Positive pic of the week #12

This weeks positive pic is of pigs!

On Wednesday I took a trip with the school to Bocketts farm. It was a lovely sunny day where we took a ride on a tractor, got to stroke rabbits and giant Guinea pigs, jumped on a huge bouncy pillow and watched pigs having a race.

The day seemed to fly as there was so much to do and I got loads of pics of the kids enjoying themselves. If I had enough photos of the actual farm I would have done a whole post on Bocketts as I think it is a fab farm with great play facilities, particularly for young children. If you are looking for somewhere to visit in the school holidays I would highly recommend it!

I cannot load Linky tools for some reason so if you would like to join in then just #pospicofweek on twitter

New years update

This year seems to be going by in a flash and being half way through I decided to have a look back at my new year resolutions post to see if I have stuck to what I had planned...

Well I didn't really have a single resolution but I wanted to do more...of everything really! I can't say I have done much of the healthy things like drinking more water, I seem to only do that when I am ill but if I only took more vitamins and ate more fruit then I don't suppose I would get ill as often so maybe that's what I need to concentrate on!

I am definitely blogging a lot more than I was this time last year and having already read 19 books I would say I have stuck to my reading goal. I have lacked in the taking more photos department, mainly as my camera is just too bulky to carry around with me so I need to invest in a decent compact one that is a bit more discreet!

I have spent more time with certain friends but feel like I have neglected some others so as I will not be going away this summer I intend to spend it meeting with old friends, reading and having lots more fun with the kids!

Did you make any new years resolutions? 

Were they the kind that are forgotten about in the first week or have you been really good and stuck at it?

50 books 2014 - June

It's a bit late but here is a roundup of what I read in June. There is not much to write as I disappointingly only managed to read two books but I suppose two books is better than none and it all adds towards my 50 book target! 

Hopefully I can bridge the gap in July and August as I will have 6 weeks of free time (when I am not entertaining the kids) to catch up on reading, and to motivate myself I have purchased 15 new books which are all sitting on my bedside cabinet waiting for me to get stuck into!

No bra required is a romantic tale of love and betrayal written in a lighthearted and humorous way. The story is about Lucy Meadows who is heartbroken after discovering her husband has been having it away with a work colleague but after getting away from the turmoil and moving on will she be burned by yet another cheating partner?
This was a really enjoyable story and I loved how the plot seemed to jump around and leave the reader wondering what was going to happen next.

Angelita decides to escape her company and family problems by heading to the mountains of North Carolina for a short retreat staying in a log cabin, she has no idea the impact that she will have on the lives of the local residents or indeed how one particular residents charms will win her over. Will she choose to stay in the idyllic surroundings of a small town where she seems to have made a new best friend or go back and face her estranged father who seems set on taking over her business?

When I saw the cover of this book I assumed it would be set in an English countryside but was surprised as I started reading that it was about a shoe designer from Atlanta, America. It had a very simple storyline with not much surprise and the main characters relationship seemed to develop super quick. Was a pleasant read and I may try another book by the author in the future.

Beauty product of the month - June

You know when a smell takes you back to another place or time, well that's exactly what this White musk sun glow does for me.

One of my favourite perfumes is the original White musk from The Body Shop so when I saw this limited edition of white musk last summer I thought I would try it out and bring in on holiday with me to Spain.
At first I admit that I wasn't too keen on it, maybe because it doesn't actually smell much like White musk! I thought I would try and use it up while I was away and forget about it, but after covering myself with it everyday of my holiday it grew on me and now I love it.

On returning I used the perfume occasionally as there wasn't much left, it immediately transported me back to my Spanish apartment with the hot sun shining onto the large balcony that overlooked the swimming pool.

Unfortunately I have just finished the bottle and I feel like I have lost the scent of Spain!

What smell transports you back to another space in time?

Simple white loaf

 A while ago I wrote on my bucket list that I would like to bake bread. I have never been much of a baker but on the occasions that I do chose to make something it is usually cake as that is one of my favourite things to eat! But bread is part of almost everybody's diet, it's one of those things that is always in the house for when you need a quick bite to stave off the hunger.

Bread uses such few ingredients and is simple to make that I am surprised it has taken me so long to get round to making it. I didn't want to start off with anything too fancy that had seeds and stuff so I just opted for a simple white loaf.

Ingredients:

500g strong white flour
7g sachet of yeast
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
300ml luke warm water

Mix the ingredients together to form a dough and place on a floured surface and start to knead.
A machine can be used for this but I think kneading is the best thing about making bread and is a great workout for the arms.
After 5-10mins of kneading you should have a nice smooth dough. This can be placed back into the bowl, covered and left to rise for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and mould into the desired shape, place on a tray lined with parchment paper and leave to prove for a further hour. It can be covered with clingfilm of a tea towel while proving.

Heat the oven to 220C and bake the bread for 25-30mins. Once it is golden brown, remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Voila... we have bread!

I don't think I scored the top of the bread hard enough with the knife as the lines didn't separate however the bread was a nice texture, crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I thought it tasted a bit bland but the kids loved it and if you use plenty of butter or a sweet filling such as jam then this doesn't matter.

Do you bake your own bread?