As one door closes another one opens

I am sorry for the lack of Sunday scrapbook this week life's been a bit hectic with the house move but hopefully this post will redeem me as its a weekly scrapbook and a kind of room set post all rolled into one.
This week we are in the funny limbo bit of moving house we have exchanged contracts and are now playing the waiting game. The house we are moving too is already empty so we asked if we could have access between exchange and completion the solicitors agreed this and its made life a bit easier.

The house we are moving to has been tenanted for awhile and we wanted to get the carpets changed before we move in. Under normal circumstances i would not change a carpet until  all decorating has been done but the tenants had drank and smoked in the house and well.... just yuk the carpet had to go so we will just have to be very careful when decorating. Its been good to have the week of access and i would definitely recommend this if moving in to an empty property as although its been hard work its good to have it all clean ready for moving day.


Anyway here is a sneaky peak at our new home it needs a lot of  work and TLC but i know it will be a lovely house when done its just waiting for a family to love and care for it.

The kitchen needs updating and we are hoping to move some walls to make it bigger and make it into a kitchen diner as i will miss the space we currently have as i love cooking and creating with little E as you know. There will be no pictures like this for awhile......

The lounge is a good size space with two nice big windows overlooking the garden, it desperately needs decorating this picture at night does not really show how badly it needs decorating !! Mind you the lounge is not the only thing in need of some styling look at little E's interesting clothing choice pyjamas and wellies. He is just learning to dress himself  and pyjamas and wellies are easy, its a bit of progress for us as he has a clothing aversion (would rather be a naturist) so the fact he is putting clothes on is progress we can work on the fashion sense later!!

This is little E's new bedroom we have had a bit of a falling out over it already as he wants to keep his inherited curtains because they are fluffy. I don't even know where to start with this I'm not a fan of radiator skimmers or pretend velvet. Luckily nursery came to the rescue as they sent home a recycling charity bag and when we took the curtains in they were really pleased as they need some blackout ones for the planetarium so the curtains go to a good home and E still gets to enjoy them!

Hopefully soon he will have a lovely bedroom again as its really sad to be leaving behind his boat bedroom . I'm sure i can do some more upcycling and re use some of the items again in new ways.

http://makingitasmum.blogspot.com/2011/11/nautical-boat-bedroom-on-budget.html

Its getting exciting now we are already starting to imagine the house taking shape and what a difference just changing carpets and hanging curtains has made. We have alot of work ahead of us but this can be done slowly a room at a time once we are in.

The new house will be a lovely fresh start for us and the reduction in the mortgage will help me to be able to care for my mum and little E without constantly worrying about paying the mortgage.

I best get back to the packing now otherwise we won't be going anywhere but its been lovely to catch up and blog.

Its always lovely to hear from you so please feel free to leave a comment and say hi xx

Thought of the day ........................... As one door closes another one opens!

Lets make a breakthrough for breastcancer

Breast cancer sadly took the life of my best friends mum last summer a lovely kind lady who will never get the chance to meet one of her grandchildren.

Did you know that around 1000 women die from breast cancer every month? One in eight women will develop breast cancer at sometime in their lifetime. It is important to note that men also get breast cancer. The good news is that more people are surviving breast cancer due to greater awareness, improved treatments and better screening.

Everyone of the people that die are someones mother, daughter, sister, wife, father, son , brother, husband and this is why i am taking up the bloggers challenge for  Breakthrough Breast Cancer to help raise awareness and encourage regular checks that are vital for early detection TLC (Touch, Look, Check).“

The challenge is to write about a women you care about in 90 words i have chosen to write about my best friend and the courage and strength she has.

Sarah is mum to Oliver and has another very special person on the way which is a real blessing having suffered the heart ache of mis carriage. She is a truly amazing lady with courage and strength and kindness. She has been through a difficult time losing her mum to breast cancer and losing a baby however she still manages to keep going and her bright smile never fades. She is a true inspiration always the person offering help and support to others and words of kindness to friends. She always manages to see the good in any situation and from her sad loss she has seen this as an opportunity to raise funds and awareness to help others avoid the same heart ache.

Sarah is an inspiration to me and i hope her story has inspired you to get involved maybe you would like to write your own post and link up with Kate on thin ice.  http://kateonthinice.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/i-am-looking-for-90-bloggers-to-support-breakthrough-breast-cancer/

The most important thing is doing the checks for early detection as this helps to save lives so please look after yourself and make these important checks TLC (Touch, Look, Check).“

Last year for breastcancer awareness month my whole town turned pink and i encouraged fellow bloggers to turn their blogs pink.
http://makingitasmum.blogspot.com/2011/10/witney-turns-pink-to-support.html
This October i will be turning blogs pink again and if you would like to help me with this and be involved please leave me a comment and i will be able to get in touch xx

Thought of the day ................... Get involved change lives

Its always lovely to hear from you so please feel free to leave me a comment.xx

Sunday scrapbook my week in photos

This has been a bit of a hectic week again our house move is just a week away so i feel i have spent more time looking in boxes than looking through a camera Lens taking photos for my Sunday scrapbook.

I was however pleasantly surprised as this week i received a lovely box  one that needed opening rather than packing and that contained something lovely that i was very much in need of..............

 I  never win anything so no one was more surprised than me that i won this lovely pamper box from pamper Witney on twitter http://www.pamperpartiesoxfordshire.co.uk/ . I think this is a wonderful business  so i re tweeted the competition as i thought it was something my followers would be interested in not expecting to win myself. I know all us ladies need a bit of pampering so the ladies pamper parties caught my eye as what a lovely way to get together with friends.

So i opened my lovely box and it was full of pampering goodies that gave me the perfect excuse to have that long bath i have been promising myself. The grooving mums will be proud i relaxed for well over an hour and even took a book in the bath something i used to do but have not done since my little boy was born.

Well ladies i recommend it delegate the childcare for at least an hour and re discover the lotions and potions in the bathroom. I returned from my pampering feeling like a new.... well less frazzled women.

I did have to make one compromise though there was a box of chocolate in my pamper box and i bribed my husband and little boy with it. The deal was they could have the chocolate if the promised to stay in the lounge and quietly watching a film no banging on bathroom door no matter what!!

My next photo for my Sunday scrapbook is a photo of what happened to wise old owl! I was playing around on my sewing machine a couple of weeks ago and made a little owl  but i did not know what to turn him into, this week i got the sewing machine out for one last run before packing it away and made him into a note book cover with a little pocket for loose bits of paper and a place for my pen. I'm not convinced i have that many wise words but at least now if the moment strikes me i have a place to jot them down.

My final photo that sums up my week in photos is this picture of little E in our very empty hallway with his coat on. Our current home does not feel like home now as its all pretty much packed away and we are just waiting to move on to the next chapter in our lives. When we have not been packing we have tried to get out as much as possible even if just a walk to the shop. Anyone who has moved home with a child of this age will understand this they start to get unsettled want to keep unpacking the boxes and are just too excited about the big van that will soon be on the drive !!

That's my week in pictures, hows your week been please feel free to link up a post anytime that reflects your week in pictures.

Its lovely to hear from you so don't be scared to say hello leave a comment in the box below xx

Thought of the day .............. All packed up and nowhere to go

Top five biscuits #listography

photo  http://armynow.blogspot.com/2009_01_21_archive.html

This weeks listography is top 5 biscuits and as i cant resist a biscuit  how can i resist a biscuit related post. I'm very partial to a cup of tea as you know and nothing other than a slice of cake compliments a cuppa quite like a biscuit.

So here's my top five favourite biscuits

1.  A firm favourite since childhood is the good old jammy dodger although i prefer them to be the jam and cream version which you cant get very often called smiley faces. I mean what could be better than a biscuit filled with cream and jam with a silly face on to make you smile. These are also good as they are one of the few biscuits that when dipped in tea don't fall apart and cry, good job really as i would imagine there's nothing quite like drowning in a hot mug of tea to make a happy biscuit sad.

2. My second choice is possibly controversial as its Jaffa cakes and the fact there is cake in the title leaves them a bit up for debate. I think they are a biscuit as they are in the biscuit isle of the supermarket and supermarkets never get it wrong do they!!! Jaffa cakes are supposed to be less calories than many biscuits but i don't think that works for me as they are very moreish and i end up eating more than i would of any other biscuit.

3. Rich tea are my next choice although they nearly don't make it on the list as they are stressful if there is such a thing as a stressful biscuit. These are high maintenance biscuits as they need careful attention not long enough dipped in the tea for which they are intended and you just end up with a wet biscuit and too long and you have a cupful of mush. However get these just right and the tea biscuit combo is heavenly and for that they redeem themselves for the list.

4.  The other end of the scale from the good old rich tea is biscotti the perfect partner for a cup of coffee after a meal. Biscotti is a biscuit made for dunking as the hot liquid is needed to soften it to perfection. Unlike other biscuits though it is not recommended eaten without first being dipped in a hot beverage as this may result in needing an emergency dentist.

5. My final choice is possibly a bit random as i think these are like marmite you either love them or hate them. They are the very retro pink wafer biscuits that my nan gave me when i was small. I don't come across these very often these days but occasionally they turn up in selection boxes and always make me smile.

That's my five favourites what are yours...... Why not pop the kettle on and find out and then head over to Kate takes 5 and add your own listography. http://katetakes5.blogspot.com/p/listography.html

I love to hear from you so don't be too shy to say hello feel free to leave me a comment below xx

Mood boards inspired by elemental design trend

The room set

This week with the move to the new house just over a week away i managed to steal a few moments  from the packing to think about the feel i would like for the new home. I did get a raised eyebrow from my other half when amidst all the chaos i sat down with a cup of tea and pile of magazines and flicked through them at lightening speed tearing pages out. The reason i flick through at lightening speed is at this stage i am just trying to get a feel for what I'm drawn to rather than getting hung up on actual item choices.

