Monday 31 March 2014

Beauty product of the month - March

Each month I am going to share with you the beauty product of the month that I have been using. Last month it was Seaweed face scrub and this month it is...



Maybelline brow drama sculpting brow mascara. 

I keep meaning to get my eyebrows threaded but still haven't got around to it so I need something that is going to tame and define them. I have never been a fan of eyebrow pencils as they make your eyebrows stand out too much (especially when you shave your eyebrows off first!) and I like the more subtle, natural look.

I do have the problem of having faint looking eyebrows, they tend to disappear a bit in photos that are taken from afar so this product is great for defining them, it also keeps them in place and being a dark brown colour it blends in perfectly.

I haven't tried any other brow mascaras so I cant really compare but I am glad that I've come across this one and it is now part of my daily routine so I will definitely buy it again!

Mealplan Monday - 31/03/14

I'm feeling really shattered today, think it's all down to losing that extra hour in bed! The thought of standing in front of the oven is just making me tired, that's why I want to put some simple meals on my list this week. Plus its the last week of term so hopefully next week I can spend a bit more time finding some good recipes. (That's when I'm not laying on the sofa stuffing my face with chocolate Easter eggs!)

Monday - Fry up (egg, sausage, mushrooms, beans...)

Tuesday - Pasta bake

Wednesday - Pie and mash with veg

Thursday - Lasagna

Friday - Jacket potato with various fillings

Saturday - Pizza

Sunday - Lamb chops with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and veg.

This mealplan is linked up with #mealplanningmonday over at Mrs M's


Meal Planning Monday

Sunday 30 March 2014

50 books 2014 - March


 This month has been really slow on the reading front. I have only managed to finish 2 books which I had actually started last month! For some reason they both just seemed to go on forever, thats not to say they were boring I think its just that I was reading in the evenings, after getting through a few pages I was falling asleep.


  

Im not entirely sure why this book is named the debt and the doormat. It starts off with Poppy and her friend Jazz. Jazz being in debt decides to swap lives with the sensible Poppy in order to stop her spending and encourage Poppy to let her hair down, but then the story takes on all sorts of dramas that caused me to want to shout at Poppy in frustration, almost as if I was watching a soap opera. Poppy is a very endearing character and I really enjoyed reading about all the turmoil she went through in order to get the man of her dreams.

 If You have read my last 2 months of 50books2014 you would know that I have been reading The Hunger Games series. I really loved the first two books and I think book one was my favourite of the three. I read the first half of this book and then seemed to waver a bit, reading a bit here and a bit there. I really got into the end of it in the last few days and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read it all at once.
Katniss Everdean survived the first two hunger games and the capitol are not happy, they want revenge! But who should pay the price Katniss herself or the people she loves the most?

So far this year I have read 9 books but with the Easter holidays coming up im hoping to catch up on my reading, especially as I have a habit of downloading loads of books onto my kindle app and need to get through them!

This post is linked up with #50books2014 reading challenge over at Ups & Downs, Smiles & Frowns.

Friday 28 March 2014

Positive pic of the week #2


Sitting in my kitchen playing around with my camera (as you do) I took this photo of two of my little angels.

Jasmin is sitting at the table on the laptop, probably searching all those fashion websites for new clothes that she can pester me for! And Kieron is watching something on TV, not sure what he is doing with his tongue, probably licking some leftover food from his chin!

I love that they are both oblivious to me taking their photo (ignoring me as usual) and are so content with not a care in the world...oh to be young!

This is my #pospicofweek If you would like to add a positive picture from your week check out the rules and grab the badge here then just link up below

Word of the week - Vacillating


This week has been pretty average, I haven't done much out of the ordinary, although I did take another school trip to The London transport museum (I went last week) with year 4.

My mood has been a bit up and down, I've felt quite positive about certain things and decisions I have made, but then when thinking of the future I'm wondering when its ever going to improve, it just feels like I'm living from month to month and time is going by so fast without much changing...sometimes being optimistic is hard work!

I have chosen the word Vacillating as it means to fluctuate in ones opinions, be indecisive. For your information the word vacillating comes from 1590-1600 Latin vacillatus meaning to sway to and fro.

This post is linked up to #wotw over at the reading residence


The Reading Residence

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Kids Spring trends with Pearl and Butler

When I got and email from Pearl and Butler about a mothers day competition looking at kids fashion trends I was a bit reluctant to enter. I have 4 children and I do clothe them all, however I just buy what's available in the shops (usually on the discounted rack) and don't tend to worry about whether its in fashion or not!

