challenge

Would you pass your driving test again?

- TracyB 2 Comments

Answer to that for most people would be a big fat NO!

I have been driving for 20yrs now and lots of things have definitely changed in that time. The roads are much busier, some the junctions now can be very confusing and now we are sign mad to the point that it can be difficult to take in all the information!!

I recently had the ‘opportunity’ *cough* to attend a Speed Awareness course ( thanks to being snapped doing 37 in a 30mph road!). I hold my hands up and at the time didn’t really think that was that bad as I am an ex driving instructor and generally drive defensively, however I was in a rush that particular day as my youngest was nearly late for a panto performance ( but I appreciate there are no excuses).

Anyway, I’m no snob but I was really expecting a room full of chav’s and boy racers with attitude! To my surprise everyone was just like me, and by that I mean normal ( whatever that is!), a range of ages and personalities.

We met our course instructors and I was hoping that we wouldn’t be quizzed too much.

I hate to admit it but I actually enjoyed it! They weren’t condescending or asked about what you were caught doing, and they were light hearted but definitely got their point across.

One of the best things they said that I know I will never forget is

‘If you went for an operation and the surgeon last trained 20 years ago……..would you be happy for him to carry out the surgery?’

Err NO!

Even though I went through driver instructor training a few years ago as well I was amazed at how much I had already forgotten! It truly is frightening.

The driving test is so difficult now and for a good reason. They need to know that the people they are putting out on the roads are safe. Even the theory test and hazard perception test could put some of us through our paces.

There were some videos to watch on the day and they were straight to the point, and put any thoughts of further speeding to rest. Even a few miles over the 30mph could prove catastrophic.

Most people there thought that the most dangerous roads would be the motorways but they would be very much mistaken. It’s our normal urban 30mph roads that have the most horrendous statistics for accidents, injuries and fatalities!

So how much of the Highway Code could you remember? if you were asked would you know the relevant stopping distances?

Check out this video with Quentin Willson below to see that you are not alone. There are lots of us around who have been driving for many years and have fallen into all the same old bad habits.

Interactive test Web TV show with Quentin Willson

So how many of the signs would you have recognised?

It’s amazing isn’t it- actually how little we can remember!

So I would urge anyone who happens to get snapped on a speed camera to take the course instead of the points on their license. For me if I had taken the points I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But after doing the course I have slowed down for the right reasons and I realise that even a few miles over the limit could mean fatalities and that I could not live with on my conscience……………………………..COULD YOU?

Sport Relief Run 2012

- TracyB 3 Comments

Yes it was that time of year that we love in this house of the good ol’ Sports Relief run. I must start by saying I have been chief photo taker for the past few years due to my M.E but that doesn’t stop me enjoying the day.

We set off to London on Sunday morning all ready to meet up with friends and do our bit for charity. The boys have raised some money together from friends and family, plus we registered for the run itself, and we purchased our 2012 Sport relief socks. So as a family we are happy that we have contributed enough to save a few children’s lives with the £5 vaccines.

Anyway, Sunday was a glorious day weather wise, and the atmosphere started on the train as most of the people travelling up there had some sort of Sport Relief attire!

Our motley crew of runners!

So I was plonked in a great viewing spot and adopted my new title of ‘bag lady’ along with the photo taking………..who says I can’t multitask!

They headed of to the start line with JLS in their race, an I started celeb spotting. Jon Culshaw, Dame Kelly Holmes, Richard Hammond and his family, the GB Netball team, David Tennant (*swoons*) oh and of course JLS!!

JLS and their bodyguard!

Now I must admit that these boys do nothing for me at all, although I’m sure they are very nice and all. However, when they came towards me ‘celeb fever’ took over and I found myself shouting to my family opposite to slow down so I could play paparazzi to JLS before snapping my family!!! LIKE I SAY I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME AT THAT POINT!!

My poor group trying to get my attention whilst I ignored them over celebs........SHAME ON ME!

