Happy New Year

Well that's it then. That's another year done in a few hours.

I hope you all are enjoying yourselves.

Here we are having a quiet night in, the fizz is chilling, the chilli chicken is marinading, the naan bread is rising (hopefully) and the girls (who are currently arguing will hopefully sleep!!)

Its so different from the New Year's Eve's of my youth - when I used to go out dressed up to the nines (in fancy dress!) and hit a local seaside town. Alcohol and men were consumed, and we laughed silly. Luckily I don't think that photos of me in those times still exist (now I say that and Wi and Wa will get them out!)

I was going to do a list of the popular posts of the year, but hey I'm being called to get playdoh out of the dog*

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

BNM

Note no dogs were actually hurt, it was a playdoh puppy!

 

She eats!

Yeah, Car is eating normallyish again. And in a posh restaurant - well posh bar anyway.

Today we went to see my Dad to give him his Christmas pressie ( I've realised that I haven't mentioned Dad that much on this blog)

Anyway, I digress - today we went to see him and after handing over his present, he then asked whether we were hungry. I nodded and he took us out for lunch.

We went to a bar/restaurant/hotel round the corner from my dad's in my hometown. The Harbourmaster is a very swish hotel and has a reputation for lovely food. I was a bit worried about taking Car for lunch at the bar but she actually behaved. Both the girls had the children's fish and chips and I was very impressed when they bought out mini cutlery for them (I normally tend to carry cutlery for Car as she can't quite manage the big ones). My dad and Neb had a snack of Welsh Rarebit and bacon which I helped Neb with as he couldn't quite finish it. I had the Welsh Beef burger with Snowdonia Cheese which was delicious.The girls both ate their lunch with gusto and Car was mostly well behaved! (even though I did eat most of her fish!)

We then had desserts of ice cream (the girls - one scoop served in teacups!), Lemon Tart and Clementine Sorbet (me, yummy!) while Neb and dad shared a cheese platter. We all loved the food and the fact that many families were eating there. The owners have made it easy to dine there with kids, and the food they served was not of any less quality than that we ate.

If you find yourself in our corner of Wales and fancy a treat then pop over to the Harbourmaster and you may see us there!

BNM

I have not been compensated in anyway for this I thought I'd share with you a great place to go!

Inlaws Part 2

So yes, Car was fun at the in laws and I felt low again, not to realise that I would feel lower!

Prior to the restaurant disaster on Wednesday we popped to Stratford  and I actually did some clothes shopping (Yes, shock horror). I bought some funky tights, a skirt, a top and some trousers all from M&S. Now for some reason, the changing rooms were closed and I didn't get to try anything on but as I was sure that a size 20 bottom, 18 top would be fine I just bought them anyway! Neb loved the fact that I was treating myself and I actually felt good.

That is until I got home and the trousers didn't fit. They were a lovely cashmere tailored pair and they didn't do up. My lardy belly got in the way.

So today, before heading home I went to change them or get my money back. So I picked up a grey shift dress -which I nearly got stuck in, a top which was mislabelled on a 18 hanger (it was a size 8!) and gave up. I got my money back and out I went. We then tried Next ( nothing), Monsoon (nothing in  my size), Laura Ashley (depressing as I saw two lovely skirts and then realised that apparently your not allowed to be bigger than an 18) which was better than River Island (which seemed to have nothing past 16!). I looked in Evans which had nothing! and then Neb managed to drag me into BHS and still nothing!


I'm upset. I hate it. And this is why I don't shop.

Will have to either save up for lipo (joke), or stop eating until next Christmas!!

Not happy!


BNM

Inlaws Part 1

Hello all

Well we've survived the in- laws  and are now home safely!

We've been fed and have shopped and have had mostly fun , apart from two things. One you'll get here and one in the next post!

So the first thing was the fact that Car isn't really eating (again) raised its ugly head. Neb had decided that for our second night there (Wednesday) we should all go out to save his mum cooking ( she won't let anyone else into the kitchen!) which was fine up until Car's main arrived. We were at Pizza Express and I apologise if you were at the branch in Sutton Coldfield and saw this manic mum in tears gripping her child and getting pissed off when Grandparents then told us loudly what we were doing wrong. And how wonderful Bel was.

