Saturday 30 January 2016

Project 366....Week 4

Ahh! Week 4! That means it's nearly the end of January....It seems to have been such a long month. 

I hope you are all managing to stay safe....The wind up here has been terrible! We're planning to have a weekend of staying indoors in the warmth...

Here are my photos from the the last week....One for each day! 


 23/366 23rd January.
Becky was out with her boyfriend.....Ellie made the most of it and decided she just had to wear her sisters coat....hehehe. It was far too big for her but she loved it...

24/366 24th January.
We had a day of doing crafts and tried out the new paint pallet I got from Wilko's....It was only 99p.

25/366 25th January.
Ellie playing the fool on the school run....hehehe

26/366 26th January.
Rain, rain go away!

27/366 27th January.
Becky won a voucher from school for being so good at French....So proud!

28/366 28th January.
I won a Koalapak just before Christmas and it arrived....It's an arts and crafts subscription box and we'll be having a try of it today or tomorrow... 

29/366 29th January.
I came to writing this post and realised I hadn't taken a photo for today.....I got lazy and took a picture of my Friday night drinks....hehehe

Friday 29 January 2016

My girls make me proud - #WotW

This week my word of the week is:


Last week I mentioned that I had a meeting this week to make an individual health plan about Ellie and her deafness in one ear....I just want the best for my girl and want everyone who is teaching her to know that she sometimes struggles to hear if there is background noise or someone isn't speaking directly to her.....Her school seems to ignore it but I was getting to speak to someone higher up.....I was preparing myself for an argument but it never happened....The lady I saw was disgusted in the fact that Ellie's deafness was being brushed under the carpet and agreed with me that it seems just because she doesn't have a hearing aid her problems are ignored.....

From now on everyone teaching or in contact with Ellie will know about her deafness and if I find out someone who is teaching her doesn't know or doesn't respect her disability I have to get straight in touch with the woman I had the meeting with and she will sort things out....

I mentioned to Ellie I was having this meeting and she really doesn't understand what all the fuss is about....She just gets on with things and always has. She has lived with hearing loss all her life so knows no different.....It is normal for her! I know Ellie won't let a little thing like being deaf in one ear hold her back....She makes me so proud....She is so determined....

Becky text me when she was on her way home from school on Wednesday asking to go to Asda to spend her gift voucher....I knew nothing about this! A bit of questioning and it turns out she won an award in Modern Languages. French to you and I...lol She got top marks in a test she did and has tried so hard since Christmas in this subject....She had to stand up in assembly to receive her award and is so chuffed with herself....I am very proud of her too....When we had parents evening last year her teacher said she was amazing and if she kept going like she had been she would be getting top marks in her GCSE's....A fairly big statement to say about someone who was still in year 7 at the time....

I have been so proud of my girls this week....At the start of the week I was still feeling poorly from the cold Stu passed onto me....The girls were on their best behavior. Becky even offered to wash the dishes after tea. I was suspicious thinking she was after something but it turns out she just wanted to be nice....

Ellie has continued with her gymnastic after school club and is still loving it.....She can now do forward and backward rolls and is practicing her cartwheels and yesterday at school for the first time ever she got 10 out of 10 in her spellings! 

It hasn't all been perfect though.....Becky had a moment of being a drama queen and we ended up arguing....It was over something so small and stupid and she went off to school in a foul mood hating me.....When she got home from school she was much happier and realised that she was in the wrong and said sorry....I am proud that she did. I apologised for shouting at her but she said I had every reason to as she was being daft....I can't argue with that....hehehe

The Reading Residence

Thursday 28 January 2016

Sucked back in to World of Warcraft!

Over Christmas I started playing World of Warcraft again....What a fool I am. They offered me a 10 day free trial to lure me back and it worked...


If you have never heard of it. World of Warcraft is a massive multiplayer online game where players from around the world assume the roles of heroic fantasy characters and explore a virtual world full of mystery, magic, and endless adventure.....

In the game your character goes on thousands of quests, learn powerful abilities, amass and spend vast fortunes of gold and find hundreds of powerful weapons, enchanted rings, artifacts, suits of armor, and more....

In Warcraft, there are two large opposing factions. On one side is the noble Alliance and the other side is the mighty Horde.....