So to make up for it I ditched celeb world and concentrated on snapping the family as they came past heading towards the finish line- it was the least I could do.

My eldest who came past first
My youngest in a police outfit chasing his burgler buddies!
The very proud clan with all their well earned medals

Now I would be lying through my teeth if I didn’t admit to being a little jealous of them. The atmosphere is fab for the spectators but it must be fantastic to be part of it yourself. So with that in mind I have decided that in the next Sport Relief in 2014 ( OH MY F**KING GOD MY ELDEST WILL BE ALMOST 16!!!!!- strike that thought) I should hire a wheelchair, ‘pimp my ride’ as they say and get a few of my fellow clan to pull or push me along!!!

That way I don’t have to do what I did on Sunday and cheat by ‘borrowing’ someone’s medal for my picture!!

NEXT TIME I WILL HAVE MY OWN!

 

So did you take part in the mile where you were?

The ABC of Me!

- TracyB 6 Comments

A while ago I was tagged by the very lovely Mummy on The Edge for an A-Z of Me!! This has taken me ages to do as there has been so much going on recently. But at last here it is.

Some of these you may already know and some you definitely won’t.

A- Age, Ok I hate to admit it but I am 41 ( quickly approaching 42)

B- Belfast, the place I was born and grew up.

C- Caring, but find it hard to show it.

D- Determined to win the lottery one day.

E- Exhausted ALL OF THE TIME!

F- Food I love it in all it’s lovely forms.

G- Galaxy my all time favourite chocolate.

H- Husband, I have one and have been married for almost 18 yrs.

I- Indecisive, quick at making my mind up but just as quick to change it!

J- July, my birthday month.

K- Knitting, something I have gone back to recently and just love it.

L- Loyal, or I like to think I am as a friend.

M- M.E something I was diagnosed with almost 3 yrs ago!

N- Nap something I do A LOT due to the above.

O- Old, I hate the thought of getting older ENOUGH SAID.

P- Presents, lets face it who doesn’t like getting them.

Q- Queue‘s I hate them with a vengeance

R- RAF, I served around 7 years many, many moons ago.

S- Stubborn!!  Say no more.

T- Tracy, that would be my name.

U- U2, one of my favourite bands ( early years only!)

V- Vertically challenged at only 5ft 2″

W- Wing Walking, something I have done twice!

X- Xray vision– come on are you telling me you wouldn’t love this??

Y- Yummy Mummy.…………Yeah- a girl can dream can’t she?

Z- Zoo’s even now my kids are older and bored of them I still love a Zoo.

Ok so now I nominate:

@TheRealSupermum

@trouble_doubled

@Amummysview

Perfect Balance Bedding Range Review

- TracyB Leave a comment

When I posted about the symptoms of my M.E here I was contacted by The Fine Bedding Co who suggested that I take a look at their website and in particular the Perfect Balance range that they sell as it could help me get a more restful sleep.

I did take a look and I found that although the items seemed to fit what I was looking for they were very much out of my price range with not working at the moment!

However, they kindly offered me a Perfect Balance duvet and 2 pillows to try out and review. RESULT I thought and was sadly overexcited when the parcel turned up. Delivery was very prompt arriving the next day and the items were packaged well in a huge box.We missed the first delivery and they came back the following day.

Could this mean a perfect night’s sleep?

SO here is what they say :

Innovative Lysoft® technology absorbs and disperses excess humidity, helping to regulate your body to its optimal temperature to ensure a better sleep experience. The soft down-like microfibre filling provides cushioning softness and comfort. It provides exceptional breathability – perfect for those who get too warm or cold during the night.

  • Filled with our innovative Lysoft® microfibre blend
  • Regulates the body to its optimum temperature throughout the night
  • Wicks moisture away from the body and disperses for a more refreshing night’s sleep
  • Breathable, super soft Lysoft® cotton cover
  • Non-allergenic
  • Superbly light

Duvets in this range start at £60 for a 4.5 tog single and £90 for a standard double 10.5 tog!

