Mini Chef.

So, my little man is 3 in a few months, THREE!!! When the hell did that happen?! He has become a bundle of many things, energy, fun, humour but most of all, opinions. Yep this kid could put Katie Hopkins out of business. Opinions on what he wants to wear, do, and most of all eat!

He's being very fussy at the moment. I've needed some inspiration and I've needed some fast. Gone are the days where I buy overpriced yummy mummy books by a sickly sweet looking know it all, so I looked a little further afield.

Step forward, KerryAnn Dunlop, of one Jamie's Fifteen Apprentices from back in the day. I'd seen numerous adverts for this book on Jamie's Instagram and when I found out she had kids and the book was called The Family Cook Book, I decided to get on Amazon and give it a whirl. Since receiving and reading it, I feel inspired, her breakfast recipes are fab (who's have thought something as simple as dippy eggs and asparagus could be so effective!) her snack recipes such as Banana Bread and Jamaican Patties (we all know how much toddlers snack!) and she even throws in a few smoothie recipes for good measure.

I LOVE this book, tonight I am attempting the Potato, Chickpea and Cauliflower curry, and will also get started on the Roast Tomato Soup. Also I could never truly nail a cheese toastie. I can now...

(Aeroplane sandwich cutter is a gift from mike's mum in Australia)

And we've batch cooked the Mac n Cheese too...

I'm enjoying cooking again! Hooray.

I thoroughly recommend this book for everyone, especially those with little ones. I also agree with her statement in the book that one of the most important things with kids and eating is to get them involved! 

Happy Cooking!

I'm back!

Four months have flown by since I "quit" my blog, and I have to say I've really missed it! I was never really honest about why I quit it but there were two main reasons. The first one was that I felt like I was becoming a cliche, all of the other mummy blogs I was reading via Twitter were just saying the same things over and over, nothing new was being written by any of us. I was also beginning to find the mother blogging world a bit sickly sweet, I mean it's brilliant to praise and encourage each other but I felt that people were writing really boring and mediocre posts but getting their arses well and truly licked with excruciatingly OTT comments! This mama blogging community is a clique one, and even if your shite you'll get support cos they all know each other. 

And the second one being that I wanted to write as honestly about my life as I could, but felt that people may get hurt or offended by what I really wanted to write about! friends & family etc...and quite frankly I don't need that on my conscience. 

However, things have changed massively since then, I'm now back to work for around 30 hours a week, I've found a little of my sparkle back, I no longer give a shit about being "better" than anyone else or competing or generally what other people think anymore. This is my blog and I will write what the hell I want, when I want. I'll be honest and tell you I had a massive 'mummy' cull on twitter too, I embraced anything mummified when Jacob was a newborn but he's 2 now and I feel like I'm ready to find a bit of me back now. I'm still following lots of mums, dads and blogs, but they are enlightening, interesting, cool and a bit more, well...real.

In the 6 months since we've moved to West London , I've gained more confidence, lost nearly a stone, and feel more like myself for the first time in two years, I've made awesome new friends, worked my ass off and gained a ton of new found self worth. 

I'm really excited about this Christmas too! I adore our new place and really feel like Christmas here is going to be our best yet! I'm also totally excited for what 2014 will bring 💋

Motherisms that annoy me!

So there was an article doing the rounds on twitter recently about motherisms and stay at home mums. The usual bollocks such as SAHM's are being seen as lazy, vacant and dowdy, and that Working mums are non maternal and passing the buck at raising our future generation. Blah blah blah, damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Anyways, since everybody has an opinion on "Motherisms" I've decided to share mine, my pet hates that us Parents say and do, and why...;

1) Alesha Dixon have birth recently to a beautiful baby girl Azure Sienna, when asked if fellow judge and mother Amanda Holden had given her any motherly advice Alesha said "Amanda has told me the key is to let the baby fit around your life, not you around the baby's" 

This literally made me clench my fists and      scream rage at the ceiling, really?? Really??? I just hate this. Sorry but you've chosen to have children therefore you should fit around them and make adjustments to your lifestyle to fit their needs. I can't imagine Alesha saying "Sorry, Azura babe but I go to gym at 9am on a Monday I don't give a fuck if your hungry, pipe down and just fit in will you?" Clearly, you can't do certain things as you used too and clearly times will be scheduled differently when you have a baby, as any mother knows. Amanda is talking out of her arse. As always. 

2) This one is slightly controversial and I truly don't mean any offence, but has anyone ever said "After paying child care costs, I'm no better off from going to work, I just prefer it to sitting at home all day"

Now, even though I can see the appeal of this but genuinely the thought of going to work, even though I'm no better of financially just leaves me feeling a bit cold & confused? Without being rude, if the thought of spending long amounts of time with your child terrifies you, why did you have them?

If it pays financially, then of course, it's not cheap having a family and every penny matters. If you need some me time and to "challenge" yourself, work part time and then spend the rest of the time raising your children and appreciating the time with them that goes all too fast anyway. Parents that say "oh I can't do the whole mother groups and peppa pig thing" just irritate the hell out of me.

3rd) Sorry, not going to like this either (but to those mums who think they are keeping small coffee shops/pubs in business with your one latte a week and whole lot of tap water custom, your truly not. Sorry. Taking up a whole lot of space for 3 hours with prams and babies and buying one latte for the whole duration isn't helping anyone. I sat aghast one morning when I went to a coffee group where only two women (including me) bought a coffee, the ringleader mum then demanded from the manager that he brought over huge jugs of tap water for us all, we had taken up six big tables that could have been used for lunch service. Is that fair?

 What you can do is go back at the weekend with your family and friends and spend money on lunches and dinners, that would be keeping the business's going. I know it sounds harsh but I've worked in hospitality a long time and I've seen the affect it can have. People generally repel going to busy mum cafés and the cafés don't make much from the mums, it's a vicious circle.

I battled with adding this one as I didn't want to offend all the lovely parents out there that actually support their local business's but I'm sick of hearing mums and actually any customer being rude and snooty saying "we pay your wages" when in fact sometimes it's the opposite.

Okay, enough ranting. 

Goodbye Blog.

So, I've been blogging for well over a year now, and I've loved it. It's been like a little diary to post thoughts and photos etc....

Maybe one day I'll come back to it but for now, I'll no longer be writing this blog anymore.

There's a lot I competition in this blogging biz and I simply can't keep up! :) the truth is I was beginning to feel uneasy with how much I was sharing and if I can't write honestly and openly, there's no point in writing at all. 

Ciao.

Mwah xxxx

A Dream holiday!

I have really been looking forward to writing this post! A) because I've not written in forever and B) because I have been back in London just over 24 hours and I have already broke the Hoover/been locked in/stubbed my toe/cried at X Factor/and ordered a domino's takeaway (I am revolting). A trip down memory lane, or at least the last 2 weeks are definitely in order!

Firstly, I was dreading this trip a little bit, I was absolutely excited to see the family, and of course, America but the truth is I absolutely hate flying! I have quite a fear and a couple of days before I get very tetchy, anxious and suffer really bad nightmares, thankfully our flight from London to Newark and then Newark to Orlando went without hitch. Jacob, as per usual fell asleep as we took off and was snoring away before we'd even hit 35,000ft. There is a God.

Arriving in Orlando was extra exciting as we were meeting Mike's sister, her husband and their two kids Madison & Ben at the airport (they had flown in from Aus via LA) so it was all hugs and excited faces galore as we all shared a mini van to our apartment in Kissimee, FL.

