Tales from the Oak Table 12/52 | A Mother’s Scrapbook

Teatime natter : School Trips, Scrapbooking & Springtime Rituals

This week, our youngest daughter set off on her first school residential, a big milestone and her first time away from home. At just 7 and 8 years old, they seem so little for an adventure like this, but I know they’ll have an absolute blast. I, on the other hand, found it much harder. I waved her off with a brave smile, but as I got back into the van to drive home, more than one tear slipped down my cheek. There’s something undeniably strange about your youngest baby going away for the first time.

To distract myself, I’ve been keeping busy with all the usual rhythms of family life -writing, long walks with a friend, noticing the signs of spring, and picking wild garlic for future meals. But my newest (and unexpected) obsession?

Scrapbooking!

Falling for Scrapbooking

For years, I’d scrolled past beautifully curated scrapbooks on social media, always thinking, That looks lovely, but I don’t have time, or I’m not artistic enough. Then, last weekend, I enlisted the help of our eldest daughter, our resident creative and together with the youngest, we spent an hour scrapbooking.

What a joy it turned out to be! Free, screen-free, creative, and most unexpectedly completely addictive. This week, I’ve found myself eagerly looking forward to finishing my first project, already dreaming about the next one and the materials I’ll collect along the way.

Today, in an effort to distract myself from missing our youngest, I sat down with my scrapbook, put on a good audiobook, and lost myself in the process. I listened to Mel Robbins talk about the Let Them Theory (highly recommend if you haven’t already!) while cutting, sticking, and arranging pages. It was such a welcome pause from the busyness of life.

I often crave a slower pace, but with a full household, true slow living isn’t always achievable. My quiet moments tend to be wrapped up in practical tasks - walking the dog, gardening, or cooking. But this? This felt like real, intentional slowness. If you have old magazines, newspapers, or books that need a second life, I highly recommend giving it a go. It’s something you can do alone or with little ones, while you scrapbook, they can create collages. You’re never too old to enjoy cutting and sticking!

Seasonal Reflections & Journal Prompts

This week brought the arrival of the Spring Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s such a fleeting, in-between season, and one that I want to savour before we’re launched into the heady rush of summer.

To me, spring feels like the true start of the year, the season where plans take shape and energy builds. Do you see spring this way?

Here are a few things I’m reflecting on this week:
What project(s)do I want to nurture this season?

Which areas of my life feel like they’re ‘waking up’ with the changing season?

What’s something I’ve always wanted to try but never made time for?

If I could plant an intention for the months ahead, what would it be?

Tea Time Natter

Speaking of fresh starts, last week I shared a recipe for rhubarb crumble muffins. A little taste of spring in cake form! If you missed it, you can find the recipe [here]. Pour yourself a cup of tea, have a read, and maybe even bake a batch to enjoy while journaling on these reflections.

Springtime Adventuring

Now is the perfect time to head out for a walk in the woods, a National Trust visit, or a slow wander through the park, spotting those first signs of the season. If you’d like a little inspiration, I’ve created a watercolour Spring Scavenger Hunt that you can download from my blog. Just scroll down to the outdoor play section to get yours for free.

I hope you and your little ones enjoy noticing the small wonders of the season—and maybe, just maybe, heading out without all the winter layers for the first time!

Lastly, here’s this week’s Porridge Pondering, brought to us by our youngest son:

💭 In space, does the food in your stomach sit or float around?

In the weightless environment of space, food and liquids inside your stomach would float around rather than settling in one place, there’s no gravity to hold them down!

Sending love from my corner of the world to yours,
Charlotte x

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