Support your local community - do you?

As much as I have to budget each month I still like to try and support our local community and businesses. I also like to support British made items and home made items.

For the past year or so I have been following a Derbyshire based company called 'Fabulous Places' which is a guide to all our local shops, eateries, coffee shops, producers and services which Deb, the owner, has handpicked herself.

Everything she selects for her guide is Derbyshire born and bred, is one of a kind and Deb has tried and tested all of them.

I don't know about you but I get fed up of visiting chain restaurants and pubs, coffee houses and shops and this guide is perfect as it introduces you to places you may not have necessarily heard of or been to before. Trust me, the enticement is irresistible. So I've decided I want to work my way through the guide and visit every single place.
For example, a couple of weeks ago me and my mum had the day together and wanted to go out somewhere different for coffee and cake. I looked at the online directory and we selected The Apple Tree which was a 5 minute drive away and yet we had never discovered it ourselves!

Not only does Deb produce this guide she also holds events throughout the year at the Roundhouse College, Derby. She holds a Summer and Christmas Market, where all local exhibitors gather so you can see and buy their products/services.

Aside from this guide, I am trying to visit our local Farmer's Market, which is held once a month and if I am in town I try and visit the green grocers and butchers on the market place.

On Facebook I follow a few pages who have been set up by mum's who want to earn a living from home or young businesses just starting out and they sell their home made items/ crafts/ services and I think it is important to encourage this.

How much do you support your local community and do you think it is important too?

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September

Tomorrow is September 1st. How can we possibly be over half way through the year? It literally feels like New Years was last week.
When I was younger my dad always said, enjoy every moment because time flies and now I'm starting to believe him. Although it feels like I have done so much this year, when I think about it I can't remember anything I've done!
I'm now looking ahead into September and wondering what it will unveil. We have various birthdays and wedding anniversary's to celebrate. We also have mine and Luke's 3 year anniversary. We have an evening out with friends and also some overtime booked in at work.
All in all it looks set to be a quiet month, preparing for Autumn to take full hold but still hanging on to those late summer evenings.
Let's make the most of it!

Sourced from Pinterest

"The world begins to bloom into a rainbow of rustic reds, burnt oranges and chocolate browns. The warm evenings start to dwindle and the dark nights are soon to make an appearance. Families make the most of outdoor time, wrapping up for park time fun and local attractions. Light summer salads and BBQ's are slowly swapped for root vegetable laden stews and casseroles spotted with dumplings. Summer holiday's are nearly all been and gone, forming into distant happy memories. Leaves on the ground become a toy, to throw, to stand on and to kick. They crunch, they rustle and they crackle. Oh how I love Autumn."

Fruity Foraging!

 

What a lovely day we have had whilst blackberry foraging! Although the sun couldn't make up its mind at points, the air was still warm and it was easy to spot the bursting juicy blackberry bushes.

We visited Elvaston Castle, which is about 5-10 minutes away from us and through the secret, windy and overgrown walkways we discovered a bounty of blackberries, untouched and ready to be picked. It was literally like a treasure chest of gold, except in fruit form!

My mum led the way as she used to come here every year and is now showing me where the loot is. We came away with over 2 pounds of blackberries - imagine how much that would have cost if we bought it from the supermarket!

My mum's friend also passed on 5 generous sized brambley cooking apples that collected in her garden, how kind! I have lots of plans for these blackberries and apples and I will share with you when I make some deserts. I'm thinking when winter is truly upon us we will definitely be needing some fruity, crumbly goodness? Don't you?

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The Unspoken Word

There are only 4 pay days left until...can I say it? Do I dare? 3 pay days left until Christmas. Eeeek! Don't hate me for saying it, I bet the shops will be starting to stock the Christmas cards and tinsel any day now...

Before then we have a wedding to attend (Luke needs a new suit), 11 birthday presents to buy and 3 wedding anniversaries to celebrate. I have 18 Christmas presents to purchase for people so, yes I am starting to plan now. So there. (That's my attempt to put my foot down)

How early is it to start? As savvy as I like to be, I never go to the January Sales and stock up on next years presents, or queue up for hours boxing day morning to grab a bargain.  I don't know about you but I will recognise if I receive one of last years Boots 3 for 2 presents!
In January I like to stay far away from the shops as possible and enjoy the sombre mood of the month, revelling in the festivities and celebrations we have had.

However, once my June birthday is out the way and our summer holiday has been and gone I do start pondering about the big day. In October and November we have over half our families birthdays too so I need to plan in advance.

So where do I start? If I see a reduced bottle of whisky, I'll pick it up for my grandad. I begin printing off a select few photos which I know I can frame as presents. In Summer and Autumn Sales I will have a mooch around and see if there is anything which would be useful to someone. Then, at this time of the year I will make a list and write ideas down next to it.

Last year I made a lot of my presents. I made cushions and cookie jar mixes. But I left a lot of it until last minute and it was a huge rush. I felt stressed!

The cookie jars I made last year

Last year I also found a lot of one off, unique gifts from TK Maxx that I was really impressed with and actually wanted to keep for myself. They were not over priced either.

I also don't like giving money as a Christmas present. I like to give a physical, thought filled present which will bring a smile to the recipients face. I try not to ask people want they want either as there is nothing more exciting than opening something you have no idea what small treasure hides within. Or they may think it is utterly revolting and wish they had just asked for money! Ha!

Over all I think this time of year is perfectly acceptable to begin planning Christmas presents and there is nothing wrong with picking up the odd gift or two. Or five.

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Awaiting Pay Day

I'm not sure about you but in our household we are very much looking forward to Friday. Why? Because it is our pay day!

This is usually about the time when people have spent up and need another installment of dosh. But in the meantime have no funds to do anything. This made me wonder why do most things cost money and what can we use in our own homes as substitute entertainment?

Don't get me wrong if we had a bit more money we would love more meals out rather than planning them in advance, lazy weekend coffee's and cake, cinema trips and a spot of shopping. But why do these things make us happy when we have a home, which we are paying for, full of so many things to do!

1) Cinema - I just about have a heart attack every time (albeit rare time) I go to the cinema. We went to our local Cinema De Lux wanting to watch Man of Steel. The only available showing was in 3D which came to £10.50 each! Then we had to buy our 3D glasses totalling £12 each. A lovely £24 was spent before we even considered buying a drink and/or food. Oh and parking was £1.80. Although we had a lovely evening on our last date night, we sort of felt deflated when we came home and realised we had a huge pile of DVD's in our cabinet that we hadn't seen for a long while. We could have bought a bar of chocolate, snuggled under the duvet and watched a film we probably couldn't remember much of for about a £1.

2) Friday night take aways - In our defence we rarely get take aways however we do occasionally think, sod it, let's not bother cooking and order something. I know it's all been said before but if you cook a curry or Chinese at home the cost of it goes down dramatically. I know the most part of the take away is not having to cook, but the positives out way the negatives. Healthier, probably tastier, cheaper food that you can tailor to just how you like. Even with the constant Pizza hut vouchers I get through my door, it doesn't make for a cheap pizza. For example, the other Friday night me and Luke cooked our own Pizza's for less than a fiver.

We did kind of cheat by using packet dough where you basically just add water. They are super cheap and you can get them from all supermarkets. We topped them with a mixture of passata and tom puree. We then added mini mozzarella balls, parma ham, basil and mushrooms. I added cherry tomato's as I didn't have sun dried!
I suppose the cheapest take away meal, if you have to, is Fish and Chips. I'm not saying its the healthiest but if you share a large chips and fish it doesn't cost the earth.

