Brewing the Pox in North Norfolk

I've been looking forward to my holiday since last July when I booked it up. Yes, that's right, I did in fact book my annual one week in North Norfolk up 11 months in advance. That's how much I love going and look forward to it. I've been holidaying in North Norfolk since childhood. Having travelled all over the world (except America) I have now reached the stage where I don't even have a passport. I don't need one, I'm a creature of habit. I like going to The Peak District, the Isle of Mull, Dorset and North Norfolk. Not necessarily in that order. I'm happy with these choices. At the moment they suit us as a family, they are affordable, obtainable. We know what we are doing and where we are going, there is no stress, no panic over finding somewhere to eat, or wee and no surprises. Except this time there was.

Yes, that's right the weather has been fabulous, totally gorgeous, it included the hottest day of the year. We paddled in the sea, watched birds, climbed sand dunes, ate lollipops and fish and chips like it was going out of fashion. We talked about how much the towns have changed in the last fifteen years, from backward shops selling 1970's stock and pubs where you got served pate on toast with your beer, to shops which would not look out of place in Upper Street and gastro pubs serving mushy peas, as a sort of novelty. We hoped to go out on a boat trip to see the seals at Blakeney Point, Fifi has not done this yet and it has to be one of the best nature trips the UK has to offer. Even me, the girl whose glass is always half empty was starting to feel that this might be a really good holiday. Fifi and Toddler boy being at the age where, although they are hard work, they really enjoy and get involved in the moment. I love living vicariously and this was the holiday for that.

Except it wasn't, as we had to come home after a few short days due to a nasty bout of Chicken Pox which has knocked the little fella sideways and is brewing, multiplying with all its Machiavellian might in Fifi. I estimate that this illness will, if you include the cost of childcare which we wont be able to use, along with lost earnings and lost holiday amount to something in the region of just over £1000. And lets not forget the discomfort and misery it is causing the children and myself and the hubby by default. Now a Chicken pox jab, which I was going to take them for and was discouraged from doing so by my doctors cost £80 per child and obviously prevents the illness. I am starting to think that the Doctor is only right about 20 % of the time. Roll on June 2011.

Brewing the Pox in North Norfolk

Ketchup; proven to assist with the prevention of wrinkles

She isn't wearing a top as she had covered herself head to foot in paint about 30 minutes before lunch. Yes, Fish fingers and ketchup was a really good choice, especially since I decided not to use the highchair and I have cream sofas and carpets...

Ketchup; proven to assist with the prevention of wrinkles

The English Make Remarkably Good Pirates; Will the Budget Make a Difference?

I had to contact the hubby yesterday in an emergency. All this talk of budget cuts and football had finally sunk in. Christ! The mortgage, we are stretched to our very limits on an unfortunate 5.75 % fixed rate mortgage. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it's due to renew next year. Or at least it was, panic, what if the interest rate goes sky high likes it did in the 1980's. We, like many other ordinary middle-class families would be well and truly stuffed.

There is no lea-way in our budgeting. I go to shops look at lovely things that pre-children I would have easily been able to afford and now it's a real dilemma whether to by them or not. I saw a pair of shoes the other week, they were reduced from £130 to £50. I have lusted after them ever since. I earn a reasonable salary, 5 years short of my age, hubby is a chartered accountant. We should be rich. We are far from it, the mortgage takes the majority of our combined salaries. We are stuck, we can't live anywhere else as our jobs are here, our house is not expensive for where we live, it's average.

So back to mortgages, well research indicates that the rate should stay at around 3% until at least 2012. That's fairly good news then. Like many other families we will make further cut-backs on the shopping bill if the budget impacts on us. Although the hubby seems to think that we fall into a weird bracket combination of taxes, lack of benefits and so forth that it will probably have little impact, other than more expensive shopping. The slight worry is my local government job, but since I have trained as a childminder I have a back-up plan. Pensions? Well, I think we may just have to forget about them and if we make it to 70 we will be living in a tent at the seaside.

The only other alternatives I can see for this government is to adopt historical precedents. I do believe that the Plantagenet invasions of Northern France proved quite successful and the English make remarkably good pirates.