But I remember Bel having the same issues - and apparently we are treating Car different. And Yes maybe I was but to be honest I get very defensive when Neb's parents tell us we are doing things badly - its something to do with the red hair!

Car ate her dough balls fine, then refused to eat her spaghetti bolognese which was in fact more of a bolognese with twisty pasta - she had a tantrum that it wasn't spaghetti! I managed to get her to eat one twirl, then after I forced a mouthful of sauce into her mouth decided she was feeling icky so I had to take her to the loo! She then refused to eat anything while Neb's mum was saying so no pudding then. Pudding did arrive (yes I am the bad mum but it was paid for as part of the meal deal) and she refused it. She also refused her drink and was a pain.

I just sat there, getting more and more wound up with her, wound up with Neb who wouldn't say anything against his mum and dad and started crying. Not my finest moment.

Just before we left today we had lunch and Car again didn't eat apart from some dessert and starter. I think that the entire Christmas celebrations have overwhelmed her and hope to start getting into some routine - which will start with hiding the Christmas chocolate stash!

So glad to be home so I can sort my little girl out (who is turning 4 in a week and 2 days!)

BNM

The aftermath

There are toy boxes strewn over the floor.

Stockings still filled with goodies sat at the bottom of the tree. (They have all been opened and looked at then restuffed when asked to tidy!)

After worrying that Santa had not bought enough gifts, the girls were mighty suprised on Xmas day- as we were an hour later to see the remains of our wrappng all over the floor and that floor not to be seen through piles of presents- I was in fact at one point stuck on the sofa!

Christmas lunch filled our tummies though Car did keep on asking for chocolate throughout the day and was upset this morning when I refused to let her have chocolate for breakfast!
Even more food has been eaten today and if you walked in to our house you'd be able to smell its aftermath on me (I seem to have received a present of farty bums for Xmas!) Bel has said that gas masks need to be given on entry!

Tomorrow we travel to inlaws for more food, wine and fun.

Hoping you all have had a great time

BNM

Merry Christmas one and all

This is probaly going to be the last post before the big day now (that is unless my cooking goes bad and I need to unload!).

I hope that you've all been good little boys and girls, that Santa brings you all your dreams and that mostly the kids behave!

BNM

Christmas food

right, before I start this is not one of those collection of Christmas recipes. If you want them go tune in to any TV channel before Xmas - they will surely help. Failing that you could always search Christmas+food in Google!

No, actually what this is is the food plan over the Christmas season. Christmas to everyone is a time for overeating and where gluttony rules!

At home, growing up Christmas wasn't Christmas without the following two things:

• prawn cocktail for starter Christmas Day - normally served in wine glasses!
• and then my brother asking how long it was until supper after everyone had rolled off the table and were sitting down watching Xmas TV!  (this is the boy who later in life managed to eat not one but 3 Christmas dinners in a day !!!)

Growing up for Neb, Christmas dinner was long - and as one who has had several Christmas dinners at the in laws now I will share what happens:

• aperitifs with nibbles
• volauvents
• Christmas dinner- turkey, sprouts, parsnips, bacon, cocktail sausages, cranberry sauce, roast potatoes, gravy, stuffing!
• Christmas pudding
• dessert - cakes, fruit etc
• chocolates, florentines , sugared almonds etc
• cheese
• coffee

I can tell you that when pregnant with Bel I managed some of the first 3 and then retired!
Unlike the year I was pregnant with Car (who was meant to be born on Christmas Eve) and I managed not only to cook Christmas dinner but eat loads of it - then ring up the midwives because she wasn't moving and being told that she was probably asleep after the big lunch!

Anyway, in our house Christmas has bought a mix of traditions!

Friday - fry up
Christmas Eve - Soup, crusty bread and nibbles
Christmas Day - Breakfast - Pain Au chocolat, Lunch: Tomato juice and nibbles to start including home made cheese biscuits!, Turkey, parsnips, roast potatoes,swedes and carrots, broccoli, cocktail sausages, bacon, stuffing, bacon wrapped tomatoes, bread sauce, gravy and  home made cranberry sauce(yum), pudding - if wanted ice cream for the kids with macadamia brittle, Neb has a Christmas pud that I've been given (I don't like it)
Boxing Day - Leftovers and ham (roasted previously!)