3) Meeting friends for coffee and cake - this is one of my main guilty pleasures. Forget the chain coffee shops, give me a one of a kind deli/artisan coffee shop and that is my weakness! I don't know if you know but I can't stand tea, it makes me feel sick at the smell but I do love coffee. But buying a nice coffee and piece of cake can set you back over £5 easily. I know that doesn't sound a lot but this doesn't include petrol, car park fees and treats you buy along the way to the coffee shop (or is that just me?) it all adds up. And considering you could make a whole cake from ingredients in your cupboard or buying a few things from the shop, you wouldn't be paying for one measly cake but a whole cake which could feed all your friends and family in your own home!

I love nothing more than in the evening having a warm bath, painting my nails, having a steaming hot cup of coffee and reading my book. At the weekends I make tasty, treat meals and watch film box sets or go out for an evening walk. If I have a day with no particular aim, usually I would fancy going to a shop, but now I like to clean the house or do a job which I have been meaning to do e.g. sewing and mending, cleaning the fridge or tackling the ironing pile. It makes me feel like I have had a productive day. I can bake cakes for next to nothing, visit the library for free, take Benjamin to the park and visit friends at their house.

I know this is making me sound boring and trust me, I used to be out most nights of the week/weekend if I could. But now I'm appreciating being in my own home and relishing what I have here and can use for free.

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What Bank Holiday's are all about

It feels like I haven't stopped today! My head hurts and my eyes are droopy. I think it has been quite humid today don't you? And muggy. I like the word muggy.

This morning I did an 8am food shop, came home and made a peaches and cream cake (recipe here) it took me a while to make and completely flopped. I've lost my baking mojo. The idea sounded amazing; classic vanilla super soft sponge mix, raspberry jam spread below a clotted cream layer which had been whisked into a frenzy with sugar and vanilla, topped with an upside down layer of sponge and juicy peaches. I wanted to call it a Peach Melba Cream Cake but I think the peaches were just too juicy and it all collapsed. So I decided to call it Peach Mess. You've got to give your cake a name!!

After cleaning up the mess, putting 3 loads of washing on and out to dry, sweeping all the floors and polishing the whole house I then nipped to see Luke's grandma as it was her birthday yesterday. (Luke was at work today, he wasn't just making me do all the jobs..) Then I went to Luke's parents where all his siblings and partners and children gathered and we had a BBQ. It was a lovely afternoon/evening.

My favourite moments of the day?
1) Over indulging in too much cake
2) Having a long awaited catch up with Luke's family
3) Benjamin getting excited as he spotted aeroplanes flew overhead.

My least favourite moment of the day?
1) My stupid cake that didn't turn out how I wanted it too. And yes I am sulking about this!

I hope you all had a glorious Bank Holiday Monday whatever you did

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My Friday Night

At 23 years old, anyone my age is usually getting ready for a night out or an evening spent with friends, after all it is a Bank Holiday weekend. There are celebrations to be had.
At work, colleagues my age tell me of their plans to travel and to see the world. To party under the moonlight and to embark on adventures all day. Other friends tell me of their career aspirations and how they see there journey's unfold.

But me? I'm all alone. Luke is on nights and Benjamin is cosy in his bed. I have no plans to travel and no plans to build a career.

Obviously before Benjamin I did. I wanted to do all of those things but having Benjamin has completely changed my perspective. It doesn't mean I have lost myself but it has made me realise what is important. Of course, one day I hope to see some more parts of the world but I want my family with me this time and yes, perhaps one day I can think about having a career again but for now I am raising my son. I don't believe in having children for other people to look after them.
And yes, I still see my friends but it is a lot harder to plan, especially with Luke being on nights. Everything has to be planned in advance.

So tonight, I am grateful to be where I am. I am so lucky to have Benjamin and there are so many exciting times ahead of us. I know I am not out partying or chilling with friends, at a bar with cocktails or seeing the latest film at the cinema (this becomes a rare occasion!) but I wouldn't change it for the world.

