Was today national haircut day?? If so ~ why did no one tell me......

For some reason ~ totally unknown to me ~ I think that the whole of the South coast decided to be in the Barbers and hairdressers today ~ as when I took Dan this morning ~ we stood in the barbers for at least an hour ~ waiting for Dans turn ........it was packed ~
We then went along to the local Supercuts hairdressers ~ who are very reasonably priced (as Lauren only needed a trim...) ~ but work on a first come ~ first served basis.~no appointments needed........WELL ~ yet again it was totally and utterly packed ~ would you believe that we waited at least an hour and a half for Laurens turn !! Was today national haircut day??? because no one told me ha ha ha !!!

I cannot believe that I spent about 3 hours of my day sat in hair cutting establishments........it was soooooooo boring ~ I would have rather watched paint dry!!!!!!!!!! Anyway ~ at least that is over and done with for at least another 6 weeks or so!!

Here are my little stars with their new haircuts ~ Laurens doesn't look that different ~ as she only had the ends taken off and the front cut in to her face!

My little Danny Boy ~ sporting his new shorter cut!! He is looking a bit tired here ~ he had a late night last night ~ he isn't good with late nights ha ha ha !! (a bit like his mother!!)

All snipped and looking alot smarter ~ my little stars!!

Well ~ after the mammoth hair cutting saga ~ we also had to quickly whiz around the town and get a few bits ~ Lauren has been invited to a tea party next week ~ for one of her school friends birthdays ~ so we had to get a present, card and wrapping paper. Then we had to get a new kettle ~ as the old one finally went to kettle heaven today.......it was very old, and had a very good life.........but went bang this morning and blew the fuse box!!! I am now the proud owner of a lovely new glass kettle ~ with a white flower design down the side ~ which illuminates when it boils....all very high tech (ha ha ~ my old kettle was soooooo old ~ I think it was on the ark ha ha !!).

In my last post ~ I mentioned about the milk bottles being all ready for the milkman ~ and Christy over at Cakerwakers asked about this........well, it is quite simple really ~ the milkman comes (currently 2 times a week) ~ at about 5 am and leaves 4 pints of milk on the doorstep, he then collects the empty bottles and takes them away ~ it is great ~ fresh milk straight from the local farm ~ sitting on my doorstep when I open the door ~ I love it!!! The amount of milk that my 2 kids go through ~ it is so much easier ~ as I would forever be at the shops buying it!! Not sure if my blog friends in the US and OZ etc have the same thing ~ you will have to let me know!!

We have had a warning of colder weather here over the next few days ~ possibly snow ~ freezing temperatures and icy driving conditions ~ oh joy!! Just when we were having some nicer warmer weather and I had put the gloves and scarfs back in the winter drawer ~ back comes the cold.......it has been a funny old few months here in the UK where the weather is concerned ~ I think that is why we have all been ill ~ with being cold one week ~ then warm the next.......and then cold yet again!! Roll on summer!!!!!! (all one day of it ha ha !!!!).

Well, best be off ~ am watching the film Troy on TV ~ oh Brad (Pitt) ~ you are looking mighty fine with your flowing locks and ripling muscles..........swoon...........not too sure about the skirt though!!!!!!! (tee hee!!) XXXXX

Staying awake......

It is Friday ~ YAY for friday!
The kids are in bed ~
everything is tidied up,
The dishes are washed ~
The house is tidy (ish!!!) ~
The fish are fed and the milk bottles put out for the milkman.......

I am lying on the sofa ~ Pyjamas on,
drinking tea ~
eating some grapes (ok ~ please note I am not being healthy ~ there is nothing else in the fridge haha!!)
Under my warm fleecy blanket.

Laptop on lap
TV on ~
(trying to blog and watch TV all at once.....)
All I have to do now is stay awake .............. past 9 pm!!!!!

The way things have been this week ~ I wouldn't put money on it ha ha !!

XXX

AND THE EXHAUSTION GOES ON...........

Well, I must firstly apologise that I have not managed to get over and see you all on your blogs over the last few days!
I usually put the children to bed ~ sort everything out for the next day ~ grab something very uninteresting to eat ~ and then collapse on the sofa and visit all my favourite blogs!!
I have been doing this the last few nights and then promptly falling asleep on the sofa tee hee!!
How my laptop has managed to stay perched rather dangerously on me while I have slept ~ I will never know ~ I must try and remember to put it on the floor when I feel tired!!

Anyway ~ I am still exhausted ~ and anyone who has three children the ages that I have been looking after ~ all the time ~ like 24 hours a day ~ has my greatest respect ~ because I am like the living dead these last few days ~ sleep has become my new bestest friend ha ha !!!
Some of you have asked about how long I will be looking after the children that I currently have ~I work as a registered childminder, which basically means that I care for children in my own home (I am registered with the local authority ~ police and health checked and fully qualified and trained!!) ~ I currently look after three children ~ the oldest one is 4 ~ she goes to school in September ~ so I have her all day every weekday (8-5) until then and after that I will have her before and after school, aswell as taking her to school most days. The 14 month old I currently have every weekday (7.30 ~ 5.00) ~ and I have her until August when she is moving to Germany with her family (her father is in the Army), and the new little boy I have is 5 months old ~ I have him on a temporary basis ~ most days (7.30 - 5.00) until about August time ~ when his father will be leaving the RAF and the family are moving to Las Vegas!!! When I have finished with the two children ~ I then have 2 new ones coming along (one a new baby!!) ~ which is great ~ as in these times of financial uncertainty ~ thankfully I am always busy and my business has done very well for the last 10 years!! (long may it go on!!!!!).

Tonight I have decided that I need to drink about 20 cups of coffee and try and stay awake past 8pm ~ as I have missed checking out on what all you bloggy friends have been doing!

Just a quick update on the weigh in ~ this week I lost 2 pounds ~ which I am soooo pleased about ~ as last week I was at a stand still!! I have now lost 5 stone and 5 pounds (75 pounds) ~ and my goal is in sight! I do not have much left to lose and then I will have to maintain it (the hardest part!!) ~ I know that these last few pounds are going to hang on for dear life and not shift ~ but I am determined to get there!! I cannot wait for the day that I get on the scales and reach my GOAL!!!!!!!
Hope you have all had a good week so far!
Will hopefully manage to check in with you all later ~ even if I have to prop my eyes open with match sticks ha ha ha!!! XXXXXXX

Oh the Exhaustion........

I am exhausted.........and I mean totally exhausted!!
Not just tired ~ but EXHAUSTED!!!

I have an extra little baby to look after for the next few months!!
SO ~ for the last 2 days I have been looking after a 5 month old, a 14 month old and a 4 year old, aswell as getting Dan and Lauren to school and back etc etc!!!
I never imagined that it could be sooooooo tiring! Keeping them all happy and entertained, feeding, changing nappies ~ making sure that they are all safe ~ not getting into any mischief ......believe me ~ it is a full time job ha ha !!!

I am hoping that after this week is over ~ I will be in the swing of it and won't feel like falling into bed at 5pm when they all go home!!!

I am off for an early night ~
Hopefully I will survive tomorrow ha ha ha !!!!

I shouldn't be moaning really ~ the extra money will make my bank manager a very happy man tee hee!!
AND we might even be able to manage a trip to the cinema this weekend!! (that would be me and the kids ~ not me and my bank manager bahahahahahah!!!!)
Night Night all............ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
XxX

This really made me smile........

I saw this advert on the TV today and I couldn't stop laughing ~ the kids were totally mesmerized and Lauren couldn't work out how they had done it haha !! Her little mind was working overtime.

I am afraid that I have spent about 20 minutes trying to work out how to get the youtube video on my blog ~ in a post ~ and I just cannot do it!! You should all know by now how computer challenged I am tee hee!! Instructions (simple ones please!!) of how I upload the video so it is part of the blog post ~ would be really appreciated (thanks!!)

Anyway ~ for now you will have to click on the link below ~ which will take you to the video ~ hope you enjoy it!!!!

PS ~ Yes ~ it is an advert for my most favourite chocolate..........but I will resist it ha ha !!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TVblWq3tDwY&feature=related

Love and hugs Tabitha XXX

Why parents should always check their childs homework.........before they hand it in!!

I just had to share this with you ~ a friend of mine e mailed it to me today...........


The picture below was submitted by a fisrt grade girl for a homework assignment on what they wanted to be when they were older...............

After it had been graded and the child took it home ~ she returned to school the next day with the following note for her teacher..........

Dear Mrs Davis

I want to make it very clear that on my childs illustration ~ it is NOT of me on a pole on a stage in a strip joint.

I infact work for B&Q and had commented to my daughter how much money we had made due to the recent snow storm. The picture is infact of me selling a snow shovel.

Thank you very much ~

Mrs Harrington.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Wouldn't you just die????

I know I would!!

XXX

Hooray for Sundays.....

I used to really hate Sundays ~ they were always a slow day ~ and the day before you had to go back to school or work!! I used to spend every sunday just counting down to yet another week!

BUT ~ I quite like them now ~ don't ask me why the sudden change of heart ~ I just like them!
I don't get a lie in on a Sunday anymore ~ because Daniel goes to judo ~ not that I ever really get a lie in ~ I am lucky if I get to stay in bed past 8am on a weekend and I am up at 6am in the week!!

Sundays have become just a really relaxed, happy day in our little household.
We drop Dan at Judo and then me and Lauren potter about Asda and do the weekly shopping (which usually costs 10 times as much ~ thanks to my little daughter and her shopping addiction ha ha ..........no idea where she gets that from!!!?????)........then we head home and just chill out ~ waiting for Dan to be dropped back from Judo. We try and do something nice ~ just the three of us ~ like go to the cinema or for a walk or go to the park ~ just something to have a bit of fun!!

Sundays are also spent ironing school uniform (that would be me ~ not the kids ha ha !!),
getting lunches ready ~ making sure that homework is done ~ school bags are packed ~ kids are bathed and all clean and sweet smelling!!!! Then ~ the three of us plonk our bums on the sofa and veg out ~ watching Wild at Heart and Dancing on Ice on the TV ~ before the kids go to bed and I get a few hours to myself (usually to blog ~ tee hee!!!!).

