Castle. It’s the perfect place for a toddler to explore and have fun. Absolutely beautiful. Great for a family day out.
3. The Beach. Any of them really but we are fond of Cromer for a family day out.
4. Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens. Stunning gardens you can walk around, hide in and explore. Plus steam trains to ride on. The perfect combination really.
5. Flixton Aviation Museum. It’s free. The volunteers are all amazing. There is so much to see. Great if you have a plane made kid.

Where do you like to visit in London with your family?

1. The Natural History Museum, it’s just amazing.
2. Any of the parks but I like Regents if we’re near.
3. The shops at Leicester Square. The Nickelodeon Store and M&M World are like days out in their own right.
4. The Imperial War Museum. It has always been a favourite of mine and now my toddler loves it too.
5. The Sea Life London Aquarium. It’s a classic day out with kids. It doesn’t take too long and is very well situated.

If you were planning a visit to London what would the top three things on your list to do?

The Science Museum gets a 10 from Elliot

1. The Science Museum
2. London Zoo
3. The Tower Of London

For the simple reason I have never once, in all my days, visited any of these places and have wanted to since I was a child. So now I would love to take my own child.

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