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A lovely day with lovely people

I am on a major budget until we get paid a week on Friday. Due to us going on holiday in the first week of the holiday (where we may have overspent slightly) and it being a 5 week month...well, lets just say the money I planned for us to have left at the end of the month is rather different to what is sitting in our bank account. Pfft.

This morning my mum and sister picked me and Benjamin up and whisked us off into town. My sister had her hair cut and whilst we waiting mum treated me to Valerie Patisserie. I had been eager to go since it opened in Westfield, Derby and overall it was a wonderful experience. A cafe in which you are waited on, you have a menu for your cakes and they also serve all day breakfast. Ace! I chose a Raspberry Tart and an Americano with milk and my mum had a warmed buttered scone. Whilst my mum said her scone was the best she had ever tasted, I wasn't so pleased with my tart. The pastry was so hard I had to saw through it with a knife and the raspberries were so tart and unbearably tangy, I had to scrape them off and left them. Usually I would say it is a crime to leave the raspberries! The only positive aspect of the tart was the creme patisserie layer. Maybe I'll have to visit again and try something else...

We also found some bargains in the pound shop! Remember this blog I did on Sally Bee? Her other book 'The Secret Ingredient' was in there. Yes, for just £1! It is still retailing online for £10. They also sell cake tin liners for £1. Not long ago I bought some from Morrisons for £4.99. I also purchased a revlon nail polish in a lovely summery coral colour.
I believe it is all about picking the right things. You would never have to know I purchased the above items from Poundshop. However, some of the food items are in smaller quantities so that they can retail for £1. I debated over whether to buy some After Eights, which are sold for £3.99 in Morrisons. Although they are one of my favourite treats, I can't justify spending that on a treat for myself. But the After Eights in poundland was about half the size of a normal packet and they also expired next month. I bought a packet anyway but to my dismay, they were covered in that white coating certain chocolate gets when it is nearing the end of its shelf life.

Anyway, this afternoon I visited Markeaton Park with my friends Judith and Kerryn. Benjamin had a run around and let off some steam after being strapped in the pram for a while and we chatted away. I spent £4.20 in all. £2 on 2 bottles of water for us to share, £1.50 on car park, and 70p on an ice lolly.

I then came home and spent some time with Luke, once he had woke up from his night shift. I then made a lovely hidden vegetable pasta sauce which everyone loves, especially Benjamin who has suddenly decided to become fussy and not eat any veg! This sauce contains 5 vegetable and pair it with wholeweat pasta you're onto a winner! I know I am showing you a lot of recipe's lately that don't include meat but that's because we can't really afford it! I do one or two meat dishes a week and the rest are veg dishes.

I have had a busy but successful day seeing lots of people I care about and have spent just under £8. I appreciate not everyone has family who can treat them like mine does but this makes me feel even more lucky.
I love nothing more than making the most out of my days away from work with Benjamin, friends and family. Now I can go to sleep happy.

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Pinterest

Still so many people I talk to haven't heard of Pinterest. Or they have heard of it but haven't looked at it yet. These people are missing out on a world of inspiration, a vast array of spark at their fingertips.

What is Pinterest you may ask? It is basically an online, virtual pinboard where you can search a handful of categories such as 'Home Decor', 'Travel', 'Health and Fitness' and so many more. From there it will reveal hundreds maybe even thousand of 'pins' which can inspire you and which you can, in turn, pin back onto your own customised pinboards.

For example, I have my own pinboard called 'I want to Make' and onto this board, I usually search through the 'DIY & Crafts' category and attach any of the 'pins' that get my creative juices flowing.

The pins can be clicked on and usually have a link back to the original website or blog it came from.

Does this all sound confusing? How can this benefit you?

In so many ways, it can open your eyes to so many new ideas which can influence your lay to day life. It can help offer you inspiration for a wedding or party, provide quick and simple exercise regimes and portray the latest beauty tips.

It can also help if you have your own business. It has plenty of marketing and packaging ideas, free fonts, business tools and tips and ideas to help you along your way. You can also advertise on Pinterest and people can attach it to their own pinboards to spread the word.