The plan was to spend the first week doing Disney resorts in Orlando Mon-Fri before going on a Disney Cruise on the Saturday for 4 nights. Mike and I were apprehensive about so much Disney! But we were excited for the kids and looking forward to it nonetheless (little did we know we'd get well and truly won over) On the very first day we hit Disney's Magic Kingdom, seeing the castle was definitely a pivotal moment! I plucked up the courage and brushed aside my fear of heights and fast moving objects to go on some of the rides, I did Space mountain, Splash mountain, and Big Thunder mountain railroad! (Never will I share the photos taken of me on those rides!) We also went on some of the kiddie rides and a definite highlight was Its a Small World and Under the Sea - Ariels Journey which takes you through a magical, colourful journey (literally, your sat on a little train or in Under The Sea's case, a seashell) with songs and dancing and visuals so stunning and theatrical its amazing. Magic Kingdom is the centre of all the Disneyworld's resorts and very very good for all ages, the Buzz Lightyear ride was also a highlight and The Mickey mouse philharmonic in 3D is a stunning show!  The next day was Animal Kingdom where we saw a The Lion King show which gave us goosebumps, Jacob absolutely loved it too and was dancing and singing and clapping, this was definitely a highlight and something we'll never ever forget. We went on Expedition Everest which was quite possibly the scariest roller coaster I've ever been on (bear in mind I'm a huge wimp!) and also went on a Kilimanjaro safari which was brilliant, Jacob specifically loved seeing the Elephants and Rhinos (which he called Dinosaurs) all in all, another perfect day. 

The third day was Disney's Blizzard Beach water park which was by far my favourite day of all, it was the day to relax, swim, go on water slides and generally just cool down and sunbathe. The day after was Universal Studios, we enjoyed a fun little Blues Brothers show on a New York street set and the Transformers 3D ride was unbeliveable but generally this was for the older kids and Jacob was beginning to get irritable and tired. Once we'd got back to our lovely apartment and had a quick swim in the pool which instantly cheered Jacob up, Mike and I decided that the previous days had probably been too much for Jacob, early starts, very hot stuffy weather and long queues to get on to the rides had taken its toll. We decided to give Hollywoods studios planned for the next day, a miss. 

After a lovely day sleeping and swimming we were all relaxed and ready for Friday's adventure at Epcot, which was great and definitely worth a visit despite not being as "Disney" as the other theme parks! The highlight here was exploring the World Showcase which was little pockets of different countries, from an Oktoberfest beer tent in 'Germany' to belly dancing in 'Morocco' we ended up having dinner in a pub in 'England' called the Rose & Crown! The day was rounded up nicely with a glass of red wine and a beautiful fire works display.

All in all the Disneyworld resorts are truly out of this world, they are efficient, very clean and well organised. The characters walking around are fantastic and gives the kids plenty of chance to meet Micky & Co, and the parades are so much fun they make you feel like your in your very own Disney film! In hindsight though, I wouldnt recommend Disney for under 3's unless they have older siblings who will get the most out of being there! Having said that Jacob, Ben & Madison had an absolute blast, as did us adults! Tip: BRING SUNSCREEN.

 The next stop was our Disney cruise around The Bahamas for 4 nights. I honestly don't know where to start with this one. It was just simply MAGICAL. 

The Disney Dream ship is the most incredible ship, with a massive decking area with pools, slides, basket ball courts, mini golf, a salon and spa, theatres, clubs, restaurants, the lot. My mind was blown. Our cabin was beautifully decorated, and immaculate, with a personal assigned housekeeper who was at your service whenever you needed. Every time we stepped in our cabin she had left chocolate treats on our pillows or animal shaped towels for Jacob, the personal touches were just lovely. The same has to be said for the service staff too, you are assigned the same two servers for the whole four days,by the end of day two they feel like friends! They will bring your favourite drink without you even having to ask. Ours were called Daki and Ritesh and I honestly wanted to bring them home with me! (Not like that you dirty buggers!)

We simply had four unbelievable days sunbathing on some of the most beautiful Islands in the world, cocktails, swimming in green seas, eating beautiful food on the ships stunning 3 restaurant, parties on deck (Pirates of The Carribean party was a definite highlight! 3,000 people dressed as pirates and incredible fireworks at sea!) theatre shows, and evening drinks (& tequila!) at the adult only side of the boat with Mike (whilst Mike's mum Liliane kindly babysat!) I also got my hair coloured and conditioned and had a fabulous massage and facial in the ships salon! for someone who never really spoils herself, this was bliss. 