Today has been slightly different ~ as Lauren had her dance workshop ~ so Dan was taken to judo by my friend ~ while I drove lauren to the Workshop. She was sooooo excited and couldn't wait to get there ~ it finishes at 6pm ~ so she is going to be exhausted (I will update on the dance workshop tomorrow!!).

I think that today was one of the first times that I have done the weekly shop alone ~ it was great and cost a mere fraction of what it usually does ~ the fact that I didn't have a High School Musical and Camp Rock addicted little girl with me surely helped!! I decided to buy myself a new book ~ as I have just finished The Pilots Wife by Anita Shreve ~ a great book and well worth a read ~ it had me hooked from the start ~ loved it!!!!

The book is called 'By the time you read this' by Lola Jaye ~ here is what it is about (I haven't started reading it yet ~ but hope to tonight!!!)......

"This is a manual for my daughter ~ Lois ~ Here are the rules.....
1. You must only read each new entry on your birthday, there is one for every year until you are thirty.
2. This is a private manual between you and me
3. No peeping at the next entry unless its your birthday."

When Lois Bates is handed the manual, she can barely bring herself to read it as the pain of losing her dad is still so raw. Yet soon his advice is guiding her through every stage of her life ~ from first love and relationships to her career.
The manual can never be a substitute for having her dad back, but through his words Lois learns to start living again, and discovers that happiness is waiting ~ just around the corner. "

I thought that it sounded like a good read ~ although I will need a box of tissues or two (or three) handy while I read it. Since I lost my Dad when he was only 45 ~ and I was only 24 ~ I don't know how far into it I will get ~ before I cry my eyes out (tee hee ~ I am such a softie!!!).

I am just off to put another load in the washing machine and start the ironing ~
My granny always used to say to me "No peace for the wicked"..............all I can say is ~ I must have been very wicked in my past life!!!!!! ~Next time ~ I am definitly coming back as a cat!!
Have a happy Sunday!! XXXXX

Change....

I have had some spare time on my hands today ~ so I decided to change my blog background (again!!) ~ the pink and black was just not right ~ and I am more an earth tones kind of person ~ so I have changed again ~ I am happy with this look ~ so you should be seeing this one for quite a while!! That is typical me (ha ha) ~ if something isn't right it just bugs me sooo much ~ that I have to change it ~ then Iam a happy girl again tee hee!!!!
Hope your weekend is going well ~ not much happening here............Now ~ what can I change next???? XXX

Right back to the start........

I have been looking back over my blog during the last week ~ right back to the start ~ where I had no idea what blogging was all about ~ no idea whether I would like it (or still be here almost a year later....) ~ had no idea that there were soooo many wonderful bloggy friends out there in blog land ~ just waiting for me to meet!!



I can remember writing posts and checking in eagerly to see if anyone had left a comment ~ but no one had (tee hee!!) ~ I remember writing the post I have re posted below as a way of introducing people to ME!!

It was originally posted in March 2008 (almost a year ago now!!) ~ so some of the information has changed (ie ~ I am now 38 ~ahhhhh!! and I have finally managed to get my lovely new car!! ~ but apart from that most of the rest is the same!!).



I thought that I would re post it ~ so that all of you who were not here at the start (where the hell were you all ?????? ha ha !!!!) ~ could learn a little more about me now !

(If I am correct ~ Dani was the only person who commented on this post.......about prawn cocktail crisps if I remember rightly.........unfortunately I haven't eaten crisps or chocolate in a long time now.......my life is a little sadder than in March 2008.......but also alot lighter!!).



Hope you enjoy these '100 things!!'.

