Fred's 8th Birthday

Not so little now Fred turned 8 last month, I had promised him a birthday party at home, which he has been asking for the last couple of years, but our old house was not big enough really, so when we moved, he was excited for his home party, but it wasn't to be this year with lock down. 

He asked for an oreo cake, which I made, including oreo frosting, which was a mix up between butter cream and the middle bits from oreos and a few of the biscuits themselves crushed up, he loved it!

We found a Green bike online , it had to be green! Plus lots of lego and mcano foe him to build.

We made it as fun as we could and fingers crossed next year he can have his party at home x

VE Day 75th Anniversary

We had been planning to attend a street party in the town, Paul had been helping a local eatery to plan it and apply for the road closures. But it wasn't to be and VE day looked like going past with out the celebrations that would have been, till I saw a post of facebook for a stay at home street party, social distancing of course! And it seems like lots of others dilecided it was a good opportunity to celebrate at home as well. I had seen the poster and thought I would print it out and see if others from my street would like to do it as well, however the morning after I printed the posters and invites...one came through my door from another neighbour 😃 it seems I was not the only one with that thought....then a what's app group was set up by a neighbour, who also had a sound system and another had done a quiz. Once I realised it wasn't just going to be us, we decided to really decorate the house, red, white and blue!

We had lots of bunting already and balloons,so I looked at Amazon to see what we could get delivered in time...not much really as everything was either sold out or would be delivered a week to late! But we ordered a plastic union jack table cloth and some banners, which when they came were very flimsy so we covered them with sticky back plastic,to tie to the railings on our front wall. 

So we improvised with things we had in the craft shed and made, crepe paper flower's, like I remember from when I was a kid and we used them to decorate the gala floats. We didn't  have enough to do exactly as I imagined but we again improvised and made a big VE 75 sign for the front of our house. 

I went a bit overboard on the outdoor picnic, which we had on the grass verge outside our house, same as the other neighbours did. I made pulled pork, cooked party sausages, sausage rolls, meats, cheeses, crisps, a traditional trifle, macaroons and buns which Molly decorated with icing flags and 75 logos, she really is a star as she worked so hard helping me and working with me the day before to get everything ready, she deserves so much credit❤ because the day before reminded me so much of Gala days, well they days before the gala,everything going on and all hands on deck to get everything ready..but we did it!

The day arrived... we put out our decorations, set up our picnic and spent a glorious sunny afternoon listening to 40's  music, having a quiz and waving at cars who helped us all as they went by! Every house on our block came out and it really was an amazing day. Much like a gala in reverse, instead of us on floats, we sat while cars when passed and beeped and we all waved.

It was such a fantastic day!

Virtual Beaver Camp Sleepout

On Friday Fred and Alex's beaver leader messaged us all to ask who would like to take part in a virtual camp. The idea was you could pitch a tent in your garden or make a den in your house and they would us zoom to have 30 minute pre set meetings throughout the camp and set challenges. We jumped at the chance for a change and something diffrent to do and also for the kids to see friends one the online meeting. So the camp started at 5pm on Saturday,we had already pitched out tent and the first challenge was to decorate your camp. I had a big box of tropical party decorations for Molly birthday a few years ago so we had a mad dash to get them out.

Next was lighting a campfire and toasting marshmallows

Molly designed a camp flag and there was a disney quiz,making a tower and how meny things can you put in a piece of paper.

Later when it was dark, I put lazers and party lights on and the bubble tube

Ewan even joined us for a while!, he was taking the change to have a late night xbox match with his friends.

After sleeping the the tent, it was more meetings and challenges, this was make a catapult,  also we had save the egg, which we had to make something to keep a  egg safe and drop it from a height, which worked for us,a nice safe egg.

Camp camp closed at 4pm on the sunday. The kids really enjoyed it and the leaders did a great job.

Diamond Painting

Another day another diamond painting! I came across diamond painting on pinterest about 18mths ago and became addicted to to it very quickly. As soon as the first one arrived I started it sticking the gems on, it's so relaxing and really helps me to unwind. It's something you can just pick up and do and you don't really need to think about it.

This one I finished yesterday, it's the best one i have bought,  all the gems came in bags and the picture actually looks like its meant too. Some can look like just blocks of colour, but the bigger the canvas, the more detail you get. Below the one I have just started.

The kids really enjoy it as well so I got these smaller ones for them, which they did at christmas and some little sticker ones they are doing at the moment.

Ewans 14th Birthday

It was Ewans 14th Birthday, as it was in lock down it meant ordering presents from amazon and not being able to get out and get all the bits I usually do for the kids birthdays. Luckily I had a banner hidden away from Alex's birthday and found some balloons. I know he is 14, but with no party and no friends round I wanted to celebrate it as close as possible to how we usually do. He got a new xbox game as one of his presents and spent the day online with friends playing xbox, so I suppose that was sort of a party for him!

One of the hardest things to get hold of was self raising flour so I could make a wonderful cake for him, he requested a chocolate cake so I settled on a chocolate ganache topping, with black cherry jam in the middle and a selection of chocolates and bars on the top. I finally got the flour and baked the cakes, but I used milk instead of dark chocolate for the topping and it didn't set, i put it on the cake and it just ran off, Fred helpfully suggested using the edible eyes I had recently bought, to make it a poop emoji cake! Didn't bother with that! But we had the roast dinner Ewan had requested and put the candles in a potato, as the cake was far to runny for candles, Ewan thought that was very funny! And dispite the look of the cake, it was delicious and he loved it! So it worked out in the end 😀

Leftover Pie

I got this recipe from the Good food magazine a few years ago and it's been a winner ever since. I think it was a Christmas edition and was part of a things to make with left over turkey type article. We haven't had Turkey for christmas dinner for years, I usually have lamb, but have found this recipe is great for any left over roast dinner, and we usually have this whenever I make too much, at least once a month and the kids always ask for it. It's so easy, all you need is left over meat and veg from your roast and a packet of puff pastry.

All you need to do is put the veg in a bowl and chop and mash it up, chop the roast potatos and meat up and add that to the bowl and mix it all up. Open your pre rolled puff pastry and cut that in half, ad your mixture to one half, fold over and press the sides down and bake in the oven for 20 mins. 

That's it your done, take it out, cut a cross in the top and add gravy! It's even tastier that a roast, no waste and also quick and easy for a Monday night. Enjoy!

Easter Lockdown!

I never realised a few weeks ago when we popped out for a nice sunday lunch on the spare of the moment, how things would change over a few short days, a couple of days after this on the wednesday I booked a weekend away with my sister and the kids to London, by the next morning the news was full of possible lockdown and school closures. It's been very surreal, we have been told in the past of pandemics on the way, but never have we lived through what's currently happening.

The situation has made me feel incredibly thankful for quite a few things and realise just how lucky we are. We are incredibly grateful to our wonderful NHS, and all the key workers, but on a more personal note, i am really grateful we were able to move to a house with more space, a few months ago, in lockdown at the old house we all would have been on top of each other! Also the people we bought off left some lovely play equipment which the kids love and with the nice weather they have been outside nearly all day. Before we moved in Fred kept asking when he could go to the park, I assumed the park nearby, but he meant the new garden😃.

Also as we now live a couple of minutes walk away from my parents I have been able to do there shopping for them,  as I still don't drive! It was nice before the lockdown to just be able to walk round to visit. I am really grateful for our jobs that are secure, as we have been self employed in the past, as I feel so sorry for all those who currently are. I am still working , although off for a couple of weeks ( not due to the virus), Paul is working from home and I have reduced my hours, so we can take turns working and looking after the kids, we are doing some lessons, but mainly the kids have been happy just to be home and I am surprised they are all calm and quite happy,  boredom hasn't set in just yet! I think the sunny weather has played a big part in that!

Last Easter we were camping for the weekend in the Lakes and the weather was glorious, I had wanted to camp again this year, but we decided to spend time at home, enjoying our new house, that was way before the virus and little did we know we would get lots of time in lockdown to enjoy the house. I had planned on a good Friday BBQ and Easter Sunday dinner, with family round. As it happened it was just us, but it was really nice. We did have a BBQ on Mothers day and maybe will have one this weekend. We decorated our Season tree and Molly and Fred decorated Easter eggs, Molly won a prize for her Tigger in an easter competition online with her guide group. 

I gave the boys lockdown hair cuts, which I think I were very good! I was lucky my hair needed colouring really badly and I had it done the weekend before lockdown was announced, phew!

One thing I am enjoying about lockdown is the quiet calm we now seem to have, no rushing about, no meetings,no school or activities to go too. More time together, more time relaxing and doing what we want. I just hope everyone is safe and well when this is all over x