celebrating

My Mother’s Day!

- TracyB Leave a comment

How has your day gone?

Flowers?

Chocolates?

Lunch or dinner out?

Today I have had coffee in bed while I opened a few cards and a little pressie or two. I know these times can become very commercial so we always agree not to go mad and that it is the thought that counts. So I had a bought card from my OH but homemade personal ‘printouts’ from the kids (which I prefer).

I was chuffed to bits to get the soundtrack to the new Les Miserables film which has already been played today!

However, my definite surprise pressie was a fab onesie!! No laughing please I have really wanted one for ages but it’s not something I would go and spend money on for myself when there are lots of other things to pay for.

Sadly I look FAR too happy wearing this LOL

I am now sitting on the laptop while they are all ‘secret squirrel’ in the kitchen making dinner………………..I will admit I am slightly scared at the idea as my OH is the worst cook ever, so it will be like the blind leading the blind. However, like I said earlier it’s the thought that counts ( that’s until the food poisoning kicks in and then I will be swearing).

We also popped into Costa earlier(as my youngest had a party to go to) and I was able to have my favourite vanilla latte and caramel shortbread as a quick treat!

Calorie overload

AND to top it all off I have just seen that The Wizard of Oz is about to start on telly!!!

MY DAY IS COMPLETE.…………..if for some reason (possible impending food poisoning) I don’t make it to tomorrow, I can safely go knowing I had the BEST day today!!

Let me know how your day went.

Valentines Smalentines!

- TracyB Leave a comment

So is Valentines Day it important to you?

I can see the point behind it, really I can, but to be honest it has become BIG BUSINESS!!

Florists and shops increase the prices of everything, and if you are materialistic then this is a concern as things get more expensive for this one day.

However, I personally think that it’s the little things that make the bigger impression. No this is not an excuse to be a skinflint or unromantic.

We as a couple do not take the day off or head out to dinner on that day. Today for example, my OH is on late shift starting at lunchtime. So there was no option of going out for lunch or dinner, and generally we do Valentines dinner as a family where everyone has a hand in it. My boys are 12 and 14 so it would be nice to show them a simple sense of occasion.

So back to today, what did we do?

We got the kids off to school, went to our local high street Wetherspoon pub and had a breakfast together! Not exciting, obviously not over romantic, but it was time to ourselves and a meal eaten without disruption/ arguing etc. It was washed down with a good ol’ mug of tea and it totally went down a storm.

We did exchange cards in the morning and the boys had a card each. But that’s it, and if I’m very honest it was really nice, chilled out, relaxing and enjoyable.

Now my OH is at work , my dinner is with the boys before taking my eldest to his Explorer’s club tonight!

I don’t feel unloved, under appreciated or anything else because I didn’t get over priced flowers, or chocolates that I’m trying to cut down on or something fancy JUST because it is Valentines day today………………..DO YOU?

How has your day been?

 

What category of parent are you?

- TracyB Leave a comment

There are only two choices available here:

A) a parent that DOES or

B) a parent that doesn’t!

Now I only have to spend 15 minutes on Twitter to know that anyone from there that reads this will be an A, you just have to take a look at the links to blogs and pictures of what your kids (and you ) are up to.

However, I bet if you were completely honest you could name a few parents that you know that are a B, right?

My friend and I have had experience of this over many years, and after taking the kids down to the local park sledging on Sunday we started talking about it on the way home. Yes we had an extra with us then ( i would never begrudge the child ever) which is what started the chat.

That said parent had contacted my friend to say she would call when she needed him back!!!!! ER excuse me……..we will not be gone for the rest of the day, maybe an hour or two!!

So then we started thinking about all the stuff we do even though our eldest’s (who will be 15 this year)are probably getting way too old:

*Halloween, we still have a get together and do the Trick or Treat thing and want to progress on to an ‘older ‘style party to include the adults dressing up too.

*Easter, although family and friends drop the Easter eggs into the boys we keep them aside and still hide them around the house so they have to ‘hunt’ for them in the morning.

*Christmas, my two are old enough to know that ‘Santa’ is not real *cough* however, they do play the game even though they roll their eyes when I go onto the NORAD site LOL

*Pancake day, we still love to have home made pancakes for breakfast before they go to school and after our tea on the same day.