The English Make Remarkably Good Pirates; Will the Budget Make a Difference?

Lessons I Have Learnt This Weekend

The end of the week was great, not only was this little blog proclaimed one of the Top Ten mummy blogs in the UK, it was also given the honour of a lovely write-up on the Tesco fashion blog. Hooray! Then the weekend started badly with a series of disasters, since my glass is always half empty I was filled with trepidation about what was to come. I wasn't disappointed when I very nearly knocked myself out in the car, I hit my head with such force that I was very nearly sick. Even the children made a small attempt at sympathy.

Lesson 1; Check the sun visor is up before you bend forward to check in the glove compartment when in the car.

The weekend continued with the event of the season. A 40th birthday party. This required me to dress up in my finest WAG gear (£7) from H & M, but accessorised with a genuine Mui Mui handbag and a small soft toy dog (10p). I was accompanied by none other than David Seaman wearing his goalkeeping outfit and a £1.99 fake moustache. Despite all my protestations otherwise, I actually dislike going out nowadays. My favourite nights are those spent inside with a Chinese takeaway and a good film. It took a gargantuan effort for me to pull it together and go out.

Lesson 2: Things are alright once you step outside the front door, however ridiculous you look.

Having now experienced party's thrown by people in nearly every possible decade I can fairly positively say that when one gets to 40 you throw caution to the wind and go for it. Very, very sensible people were dressed up to the nines, throwing their shapes on the dance floor in a much more confident way than I am sure they would have done as teenagers. The party was great, probably one of the best I have ever been to, despite not having much to drink as I was driving.

Lesson 3: By the time you get to 40 ish you are confident in yourself.

The weekend improved when the hubby (who had been so drunk he actually lost his fake moustached) actually got up with Fifi when she woke up early.

Lesson 4; Keep breathing regularly and deeply girls...

There you have it, make sure you don't concuss yourself in the car, make the effort and go out, you get more confident with age and it's quite easy to pull the same trick that men do. Not rocket science, but perhaps worth re-iterating. I'll leave the rest of my weekend to your imagination...

Lessons I Have Learnt This Weekend

Review: iStyle Originals Baby wear

I was contacted by iStyle originals who make accessories and clothing which pays homage to the iconic branding that Apple have developed and asked to review one of their baby vests. Initially I was skeptical about doing it as they are based in Canada. However, they explained to me that they were shortly to get some UK suppliers, but in the meantime they provide a very prompt delivery service from Canada. The images of the products were so cute, that frankly I couldn't say no!

As promised, my baby vest for Fifi arrived promptly and was nicely packaged. The box that it came in makes a nice gift package, which is where I think this product excels. Quite simply, if you know anyone who is in love with their Mac, iPhone, iPod, then this is the place for their birthday/ Christmas present. You even get a really funny little card insert with instructions on how to use the product. It's a genius idea.

In terms of quality, the fit was perfect and the styling great, although if your little one wears cloth nappies it might be a bit of a squash. I have slight reservations on how long the beautifully soft cotton fabric will last. If you have ever owned an American, Canadian or Australian ring spun cotton item of clothing you will know that it's a completely different sort of cotton to the tough stuff we are used to here it the UK. It's lovely quality, just not as robust.

Frankly it's the logo that makes this product. Fifi has been wearing it a lot, she has had loads of positive comments and lots of people have asked me where I bought it. I think that speaks volumes. If you are Mac fan, I just know that you will get one.

Review: iStyle Originals Baby wear

Giveaway: Tana's Kitchen Secrets Winners

This week we have had some fabulous food thanks to this cookery book and I hope all the above winners enjoy it as much as I did. I have allocated each commenter a consecutive number and generated the above numbers. So, here they are:
Hannah 1981
Cosmic
Karin

I'll be in touch. COSMIC please get in touch with me as soon as possible.

Giveaway: Tana's Kitchen Secrets Winners

You Couldn't Make It Up

Fifi has a fascination with my make-up, unlike her brother who has and still has, absolutely no interest in it, Fifi will go straight to my make-up bag unzip it and help herself. I regularly find her going through my handbag trying to find a lip- stick or similar. Now, she is only a year and a half and is keen on rampaging, so it might be that she has realised that it makes a fine mess, or she might have begun to want to imitate me. Who knows?