We are then off to the in laws where we will have a belated Boxing day on the 28th and enjoy some steak (another in law food tradition!)

I hope you all have fun over Christmas and enjoy all the food around you!

BNM

PS If there is something you fancy on our Christmas menu and ask nicely I can post the recipes!!
 

Let's fly away

To a warmer clime. To somewhere with no rain (yes, I know I was moaning about wanting snow the day before but now I've had enough).

Where would you go to escape the weather? I've been looking around (kinda like window shopping) and there are some great deals out there - you could get flights to Bodrum cheaply.

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It looks lovely, blue skies and ancient places- just the place you need to go to relax and warm up from the cold winter nights.
Just looking at that sky and sea make me happy. Especially after looking out of the window at the grey and wet skies here. Somewhere to escape the workload, the tediousness of every day and somewhere to give you a new lease of life.

I might even get packing. Who's with me?

BNM

Cough, Cough,splutter, splutter

Yes, it seems that I have a cold! I've been trying to fight an illness since Halloween by dosing myself with vitamin C and mutlivitamins.

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My nose is blocked, my voice has gone, my throat hurts and I am cold!

I am not really at work and I will be leaving early!  I am not even going for the mulled wine and mince pies evening tonight. I want my bed!

Bah Humbug


BNM

Its snowing indoors!

I'm resigned to the fact that as usual we won't get snow here in Mid Wales this winter. All around the country, other people will probably (I am not a weather man or a bookie!) get whiteness but due to that thermal blanket thingy bob (if anyone knows what its really called, let me know!) we will get slush.

Never mind though as its already snowed here in the BNM household:

We were recently sent a new edition of Sugar Puffs, the Snowy Puffs. Snowy Puffs are the same as the original Sugar Puffs but with the edition of meringue snowballs. The brand manager, Sheena Darji has designed the new pack to make sure everyone gets a taste of a winter wonderland this year.

Now, here in the BNM household we have mixed reactions to the snowballs, firstly I found that even though I shook the pack many of the snowballs still remained at the bottom of the pack. Then I passed the bowls to the kids, both are going through an odd stage of eating cereal dry at the moment (ie with no milk!), Bel loves the new Snowy Puffs both with and without milk while Car loves everything apart from the meringues and when breakfast now ends, I can guarantee a pile of snowballs on the table!

Snowy Puffs, a limited edition, contain no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives as well as being a source of fibre for the whole family. They can be bought at all major stores for a rrp of £1.50.

BNM

We were sent a pack in return for a review. All opinions given in the review are those of the BNM household.

Christmas Pops!

Last night after watching some film on tv, we turned over and watched a Christmas Top of the Pops. Now, Top of the Pops always makes me feel christmassy. So, I thought I'd share with you an alternative Christmas Pops - a BNM Welsh edition

Tom Jones - Green Green Grass of Home - Christmas 1966




Flying Pickets - Only you - Christmas 1983 - featuring Welsh Lead singer Brian Hibbard (check out the fantastic sideburns, and the odd bald man to his right.)





Shakin Stevens - Merry Christmas Evveryone - Christmas 1985- with the amazing hips of Shaky (who I may have had a crush on...)




Great, aren't they! Hoping you all are feeling the Christmas spirit now - not the gin!

BNM

Dear So & So - The let it snow edition

Dear TV Weather people

When you say its going to snow here, do remember that there are two avid girls eagerly awaiting the snow. I know we live close to the sea and there's a thermal blanket or something from the said sea stopping the snow but please think of the children!

Yours with fingers crossed

BNM

(Dear readers, if you have snow, please send it here as Car wants to make a snowman!)

