Monday mutterings

Another week is upon us. Those weekends just fly past don't they? 

Today was my weekly food pantry visit. I hadn't needed to go over Christmas as free food was pretty abundant everywhere you looked. It's definitely slowed up now back its usual gentle flow. 

I used up some of the lemon curd I made on Friday by making lemon curd cupcakes. Each one has a little pocket of curd in the centre when you bite into them. There is also a dash of lemon curd in the buttercream icing too. 

As an experiment they've worked really well and are fast disappearing.

This week pantry food was a good mix.

Cornflakes

Apples

Onions 

Grapes

Rice

Lotus biscuits

Maggi bbq bags 

Vegan mince x2

Pate

Corned beef slices

Bananas

Mince 

Raisins

 Bacon grill 

Pork luncheon meat 

Definitely a fair bit to turn into some tasty meals and treats this week. Tonight's dinner is a homemade spaghetti bognaise hopefully followed by any cupcakes the children haven't already snaffled.

You have to be quick around cakes in this house 🤣

X x x

 

Wednesday wanderings

 

DD2 woke up early this morning and was unable to get back to sleep. I suggested she try reading in bed for a while to stay warm and to keep her quiet whilst the rest of the household slept. 

She asked if she could borrow one of my books and I agreed. In hindsight I should've stayed awake long enough to see what she was actually reading because when I woke up at my usual time about an hour later she was a few chapters deep into It by Stephen King 🙈 

I had assumed she would go for the stash of David Walliams books 🤣 

 

In the afternoon I visited a few favourite charity shops on my usual midweek trip into town. After last week's beautiful patchwork blanket I didn't think I'd find anything else quite so soon.

Apparently charity bargains may be like buses as I found 2 beautiful Hand-knitted cardigans for Baby C. 

I like the little Teddy bear buttons on this one in particular. Both cardigans cost just 50p each and will keep Baby C super snuggly for the winter. 

The photos just don't do them justice as they've been made by someone very talented. Sadly though I don't think they've ever been worn, something I will soon be rectifying!

Tomorrow Hubby and I are heading out for a little day time date. Its our first outing together since before Christmas so I'm quite excited to see what's been planned ☺

X x X

Cringe

 

I had a rather epic cringe moment this morning 🤣

I was heading up the road with 4 of the 5 children in tow for the usual morning school run when we spotted our postman working his way along the road. 

Postman; Good Morning

Me; Good Morning

Postman; Are you 32?

Me; No, I'm a bit older than that *laughs

Postman; *waves parcel* Number 32?

Me; oh...um...he...yes

If the ground could have opened up right then and there I would of been so happy 🙈🙈🙈

X x X

Cold but very pretty

 

It was a very frosty school run this morning. It was also beautiful.

We amused ourselves by taking some arty photographs whilst waiting for the school gates to open.

Nature really is breath taking when you remember to stop and look.

X x X

Almost back to usual

DD2 and DS went back to school this morning. The weather has gotten really cold again so I send DS to school with his thermals on under his uniform. Due to the Covid rules all the classrooms have to have their windows open during the school day. 

After the morning school run I popped to the local shop for milk, then spent an hour sorting the house while DD1 entertained the smallest two. 

Midmorning we had to pop to DD1's school for her preterm Covid test. She refused it as expected but as she has no symptoms she's still fine to attend tomorrow as usual.

Then we popped DD3 to preschool for her usual afternoon session.

Then DD1, DD5 and I met up with my parents for a cup of tea and a little look around the charity shops. I found the most beautiful patchwork quilt for just £1. I couldn't leave it for that price and told my mum that I was rescuing it 🤣

Someone has put many hours of love and effort into that quilt only for it to end up in a charity shop on a rail of linens. 

DS had claimed it as his sofa blanket and it's already following him around the house 🥰

The afternoon was spent doing the usual routine of school run, dinners and Bath times. 

I think I'll sleep very well tonight 😴

X x X

Monday musings

My poor legs are aching today after yesterday's adventures. It was definitely worth it though. I didn't enjoy hobbling around the house at 4.30am though when both of the smallest humans woke up. Baby C needed a nappy change and DD3 had tummy ache. Neither were happy to settle again so we all ended up under the warmest blankets under the sofa until everyone else woke up around a much more civilised 8am.

DH took charge of the children and I returned to bed for an hour to top me up for the day. 

At midday we headed over to my parents to a nice buffet lunch and to wish them both a Happy new year. We had a lovely catch up.

Once home I finished off the little cross stitch kit I've been working on for a few days. I'm quite pleased with how it came out but the brown outline on the bird doesn't feel quite right somehow. I feel like it should be black like the flowerpot. What do you think, readers?

 This evening I have been trying out one of my Christmas gifts. I'm about halfway through the first picture but I'm not really enjoying it. I'm determined to finish what I've started before I make a decision. It very much feels like I'm doing it because I have to rather than want to. It feels odd because I was really excited to get started. Funny how reality and expectations can differ so much isn't it? 

X x X

Kensington Palace trip

 

Just before Christmas my MIL very kindly asked if DD1 and I would like to join on a trip to London. MIL wanted to see the exhibition currently displaying Lady Diana's wedding dress at Kensington Palace.

We drove to Richmond and park there for the day before taking the train into London. 

Kensington Palace was small but packed to the rafters with interesting things and bits of history. We got to stand on the stairs where Victoria saw Albert and fell in love with him, which felt very special. Seeing the room she was born in and her childhood toys was sweet. I love the idea of a young Victoria sewing little doll outfits and giving her dolls elaborate names and backstories.

 We of course enjoyed the dress exhibition. Not only seeing THE wedding dress but also others like the toile of The Queen Mother's coronation dress. 

 The Diana memorial was a little underwhelming as you can only approach it from the rear of the statue. I would have liked a chance to look closer at the details of it from the front but that was just the way it is.

 I tried the go through the gift shop with my blinkers on but there was a splendid sale on. We purchased 3 writing pens and 2 postcards for £3.95. The pens were originally priced at £3.99 each so I feel we did well. I now have a lovely pen and souvenir for my current journal.  It was our only spend of the days outside of tickets as we bought a picnic lunch with us which we ate in the gardens.

 I'm really hoping that we can do a lot more trips to interesting places this year. After 2 years of not particularly going very far it would be such a treat to go exploring again.

X x X

Happy new year 2023

 

We started 2022 with a little walk in nature together. All the recent damp yet mild weather has caused an explosion of fungi to appear. If you walk slowly and look carefully you can find all sorts of shapes, colours and textures sometimes in the most unlikely places.

Our walk led us to our first Olio collection of the year. The quiche will be coming on a special trip out with me and DD1 tomorrow. The apples are enourmous! I think a single one cut into slices would feed at least 3 of the children quite happily 🤣

 My resolutions this year are to live a more mindful simple life. To take more time noticing the little things around us and minimising the day to day things that cause stress.

Happy new year to all my wonderful readers.

X x X