What I do know is that she is a master at using it for decorative purposes. This week alone she has taken the opportunity to customise my make-up bag itself, apply eyeshadow in vast quantities to my bed and the carpet and use lipstick on the front door. It's impressive as this has all been done in the few seconds when I have popped to the loo or gone to help her brother get up. This little girl is proving a whole new learning curve!

You Couldn't Make It Up

The Bane of My Life; Part Two Featuring Toilets

Silly me, this never occurred to me. Not one bit. Not at all. You see, the frequency that I visit shops since having children has declined in such a way that if you were to plot it, you would get a sort of inverse ski slope. I now do the vast majority of my shopping on the Internet; books, clothes, music, food and even make-up. In fact, I could probably live quite well without ever venturing outside of my house.

Occasionally needs must and it's nice to have a little mooch about, which is what we did today. Now, there are a few toys which have been at times, the absolute bane of my life, a sort of living hell embodied in plastic, there was the Hound of Hell and now the Ben 10 Omnitrix. Now I have a new adversary the 'child friendly' shop without a toilet. Lets face it, Britain in 2010 is not the most child- friendly sort of place, and generally it seems to be standard practice to put the children's clothes upstairs. This means that you can use even more electricity and contribute even more to global warming by having to use the lift. The lift is usually an old goods lift which has a few promotional posters stuck over the peeling paint with yellowing sticky tape. There is always a fit person with two legs wearing running clothing and trainers waiting to get into the aforementioned lift in front of you. They expand to fill every single centimetre of space, so that you can't fit in with your pushchair as well.

Back to the point, a walk around the shops seems to bring on the wee in toddler boy and the motion of a lift brings it right to the point of explosion. Today he emerged from the lift in a large high street family friendly chemist hopping up and down with desire to wee. I asked the nearest shop assistant if there was any chance that he could use their loo. I explained the conundrum, that he was tiny, only just potty trained and was literally about to wet himself there and then. I was greeted with 'sorry no'. I explained that he really was about to wet himself, he was visibly hopping and rocking. To no avail; 'its more than my jobs worth...' Arggggh! When did this happen? This total jobs worthy lack of common sense, empathy and customer service which seems to afflict most shop assistants. Anyhow, accidents remarkably didn't happen, although I did try to get him to wee in the doorway (he refused and went for the alley way). I can see this lack of toilets in public spaces becoming a real pain in the proverbial arse.

With this is mind I am tempted to start another campaign, it shall be based on the novel but somehow reactionary idea of encouraging your toddler to wee in the doorway/ window of any large shop which sells children and baby products but does not provide an emergency toilet. There's a lot of wee out there and a lot of shops which lack this fundamental resource. Anyone want to be campaign secretary?

The Bane of My Life; Part Two Featuring Toilets

Andrex® , Facebook, Cute Puppy's and Some Fab Prizes to be Won

This week, I was contacted by the PR company representing Andrex, the nation’s favourite toilet tissue. They wanted to let me and my readers know about a fantastic new Puppy promotion exclusively on Facebook. Since I collect puppy points, use Facebook and scour the internet for competitions I imagine many of my readers also do these things. There are some fab prizes up for grabs and the Facebook page looks really cute. It's a win- win for everyone.

What do you need to know then? Well, each of the 6,500 fans of the Andrex Puppy’s Facebook fanpage will have the chance to win one of thirty top prizes every day, with a total value of over £20,000, simply by entering a fun competition.

Top prizes include Nintendo Wii Consoles, X-Box 360s, Sony Cybershot Digital Cameras, Nintendo DSi consoles, Sony Playstation 3s, gift vouchers up to the value of £150 from a number of retailers including Next, M&S and Tesco and much much more.

Smaller prizes also include money off coupons and Andrex Puppy goodies including pyjamas cases, hot water bottles, cuddly toys and slippers.

