Friday 18 July 2014

Rambling Mummy Loves

If like me you are celebrating the sun in your gorgeous summer sandals then its only right that you have a gorgeous pedicure to match.
Between having my professional pedicures in the shop I have been trying my hardest to maintain that silky soft look and feel.
Here are my top 3 foot care products, guaranteed to have your fabulous feet in tip top condition.


I absolutely love this stuff. After a soak I love to give my feet a good scrub with this scrub. Whilst it has a strong smell of peppermint the scrub itself has a fabulously firm texture which gets rid of any dead or dry skin.


Now we all know that Shea butter is great for the skin but this foot cream is absolutely amazing!
While its not one of the cheapest creams around it is one of the creams that does actually work. Definitely worth treating yourself to!



Now you can't make such a big fuss of having beautifully soft feet without an amazing
Nail colour. Max Factor's gorgeous bright orange nail colour is sure to be a hit this summer and just £3.99 at Superdrugs.



No excuses, let's get our feet fit for summer!

M xx

Monday 12 May 2014

100 Happy Days Challenge

Since January I have noticed very simple but beautiful pictures with the hash tag 100 happy days on various social media sites. When I asked what it was all about  I got a very simple response "Post 1 picture for the next 100 days of something that makes you smile; a picture of your kids, their smile, a flower, your pet, even your dinner!"
It's so easy to take the simple things in life for granted that something like this makes you stop and enjoy the little, precious moments in life.

The reason I have put it off for so long is with everything we have going on at the moment I just knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with it but now with our upcoming nuptials, the launch of our new family business around the corner and the children doing so well at school, now is the perfect time for my 100 happy days.

 Day 1


#100happydays

You can keep up with my 100 happy days on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Feel free to send me links to your #100happydays

M xx

Sunday 11 May 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

Oh dear, I didn't realise it had been quite so long.
Things have been as hectic around here as usual but I'm back with this weeks meal planner!

Weekly Meal Planner

Monday
Chicken noodles

Tuesday
Lasagne, pasta and sweetcorn and salad

Wednesday
Pork chops, roast potatoes, carrots and peas

Thursday
Sausage, mash and bwans(with onion gravy of course!)

Friday
Chilli con carne with Mexican rice, salsa and tortilla chips

Saturday
Turkey drummers, chips and beans

Sunday
Roast beef and yorkshires with all the trimmings

M xx

What's on your menu this week?

Our Easter Hols

Our Easter Holiday in pics!



And finally...

Relax!!

How was your Easter break?

                             M xx
















Wednesday 23 April 2014

Parents in Business - We Need You

With more and more people in the UK being made redundant, forced to accept pay cuts and struggling to find work at all, there has been a surge in the number of small business being opened.
As a work at home mum, I understand the importance of getting the balance right and still being able to provide for my children and pay the bills.
With job uncertainty at an all time high and future education becoming ever more competitive, my soon to be husband and I decided that in order to 'secure our families future' we would have to take matters into our own hands.

Despite us both currently working we have begun developing our own small business which we are hoping to launch soon!

With business on our mind we know just how expensive advertising and marketing can be which is why we strongly believe on using all of the free social media opportunities at our disposal. They are great for free exposure, offer limitless networking opportunities and can put you in touch with potential customers.

To make the most of these opportunities we will be hosting a networking event every Wednesday evening on Twitter between 8pm and 9pm.
Whether you have a business idea, are a start-up or have been successfully trading for some time, if you are a parent in business we'd love for you to join us with your ideas, comments, suggestions or advice.

We'll be around this evening for anyone that wants to join on and hope to really get things going next Wednesday. So for articles, advice, networking and more join us on Wednesdays between 8pm and 9pm on Twitter

M xx

Wednesday 16 April 2014

How Does Your Garden Grow - Part 2

Ok, so admittedly there should have been another post before this but things have been ludicrously busy with our new business venture.

To begin with I had the strangest feeling that the seeds weren't going to grow or were going to be seriously slow...boy was I wrong.

Our parsley, coriander, onions and lettuce took on a life form of their own and began sprouting left, right and centre. Whilst the tomato plants equally we're really taking shape. 

When the weather perked up a bit I started putting them out during the day and bringing them back in for bed! Eventually we felt brave enough to plant them out.

Wow, our tomato plants have gone from strength to strength 

 The coriander is ready to be ised(and will be in tonight's salsa!)

As is the parsley

The lettuce will be ready in about 2 weeks

And the forgotten strawberry plants have made a welcome comeback!

The onions are doing their own thing and the chilli plant is yet to sprout but we do have basil and more parsley putting in an appearance

Overall I'm very pleased with how everything is growing so far and am on the look out for things we can still sow now.