Happy friday to you all XXXXXXXX


ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ~
Friday, 7 March 2008

100 things (finally finished)!
1. I am 37 years old (galloping towards 40 at a fast pace!!)
2. My favourite flavour of crisps is prawn cocktail.
3. When I was 6 I won a school fancy dress party for dressing as the snow queen from Narnia
4. The outfit was put together by my mum and was basically bath towels (yes...bath towels)
5. My nickname at school was Tabbycat
6. I don't like tomatoes (nothing against tomatoes - just can't eat them!!!)
7. I have one sister called Melissa (she likes tomatoes)
8. I got married in 1997.
9. I got divorced in 2008 (free at last!).
10. I have two wonderful children.
11. I have two fish - called bubble and fin (the kids chose the names!!)
12. I went to school in Germany
13. My father was in the Forces.
14. The happiest day (well days) of my life was when my 2 children were born.
15. The saddest day of my life was the day my Father passed away.
16. I work as a Registered Childminder
17. I have done for 9 years now.
18. Before Childminding....I was a Police Officer
19. I constantly try to grow my hair
20. Then I get fed up and cut it off again!
21. I have brown eyes.
22. My hair is brown too.
23. This is the first time since I was 16 that my hair is back to its natural colour...
24. I hate it....
25. But I can't be bothered to keep colouring it all the time.
26. My only regret in life is that I married the wrong man
27. And let the right one get away......
28. I don't believe in having lots of regrets in life...
29. You only get one shot at it.....so make the most of it....
30. My only addiction is chocolate....
31. I really should not eat such alot of it....
32. My favourite chocolate is a Toffee Crisp
33. My last holiday abroad was to Portugal
34. My best holiday was to Goa
35. My middle name is louise
36. When I was little I hated my name
37. I used to get teased about my name at school
38. It doesnt bother me now....
39. I have had 37 years to get used to it.
40. I hate it when it rains
41. It makes my hair go frizzy
42. I like the feel of sand between my toes
43. I don't like the feel of sand when it gets in your swim suit ..... scratchy!
44. When I was little I was very mean to my sister
45. I fed her wash powder once, and told her it was sherbert
46. She foamed at the mouth
47. She was ok.....eventually
48. She has since forgiven me
49. My Mum was not best pleased.
50. I recently took my daughter to see the ballet
51. It was Swan Lake
52. It was absolutely magical and fantastic
53. My daughters face was a picture
54. I wish I could bottle that look on her face and keep it forever.....
55. I love both my children more than life itself
56. Sometimes they drive me mad
57. But I love them no matter what
58. I have size 5 feet
59. I really like shoes
60. I have got more shoes than I need really...
61. But everyone needs one pleasure in life!!!
62. When I was 18 I did a parachute jump
63. It was the scariest thing I have ever done
64. I loved it...once it was over
65. My Mum cried...before I even got in the plane
66. She cried when I jumped out of the plane....
67. And when I landed (safely!!).
68. My favourite colour is blue
69. I was born in Singapore
70. I lived there until I was one.
71. I would love to go back there oneday.
72. I am an awful cook...
73. I don't really care about it....
74. Until I watch cooking programmes on the TV and wish I could cook
75. My children know when dinner is ready....
76. The smoke alarm goes off....
77. Yes it is really that bad ha ha
78. My ex husband always told me that I never 'cooked', I just heated up food!!!
79. He was right!!!
80. But I would never tell him that!!!
81. I desperately want a new car
82. I keep 'saving' up for one
83. But keep finding other things to spend it on.
84. I love receiving flowers
85. My children gave me my favourite flowers for mothers day - white roses.
86. When I was little I thought that babies came out of your belly button.
87. After having 2 children - I now know this to be untrue!!
88. My daughter asked where babies come from
89. So I told her the stork delivers them
90. She is only 6....the truth would be wasted on her.
91. My first boyfriend was called neal
92. It was true love.
93. I was 8 years old.
94. He chucked me for another girl
95. I was devastated
96. Love is cruel ha ha
97. I am still a hopeless romantic....
98. My Knight in shining armour is out there somewhere....
99. I just havent found him yet
100 I cannot believe I found 100 things to write about......

Boobies!!!!

Conversation between Lauren and me this evening (I was in the bath!).
Lauren "MummmmmmmmmY"
Me "Yes Lauren"
Lauren "How old were you when you got your Boobies"
Me "I can't remember - I think about 13 or 14 - why?"
Lauren"Oh"
Long Pause........
Lauren"You know when you get your Boobies - do you choose which ones you want, or do they just come?"
Me - muffled laughter....."They just come"
Lauren "Oh!!! - but how do I know which ones I will get?"
Me "You don't"
Lauren "OH! - well I won't want any then......"
(wanders out of the bathroom with a disappointed look on her face!!!)

I really do love these meaningful conversations that we have.....I think she thought that you choose them out of a catalogue and they just get delivered.....I wish - I would definitly be ordering a smaller, more perky pair - ha ha !!!

A better day today.........

After my small rant yesterday ~ I would just like to say Thank You ~ for all your kind comments and your e mails ~ I do appreciate it very much!! I have sent everyone that asked for access to my other blog an invite ~ and anyone who would like to read what is over there ~ just e mail me and I will send you an invite!!



Anyway ~ I am feeling better about the whole thing today and I am no longer in a bad mood ~ I told you that it doesn't last that long!!!



I still have my poor little lad off school ~ he was not feeling that good on Monday and has had a sore neck, sore throat ~ headache and aches all over ~ so I have kept him off ~ he just wanted to sleep the last few days ~ so it was hardly fair to send him back to school ~ but, all being well ~ I would hope that he will be back at school tomorrow ~ as he is in Year 6, I don't want him to miss too much time off ~ it being his last year in Primary school and all that!!

The weigh in tonight was uneventful ~ another week staying the same! It just goes to show you ~ that if you don't eat enough ~ for some reason you don't lose weight!!! As I was ill during the last week I didn't eat for about 3 days ~ so was expecting to have at least lost something!!!!! But no ~ nothing this week ~ ah well ~ onwards I go!!!!!!!