To enter, all fans have to do is play the new ‘Pup-o-matic’ game. Similar to a slot machine, the fruit symbols have been replaced with the Andrex Puppy and his ‘Soft’, ‘Strong’ and ‘Long’ friends that feature in the new Andrex advertising campaign – a chihuahua, a bulldog and a sausage dog. Matching dogs means prizes.

For a chance of winning, visit www.facebook.com/theandrexpuppy and enter the competition today. Best of Luck! The competition runs from 15^th June to 5^th July 2010.

This is a sponsored post

Andrex® , Facebook, Cute Puppy's and Some Fab Prizes to be Won

Quick and Simple No Sugar Banana and Sultana Cake Recipe

Banana cake is a brilliant thing; it's fruit and wholesome and healthy and lovely and you can feed it to a toddler in a fairly guilt free manner. Now, I first came across this recipe when I was a bit more virtuous than I am nowadays at The Yoga Hall in St Albans. Their version is here, it's a lovely, healthy scrumptious feast of a thing. But hey, that is all that I am not, so of course it has been modified to the taste of the Being a Mummy Household.

• 4 bananas mashed, but not too much as lumpy bits of banana really add to the cake- honest!)
• 2 beaten eggs
• About 4 generous handfuls of sultana (much more juicy than raisins!)
• 3/4 teaspoon of mixed spice
• 75 g of butter
• 115g of self-raising flour

Basically you mix the eggs and banana together, add the rest and mix it all up. Put it all into a greased and lined cake tin and stick it in the oven for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade.

This is a good recipe to get the kids involved with, who doesn't like mashing a banana? It also tastes really lovely warm with a bit of clotted cream.

Quick and Simple No Sugar Banana and Sultana Cake Recipe

Giveaway: Tana's Kitchen Secrets

I tend to use a couple of cookery books (Good Housekeeping and Annabel Karmel mostly) and on the whole, make up my own recipes. This is why my cooking is infamous, mostly for being burnt. It's not my fault, it's just that I get a bit distracted wander off, do something else, then add something that doesn't go. Dining at my house is an experience, some people are even brave enough to come back again. If nothing else, there is always the comedy moment when I open a kitchen cupboard to be flattened by an avalanche of gadgetry, all of which has one part missing, none of which I use.

So, when Tana's Kitchen Secrets arrived for me I was a little filled with trepidation, it looked so nice, was it for me? Well, that evening I set to reading and found it one of the best cookery books I have ever read. Why? Well, it tells you exactly what you need in your cupboard, there's lots of little short cuts and best of all the recipes are for food that you would actually want to eat. They are mostly simple with just a few easy to obtain ingredients. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this cookery book provides all those recipes that you really want in one book. From easy bread rolls to the scrumptious salmon with spaghetti. It's full of those basics which you know that you should know how to cook, you just don't.

I genuinely love it, it's a fantastic book, I've had the kids making bread rolls and gingerbread men and the husband is looking forward to spicy chicken wings and haddock risotto. I actually have read it, and then re-read bits of it and I now feel so much more at home in the kitchen than I have ever done before. Thank you Tana. It's also beautifully presented, so what more could a girl want. Gush, gush, gush. I'm rushing off to see what else she has written!

Anyway, I have 3 copies of the book to giveaway. To be in with a chance just leave a comment on the blog with details on how I can contact you. The winners will be selected by random number generator next Sunday. UK residents only I'm afraid.

You can buy it here.

Giveaway: Tana's Kitchen Secrets

Review; Kosmea Clarifying Facial Wash

Kosmea are an Australian skincare brand, I love Australian beauty products they seem so much more wholesome than UK/ US ones. So when I was asked by the fabulously useful website Green Kiddie if I would like to review some Clarifying Facial Wash I jumped at the chance. It's also very rare that I get asked to try products for me, it's always stuff for the kids. PR companies take note; mummy's need loving too!

I really like Bloom cosmetics, but I had not heard of Kosmea before. Kosmea were started by an Australian mum and the company aims to be the number one natural skincare company in the world. They are SLS free, petrochemical free and have no artificial colours, fragrances or mineral oils. All good stuff.