Mood boards are a great idea when planning a new scheme as you can play round with colour and pattern see how things look together without any financial out lay. I like the flexibility of the changeable mood boards and starting with photographic images as the photos can be taken away and replaced by actual samples as and when you find them. To get the best overall feel use smaller samples of accent colours and larger ones of bigger items as this will give a better representation of the overall scheme as in proportion.

I have not concentrated here on one room i have just tried to create the feel for the whole house i think this is a good idea even if you are only decorating one room as a house needs to flow as a whole as this gives a sense of space. Thinking about the house rather than individual rooms also gives flexibility as items can be moved from room to room when you fancy a change around.

We are working on a tight budget so there are a few things we have in our current home that will need to be incorporated into the new scheme. Often though when items are put into a different room it gives them a new lease of life. When buying investment items such as sofas i tend to play safe and buy natural colours or classics such as brown leather as accent colours can be added with cushions and throws to get the desired look, these can then be replaced in expensively if you fancy a colour up date.

Inspired by the elemental design trend i have worked with the colours of nature as i love the idea of bringing the outside in. Home should be a place to relax and unwind and i cant think of anything more calming the great out doors. A small room can instantly feel bigger if the colour palate used takes your eye beyond the room to the garden outside.

Each room will have its own identity but when the three boards are put together you can see that although different colours are used the elemental inspiration from nature allows a flow around the whole home and will make it easier to move items form room to room to ring the changes.

There you go i have given everyone a good excuse now to sit down with a cuppa and flick through some magazines all in the name of research. If there are no magazines to hand or the Internet is more your thing i have also found a great site called my deco where you can create virtual mood boards on line

http://mydeco.com/rooms/moodboard/

Its always lovely to hear from readers so please feel free to leave a comment or share your ideas.

Thought of the day....................... Get inspired

Top five tips for new bloggers - Listography

This weeks listography is top five tips for bloggers as I'm a fairly new bee blogger myself i thought while its still fresh in my mind i would give my top five tips for new bloggers from what i have  learned so far.

1. The best thing i did was to sign up for a free blog course i found at little mummy this gave me free weekly emails to follow to set up a blog from scratch. It was easy to follow and really helpful and saved me hours of searching for information.

http://www.littlemummy.com/mum-blogger-e-course/

2. Start by just using the basic templates provided and just play around changing colours etc as trying to add themes when your just starting out can stress you and make blogging seem more complicated than it is. Later on when you are more confident and want to maybe invest in your blog get someone technical to help you design something.

3. If there are blogs that you love reading don't be scared to comment and join in memes such as listography. I was reading Kate takes 5 silently for ages before i got brave and said hi and once i did i found a lovely lady who i now chat too often on twitter.
 Commenting and joining in memes are a great way to meet other bloggers get comments and followers back. It is also a great way to find new blogs to follow and read as the other people who have linked to the same post like the same type of posts as you do.

4. Join networks such as Net mums, Brit mums and love all blogs you will find lots of tips and be able to chat to other bloggers and join in forums. Everyone is really helpful and kind and again you will find some lovely blogs to read and meet some great people.

5. Never struggle in silence if you are stuck if you send out a tweet someone will always try to help you. Bloggers are a great friendly community and my only blogging regret is that i did not start sooner. I am along way form knowing all the answers but I'm happy to help if i can either leave me a comment or find me on twitter @theroomset.

I hope my limited knowledge will help someone or encourage anyone thinking of starting a blog to have ago. I am the least technical person i know so if i can do it  anyone can.

If you would like to have ago at your own listography hop over to katetakes5 and have ago . http://katetakes5.blogspot.com/

Comments make my day and help me to find you so don't be scared to say hello x

We can learn alot from our children #grooving mums

This week in my search to become a grooving mum life has taken some unexpected twists and turns and inspiration has come from the most unlikely places.

I am still taking baby steps towards my goals a bit like a toddler learning to walk for the first time who takes one unsteady step at a time into the unknown as the realise they can't reach what  their heart desires sitting round waiting for it to come to them.
When learning to walk the toddler takes a small step at a time reaches out for help and support when its needed and keeps trying until they succeed and before long the walk has turned into a run because they persevered and mastered the basics first.

I have realised as well as teach my little E new things i can also learn alot from him and his approach to getting what he wants out of life. It was nearly two years ago he learnt to walk and now he runs so fast i struggle to keep up. He is never afraid to try something new and he definitely is not lacking with the energy and determination to succeed. I have the determination and im working on the energy  and with the support of the grooving mums i will be running again in no time.

We have a reward chart up in little E's bedroom which is an incentive for him to do well and when the chart is complete the reward is going to Peppa pig world as this is what his heart desires. When attaching the stickers to his chart the other evening he asked me why i did not have a reward chart.

 This made me chuckle and  i did not really know what to say but Little E persevered with the conversation advising me that i could get stickers for going to bed on time eating my vegetables and drinking water and getting dressed properly! He is a sensible boy as yes bedtime needs to come forward and a chocolate orange is not classed as one of my five a day and the first thing i can grab is not getting dressed properly.

