Archive for the ‘family life’ Category

Mum, Mum….I’ll always be your son!

Friday, May 14th, 2010

This week has been a toughy with my middle son Ten Boy Jack. As his name suggests he’s Ten, and just hit that age.jack-ten-boy-1

He hates school, he hates his big sister (who teases him relentlessly) and I think sometimes he hates me too.

I know he is just flexing his baby man muscles and trying to find his place in the family now he’s growing up, but the constant answering back and always knowing better stuff can get a bit waring at times.

Last week he was banned from anything with a screen, an ingenious plan that Big J came up with. It meant that for a week he had no TV no INTERNET, no i pod touch, no x box 360 and no Nintendo ds…. for Jack, this basically meant no life!

But still by the end of the week he was  muscling up and giving all the back chat, so even though painful he got banned for another 3 days, gutted!

Sometimes its hard, I’m a big softie so he has a few big doe eye and even bigger tears tricks that he likes to pull on me.

And I also have a irrational fear, as a split family and somehow especially as he’s a boy, I have this horrible fear in the pit of my stomach that he’ll want to go live with his Dad some day. (more…)

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April… the good, the bad and the ugly!

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Have you ever had a month where you feel you have run the gambit of emotions from really happy to terribly sad, all in one roller coaster of a time? Well that’s kind of  how April has been…..

The Good? -ickle-work-space

The good has been finally finding my  Mojo again!

Firstly of the Nigella variety… I absolutely love to cook and while I lost my culinary spark I have been miserable.

But somehow it returned last week with an absolute vengeance, I have been cooking up a storm like a Sophie Dahl on acid and I have watched so much cooking  TV porn, with The Food Network  on permanent sky plus overload! Granted it has helped that the Milsta has kept me up into the wee hours. The only adult in charge of the remote has its bonuses and a little sweet satisfaction to it!

Anyway my biggest triumph came this evening with what I am affectionately calling “Old Mother Hubbard’s pie” . It might not sound too delightful but trust me its really good, I  will post the recipe here for you tomorrow to have a look at and maybe try.

The good is also that I have finally managed to stop stressing about getting my website up and running. I have so many things to create and I am so nearly there, its been a steep learning curve and not an easy one while trying to juggle a very lively none sleeping toddler. But I feel like I am nearly there, and I have butterflies…. I really cant wait! Hope you’ll all join me on opening day!

The Bad- (more…)

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Things I wish my mum had told me….

Thursday, April 1st, 2010
ellie-young

Ellie at 4, so sweet!

   Eloise is going to be 15 this year (eek!!)…

   And a thought  has been on my mind for a while.

ellie-now

Ellie-now, bless her!

  I have been thinking of all the good advise I wish I’d had at her age. All the little and big stuff that would have made my last 15 years easier.

So I thought I’d write it down, (and share it with you guys) .

Not sure it’ll help, but its what Ive learnt…

Well the important stuff anyways ;D

I will start with the small stuff ….

 Beauty…. Don’t wear to much make-up-

There is nothing worse than looking like you tried too hard (except maybe not trying hard enough ;) )

1) So follow this simple rule, if your wearing a “in your face” lipstick then go easy on the eye shadow, and visa versa.

 It always tends to look best. Unless your Scarlett  Johansson, and I have my suspicions that she is an alien or robot from planet  “way too good looking and sexy” so she doesn’t count.

2) The same applies for jewelery. A good necklace needs no earings and a good pair of earings need no necklace.

3) Don’t EVER shave your legs with your dads razor. Or you’ll spend at least 3 weeks in agony, covering them up and waiting for the skin to grow back.

I know this one to my cost… hot summer of 1989 ;D

House work-

1) iron shirts when they are still damp….  That’s all I really honestly know about the strange art of  house work that’s worth repeating!

Love..Life…& beyond -

My dad always used to say….”Helen, You Can’t Polish a Turd”….

This applies to so many things….a huge spot, a bad hair cut. But most of all to the opposite  sex.

If you follow this, you will save yourself allot of time and heart ache and you’ll leave yourself open to someone really good!

To be filed along with leopards and spots ;D

2) Don’t be overly hard on yourself and your looks. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t  say they look at photos of themselves when they were younger and wish they’d realized how hot they were!

I am not kidding you, I know right now you don’t think your not pretty, thin or hot enough, but you are!

You will look back at photos of yourself in 10 years time and go, blimey I was gorgeous!  (or at least passable!) Why couldn’t I see it?