Did I mention people can follow you?

Yes, if they like the look of your pinboards they can choose to follow you as they obviously like what they see. You can also follow other people's boards. Usually, if you like one person's pinboard you're usually on the same wavelengths as them and end up following all their boards.

I do find I can spend hours on Pinterest and whilst it is exciting to look for new inspiration it is equally important to remember to look back at all the pins you already have attached to your boards.

You do have to sign up through Facebook but it doesn't post anything on your profile or news feed. I wouldn't sign up if it did! You can take a look at my Pinterest here! And even follow my boards if you fancy.

Why not share your boards so we can all have a look?

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Great British Bake Off Returns!

It is one of my favourite programmes (aside from One Born Every Minute and Long Lost Family) however I do feel this year that it is slightly tainted because of the Paul Hollywood scandal!

But I am hoping to put those feelings to one side and focus on the baking, the contestants and of course Sue and Mel who make me chuckle every time. I secretly always want to go out and buy new bake ware in pretty pastel shades and splurge out on a Kitchen Aid. Oh to dream!

Having been a huge fan of baking for the past 13 years, I've tried various amateur patisserie days and sugar craft classes. Before I fell pregnant I was booked in at Ashburton Cookery School in Devon to embark on a 3 week Professional Cookery Certificate course to become an all rounder cook and maybe venture on to specialise in patisserie/baking. Obviously that went down the pan and I had my deposit refunded once I found out, surprise, I was pregnant.

I actually downloaded the application form for last years GBBO. It was so in depth and you need to have tried everything and have your own flare and creations. You need to tell them the best bread you have made, cake, pastry item be it sweet or savoury, biscuit, tarts, pies and puddings. I think I had bakers block! I must admit I am not clued up on bread making yet and I don't ever make a show stopper cake. Good job I was pregnant so I couldn't apply!

Now that the show is returning I am having that urge to bake again, I want to taste all things lemon, almond, chocolate and strawberry. Butter biscuits, moist sponges and crumbly pastry.

Isn't it funny how with the change of seasons comes a change in appetite. I love zingy summer salads and sizzling BBQ's but I am already dreaming of winter pies and casseroles that just simmer in the slow cooker all day.

Who else is excited to start baking again with this years GBBO? Returning Tuesday 20th August.

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Sally Bee

Lately I'm feeling in a healthy mood and want to cook tasty, simple dishes that aren't too stodgy or fattening. Winter pies and casseroles are not far off round the corner so I want to make the most of lighter meals that all the family can enjoy.

My latest favourite cookbook is Sally Bee - The Recipe For Life, which is her second book following The Secret Ingredient.

The reason I enjoy her cookbook so much is because I love the philosophy behind it. A down to earth mother of three who, at the age of 36, experienced 3 heart attacks in one week due to a rare medical condition. From then on she ensured to have a healthy life style and introduce meals which would maintain a healthy heart. In her words 'a healthy lifestyle is your best insurance policy' and I am starting to really agree with this.

Especially now I have Benjamin I am getting increasingly interested in organic and healthy ways of living. I am hoping to do a post on this another time but for now I want to share with you one of the recipes I regularly make - Chicken and Rice. Most of her recipes use what the earth provides and are simple, quick and tantalising. They are also packed with nutrients.

Here we go.
 

Can you tell by the stains I use this recipe a lot?

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 x 400g tin chopped toms
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (I used dried)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 175g rice
• 750ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp tom puree
• juice of 1 lemon
• black pepper
• 100g frozen peas

I realise it looks like a long list of ingredients but most of them I am sure you will have in your store cupboard.

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180degreesC/350F/Gas mark 4
2) Fry the chicken breasts in an oven proof casserole dish with 2tbsp of olive oil, turning frequently until evenly browned (roughly 4-5 mins). Remove from the casserole dish and set aside.
3) Add the remaining oil and fry the onion until softened. Then add all the peppers and garlic until they start to soften. Add the paprika, bay leaves, tomatoes, thyme and oregano and stir in the rice. Fry for 1-2 mins.
 