Innovative Lysoft® technology disperses excess humidity and is exceptionally breathable, helping to regulate your body to its optimal temperature to ensure a better sleep experience. The soft down-like microfibre filling provides cushioning softness and comfort. Non-allergenic, this pillow provides medium support.

  • Filled with our innovative Lysoft® microfibre blend
  • Gently cradles the head
  • Wicks moisture away from the body and disperses for a more refreshing night’s sleep
  • Breathable, super soft Lysoft® cotton cover
  • Non-allergenic
  • A superbly light and fluffy pillow offering medium to soft support

Pillows in this range are £30

Now I don’t know what you would regard as pricey but this fell into the category for me unfortunately. I’m always very doubtful of whether my money will be well spent or not!

So we gave it a shot and changed all the bedding. Now at first glance the duvet appeared a little thin to me ( normally they are thick and fluffy and need stuffing into the cover) although it had a lovely ‘cool’ to the touch feel about it. The pillows had the same feel but were beautifully soft and did need a bit of stuffing into the pillowcase!!

Both my husband and I had a feeling that the duvet would not be warm enough and so kept our own one close to hand that night. However, we were very much mistaken. The duvet was plenty warm enough but even more surprisingly it did what it said on the packaging!!

With M.E I have no temperature control so about 95% of the time I am freezing but during the night for the other 5% I burn up. This does not bode well for a good night’s sleep. The new Perfect Balance duvet actually seemed to stop me from overheating. I was completely taken by surprise. So I decided that I should wait a week or so before posting a review in case it was a one off. But still I have been more comfortable during the night (temperature wise) although I will always have problems sleeping, at least now burning up is not one of them.

The pillow was perfect for me. I love a huge bouncy soft pillow and these were just that. They too claimed to disperse the body moisture away. Now I have thick, long hair and those of you with long hair can appreciate that we can get a little ‘heated’ at night, more often than not I tie my hair up to stop me getting too hot. But again VERY SURPRISINGLY the pillow did exactly what it said on the packaging. As with the duvet it also had a ‘cool’ to the touch feel which you get a sense of through the pillowcase.

My husband however, did not feel the same about the pillows. He is more comfortable with a firm pillow and so he didn’t find it comfortable and has since gone back to his regular pillow. Although he did mention that he didn’t have to keep turning the pillow for the ‘cool’ side (something he always does with his own!).That means I have a spare new one left for me!!! But he has been really impressed with the duvet and he too agreed that it seemed to stop him from getting uncomfortably hot.

So the question would seem to be

How much would you pay for a more comfortable and restful nights sleep??

Those of you with young children are sleep deprived beyond belief, so the time spent in bed is crucial. Those of you who suffer with M.E like me or another illness or condition that means you can overheat, again time in bed sleeping comfortably is crucial.

So please take a look at their website here finebedding.co.uk

DISCLOSURE

I have not received any payment for this review however, I was sent a double duvet and 2 pillows for review purposes only. THE VIEWS STATED ABOVE ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN.

Back in the land of the living!

- TracyB 2 Comments

Well almost anyway. After the last few weeks of activity my body definitely isn’t used to and crushing recuperation in between has seen me absent from my blog for a while.

I’m getting back to some level of normality, but only just!

It started with :

 

On set of the short film he’s been doing recently
Him and his ‘on screen’ sister!

This was a gruelling ( for me anyway!) four 12hr days with travelling on top. I really cannot explain how I managed to stay standing ( my lovely new walking stick came in very handy). I don’t think I have pushed my poor M.E body that hard for a very long time. When it was over I went to bed and lost almost 2 days in bed and the rest of the week sleeping while the boys were at school. However, he had 2 more auditions in London the next week and a day on location on Norfolk to finish the film!!