Dear Hail

Thank you for waking me up at 5am this morning with your sound and your non snowiness. I had trouble getting back to sleep, and am now knackered (which makes working on own in office so non -motivational). Please turn to snow tonight as I need to sleep

Yawning

BNM

Dear  Snow

If you are going to land here then please do so at Christmas Eve, after I've done my food shop. I will be very happy for snow on Christmas Day, some on Boxing Day and then a melt so that we can go to the in laws and eat more food! It can snow while we are there because I'll then be stuck and won't have to cook!

Pleadingly

BNM


Dear all

I'd like snow like this:

Image: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ha!

BNM

Random Conversations in our house this week

Tweetie pie is definitely a girl what's wrong with that cat - said by Bel

If Grandma, Grandpa and J the cat were monster we wouldn't get Easter Eggs - said by Car

When Christmas is finished is it my birthday then - Car

Can I open my Christmas presents yet? - Car ( I guess this is probably not just in my house!)

Daddy, are you wearing a vest.No Car I'm wearing my birthday suit! Bel, have you got a birthday jacket like daddie's - Car


So,yes my house has been mad this week and I am tired!

Here is something to make you all smile!

Have a nice weekend - am off to the school production tonight so will regale you with stories tomorrow

Choccy yum yum

Sometimes being a blogger is great especially when you get lovely emails asking if you want some chocolate.

Now even though my sweet tooth seems to have got less with age (I know not good!) its not something I would turn down.

And this box of chocolate to me is Christmas!

Yes, its everyone's favourite - Quality Street. The chocolates that we have all fought over who's having which one for years. And knowing that when you get to the tin at the end of Christmas all you would get are the blue coconut ones.

This year, Quality Street is 75 years old and to celebrate their birthday, all special edition tins have a code in them which you enter into www.qualitystreet.co.uk and win a prize every day (we didn't !)

As well, as bringing out these special edition boxes, they've also bought out My Purple Bar

 And when I say My you know its mine, except I did have to share it with Neb (BOO!) These are a limited edition so if the purple one in Quality Street is your favourite go and snap them up now.

So from us here at the BNM household a big

to Quality Street. We hope you carry on for 75 years more!


BNM

The BNM family would like to thank the lovely PR's for sending us chocolate to review. We all love the Quality Street but would like to ask the girls not to eat all the strawberry ones!

Clear out to help out?

Today, Car and I did some clearing.

We have for a while trying to get her to get rid of some of her old toys and after talking the other day we did some clearing of baby stuff ready for the in flux of Christmas presents.

Many of the box that we got cleared was a pile of baby board books, a wooden trolley and Baby Tad.

Baby Tad was a present that Bel had from her godfather and has lasted a long time. His night time music button doesn't work anymore but it may be due to overuse!

The small thing is, after telling Car that we were getting rid of baby toys she now thinks that we are going round to people's houses to drop things off. I was just hoping to drop them off at the nearest charity shop but now am confuddled!

BNM

Is there a chef in the house?

Do you love cooking?

Do you think you're a Christmas super chef?

If you answered yes then why don't you enter the Sudocrem Christmas Superchef competition:

So, how do you enter:

Step 1 - Prepare, bake, fry, steam, boil or stew your own Christmas themed recipe then take a picture of your creation

Step 2 - Visit and Like the Sudocrem Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Sudocrem) and click on the Superchef Competition page

Step 3 - Follow the competition page instructions: Enter your name, upload your picture and paste your recipe into the text box provided

Step 4 - Keep your fingers crossed that the celebrity judge, Aggie MacKenzie takes a shine to your creation!

Competition Start Date is 7th December 2011

Competition Finish Date is 4th January 2011

Competition winners announced on 5th January 2012

If you do win, remember me!

BNM  

The one where I get crafty

I'm not a very crafty person. The most we get in our house is painting and some playdoh playing. I will cook with my girls though as I do love making the house smell lovely!

But last weekend after a plea on twitter I decided to make some salt dough decorations.The recipe I used is this one and was dead simple to use. We cut out christmassy shapes:

Then I poked holes in them and left them dry in the oven for 4 hours. But we found that the left over salt dough was fun to play with - and we're still playing with it now 1 week later (it keeps in the fridge in a bag!)

Then the salt dough was dried (yes 4 hours have now passed!, think a la Blue Peter)

Now, the fun came, painting and glittering. We used normal poster paint (the link suggests acrylic) and it was fine.