Having two teenagers that have developed their own style over time I tend to give them money and let them choose their own clothes. Jasmin at 15 is very much into fashion trends so when I mentioned the compitition she jumped at the chance to enter, plus like most teenage girls she loves posing in front of the camera!


 Jasmin's newest style trend is high waisted; be it skirts, jeans or shorts and she likes to wear them with crop tops. This one has a brightly coloured, bold animal print and she has paired it with a maxi skirt. To accessorize Jasmin has added a bit of a flowery necklace and some diamond studs.

It seems that animal print tops on children is not really a new trend, here is a photo, taken in the early 1980s, of me wearing a hippo t-shirt along with my brother who apparently doesn't like to wear any tops at all!


Do you have ultra trendy children? If so visit Pearl and Butler to find details on their Mothers day competition.

Monday 24 March 2014

Mealplan Monday 24/03/14

Last week we had everything on the mealplan apart from the prawn risotto as the man decided he wanted to cook oxtail instead. I was quite looking forward to it and I have the prawns waiting in the freezer so I have put it back on the menu this week.
I'm looking forward to Saturday as we are going out for a friends birthday and I love the lobster rolls at Lobster and Burger!

Monday - Pizza

Tuesday - Chicken Balti

Wednesday - Prawn Risotto

Thursday - Mexican (haven't decided what yet!)

Friday - Mini Kievs, Chips and Sweetcorn

Saturday - Eating out at Lobster and Burger

Sunday - Curried goat with rice and peas

As always my mealplan is linked up with Mrs M on the link below.


Meal Planning Monday

Sunday 23 March 2014

March Glossybox

When I first opened this months glossybox I wasn't really filled with excitement but on closer inspection I thought the products were quite sweet.
Jasmin loved that there was a Sleek makeUP product as she said she loves this range although I have never heard of it (I'm just an amateur at this beauty thing!)

So here is what was in my box...



The Mitchell and Peach body cream is very pleasant, it says it will have you feeling like your walking through an English countryside. The scent is very floral, Jasmin said it just reminded her of a Lush bath bomb.

There are 2 sachets of Vita Liberata tanning lotion which look very luxurious. I have never used tanning lotion before and being half Indian I do have my own tan thing going on, although I do feel very pale in the winter! I am a bit worried about using a tan lotion out of a sachet as I don't expect it would cover much of the body and I would be left with just patches of colour.



Its nice to see a haircare product in the box (I definitely need it!) and I am a fan of Dove products. This is a 60 second treatment shot which gives your hair a keratin boost, leaving you with beautiful strong hair, I'm looking forward to using that later.

The Bellapierre shimmer powder is probably my favourite as it has a nice glittery look, not only is it an eyeshadow but it can be mixed into blusher, nail polish or lip gloss to make you shimmer all over! The shade is called Deja vous and I think I will wear it next time I go out.


When I first saw This pout polish I didn't even realise it was for your lips as the container is bigger than the usual size you see for gloss or balms. It is a tinted balm with SPF15, almond oil, Shea butter and vitamin E and feels nice and creamy on your lips.

Did you get a Glossybox this month, What did you think of its contents?

Saturday 22 March 2014

Positive Pic of the Week #1

My Positive pic of the week is of the the kit I received from St John Ambulance after doing a first aid course with them earlier this week.

I'm sure its obvious that the reason I think its positive is because I was trained to help save lives but I also learnt so much more than that. From childhood illnesses, burns, fractures, cuts and crushing, right through to recovery positioning and CPR.

I think what actually stuck with me the most was when the trainer said that it takes 3 years to train as a paediatric nurse and we had only 2 days to learn the basics so we shouldn't feel pressured to get everything right all of the time. After all, doing our best with what we know to help aid in an accident or emergency is always better than turning a blind eye and walking by.

I personally think first aid courses should be available to all new parents! I'm sure it would have saved me a lot of worry and hospital visits over the years if I had had the knowledge I have now to deal with certain situations my children have found themselves in.

If you have a pic of something positive that has happened in your week then feel free to join in and share the positivity. To see the rules and grab the badge Click here


Friday 21 March 2014

Word of the week - Efficacious


I quite like finding words that I have never heard of to sum up my week and this week I have found the word efficacious. Last week I said how motivated I felt and as this week has been so eventful I feel that my motivation was efficacious in achieving and getting things done!