I would go back tomorrow, in an instant and happily spend another 5 weeks on this beautiful ship! 

So, after 4 nights and with the high shrills of Mickey shouting "See Ya Real Soon" ringing in our ears it was time for Mike and I to say goodbye to his family and Disney! and make our way to New York for one final night in America before coming home. 

Well, what a contrast! Disney, New York is not! I was blown away by how loud, bright and fierce New York is, it was everything I expected it to be and more. We shopped, did some sights, had pickles and Reuben's at Katz deli. We also went and had a coffee with the hipsters at Stumptown at the Ace Hotel 20 W 29th st (extremely recommended) SoHo was also a massive highlight!

Alas, we had to get home and after cramming all of the above in one day we had to get to Newark airport for our evening flight home. Sad to leave and with big grand plans of coming back to New York soon we arrived home exhausted but  having had the holiday of a lifetime.

 

Highlights: The Lion king show at Animal Kingdom, the Disney Dream cruise, Bahamas Castaway Cay Island and Stumptown NYC. A hilarious waiter called Carlton.

Not so highlights: dodgy cab drivers, being ripped off (I might be a tourist but I have a brain) The lack of things to do for under 3's at Disneys resorts.

And now, its back to reality! x

Patience.

4 weeks ago Jacob fractured his leg when a little girl pushed him over on a bouncy castle. 4 weeks later and he is still not walking, not confident on his legs at all, he can do a small distance holding my hand but that is it.

I am shattered. I am so upset for him. I know it's only a fractured leg, it could have been a lot worse, but seeing your child, who has only been walking for less than a year, suddenly become unable again, is breaking me in two. I honesty don't know how long this is going to take. It could take another week, or another month? I've got to stay positive and be patient but god I'm finding it hard today!

The plaster came off last Thursday, it's now Monday and he's still crying if I ask him to have a little walk with me. We have another follow up appointment tomorrow, and the absolute worst that can happen is they put him back in plaster. 

Fingers crossed for us x

Everything's rosy.

"Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford"

Innit, Samuel.

We are HOME! Last Friday we arrived and its been a pretty god damn awesome week so far. We're all moved in and settled in the new house in Ealing, loving the area, the house, our mates in the area have been fab; helping us collect or stuff from storage etc..We feel as though we have been here forever, and more importantly we feel so at home here. This was definitely where we were meant to end up. At the moment I can say we made the right decision to come home, it's early days but I believe in my heart this was what we needed, and although there are a lot of things I'll miss about Australia (it's really quite comforting seeing family 24/7) I know that home is indeed, where the heart is.

I don't want to sound patronising but I wasn't ready to let London go yet, I've got unfinished business with you sonny jim! I'm looking at Nurseries in the area, and job hunting for a long term career change! ;) Mike loves his job at Caravan and he has weekends off for the first summer in a long long time, Jacob is on top form despite his fractured leg, he's got over a week left in the plaster and then he's free. I honestly can't wait to see my baby run again, it's the little things you take for granted.

Bizarrely this little pocket of happiness comes nearly one year after our lives were turned upside down, it's taken a full year to recover and their have been many tears, self doubt, and even the thought that I'd be better off alone and being single, that I can fend for my self and Jacob without the need for anyone else. Life has been hard, and when life gets hard I self pity, I ask why me? Why now? Why my luck? Why why why. The thing is life is hard for everyone, not just me, I've always been a tough cookie but was slowly getting into the habit of blaming everybody and everything but myself, I turned into the kind of person I normally loathe. Now, I make decisions, I deal with the consequences, I fight for what I believe in and I trust my instincts (please always, always trust your instincts!) I'm also pledging to let the people around me in a bit more, to not shut people out and blame. 

My goodness what a year! I have learnt so much and I hope I've changed for the better. Everything is still now, everything is calm, and I'm sure as hell just going to enjoy that feeling for a while!

x