How happy are you with your garden at the moment?

                             M xx

Sunday 30 March 2014

Mothering Sunday

Wishing you all a very happy Mothers Day xx

                           M xx

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Yummy Scrummy Apple Crumble Recipe

Yesterday little monster and I had fun in the kitchen making apple crumble. Here is our completely fool proof recipe.
I have included the quantities that we used but once you've made this once or twice you can adjust the amounts to suit your own taste.

You will need
For the crumble
300g plain flour
155g brown sugar
200g unsalted butter, cubed

For the filling
400g peeled and chopped cooking apples
50g brown sugar
1tbsp flour
1tsp ground cinnamon

What to do
Mix the flour and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter 1 cube at a time and rub through your fingers until the flour mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
                               

Once the apples have been chopped up place them in a bowl and carefully mix with the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Try to avoid breaking up the fruit when mixing.

Grease an oven proof dish, then spoon the fruit into the base. Sprinkle the crumble mix over the top of the fruit but do not pat it down.

Bake in the oven at gas 4/350F/180C for approximately 40 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve with fresh cream or warm custard and enjoy!

M xx

Monday 24 March 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

I know I've been M.I.A recently but I'm back with this weeks meal planner.

Weekly Meal Planner

Monday
Spaghetti bolognese with homemade garlic bread.

Tuesday
Moroccan spiced lamb with cous cous and roasted vegetables

Wednesday
Jacket potatoes with a selection of fillings

Thursday
Lasagna and salad

Friday
Pizza, tortilla chips and dips

Saturday
Fish fingers, potato wedges and spaghetti hoops

Sunday
Roast pork with all the trimmings

What's on your menu this week?

M xx

Thursday 27 February 2014

Our Wedding, A DIY Project - Make Your Own Garter

I've always liked the tradition associated with weddings of "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" and knew that I would try and stick to it. 
Old was easy, I've always wanted a silver sixpence included in my wedding so I could tick that off the list
New was equally easy;my dress, shoes and accessories.
Borrowed and blue was proving a bit more tricky.
My grandad passed away in September 2000 and had always been someone I looked up to so it made sense to have him with me somehow. My mum has one of his rings so I'm 'borrowing' that for the day and having it attached to my bouquet.
That just left something blue. As our colour scheme is sage green, cream and gold I just couldn't see where blue would fit in, until I stumbled across some garters in a bridal shop.
Hidden under my dress and a bit of fun I immediately knew what my something blue would be.
As complicated as these look they are surprising easy to make.
Mine took about 10 minutes from start to finish.
So whether for your big day or for your hen why not give it a try?!

You will need 
Net or lace
Ribbon
Elastic
Sewing needle
Thread


1. Measure the part of your thigh that you want to wear your garter and cut the elastic 1cm shorter than your leg measurement and the ribbon and net/lace twice the length of your leg measurement (this will give you a nice gather)


2.Pin the ribbon to the net or lace in the desired position and sew a running stitch along the top and bottom of the ribbon making sure there is enough space for the elastic to pass through (don't worry about it being perfect as you won't really see it)




3. Thread the elastic through the garter under the ribbon but on top of the net/lace.  As the material is twice as long as the elastic, once the elastic is halfway through pin the end in place so it doesn't spring back through. Continue threading the elastic through until it's out at the other end.




4. Once the elastic is threaded through, slightly overlap the ends and stitch firmly together.


5. Adjust the material around the elastic until you are happy with the look then stitch the two end of the material together.



If you like you can finish your garter off with an embellishment.

It really is that simple

If you do have a go at making your own garter I'd love to see the finished product.



M xx

Wednesday 26 February 2014

How Does Your Garden Grow - Part 1

Despite living in a flat in London, my heart lies firmly in the countryside surrounded by rolling hills, pick your own farms and beautiful landscapes. I've always dreamed of owning a converted barn in a couple of acres of land where we can keep a few animals and grow as much of our own fruit and vegetables as possible. At the moment, the closest we get to this is our annual visit to Grays Pick Your Own Farm, our weekend visits to The New Forest and using our balcony to grow as much produce as possible.
Last year proved extremely fruitful for tomatoes, radishes and lettuce but we weren't too successful with carrots, strawberries, herbs and onions. This year I am hoping to get myself together enough to really give this grow your own malarky a good try.

As the weather at the moment is horrendous, I'm a little apprehensive about preparing the soil so I'm going to begin with an indoor herb garden.

Based on a lot of the recipes I use, I've opted to begin with basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and coriander.

Armed with everything I need to get this herb garden started, this years grow your own project begins!


How does your garden grow? Do you have any tips or suggestions?


M xx

Monday 17 February 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

So as the half term break begins I have a sunny outlook and a jam packed schedule to keep the little darlings amused.
I've tried to plan this weeks meals around  our days out and unfamiliar routine!


Weekly Meal Planner

Monday
Toad in the hole, boiled potatoes and carrots and peas

Tuesday
Chilli con carne, rice, tortilla chips and homemade salsa

Wednesday
Homemade chicken and mushroom chow mein 

Thursday
Shepherds pie with beans and sweetcorn

Friday
Fish fingers, chips and spaghetti hoops

Saturday
Homemade pizzas and garlic bread

Sunday
Jerk chicken, rice and peas, macaroni pie, homemade coleslaw and salad.

What will you be serving up this week?

M xx 

Friday 14 February 2014

Rambling Mummy Loves

Like a large proportion of the population my fiance and I celebrate Valentines day, however, after being together for so long it can become increasingly difficult finding something new and exciting.
If you are yet to go out and by your Valentine something special and your worried about it being too late, here are a few ideas to get you started, all available from high street stores...

For Him
You know what they say about boys and their toys!
If you other half is anything like mine then any kind of gadget will be right up his street. Treat him to a radio controlled aeroplane. This is sure to keep him amused for hours.
http://bit.ly/1luoXxc 



For Her

Forget perfume, jewellery or flowers which you've probably bought her for the last few occasions. Think outside of the box and get her something that shows how much you appreciate her hard work and something she will love. Treat her to a pamper voucher and let her choose from a manicure, facial, massage or more. You'll be in her good books for weeks to come
http://bit.ly/M85JRM



For Them

If like us, you've promised not to go overboard or buy each other presents this year why not treat yourselves to a hamper. Grab a dvd, light the candles and get comfy with this Pamper Hamper.
http://bit.ly/1bIamrW

Whatever your plans for Friday 14th February I hope it's the start of a lovely weekend.

M xx

Wednesday 12 February 2014

All The Small Things #1

With the weather in an atrocious state, the news full of well bad news and everyone suffering from horrible bugs at the moment it can be pretty darn hard to find something to smile about but I stumbled across a blog and a linky that put a smile on my face. The lovely Cassie over at Mummy Never Sleeps is helping to spread some smiles with her linky All The Small Things

Every Tuesday whether its a memory or a thought, helping a stranger, a kind word or a familiar smell, blog about the small thing that has put a smile on your face. Sometimes it really is the small things that make a big difference.
This picture always puts a smile on my face. The genuine happiness in their eyes always makes me smile when things aren't so bright.


What small thing makes a big difference to you?

M xx

Monday 10 February 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

After a leave of absence and a day later than usual, here's this weeks weekly meal planner

Weekly Meal Planner
Monday
Tuna,pasta, sweetcorn and salad

Tuesday
Battered cod, chips and mushy peas

Wednesday
Spaghetti bolognese and homemade garlic bread

Thursday
Lamb rogan josh, pilau rice and poppadoms

Friday
Beef stew and dumplings

Saturday
Sausages, mash, beans and onion gravy

Sunday
Roast chicken and all the trimmings.

What's on your menu this week?

M xx

Saturday 11 January 2014

Our Wedding - Wedding Bubble Wand Project

With the countdown to our nuptials getting closer and closer we are trying to complete as many projects ahead of time as possible. This time it's our bubble wands.
Many venues are very particular about the type of confetti that can be used after the ceremony, however, due to the gravel in the churchyard we aren't allowed any form of confetti. With that in mind we've opted to do the 'confetti shot' a little later on when we take the official photographs and are going to use bubble wands straight after the ceremony as they will make for some great pictures.

As I am the kind of person who loves making even more work for myself, I decided I wanted to jazz up the plain wands a little so they go from this...
to this ...




To stay in keeping with the rest of our wedding stationary we opted for cream card, backed on gold and finished with sage ribbon.

1. Cut strips of card 6cm wide(you can get 3 strips from an A4 sheet)

2. Set up the paper size and margins in Microsoft word and type out the poem repeating it down the length of the page "Their love will grow,
                   With each bubble you blow
                   So blow warm wishes.
                   To the new Mr & Mrs" and print onto your strips.

3. Cut the strips into small cards so that you have 1 poem per card.

4. Mount the poem onto the card that you are using as backing and then cut them into individual cards(I used double sided tape)

5. Punch a small hole in the the top of the card and using the ribbon attach to the bubble wand.

It really is that simple and it makes a huge difference to the original shop bought wands.

I'd love to see some of your wedding diy projects.

M xx