The facial wash proved to be a joy to use, it was luxuriant (if a bit runny) and smelt fabulous. I really did feel as if I had had a facial in a salon, as I was left with that lovely smell you get from salon quality products. I suffer quite badly from pregnancy caused Acne Rosaea which has not cleared up. I have tried a range of different products and even antibiotics to sort it out without much success. However, I am told that rose hip oil is a miracle oil for this sort of thing. I can't say that I have noticed a great deal of change yet, however it has certainly not aggravated my skin like some other products and so I am pinning my hopes on it.

All in all, I think that this product really is a treat and I am going to investigate the other Kosmea products further. It's a bonus to find another good quality organic Australian brand and you can find it in the UK here.

Review; Kosmea Clarifying Facial Wash

Potty Training The Lazy Way

I had been fretting a bit about the potty training. Then I gave up. A couple of weeks ago it was just me and Toddler boy at home for about half an hour. He was a bit constipated. I put him on the toilet seat with a packet of crisps and the promise of a Power Rangers outfit as incentive and had a result! From that moment onwards the boy was potty trained. In the last two weeks we have had 1 accident (resultant of the relief from coming home after a long car journey).

It seems to me that he was capable for some time and it was just a matter of confidence. But who cares, I've not had to clear up any accidents, I've not had to stay at home, life has continued as normal. The slightly lazy way is arguably the best!

I suggest that this may be the way to go if you are having similar concerns.

Potty Training The Lazy Way

The Benefit of Hindsight; Putting Yourself First

The last few weeks I have found myself in a position where I do feel completely comfortable with my parenting methods. There are a whole multitude of personal and private reasons for this, but on the whole, I have simply realised that in fact, the decisions that I make are my own and as long as I am happy with them and my children are happy, that is all that matters.

I have spent virtually my entire parenting career comparing myself to other mums and thinking that I should listen to the health visitors/ doctors/ renowned authors advice rather than just using my own instincts. I felt under far too much pressure from the NCT to breastfeed, have a particular lifestyle, have a certain income. So to all of you out there that are plagued with similar sorts of worries. I think that its alright to;

• Let your children watch television when you want to do something other than play with them

• Feed them plain pasta with grated cheese on the top, or fish fingers and oven chips and haribo sweets (when necessary)
• Clothe them in the cheapest/ second hand things going and let them be mis-matched
• Refuse to take them to playgroups/ coffee mornings etc with people you have nothing in common with- why should you?
• Have a lie in bed with them rather than get up the instant they wake up
• Provide constant activities. A few select quality ones are better
• Not provide a 100% organic diet
  
• Remove a large chunk of the toys from your living room to regain some adult space
• Spend money on yourself

And most importantly of all; put yourself first.

Funnily enough, this is something that my mother has been telling me all along. My kids seem happier and I feel happier. Therein lies todays lesson.

The Benefit of Hindsight; Putting Yourself First

Cheap and Easy Light Catchers

I'm on an economy drive, but we love doing crafty things in this house and whats more, I've had two additional little ones to keep occupied recently. I'm a bit sick of making endless reams of wrapping paper and cards and robots and so on. So, the other morning I had some sort of genius moment and we made some really easy light catchers. Funnily enough, the same moment happened to my lovely friend and former colleague half way around the world in Perth Australia as she made some too!

Necessity is the mother of all invention and so instead of using OHP paper, I used clingfilm, but you could use an old freezer bag equally as well if you use up a bit more sticky tape to attach it to the frame.

• Basically make a frame out of cardboard by cutting strips of it and sticky taping them together
• Then wrap some clingfilm tightly around the frame
• Cut out some tissue paper shapes (or use sweet wrappers)
• Give all these components to your children along with some PVA glue.

This will equal at least twenty minutes of quiet fun, some interesting designs and something to give away to the grandparents as a little unusual gift.

My kids efforts feature in the image above, however Garden Girl made a very impressive flower design. I reckon that the bigger you make them the better, just think; you could make roman mosaic designs, Monet's waterlilies or even spooky faces.

