Sunday 30 November 2014

Project 365 Week 48 23rd - 29th November


Sunday

During my break between shifts I go into the library where I can access the free wifi, take along my notebook, my radio and just do whatever. It helps to pass the time. Took this on instagram but could not work out how to crop it and get my watermark on so you have it as is.  





Monday

I have started using the Avene cream I got last week. I have to say I was surprised at just how little of the product you need. This is more than enough to do both my hands and my face, sparingly works well. Certainly helps to make it affordable.  




a small blob of cream



Tuesday

I listen to my local radio as I like both the era of music they play as well as the patter of the presenters. Morning quizzes, music maestro, and various competitions all add to the listening enjoyment. I had entered one of the competitions and was third out the win bin, nice to hear your name called out as a winner. DH always liked the Eurythmics so this was a good win.


the cd I won



Wednesday

We have been saying for a while we need to get down to see Gran and take her some flowers, So as it was a dry day we decided to pop down. We did a couple of cache and dashes while we were out and then popped in to see other relatives that still stay in the area. 

The gruesome twosome did come to visit tonight but sharing Gran instead. 



flowers for Gran


Thursday

Is normally the day the older two come round but Bob and Dinky are not well, Dinky was at the Dr's this morning, and Bob this evening, both have bad chests and sore throats and are feeling miserable. So Bob decided mummy cuddles were better than Grandma cuddles.

This gave Fifi a chance to be here on her own and her job was to make my birthday cake, So she decided she would bring her cake maker and cake stand that one of her friends had got her for her birthday as she had not had chance to use them.

So she brought along the ingredients as well as her friend C and the two of them had a lot of girly giggly fun while they created merry hell   amazing cakes. It took them two hours to make a dozen fairy cakes, and then another hour and a half to make my cake. Followed by half an hour to clear up.



the fairy cakes made by Fifi and C




Friday

Today is my birthday, twenty two again.The birthday made by Fifi was beautiful, I have trained her well. Thank fully this is the last birthday until February. It is also our wedding anniversary, thirteen years married, but twenty one years come January together,


my birthday cake 



Saturday

I have taken this weekend off work. So we popped out to have a look the shops in Troon for a change. Never really bought much but it got us out for a while. 

On the way back we popped into the children's house to drop off Fifi's stuff that was left here from Thursday evening. Daughter was not happy with Dinky's breathing, she could not get an answer on NHS24 as all the lines were busy so having had a listen to her I advised them to pop her up to A&E ( which daughter really knew she needed to do). To save Bob having to go and get bored as well I brought him here. He sat upstairs watching a film. I tried to sneak in to get a picture if him but he pulled a cover over his head, so I pulled it off which caused a huge amount of giggles, I managed to get this one picture of him. Fifi was away to Glasgow with her other Gran spending her birthday money, she goes every year as they go Christmas shopping. 

Daughter was three hours, there was not much they could do for Dinky as she had antibiotics from the GP anyway. Just a matter of keeping an eye on her in case she deteriorates. One of the drawbacks of winters and young children, they get ill. 


Bob trying to avoid the camera



Saturday 22 November 2014

Project 365 week 47 16th - 22nd November

Sunday

Today is Happy Birthday to Daughter No3, but she is not here today so no pic of her, we will catch up later in the week.

I love mince, good quality mince, and would happily eat it seven days a week. I buy it in bulk and cook and freeze it so I just have to defrost tea a few nights of the week. This week I decided to make a couple of lasagne with it. So tonight's tea was lasagne, and very nice it was too.


home made lasagne for tea


Monday

After I saw a photo on Instagram from TBAMof her taking in food to a foodbank I decided I needed to do a collection for our local Salvation Army food bank. So I put together a post,you can read it here.






Tuesday

Today is Fifi's twelfth birthday. How quickly those years have passed. She  asked for a birthday cake with rainbow coloured layers with the middle hollowed out and filled with skittles and skittles round the outside. Here we have one birthday cake, and her blowing out her candles. Tell she is getting old it took three breaths to get them all blown out. 


the requested birthday cake 




Wednesday

Sunday had been daughter No 3's birthday, but today was the first time we hvae had to catch up since then. We took her out for lunch and then she came back to the village to play football with Bob as she had promised him she would. 

Wednesday evening is when the gruesome twosome come to visit. Both of them were tired. Minky fell asleep on Granddads knee. Dinky was slightly better she went and pl;ayed on the floor for a few minutes, then went back to mummy to check she was still there ( two feet away) she would have a squeal and a cuddle then come back and play again. 



kisses and cuddles with granddad



Thursday

As normal this is the night for the older two to come and stay. Fifi had been asking to do some baking so I decided she could make the birthday cakes for the gruesome twosome tomorrow. So she made the cakes and they decorated one each. Bob was well supervised to make sure he was not tempted to lick his fingers or rub his face by accident. He survived the experience. We also made a few cakes for him on both days so that he could have cake. 

The pink butter icing looked more like sea food sauce but I don't think Dinky was to bothered. 


the two cakes.




Friday

Well it has come round all to quickly, Minky and Dinky's first birthday. Mum had a party for them at toddler group ( as she runs the group and its toddlers on a Friday morning)  with a bouncy castle and cake. Being the guests of honours they slept through half of it.

We took their cakes and pressies round at tea time. Minky did attempt to tear paper off of one of them but he could not manage, I am sure next year will be different. His walking is coming on well, he can stop and start, turn and sit a bit more controlled.


dressed in the birthday clothes


This is them with their cake, I did not take this but thought I would pop it in as an extra.

it is out of reach. 


Saturday

I was offered an opportunity to do a twenty one day challenge with a skin care product - Avene Xeracalm Balm . I have to use if for  twenty one days starting Monday and see if there is a difference, I can but hope. It is a social channel sharing challenge,with no obligation to blog.

The challenge is to help soothe your skin conditions within 21 days of applying the product. 

As my skin is really really dry this last few months, dry enough I am  leaving cream next to my bed for my hands and face to use during the night I decided to give it a go.

So
 Week 1: Are you up for the challenge? If so share images showing your acceptance of the challenge/ product delivery

here is  hoping it helps. 

So here is week 1. I am hoping it will make a difference.I am a few days early, but some of you won't read this until later in the week so it will be fine. I will keep you updated.

Would have allowed Bob to try this as something needs to be tried for him his whole body is a mess and the hospital have no other ideas, but wanted to make sure I had no reaction to it first.




Thursday 20 November 2014

Make a difference - donate to a food bank - pretty please

Last Thursday was National Kindness Day, and I saw an instagram picture on a fellow bloggers page, and the ensuing conversation that followed on her Facebook post. This lovely lady, TheBoyandMe donates regularly to her local food bank and it made me do some thinking, and I decided I needed to do something. The plan was made on National Kindness Day, the actual act will take a bit longer. You can read about her act of kindness here. 



I don't have a huge income but I get by with careful budgeting. We don't go hungry or cold and for that I am grateful. I have to say in years gone by I have reached desperation stages, I have cried over not being able to afford my rent, I have worried about where the next penny is coming from, lost sleep over how I was going to replace my car when the one we had failed its mot to the extent it was not financially viable to spend another penny on it. I am very thankful that I have family to lean on, and if I need to borrow £20 until pay day to put petrol in the car, or borrow £100 to put two new tyres on the car I have others there who are willing to help out. But it really got me thinking about the people that don't have that.

So last Thursday my act of kindness was the decision to make a difference to those people who have nothing and nobody. It must be horrible to find yourself in a position where you have to rely on the kindness of strangers to put food in your children's stomachs. On the varying posts I read comments like "No idea what we would have done without them" " I received items from them and am determined to repay every one of them" " I was desperate and had nowhere else to turn"

Another friend on Facebook said "I drop an item or two off every time I am in Tesco" or "I take in a bag every month when I do my own shopping" How lovely these people are, and thank goodness for the likes of them.

So taking on board comments and ideas I decided to do a collection. I have asked around at work and some of the girls have said they will bring me something in. I do a relief cleaning job in a complex and some of the residents there have agreed to add to the total for me.

I have also started collecting Morrisons Christmas Bonus vouchers, and I can get £40 worth of shopping for only paying £15. I will see what I get handed in before I decide what I will spend that on. Hopefully some sweets and treats and some nice things that will make a difference to somebody in Christmas Week.




Food does not have to be expensive or name brands. We often eat supermarkets own brands in this house and the food bank will be grateful for them. I am told meat, tuna and main meals are really handy as well as soups and vegetables. .How about some filling rice pudding with a blob of jam in to finish off with?  Not to mention boxes of cereals, a bag of pasta, or what about a bag of lentils and some stock cubes so that somebody can make a pot of warming soup? Anything none perishable is much appreciated





But items other than food are also much appreciated, items I would never have thought of simple every day items we all take for granted like


toilet rolls 
  and

sanitary towels

How awful it must be not to have the basics like these. To have to decide if you spend money on these items something else will have to give. Nappies, baby wipes, soap, shampoo, or a tube of toothpaste will make somebodies week.

What about other items? We have a pair of trainers that Son No1 has worn once and will never wear again, and we have paired that with four pairs of white socks that are brand new. Nobody in our house wears white socks but this pack of ten were a great buy, so the four white pairs will get handed in along with the trainers.




Have a look through your children's toy cupboard. Did you buy the a jigsaw puzzle or a game or a toy last year that they have not looked at since? Another child who may other wise wake up to nothing would be over the moon with it.

I am doing my bit this year because I saw a friend share a picture of her donation. If by my writing this I can get even one other person to hand in an item or ten to their local food bank then it has been worth my time.

Please leave me a comment with a link to a picture if you hand something in because you read this, and I will happily share them, lets try and make a difference up and down the country.

My new dress - suitable for a wedding?

I am not a person to wear dressy clothes.Normal for me is t-shirts, joggies and trainers. On occasion I will do jeans and boots but for me that is about as far as it goes. I have never felt comfortable in skirts and dresses, as few ranges are designed for either my age range, or my size, and if you put the two together then there is not a lot of choice.





Bonmarché is the UK’s largest womenswear value retailer catering for women over 50 years. We pride ourselves on offering quality clothing with appropriate styling, great value and in a wide range of sizes, along with outstanding customer serviceWe have won awards for our clothing, winning the ‘Best for flattering fit’ award at the Yours 50+ Fashion Awards 2012. We were also crowned ‘Britain’s Best Women’s Clothing Retailer’ at the Verdict Research Awards 2012 as well as coming second for the nation’s favourite retailer, and most recently in 2013 we were awarded The Yours Magazine 50+ Fashion Awards, where we were voted as “best for knitwear”.
The Bonmarché ladies fashion range includes casual and formal separates, outerwear, dresses, swimwear, lingerie, nightwear and accessories in addition to the exclusive Bonmarché collection by formal Royal couturier David Emanuel.




So when I was asked to try a product, I thought I would move out of my comfort zone and try something different. I have a wedding to attend next year and so decided to go for a long dress. The black dress part underneath is full length, with the top half hip length in a flowing patterned half sleeve top.










So I tried on the dress and realised its possibilities to be adaptable. 

Here I have worn it with fit flops, ideal for a walk along the beach.




I tried it with a three quarter sleeved casual cardigan and a pair of flat canvas shoes, ideal for sight seeing when on holiday.



How about with some jewellery if going out for a meal?



Or with a shawl and matching shoes for a more formal occasion.




I could team it up with a black cardigan, a black clutch bag and back boots.



A casual three quarter length cardigan, a beaded bag and flat canvas shoes.




I think this dress would look great with this fab looking coat. May need to invest it this for the wedding next year.









Or how handy would this onesie be for the next few months? 



Why not go across to BonMarche and have a look what they could do for you?


Disclaimer - I was provided with the dress for the purposes of this review but the post remains impartial.





Wednesday 19 November 2014

Pink Parcel - for that time of the month.

I cant help but be amazed at how the world moves on and subjects that were taboo back in my day are now being celebrated with a monthly Pink Parcel. I remember back in the dark ages, way before any of you were even thought about, my mother, as was typical in her day, had explained nothing to me. There was no education in school about your periods, no sex education until fourteen, nobody talked about these things, I was still at primary school and I did not have a clue.

I remember going home to my mother and telling her something strange was happening and that I was bleeding in my pants. Her reply was to wander away, and come back with a circle of elastic with some sort of hooks on and a pack of sanitary towels - and I only know that cos it was written on the pack. It was "here you will need these" and that was it. Not what I did with them, where they went or what they were intended for. The towels had a big loop on either end, did you place them across your mouth and wrap the loops round your ears?

With the help of the pictures on the packet I managed to work out the belt went round your waist and the towels attached to it. There was no explanation from my mother as to the fact it would happen every month for more than forty years. Or that it would stop after a few days. Or that sometimes it would be painful. It was just not talked about, I did not know this happened to my mother every month, well it did up until the point she had a hysterectomy when I was eleven.

Anyway fast forward to the time I had my children, we grew up talking about it with both the boys and the girls. They knew what towels and Tampax looked like because they were kept in the bathroom, and all this was done long before they got to "that age". I swore I was not going to do to my children what my mother did to me. Having said that the 1980's were a different era and things were more openly discussed. Their sex education was a bit more constructive than " don't do handstands in front of the boys"

Fifi knows all about that time of the month as mummy does talk to her about it. She knows there are towels and tampax in the bathroom, she knows what they look and feel like, and she also has a packet of her own in the bedroom. She knows her mum suffers pains and cramps and that she might as well.

But now it has gone one step further, Pink Parcels have a great idea, a Teen Parcel, a parcel sent out once a month with your essentials in as well as a few nice treats.




the contents of our box, contents change every month


So what is Pink Parcel?

Pink Parcel is a subscription service for your monthly cycle. We send you what you need, right when you need it. Plus some lovely treats to brighten up those days of the month.

What does it cost?
Your first Pink Parcel is just £5.95. After that, it’s £9.99 a month. All charges include delivery
What is in my parcel?
 In addition to the tampon supply that you’ve requested, you’ll receive a variety of treats. These treats will change each month, so opening your box will always be a lovely surprise. 

What brands do you supply.

We currently supply Tampax, Lil-Lets and American brand U By Kotex. We also now stock towels by Always. As well as single absorbencies, we provide multi-packs, which contain a variety of absorbencies to see you through the month 

How many tampons or towels do I receive?
Each monthly Pink Parcel is sent out with 25 tampons. Our new towel boxes contain 25 pads, which includes 5 night-time ones.

They currently work with thirty three different companies, across eight different categories.




So what did Fifi think about it?

Her first comment was "tampax....embarrasing" - well that is the age she is at.
She ate the haribo.
Was not to impressed with the tea bag, but then as of yet she does not drink tea, but she will give this a go. She was well impressed with the nail varnish.


Fifi says
I think it is a great idea for girls. It has stuff you need and other stuff you would like. You get a pack monthly when you subscribe. I like the little treats that come with it. It is  useful as you can pop your tampax/towels in your bag in case of emergency. 

I have to say I like the little black drawstring bag that holds enough to take out for the day with you.


Disclaimer - this is a sponsored post and we received the box to review.









Saturday 15 November 2014

Project 365 Week 46 9th - 15th November


Sunday

I got up with a slightly sore throat, but had no throat lozenges in the house, Felt fine apart from that, but by lunchtime my throat was quite sore. So in my break I went and bought some along with some paracetamol.   By 4pm I was flagging and felt like going home, but I made it to seven. 

*Other makes and supermarkets are available







Monday

Woke up feeling yucky and dizzy. So had a day mostly in bed. Was sitting looking at my slippers and thinking how well they have lasted and whether buying cheap is false economy. I won these, their selling price £30. Normally I spend a tenner on something similar. I find it my ankles rather than my feet that feel the cold. My £10 pair last me a year, thought they are probably past their best before the year. But so far I have had three years out of these, and still plenty of life left in them yet. Maybe rich people stay rich cos by buying better they need replacing less.





Tuesday

Next Tuesday is Fifi's twelve birthday. She has requested a rainbow cake, hollowed out, with skittles in the middle. I can not find the gel colours I had before, all the colours seem so muted. So I tried some others, but can't get the vibrant colours I want. So muted colours it is. Feeling much better by this evening. 
















Wednesday


Wednesday night is the evening daughter brings the gruesome twosome round. Dinky is getting really really bad and mummy cant move for her, If she puts her down she just cries. I did have a picture of the wee soul stood at the glass door in the living room when mummy went into the kitchen to get a coffee.She could see mummy but sobbed and sobbed. But decided to share this one of Minky amusing granddad by sitting in a box and letting granddad push him round the floor. Its a hard life being nearly one.











Thursday


The decorating continues. Everything from on top of the cupboard as well as across the other side of the kitchen was piled up on this side. No room to move. But the papering is finished. Have to say it certainly brightens the place up, and makes it lighter. Just need to get a few small strip lights to put under the cupboards to shine on the work tops. 

The children were round tonight, but I did not have the camera upstairs when we were playing wii and card games. 







Friday

Fifi's turn for the glasses this time. She had found at the big school she could not see the interactive boards from the back of the classroom, so she went for an eye test and this is the result. She looks good in these. 









Saturday


Eventually, the fence that blew down in the storms a year ago is going back up. The girls will get out a bit more now that the garden is securer. 

Have to say the company who did the work were really good, and very reasonable, So if your local and looking for fencing, landscaping or tree surgery work give me a shout as based on what they did for us I would recommend them. 






TheBoyandMe's 365 Linky

Thursday 13 November 2014

Zombie hunting with Sirius Black.


Last week we had friends round for tea on Thursday night, the night the children usually come to stay. So they opted not to come round so I told Bob I would take him and do something with him on Friday instead. So as promised I picked him up and we decided to head off to Auchincruive, just a few short miles away where we love to go and walk. 

So much of the estate is now out of bounds so Bob decided when we parked up next to what we call Bubble Man's field that we would head off to the left as heading off to the right just takes us to an open field. So we headed left and then right and went into an area the children have never been in before, and I have not walked round for probably fifteen years. 

We came across a small area that was fenced off and had a danger sign on it. 



The fence was round some sort of old disused bunkers with a hole in the roof. So that was it, Bob decided that it was a Zombie house. 




He decided to show me how brave he was by trying to poke sticks through to see if he could wake them up, but none of them came out. 


So we moved on with our walk, and Bob spotted some footprints, and at this point he became nervous. 



So he picked himself up a stick that became a paintball gun, and he turned into Sirius Black to protect me. He has been reading his way through the Harry Potter series, he had asked his mum the other week who his Godparents were, he has none. Books are a great means of stretching children's imaginations and enhancing their lives, without Harry Potter I may well have been in danger!!




So we carried on further into the woods. We found seats that we think they sat on,



Tables that we think they eat at





 and a prison where they hold the people captive until they were ready to eat them.




While we were wandering we came a cross a memorial. We talked about death, dying and how people remember people once they have gone. How nice an idea a memorial is placed somewhere two people enjoyed time together. We talked about the caches we had put in place to remember Shorty Dog and the stone cat out the back door to remember Dipsy Cat by. 




We carried on our walk until we came across a bridge, he checked under the bridge to make sure it was safe for me to cross. 





By now Sirius and his paint ball gun were busy. Shooting the Zombies that were in the trees round about us. 





We felt a bit safer when we came across this muddy path as Sirius told me Zombies can not walk through mud. 






He shot some salt in this skip to dissolve any Zombies that may have been in there.I am not sure at what point his paint ball gun became a salt gun. 




Then the old barn was checked before I could walk past it.





Lastly we came across the Zombie swimming pool, and again Sirius shot salt into the pool to kill off anything that may be in there.




So Sirius and I left Zombie wood and headed back towards the car. At this point Sirius left us and Bob came back. 



We found mosses and looked at the structure.





We spotted dew on the grass and talked about what causes it, how it freezes when it gets frosty and defrosts again as it warms up. 





We saw autumnal trees with leaves changing colour and all the fallen leaves and again talked about why this happens. Education does not only have to happen in a classroom, education is all around us.





Bob also did some singing totally spontaneous, but rather cute.







Imagination is amazing. Have your children ever become a book character when they are out playing? 


Linking this post in with 
Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall