Another fight

Another fight has disrupted my blog life. 

Is it worth it? 

I'm too tired to try and explain. 

Back tomorrow...hopefully. 

A good deed a day

I'm working again in about an hour so this is just a quick one.  

Today has been an inspiring day, I have to tell you about an amazing young guy making a difference in our world right now...

Luke Cameron is the name, good deeds are his game. 

Last January after the death of a close friend, Luke started a good deed blog to log his good deads every day for a year. 

From helping an elderly lady with her shopping to buying strangers meals he is an inspirational young person and a credit to society.  

Reading his blog today made me stop and think:

How can I make a difference today? 

At work earlier we had a collection for the homeless. I looked at my bar of chocolate...

And instead putting it into my greedy gut, I put it in the box for the homeless. 

It may not seem like much but I am going to make more of an effort to be less selfish and do more good deeds. 

Chocolate bar today...who knows what I will do tomorrow?! 

Check out thegooddeeddiary.com and let's all make more of an effort to do a good deed a day. 

Scarlett's blog 16.12.14

This fever is ruining my chance of being a DIVA! 

Mummy took my temprature this morning and it was 38.8, I can only count to 20 so  that was way high. 

Mummy called the doctor 27 (a lot) times and got through to a snooty receptionist who said there were no appointments. How could she not know who I am?! 

After Mummy proded me and rolled a glass over my tummy (weirdo) the Doctor called back and told Mummy to bring me in right away (rightly so.) 

As soon as we got the surgery, I felt much better and skipped in. Mummy told me to to at least try and look ill, I asked why and she just laughed. 

Apparently I have a virus, I did feel awful this morning. I was all hot and bothered so I was unable to make my debut as an angel in the nativity at school. 

There is another performance tomorrow so I will hopefully be better for that. I keep feeling ok and then I flake a bit and need a lay down. 

I best go for a lay down now, Hollywood is going to want me at my best tomorrow. 

Xoxo 

Oh Mummy though this would be funny...

I am not amused. 

Scarlett's blog 15.12.14

I am sooooo ill!!!! 

I woke Mummy up a few times last night crying as my head is totally pounding, it feels like a teddy bear brass band has decided to move into my brain...it hurts!!!

Of course I am too ill to do anything today apart from lay in bed and feel sorry for myself. 

Mummy tried shoving my school uniform on but I got all dizzy so I told her in no uncertain terms I was going back to sleep and to turn off the lights. 

My other list of demands this morning have included:

• Toast with a little butter

• A head massage 

• One biscuit lightly covered in chocolate 

• My favourite book 'The bear hunt' to be read to me 5 times

• 'Let it go' sung to me by an angel 

Mummy did not sing 'Let it go' like an angel so I have told her to be quiet and to run me a bath. 

I am making my debut on stage tomorrow morning for my first official performance as an actress (email me for a signed photograph.) 

I am playing an angel in my school nativity. The role of Mary was going to be given to me but a little girl from my class started crying, so I let her have it. (That is totally what happened. That's my story and I am sticking to it.) 

Well, I best rest again now as I want to ensure I am ready for tomorrow, there might be a talent spotter in the audience who wants to send me to star in a Hollywood movie. In fact I'm sure there will be, I'm a star!! 

Twinkle twinkle 

Xoxo 

(No selfies today, as I am totally washed out.) 

That moment when...

You get into bed after running around after 2 kids all day and think:

'No, I will just have the one child thanks. No more babies for me!' 

I am cream crackered, back with a banger of a blog tomorrow...after I have slept for 15 hours. 

:) 

Lost and found

I have taken the plunge and rearranged my working life to fit in with my mothering life. In other words - I have quit my full time job. (Full time mothers who juggle everything, don't all throw your briefcases at me at once, you might break a perfectly manicured fingernail.)

I don't want to pretend I have it all and I am the perfect mother with a full time job, who's house is perfect and a home cooked meal is in the oven every night by 6pm, I want my sanity!  

I've got myself a part time job which means I can actually play a part in my Scarlett's school life and not be a working mother who only picks up my child once in a blue moon. 

Since September I have met Scarlett's teacher twice and have picked her up from school just 3 times. I missed parents afternoon as I was working and have no idea on how to help her with her homework (I'm going to bring that up with her teacher actually, come on, homework at 5?!) 

I have now found myself in a position where I can be there more for Scarlett. I can be involved at her school and help out on phonic Thursdays (I have no idea about phonics, does anyone?!) and I can still work so I don't go stir crazy at a job which I really enjoy. 

Beans on toast will become a staple meal in our household but I know me and Scarlett will be a lot happier (and I won't be able to afford the gigantic bars of chocolate I gorge on, so my trousers will be happier too and will stop biting angrily into my muffin top.)

When I handed in my notice at my full time job I felt completely lost and reckless but now, I think It's a great kick start to the new year and the beginning of a new life. 

2014 got off to a bad start with a car crash and a punch in the face but next year, I am determined to do things that make me and Scarlett happy (including taking her to the park in the rain when she asks, which in turn will probably not make me that happy but I can't have it all!) 

With New Year's Eve only a couple of weeks away I will be so happy to say goodbye to 2014 and hello to 2015. It will be our year, I will make sure of it. 

When should I let my daughter date?

Obviously not now as she is 5 years old but when the time comes and she becomes a teenager, when should I let her have a boyfriend? 

She does like to inform me that Leo is her boyfriend and drew this earlier...

Maybe I should have hope as she has written 41 above their heads. Has she already decided that is the age she will be when she has a 'proper' boyfriend? 

I was watching one on my American housewives TV programmes earlier and one woman said she is letting her daughter, who is 13, date. 

Well, a commotion ensued and the women were divided over whether a 13 year old should be allowed to date. 

The mother of the girl in question explained she had met the boy and his mother as she had invited them over for lunch but some of the women argued 13 is too young. 

Personally, I think the mother did the right thing by meeting the boys mother and the boy. I think by taking their relationship seriously would deter them from rushing or hiding anything. 

They could have a couple of years getting to know each other and when the inevitable time comes for them to decide if they want to take their relationship further and have sex, it would be meaningful and not a rushed job to get it over and done with. 

I hope Scarlett feels able to talk to me about anything when she is older, especially about boys and I think I would invite the boy and his parents over so we could all put each others minds at rest. 

It's scary to think that in only 8 years Scarlett will be 13. I know dating is not something that she is going to ask me about tomorrow but it is something that I need to start thinking about today. 

  

"Daddy said he hates you..."

"But he likes the cat." 

This and various versions of the above have been coming out of the mouth of my 5 year old for the past 2 days. 

 It usually starts with Scarlett saying:

"Mummy, do you like Daddy?"

To which I reply diplomatically:

"Yes of course I like him."

Scarlett:

"Well he doesn't like you, he likes the cat but he hates you." 

Firstly, he has not met the cat and secondly how dare he voice his opinions about me to our 5 year old daughter?! 

I have not spoken to Scarlett's Dad for nearly 2 years because of his bitter attitude towards me. 

Yes, I split up with him and I have asked to talk to him to try and resolve our issues but he doesn't want to, so I have left it but now, whether he likes it or not he will be seeing my face again very soon if he doesn't sort his attitude out. 

When Scarlett told me for the 5th time today that Daddy doesn't doesn't like me, I snapped and phoned Scarlett's Grandma, my ex's Mum. 

I tried to keep it light and I said maybe Scarlett says things about me when I'm not there but according to Scarlett's Grandma she doesn't say anything about me. At all. 

I told her what Scarlett had been saying to me and she was shocked and said she would have a word with Scarlett's Dad but I'm not convinced she will. 

I don't want to have a confrontation and obviously I wouldn't do it when Scarlett was around but if this happens again I feel like I won't have a choice but to face him. 

He will not use my child to get to me. 

Oh and to top it off, Scarlett was off school on Wednesday and I wasn't told as she was at her Dads. 

Maybe I shouldn't moan about that as I don't know if I would have said anything if I had taken her out of school for being ill but I just feel like I'm constantly fighting and giving and getting nowhere. 

This single parenting malarkey is blooming hard and it's not like I can just give up and say 'sod it!' 

I will stand up for myself and my daughter to make sure she has the best life and every time I hear he hates me, I will tell Scarlett that I love him, as without him I wouldn't have her. 

We brought her into this world as a team, united and regardless of what has happened, we should still stick by each other when it comes to our child. 

Maybe I should tell him to start a blog and vent his anger on there?! 

Scarlett's blog 5.12.14

I misplaced my uniform today. Well, I say me but actually my Grandma did (I didnt know where she had put it) so I told Mummy when she had finished work that we had to go to school to find it. 

She stomped out of my school after a few seconds and said: 

'It was on your peg!'

Oh, whoopsie. 

Well she said she needs to exercise more so she shouldn't complain about walking for a bit, especially as we came home and I found an empty box of these....

I don't know if you are aware but there are 16 mini bars of chocolate in there. 

Now, I'm no mathematician but when I left them on Tuesday morning there were 12 and now there is none, so that = Mummy is a piglet. 

She groaned last weekend when she did about 10 lunges (she said she did 100, I only counted 10) so she needs some more exercise in her life which is why I have created a new game...

It's called stomp around as loud as I can and make Mummy chase after me. She is not keen on it but it gets her moving. 

Just call me Rosemary Conely (my Mummy used to do her DVD's, maybe I will get her to dig them out again so I can laugh at her.) 

Right, I best be off as I have a commotion to cause.

:) 

Xoxo 

Teachers pet

I was browsing the Mumsnet 'coffee shop' when I came across a thread about what to buy your child's teacher for a Christmas present...damn it, I hadn't even though about it! 

My child could have been the only one turning up on the last day of term without a gift, how ungrateful would we have looked? Or would we? 

Thinking about it, the rational part of me thinks:

'They are doing their job, why do I need to buy them a present? They don't buy me one for being a (fantastic) parent.'

The other soft part of me (which also houses the diet sabotaging devil) says: 

'You just HAVE to give the teacher a present, otherwise you are just MEAN.'

So, off to Google I went and found this on www.allpartythings.co.uk

It is different, special and undeniably thoughtful but then I thought...how can I beat that? 

Ah ha! By making something! 

So this weekend I am going to attempt to make cupcakes with Scarlett and make them presentable enough to give as an actual present. 

I have a couple of weeks left before the end of term to get them perfect and seeing as my diet hasn't started, I can eat the cakes that will not be up to scratch, bonous! (I'm estimating that will be about 100 cupcakes.) 

I am also going to get Scarlett to make and write her teachers card, which again may take a few tries to get right (I'm estimating a mini rainforest may be devestated for our card usage) but I will make sure it is perfect. 

My advice for teachers presents is to be creative and make your own presents but maybe have a bought present back up plan just in case. 

Doing a 2

There is one thing that really gets my goat and that is people who poo at work and in public places without any respect for anyone else. 

Firstly, of course I appreciate it is a natural bodily function and you have to go when you have to go but think of others when you do 'go.'

I don't mean when you are on the dunny think about everyone you have ever met but when you are done, crack a window and check you leave the bathroom clean and tidy, including the toilet bowl. 

From men it is expected but come on girls, you should know better. 

I'm so sick (literally) of coming face to face with someone else's unfinished business. 

Girls, come on now, SORT IT OUT!  

Things that get my goat...

While writing a previous blog post it got me thinking about things that get my goat, so while it's cold outside, I'm going to have a rant inside. 

Things that get my goat....

Sayings that I don't understand...e.g 'things that get my goat.'

People who don't say thank you...when you have blatently moved out of the way for them or hold open a door for them. (I do tend to say "You're welcome!" Rather loudly after them.) 

People who don't say please...Please come on, remember your manners.

People who don't pick up their own dogs poo...I actually stepped in some while starting this blog yesterday. 

Putting on weight...at work I have to wear 3/4 length trousers as I'm too fat for my actual trousers and the cold literally bites my ankles. 

Queuing...not in general but people that don't know how to queue for example where a sign says: 

'Please queue here'

And people queue at the opposite end to the sign. 

People walking behind me...I feel like I am being stalked so I will stop and let whoever is behind me pass before I carry on. It is getting increasingly difficult with the Christmas shoppers who literally charge everywhere. I'm going to be internet shopping this week because if those people. 

Blogs that bang on for no reason other than to moan...

Oh. 

Shopping @Lidl #lidlsurprises

I'm not a snob but when I decided to go and check out my local Lidl, I was filled with trepidation. 

 I don't know why but saying that I shop at Lidl is not a sentence I though I would ever use, even the advert on TV for Lidl has many people gawping in shock that they have been trying things from Lidl. 

My local store is 5 minutes away from me so I thought, if I can save a few pennies and still be able to afford a decent bottle of wine, then why not? 

Armed with my pink fluffy pen (I couldn't find a inconspicuous pen) I went to investigate further. 

To my delight, one of the first things I saw in the store was chocolate, not just any chocolate but chocolate for under 50p. I loved Lidl already. 

My eyes and nose were drawn across the store to find out where the smell of fresh bread was coming from, it was from an in store bakery! 

Things just keep getting better and better, even more so when I saw the medium size baguettes were only 19p.

The whole store was filled with #lidlsurprises 

The store also stocks well know name brands if you are wary of trying new things. 

I went through the store and wrote down a few prices for the food which I use most during the week to see how the prices compare with my usual weekly shop: 

6 large free range eggs 99p 

350g Mature Cheese £1.75 

Grapes £1.79 

Raspberries £1.69 

Hoops breakfast cereal £1.15 

Granola £1.79 

Golden syrup porridge packets x 8 99p Goodfellas pizza £1.50 

Cucumber 29p 

3 x peppers 89p 

Hovis medium sliced white bread 69p Organic carrots 79p 

Chocolate cake £1.75 

Chicken breasts x 4 £3.49 

Heinz baked beans x 4 cans £2.40 

Heinz tomato soup x 4 cans £2.00 Organic mince £1.75 

2 pints of milk 79p 

Bacon £1.29 

Chocolate cheesecake £2.99 (not essential but...actually it is essential.) Bottle of Australian cabernet sauvignon £4.09 (#lidlsurprises)

I came out of the shop (for some reason felt like I was in France inside, I thought I was on holiday for a moment!) skipping with glee and worked out I could probably get my weekly shopping budget down to £25.00 per week and as the shop is not the industrial size of Tesco or Morrisons, I didn't waste 2 hours of my time trying to find everything and I didn't get distracted by things which I didn't need. 

I saved time and money! I am now proud to say I am a Lidl customer and urge you to check out your local store to see what #lidlsurprises you can find. #lidllove

Jump, it's Christmas!

I will be honest, I'm not usually one for a Christmas jumper. I don't get the excitement about them but this year, I've put my Scrooge in my pocket (I'm not going to throw it away, everyone needs a bit of a Christmas grump) and found the best Christmas jumpers and you may just see me skipping down the high street in one...

www.newlook.com

Was £24.99 now £18.50

www.asos.com

£32.00

www.storetwentyone.co.uk

£9.99

www.matalan.co.uk

£14.00

www.peacocks.co.uk

£18.00

www.riverisland.com

£30.00

And get your man involved too...

www.newlook.com

Was £19.99 now £13.00

Head and bed

Headache + Bed = Goodnight.