 He continued with and when your charts finished mummy me and Daddy will buy you a nice present what would you like ! Hmmmmmmmmm what would i would like some pampering i think a day at a spa with an over night stay pure relaxation and time to quiet my racing mind.

 I think little E is onto something here with Mummy reward charts what a fantastic idea to praise our daily small successes the little baby steps that move us towards our ultimate goal with a small prize on completion to celebrate our success.

This weeks grooving mums challenges are Body (lotions and potions ) mind (celebrate whats good about us) Blogging (what to we plan to do with our blog and the big question what can we delegate.

I think i will take up Little E's advice and start a Mummy reward chart my weekly treat will be delegating Sunday evenings to my other half and locking my self in the bathroom for an hour for a lovely long bath rather than a quick shower and re discovering those long forgotten lotions and potions. The chart will be encouraging me to look after myself better too drinking a litre of water a day is supposed to work wonders for the skin and eating my five a day should fill me up enough to resist a sugary snack when my energy is flagging.

I will do my homework like on Little E's chart and take some time out to discover where to take my blog. I would really like to develop the room set posts further and work with companies to help show Mums affordable home products that benefit mums and make life easier. I would like to be able to use my knowledge of affordable interiors and visual merchandising to help others. I am really unclear at the moment how to use these skills but ultimately i would like to offer affordable design to help small buisnesses make the most of their products and home owners get the best from their houses and add value to it. 

I'm not really good at blowing my own trumpet so the question what is good about me is tricky for me to answer not because I'm not good at anything just that I'm am better at shouting about other peoples success than i am at shouting about my own.

 Maybe that in its self is something good about me that  i can lift other peoples spirits and often know exactly the right thing to say in a moment of crisis and somehow manage to make things not seem so bad and often even manage to raise a smile from a tearful friend with the right words and TLC.

I was really inspired this week by the posts from Kate on thin ice and mammasaver where they have shown their skills as a blog C.V this is a fantastic idea and one i will pluck up the courage to do myself this week.

Thought of the day...................... Reward the baby steps

Sunday scrapbook

One of the things i wanted to do this year was take more photos and have a week by week record of a whole year. Every Sunday i promised myself i would grab a cup of tea and take a few minuets and scrapbook my photos.

Its Sunday time to grab the scrapbook and  fill the family album with photos that reflect week two of 2012. I have added a link and it would be lovely if you would like to add your photos too.

This week i wanted to experiment a bit more with photos and try different effects and new angles rather than the usual say cheese pics! I was so glad i did as the photo above was a lovely picture but i adore it in black and white.

My little E is for some reason obsessed with these unusual bicycle posts in our town and every time we visit the town he plays on them. Its one of those things when hes grown up I'm sure i will forget he did so this picture i took to remind me of the silly things we do. 

This week we have seen more than our fair share of rain and seem to of never left home without a brolly so it seems only fair this picture makes the album. I was a bit concerned though on this particular windy rainy day that little E was inventing a new form of transport with balloon power he would of tied balloon's all the way round if i had of let him!!

That's our week in pictures it was good to be a bit more creative with the camera this week and I'm glad the camera was always handy. Its now over too you what lovely photos have you taken this week that you would like to link up and share.

Thought of the day........................ Capture more moments

Childrens Saturday cinema for just £1

Maybe its just me but in the winter i find its a struggle to find new things to do with the children without breaking the bank. Cabin fever starts setting in from being stuck in the house and a trip to the park in the pouring rain unless your Peppa Pig and love jumping in muddy puddles can be fairly unappealing.

Recently i found out about Saturday morning cinema which does not seem to be very well advertised and generally seems to be something you find out about through word of mouth.

Most cinemas run a children's Saturday showing and it is usually only  £1 per person that's the same price for children and adults so a family of 4 can have a morning out for only £4.

We have been a couple of times and i found it a really good way to introduce a toddler to the cinema.  Everyone who is there has children so there's no frowning going on when your little one decides that he will do a lightening McQueen impression and run the length of the screen with sound effects or when the little girl on the back row announces she needs a weeeeeeeeeee to the whole cinema.

The first time we went we arrived at the advertised start time but the 20 Min's of adverts were far too long for a toddlers short attention span and meant we only watched about half of the actual film. The next time we tried it we arrived 20 Min's later and this was much better and we managed to stay for the whole film.

Most cinemas offer a choice of two film options and they are generally recent releases we found we watched cars 2 for cheaper at the cinema than it was to rent it from blockbuster.

The cinema we visit is Cine world and they also do a really good child starter pack to get the full cinema experience for £3 you get a lunch box with standard popcorn a drink some milky way stars and a twirly straw thingy. This again is really good value cheaper ironically than a standard popcorn. If you are trying to save the pennies you could always make your own at home first and take it with you.

I have done a quick check and both Vue and Cine world offer Saturday morning cinema and I'm pretty sure many others do as well. Next time you have  cabin fever on a rainy weekend i really recommend giving the childrens cinema a try.

