Getting back into the swing of it

First week back started with a bang! Kids back to school on Monday and i had two meetings on Monday night, so no easing back in gently for me!  First meeting was the Cleveleys Forum, which is run by local Councillor and the aim is get various local groups together helping each other achieve what they want to. It was really interesting, with all the cuts that are having to be made by the local councils, the main message was that there is not much money for things like parks for example , so the locals are encouraged to group together to for friends groups and trust and apply for various funding that are available via the lottery etc, and all the small businesses in shops were encouraged to work together to resolve issues and encourage new trade and use other local businesses. It had really community spirt at the heart and made a lot of sense. There were some people who really didn't get it and thought perhaps the council were trying to encourage them to physically the grass on the parks themselves!!! But over all the message seemed to get across, that you can't sit whinging about something, you have to step up and get involved. I was there representing the gala and i made quite a few contacts that will be really useful and found other whom the committee and i could get involved with. So with my head still full from that meeting i dashed over to the Gala meeting, which was another productive meeting and we made lots of our plans firm, so yesterday and today i have been calling people getting everything booked and now have a mass of emails and website updating to do, but its all good fun to me and i am looking forward to it all ( not the paperwork side though!)

I have found a bit of time in the evenings to keep up with my resolution to finish stripy blanket! which has now been on the go for TWO years! and its about half way through, so i have decided to do just one row a night and think i have about 150 rows left, so it won't be done anytime soon but at least its not sat in a basket anymore.

It would easily cover a single bed if you wanted the stripes running down the bed.

Also we have reintroduced craft and game Wednesday, as it got forgotten about in the last few months, so each Wednesday we will play a big board game or do a craft, this week me and Fred built his Bob the Builder house he got for Christmas, which is really cute as it has proper bricks and cement, that sets hard, but can be washed off so it can be built again.

Molly wanted to make some with here Beadeo gem kit

I have to share my bargains of the week! i needed to pop to the out of hours doctors on Tuesday night and while i was waiting for my bus popped into Asda, i came out with a fill carrier bag for 56p!!!

Every thing was either 5p or 6pm loafs of bread, sauage rolls, cupcakes, cream cakes, steak bakes, so we all have nice lunches the next day!

On Saturday we continued our family buffet night with Spanish Night!

I made Prawn Pealla

Spanish Meatball and butterbean stew

Spanish Sauage and Potato

Spanish Stuffed peppers, with chorizo

It definitely was a hit!, its nice to be able to do things like this and it gives me chance to try out new recepies and the kids to try new foods, they love the fact they can help themselves.

I let Alex have a bubble bath with me on Saturday night as i realized he never gets a bubble bath as he always shares with Fred and Fred has such bad skin, we can't use anything at all on him, or put anything in the bath, Ali enjoyed it.

First week over, now just another 50ish to go before Christmas! xxx