May is probably my favourite month - I love the celebration of Beltane, which marks the start and the lush greenery and hedgerow flowers that appear during the late spring. There a real feeling of opening during this month and of receptiveness and joy. And we did indeed have a marvellous month of May filled with flowers, family and festivals. 

Our Natural Gardening Special edition of The Green Parent came out in mid-May, carrying articles on how to create a wildlife garden, parenting and permaculture, lotus birth and our favourite family festivals. When it was published we took the opportunity for a quick break in the Lake District to cheer on my courageous and exceedingly fit brother-in-law as he made short work of the Brathay Marathon round Lake Windermere. We spent a week exploring the area around Coniston and discovered some beautiful stone circles, a really inspirational garden at Brantwood, home of John Ruskin and some great wholefood cafés. 

Once home we set to work on the next edition which is published next month and also managed to squeeze in a weekend at Sunrise Celebration, which comes top of my list of favourite festivals. It was a truly blissed out and loved up affair taking place on an organic farm in Somerset and powered ostensibly by renewables. Added extras such as the Earth Heart Cafe, which served energised chai from a huge conch shell, fairy permaculture gardens and a large hot tub made it even more magical. We're looking forward to Sunrise Off-Grid in August, if we can manage to get our Education issue of the magazine produced in time.

Other exciting happenings this spring have included a series of breathing workshops run by my lovely and very talented yoga instructor, Julie Stannard, a foraging walk along the South Downs to discover the healing properties of our native flora and fauna and some joyous time spent with friends. We have had a really social time recently, meeting up with friends every day. The girls especially have really enjoyed this and our home education journey seems to be quite focused on emotional and social intelligence right now. That feels really good for us all. Will post more later - right now I have stories to read...