Its always lovely to hear comments and share ideas and suggestions with others so please feel free to leave a comment below on your cinema experiences xx

Thought of the day ................... Family fun for under a fiver.

Tips for a stress free house move is there such a thing!

Moving house people often say is one of the most stressful life events along with divorce and bereavement. I think though like anything its alot easier if you know how to go about it and what to expect. I think its also really good even if not moving to have the occasional life laundry and have a fresh start as clutter and mess is stress.

 You possibly already know this about me but in case you don't, I have always loved making and styling things. I'm a serial house mover, I love interiors so much that when the house is finished I'm itching to move on to the next.  I love to pass on savvy interior ideas and anything that helps save people time and money round the home.

 Our current house is finished and the challenge of another project is far too tempting and once again in a few weeks we will be moving to a house that needs a bit of TLC.

 This will be our 7th move so moving cant really be that bad after all can it!. I thought while its fresh in my mind i would share the secrets of  why I'm not getting stressed and how you can avoid it too.

I will be doing  a weekly post from now on called the room set to include  interior and home tips to save money, time and for living stylishly for less . If you would like to find me on twitter im tweeting  @theroomset.

The room set Top tips for stress free moving  ............
1. If like me you hate filling in boring forms and making numerous phone calls to call centres to sort the mortgage etc etc let some else do it for you. Most Estate agents have a financial adviser linked to them and more often than not its a free service but obviously check this first. You can even still use the financial adviser when porting your existing mortgage like we are. This lovely person then fills in all the forms etc for you leaving you free to get packing.

2. Although someone is doing the form filling for you during a move you will need to keep finding various documents and often this is where stress kicks in. Unless your a very organised person or like Monica out of friends chances are your not going to easily find them when asked and get stressed looking.
 Therefore before you even pack a box sort and edit your filling cabinet throw away anything you no longer need and neatly file the rest. Get all the lose documents from drawers all round the house and put them in one place properly filed. This will also give you a fresh start when you get to the new house.

3. Now you have all the documents to hand grab your diary and write a moving list. A record of all the suppliers you need to inform your moving give meter readings too on moving day etc etc write their telephone number and your account number down ready so you don't need to have the document to hand when ringing them a few days before moving.

4. Make a moving tub saves hunting a round for the parcel tape etc every time you pack a box.A Moving tub is a small box that includes parcel tape, scissors, marker pen, newspaper, and a notebook and pen rubbish bags and charity bags. This then moves round with you as you pack saving you time and energy trying to remember under what pile of mess you left the parcel tape .

4. Many people start packing by clearing the loft i think its better to start in the spare room or office as you can then create a room for packing and keep normality in the rest of the house as long as possible this is really important if you have children or pets. You then have a cleared room ready to bring the loft junk down into.

5  Start packing the spare room by bagging up items for the charity shop as you go. Pack things by type and clearly label the box with a black marker pen which room its for in new house and describe contents briefly on the box so you don't need to rip open ten the other end just to find your hairdryer on the first morning.

6 Next empty clear and pack the garage again this is a little used room that generally attracts clutter more than it attracts parking cars. Once clear again you have a space that you can put the packed boxes from other rooms in without having to live looking at them.

7 now its time to tackle the loft  as you have cleared space in spare room and garage to sort it into, most things in the loft aside from Christmas Dec's tend to be destined for the charity shop as if its made it to the loft it suggests you did not want to see it anymore!

8 Drawers and cupboards get sorted and packed next and your house still manages to remain looking like home a little longer. Wardrobes be ruthless if you have not worn it in a year do you really need it. Pack away and label items not for the current season this will then only leave a small bit of wardrobe packing nearer move day.

9 Book shelves and units this will be the start of the house starting to feel empty so try not to do this till 10 days before the move especially if you have small children as change can make them more twitchy than usual.

10 This should now just leave you to pack at the last min everyday items you use all the time. These last boxes i use a red marker pen to identify them the other end as last packed.  Generally last packed are first needed.
 If you have children i definitely recommend using a removal firm on the day as much quicker and less stressful. I always take the hoover and a few cleaning products in my car rather than loading them in the removal lorry this is just in case the last owners did not leave the new pad as clean as they should of.
The other thing to definitely take in the car is the kettle a few cups, tea milk etc as you will definitely all want a cuppa when you get there. Making the removal guys tea and biccies always goes down well.

These tips are also really useful if you are not moving  as they are a good basis for a bit of a life laundry and we all need one of those occasionally.

Hope you found this useful , its always lovely to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment or add additional tips.

Happy moving


Thought of the day.................... A change is as good as a rest.












 

Listography Best ever............ Gimme five ish,

Listograhy
This weeks listography is top five bests

1. Best Decision

When i was 21 i made a decision that all although i did not know it at the time would change the rest of my life. My two best friend were going travelling and had been nagging me to join them but i was in a steady job and had a long term boyfriend so felt i should not go.