Then we put them all into a box and I got arty farty with my camera:

Pretty aren't they and too be honest if I knew salt dough would keep them so quiet I'd have made it earlier!

BNM

Oh Christmas Tree

The kids have been driving me mad recently by singing their own random versions of O Christmas Tree - which are sometimes funny but mainly annoying as tree rhymes with a bodily function!

So, while you think of the rhymes that they could sing - I know you are doing it right now! I thought I'd share with you the stages of our Christmas Tree decoration. Unfortunately the tree isn't a real one as Neb says they're too expensive!

Step 1) Neb puts tinsel and lights on tree - no one is allowed to touch it until this is done.

Step 2) Let the kids loose on tree - this is something that Neb lets them do with gritted teeth as the tree is then not coordinated! For many year pre kids, he wouldn't let me decorate the tree. In the picture below you can also see that Car is holding a home made star decoration (of which I'll blog about tomorrow!)

Step 3) Sit back and enjoy the tree - note the angel on top has to have a red light up her bum!

And there we are - our Christmas tree finely decorated!

Hope you've all got yours up by now - and if not remember to come back tomorrow for some ideas on extra decorations for it!

BNM

Stocking Filling Fun

Yes, I am still here.
Life as always is blah blah hectic and I've got a cold (!) and its that time of the month (yuck, tmi I know!). I was though about to post tonight when OH announced this morning that he wasn't going to his Welsh class tonight as he wasn't in the mood! (So I'm obviously not blogging this at work AHEM!)

Now then Sunday, I wasn't in the Chirstmassy mood at all. And today, well I feel a bit better, our tree is up (pics will follow) and I have bought all the girls presents (even managed to find a Playmobil Pyramid which this year seem a bit scarce!)

So, yes the kids are done. And what I hear you say are they getting. Well let's start with their stocking shall we.
I've had lots of fun over the past few weeks buying stocking fillers. I have raided EBay - yes I am that mum who buys used toys and to be honest I've got some real bargains! I've raided our local pound shop because what most kids want in their stocking is some chocolate, some books, a colouring book and some crayons.

Now this year, I haven't bought ordinary crayons. No this year, I've bought the best crayons ever!

I've bought crayons that are in the letters of their name. Like this:

(image taken from Colour Me Fun Website)


And they are fantastic. They arrived a day after ordering and come in a nice little bag (so hopefully they won't get lost). I think the girls will love them.
Colour Me Fun have different categories of crayons (from animals to geek chic - just check out the Lego ones!)

If you are still looking for that quirky present for your child or friend ( I know I'd use the crayons!) then why don't you pop over to Colour Me Fun and have a look!

BNM

 I was not sponsored to write a review on Colour Me Fun, I just think they have a fantastic product and it will make @ColourMeFun blush a lot!

Top 5 christmas songs

I'm not feeling it just yet, the kids are and so I know is Neb but for me Christmas doesn't really kick in until I start wrapping presents, have finished work and am ready!

But I do love a Christmas song, there are some really bad ones and some really cheesy ones and then there's Maria ( I hate her Christmas songs with a passion so grimace when I hear them on the radio!).

Here though are my top 5 Christmas Songs, some humorous , some traditional:


1. Grandma got run over by a reindeer:





2. Last Christmas - Wham


3. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens

4. I saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes



5. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - Bing Crosby (the song that I will guarantee to be humming once I feel Christmassy !)

And there they are , my top 5 christmas songs, no Cliff in sight! If you want to see some more Christmas songs then pop over to the listography.

BNM

The night I was lost for words

Yes, I know I waffle and I can talk for Wales (or UK/USA delete as appropriate!) but last night I was gobsmacked!

Why, I hear you ask. Well last night after checking my work email (yes shouldn't really do after hours but was waiting on an email!) I sat in shock.

I had been invited for mince pies and mulled wine with the University's PVC. This is not this:

No, she is the head honcho at the university. She runs the whole kerbang. And I got nominated to go for drinks at her posh house!


So after my minor meltdown last night I know have to decide what to wear! Suggestions please!!


BNM