Happy 2nd Birth Day

Today marked my daughters second birthday, two years since I became a mummy to my beautiful perfect little princess.

I always feel like that although the day is all about her, part of it, a small quiet part is mine. The day marks one in which me and my body did something amazing.

Although part of me worries this sounds a little selfish I also think that it is this bond that will keep us together forever, that means we will always love each other even when we are apart.

I always feel like my children are a little part of my heart walking around in this world and I will always be proud I gave birth to them and that although this day is about them it is also about something we as a family shared.

As a few tears roll down my face I smile at the birthday pictures and the cake I so loving made for my daughter and wish her a happy birthday as she sleeps in her bed soundly after what I hope was a wonderful day.

I leave you with the lovingly crafted cake that made me wince when it was cut up :)

MessyMatz Review

Just before Christmas I won a MessyMatz mat for following on twitter and I love it.

It is bright practical and isn't just for use at dinner time, it is also used as our snack time mat for the lounge floor to stop spillages on the rug and also our craft time mat for the table when sticking and colouring.

They have lots of different mats to choose from so there is something for most colours schemes, mats cost £7.99 and include delivery.

Here is how it protects our very unforgiving parquet flooring :)

If you are looking for a hard wearing funky splashmat for your home I can highly recommend them.

Packing Away the Past

This last few weeks we have been trying to de-clutter and with my daughters second birthday fast approaching we know it's only a matter of time before we are again fighting with yet more toys.

So it is with a heavy heart that I pack away the old toys, the ones we have had since my son was small, each one a memory from a birthday or Christmas.

All of the clothes I have been holding on to for some unknown reason sit waiting to be sold on a day I can bear to part with them.

I stopped and asked my husband whether that was it, whether two was enough and we were sure we weren't going to have anymore.

I think deep down we would both love another baby but we know that it cannot be, we don't have enough room, a big enough car or endless amounts of money to pay for another one.

Part of me hurts knowing this is my lot, my daughter was my last and that is it for me and my body.

But I have two healthy children who I adore and I am not sure I could bear my beautiful and wonderfully amazing daughter to be the middle child.

So I pack everything away for new homes and instead treasure the pictures I have so lovingly taken with them in and hope instead they bring someone else as much happiness.

A Childs Love of Reading

My son started school back in September, up until that point he hadn't really shown any interest in reading himself.

Don't get me wrong we read to him every night and he loved it but he wouldn't want to try learning any words or letters.

Fast forward four months and we now have a reading machine, he is constantly trying to spell words out and comfortably knows all of his 'bear' words.

I am so proud and in awe of how much he has learnt in such a short space of time.

They truly are little sponges capable of absorbing the most important and inane facts of the world.

Exciting New Resturant in Birmingham, Fleet Steet Kitchen

I love food and we very rarely get to go out as a family. Next month we have been lucky enough to be invited to visit a new restaurant in Birmingham before it opens, I am super excited as it sounds like it is going to be a wonderful experience.

This is what they have to say about the Fleet Street Kitchen

Cooking with Fire: The Barbecoa Experience: All core ingredients will be given the chef’s equivalent of a hot stone massage from Fleet Street Kitchen’s custom-designed Barbecoa grill, the first of its kind to be installed in a UK restaurant. Barbecoa is a pure charcoal indoor barbeque grill, heavily utilised in Northern Spain where it is widely used as a traditional method for cooking meat and fish to its most delicious potential. Positioned at the heart of the Kitchen, the Barbecoa grill will take centre stage as diners enjoy the theatre of its flame.

The menu at Fleet Street Kitchen will be a celebration of British meat and produce. Handpicked breeds from flock and herd will be cooked on charcoal to lock in flavour and ensure an intensely juicy experience with every mouthful.

Steak is the star with a generous selection of rare-breed cuts hunted and gathered from respected British producers and given the ultimate grilling courtesy of the Kitchen’s almighty Barbecoa grill. Rotisserie chicken and poussin, whole fish and burger sliders are exposed to the same fiery treatment while abundant deli boards and a generous helping of naughty puds round-off a deliciously comforting menu.

Sunday lunch will conclude the week for Birmingham’s urban ramblers in search of a home-cooked, family-friendly vibe.

I will be taking my two young children which is always a good test for our family, looking at the pictures of the inside I am hoping the location will be enough to keep them happy. If not then most certainly me.

Look out for my verdict at the end of next month :)

Kisses, hugs and cuddles!

My son is such a loving little soul, he always tells me he loves me, gives me hugs and cuddles and is generally the sweetest thing. My daughter kisses and cuddles too but she is only 2 so she doesn’t understand why she’s doing it yet.

I treasure and cherish every one of those kisses in case they stop, a colleague at work tells me how her 16 year old daughter never talks to her let alone kisses and cuddles her, it has been this way since she was about 11.

If I am sad or just need a cuddle I still go to my mum and I really hope my son and daughter are the same, however I know one day I will probably be an embarrassment to them and they won’t want to know me.

So for now I will continue to treasure my perfect little people in all their hugging and kissing glory.

Love you guys :'o)

Image courtesy of Clare Bloomfield / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sshhhh!

My daughter loves visiting our local library for Rhyme Time on a Tuesday.

At first it was nice, everyone was there to sing but now it's like just a few of us are singing over several coffee morning groups.

Mums ignoring the fact their kids have walked off and are causing a nuisance somewhere else, whilst they chat loudly about the new coat they bought in the sale or what sippy cup is best to use.

The person I feel sorry for the most is the woman stood at the front trying so hard to sing over this racket.

I am all for a chat with people but really, when other people are trying to sing to their children at a session called Rhyme Time.

Shame on them if they can't find a more appropriate time for it! In the mean time I'll just flash the odd disapproving look and sing as loud as I dare.

Hot Chocolate, My Raison D'être

Okay so my children are my reason for being, my first, my last, my everything and I suppose I had better include my husband in that list.

But of all the inanimate things in the world Hot Chocolate is my number one thing I can't live without.

If I'm out I'll always have a hot chocolate, if we get home from a cold walk I have a hot chocolate and if I need some cheering up I'll stick on some milk and make myself a hot chocolate .

So imagine my joy when I opened this beauty on Christmas day...

 

Along with some amazing Prestat hot chocolate, I had never had this before but it is divine.

My other favourite hot chocolate is by Charbonnel and Walker and both of them are made into the most amazingly smooth and velvety hot chocolate in the chocolatiere jug, it even works for just one cup.

And if you prefer to use cocoa powder then you can, I really like the Fairtrade Divine Cocoa powder.

You can also use grated chocolate but I haven't got round to that yet, but with so many mint chocolates, white chocolates, or even orange chocolate (goes and gets the last chocolate orange) I cannot wait to try so many flavours using the jug. So thank you Santa for bringing me this, I wasn't expecting it, it was a surprise and I love it :)

And finally here is one I made earlier, adorned with the obligatory squirty cream and marshmallows.

Looking Back over 2012

So many things happened for me in 2012, it was indeed a busy year.

January saw my daughter turning one...

In March I got to meet the fabulous Theo Paphitis at the first Small Business Sunday meetup.

In June we went to see the Queen at the local park as well as seeing Prince William and Kate land on the playing fields across the road from us...

In July we were lucky enough to go to the rehearsal of the Olympic Opening Ceremony...

In September my son started school, it was a tough time and my little boy took a while to get used to it but he settled in and has come along great.

Finally an amazing magical Christmas with both children getting most excited about it for the first time.

I hope you have had a wonderful 2012 and I look forward to what 2013 will bring, I anticipate a few bumps in the road but will try my best to smooth them over.