Obviously I went with the Alliance! When I started playing they looked prettier. The Horde is very scary....hehehe

I first started playing it way back in 2009....Stu started playing just before me so he is to blame for my addiction to the game....I played I think every day for a good few years then I started blogging and stopped playing in 2012.....I just couldn't find the time for both hobbies....I sold everything I had collected in the game and gave all my gold (the currency) to Stu and that was it! I was out!!

Over Christmas I took time off from blogging like most people do and spent my spare time using the 10 day trial....I wasn't going to renew my subscription and I certainly wasn't going to buy the expansion pack.....hahaha Yeah right!

On New years eve I paid for both and began taking the game seriously again....By seriously I mean earning gold, levelling my characters up and shouting at the horrible Horde players....I am enjoying the game again. There is new content since I last played and so much more to do but you expect that when you upgrade I suppose...I did expect the game to get harder and more challenging but I have found it easier....

I even made a new character....A hunter of course! They are by far my favourite class to play just because you get a pet to fight alongside you....It's nothing to do with the fact they seem the strongest class in the game....hehehe

Hunters battle their foes at a distance, commanding their pets to attack while they nock their arrows and fire their guns. Though their missile weapons are effective at short and long ranges, hunters are also highly mobile. They can evade or restrain their foes to control the arena of battle.

I have already levelled my new character Kimzip up to the max level but I still have a lot of achievements to achieve so I can't see me stopping playing anytime soon....


It may seem like a silly game but Stu and I rarely go out together due to a shortage in babysitters, he has no interest in blogging and I have no interest in his TV shows and other computer games that he plays so it is something we can do together and most Saturday evenings when the kids have gone to bed we play together....The rest of the time I have a sneaky hour here and there playing....

I will leave you with my favourite ever World of Warcraft video....World of Warcraft players singing the Billy Joel song We didn't start the fire....It always makes me smile....I have played World of Warcraft for years and I know to organise something like this must take so much work and effort....Good on them!

Wednesday 27 January 2016

Fussy Eaters... #wickedwednesdays

Once upon a time my girls would eat everything I gave them now they are turning into such fussy eaters! One day liking something the other day refusing to eat it....

As usual Becky text me on her way home from school asking what we were having for tea.....We were having Chinese pork! This is our discussion....


She went on to say she doesn't like any other pork apart from ham....hahaha I said so that's bacon sandwiches, sausages, pork kebabs which she loves and pork pies off the menu for her.....hehehe She soon changed her mind, ate it all up and enjoyed it...lol

This week Ellie has decided again that she doesn't like chips but will eat fries, wedges and potato waffles which I think are just about the same thing.....lol Mushrooms on pizza are horrible but mushrooms in everything else is fine....Grated cheese bad but cubes of cheese are fine....Jacket potatoes, yes....Mashed potato, no! 

Give me strength....I thought kids became less fussy as they got older....lol


Tuesday 26 January 2016

Baker Ross - Hearts & Mothers Day Crafts....

I am part of the Baker Ross Blogger Network which means my girls and I get sent products every now and again to try....This time we were sent a great selection of Mothers day crafts and Heart crafts to try.....

Heart Cross Stitch Bookmark Kits.
£2.75 for a pack of 4.


Each kit contains pre-punched card template, yarn and plastic sewing needle....The girls had a great time with these although I left them for a few minutes to make them themselves so they actually didn't get the cross stitching perfect but who cares....They had fun making them and Ellie is taking one to give her teacher as she collects bookmarks.

Heart Fuse Bead Kits.
£3.49 for a pack of 6.


Each pack contains 3 heart-shaped peg boards, 1500 coloured beads. There are 7 assorted bead colours - Red, Bright Pink, Light Pink, Lilac, Purple, Blue and White...Ironing paper and silver cord....You put the beads on the board and then cover it in an ironing sheet and iron it so they all stick together.


I don't know how I feel about these kits....They were so fiddly. The beads wouldn't stay put when we were trying to place them on the boards. Ellie and I were getting quite frustrated....Becky said it's because we have sausages for finger...lol We were impressed with the end results though. There is plenty of beads left and the boards are reusable so we will be having another go....

I do have a confession to make....I don't own an iron. lol I may have used hair straighteners to melt them which is not advisable but surprising worked well...lol

Wellington Boot Ceramic Flowerpots.
£2.99 for a pack of 2.


These boots are for painting and my girls had a lovely time decorating them....They are perfect for growing herbs, cress or small plants and flowers. As a mother this is the sort of thing I like to receive on Mothers Day....Something made by my girls.