That meant another day spent in bed afterwards for me and very quickly my days were disappearing. I haven’t blogged or been on Twitter, I haven’t knitted for what seems like ages ( although I managed to do some whilst chaperoning my son. Even watching mindless TV would take it’s toll.

However, other things have been happening all be it around me:

YUM!

 

Like this great chocolate swiss roll that my eldest decided to make at the weekend!! It tasted just as good as it looks too, although I might have had to have several slices just to make sure.

Proud mummy moment!

We also found this, a copy of the paper my eldest was put in for his efforts to raise money for the London’s Air Ambulance. That’s him in the middle of the picture with the crew who got a call literally seconds afterwards and we got to watch them head off on an emergency call- fantastic!

Oh and of course the recent sunshine (most of which I have missed by being in bed) brought out the ‘Diva’ side of the cat…………………life is good, feed me more treats!!

However, the down side is I am sooo behind with everything, cleaning, ironing, cooking even to some extent. That’s without mentioning the blog. I have emails I haven’t responded to, posts that I need to write and networking to do.

So be warned, I have some great posts coming- an A-Z of me, a review that might interest those of you who value a restful nights sleep, a few of my knitting projects that I haven’t taken pics of yet!

I’M BACK…………

Charity starts at home!

- TracyB 2 Comments

Charity starts at home, a view held by my eldest son, who last year decided as part of his Community Challenge badge in his scout group decided to collect for a ‘home ‘ charity.

He chose the London’s Air Ambulance service or HEMS as it can be known.

London’s Air Ambulance is a registered charity which runs London’s only helicopter emergency medical service, providing life saving care to victims of serious injury throughout London – serving the 10 million people who live, work and commute within the M25.

Based at the Royal London Hospital and founded in 1989, the service is unique in that it operates 24/7, with the helicopter running in daylight hours and rapid response cars taking over at night.  The Team, which at all times includes a senior trauma doctor and a specially trained paramedic, attends an average of seven missions every 24 hours.

London’s Air Ambulance has an international reputation for clinical excellence and delivers pioneering procedures which have been adopted across the world. 

London’s Air Ambulance was the first air ambulance service in the UK:

  • with a doctor and paramedic team;
  • to deliver high standard pre-hospital anaesthesia;
  • to have a clinical governance programme;
  • to perform a thoracotomy (open heart surgery) at the roadside;
  • to perform thoracostomy (to drain collapsed lungs);
  • to use check lists to improve patient safety;
  • with air & land based response; and to provide 24 hour cover.

He put a letter out to the whole of the scout group asking for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts to bring in all their used postage stamps which he had a remarkable response to. In fact he collected over 19,000!! Yes we counted them all.

Proof of the stamps and the counting!!

 

Just one of the boxes!

But today we had arranged for him to visit them at the Royal London Hospital at their new offices to deliver the stamps in person. We met a fantastic lady called Christine Margetts who did a brilliant job showing us all around. We met the paramedics and doctor on duty today, the firemen who also work there, we were told how a call is generated and processed and what information they receive and how they determine which hospital the patient will need to go to.

But to top it all we had the rare opportunity to go up to the helipad to get a picture taken with the actual Air Ambulance in the background. My son was able to go on board before very excitingly watching the helicopter and it’s crew take off on a real life call!

Cold and windy 300ft up on the helipad!
Sitting inside before the Air Ambulance was called out!

Off on a real life call!

It was brilliant to see them in action, how quickly they reacted and how professional they all were. This truly is a worthwhile service that relies heavily on donation and every little helps.

I was very proud of my eldest doing what was necessary, helping a worthwhile charity close to home, and counting (with me) all 19,000 stamps!!

What charity is close to your heart?

Versatile Blogger Award! For me???

- TracyB 9 Comments

 

I have very kindly been awarded the Versatile Blogger award from the lovely Mette from Oddparent Thank you so much. So if you haven’t already heard of her pop over and take a look.