 My boyfriend at the time was unreliable and the work was boring. My 21st birthday arrived and the then boyfriend let me down again but my amazing friends made sure i had a party to remember. The next day with a horrendous hangover i found myself handing in my notice chucking the boyfriend and in the travel agents with my friends booking my ticket outta here.

While in Greece working i met my lovely husband had the most fun ever with him and my best friends and the rest as they say is history. Eighteen years later I'm still with the gorgeous man i met on my travels and have a lovely son together.

2.Best book

This is a tricky one as i love to read but not many books deserve being read more than twice yet this one however does. Secrets about life every women should know, written by Barbara DI Angeli's. Its a really helpful comforting book if your facing a tough time and have big decisions to make. Please don't be put off by the spiritual bit it is an amazing book that really makes a lot of sense.

3.  Best bit of advice

       I  know i have said this before but a really good friend gave me the babies don't keep poem when my little E was tiny and this was the best advice any one can give to a new mother.

http://makingitasmum.blogspot.com/2011/08/babies-dont-keep.html


4.  Best film

          Well Kate's probably going to give me a telling off for this but i can't make this just one film as quite honestly anything that has Jason Statham in it gets my vote. I also am a huge fan of 80s films they don't make em anymore like they used too. I know i know that wasn't one thing but well if your going to get a telling off may as well make it worth it !! Hopefully the lovely picture or the Stath will help me redeem myself.


5. Best thing i own

         There is one thing i have its been my friend for over 10 years friends told me i would sell it as soon as little E arrived but i didn't. It never lets me down it is more practical than a people carrier as I'm usually the only mum remaining dry while loading my little one up in the pouring rain. It makes me smile and in fact it makes most people smile  it is of course my lovely green Alfie Bug.



That's it this weeks listography complete hope you enjoyed it , i love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment it makes my day. If you would like to make your own list head on over to the lovely Katetakes5 and have a go.

Thought of the day............  Stop thinking start doing.
     

            

Sunday is scrapbook day

Along with many others i started project 366 on new years day to take a photo a day to record a year in the hope of having a lovely record of a year and improving my photo skills. I hope to manage a photo a day but at the very least take more photos so that i don't miss a precious moment as once gone we can never get a moment back. 
Welcome to Sunday scrapbook a link up to celebrate whats been going on this week a show and share for everyone wanting to show off their photos and celebrate the week just passed. There are no rules put as many or as few photos as you wish with a write up if you want to or just let the photos do the talking.  Although there are no rules obviously keep it clean this is a family site and I'm not that kinda girl !!

This week was a tricky first week for my scrapbook as we are in the middle of moving and photos of lots of boxes is not really that exciting. However i did see one funny sighting as a result of the move a man with a hoover now that's not something we see everyday is it ladies!!

I missed Saturday is caption day over on mamasaurus but this would of been a good contender as definitely needs a caption i think !

Little E unlike my other half  has not grasped the concept of moving means all hands on deck and has been more of a hindrance than a help unpacking the boxes quicker than i can pack them and generally trashing the house before crashing and burning on the sofa.

He however has been really helpful in the kitchen creating must go's with me to use up all the bits and bobs that well.........must go before we move.

I somehow in all the chaos found a tiny bit of me time this week away from the madness and found a bit of time for making as creating is good for the soul.. I'm not sure yet what wise old owl is going to be made into but i enjoyed making him.

 

So there it is a snapshot of life this week in our world. I would love to see what everyone else has been up to fell free to post a comment or link up your 1st 2012 scrapbook and share whats going on in your world. Captions for the rare occurance of the hoovering husband if you like too






Thought of the day....................... Many hands make light work!!

Make your own art and Personalise your space with your favorite quote

Inspired by the old bus canvas signs subway art / typography is a lovely finishing touch for any room. 

I love quotes  how lovely to have in your home something on your wall to see everyday that inspires you and is personal to you.

I really wanted to have ago myself so i searched the Internet and found a wonderful tutorial on a lovely blog called clean and sensible where she shows step by step how to make one yourself.

 

I don't have a silhouette cutter as is used in the tutorial so i ordered pre cut vinyl letters such as number plate stickers. I painted each canvas shown in the photos first with a lighter coloured base coat varying the shade in places to give the worn look when later revealed.

Once the base coat had dried I then carefully spaced the vinyl letters and painted over the top in the same tone but darker shade than the base. I did not add the paint too thickly or evenly as i wanted a vintage look. Once dry carefully remove the letters.

The parchment colour one seemed to need more of a feel of aged paper so once dry i added more of a vintage feel by dabbing with a tea bag to finish off. This was a special order for a friend who runs a Biscotti company she is great at baking but did not fancy making her own.

You can play around with colour  give more of a hand made feel by adding detail round the lettering like stitching. The possibilities are endless and a really unique finishing touch for the home that you can make yourself to perfectly compliment your colours and style.

If you don't fancy having  a go at making your own i have also found some very lovely inexpensive ones at Bill and Betty's that are definately worth a look.


I hope i have inspired you please feel free to comment and follow me as i love to get to know fellow bloggers x

Thought of the day .....................  Things happen for a reason !