Apple Wooden Bird Feeder.
£1.99 each.


I actually took charge of making this....hehehe The girls couldn't decide on how to paint it and share the job of painting it....


Everything is already assembled and it just needs painting.....Each bird feeder comes with stainless steel rod which you put an apple on...I can't wait to get it out in the garden.



It was another great box from Baker Ross.....We still have a couple of things left to make. The Heart Wooden Keyrings and the Teapot Photo Frame Magnet Kits which the girls have said they want to do by themselves as a surprise for me for Mothers Day. How sweet.

I was sent these products free of charge in exchange for this post.....These are all my own views and opinions.

Monday 25 January 2016

Our Weekly Meal Plan!! - #mealplanningmonday


Last weeks meal plan went OK....We had a bit of a change around and swapped a couple of days but we ate everything apart from chicken curry & rice. I didn't feel like cooking and we ended up having sandwiches and cakes. 

We got a Domino's during the week and I was majorly disappointed with their service....They forgot to deliver the garlic bread and a few of the dips. I phoned up to complain and they said they would send it straight out. It arrived an hour later cold! Grr!.....I then opened the pizza box and they had made a right mess of cutting it....There were big and small slices and then some which had been cut across the middle.....When you pay Domino's prices you don't expect such a shoddy service! The pizza still tasted good though....hehehe

Last week a few people were interested in the Tuna meatballs we had....I found the recipe on Netmums ages ago and have made them a few times....We all love them here and they are so easy to make.

In my head I planned this weeks meal plan when I did the shopping on Friday....That was before I came down with a cold on Saturday so I don't know how well this week will go. I am feeling a bit meh about eating and being in the kitchen...Stu isn't feeling much better but the kids seem to have missed out on this cold so far....

This week on the menu we have:

Monday - Chicken and mushroom pie and mash....
TuesdayPork & apple sausages with wedges....
Wednesday - Chicken chow mein....
Thursday - Sausage casserole & mash....
Friday - Fish & chips....
Saturday - Chinese Fakeaway....
Sunday - Roast beef & veg....

As always I've joined in with the wonderful Mrs M's #mealplanningmonday linky....

Saturday 23 January 2016

Project 366....Week 3

We have had a lovely week apart from the rain yesterday! Wet school runs are no fun! It was one of those days where I was in and out all day so never got fully warm and fully dry until after the school pick up....It wasn't all bad though. My fella and I went out for a meal while we were in town...It was lovely! I really should have taken some photos! We made the most of the all you can eat rule especially when it came to dessert...lol


16/366 16th January.
My coconut Mega Marshmallow ice creams...They were such a treat.

17/366 17th January.
The girls watching YouTube....Probably Minecraft videos or Miranda Sings....

18/366 18th January.
Patiently waiting to get her braces tightened....

19/366 19th January.
A lovely bright morning....

20/366 20th January.
She appreciated Penguins on Penguin Awareness Day....hehehe

21/366 21st January.
Ellie came in from school and was tired out....She had a nap on the sofa and woke up feeling so much better....

22/366 22nd January.
Supplies for my fella....He's full of cold.

TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky

Friday 22 January 2016

Finally back into a routine. #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is....


It has been so hard to get back into the swing of things after Christmas but I think this is the week where we're finally back into a routine....Nothing much at all has happened this week. We have plodded on with life quite happily just doing normal things with no dramas...

It has been so cold here but we haven't had any more snow...I have seen photos of everyone having fun in the snow and was quite gutted when we had none....I think I would be happier about the cold if we had enough snow to make a snowman...

On Monday we were at the dentist's again! This time to get Becky's braces tightened. She now has a thicker wire in and they are on to the next stage of the treatment. They are now closing up all the gaps in her teeth. I expected Becky to have her braces on for a couple of years but at the rate they are going they may be off later this year with her only having them a year!! At least this time her teeth haven't hurt her as much as last time they were tightened....

We got a letter this week from Ellie's school.....Ellie is deaf in one ear and for 3 years the new class teachers haven't known until we have went and told them....I think deafness is an important piece of information which should be passed on from teacher to teacher but Ellie's school doesn't think it is....I have complained about this and more recently filled in a form about medical conditions so I think this has flagged up somewhere and someone has decided that Ellie needs an individual health plan....From what I can gather it means they have to take her condition seriously and make sure everyone is informed....Finally! It is something so simple that I have wanted for years....I am not going to hold back when I have this meeting next week.....hehehe

See nothing has happened....It is nice to have a uneventful week every now and again.....

The Reading Residence

Thursday 21 January 2016

Aldi's Specialbuys Baby Range

On the 28th of January Aldi's Specialbuys are all baby related....If you are a parent to a little one or you are pregnant you should head to your local Aldi to pick up all of their baby essentials at great value prices....I was quite surprised at some of the prices and thought they were too good not to share with you!

This quality Alpha+ Wooden Highchair (£39.99) will keep hungry tummies comfortable and safe with its stable build, integrated safety bar and adjustable panels, meaning that the chair can grow with the child. 

I thought this was such a great price....I am no expert when it comes to baby products but I always thought these cost a lot more...

Also available for mealtimes are Aldi’s excellently priced Grip N Sip Cups (£1.79), Food Pots, Spoons and Bowls (£0.99) and Kids's Cutlery Set (£3.99).....The entire range comes in at a penny pinching £6.77. 

Aldi’s Moses Basket (£19.99) and Moses Basket Stand (£10.99) is the ideal first bed for tiny tots, with a Fitted Moses Basket Sheet (£3.99) available to complete the set. 

Busy mums and dads can keep calm and carry on with Aldi’s great value Mamia by Hush Comfort Digital Baby Monitor (£16.99) which comes with a soft night light and noise alert sensor, allowing you to hear every gurgle, giggle or cry.

Aldi’s Hauck Sport Buggy (£22.99) is a lightweight and agile stroller, which comes complete with a handy detachable front bar and a locking brake. Featuring pivoting and lockable front wheels and an extra-large basket, this buggy is perfect for a quick trip to the shops, or long strolls in the park.

Brighten up the little one’s wardrobe with Aldi’s colourful Infants Tights (£1.99) and complete their nap-time gear with the adorable quality Baby Sleepsuits (£3.99) available in three designs. Parents can wrap up their bundles of joy in Aldi’s super soft Cellular Blankets (£2.49), keeping them cosy at remarkably low prices.

With everything from a Teething Toy (£2.99) to soothe a little one’s gums to a Soft Princess Doll (£4.99) and Bath Toys (£2.89) Aldi has everything you need to keep little munchkins entertained for hours and capture their imagination of children with Aldi’s great value Story Books (£0.99 each), which come in eight exciting variations.
As well as all of this Aldi are also selling:

Safety gates for £14.99, V Shaped pillows for £5.99, Nappy disposal bins for £8.99, a 4 pack of feeding bottles for £4.99, hooded baby towels for £2.99 and a pack of 3 musilin cloths for £2.99.

Keep a look out for these in a store near you....

"Once it’s gone, it’s gone"

Wednesday 20 January 2016

My Childhood Memories....

I love a good tag and ages and ages ago I saw the My Childhood Memories one over on What Katy Said.....It has been sat in my drafts for months until now.....


1. What is your earliest memory?

The earliest memory I have is sitting on the settee when I was four years old eating dry cereal and being told not to move by my grandad....I'd fallen down the stairs and I've been told since that my mam and dad were out collecting money for the milk round they had....There was no mobile phones back then so they couldn't be contacted so I was waiting for my Aunt Jean to come and take me to hospital....I broke my arm....I don't remember going to the hospital or having a caste put onto my arm or staying the night in hospital but I do remember kicking up a fuss when I was woken up early and there was no hot chocolate and then finding out I was on a ward full of boys! lol

2. Did you have a favourite toy?

I had a little pink teddy that was handmade....I loved it and had it until I was about 13 years old....It got boxed up and put in storage when we moved house and lost :(

3. Who was your first best friend?

She was called Claire....We would go to each others houses for tea....Had a big thing for collecting these Neighbours (the TV show) trading cards and were as thick as thieves at school.....

4. Who was your first crush?

I loved a boy called Kieron when I was about 5 years old....He was lovely....hehehe

5. Did you have a favourite teacher?

There was a teacher called Mrs Baines who wasn't actually my teacher she was my brothers....She was so kind and never shouted....I always wanted her as my teacher....

6. What clothes sum up your childhood?

 
Bad dresses....See the one at the start of the post! Jelly shoes, frilly socks, scrunchies, shell suits, Hypercolor t-shirts and Sweater Shop jumpers....

7. What was your worst injury as a child?

I cut my hand....I was washing the dishes and a glass smashed....My mother thought it was a wind up as it was April fools day....She wasn't laughing so much when I ruined her tea towels with all the blood....hehehe

8. What was your favourite song?

It was Let's Get Ready to Rhumble by PJ & Duncan (Ant & Dec)....lol

9. What was your favourite book?


It was Each Peach Pear Plum.

10. What did you get from the sweet shop?

10 pence mix ups of course....A time long ago when you actually used to get 10 sweets for 10p......Blackjacks and Fruit Salads were my fave....

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Tasty treats with Mega Marshmallows!

We love marshmallows here and when we were asked if we would like to review some Mega Marshmallows I immediately said yes!! 


Mega Marshmallows are the perfect go to product for baking, decorating and devouring! Extra tasty, extra fluffy and extra large standing at 5 centimetres high....

Vishal Madhu the director of Innovative Bites, the creators of Mega Marshmallows said "The best way to eat Mega Marshmallows is toasted over a campfire, but there are a million ways that they can be used....

We came up with a few ways to use them....

Dipping them in chocolate and decorating them!


 These were such a treat for Saturday night while we were sat watching TV....Of course we had to use Dairy Milk chocolate. hehehe As well as the normal pretty sprinkles I found some popping candy sprinkles in Tesco which is new to me and my girls loved them....

Coconut Ice Creams!


I coated the Mega Marshmallows in melted white chocolate and covered them in dessicated coconut, put them in an ice-cream cone and then wrapped a strawberry lace around them....I created such a mess making these but I didn't know white chocolate and coconut tasted so good....

S'mores


Finally we gave making S'mores a go....Sandwiching a Mega Marshmallow between two chocolate digestives and popping them in the oven until the marshmallow went all gooey....Oh wow! I think these will become a regular thing! They tasted so good!

They will be something I buy again....They taste delicious! The size of them really surprised me....I have never seem marshmallows so big....They make the perfect treat for after school in hot chocolate too....

Mega Marshmallows are perfect for baking, roasting, making s'mores or just snacking....Mega Marshmallows are the ideal guilt-free snack containing 0% Fat and just 84Kcal per serving.....

These are now available in stores throughout the UK including: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Bargain Buys, B&M, Family Bargains, Poundworld & Farm Foods priced from £3.00 per pack (700g)

You can find out more about them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram....
Family Fever
We were sent a bag of Mega Marshmallows in exchange for this post....All thoughts and opinions are our own!

Monday 18 January 2016

Our Weekly Meal Plan!! - #mealplanningmonday


Last weeks meal plan went OK....We didn't eat the Carrot and orange soup....I just never got around to making it....By the time it got to about 4pm I thought it was too late so Stu decided to cook us a fry up....Sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans and curly fries....It was so good! The biggest hit of the week was the Leftover bolognese mix in Old El Paso Stand And Stuff Tortillas covered in cheese....They were so quick to make and tasted amazing....We will be having them again!

This week on the menu we have:

Monday - Cottage pie....
Tuesday - Chinese pork using the Flava-It Chinese Marinade Seasoning which is so good and egg noodles....
Wednesday - Tuna meatballs and pasta....
Thursday - Corned beef pie, chips and beans....
Friday - Pizza....
Saturday - Chicken curry & rice....
Sunday - Mince and dumplings....

As always I've joined in with the wonderful Mrs M's #mealplanningmonday linky....

Sunday 17 January 2016

An after school treat. #MySundayPhoto

Hot chocolate and Mega Marshmallows....The perfect after school treat especially for this time of year....Brr it has been so cold!


OneDad3Girls

Saturday 16 January 2016

Project 366....Week 2

What a week....I am so glad it's nearly over! We've had boiler problems, trouble at school with Becky my eldest....She earned her first detention and snow....lol


9/366 9th January.
Cookies! I couldn't decide which one to get so got them all....The Jaffa one's are amazing!

10/366 10th January.
I tried some new drinks and loved them....Grace Aloe Refresh....I have already added some to my shopping order...

11/366 11th January.
The boiler broke and on Monday it was fixed....The mess! Arrgh! The repairman did clean it up thankfully!

12/366 12th January.
We finally got around to trying the Old El Paso Stand N Stuff  Tortillas filled with bolognese mix and covered in cheese.....They were a huge hit! We will be having them again!

13/366 13th January.
Minecraft!

14/366 14th January.
 We had snow....It didn't last long.

15/366 15th January.
Homework time.


TheBoyandMe's 366 Linky