Now apparently I have to tell you 7 things about myself………………mmmmm………….Ok here goes:

1. I LOVE chocolate.

2. I am from Northern Ireland now living in Kent with my lovely family.

3. I absolutely HATE spiders!!!!!

4. I served 7 years in the Royal Air Force.

5. Sadly I am now old enough to be a mother of a teenage son ( Oh God where have the years gone!).

6. I have (thankfully) NEVER smoked.

7. Stand By Me is one of my all time favourite films.

So there you have it!

Anyway now the difficult task of nominating others, I thinks it’s supposed to be 15!!! But here’s a few as some that I would have nominated already have the award……

notsuchayummymummy

clairejustineoxox

amothersramblings

jazzygals-steppingout

confessionsofasinglemum

mummyontheedge

Now I want to hear 7 things I didn’t know about you all.

 

Role Models!

- TracyB 7 Comments

I was tagged a little while ago by the very lovely Evey over at Polythenepram.com- seriously if you haven’t come across her yet then shame on you, get over there she is hilarious!

Anyway, she kindly tagged me in this Who is your Role Model post and that really got me thinking. So who have been my role models in life? I struggled with this actually, thinking who do I look up to, want to be like or have learned from??

Again I was left thinking.

Then I thought about the ‘types’ of people rather than individuals. This made the whole thing a lot easier as I realised I ‘admire’ people for who they are rather than what they are. Does that make sense?

So here goes:

1. Anyone who battles daily with ‘The Black Dog’!

Depression is an illness that can severely disrupt and take over someones life and the life of those close to them. My dad was a manic depressive for many years before he died, although he let it consume him more that battle it. I am in awe of anyone who carries on their daily lives suffering with this illness. Some of the greats have battled from Churchill to Stephen Fry!!

2. People who are happy in their own skin!

We are all different however it seems we all strive to be one thing- beautiful and thin!! (two things I am definitely not). We are forced to believe that if we stray from the stick thin, blonde haired, beautifully made up look then we are less than perfect. I admire those who celebrate their uniqueness, those who see the ‘imperfections’ as part of them and who they are. Success does not come from being the stereotype, Dawn French has not let it stop her!! And Kate Winslett ( ok she is beautiful and has a figure to die for) is seen as being curvy rather than stick thin (and she takes her kit off frequently enough to show us she is comfortable in her own skin!!).

3. Happy people ( those who always see their glass as being half full)!

I totally admire/ envy anyone with this outlook on life. No matter what life throws at them they do not seem to crumble but use it to their advantage. I am a worrier to the extreme- money, work, children, and the what if’s!! Yet we have a roof over our heads and my OH is in full time work and my children are healthy.

I know a few people (one particular friend)who always see the good in people and situations.People who go with the flow and just let things happen knowing everything will work out OK.

 4. Authors

Almost any author in fact. Someone who has had the conviction and belief to put their backside on a chair and type or write until their story is finished. Taking the knock backs until the day their book is published! Now I read allsorts myself however, anything from chick lit to true life stories and most stuff in between, but JK Rowling goes without saying ( with her determination to prove that her story was worth reading).

                          *******************************************************************

So there it is! I know I haven’t named names as it were but this was more relevant to me rather than a definite Role model.

Who would you choose and why?

 

Reading for kids -how important is it?

- TracyB 14 Comments

Reading for kids -how important is it?

reading for kids

 

I have a love of books and reading.

I don’t know where that came from as it’s hard to remember if as a child I was read to or not. However, as a teenager I definitely remember reading a lot( mainly Stephen King and the like!). Thankfully, that love of reading is still as strong today.

When both my boys were tiny it was part of the bedtime routine to have a story. When they started reading at school it was religiously done everyday.

All of that has paid off as now at the grand old ages of 11 and 13 years they are both avid readers in their own right. My youngest actually got a Kindle for his Christmas present.