This week I spent two days on a first aid course and I learnt so much that I am considering becoming a doctor... OK maybe not a doctor but I am much more confident about dealing with emergency situations than I was before and as I have wanted to do a first aid course for ages I'm glad I finally did it!

At school we have been really busy, yesterday we took a trip to the London transport museum which was great fun but taking 60 children on public transport first thing in the morning is pretty stressful, both for us and the other passengers!
Today the whole school took part in Sport Relief and they could choose to either bike ride, scoot or walk around Streatham common. Luckily for me I was in nursery and as they only have little legs we didn't have to venture all the way to the park so we just went a few times around the playground instead.

At home I have had the workman putting new windows in the house and having a grand total of 22 windows it was a pretty big job! It was obviously a lot harder for the workman than it was for me but I did have to move the whole house round to make sure there was nothing within a metre of the windows. I have also been doing a bit of work in the garden hoping that the weather will stay pleasant enough to spend some time out there.

And to finish up the week over here on T&G I will be launching my first linky by the name of Positive Pic of the Week where you can post a picture of something positive that has happened during the last 7 days. Hope to see a few of you joining in and sharing a bit of positivity.

For your information the word efficacious means 'capable of having the desired result or effect' and comes from the 1520s Latin word efficaci meaning effective.

This post is linked up with #wotw over at The reading Residence.


The Reading Residence

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Getting Arty with Center Parcs


I have seen Center Parcs challenges before and they always look fun but we have never entered any, so when I saw that the March challenge was to create a piece of flower art I just knew my 11 year old would love to take part!

Kyra is the creative one in our family, her room is covered with art supplies and bits of old tat that she insists she needs because she is going to make something out of it! For Christmas she got loads of oil and acrylic paints and although she had dabbled around with them to check what the colours look like she hadn't actually created any artwork, until now...


Choosing the right colours
Having a bit of a mix

Although its spring and the trees are starting to bloom, our garden is still a bit on the bare side! Luckily my daughter spotted this lovely bunch in our local Tesco for a mere 75p. I actually thought they would last a couple of days at the most, but at the time of painting them they were actually about ten days old, although not entirely fresh they were still nice and bright enough to make a good piece of artwork out of!

Concentration

Getting stuck in

Having read the tips from Creative Crafter Emma Hull, Kyra decided she liked the idea of printing using your fingers or potatoes. Thinking it would be a bit messy having oil paints over her fingers and potato printing would be a bit too big for her delicate flowers, she decided instead to use cotton buds and rolled up pieces of tissue to get the right effect.

I recently bought a frame to put a piece of cross stitch that I'm working on in, but it seems to be taking me so long to complete! I decided to put Kyra's lovely piece of art into it instead and it was a perfect fit!

Here is finished product...

This is my entry to the Center Parcs and Tots 100 March challenge. If I’m chosen, I would like to visit Elveden Forest.


Monday 17 March 2014

Mealplan Monday

Short and sweet worked really well for us last week and we managed to make all the dishes, as well as getting a bit of baking done. If you liked the look of those delicious Lemon drizzle muffins then give them a try!

Here's what we are having this week...

Monday - Beef stir fry

Tuesday - Thai green curry

Wednesday - Macaroni cheese

Thursday - Home made pizzas

Friday - Prawn risotto

Saturday - Jacket potatoes

Sunday - Chicken and rice

This weeks mealplan is linked up with #mealplanningmonday over at Mrs M's

Meal Planning Monday



Sunday 16 March 2014

Lemon Drizzle Muffins


I  don't think there is a cake I don't like but one of my all time favourites is the lemon drizzle cake. I think its the sourness of the lemons mixed with the sweetness of the cake that makes it so moreish!

I had just made lemon drizzle cake a little while ago and I wanted to make some muffins so I thought why not combine the two? Not being much of a baker myself, I didn't feel confident to just make up my own recipe so I turned to good old google to find one for me.

The recipe I found which looked pretty simple to make was on the BBC food recipe website. The preparation time was less than 30 minutes and the cooking time was 35 minutes. The recipe said it would make 8 - 10 muffins but as I used cupcake cases I actually made 12.

Here is my batch before I added the lemon drizzle...