The evil thing of it is, by then its to late. So enjoy it now. ;D

This is me just 3 years ago, I remember looking at this and thinking I looked old and fat. Wish I was that old and fat now, is all I can say about that!100_1192 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) …. and most importantly, If there is something you want to do, don t be afraid to do it.

 Even if its a bit frightening. Things you don’t do when your young can cause bitterness and uneasiness when your older.

So in the great words of Nike, ” Just Do It!” (this does not apply to drugs, alcohol or boys.. just in case you were wondering) ;D

So thats it! i very much doubt  she will listen, don’t think I would have done  at her age either! ;D

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Let them eat cake!

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Today’s post is cake!

OK….. at first glance not terribly diet concious but after nearly 2 weeks of cake wilderness I had to make some.

The kids helped and we all had a great time.

Warning though, these cakes are only diet if you limit yourself to 1, but when they are hot out of the oven smothered with warm honey its tough…I stopped at 2! quite commendable I think  ;D x (more…)

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Day 2 of the New (Diet) Frugal Week….Prawn Biryani

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Not much introduction today as Milly is climbing up my leg and pulling on the mouse, little monkey.

This one is a based  on a weight watchers recipe but don’t let that stop you, I have spiced and  freshened it up a bit and it ended up rather nice :) .

Oh, must just say Milly (1) didn’t have it because of the prawns (she had cheesy beans instead!).

So this recipe makes enough for 4 and contains around 440 cals… yum!… and cost no more than 3 quid! Double Yum!

(more…)

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A new Frugal week, Yay!

Monday, March 1st, 2010

So this week is going to be frugal with a twist, as I am on a diet…cough… healthy eating plan.

Spring has just about sprung and although its hard to imagine now, there is a small glimmer of hope that in a couple of months I won’t be wearing my trusty “covers all me fat bits and flatters me  a bit on the good bits, winter coat”.

So time to stop eating all the pies, and the butter and the cream and the wine and the chocolate!…and get down to some serious muffin top shrinking! (more…)

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Day Five Of the Saving Money Experiment….getting tough!

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Back story…..If you’ve read the start of the week you’ll know that I have just £5 a day for 5 people. This is day 5.

So guys I think tonight I hit the wall. I was mooching around the going off isle feeling pretty uninspired…. I feel like a giant steak or yummy take out or just a big ass box of roses (I am hormonal, can u tell?) . NOT what is on offer here… a lank bag of lettuce, a piece of day-glow  yellow fish, two strawberry trifles (they are ALWAYS here) and….. two large piece’s of turkey.

I am not a turkey fan, it always goes dry and it has no flavour. I have to say if it wasn’t  for you guys and your fantastic comments so far and the fact that I keep looking at bigger houses on rightmove as frugal inspiration I would have  given up, but no….that turkey was whispering to me….. take me, take me….I can be delicious.

(more…)

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Day 4 of the Frugality…and it’s Curry!

Friday, February 19th, 2010

millycurryJust a quick post today, this bloging daily lark is hard. And Milly keeps trying to climb up my leg and onto my back, could be dangerous!

If you’ve read the start of the week you’ll know that I have just £5 a day for 5 people.

Anyway, I really wanted to share this one with you because it was a such a Big Success! Jack the curry hater, and Milly the food thrower both sat quietly with a few mmmm’s and ate the lot! Result!!!

(more…)

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Tonight its Roast Lemon chicken….

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Okay! day 3 of the frugal challenge and I am cheating a bit, but not really.  If you’ve read the start of the week you’ll know that I have just £5 a day for 5 people.

Let me explain, I really really fancied a roast tonight but didn’t want to blow the budget so I have only used 1/2 a medium sized chicken for this recipe. I will use the other half for tomorrows creation. If your not trying to save cash the leftovers make the best midnight snack sarnies! ;D

(more…)

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Day 2 of Frugal week, oh we have pie!

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Right so, day2 of the frugal food week, if you’ve read the start of the week blog you’ll know that I have just £5 a day for 5 people.

So I start my quest at the lovely rainbow “going out of date tomorrow” shelf but to my dismay the only thing on offer this evening is individual trifles and garlic bread, well that would be carbs and at a push one of their 5 a day ?,but no…oh poop….

Will just have to get inventive….so I have a quick memory scan through my fridge (i could almost hear the whirling, this whole save money lark takes allot of brain power you know!)

(more…)

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