A colourful dish

 

4) Next add the chicken or veg stock, tom puree, lemon juice and season to taste with the black pepper.
5) Return the chicken breasts to the casserole and push them down into the rice, cover and cook in the oven for 15 mins. Then add the peas and return to the oven for a further 10-15 mins ensuring the chicken is cooked throughout and the rice is tender.
6) Serve straight from the casserole dish. Sally suggests adding extra green veg but we eat it on its own. Bon appetite!
 

 

 

I didn't take a picture of the final dish as I was too eager to eat and basically I am just covering up for the fact I completely forgot.

I definitely recommend both her books and she also has a sweets and deserts book out which I haven't bought just yet. She does everything from full filling salads to satisfying soups and mouth watering meat dishes to freshly made fishy dinners.

Enjoy

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Little things

Today I ask myself, what has made me happy? What has bought a smile to my face? Little, unexpected things that didn't cost at all.

1) Seeing the black birds bobbing around my patio door, pecking at the bread crumbs i've left them so that Benjamin can see.
2) Eating local honey on toast for breakfast, tastes so much better than those supermarket mass produced honey's. The sweetness dances on my tongue.
3) Visiting my parents after work for a lazy, family filled, food feasting afternoon.

When was the last time you looked back at your day and spotted the small things that made you smile?

It's all about the little things

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Benjamin's Bookcase Makeover

As you know, we have been gradually doing up Benjamin's bedroom. In a flash, he has turned from being in a cot to being in his adult sized single bed and he needed a more grown up feel to his room.

Now, when Benjamin was born I didn't want to spend too much on his bedroom. I knew it wouldn't last long and he wouldn't remember any of it anyway. Near enough everything was second hand but because it is only used for a short period of time, it was all like brand new anyway! I know it is nice to have the whole Mamas and Papas range or the whole John Lewis nursery furniture collection but you can get some really nice pieces and for a lot cheaper elsewhere. You just have to browse around and use a bit of imagination.

I showed you how to make a few cheap changes here. And now I am going to show you the bookcase we have up cycled!

So this is the book case before. I spotted it in a charity shop for £30. It is solid wood and has a lovely traditional frame with lines carved either side at the front for detail. I scoured the internet for hours trying to find a reasonable priced book case that didn't just look like a box with a shelf in it. I wanted a bit of character to it but in order to get that, you have to pay a lot more money for it. I do like dark wood but it doesn't work in our small house so we decided to paint it. (Or rather Luke was ordered to paint it when I was poorly this week!)

And this is the finished book case!

I absolutely love it! Admittedly, it doesn't really fit in large books but it's only children's books that usually come in big A4 sizes! I quite like the mismatch look anyway.

We bought some white eggshell which was about £13 something and it was finished! A lovely book case which will last him for many years to come.

I hope one day that Benjamin is a big reader, I want him to read the classics and let his imagination run wild. I will definitely encourage reading as soon as he is able because I am sure once he gets a bit older he will get bored of it. Who knows.

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Khaled Hosseini - And the Mountains Echoed Book Review

After such a long wait for his latest book I can truly say I am rather disappointed with the result.

For those of you familiar with Khaled's work, he is a genius at story telling and his words flow into a magical swirl of enchantment, which creates emotion and a yearning to know the characters. Although this continues with his latest instalment, I feel it lacks the finesse.

I'll give you a brief overview of the plot. A brother and sister are separated and over years we follow the intricate tales of where their lives take them and where they end up. We begin to fathom their need for each other and their unbreakable bond and initially I was all set for another masterpiece.

However, the plot begins to lose its trail, we spiral further and further away from the main characters exploring so many other characters who, over generations and various countries, have some minute link to the brother and sister.

