ITS AGREED THEN

After a bizarre few days we have finally agreed a sale on our house. Last Wednesday the estate agents phoned to say someone wanted to look round. This was fine & she gave me the details of who & when. After I came off the phone I went back to my hoovering, only to stop & think .."C*****ki? We bought the house from someone called C*****ki .... not a very common name for Dronfield". I had to call in to the estate agents to pick up some more brochures, so I asked if it was Donna & yes it was!!!!

My 1st reaction was they were just coming to have a nosey round, but I remembered when we handed over the keys, she wasn't just crying - she was sobbing. Anyway the viewing time came & after a chat & a laugh I left her & her daughter to wonder round alone ( her husband didn't come - he'd said "What's the point, I've lived there for 2 years!"). She kept saying "Oh my house, it's my house!" To cut a long story short (see below!!), they offered, we accepted & they want to be in for the beginning of December - yay!

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

Yesterday was Christian & my 7th wedding anniversary - blimey! & we had a fantastic weekend.

On Friday night we went to the Arena to see my favourites Spandau Ballet! They were amazing, as cheesy as ever - I love 'em! It was Gary Kemp's 50th birthday too, the years have been particularly kind to him & I found him very fanciable phwooor!! The years hadn't been as kind to John Keeble the drummer, who just looked like a bit of a scruff who never had a job!!! (I'm sure he's a very nice man though). All the songs were great & I still knew all the lyrics. Tony Hadley didn't hold the notes as long as he used to & the whole songs were played quite a bit slower. Christian thought this was their new tweak on old material, personally I believe there were just a bit knackered - they've been at it for 30 years to be fair! The whole night was fantastic though!

On Saturday night Christian cooked for me & we had an exclusive dinner party! He did trout salad with saffron as a starter followed by beef fillet with a gratin of mushrooms, creamed horseradish spinach & rosemary & garlic saute potatoes. It was gorgeous. We sat at the table until 3am ish, talking & drinking far too much & it was really lovely. We should really make the effort to sit & talk over a nice meal more often, instead of eating & rushing off to do something else.

Then on Sunday .... oohhhh..... bit of a thick head! Too much wine, 3 hours sleep & 2 lively children doesn't work that well! But we soldiered on! And what a reward - after a fantastic race, Jenson Button clinched the drivers world championship. Very well deserved! And so to bed. I have to say I feel 100% better today. What a great weekend - thank you Briddons - a job well done!

RUNNING PART 3

As the alarm sounded at 6am this morning & I heard the rain lashing against the window, my heart sank a little. I pulled my weary body out of bed - eyes still slightly closed, to find that my legs didn't ache anymore - yay! The muscles in my thighs have been having a right party this last couple of days, catching up with their long lost muscle cousins that we didn't even realise existed anymore!

Apparently I ran too fast on Tuesday, hence my pain. So today - this rainy Thursday morning - I opted for stretches, followed by 2 mins brisk walk & then the good old 'Inman Shuffle', a ridiculous running technique engineered by my father-in-law. Not quite as bad as that episode of 'Friends', where Phoebe & Rachel run around Central Park like spazes, but not far from it! Definitely one for dark mornings with a baseball cap on to disguise your identity. But it works a treat! I feel great & my thigh muscles are very happy - thank you dear father-in-law!

RUNNING - PART 2

I did it!! I was awake 10 mins before my alarm(5:50am) - so I got up, put on my running attire, did some stretches, powered up my iPod & off I went. Running (well jogging really) for 60 seconds then walking for 90 seconds all for 20 mins - I ran about 1 mile.

All went well, running up hill (Sheff is soooo hilly!), not running in dog shite (as I was running on grass to save my ankles & knees), right until the last bit. The bit I thought would be easy, running back down the hill. I started feeling a little queasy - but soldiered on none the less. When I got home & stopped I felt really crap, very sick & dizzy - so I curled up in a whimpering ball on the settee for 10 mins instead of stretching properly - DOH! I'll pay for that little mistake tomorrow!

All in all, though I loved it. I may feel & sound like I've just smoked 60 fags. I will get better. My body is now a temple - I have even just refused a bacon sandwich .... mind you it was smoked bacon .... & does smell rather good .... maybe a little one won't harm ;-)

THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT

I've just been reading the google ads on my blog & they're all about washing machines, hoovers, coffee & children's parties ......omg - my life summed up in google ads, hilarious! Must go get coffee - bye!

RUNNING

Tomorrow morning at 6am it begins - I am starting to run! My husband has been doing it for a few weeks now & after looking at his legs the other day, I thought "OMG! Its actually working!" You see I mainly want to tone my legs up - it's jumper dress & boots weather!

I wasn't going to tell anyone, but if no one knows & I don't actually do it, then I don't let anyone down. As it stands, since Friday a lot of my friends are egging me on & pleased for me, so motivation is gained!!

I have bought a rather large digital watch, with stopwatch (obviously) & a bright pink running top (to keep Mum happy - "it's still dark at 6am - don't get run over, make sure you can be seen"). Training schedule sorted, start in short blasts, run on the grass & I've got 'Girls Aloud Greatest Hits' on my iPhone.

So wish me luck & I'll report back tomorrow :-)

CHILDREN'S PARTIES PART 2

This series of posts could run & run!! Don't worry dear reader, it won't!