 

Feed the family on a budget must go menu !

This week I'm being very creative in the kitchen and in the true spirit of savvy shopping I'm taking it to the extreme and finding out is it possible to eat for a whole week without going shopping. That's right save a whole weeks food bill and still eat. Before you panic i have not gone mad I'm not on some extreme water only diet but i can make a good must go.

 What is a must go.... its a meal made with the items in the fridge, freezer and cupboards left behind from the previous weeks shops the things that if you do the next shop would ultimately not get used and wasted. Things like the random tin of chickpeas you cant remember why you bought or that last pepper from the packet that was surplus to the meal you made. Then of course theres always your usual suspects of cupboard basics flour sauce etc etc.

This is what i found this week on the day i would of usually done a supermarket shop therefore these are my must gos

Fridge                                                                           Freezer                                     
half a bunch of spring onions                                       2 packs of turkey steaks                
1 slightly squashed red pepper                                     1 packet vegi mince                      
1 yellow pepper                                                            fish mix                                       
2 red onions                                                                  2 lemon sole fillets                        
half a packet of parsley                                                a few fish fingers                         
10 ish cherry tomatoes                                                 peas                                                                      
Mushrooms                                                                  Apple pie
half a cabbage                                                              1 loaf of bread
a bit of broccoli
2 lonely eggs                                                                The usual suspects of pasta rice
butter                                                                            stock cubes flour jam cereal etc
Cheese                                                                          in the cupboard
10 ish new potatoes
10 ish  potatoes
1/2 bottle of wine
1 bottle of beer
5 yoghurt's

Day one
Our first must go of the week was a new and i think improved take on an old classic.....

1, Must go potato..........

We had  roasted  yellow pepper, red onion and cherry tomatoes  mixed  with the tuna and mayo as a  delicious jacket potato filling. My other half liked it so much he wants them again. Really easy recipe and only one roasting tray so little washing up. Even if these were not being made as a must go they would be a really inexpensive nutritious meal for a family on a tight budget.

Easy to make while the jackets are in the oven roast the pepper red onion and cherry tomatoes in a little olive oil. Once cooked mix in the tuna and a couple of table spoons of mayonnaise and fill the potato.

 Day two .........
 Must go risotto

 

If you have not tried it already pudding rice makes a lovely risotto rice and is lots cheaper to buy than risotto rice.

In a wok with a little olive oil add you vegetables i used the spring onions, red pepper, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and lightly browned them.

Next i added the pudding rice i had and gently heated with the veg for a couple of Min's.

Then added a glass of white wine from the half bottle i had left in the fridge (not sure how i came to have left over wine !!) let this sizzle until the liquid is gone.

Fill a large measuring jug with boiling water and dissolve a  stock cube then gradually over a 20 Min's add this to the rice.

When the last ladle of stock went in i added the parsley i found in fridge and a few chopped herbs from my garden a pinch of pepper and a handful of grated cheese.

Lovely risotto was enjoyed by all and again even if it was not a must go a really inexpensive family meal.

Day 3

must go vegi spaghetti

I'm not a vegetarian but i prefer quorn

I prefer vegi mince to real mince it tastes great and is lower fat.

Fry in a little oil an onion and mushrooms and vegi mince until browned then add a can of tomatoes a couple of table spoons of tomato puree and a cup full of vegetable stock. Leave this to gently simmer while in another pan (smiley face optional) cook the spaghetti  or what ever pasta you have in the cupboard.
Towards the end of cooking add a pinch of pepper and chopped herbs from the garden.

Serve with an optional sprinkle of grated cheese.

That's half the week gone I'm sure as the week continues the meals may get a bit more random but its going to be fun finding out after all i still have that random tin of chickpeas to deal with.

Find out in part two of this post what happens to them.............

It would be great to hear if you have made any must gos of your own or are going to give it a try feel free to link up and share your ideas and money saving recipes any any ideas on those dreaded chick peas very welcome.

I would Love you to follow me if you like my ramblings and its a great way for me to find you and come over and say hi on your blog xxx

Thought of the day.........................  must go!

Getting my groove back

I'm not exactly sure when i lost my groove but its mine and i want it back !I think its very close by and i simply keep missing it as i rush past at 100 miles an hour or maybe its just stuck under my pillow too tired to join me! Its been missing awhile and every so often i manage to catch a glimpse of it so  i know it does still exists! I'm not sure where my search to find my groove again will take me but I'm sure going to enjoy finding out. 2012 is the year that i am going to get my groove back.

The very lovely Kate on thin ice runs a weekly blog  hop called grooving mums and if like me you want to find your groove again give it a try.

http://kateonthinice.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/how-do-you-fancy-a-sparkling-new-you/

This weeks challenges are............

1. Did you over-indulge over the festive season? What can you do to prepare for the life-changing journey ahead in terms of improving your health?


OK i hold my hands up to this maybe i ate the odd mince pie or ten and washed them down with a sip or two of wine ........... OK  OK bottle of wine! I possibly burnt the Christmas candle at both ends sadly not due to excess partying or anything vaguely exciting like that  mainly due toddler sleep issues.