*Summer beach days, in the hols we still love a day at the beach and we still make our sand angels before the tide comes in to cover them.

*Snow, as this is often a very rare sight we make the most of it, they still make a snowman and love to go sledging AND even though they are both old enough to go on their own we like to go with them!! How else do you get those pictures???

*New Year, we had friends around and celebrated with fireworks and we all set off lanterns with our hopes for 2013 written on them ( we wont mention the fact that we almost set our neighbors fence alight! *cough*)

We came to the conclusion that if we don’t as adults make the effort to enjoy these events with the kids they will grow up and never pass on that enthusiasm to their children. I cannot believe there are parents who just cannot be bothered or for whatever reason just don’t do these things. Or is it that they are happy for the kids to go off with others to do it so they don’t have to?

What do you think?

So tell me, what do you do with your kids that you hope they will pass on?

Out with the old and in with the new?

- TracyB Leave a comment

Isn’t that the general feeling after Christmas and New Year?

Christmas this year seemed to fly past, was it the same for you?

Also as the boys get older Christmas changes slightly, we no longer go for our Santa visit ( apparantly at 12 and 14 they are too old!), however, we start new traditions that will hopefully keep a bit of fun in the celebrations for them.

This year we got some colour in placemates but bear in mind we are talking teenagers and so they had free reign to do as they wished with each of theirs…………………

Amazing they actually sat and did it.

 

This was also the first year their pressies have been put under the tree on masse, as normally they will have their own pile and then they have their family pressies seperate. But as things they are interested in get smaller but more expensive it looked much better overal to put everything under the tree.

We also went for silly bibs at the dinner table and thankfully the grandparents played along!

This year my OH has been off over Christmas and New Year so we have enjoyed jammy days in, meeting up with friends, getting out for fresh air at Shorne Park and also having friends over to celebrate the New Year.

 

 

 

Thankfully a gust of wind came at the right time and we were spared a visit by the Fire Brigade, although admittedly our friends on their short walk home scoured the area for burned out bushes or sheds!!

Our decorations have all been packed away now and we are getting organised for the boys to return to school on Monday ( both of them are moaning about it already and I am dredding the early mornings again!)

Now for this year. What resolutions have you made? This year I plan to expand my home based craft business to try and earn some income and will be taking all the opportunities that come my way. So this time next year ( we’ll be millionaires- good ol’ delboy) it will be interesting to look back at what the year had in store for us.

What are your big plans for 2013?

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas actually………….

- TracyB Leave a comment

For some people Christmas begins when the decorations go up or when they have all their presents wrapped or even their cards written and sent.

My decorations went up at the beginning of December, my family presents are all wrapped and have been farmed out to the appropriate people, my Christmas food shop has been done and it has all been a last minute chuck together as usual (story of my life really).

However, I have one thing that makes me sit back and think that’s it Christmas can start. I hasten to add it is none of the above. My Christmas starts when I watch Love Actually!!

Not exactly the most Christmassy film as such but it has a great feel good factor to start me feeling the Christmas spirit. We did actually watch this film last Sunday evening with a little glass of wine when the kids had gone to bed…………….just lovely.

It doesn’t mean I’m totally ‘ready’ for the holidays, no that’s generally when my panic sets in. You know the OH MY GOD HOW MANY DAYS LEFT AND I HAVENT EVEN GOT………..

Although everything gets left last minute I always have faith it will be done. Today alone I have made 2 chocolate dipping hampers for neighbours and friends:

Not a great picture but gives you an idea of what was in it!

Included was chocolate chunks to melt, Christmas tree shaped marshmallows, strawberries, fudge and honeycomb, napkins and the skewers to dip in the bits!!

Complete with wapping!

I have wrapped in-laws, god daughters, a nan’s present, delivered them and popped in on friends for a mince pie and a cuppa. I have sorted all the family presents for the boys under the tree, cleared my table and decorated it with the Christmas stuff……….Oh and sorted the boys with thier presents for dad!! Then I made dinner and attended a Christmas carol service down at the local church.