I mentioned on my other blog about Lauren having a dance workshop at the weekend ~ it is with a team of choreographers who have worked with Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams , Madonna, Blue and Girls Aloud.........so as you can imagine ~ excitement is a slight under exaggeration of how Lauren is at the moment ~ she is so excited that I think she may well explode before the weekend!!! (ha ha)!!! I will update you after the weekend of how it went ~ the weekend includes lyrical jazz, hip hop, tv dance, musical theatre and hair and make up tuition ~

Lauren already thinks that she is a member of Camp Rock and High School Musical ~so I get the feeling that things will be a little bit worse after the weekend tee hee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you click HERE you can read all about the workshops!

Well ~ I splashed out after my weigh in tonight and bought myself a new omelette pan ~ so I am just off to try it out! (Keep your ears open ~ you may just hear my smoke alarm in a few minutes time ha ha !!!!).

Thank you once again blog friends for your support yesterday ~ I know that when I need it ~ you are always there and never fail to give great advice and kind words!!!
You are all truly wonderful!! XXXXXX

With my hand on my heart............

I am totally and utterly fed up today ~ I don't often have days like these ~ but I am in a totally bad mood ~ I hate the fact that it is cold, wet ~ grey and dark ~ we had snow earlier ~ which didn't stay but just turned into that awful cold wet sludge yuck yuck yuck!!!!! You see ~ IT IS ONE OF 'THOSE' DAYS!!!!!!

I am by nature usually a happy go lucky kind of person ~ I just bimble along ~ get battered about by life a bit ~ but all in all ~ I stay happy ~ stay positive and just get on with life!!!

Unfortunately where my children are concerned ~ I am very protective (as I am sure most mothers are!!!!) ~ and things that affect them ~ things that upset them ~ affect and upset me too!!!!!

There is a certain person who has peed me off ~ who I wish (with my hand on my heart....) ~ would just disappear ~ hopefully into a big black hole!!!! ~

All of my bloggy friends that have access to my other blog ~ which is a private blog ~ can pop on over to Look Behind My Smile and you can read the full unedited story!!!

Any of my regular readers who do not have access to the private blog, please e mail me ~ via my profile page and leave me the e mail address that you use to log into blogger ~ and I will e mail you an invite to the other blog ~ so you too can feel my pain ha ha ha !!!!!!

I have some things to post here later (please come back again ~ they are happy ~ nice things ~ I promise!!!!!!) ~ but for now I am off to have a moan ~ and kick something!!!!!
XXX

My Stars.......on stars!!

Dan and Lauren are sitting watching the TV, when there is a story on about space ~

Lauren ~ "Is that a shooting star Dan?"

Daniel ~ "Yeah, maybe, or it could be a meteor"

Lauren ~ "What is a meteor ~ is it a star?"

Daniel ~ "Sort of, I think ~ Dunno!!"

Lauren ~ "So it's a star........."

SHORT SILENCE.........

Lauren ~ "Did you know that stars are not yellow?"

Daniel ~ "No, they are silver ~ "

Lauren ~ "No, they are not.................they are all sorts of colours ~ blue, green, red, orange......"

Daniel ~ "No, .........how do you know they are all colours?"

Lauren ~ "We saw them remember, the other night ~ when we were walking back from dancing ~ they were flashing in the sky!!!!!"

ANOTHER SHORT SILENCE!!

Daniel " (laughing!!) ~ That was a plane Lauren..............!!"

Lauren "Oh yeah ........ "

".........................What colour are they then?"

(DANIEL GETS UP AND WALKS OFF ~ I THINK HE'D HAD ENOUGH OF STARS HA HA !!!)

************************************************************************************

The 'Lurgy' that I had towards the end of last week and over the weekend has now moved on ~ and I am feeling alot better............................Sadly I seem to have passed it on to my sweet little son, who woke up this morning feeling not so good ~ he feels sick, has a headache and a sore throat and aches all over (yeah, sounds very familiar!!) ~ so I dosed him up and he has been in bed most of the day ~ I am waiting for Lauren to come down with it next. We are a very generous family ~ we do like to share Tee Hee!!!!!!! But, seriously ~ I feel for my poor little chap ~ if he feels half as bad as I did ~ it was not nice!!

************************************************************************************

I was very proud of myself yesterday ~ I am ever so slightly DIY challenged ~ I can't even put up a shelf and hanging a picture is a serious job!!! Well, I bought a shelf system that goes between the bath and the ceiling and is used to store all the shampoo and bath oil etc ~ all neatly and safely!!
It took me quite a while to put it together ~ but I was soooooo good and followed the instructions to the letter (after I found them in English ~ they were in 68 different languages I swear!!!!) ~ and voila ~ it was done ~ and before I knew it, all the shampoo and bath roomy kind of things were on there ~ all stored and it all looked wonderful!!
I was even more proud of myself when I went in the bathroon before bed, and the thing was still there ~ still looking great ~ I decided that I was now a DIY DIVA after all .....................................
WELL..........off to bed I went AND at about 4 this morning, there was an almighty bang and crash and clang (you get the picture!!) ~ I shot bolt upright in bed, thinking that we were being burgled (by some very noisy burglers....) ~(Dan and Lauren both appeared in the hall too!!) then shot out of bed to see what was going on (I am not brave ~it's just the Ex ~ Police Officer in me coming out ha ha !!!!) ~ once I had checked the living room and made sure that everything was ok ~ I ventured into the bathroom and there was the storage shelf thingy in about 50 pieces in the bath ~ surrounded by all the shampoo and bits and pieces ~ SO ~ I am not a DIY DIVA after all ~ the shelf thingy is ruined ~ the shampoo and stuff is all over the place ~ and I am off to Argos tomorrow to buy a unit that goes under the sink (ready made ~ I just have to bring it home and stick it under the sink!!!) ~ I am so useless ~ it's quite sad really ...........never mind, my Mother always said that everybody is good at something ~ AND ~ when I have worked out what that SOMETHING is ~ I will let you know TEE HEE!!!!