However, I do know families where the kids are totally uninterested in reading and no matter what they have tried along the way, it hasn’t worked.

So does it matter whether you start early or not? Does it matter if the parents are avid readers?

Does it matter if you don’t have lots of books at home?

Top tips on how to get your children reading

Watch our video with Jeff Brazier where he gives his top tips on making story time fun

 

For some parents, a seemingly simple task like reading your children bedtime stories can send them into a nervous panic. But, it’s never too soon or too late to get your children reading and needn’t be a stressful experience. 

 

That’s why celebrity dad Jeff Brazier has joined forces with the National Literacy Trust today to launch a new campaign to try and help the four million children in Britain who don’t own a book to start reading.

 

Almost a fifth of children who don’t read say there are no books in their homes, which is why the National Literacy Trust is backing the campaign from  McDonald’s UK and Harper Collins for a new partnership to help get kids reading.

 

McDonald’s UK is to hand out around nine million popular children’s books with its Happy Meals, as part of a new partnership with publishing house Harper Collins. The promotion aims to get books into the hands of families and support mums and dads in reading with their children.

 

Watch our video with Jeff Brazier and Jack Sallabank from the National Literacy Trust where they give their top tips to get your children reading. From funny voices to involving your children with finger puppets, watch our video for Jeff’s great tips which is sure to be a success with any child.

So what strategies have you tried to get your children interested in books?

What age group where they when they started showing an interest?

Do you buy books or rely on your local library?

Parenting fail or just life as we know it?

- TracyB 10 Comments

Parenting fail or just life as we know it?

Recently I have been asking myself this question virtually everyday.

I have two boys, one aged 13 and the other is 11.

THEY DO NOT GET ON.

In essence they are very, very different personalities, which I think is great. They like different things but also like some similar things too. So why can’t they get along together?

I truly do not know.

Now, I don’t just mean a bit of sibling rivalry, or fighting one minute and then friends the next. NO they are never friends. EVER.

My youngest is a very loud and outgoing character. He has a lot of personality and loves to be centre of attention. My eldest is quieter, more mellow generally and tends to go with the flow, until it involves his brother.

But it is starting to affect the family dynamics.

A family day at home or out is just horrendous. We know it will end in tears, namely ours. It seems as a family we cannot simply enjoy time together, just chatting, laughing and having a joke. My eldest can get very stressed by the whole thing.

At the moment our family life is generally our boys taking themselves off to their separate rooms and shutting their doors to be away from each other.

As parents we try to be fair with their disputes. However, we have noticed more and more that it generally stems from our youngest. He makes fun of his older brother and although we all have jokes at each others expense, his delve into what we believe to be bullying.

Whenever my eldest says anything, and I mean anything, he will be sneered at, or laughed at or belittled as though what he says has no relevance.

We have approached our youngest and explained  how he is behaving.

What makes it worse is that our oldest has very mild Asperger traits ( not fully diagnosed, but noticeable). Again we have tried explaining this to our youngest and have used some books to show him how his brother thinks.

IT DIDN’T WORK. IN FACT IT MADE IT WORSE.

Now, I know you will all be thinking he must be attention seeking. However, he gets a lot more time devoted to him on a 1 to 1 basis because of his acting. I am always with him for auditions and shows. Everything tends to revolve around what he is doing, our Christmas this year was dominated by the fact he was acting in Panto everyday of the holidays.

So I need help. Where are we as parents going wrong?

I cannot see any other reason for it other than our total parent fail!

We try everything, we take things, such as, Ipods  and TV away. There have been times were we have stopped him  going to a party or to friends if he has been particularly bad. We also stand by our word and if we threaten something,  and we ALWAYS carry it through. So you would think he would get the message.

Our main concern is how he treats his brother.

SO I will ask again. Is it A  PARENTING FAIL, or just life as we know it?

Where do we go from here?

It’s quite depressing, for everyone apart from my youngest son.

Parenting fail or life as we know it