Whilst I enjoy books which flick between different characters or time periods, I found this book to be overwhelming and tiresome in keeping up with the current situation. There were too many characters which the reader is given extensive background information on and the story would still have the same effect, less a few paragraphs of pure description.

I still love Khaled's choice of vocabulary and his literary ability to allow the characters to come alive. Although the story itself did not materialise to the piece of magic I hoped for, as always his books are woven with a moral deep within. Family bonds are the root of this book and makes you reflect on your own.

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Detox Soup

I am starting to feel better! The penicillin is kicking into action and the pain killers are taking the whole pain away rather than softening the edges of it. I haven't really been fancying food but I decided to make a vitamin enriched lunch - Clean and Lean Minestrone by James Duigan.

Look at all that goodness! It will last me a few days and I can freeze it if I need to.

Today mostly consists of me resting and Benjamin climbing all over me asking me to play. Luke has been painting a book case we bought a while ago from a charity shop for £30. I will show you that once it is finished but I can tell you now, it's looking good!

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Out of Action...

...due to Tonsillitis. As suspected. I will attempt a post tomorrow when I can string a sentence together.

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Holiday Blue's and a Sore Throat

Bonjour! I'm home after a very long journey yesterday - leaving France at 6am and arriving at 8pm last night. Ouch. It is fair to say Benjamin was not pleased with the extended travel arrangements as I forgot to factor in traffic delays on a Sunday evening. Typical.

We had a wonderful holiday and the weather was good to us. It probably wasn't the most relaxing holiday as Benjamin seemed unsettled in the new surroundings and certainly didn't enter holiday mode like we all wanted to. But he was happy running off on the beach constantly and trying to sneak out of the caravan door when we had our heads turned. I wasn't stressed at all!


Luke didn't notice the wave when I asked him to smile for the photograph. 

Moules a la creme 

Le Petit Prince - how adorable!

However it was nice to be away and have a change of scenery, enjoy good French food and spend time as a family.

Since being back home I have been welcomed with a lovely sore throat and achy head - just keeping an eye out for tonsillitis symptoms as I get it quite often. However, I've been trudging along and accomplished 6 loads of washing as we had to take our own bed linens/towels etc to the caravan site. I see a large pile of ironing looming over me like a dark shadow but first - a spot of procrastination is in order - I wanted to update my blog.

Speak tomorrow

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Un Slip de Bain

Skimpy swimming trunks is what my title says and I will explain all in due course.

Later on this afternoon we are departing for our holiday. I am so very excited! This afternoon about 6pm we will drive down to Portsmouth and stay overnight (we are leaving so late so that Ben will sleep the most part) and tomorrow morning around 6am we catch the Fastcat Ferry to Le Havre in France. We are driving down through Le Mans, where we will stop off and have an amble round and then continue to Les Sables in Southern Vendee.

But earlier this week whilst looking through the paper work we came across a shocking piece of information. Men are only allowed to wear skimpy swimming trunks in any private pool and this applies to the location we are staying at. Now, every year we usually stay in the lovely Nice, Southern France and have never heard of such law. Oh yes, did I forget to mention it is actually a law?

Whilst searching an article about it on the Economist, I couldn't actually find a definite reason for it but the general gist is that it is to do with hygiene i.e you can walk around all day in swimming shorts and then jump into the pool and someone else actually suggested it was because they don't want to say any 'dangly bits' but I'm not quite sure how that is possible?

Now a lot of you will probably have heard of this law but I hadn't and we were totally unprepared. My dad is also coming with us on holiday and neither Luke or my dad are, well, lets say of skinny build so they were rather apprehensive about this discovery.

Also as French law, as we are driving down we have had to make sure we have a car bulb change kit, breathalyser kit and a GB sticker. Thank goodness we already have a high vis jacket and a triangle!

The reason I am writing this mundane post is to ensure you know exactly what to take or not to take, what you can wear or what you can't at your holiday destination. Make sure you read the paperwork as it might be in the small print.

Now, this is my last post until I return from my holiday next Sunday 11th August so don't miss me too much.
Don't worry I will post lots of pictures of my beautiful tan, which consists of my freckles joining into one and my nose being burnt.

I had better get practising my French...

AU REVOIR!

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Holiday Reading

You know that feeling when you have so much to do but not enough time and you secretly want to run away and hide. Yep? Well I'm feeling like that today. Saturday we go on holiday, tomorrow I am at work from 11-6 which leaves today as my main day to do everything.

And with Benjamin around I find it so difficult. Today I brought the suitcase down and began packing but Ben thought it was hilarious to empty everything out of it and get inside himself. I ironed all the clothes ready and Ben decided to knock all the piles of clothes over. So I decided to give up and focus on my holiday reading list instead. Procrastination I know.

My friend over at (A)My Space regularly does book reviews. It's not often you find a kindred spirit, someone who shares similar tastes in the same books as you but everything she has reviewed I want to read! The way she describes them too are brilliant. You must head on over and check her out.

I want to finish Khaled Hosseini - And The Mountains Echoed which is what I am currently reading. I will do a proper review once I have finished it but I'm almost half way through and I'm not as gripped as I have been with his past books.
I have also just bought The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke, which was reviewed and recommended by Amy and it sounded too good not to miss!

Even though I'm putting together my holiday reading, I doubt I will actually have time to read. I mean I won't be able to take my eyes off Benjamin near the pool or the sea as I don't want him to drown or get lost! I remember my mum used to moan when me and my younger sister were little because she couldn't relax at the beach as she was always keeping an eye on us. Now I understand!

But anyway, these are the books I will be taking and I will be sure to let you know how I get on!

What is on your holiday reading list? Are you the same with your children?

TTFN

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Et Voila, Wella!

I have very long, very fine, extremely thin hair.
In the past I have spent hours perfecting and styling it before I leave the house, using volumising mousse's, sprays, shampoo's, conditioners, large barrelled brushes, curling tongue's, rollers and more. You name it I will have tried it. Only to step out of the front door and one measly gush of wind will destroy everything I have created, leaving me with flat, limp hair once again.

Even if there is no wind in the air, I still at the end of the day manage to look the same. And it sucks. I have had my layers grown out so my hair is as thick as can be. I even once, to my distress, had my hair cut to shoulder length in the hope of thicker looking locks, when in fact it did nothing whatsoever. Until my hairdresser introduced me to...

Wella Oil Reflections. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! I haven't tried anything like it before. What scared me initially was that it was an OIL based product. My hair is very greasy and has to be washed every day. I literally cannot even go one day with a whole can of batiste on my hair!

But you apply two squirts to the palm of your hands and apply to your hair when wet, running your hands from the roots to the ends. It has smoothing, glossy shine and heat defence properties, something I need after hair drying every morning. Then you dry as normal and enjoy the sensual, sweet smelling, smooth hair. I didn't apply any more for 4 days after and it was still really soft. It is super lightweight and makes you feel like your hair isn't on your head! (Well it did for me anyway :s)

What it has helped with and I don't know if any of you new mums can relate to this, is it has helped smooth down some new hair which has regrown. Just after I gave birth to Benjamin, a little bit of my fringe fell out (actually without me knowing) and started to regrow and it literally sticks upright. I look like a baby chick! No amount of hairspray works and it has bugged me ever since, so this product is a lifesaver.

You can also apply this to dry hair. For example if you are popping out somewhere after work or don't have time to wash your hair for a night out, you can run 1-2 squirts from the middle of your hair down to the ends to give it a smooth, shiny finish without it looking greasy.

It contains Macademia seed oil, Avocado oil and Vitamin E and leaves you with the most wonderful smelling hair.

I definitely recommend this product if you have similar problems as me. It's currently on Amazon for £6.99 plus £1.95 delivery! Bargain!

TTFN

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