Smiley cake Sunday

As I have spent most of the last two days on the sofa ~ feeling a bit ill and all that!!

When Lauren asked me this morning if we could make cakes, I thought that I had better muster up the energy and help her!

Luckily we had a cake making kit in the cuboard (better to take the easy option....thank you Jane Asher for your wonderful cake kits!!!).



So here to cheer up your Sunday ~ are some Smiley face cakes!!



Um, Yeah!!! Not sure what this one is meant to be???? I think those are ears on the side....

and the smarties are eyes and the nose (maybe????) .....anyway ~ let's move on ha ha !!


Ah, that's better ~ apparently Lauren made this one for me........NICE EYEBROWS!! (I have just checked in the bathroom mirror and my eyebrows are nothing like that HONESTLY!!!).

This is the one that Lauren made for Daniel..............Nice moustache going on there!!!

And this is the one that Lauren made for herself......(I am jealous actually ~ as I wanted this one Tee Hee!!!!!!)

12 smiley face cakes ~ (there are only 10 now ~ because some bad person ate two of them.....ok, so it was me.......BUT ~ may I just add that I have been ill and haven't eaten anything for 3 days ......... that's my story anyway and I am keeping to it BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!).

Hope you are having a smiley face Sunday too!!

Love and hugs XXX

A bit better.........and oh......those jeans!!!

I am feeling a little bit better today ~ still not 100% ~ but a bit better!
I took everyones advice and drank lots of fluids and had a bath and an early night ~ and after a very long lie in this morning ~ I eventually dragged myself out of bed and managed to take Lauren to ballet classes!
I then came home and went back to lying on the sofa ~ under my quilt again!!

I am glad to report that by about 3pm today ~ I was alot better and decided (for some mad reason) ~ that I should sort through some of the clothes that I still have in my bedroom that no longer fit me!

I found the jeans that I wore when I went away on holiday last April ~ just before I started to diet ~ and decided to see what they fit like now ~ I haven't tried them on since I started dieting and they got a little too big ~ so here you go!!!

My jeans from last april ~ and the jeans I had on today........
Trying to show the size difference..........

Lauren wanted to see if she could fit in the old jeans with me ~ and shock horror she could!!

It was a very tight fit ~ they wouldn't zip up and neither of us could breathe ha ha ~ BUT it just made me realise that they were big enough (almost) for the both of us!!!!!

I was actually horrified that they were so big ~ but at the same time it made me realise that I have come quite a long way ~ and on the days where I feel like eating the whole contents of the fridge ~ I should get out these jeans and put them on........that should do the trick ha ha !!!

I must just tell you here ~ that my motivation to lose weight was not for vanity ~ not because nothing fitted anymore and I couldn't get nice clothes ~ not for any other reason than my health!

I saw a programme on TV about weight loss and the impact it has on your health ~ and decided that I owed it to my children ~ to lose the weight and be healthy!

I can truly say that 73 pounds later I feel great (well not at this exact moment ~ as I have the lurgy ha ha !!!) ~ I no longer get out of breathe ~ my knees no longer hurt when I walk up the stairs and I am not tired after a day chasing about after little people!!!

It has been hard ~ I will not deny that ~ and there have been moments where I could have quite happily given up and eaten 300 big macs ~ but I haven't ~ I am still plodding on ~ and 8 months after I first started ~ my goal is in sight.............so, if you want to lose weight ~ my advice would be 'go for it' ~ you can do it ~ there are highs and lows ~ it is not always easy .......but if I can do it ~ anyone can........... (please don't think I am preaching here ~ I am no angel ~ and no expert ~ I just follow the principle of eat less ~ eat healthily and exercise more ~ nothing else!!!)

Well, before I go back to lying on the sofa again ~( this feeling ill comes and goes ha ha !) ~ I just wanted to say a big 'Thankyou' for all your kind words and wishes ~ it really has meant alot to me!

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to spend the whole day 'OFF' the sofa Tee Hee!! XXXX

Feeling ill.....

I woke up this morning feeling awful !
I have no idea what it is ~ I woke up with a sort of hangover ~ only without the fun and enjoyment of the alcohol the night before ha ha !!

I had a headache and felt sort of sick and not right at all!!
One of the children that I look after was ill on Wednesday and her parents kept her off on Thursday as she was up all night being ill ~ so whatever it is ~ I think that is probably where it came from!! (the little darlings are so lovely ~ sharing all their illnesses with me!!)