Here are the ingredients if you would like to make your own:

2 eggs beaten
85g caster sugar
240ml milk
100ml vegetable oil
300g plain flour
3tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 4 lemons

For the topping

50g icing sugar
juice of 1 lemon

My lemon had rather a lot of juice so the drizzle was very watery but I liked it like that, if you prefer it more like icing then just add less juice.


The muffins are very easy to make; just combine the egg, sugar, milk and oil in a large mixing bowl.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the grated lemon zest
Spoon the mixture into pre prepared muffin cases.
Bake in a pre heated oven at gas mark 6/200C until risen and golden.
Make the lemon drizzle topping and pour over the muffins once they have cooled.
Sit back with a nice cup of tea and enjoy your home cooked deliciousness! 

And remember when life gives you lemons, bake lemon drizzle muffins...




Saturday 15 March 2014

Positive pic of the week

As of next Saturday (22 march) I'm going to be hosting a new Linky on my blog by the name of Positive pic of the week.

I love photography and ever the optimist I like to think of all the positives things that are happening in life rather than focus on the negative, so that has led me to the idea of posting a picture that represents something positive that has happened in my week.

I was going to do this myself but thought it would be nice to spread a bit of positivity and open up the idea for all you lovely 'glass half full' bloggers to join in.

So if you are wondering what kind of photos can be posted, here are a few ideas:

Something that has put a smile on your face
A special person
A place you have visited
Something you have made...

And I'm sure there are loads of other things you can think of!

The only rules are that you do not use anyone else's photos or upload random pics from the Internet. The photo needs to have been taken in the week running up to when it is posted and you do not post any quotes (I love a quote as much as the next person but I think there are already enough of them around)

You can write as little or as much as you like to explain your picture or you can leave it all to the imagination, its totally up to you!

To join in grab the badge below and link up to the weekly post on my blog. The linky will be open from Saturday morning until Sunday evening so you have the whole weekend to share your positivity...

To share on Twitter please use #pospicofweek


Tantrums and Glitter

Friday 14 March 2014

Word of the week - Motivated



This week has been pretty quiet (well compared to last week anyway) so its given me some time to think about things and make plans!

 As I mentioned in my Joys of Spring post the lighter evenings and warmer days make me feel motivated to do stuff. I want to do things around the house, learn new things and have a few plans for my blog too (watch this space)
Having ideas and dreams are good but unless you have the motivation and drive to carry them out then they just end up staying as dreams! Hopefully this feeling sticks around and I keep myself busy with all the plans I've made!

For your information the word Motivate dates back to 1885 and means to stimulate towards action. 

This post is linked up to #wotw over at The Reading Residence

The Reading Residence

Monday 10 March 2014

Mealplan Monday 10/03/14

Meal Planning Monday

I think I'm going to make my mealplan short and sweet this week, I would like to do a bit of baking... mmmm cake, and its easier if I have some simple meals.

Monday - Lasagne with salad and onion rings

Tuesday - Hot dogs

Wednesday - Pie and mash

Thursday - Spaghetti bolognese

Friday - Fajitas and nachos

Saturday - Fish and chips

Sunday - Roast chicken and trimmings

This mealplan is linked to Mrs Ms #mealplanningmonday Check it out on the link above and why not write a meal plan of your own?


Saturday 8 March 2014

Blog Birthday Bodyshop Bonanza

There's nothing like a bit of alliteration to get us all excited...okay that would just be me then! But hopefully what will get you excited is the chance to win this bunch of Body shop goodies...


Last week I celebrated my first year as a blogger... I would love to tell you how exciting and life changing its been but frankly, most of the time it just felt like I've been talking to myself on the computer! Dont get me wrong I have really enjoyed it, which is why I have carried on! And I have loved having chats with other #lbloggers #bbloggers #mbloggers and the rest of the alphabet bloggers on twitter and reading and joining in with some Linkys on other blogs.

I wanted to put this giveaway up earlier in the week but if you read my last post you would know that it was pretty full on already!

So here is what I am giving away..






  • Indian night Jasmine shower gel
  • Vitamin E gentle facial wash
  • Cocoa butter body scrub
  • Vitamin C energising face spritz
  • Pink refining bath Lily
  • Mango soap
So for your chance to win just enter via the rafflecopter below and be sure to check terms and conditions. This giveaway is open to UK residents only.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Word of the week - Assiduous

Ive used the word assiduous to describe my week because its been a bit non stop and constant!

Monday and Tuesday were pretty much the same as they always are; a bit manic, making sure we have everything we need for the week ahead.