Cheap and Easy Light Catchers

Review; Disney Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland

Today I have let my husband loose on the blog, its only fair as he is a big Alice fan, over to him:

Alice in Wonderland is one of my very favourite childrens books. I've lost count of how many times I read it as a child- I certainly know it better than almost any other book. I'm also a huge fan of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, and Tim Burton and Johnny Depp working together too. Sleepy Hollow is in my top three films of all time ever, and whilst Icabod Crane isn't exactly honest to the source material, it is a cracking yarn.

So Alice in Wonderland, my favourite childrens book, coupled with my favourite director and leading actor should have given me the goosebumps and possibly lead to some sort of swooning.

The film has already courted controversy, one cinema chain threatened to boycott it entirely because the studio wanted to get it out on to blu ray and DVD rather sooner than is the norm and, horror of horrors, its not a straight adaptation of the book, rather a pseudo sequel (ignoring Through the Looking Glass) set thirteen years later.

Fortunately this doesn't stop Alice in Wonderland for being a rather excellent film. My initial dismay at the lack of reverence the source material was given was soon dispelled by the fantastical world that Burton has created. I believe it's his most CGI'd film to date but it doesn't really intrude that much. In fact the visual effects are often playing second fiddle to the costumes which are fabulous. The wifey tells me that ASOS even did a whole range of clothing inspired by the costumes! Special mention must be given to the Mad Hatter and his apparel- and to his eyes which change colour to reflect his mood- he looks magnificently bonkers as Alice would say.

In fact you can see how bonkers the Hatter is here.

The film follows Alices return to Wonderland as a faux adult at 20 years old. Wonderland is a decaying mess under the tyranny of the Red Queen who is both wonderfully and disturbingly played by Helena Bonham Carter. Matt Lucas is great as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, albeit coming across as a little more simple than I thought they should have.

The world is pretty vivid, both in terms of absolutely gorgeous colours and also larger than life characters- a typical Tim Burton world in that sense then.

I think the only thing that stops it being the film I really wanted it to be is a lack of focus. It's unsure where it wants to be a full blown dark adult film or a slightly creepy kids film and on occasion Depp, Hathaway and Bonham Carter cross the line into giving the younger ones nightmares. Which would be fine if it wasn't for the Mad Hatters slightly odd dance at the end which seems a bit tacked on.

Nevertheless, its a cracking film and well worth owning on blu ray if you ask me.

Review; Disney Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland

Being an Auntie

My baby niece has finally been born. I am full of joy, she is beautiful and my lovely sister looks tired but is coping valiantly. I went to visit them and could not believe how tiny she is and how maternal I think I have become over the last few years. She felt so at home in my arms I wanted to run away with her. I felt able to cope, I knew what to do and how to help my sister. I was a lovely feeling, rather different from when I was in hospital with toddler boy, feeling totally scared and unable even to work out how to put a nappy on him.

Its amazing how much you change as a parent between baby one and two, with toddler boy I felt unsure of everything, unable to do much and very very scared. With Fifi, I took it all in my stride, I felt more secure in my choices and more confident that she would keep breathing and that she was eating enough. I think it helped that the birth of Fifi was easier than Toddler boy's, that is the benefit of a really good midwife. The importance of which is underestimated.

This is my first time being an auntie and I really hope it won't be the last. I shall pledge to try to provide a warm and friendly face for my niece, someone who she can talk to with things she feels are too embarrassing to talk to her mummy and daddy about. I am sure that my children will welcome another person to play and fight with and to lead astray (that specifically applies to Fifi's influence).

Being an Auntie

Flexibath Competition Winners

Thank goodness for Random Number Generator as I would never have been able to pick from such a lot of fab entries. Anyhow, in the interest of not spending my entire afternoon cutting and pasting and photo-shopping I have not got images so you'll just have to believe me on this, the winners are:

Melanie
Mrs C
Chrissie
BabynotIncluded
Mirka
Glowstars

If you have won, please email or DM over your address ASAP so I can get your bath posted out to you.

Keep an eye on the blog, I've got a few really good competitions coming up soon and for those of you that didn't win on this one, Becky over at Baby Budgeting is running her own Flexibath competition this week!

Flexibath Competition Winners

Breakfast

Shreddies on the carpet
Cheerios on my chin
Cornflakes in her hair
Toast, it's in the bin

Breakfast