Anyway ~ once I had sorted tea out for Dan and Lauren ~ I decided to fall into bed for an hour ~ which actually turned into 2 hours ~ and I have just dragged myself out of bed.
I feel a little bit better ~ the headache has gone ~ but I now ache ~ sort of everywhere Tee Hee!!
I am hoping that a few Ibuprofen and a soak in the bath sorts it out ~ there are so many nasty little sickness bugs about at the moment ~ hopefully I will feel better tomorrow ~ XXX

HAPPY IVGLDSW DAY!!

My Mum sent me an e mail today ~ telling me it is 'International Very Good Looking, Darn Smart Womans Day' today ~ so I thought that I would send her best wishes onto all of you too ha ha !!!

She also sent me these words ~ which made me laugh so much ~ that I just had to pass them on!!

***REMEMBER ~ Life should not be a journey to the grave ~ with the intention of arriving there safely ~ in an attractive, well preserved body!!
BUT RATHER ~ A skid sideways, with chocolate in one hand and wine in the other ~ body thoroughly used up and worn out ~ screaming "WOO HOO" WHAT A RIDE!!!! ***

***I have reached the age where I have got my head together ~ and now my body has started to fall apart!!***

***Inside me, there is a skinny woman ~ just screaming to get out!! No worries, I can usually shut her up with a few cookies!!!***

***When life hands you lemons ~ just ask for the Tequila and the salt!!***

HOPE YOU HAVE HAD A HAPPY DAY!!!!!

Almost forgot to add ~ weigh in day went ok ~ another pound gone!

Total now stands at 5 stone 3 pounds lost (73 pounds) and counting !!

I am almost there ~ the end is in sight!!! I just have to stay away from the cookies jar........FOREVER!!!!! Tee Hee!!! XXX

My Children.........

I am so blessed to be your Mummy ~

blessed that you chose me ~ to walk the path of life with you.

Each and every day you make me proud ~

each and every day I love you more ~

You make me laugh,

you make me smile

and just when I think that there is nothing you could ever do to suprise me ~

you do something unexpected ~ and my heart bursts with pride!!

We have been through the good times, and the not so good ~

We have walked this sometimes uneven path together ~ the three of us ~

You are my precious children ~

and I am your Mummy ~

And I love you more than you will ever know XXX

FRIDAY.........

It is friday ~ the week is over.....
It is freezing cold outside ~ I have every heater in the place on ~ and I am still cold (god help me when the electricity bill comes in.....)

It took me about a year to defrost the car this morning ~ it was soooooo frozen ~ I have a garage ~ and if I was a bit more organised ~ I would haul my ass out of this chair and go clear all the JUNK out of it ~ so the flipping car could actually fit in there!!!!!!!

I have just had to sit through Camp Rock for about the millionth time ~ as Lauren is slightly addicted to it (but she says she doesn't love it as much as High School Musical ~ phew!!!!) ~ I am going to hide the DVD somewhere when she goes to bed ~ so I don't have to suffer....oops I meant watch it again over the weekend.......Tee Hee!!

I read in a magazine today that celery burns up more calories to eat it ~ than it actually contains ~ yay great ~ CELERY............something , somewhere is very wrong in this world.........why couldn't it have been CHOCOLATE..........I wonder if celery dipped in chocolate counts??????

There is a pile of ironing sat in the corner of my bedroom ~ which I really should try and do this weekend ~ I have been trying to pretend that it will disappear if I leave it there long enough (or maybe an ironing fairy will come and do it.........??) ~ but, no such luck ~ it is still there ~ I have mysteriously developed a sore arm (about 10 minutes ago..) ~ which means that ironing is definitly off the cards tonight (anyone have an ironing fairy that I can borrow????)......

I put a pair of the PJ's that my Mum bought me for Christmas in the tumble dryer today (they are lovely ~ red with white hearts on them ~ and all silky feeling!!!) ~ well ~ now that they have been tumble dried (when the label I never looked at....says 'do not tumble dry!!') ~ they are going to be hard pressed to fit on one of Laurens new dolls ~ never mind, I am sure the doll will love them!!!!!!

Happy Friday ............. just off to search the internet for tasty things to make ......... with CELERY!! XXX

A little Revelation......

A CONVERSATION WITH LAUREN THIS MORNING......................

"Mum, I have made a New Years Revelation!"

Me ~ "Do you mean Resolution Lauren?"

Lauren "Yes Mum ~ That's what I said ~ Revelation"

Me " OK Lauren ~ what is it?"

Lauren " My New Years Revelation is to annoy my brother every day!!"

Me "Right!!"


BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Don't think she'll have too much trouble keeping that New Years 'REVELATION' do you? XXX

Brendas Photo Challenge ~ and a little Update!

Time for Brendas Photo challenge again ~ Laura Belle was the hostess this time and the theme was 'Anything New'!

I thought that I would share a few pictures of some of the NEW things that I received for Christmas!!