However, we STILL have to wrap the kids stuff!! Should be getting done tonight but I think the OH will be getting instructions for that.

Tomorrow I have booked the cinema to see Nativity 2 in the afternoon and when I get home it will be dinner, then preparing the veg and stuffing for Christmas Day, sort the rest of boys presents under the tree, we still have to colour in our place mats ( don’t laugh my boys are 12+14 but if their Nan and Grandad can do it then so can we!! LOL)

But still my Christmas hols started OFFICIALLY last Sunday evening with a lovely glass of wine and Love Actually…………..

WHEN DOES YOUR CHRISTMAS OFFICIALLY START?

Children’s firsts!

- TracyB Leave a comment

If your anything like me you literally want to save everything from your child’s childhood!

However, this would only be possible if you had a huge mansion or paid storage space LOL

But I do keep a treasure box ( or should I say several boxes now) with the significant memories.

Photos however, are a different thing altogether, I have unbelievable amounts looking back at all their different stages. One of my favourite memories is when my youngest ( now 12) decided to colour himself in with red and orange felt tip pens just before we went to a toddler club!!!! HONESTLY I WAS ONLY ON THE PHONE FOR A MINUTE

Anyway check out this video below put together by Startrite for some of peoples memories of their children’s firsts:

 

Something for the memory box…

First smiles, first teeth, first steps…all monumental milestones in your baby’s development. As parents, we treasure these occasions and watch with pride and elation as our babies grow.

To help celebrate these special moments and everything it is to be a parent, Start-rite Shoes, with the help of the mums and dads, has created a touching video collection of special ‘first’ memories.  It forms part of a wider Start-rite campaign, which helps mums and dads treasure the precious memory of their child’s first steps and their first pair of shoes.

Parents who buy a pair of Start-rite first walking shoes will be invited to enter the online magical world of Mr Smith the shoe maker, where they can create a personalised video (set in Mr Smith’s shoe workshop) which stars their child and features photos of them experiencing special milestones in their development.

From first cuddles and smiles, to those tentative first steps and beyond.

The videos are easily sharable, either by email, or through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and provide parents with a digital keepsake to help preserve priceless memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvcC_Vs47JY&feature=plcp

 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE FIRSTS FOR YOUR CHILDREN?

A bit of this, that and the other.

- TracyB Leave a comment

It’s all gone past in a bit of a blur………………………the last month or two!

I hope I am not the only one who feels like this. Thankfully I have photographic evidence to prove that it all took place.

Where do I start?

There’s been a bit of this:

My 42nd *cough* birthday!
1 week scout camp for my youngest
A trip to Duxford…. Love it there!
10th Anniversary of my Dad passing away :((

 

Good ‘ol Hamleys

 

Hubby’s birthday

A bit of that:

YAY………….the Paralympics!
Goalball
GB wheelchair tennis………..AMAZING!
Wheelchair basketball…………MANIC GAME!
A new secondary school for my youngest!
My youngest turned 12………….now that makes me feel old!

Oh and a LOT of the other:

A biggy at last 🙂
Ok admittedly they are not always big!!!!

Looked like a huge goldfish????

So there you have it, my life in pictures- and if you flick through them really quick it’s like one of those picture books!!

What have you all been up to?

 

Life since my trauma!

- TracyB 2 Comments

So I haven’t posted for a while since my trauma in London a few weeks ago- if you haven’t already then check it out here . It has taken me a while to get over the shock.

But I have also had a lot of mundane normal stuff going on. My youngest is in yr 6 and due to leave so we have been organising the Leavers party

We wont mention the Ralph Lauren Polo top I had to drive to Ashford for on my birthday!!

CD photo books and after school picnic’s and water fights!!

In between that I had my birthday. Yes *groan* another year older and wiser. Although I had to drive to Ashford designer outlet for my son’s Leaver’s party shirt (typical) I had a great day. It was very chilled, me and the OH had a lunch out and did my pressies when the boys came home from school.

A nice roast dinner out with the boys!
Complete with dessert

Sorry for the bad pics they were taken on my phone by my youngest in poor light!!

Anyway, moving on I came home to these…………

I also managed to squeeze a relaxing day fishing with the OH ( YES I DID SAY FISHING!) and I caught………………………………….wait for it……………………………….57 fish!!! AMAZING!