Yesterday we were at a play centre party & very good it was too. It was here, at Alphabet Zoo. We've not been there before, well I took my nephew to a party there 8 or 10 years ago but we were a week early so we didn't stay!! Alice enjoyed herself - right up to the moment the bloke in a monkey suit came out! She really doesn't like those & isn't even fooled into thinking its a real monkey. "I don't like the man-in-a-monkey-suit bit Mummy"!

Anyway I would personally like to thank Mr Sainsbury's for selling 'High School Musical' dolls for half price & I'm wondering if Mr Tesco would do a similar offer on something for boys. Thank-you.

LAKELAND RULES!

Being something of a half descent cook (own trumpet successfully blown) - I have decided to concentrate on my presentation a bit - too much 'Masterchef - The Professionals' I fear. Anyway I've been looking in to buying some cooking rings - you know, those little metal rings to mold whatever & make it look all restauranty.

I went down 2 routes originally, firstly to buy some. I found that they range (generally) between £2.99 & 10 quid each. The only problem with that is you are stuck with the same size & I'd probably be spending £50 as I wanted 6.

Plan B was a great chav approach! Wash empty Heinz Pasta Shapes tins & remove the bottom! Hhmmm! I think we can do a bit better than that.

So after a bit more thinking & a prompt by the way of a brochure through the door, I tried good old Lakeland. They had had a massive brain wave on the cooking ring front & come up with these affordable & size altering beauties - not to mention they store away flat. You can even (with the aid of a v sharp knife) add some more slits for even smaller rings. Oh fabulous! Needless to say my 6 rings are here & awaiting use!

WHERE'S MY HEAD AT?

Twice, I've gone to empty the washing machine this morning to find that I've not actually switched it on - idiot! The 1st time I hadn't shut the machine door & the 2nd time I hadn't pressed the flashing green button - it's the same load as well. It's hardly rocket science. I obviously have my idiot head on today, I blame the lack of Magners - ah well the weekend is only a day away :-)

UPDATE
Clean washing successfully removed from machine - a small triumph in the day of a housewife!

TASSIMO UPDATE

Yay! It's back. They've just changed the espresso pod from Kenco to Carte Noir. Unfortunately if your Tassimo machine has a Kenco badge on it, the new pods won't work! Fortunately ours doesn't but my thoughts are with those Kenco badged Tassimo machine people.

TUMBLE TOTS

Last week I took Amelia to a trail session at Tumble Tots, she was a bit quiet to start with but by the 1st break for singing (play, sing, play some more, sing some more, go home!) she was lovin' it! Cheering & clapping after every song. So, I decided to take her again this week & enroll her. This time she was knocking at the door to get in as the leaders were setting up! She climbed on everything & at singing time she not only cheered & clapped after every song - she looked round the group saying 'Well Done' to the other children! I think she's going to be one of those children everyone knows the name of!!

TASSIMO HORROR

A couple of years ago, I bought Christian a Tassimo coffee machine for Christmas - it didn't quite top the Xbox gift but has come a close second! Since Amelia started walking (running & climbing), I have found a great love/need for this delicious caffeine based beverage - latte in particular. But to my horror I can't seem to buy any latte coffee pods anymore. Sainsburys in Dronfield & Sheffield have stopped selling it, as have Tesco in Chesterfield. So to the website ..... oh no ....out of stock - it's a complete Tassimo horror!

POORLY BUNNY

Poor Alice isn't very well at all :( When I picked her up from school yesterday she looked very pale & sad. The teacher told me she had a nasty fall & grazed her elbow, so I thought she was just feeling sorry for herself & a bit shaken.

At home she was still very upset & just lay on the settee, so as all bad mothers do, I offered her a MacDonalds Happy Meal for tea! This seemed to work & she perked up. Not long after setting off in the car for said happy meal she decided to barf all over! Well better before than after - I do so hate wasting money ;)

This began a long afternoon & evening of my poor little girlie throwing up, aahh, finally ending at about 9:30pm. So far today she's had milk, Rice Krispies & toast - so I would say she's on the mend. I hate my babies being unwell :( A well deserved 'duvet day' is the order of the day I think!

CHILDREN'S PARTIES

Since Alice started school she has attended at least 1 birthday party per weekend. I think its lovely that she's making so many new friends & I do keep finding some rather good bargain presents all well under a tenner.

But today was the party from hell .... it was a disco in a party hall next to a park in Dronfield. It maybe could have been OK but the DJ was rubbish. If you're going to do kids parties please at least research what 5 year old children are interested in. Playing Agadoo, The Music Man & Superman on a loop isn't anyones idea of fun & if you're going to play party games, explain the rules - don't just hold up a board of do's & don't's ... they're 5, they don't read.

2 pain filled hours & I didn't know any of the mum's & it was too loud for smalltalk ..... moan over - goodbye!!

BACK!

I know, I know I've let my blog slip a bit this year - 2 words... Bejeweled Blitz! It's a free game on facebook & I came a bit obsessed. But I have walked away from the facebook & returned to blogging!

So much has happened aswell - Alice has started 'big school', we still haven't sold the house, I've made about a billion cakes, I turned 37 (no biggy, I was convinced I was 37 all last year so I'm just having 2 years at it!), we went to The Old Vicarage for dinner & Christian bought me diamond earrings. Oh & of course our camping holiday was cut short by the arrival of a hurricane - great!

Anyway a new look blog & new posts to come - catch you later ;)