Wednesday is my day off and I usually spend it pottering around the house, making phone calls, catching up with housework and blogging, the man usually does the school run but this week he was busy. So having been told by my teen that her shoes were flapping and her shirts were stained I went shopping. While out I thought there must be somewhere that does some sort of accessories for world book day. I prefer the look to be thrown together rather than to buy the outfit (plus its a lot cheaper) but could I find anything... no! I did however manage to buy myself a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in Peacocks, on a half price offer for only £11...bargain!

On Thursday morning we turned the boy into Burglar Bill with a torch, a sack and some bits we found in his wardrobe and set off for school. Thursdays are usually busy at school as the children go swimming and this week, on the return from swimming the teachers had to go off to start parents evening, so another Teaching Assistant and I were left with sixty 8 year olds to entertain! It wasn't all bad because we got to watch 'Tangled' and I'd never seen it before.
After dropping all the children off to their waiting parents I had to make my way to the nursery to join the team for our parents evening. I job share with another Early Years Educator who has Fridays off to look after her elderly parents and there are 2 teachers who jobshare as they have their own babies to look after. For the parents who come into the nursery I can imagine its a bit daunting to face a panel of 4 of us (they must feel like they're at a job interview) but we are all very nice! The evening went really well with lots of happy parents and thriving children and by 7:30 it was finally time to go home!
It was lovely to get home to my social media and see that I had won a giveaway...yay!

Friday is my day in nursery and feeling like I had only just left I was back there at 8:30. It was a lovely sunny day and so we spent our playtime outside digging in the soil looking for worms and buried pirate treasure, needless to say we didn't find either but we got covered in dirt in the process and that's always a good thing (its good for the skin)
At the end of the day when all the children had gone, the profiles updated and the nursery set up with all new activities for next week it was finally time to breathe a sigh of relief and make my way home.
My 11 year old had asked if she could go to her friends after school and just as I got in and put my tired feet up I got a phone call to ask if she could sleepover, well sure, one less child for me to look after right? Then 10 minutes later another phone call to tell me she didn't have any clean clothes or pyjamas and could I bring them! So taking my tired feet I walked another hour to drop her things off and come back and missed my soaps on the way!!

After a very tiresome, assiduous week I would like to give a big kiss to whoever it was that invented weekends and I'm going to have a nice rest!

For your information the word Assiduous comes from 1530's Latin word assiduus meaning busy, incessant, continual and constant.

This weeks word of the week #wotw is linked up with The reading residence on the link below

The Reading Residence

Monday 3 March 2014

Mealplan Monday 03/03/14

Last week was pretty strange, we seemed to have all the meals but the days got jumbled up a bit. I think it was because I left the man to cook and hes never too good at following instructions!

I'm finding meal planning really useful and since I've started I cant remember coming home from work and having that dreaded feeling of what I'm going to make or whether I have the right ingredients because I know its already planned out (even if we do eat the meals on the wrong days)

I have struggled a bit today about what to put on the plan as I don't want to have the same meals every week, so I've been over to some other blogs to get a bit of inspiration... thanks if I've borrowed your idea!

Monday - Spaghetti bolognese

Tuesday - vegetarian sausage and chips

Wednesday - BBQ spare ribs and salad

Thursday - Tacos

Friday - Pizza with homemade potato salad

Saturday - Lamb biryani

Sunday - Chicken stew and dumplings

This mealplan is linked up with #mealplanningmonday over at At home with Mrs M.




Meal Planning Monday

Saturday 1 March 2014

Word of the week - Relieved


This week I have been recovering from my fragile state so I'm feeling relieved of all the pain. I was however still feeling quite anxious about an observation that was due on Friday. It wasn't really anything to be worried about, just a member of senior management observing how I was interacting with the children in nursery as a preparation for my appraisal. I don't know why I was feeling nervous about it, maybe because I hate that idea of someone watching and judging me. 

After all the worry it turned out that my senior manager had an unexpected meeting with a parent and so was unable to do my observation which was a great relief for me but in a way I wish I had just got it over and done with because I know she will catch up with me at some point! Anyway for now I am just going to enjoy the weekend and forget all about it!

For your information the word relieve comes from the 11th century french word Relevare meaning 'to raise, alleviate, lift up, free from burden.'

For the word of the week #wotw I have linked up with The reading residence on the link below



The Reading Residence
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