I have all my best ideas on the train to work.

In the fleeting moments when I have nothing better to do than catch up with the morning’s essential tweets, hidden under my enormous mum-parka wondering when it was that I started wearing clothes that made me look like a giant mushroom, ideas come to me, rushing towards me at the rate of one every couple of weeks, and I feel inspired.

This week, the idea came to me that perhaps I should start a linky that only runs during the school holidays.

We’ve all been there, right?  You pop along to your favourite linky, elated that at last you actually have a few minutes to link up and do some commenting, and crestfallen, discover that the linky host has packed up and gone on holiday for two weeks LIKE A NORMAL PERSON, and you are like, whoa hang on a minute there sista, this was supposed to be MY moment in the sun.  My moment, when I would link up with your linky and all your readers (of which there would be tens of thousands) would read my little linked up post and recognise my brilliance.  There would be book deals, and brand collaborations, and didn’t someone say Disneyland were looking for brand ambassadors?  I could do that, right?  I went to Tokyo Disney Sea TWICE in 2002. #littlemermaidgoals

No?  It’s just me?  Well, you probably went on holiday too, like a normal person.

Anyway, my overly convoluted point is that it is deeply disappointing to find that during those hallowed times of year when I actually have some time to go mooching about drinking coffees and managing toddler tantrums like a normal mummy, namely the school holidays, is when all other members of the blogosphere pack up their artfully restored camper vans, hang up the Cath Kidston bunting and go off on a Mark Warner holiday (usually to Bluestone Wales.  God, I haven’t read a Bluestone Wales post in ages *looks up Bluestone Wales to see if they still need bloggers*).

Therefore, I thought it was about time that I did something for me.  Well, me and all the other bloggers who aren’t taking extended breaks to enjoy some family time/reach for the gin cupboard while their children are home from school.  And that something is the School Holiday Linky, known to those in the know as #SchoolsOut #downwiththekids #wellkidsfromthe70sanyway

Yep, as of next week, school will be out, for an entire week no less, and I for one will be strapping on my wellies, crunching some Autumny leaves underfoot, drinking frothy coffees and hopefully catching up with all those friends I haven’t seen since 2013.  As well as looking after my own child for once and cursing at my work email when it pings at 5am on a Saturday doing lots of lovely lesson planning and all that marking that’s been piling up for three weeks.

And just because I’m wildly jealous of people with more followers than me on Instagram a caring, sharing sort of blogger, I thought I might also like to make this blog a place where we can share our school holiday trials and tribulations wholesome adventures and Pinterest-worthy pumpkin carvings, along with anything else vaguely linked to Autumn, Halloween, Bonfire Night or school holidays in general.  Come on guys, I’ve seen some great Autumn-themed posts already.  Let’s get with the seasonal programme.

The linky will run from Monday to Friday, or until a maximum of 50 posts, because any more than that and I will literally be keeling over, even with the benefit of not being at work.  It will then close and open again for more seasonal fun at, um, CHRISTMAS.  Not long now folks!  Start dusting off the elves from the shelves.  Or like, don’t, because I have seen HUNDREDS of those and I still don’t get it.

So, I will say it once again, for the word count and for the cheap seats in the back.  GET YOUR #SCHOOLSOUT LINKY ON.  You know you want to.

Starts Monday, 7am (I hope these Inlinkz things are automated.  That’s a criminal time of day in the school holidays), with me, And Another Ten Things (that’s a person.  I’m not actually going to write ten things, you’ll be relieved to hear) and The Unsung Mum.

I got a linky badge and everything.