I realise i have been sleep deprived now for nearly four years no wonder i cant find my groove I'm lucky i can still find my eyelids.
 I have employed Super nanny to help with this well sort of I'm working through her toddler confidence book. I'm sure once we all get a decent nights sleep we will all feel happier and healthier.

The other change i have made towards better health this year is drinking more water and my bobble is definately helping with this. http://makingitasmum.blogspot.com/2012/01/exchanging-wine-for-water-bobble.html

I also want to get more excercise im going to do something active everyday with my Little E i get slimmer he burns off some of that excess energy sounds like a plan to me! Its also lovely to spend time doing fun things even if we get out  dance with Dora the explorer its excercise for a rainy day. Mostly though i plan to get us exercising in the fresh air where possible.

I would love to go back and see a nutritionist again as its amazing how much better you feel when your battery's are fully charged and the right vitamins and diet are in place. She was an absolute superstar back when i was suffering with pnd and lack of sleep exhaustion.


2. What do you need to change your mind about? Have you written yourself off in some way? How can you shift negative thinking patterns?

I need to change my mind about me i think i have forgotten that i am not just a carer for my mum a mother to my son and a wife to my husband but i am a person in my own right  too. I need to learn to say no a bit more and leave a space in my day for myself to just be me.

 I don't think i have completely written myself off quite yet but i don't seem to get the time to think about whats next for me or how to usefully use my pre caring skills. I think the best way to shift this thinking is write a list of what i can do and what i would like to do.
 I am taking part in day zero project  creating a list of 100 things to do in the next 1001 days. The list is in progress at the moment as i want to give it real thought.Once the list is written i will be able to see what baby steps to take to make things happen and im sure as i tick of the things i have done my groove will come out of hiding. The 101 in 1001 is a really great tool as its your personal list not what others expect of you but what you want for yourself. http://dayzeroproject.com/


3. This week, Christians celebrate the Epiphany. Here is one dictionary definition for the word epiphany “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.” What does this mean to you?

Epiphany means to me to trust my intuition more and to go with my gut feeling rather than do what others expect or tell me is the thing to do. I'm sure its not just me that in the past has done something as it seemed the thing to do even though your instinct was not to do it. Always on these occasions i have looked back with hindsight and wished i had trusted my intuition. The new job my husband took just before our little boy was born did not feel right and i tried to persuade him a job change at that time was a bad idea. I  did not push him as it seemed silly saying this does not feel right so he took the job and they made him redundant a mere five hours after Little E was born. A decision that although made three years ago we are still trying to get back on our feet from it. I see i should trust my intuition and fight my corner more if im not happy with something rather than going with the flow to keep the peace.


4. Are you aware of all the blogging

I have joined a few networks and have met some lovely bloggers in doing so, im planning to let making it as mum grow naturally a small bud that will grow over time sprouting new shoots when the time is right and flowering when its ready.

I have been unsure for awhile if i needed to start a second blog for my love of  purse savvy interior ideas but i am going to trust my gut instinct and i feel the place for this is making it as mum. I would like to help other mums to make money go a bit further and have stylish practical child friendly homes,so maybe my pre child skills will come in handy after all.  http://makingitasmum.blogspot.com/2011/11/nautical-boat-bedroom-on-budget.html


I would love to hear any comments and ideas you have they really  make my day and i really look forward to meeting fellow grooving mums.

Fell free to follow me if you would like to hear more of my ramblings.


Thought of the day............................... Happy grooving xxxxxxxxxxxx

Project 365/366 hop over and Scrapbook your sunday!

This new years day i along with many others started Project 365 or maybe this year its Project 366 with the extra day snuck in for the leap year. Its a really lovely way to record a year you take a photo a day every day for a whole year and upload them to the project either daily or weekly what ever suits you. http://www.p365.org/

Its a real lesson in self discipline but it definitely makes you look at the world differently as even on the most mundane days magic does happen if you open your eyes and look for it.
I have in the past often missed capturing some lovely moments by not having a camera handy so this year I'm really looking forward to being organised and having a camera on me at all times to capture the good the bad and the priceless.
My aim is taking a photo everyday  but rather than blogging about it daily as that may get tedious for everyone! i thought instead i would do a Sunday scrapbook post  of my week in pictures. This then got me thinking that this may be a really nice blog hop to link up here with your Sunday scrapbook and share whats been happening in your world over the past week in photos even if your not doing the project.

I would love to hear your comments on what you think of the idea of a Sunday scrapbook blog hop and if its something you would be interested in joining me for. Also any tips and suggestions on blog hopping and what to do will be gratefully received as it will be my first hop as host and another learning curve for a fairly new bee blogger.

I will put must first scrapbook up this Sunday and hopefully my photo skills will of improved and my subjects less camera shy.

Happy snapping everyone good luck with your projects capturing some lovely memories of 2012.

Thought of the day...................... Even on the mundane days magic happens if you look for it.