First up ~ my dear blogging friend Tania over at Little Sweethearts sent me these delicious belgium chocolates as a christmas present.......if you look very closely you may notice that two bars and missing ~ who ever it was that stole them must return them immediately ha ha !! (OK ~ so it was me that ate them !!!) Thank you so much Tania ~ they are wonderful and the little christmas tree decoration will look great on my tree next year!!

Next is the new bracelet that my Mum bought me for Christmas ~ the bracelet was just plain and then you buy the little silver bead charms and add to the bracelet ~ I love it!!


And finally ~ my new boots ~ I saw them and loved them ~ and had to have them ha ha !!
(Not sure that I can walk in them yet ~ but I will give it a try!!!)

Looking forward to the next challenge ~ see you all again soon!! XX

A LITTLE UPDATE!!

Hello there ~ I am afraid that I have not had a spare moment to do a blog post since we got back from holiday ~ to say it has been a bit hectic would be an understatement!!! IT HAS BEEN MAD!!

I haven't done anything interesting ~ just all the usual day to day things that have to be done ~ the washing and ironing ~ taking down of the Christmas tree and decorations and sorting everything out for the children for school and getting back into the swing of work!!
I am exhasted and it is only Wednesday ~ I am in need of a weekend and quick ha ha !!

Tonight was my first weigh in of 2009 ~ I stepped on the scales (with my eyes closed tee hee!) In fear that the Christmas and New year dinners may have had a rather bad effect on my waistline......but I am pleased to report that I infact lost 1 pound ~ since my last weigh in a few weeks ago ~ so that is an achievement and I am happy. I did wonder whether I may have put on a pound or two ~ and was hopping to have stayed the same at best ~ so the 1 pound loss was indeed a miracle ha ha !! The running total is now 5 stone 2 pounds lost (72 pounds).

We are experiencing the coldest weather EVER here ~ over night it has dropped as low as minus 10 in some places and the wind that was blowing today was the coldest that I have ever felt!! We have all been wrapped up in about 40 layers for the school runs in the mornings ~ and last night I was so cold that I went to bed in my PJ's and dressing gown ~ fluffy socks and then I had the quilt and a throw.....and I was still cold. I was going to get up and put the heating on, but I couldn't face getting out of bed and being even colder ha ha !!!
The weather man has said that these conditions are going to continue until the weekend ~ when it should start getting warmer ~ YIPPEEEEE!! I hope they are right!

Well, there is a warm cup of tea and a dressing gown calling me ~ so I am off for another early night ~ I am hopefully going to catch up with some blogs and see what everyone else has been up to ~ so bye for now and Take Care (and keep warm...........) XXX

Home Again

We made it home safely!
We got back about 3pm ~ not bad going ~ the roads were trouble free and we made good time!
I still have no feeling in my bum from sitting in the car for 5 hours.....hopefully it will come back eventually!!??

I am totally and utterly exhausted ~ so am off to bed for an early night! Back to Work tomorrow morning and the kids are back to school!

Back to 'Real Life' I suppose!!!! XXX

A Little Thankyou......to you all

We are heading home tomorrow morning ~ so things are a bit hectic here as we try and pack everything up ~ the amount of stuff that is going back is UNBELIEVABLE! I have got NO idea where it is all going to go ~ we are going to need an extension......or maybe a bigger place to live LOL!!

I will check in and let you know that we got home safely ~ but before I go ~ I would like to pass on the above award to all my bloggy friends, and indeed anyone who happens to be visiting my blog! Thank you all so much for your friendship in 2008 ~ looking forward to continuing these friendships into 2009 and beyond.

Have a wonderful weekend.
See you all again soon XXX

Start......as I mean to go on!!

Here is my little 'Nest Egg' which I bought today!

Although I decided that I would not be making any New Years Resolutions this year ~ I had already made a promise to myself that I would try and save some money ~ no matter how small ~ so that it could be used for treats for the children ~ like days out and visits to the cinema!!

Even if I only saved a pound a week ~ that would mean there would be £52 in there by Christmas 2009 ~ enough for a nice treat somewhere (PLEASE NOTE ~ this treat will not involve LAPLAND ha ha !!!!!).

I thought that I would put any silver change that I have in here and the odd pound coin or two ~ even a few £2 coins ~ which I totally hate having in my purse ~ they are the worst money invention EVER ha ha !! None of the ticket machines in the carparks seem to take them and I always get given them in change!!! (There you go ~ that is my first moan of 2009~ that didn't take long ha ha !!!).

So there you have it ~ my little Nest Egg has officially started today ~ hopefully it will be full of nice shiny coins very soon ~ so we can go on our first little treat!! I will keep you posted as to the eggs progress LOL!!

Hope your New Year is off to a good start ~ anyone broken their New Years Resolutions yet??

XXX

PS ~ The egg has 12 pence in it so far.....so that is a good start ~ Tee Hee!!!!! xxx

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR ~ FROM ALL OF US ~ TO ALL OF YOU!!!

~ HERE'S HOPING 2009 BRINGS YOU LOTS OF LOVE, LUCK AND HAPPINESS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX