Monday 20 February 2012

11 Questions challenge




I have been tagged by http://glasgowmummy.blogspot.com/  to complete the '11 Questions' meme that is currently doing the rounds :-)

Here are the rules:

  • You must post these rules
  • Answer the questions the 'tagger' listed for you in their post and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
  • Choose 11 people to tag and link them to the post
  • Let each blogger know you've tagged them.

Here are the questions I've been set and my all important answers...

1. Have you ever been pulled over by the traffic police?

I have luckily never been pulled over by the police thankfully, i have been a passenger when my husband was pulled over for driving too slowly lol

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I would definitely live in Australia if i could , i love everything about Australia, laid back lovely people lots of sunshine and i absolutely love the interiors so inspiring .

3. What is your favourite flavour of crisps?

Does anyone remember fish and chip crisps from childhood these are my favourite crisps of all time its criminal they are not made anymore. I had a real craving for them when pregnant and did a search to see if you can get them anywhere. I did find I'm not alone in my love of them there is an on line petition to bring them back maybe other pregnant women with nostalgic cravings ? http://www.petitiononline.com/bbbfac/petition.html

4. What's the last movie you watched?

The last film i watched was finding Nemo with little E yesterday afternoon this is such a lovely family film.

5. What is your favourite thing to wear?

My favourite thing to wear is jeans i always feel comfortable in jeans you can dress them up dress them down and they go with anything. I do also love getting the chance to wear a dress and heels this does not happen very often these days but i love to get dressed up for a party or a wedding to feel feminine instead of the usual practical mum attire.


6. What does your last text message say?

That would be lovely xx 

7. What were you doing at 12 noon yesterday?

This is a tall order i have a terrible memory can't remember what was for breakfast today let alone what i was doing yesterday, however as I work on Saturdays in an estate agent i do remember for a change  i was showing a young couple round a house that they absolutely loved.

8. What is your most treasured memory?

My Dad sadly passed away when i was only 8 years old and as i was young i have very few memories of him which is a real shame but one i do remember is a party we went to i was wearing a red dress with green apples on  and my dad gave me balloons to match my dress. We ate lots of cakes and ran around playing party games and had a lovely afternoon. This memory always makes me feel happy even though it makes me miss him when i think of it.

9. What do you think is the single best decision you've made in your life so far?

I have said this before in a listography post but my best decision was leaving my job and boyfriend and working in Greece for a summer with friends. This is where i met my husband and nineteen years and a little boy later we are still together so you could say working in Greece changed my life.

10. Do you have a pet?

I have a  old man cat called Nino, he is 17 and we have had him since our first home. He is a gorgeous loving big softy and adores little E as you can see in the photo above.

11. What is on your bedside table?

At this moment in time it is empty as we are decorating the bedroom but usually it has a book or magazine and a bedside lamp. The book I'm currently reading is how to say no and mean it (toddler taming) its a good job little E can't read yet as I'm sure he would rip it to shreds in a tantrum !!


That's my 11 questions answered now i need to set the questions for the following bloggers who i hope will have the time to join in.
http://www.loveinthenest.co.uk/
http://crystaljigsaw.blogspot.com/
http://katetakes5.blogspot.com/
http://1978rebecca.blogspot.com/
http://www.bizzymumsblog.com/
http://www.mammasaver.com/
http://peagreenpantry.blogspot.com/
http://older-mum.blogspot.com/
http://sandycalico.blogspot.com/
http://sarahsmomentstotreasure.blogspot.com/
http://mammasaurus.co.uk/

My 11 questions for you are ..............

1.  If you won the lottery what is the first thing you would buy and why.
2.  Whats the best book you have ever read.
3.  Marmite do you love it or hate it
4.  Whats a perfect day for you
5.  If time travel was possible where would you go and what would you do
6.  Do you have any phobias
7.  Whats the craziest thing you have ever done
8.  What item would you be lost without
9.  What drives you crazy
10. If you could bring one thing back from childhood what would it be
11. What are your plans for today

On your marks get set go xxx

Thought of the day...................... Through asking questions you learn something new everyday!






Friday 17 February 2012

Grooving mums, time to love yourself




This week I'm taking part again in the grooving mums challenge and its something i really need to do . I need to take some time out to discover how i can look after and love myself better as currently feel I'm running on empty and I'm no use to those i love if I'm not loving myself.
I realise i have not been looking after myself properly for quite some time now and the day after we moved house my body told me it could not carry on and a virus quickly turned to bronchitis and having suffered previously with pneumonia my body just gave up on me. I'm on the mend now apart from the racking cough i just cant seem to shift that is really effecting my sleep.
Its all been a bit of a wake up call and made me realise i can,t carry on as i have been i need to raise my own energy levels before i can give more to others.

I need to look after my body better its the only one I'm going to get and in a few weeks it will be 40 years old and i appreciate i cant treat it as i did in my twenty's. The positive step i am taking here is I have booked myself an appointment with a nutritionist as this helped me to mend after little E was born when anaemia, pneumonia and pnd took there toll. The nutritionist was amazing she really helped me turn things round even helping with pnd. I lost all my baby weight and looked years younger after seeing her so hopefully she will put me back on the right track again as currently look around 100!

I am setting my standards way to high i do need to be more realistic on what i can achieve and spend more time on the things i love and can change rather than stressing myself on mundane things that don't really matter or the things i cant change. I need to balance my time a bit better and not feel guilty for some spending child free time on something just for myself. I'm long over due a beauty treatment or a hair appointment I'm going to have a restyle and colour in time for my big birthday.

I'm sure between the nationalist and the hair dresser i will feel a million times better and will bounce back and we be able to spread love to those i care about once again.

I think things happen for a reason and in a bizarre way i needed to be ill to slow down and realise how hard i have been pushing myself lately.

If like me you realise its time to love yourself more why not hop over to
http://kateonthinice.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/will-you-love-yourself-this-valentine-day/ and join in with the lovely grooving mums.

Thought of the day............... You can't love anyone else till you take care of yourself

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Listography favourite mugs



Listography has given me another excuse to encourage you to pop the kettle on and join me for a cup of tea!! Here are my favourite mugs to hold that perfect cuppa and ideal for dipping those top 5 biscuits into.

1. My favourite  is a very special one of a kind keepsake mug that i was given on my first mothers day. It means a lot to me that my husband was really thoughtful and took my little boy to get his hand print done and have it painted with happy first mothers day. I love this mug very much but don't use it very often as I'm scared to break it and would never be able to replace it. So instead of holding tea i guess this mug holds my heart.




2.   My next favourite is a simular mug that belongs to my husband that i bought for him when i was pregnant and for some bizarre reason i put it in my hospital labour bag. I'm not quite sure what use i thought it would be in the labour ward! but i thought it would be sweet for him to get a present for all his huffing and puffing lol. Needless to say it nearly got broken before he received it when he was frantically emptying out the bag for the really needed items. However it survived and gave him a chuckle at the appropriate time and lightened the mood of a very fraught labour.



3. Next are my everyday mugs they are not very exciting but they are the perfect comfort mugs. That sounds a bit mad i know but a comfort mug is a decent sized chunky mug with a rounded bottom!  This style of mug holds the perfect amount of tea and its comforting to warm your hands round !


4.  The next choice is the last remaining one in a set we had of Jamie Oliver mugs. I loved these again comfort mugs with witty quotes on such a shame we are a clumsy bunch and the others met a sorry end. This one is always the one i put by the kettle last thing at night ready for a morning cuppa. I'm not a morning person and i need a cup of tea to turn me from monster into Mummy.



5.  Finally is my better be an angel and detox a bit mug! I love the design on this mug its a bone china smaller mug that i had as a gift its an ideal herbal tea mug for those days when i feel i need to be a little angel and ease off the caffeine.




I hope you enjoyed your tea with me its always lovely to hear from you feel free to comment and say hi and if you would like to have a go at your own listography hop over to http://katetakes5.blogspot.com/ and join in.


Thought of the day................. Tea makes everything better xx

Wednesday 1 February 2012

A horse and cart would be quicker



I am just writing a quick post this evening before i lose Internet access for a couple of weeks. We are led to believe we live in modern times however it would appear its going to take orange at least two weeks to reinstate our Internet into our new house !!!

I am sure if i was alive 100  years ago a loaf of bread would of been delivered faster by horse and cart from lands end to John O Groats! We have let large company's take over the world and we seem to of taken big leaps forward with the technology and giant strides back with  customer service.

Good old fashioned customer service does exists thanks to the independents and small businesses and i support these as much as i can.

 I still use a milkman and what a superhero he is no matter how early little E is up and no matter what the weather he never lets me down. He stocks all sorts i just leave a note out and get anything from bread to compost delivered to my door while i sleep. This is far more convenient than a supermarket and far less stressful!

I don't know about anyone else but the supermarket is the most stressful place on the planet for a mother. I always feel like the woman in the advert that throws the tantrum on the floor while the toddler looks on bemused. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6XZ-0ns2yA

I remember when i was small visiting the independent green grocer, butcher etc with my mum and if i was good we went on to the newsagents for penny sweets. I was of course a little angel in the boring shops to make it to the news agent. Roll forward to 2012 and a mum does not stand a chance with sweets at till points and towers of crisps as soon as we walk in.

Little E had a major tantrum about a Easter egg just inside the supermarket front door a mere week after Christmas, why do i need an Easter egg four months before the event ?  I'm still recovering from mince pies!

 Anyway i refused little E a treat as he had been so naughty and while i was distracted paying he took a chunk out of a kinder egg at the till in a brave attempt to get his own way. Please supermarkets help us mums out and put something useful by the till everyday essentials that we may of forgotten when we dashed past the aisle running after the escaping child.

I really want to see this year what other great small businesses are out there to make life easier like my milkman does. I'm really looking forward to trying new things and supporting local business and breaking free from the old routine.

Although i won't be able to reply for a couple of weeks its always lovely to hear your comments and stories and i will catch up again on the other side!!


Thought of the day ...................  Good old fashioned service !