Ok I will admit some of them really were tiddlers however I was pleased to be catching some slightly bigger ones too.

Now concentrate on the size of the fish rather than the state of my barnet!! It had been raining people!!!

Sadly, I really have got into this fishing malarkey- even to the point of taking the hooks out after the catch!!! Something I thought I would never do.

Then we had some Groupon vouchers to use up for Namco up in London. I must say the deal was fab as we got over £50 in tokens for only £14!! Now I wasn’t expecting too much of the place, never having been there myself. I thought we would be in and out in an hour. How wrong could I be we spent several hours in there enjoying bowling, bumper cars, and arcade games!!!

The boys racing each other on the bikes!
The 3 of them gearing up for the race!

So that’s me caught up I think. I’m now preparing myself for an emotional week as my youngest goes through the traditions of the last week of primary school!

Cue the tears……………………………….

What have you all been up too??

That was the week that was…………….summer!

- TracyB Leave a comment

I so hope that this recent weather is going to continue. We are due to be camping over the half term and I am praying that some of the nice weather will stick around!!

I have finally switched over to my summer wardrobe………..be warned the shockingly white legs are out ( as is my bottle of tinting moisturiser!). The toenails have been painted and firmly placed in summer sandals/flip flops. The back door is now permanently open for the cats to run riot in the garden…………to be honest it has been absolute bliss.

Signs that summer has officially visited us:

* My washing could be left out all day!

* We have managed to eat several dinners outside!!

* The BBQ has been ramped up for the season!

* The seaside has been officially visited! ( WARNING- we do not travel light!)

It’s been picnics, bbq’s, suncream and of course no hot weather is complete without the necessary sunburn- I will spare you the pic!!

NOTE TO SELF: must remember that even though there is a lovely cool breeze at the coast……………………..I STILL BURN!

So long may it all continue ( except for the sunburn obviously- my factor 20 is at the ready for next week).

Top tips on getting your family involved in party planning.

- TracyB Leave a comment

With all the celebrations coming up you can find great hints and tips for parties, picnics, tea party’s all over the Internet.

I think it’s important with any occasion ( birthdays, Christmas, Easter etc) that the kids get fully involved otherwise I think it would be difficult to celebrate these events as they get older. I believe in the importance of celebrating things along the way and would love my boys to still be doing some of my little traditions when they both have children.

If your the same and love to get the children involved then tune into a great WebTV show today at 3pm.

With last year’s Royal Wedding celebrations still a fond memory for most; the excitement is now building for this summer’s celebration – The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee! It is fast approaching and many of us are preparing to party – and panic!  

Whether you are attending one of the thousands of street parties that are set to take place, or having your own Jubilee celebrations, there are lots of ways to get the whole family involved and take the pressure off at the same time…

The Flour Advisory Bureau is launching a campaign to remind people to Love their Loaf this Jubilee year and to help us avoid any catering crises, they have put together an invaluable free party planning tool kit to help people across Britain plan effectively for what looks sure to be a record breaking few months of socialising and entertaining.

From classic buffet recipes, tips for truly modern sandwiches, delicious drinks to pour and advice on handling your guests, the guide contains everything you might need to deliver a Jubilee party to remember.

Over half of those planning on organising parties during this summer of celebration, whether it is street or back garden based, proudly proclaim they will be making everything, or almost all of their party food from scratch. But what will feature on our menus and what quintessential British dishes are the must-haves for our patriotic parties?

Tune into our live and interactive webTV show where celebrity baker, Paul Hollywood, and event planner, Catherine Borowski, show you how to party plan as a family.

Show date: Thursday 24th May

Show time:  3pm

Tune into our live and interactive webTV show to hear more from Paul Hollywood, Celebrity Master Baker and judge on the BBC’s Great British Bake Off and event planner Catherine Borowski.

Paul Hollywood and Catherine Borowski join us live online at http://www.studiotalk.co.uk/show/party-planning-masterclass on 24th May 2012 at 3pm

Click here to submit questions before the show: http://www.studiotalk.co.uk/show/party-planning-masterclass