Yarn, the web & cupcakes

January Round Up

2012-01-31T12:58:00.000Z

Where has January gone?

I am pleased to say that I did manage to take a photo every day in January. They are split between my Canon 500d digital SLR and my iPhone, mainly using the Instagram App. It's lovely to look back and see my month in photos. Sometimes there are a reflection of what we did that day, sometimes just a glimpse at something I want to remember. Mainly they are pictures of Evie.

As much as it will be a diary of what we did, I am planning to make a scrapbook too, so I want my Project 366 photos to show off my photography skills as well - which admittedly are somewhat lacking at the moment. I do want to post all the photos here for you to see, but I will try and find a nice way of displaying them rather than just posting them all. For now you can see them all in my Facebook album.

Towards the end I did start to favour my iPhone as I upgraded my version 3G to the 4S, which has a much better camera, and this together with the Instagram app gives photos a really lovely effect. Unfortunately this isn't really the point of this exercise as I wanted to learn to use my camera, so I am planning to use it a bit more in February. I also need to start bringing it with me when I leave the house for a bit of veriety! I did get a bit lazy too in terms of posting the photos and would upload a few at a time rather than posting them daily, something else I plan to try being better at in February.

The main highlights of January were my 30th birthday, beginning to wean Evie onto solid food and getting back into my cake making.

Evie's Weaning Diary - Day 3

2012-01-30T19:20:00.002Z

After we had tried the carrot yesterday I gave Evie a clean spoon to play with and she was pulling the same faces as she did when we had any food on it, so I begun to wonder if it was the spoon and method of feeding that was the problem, rather than the food. So today, we tried carrot again, hoping that it might be a bit more familar rather than confuse her with another flavour. Again she was pulling faces, so I tried putting a little bit on my finger and offering that. She seemed to be much more accepting of this and did a bit more sucking and 'gumming'.

We did lots of smiling and playing and even tried some (cooled boiled) water from her new 'big girls' cup.

In other weaning news, I bought a flexible ice cube tray and froze our sweet potato. Each cube holds 1 tablespoon of puree, so 2 cubes would make 1 portion.

When frozen in the tray I removed the cubes and have put them in a labeled bag in the freezer. Is it just me or does this look like fudge to you too?

I think that we are going to take a little break from weaning for a few days. There are 2 reasons. The first is the recently Evie has been sick more than usual and not eating as much, this was before the weaning so not related, but I have lost a bit of confidence in whether I know she's hungry or not...if you know what I mean. So we're going to take a day or two to make sure we're doing ok and not confuse it with proper food. I have also been recommended a book by Gill Rapley on Baby-Led Weaning, and having read a bit about it, I think it may suit Evie as she is very keen to get involved herself. This does mean waiting til she's a bit older and making sure she can definitely sit up on her own before we start, but I've got the book reserved at the library so will read up a bit and see how we get on.

If you do have any weaning stories, advice, or tips, feel free to comment below. It does seem to be a bit of a minefield out there!

Evie's Weaning Diary Day 2

2012-01-29T16:49:00.000Z

Following on from yesterday's taste of baby rice I decided to try some proper food today. I spent last night reading Annabel Karmel's Weaningbook whch recommends carrot and sweet potato as first veg purees and apple for fruit. So today I went on a puree making mission and within an hour and a half (because that's how long the sweet potato took to cook) I had around 16 meals for Evie. Each 'meal' is around 2 tablespoons or 30ml.

2 apples made 5 meals, 2 carrots made 5 and 1 large sweet potato made about 6 portions. I ran out of pots, so not entirely sure of quantities yet.

I followed the directions in the book for cooking the fruit and veg, then pureed with a hand blender in a mug (which worked out to be just the right size for the job at hand) and added a bit of formula milk to get the purees to the right consistency - smooth and a similar thickness to yoghurt is what I was aiming for, which is how the baby rice came out yesterday. I'm not sure exactly how much formula I used in the apples or carrots, I know the sweet potato took a good ounce of formula.

Then, following Annabel's advice, I fed Evie her lunchtime feed at around 1pm and let her have her nap, then when she woke up she sat is her high chair and we tried a bit of a carrot. She still pulled the same kind of faces as yesterday, but she was a lot more interested in what was going on today, and definitely preferred it when she had control of the spoon.

While she didn't eat much, barely half a teaspoon in fact, I feel it went well today. Not sure what we'll do tomorrow. I may try carrot again.

Evie's Weaning Diary - Day 1

2012-01-28T21:28:00.002Z

Today we begun a new adventure in food - weaning Evie. I have been looking forward to this for a few months, to see Evie enjoying food and trying new things. I had heard that you can start weaning from 4 months, but when we asked the health visitor she said not to start before 6 months, plus I had read somewhere that if a baby is early you should add the number of weeks she was early onto the end. However, I spoke to a lot of mums and dads who all started weaning at around 5 months, if not earlier. Then I started reading up about it, especially the signs that baby is ready & noticed that Evie was already showing a few of these. The signs I have so far seen are her showing an interest in my food and reaching out for it, chewing on her hands and waking (again) for food in the night.

So as Evie is 5 months old today we decided to give it a try.

Having spoken to a few people, and as we were starting yonger than recommended by the HV I thought we'd better take baby steps. So we begun with Baby Rice, something with a similar taste to formula milk, but a slightly more solid texture.

It didn't go down very well at all!

We tried twice during the day but she wouldn't take it. Even just putting it to her lips she'd pull a face. Not that I'm surprised to be honest! It didn't look or taste very appealing at all. We tried at around lunch time, when she was hungry, but a bit more reading suggests that we maybe should have waited until after a feed, or midway through.

I am now armed with the Cow & Gate 5 Step Weaning Guide and Annabel Karmel's website and Weaning book, so I plan to do a little more reading tonight and maybe we'll try again, or try something different tomorrow.

101 Things #22: Have a 30th Birthday Party

2012-01-19T18:49:00.000Z

Last week, on January 12th, I turned 30 years old. I really can't believe I am 30, I still feel about 17 - and judging by the fact that I still get asked for ID every now and then, I think I still look it! ;)

I was actually looking forward to this birthday. I remember that I really did not enjoy turning 22. I think because I was in my final year of uni at the time and it felt as though I was actually going to have to be a grown up. Since then I have left uni, got a job, got a house, got married, had a baby - so there's no hiding from the 'being a grown up' thing anymore - except that I have come to realise that being 'grown up' isn't actually that different. And can sometimes be pretty great! You don't HAVE to tidy your bedroom or finish your meal before having pudding. There are so many things to experience, and I still have so much ahead of me. Anyway, I digress....

So, yeah, I turned 30 and on Saturday I had a birthday party. It was a really nice night with lots of family and friends. We had a local guy come and play the guitar, we had glow sticks, and a huge birthday cake.

It had 5 tiers - 2 chocolate and 2 vanilla, plus a tier of gluten free mini cupcakes. The whole thing was covered in buttercream and decorated with sweets and glitter, then topped with ice fountains for a beautiful display.

We danced into the early hours and discovered that Evie is quite the party animal. She loved the flashing lights and the music and was quite happy to doze off every now and then, oblivious to what was going on around her. I couldn't imagine her not being there - even though it did mean a very sober night for me. :)

I also had some very lovely presents including:

A new addition to my Build-a-Bear family

A charm from Tiffany's, a dress from All Saints, a beautiful hamper from my auntie, with a Decopatched bottle of wine, a wobbly glass and handmade chocolate lollipops, some baking books, magazine subscription, some beautiful jewellery.....

and an EDIBLE INK PRINTER!

This means I can now print photos, text, images, whatever I want on rice paper and icing sheets to use on my cakes. It's so very exciting and I have so many ideas, plus it's number 51 on my 101 Things list! Can't wait to show off my creations. :D

101 Things #4: Start a beauty blog

2012-01-04T22:25:00.001Z

I did start this item on my list and created a blog though it was more general wellbeing rather than just beauty. However, I didn't stick to it. There are several reasons for this.

1. It is not my area of expertise. I know how I get by, but I don't wear make up every day nor do I experiment much, I buy beauty products based on its packaging rather than what it'll do for me, and I am rubbish at maintaining any kind of beauty regime for any serious length of time.

2. There are so many (much better) beauty and lifestyle blogs out there mine was just lost amongst the noise and didn't really offer anything different.

3. I wasn't getting much out of it.

So I decided not to persue this any more. Instead I will focus my blogging efforts on this one, my craft one and my cake one. Each of these blogs I get something out of, and while they are not niche by any stretch, I know enough about each topic to hold my own in the 'blogsphere'. I also have another idea for a blog I may start soon, I'm just trying to gather my thoughts on how it will work, and spending time focusing on my other ventures.

So, item number 4 on my 101 Things list will be revised to: Post to a blog every day, starting January 1st 2012. You can follow my progress on tumblr if you are so inclined.

101 Things #50: Project 366

2012-01-03T21:08:00.000Z

It has come to my attention that I have been a bit slack at keeping on top of my 101 Things in 1001 Days list. With the start of a new year has come a renewed enthusiasm to start working on it again, especially as this is my last full year. With that in mind I have started item number 50 on my list.

Take a photo every day for a whole year.

(Yes, I would choose the longest year to start this!)

I started on January 1st and will be posting photos to my tumblr blog and to an album on Facebook. I imagine there will be plenty of photos of Evie, but I do hope it will be a good representation of my year and what we get up to.

This is also a way for me to spend more time using my Canon 500d Digital SLR camera and get back into photography, I may even sign up for a photography class....maybe.

If you are doing Project 366 please let me know in the comments below and leave a link to your blog or photos so I can take some inspiration from you.

With regards to the other items on the list, I'm planning to go through them all and provide an update...it'll give me something to blog about anyway. ;)

Here's to 2012!

2012-01-01T11:57:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

I am actually really looking forward to this year. I have a BIG birthday coming up in less than two weeks. I get to do a lost more firsts with my daughter - her first holiday, easter, a wedding, her birthday. I have plans for growing my cakey business. I have plans for my crafting. I have an exciting project with my best friend due to launch very soon.

All-in-all, its exciting and I am feeling pretty positive. However, with all this planned I will need to be a lot more pro active than I have been, more organised and motivated.

As you know I love my challenges and like to set myelf goals, even if I don't always meet them. They are there to motivate and encourage me, and I think a big part of it is not being distracted if I miss a day and just getting straight back into it instead of giving up completely.

Here are my new year's resolutions.

1. To continue on my eternal quest to have a clean & tidy home. This includes sorting out the attic, understairs cupboard, kitchen cupboards, my wardrobe and craft stash.

2. Photos. This is a huge one for me. I used to take loads of photos and would get them developed & put them in albums, but with my first digital camera, this all came to a bit of standstill. I managed to get some lovely photos over Christmas - including the first photo of me, hubby & little one together - and it's spurred me on. So, this resolution is split into several:
   a - To learn how to use my Digital SLR camera properly.
   b - To take a photo everyday.
   c - To organise my photos digitally & in albums.

3. To post to one of my blogs every day.

Here's to a great 2012. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as me.

5 a Day Challenge

2011-11-29T22:57:00.001Z

We have always eaten pretty well in our house, with a good portion of fruit & veg. But since our beautiful daughter arrived 3 months ago I've been a bit slack and my diet has gone totally down the drain! I don't mean a losing weight kind of diet, just your average eating well diet.

We eat very little fast food and love to cook, so most food is made from scratch. The problem I've found is that it's much easier to grab something unhealthy (like a Cinnamon Swirl) for breakfast, or snack on a chocolate bar... Or at least that's how it's felt for the last 3 months. I've barely had time to make a cup of tea, let alone lunch, & have often got to the end of the day and realised that, actually, I hadn't eaten anything.

I've started to notice that I feel different too. I'm tired (& baby is sleeping pretty well), I get tummy ache & just don't feel healthy.

I am now starting to feel a bit more 'normal' with the baby stuff and feel it's time to start focusing on me a bit - starting with my diet. And the easiest place to start is by making sure I get my 5 portions if fruit & veg every day...and learning exactly what a 'portion' is!

I'll be starting on 1st December and will keep track of all I eat here. There are some (well, 2) rules.

1. Each portion must be a different fruit or vegetable.
2. Juice can only count as 1 portion per day.

Oh, and I'll also be attempting to drink the recommended 6 glasses of water a day too.

If you fancy the challenge do join me. Would be great to get some ideas on how to sneak in some extra veg! :)

The 'right' parenting decisions

2011-10-03T10:03:00.001+01:00

I've only been a Mum for 5 weeks, but have really had my eyes opened to the ways of parenting. There are so much choices, and everyone has their own opinion on what is 'right' and how it 'should' be done. Three examples that seem to have very split opinions are:

Breast V Bottle Feeding
Co-Sleeping
Babywearing

Apparently you should breast feed as long as you can to enhance the bond and closeness between mum and child, but then you shouldn't co-sleep or babywear too much as they'll get used to being held or close to you.

I know I am new to this but if my baby is happy then so am I! If this means she wants to sleep in bed with me (and will sleep well rather than being restless in her moses basket) then that's fine with me.

I have tried breastfeeding and we couldn't get on with it, so I am expressing and bottle feeding and looking for ways to get our closeness somewhere else. For me, babywearing is great. Our pram is lovely, but it is bulky and a bit of a faff to if I want to pop to the shop or go to Tesco, or just get stuff done in the house.

Babywearing with my new Moby wrap

I am still learning about the pros and cons of my decisions and the options available, but so far it's working for me.

Exclusively Expressing

2011-09-21T21:00:00.000+01:00

I always wondered what happened to people when they had a baby (yes, I am referring to the Dads as well) as they would often discuss things I considered to be private matters. Poo being a fairly popular topic.

However, since having a baby I have noticed I am doing the same thing. I have no problems at all now discussing the state of my nipples, for example. So, if you don't want to know me in THAT much detail I suggest you stop reading now.

For those of you that have had a baby you know what it's like. You have people pearing in to check your most intimate areas, people manhandling you (by the way, by 'people' I do mean qualified doctors and nurses, not just any old random....), asking you questions - and they don't really care who else is with you. So you get a bit de-sensitised to it all.

When Evie was born, she was given to me straight away for our skin-on-skin contact, and we tried breastfeeding where she did have a bit of a go. However that was all we managed. We tried frequently in the hospital, but when she hadn't eaten after about 24 hours I was told to try hand expressing my breastmilk to give her what she needed. The first breastmilk you get (called colostrun) is very thick and yellowy. You don't get much of it (by that I do mean mililitres), but it is very good for baby. So I expressed and had to collect it in a little syringe to feed to Evie.

Throughout the first 24 hours I must have had 4 or 5 different nurses come and go, all wanting to see my breastfeeding technique, offering advice and demonstrations. They don't have time to faff about and I learned it's just easier to get your boobs out and get on with the job at hand. It's amazing how quickly you realise just how much you would do for this little bundle of joy.

To cut a long story short (and get to the point of this post) we tried breastfeeding but Evie just couldn't seem to latch on which left her hungry and us both frustrated and upset. I then began expressing to encourage my milk supply and to give her the benefits of breastmilk by feeding her with a little cup so that she wouldn't get used to a bottle. At this point we were measuring her feeds by 5 or 10ml, and as she hadn't had anything for so long, this felt like a huge step forward. I promised to keep expressing and trying to breastfeed and we were discharged.

However, as she wasn't eating much we were re-admitted to hospital 2 days later as Evie had lost over 10% of her birth weight. Here we were told that she should be taking around 30ml every 2 hours to flush out her jaundice. So what she had been taking in a day was what she was meant to have at every feed! Feeding her this much with a cup would take forever, so we decided to use a bottle to make sure she was having enough - and she took to it straight away. Then she needed phototherapy to treat the jaundice and so the doctors recommended feeding her via a tube up her nose to ensure she was getting enough. As much as I hated it, it was obviously for the best, and I was expressing throughout to ensure she had my breastmilk although did need to supplement with formula.

Anyway, the treatment worked & her jaundice levels came down & we were once more allowed home. I had been given more advice on breastfeeding and was still trying, while expressing as much as I could. It was here that I was told that maybe my nipples were too soft or too flat for Evie to latch onto. So I tried nipple shields, which I didn't get on with at all.

While we do still have a go at breastfeeding every now and then, I am now Exclusively Expressing. We do need to top up with formula as I don't manage to get enough to meet Little Miss' needs, but I am pleased she is getting mainly breastmilk.

The one thing I have noticed is that no-one really talks about expressing as a valid means of feeding your baby. You get told about breastfeeding (BF) and formula feeding (FF) but not expressing or pumping. The booklets don't cover it, very few books cover it and the nurses, midwives and health visitors don't seem to have the information you want to know about how to manage it.

It is time consuming - feeding takes twice as long as you need to feed baby then pump. It gives you the same issues as BF - sore nipples, risk of mastitis, engorged breasts. And the same as bottle feeding - sterilising bottles, storing milk. But it does mean feeding your baby your breastmilk.

I have been expressing for 3 and a half weeks so far. It does take up your day. Between expressing, feeding and looking after Evie, sleeping and looking after yourself, you have very little time for anything else. But the most difficult thing I have encountered is getting some answers to all the questions. How often should I pump? How much milk should I be getting? How much does she need? How long can I leave breastmilk out? How does it need to be stored? How long should I pump for? The best information source I have found is the Pumping Mummies group on BabyCentre. There is a post with links to loads of information and the administrator is great at getting back to you and answering your questions.

I guess the point of this post is so you know there are others doing it. :) So if you are an Exclusively Expressing or Pumping Mum, please say hi.

I don't know how long I will keep pumping. I'd like to think I'll continue for as long as I can, but I don't want to put an end date on it in case I can't carry on. I'll post more on this topic over the coming weeks - I think this is long enough for one post, don't you?

Roast Sea Bass with Sweet Potatoes & Tomatoes

2011-09-20T18:58:00.001+01:00

It's time to get back on track with my list of 101 things - starting with trying 1 new meal a week. This could be from a book or magazine or an invention of my own. I confess, part of this is to prove myself to be a wonderful housewife so that hubby will want me to stay home & look after Evie instead of going back to work. ;) Part of it is because I have watched so many cooking programs in my 3 weeks of maternity leave I've been inspired to get back in the kitchen.....which is actually where I am blogging from right now.

I will warn you, I am not very good with quantities and tend to be a bit slap-dash (unless I'm baking) so any recipes I post are probably going to need some interpretation of your own. Having said that, if you do try them, I'd love to know what you think.

My first recipe is sea bass fillets roasted with sweet potato and tomato, served with creamy spinach.

Serves 2

Ingredients
-- for the sea bass --
2 sweet potaoes, peeled & chopped into chunks
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Dried rosemary
10 cherry tomatoes
2 sea bass fillets
-- for the spinach --
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped (or crushed or grated)
1/2 a bag of spinach (about 100g)
1 tbsp double cream
Nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6.
Put the sweet potatoes in a pan of water, bring to the boil then boil for 5 minutes.
With a slotted spoon transfer the potaoes to a roasting tin (keep the sweet potato water), drizzle with some oil, salt, pepper & rosemary.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
In a frying pan, gently heat some oil, then fry the onion until lightly browned.
Add the garlic and mix through for about a minute, then turn off the heat.
When the potatoes are done, add the cherry tomatoes and place back in the oven for 5 minutes.
Then add the sea bass fillets, skin down, on top of the veg, and put back in the oven for 10 minutes.
With the water you boiled the sweet potatoes in, pour away all but about 1/2 cm, then add the spinach. Put the lid on and allow to wilt for about 2 minutes.
Drain the water from the spinach, getting as much out as you can, then add the spinach to the onion.
Turn the heat back on and fry for 5 minutes to warm through.
Just before the sea bass comes out of the oven (about 1 minute left on timer) add the cream & sprinkle with nutmeg. Stir through then serve.

Evie Grace

2011-09-14T21:15:00.001+01:00

It's been a strange, wonderful, busy, emotional, amazing few weeks since my last post.

All thanks to the early arrival of our little Fidget. :)

Our beautful daughter, Evie Grace, arrived on Sunday, 28th August 2011 at 12:28pm weighing 6lb 7oz.

She was 3 weeks early and apparently in quite a hurry. I won't give you all the gory details, but it all happened quite quickly.

Hubby & I were due to be hosting a cheese & wine event at the rugby club on Sunday. My waters broke at 7:30am, but following all the advice we had been given about not rushing in, and because I wasn't in any pain and expected to be hours, if not days before we had any sign of baby, we decided to carry on. I phoned the midwife who said she'd call in later on in the morning, and hubby popped out to pick up some last minute supplies for the event.

I started having pains at around 10am, and by 10:30 they were lasting 45 seconds and were about 5 minutes apart! When hubby returned we called the midwife again and she said to call the labour ward, who said they'd get someone to call us back. Then I had the urge to push. We were then told to go to the hospital, and we arrived at 11:30am, when I was told I was fully dilated and that baby would be here within the hour. Which she was. :)

It was all very quick, and very unexpected. I managed with just gas & air - didn't really have time for anything else, and despite a little issue with the placenta, it all went very smoothly. I had to stay in hospital until Tuesday because Evie wasn't feeding as she should, and when we did get discharged, we were then readmitted on the Thursday as she had lost over 10% of her birth weight and had jaundice.

We then had 3 days of phototherapy to treat the jaundice and Evie was being fed with a tube to make sure she was taking all she needed. We finally got home on the following Sunday and she's now doing wonderfully.

Throughout all of this I have been expressing my breastmilk to give to her so she has the best....but I think that's a whole other blog post.

Getting into a routine & the Toothbrush Theory

2011-08-23T17:48:00.000+01:00

I have been trying to get into some sort of routine since I moved in with hubby over 5 years ago. In my head the perfect routine sees me getting up at the same time every day, being organised, having a clean & tidy house, not rushing or losing things, meeting deadlines, not missing birthdays...in short, being a perfect wife, friend, woman and (soon to be) mum.

I have failed totally so far.

I am pretty organised in work an dam good at meeting deadlines. I do keep my house generally clean and tidy, but it's never effortless. I don't often miss birthdays, but tend to rush out last minute to grab a card. With the baby on the way (very very soon) there is a lot of talk of routine. Feeding, sleeping, washing, cleaning. And I am beginning to panic about how I am going to manage.

I am not the tidiest of people. I'm not in the habit of putting stuff away when I'm done with it - unless I know exactly where it needs to go and that it's not too far away! And this has been a bit of a break through for me.

With the imminent arrival we have been racing to make changes to the house so that its ready. This has included re-decorating the bathroom, the hall & stairs, the nursery and a new living room carpet. So It is diificult to keep on top of cleaning and tidying when you're constantly moving stuff around and making a mess. But when we finished the bathroom it looked so lovely that I made a pact to keep it clean and tidy. I make sure I wipe down the bath and shower when I've used it and give the whole place a scrub on a Sunday. This is just a little routine, but it's a start. So far I have stuck to it.

The other thing I did was to make sure that everything in the bathroom has a place, including the cleaning stuff I use, and that it is easy to get out and put back when I'm finished. A little thing I know, but I am amazed at the difference this has made for me. No longer do I put off cleaning because it's too much effort to go downstairs to get what I need. (I know it's a crap excuse, but it was generally enough for me to leave it a day or two!)

Just after I had started my new routine I came across this book in the library:

Banish Clutter Forever: How the Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life

In short, the theory behind this book is that you never misplace or lose your toothbrush because you always use it in the same place, you know where it needs to go back to, and it is easy to do. So why not do this to the rest of your house?

Simple, but genius! And was just the principle I was working on. I am still reading this book and working my way round the house sorting out and finding places for everything to live, but I feel like I am making progress. Finally! I feel like I could be as organised at home as I am at work. I could be one of those people who knows exactly where everything is, looks effortless all the time and doesn't spend all weekend catching up on cleaning the house.

My garden in July

2011-08-14T16:39:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while to show off the lovely veg (& animals) that we have growing in our garden, especially as we have been enjoying the fruits of hubby's labour for a good few weeks now. I'm going to let the photos do the talking (with the help of some captions).

New Potatoes
We had these back in June within about 3 hours of them being pulled.

Veg Basket
Contains globe courgettes, baby yellow courgettes, rhubarb & green chillies - all grown by hubby.

One of the new chickens

Dally admiring herself in the mirror

Dally the Duck - I love this photo. :)


Green Tomatoes Hoping for some sun to turn them soon.

Sweet Peas

Loads of Runner Beans

Beautiful Courgette Flower
Really wanty to try cooking with them, but they never seem to be ready at the right time

Sprouts
Getting ready for Christmas

Silent Sunday #3

2011-08-14T10:41:00.000+01:00

34 Weeks

2011-08-07T09:58:00.000+01:00

I know I say this a lot - but I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. In about 6 weeks I will be meeting Fidget. It does feel like I have been pregnant for a long time, but it has flown. I am so excited and really can't wait to meet the little one - but we still have so much to do in the house before we would ideally bring him or her home!

The nursery is nearly done. It's painted, carpeted and has a cot. I am hoping to move in a few bits of furniture today, and then do a bit of decorating - adding shelves and finishing touches.

The bathroom is done except for one piece of skirting that needs a quick coat of glosss.

Our stairs have been re-carpeted.

The landing carpet has been ripped up, and the skirting needs glossing before the new carpet goes down. And we have ordered a new living room carpet too. With a bit more glossing to do.

As we have been moving rooms around most of upstairs needs a good sort out & a lot of stuff needs to be thrown or put away. But as I am planning to work up until the end I'm really not sure how much I'll get done. I am trying hard not to let it get to me (and to be fair, should probably be getting on with it, rather than blogging about it) but I am finding it more difficult than I expected to just get on with things.

Generally I feel really well. I can't really remember the last time I had a full night's sleep, and to get more than 5 hours a night is an achievement, which does build up and I get a bit emotional every now and then. But with the extra weight, swollen feet and aching back I just can't do as much as I could pre-pregnancy. Cleaning the bathroom leaves me out of breath and exhausted. I spent 2 hours in the kitchen making dinner yesterday and had to sit down for half hour when I'd finished. So I have to take it a bit easier.

I have now started packing my hospital bag, but I'm still not really sure what I need to take with me. There are so many lists online, some include just the bare essentials, others seem list everything including the kitchen sink!

It's all getting close now. I have at least one appointment or ante-natal class every week between now & EDD, including a scan, midwife appointment and consultant, so the weeks are going to just fly by.

Boy or Girl? The guessing continues....

2011-07-27T18:17:00.000+01:00

We visited hubby's Aunt Julie last week and the first thing she said was 'Give me your hand....' she then got a needle thread and held it over my palm. We had to watch to see if the needle went round in circles or back and fore..... the result? The needle went round in circles, which apparently means I'll be having a little girl.

I had a scan this week too, and while I was there the sonographer wanted to practice her 4D scanning skills as they had a great profile shot of baby. Obviously I said Yes! It was amazing to see little Fidget's face, and now I keep being told it must be a girl because it looks like me. :)

We have decided that s/he seems to have a Davies nose....which may not be a great thing. ;)

The Results so Far

Girl: 5 - Boy: 3

If you know of any other predictors I can try, let me know!

The Novel in the Viola [Book Review]

2011-07-26T08:03:00.000+01:00

I have recently finished reading my third book from the Richard & Judy book club - The Novel in the Viola
by Natasha Solomons.

Started: 11th July 2011

Finished: 25th July 2011

Rating: 4/5

This wasn't a book I would have looked at twice if it hadn't been on the reading list, and it was the one I would have probably left til last if it hadn't been on offer at the till in WHSmith. I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but sometimes you just can't help it.

Despite all of that I really enjoyed this book! It's set during World War 2 about a girl called Elise Landau who is made to leave her home in Austria, where she is quite well-to-do, to become a serving girl in England.

I did come to really feel for Elise who had to leave her family and move to a strange place, and thought that Solomons really managed to bring all of the characters to life, without lengthy descriptions and back stories. The plot was slightly predictable in some places, but it didn't spoil it for me. I also thought the book ended well. I was not disappointed and nothing was left open or unanswered.

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This post is not sponsored. I am reviewing this book because I want to, however I do use an Amazon Associates link to display the book cover, so if you do fancy reading this book, a click on the link above would be appreciated. :)

'Babymoon' to Padstow

2011-07-23T06:54:00.001+01:00

About 3 weeks ago, hubby and I went to Padstow for a little stay to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary & get away from work and the stuff going on in the house. And to spend some time just the two of us chatting and planning life with baby.

We stayed in Molesworth Manor in Little Petherwick, which was less than 5 minutes drive from Padstow. It's a gorgeous little Bed & Breakfast, clean, quiet and very welcoming. The owners are lovely and there was plenty for breakfast, including homemade muffins every morning - and they had rooibos tea!! We would definitely recommend it, if you're ever planning to stay in that area.

Front of Molesworth Manor

I took the opportunity to use my camera a bit, although I didn't use it as much as I probably should have don, and even Matthew had a go. Here are my favourite photos.

Pescadou was the restaurant we ate in on our first night. We both had a lovely meal and was the start of Matthew managing to sample 14 different fish & seafood in 4 days! We had a lovely view, sitting in the window looking out over the harbour (marina?) and people watching.

Pescadou Restaurant in Padstow

View of the harbour/marina/boats

We did plan on trying Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, but were unable to book a table on our first night, though we were told we could just turn up and try to get a seat in the bar area. However we strolled passed it on our first day in Padstow and had a look at the menu and, to be honest, there wasn't a huge amount on it that I fancied and it was pricey. The two course lunch menu was £37 each.

We did find all of Rick Stein's other eateries - his bistro, cafe and fish and chip shop - and decided to try to get a table for lunch in his bistro. But first, Matthew wanted to sample his fish & chips. (I will say the chips were lovely!)


Matthew sampling fish & chips from Rick Stein's chip shop.

We visited the Lobster Hatchery & saw some HUGE lobsters....

....and some really tiny ones!

And we visited the Lobster Maternity Ward. (I really hope it's a bit different in Singleton!!)

Finally, here we are in Rick Stein's St Petroc's Bistro.

Yes, I did have a small glass of wine - with plenty of water!

Matthew's Scallop Starter - Mmmmmmm.....

I had a Pigeon Salad to start, and we both had 'Pasta alla Norma' for main course because it's a recipe Matthew made a few weeks previously and we wanted to see how it compare. Rick's was nearly as good as Matthew's .... ;)

I think this is my favourite photo of the trip.

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed. It was relaxing and we did very little - the most taxing part was choosing where to eat next. There are some gorgeous little shops (as well as some touristy tat) and it is a nice place to visit. I think we stayed a day too long, as we must have walked around the centre of Padstow at least 12 times. I am a little disappointed to didn't try a traditional Afternoon Tea, but we were usually having our afternoon nap by about 3pm. Though I did have some Vanilla Clotted Cream ice cream and Clotted Cream fudge - both were delicious!

Nautical Themed Bathroom (101 Things No. 86)

2011-07-17T10:07:00.000+01:00

After weeks of planning & doing our bathroom is now finished, and I think it looks great. Like a proper grown-ups bathroom. :)

Storage

Nautical decoration & driftwood from Padstow

Built in bath & new towels

The other end of the bath & the cross stitch that started it all

My lovely, huge shower

Sink & wooden accessories

View from the door

That's one thing crossed off my 101 Things list anyway.....

The Poison Tree (Book Review)

2011-07-10T09:53:00.002+01:00

Next on my Richard & Judy reading list was 'The Poison Tree' by Erin Kelly.

Started: 2nd July 2011

Finished: 10th July 2011

Rating: 4/5

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It's not one I'd have picked up under normal circumstances, but I'm glad I did.

The book is narrated by Karen Clarke and we get two stories running side by side. The present, where we know that Karen's partner is just coming home from a sentence in prison, and the past, where we hope to find out exactly what's happened.

The story is told in the present, with the past being told from Karen's perspective as she tries to explain how they got where they are now. The present is full of worry, secrets and paranoia, while the past is carefree & fun, re-living the main characters' summer just after university and before 'real life' takes over.

Throughout the whole book you know something has happened & that Karen has secrets, and the suspense is built up throughout. There are no particularly clever twists and turns, but I loved the way the story built and it made me want to keep reading.

I wasn't particuarly fond of any of the main characters, but am not really sure why....something just didn't click for me. I just felt a bit sorry for them.

I thought Erin Kelly did a great job & I will definitely read her next book.

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What I'll be reading in July

2011-07-05T21:06:00.003+01:00

I've been meaning to add to this blog meme by @muddleduck for a while and this month it ties in very nicely with my new found reading lists.

Here's what I hope to read in July.

I am currently reading this from Richard & Judy's list:

Next on my bookshelf is this, also from Richard & Judy's list:

I also have this half read on my iPhone that I would like to finish soon:

And I think that's more than enough for July! :)

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This post is not sponsored. However I do use Amazon Associates links to display the book covers, so if you do fancy reading these books, a click on the link above would be appreciated. :)

Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe (Book Review)

2011-07-05T17:52:00.003+01:00

When I get the chance I am a prolific reader. So I did manage to read this book in 2 days while on a break to Padstow with hubby.

Started: 29th June 2011

Finished: 30th June 2011

Rating: 5/5

'Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe' is the story of how Issy sets up her own cake shop after being made redundant from her job. It includes all that you'd expect from a 'chick lit' book - man troubles, pushy best friend, annoying adversary & the 'will she, won't she' vibe.

It is very easy to read & a complete contrast to 'When God was a Rabbit'. I very much enjoyed the story, largely because I would love to set up my own cupcake shop.

Every chapter starts with a recipe, all sound delicious, either handed down to Issy from her Grandpa Joe or written by Issy or her friends. The recipes written by her grandfather have a real bittersweet tone as she is trying to capture the details while he can still remember then.

I really identified with the main character & could align all of her friends with people I know. It's a good, easy, summer read. One I would definitely recommend...especially if you like baking.

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Boy or Girl?

2011-07-04T08:05:00.000+01:00

Let's play a little game.

My little one is due in just over 10 weeks (Eeeek!!) and while I don't want to know what the sex will be, I can't help being curious. My daydreams and dreams tend to be equally split between dressing our daughter in pinafore dresses and playing with Slyvanian Families, and dressing our son in dungarees and playing with Lego.

The general consensus at the moment is that I will be having a little boy. Hubby is adamant it's a boy and everyone who looks at me says 'Boy!' I think I am not at the point where I'll be a little surprised if it is a girl and have taken to calling Fidget 'he'.

I have found a few online predictors and old-wives tales that claim to tell you what the sex will be, so as a bit of fun here are the results so far!!

Chinese Birth Predictor
Source: www.goodtoknow.co.uk

Result: Girl
Why: I'll be 29 when baby is born, and he/she was conceived in December.

Source: http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/genderpredictor/
Result: Boy
Why: I was 28 at conception in December.

Baby's Father's Family
Source: www.goodtoknow.co.uk/
Result: Boy
Why: Apparently it's as simple as looking at your husband's siblings. More brothers = son, more sisters = daughter. Hubby has 2 brothers & 1 sister.

Boy or Girl Quiz
Source: www.goodtoknow.co.uk
Result: Girl
Why: Answered mostly b's (8 out of 14)

Source: www.babycentre.co.uk
Result: To close to say!
Why: based on quiz answers.

Cravings
Source: Old Wives' Tale
Result: Girl
Why: I've been craving sweet stuff over savoury.

Bump position
Source: Old Wives' Tale
Result: Boy
Why: Bump is low and 'all front'

The Results so Far

Girl: 3 - Boy: 3

When God was a Rabbit (Book Review)

2011-06-29T21:00:00.003+01:00

With my new found reading list I'm planning to review the books I read. Partly for me, for friends and to practice my writing.

So, here's my review of 'When God Was a Rabbit' by Sarah Winman.

Started: 25th June 2011, Finished: 29th June 2011

Rated: 3/5

Read while in Padstow for our 3 year wedding anniversary get away.

'When God was a Rabbit' is the debut novel by Sarah Winman about a girl, Elly, and her brother, Joe, and their journey growing up together. The synopsis says that 'it's a book about love in all it's forms.'

I did struggle to get into this book as I found the writing quite stilted & different to what I usually read. The author kept dropping hints as to what was to come & left a lot to be assumed, which left me wondering if I'd got the right end of the stick. I did persevere with it & I did enjoy, but it's not one I would read again.

I don't feel I connected with the main characters and couldn't seem to keep up with how old Elly, the narrator, was meant to be. However I would love to have read more about the secondary characters - Nancy, Arthur, Charlie & Ginger, and even get a bit more of the back story from the parents.

There were some strange parts in the book that I didn't quite 'get'. The story about the 50 pence, the Womble, Elly's strange meet up with a nameless guy... I'm trying to be vague in case in you haven't read it yet.

This sounds like a negative review, I know, but I enjoyed the story & the tie-ins with real life events, such as 9/11. (Although, again, we don't really know what happened to Joe during that time.)

It was quite different to what I usually read & I can appreciate why it was chosen for the reading list. I'm glad I read it.

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Richard & Judy Book Club

2011-06-25T07:51:00.001+01:00

I've been in a bit of a reading rut the last few months, tending to pick up books with a vampire theme or trying to read some that hubby has read. The vampire ones all get a bit 'samey' after a while (and while I am enjoying Charlaine Harris' True Bood series, I want something a little different) and I just do not have the same taste in books as hubby.

So I went in search of a list of books to read, something to focus on. Maybe a '100 books to read before you die' type list but found that they were full of classics and while I have nothing against the classics (and I have read a few of them) it's not what I want right now.

I found the Richard & Judy Book Club and as well as a list of summer reading they also have a list of 100 books of the decade. Which is a bit more up to date and has books listed that I actually want to read.

I don't plan on reading them by a particular time but, as you know, I like my lists and this seems to suit.

If anyone else is reading these books let me know and come follow me on twitter for some book related chat.

I'm off to buy some books now.

(UPDATE: You can see my progress on the Book Club page above.)

Props make better photos

2011-06-17T16:26:00.001+01:00

Or at least that's what I'm coming to learn!

With my writing for Brew Drinking Thinkings I have been trying to take some magazine worthy photos of my food to accompany the recipes. Especially when our new vegan writer Aine came along with her beautiful photos that really do put mine to shame. Some of my favourite examples of Aine's photos on BDT are here, here and here. Or check out her blog for some more lovely photos (and recipes!).

So I started looking around the internet for some ideas and tips (other than spending some more time with my camera) on how to improve my photos. I found some beautiful food blogs as well as some handy blog posts. This post on Food Photography & Styling by @recipegirl left me the most to think about and action. And sent me on my shopping spree.

Here are a few of the items I have bought recently to accompany my recipes in their photos.

This is my new model, a bit naked at the moment, but soon to be adorned with tea cosies.

From top to bottom are: Duck egg blue then yellow placement, and a lavendar patterned tray.

Here are some plastic plates I bought.

Some 'vintage' table cloths I found on eBay

And I have 2 of these very cute tea cups and saucers, which could very well be the start of a new addiction...

Hopefully you'll see these items popping up on BDT in some beautiful photos. Oh, and if you do have any food styling tips or have written about food photography feel free to leave a comment below.

Crafty Time & Bathroom Inspiration

2011-06-08T20:54:00.000+01:00

While emptying out the room that will become our nursery, I uncovered a few forgotten cross stitch kits. Mainly ones that came free with magazines. So, looking for something a bit different to do in the evenings, I have been working my way through them.

The first thing I did was finish the one that had been started, probably back in June 2009 when I bought the magazine. Its quite pretty, I just need to get a frame for it & decide where it's going to go.

The second one I did ties in really nicely with what I want to do in our new bathroom.

Yes, I am going nautical. We had a really lovely, modern bathroom full of black slate and chrome, but the tiling job was a bit rubbish and we've had to start again, so I fancy something a bit brighter and more traditional. I'm going to take this cross stitch as my inspiration and look for sand coloured tiles for the floor, and an aqua colour for one of the walls. I can't wait to see it all finished...just hope it doesn't take too long.

Too much to do

2011-06-07T16:52:00.000+01:00

I am great at making plans & lists and getting organised. I am not so great at staying on top of things. Don't get me wrong, everything that needs to gets done, but usually last minute. I am also great at procrastinating. And making statements like 'I will blog once a week'.

But then I get annoyed that I haven't done it or haven't started or got distracted and instead of just getting on with it I put it off again or write another list or make a different statement. This then results in a longer list and no idea where to start.

We have lots to sort out before baby joins us. At home the bathroom needs decorating, nursery needs doing, office needs sorting. At work I'm trying to get processes in place for when I'm off. I want to sort out what I'm going to do with my cake business. I also want to spend some time for me being crafty (which ties in with the house decorating and sorting), writing for BDT, trying new cake stuff, blogging, seeing friends, and helping out at the rugby club.

On top of this we are trying to do it all on a budget (though I am quite enjoying being thrifty), while keeping on top of general housework and work, trying to work out exactly what we need for baby and I have discovered I just can't do as much as I'd like as I get tired, can't stand all day, can't sit all day, and bump gets in the way.

I am being careful not to add any promises to this post, but I am hoping it will kick start me into getting going and maybe not make me feel like I'm behind all the time. We have made good progress in the house sorting, it just looks like there's a lot more to do and all in less than 15 weeks!

I think I just needed a place to get some stuff off my chest....

25 Weeks

2011-06-04T08:34:00.000+01:00

Today I am 25 weeks pregnant. I have 15 weeks left to go. :)

Here's me & my bump at 22 weeks. I don't think it's grown much in the last 3 weeks.

I am so far enjoying my pregnancy. Yes, I have the occasional moan because I'm uncomfortable or I can't sleep or my clothes don't fit. But generally it's great. And I know how lucky I am. I have quite a few friends who are pregnant at the moment and they are all experiencing it differently. Some hate it, some are having health problems, some are so excited because it took them so long to get there.

So I know I'm lucky and intend to enjoy this as much as I can. I guess it's the last time I get to be a little bit selfish before everything becomes about the little one. And I can't wait!! :D

Silent Sunday #2

2011-05-22T13:47:00.000+01:00

Silent Sunday #1

2011-05-15T14:32:00.001+01:00

B is for Bra

2011-05-07T19:39:00.000+01:00

Taking a step back in Finishing School to fill in one of the gaps....B is for Bra. Being 21 weeks pregnant I have noticed quite a few changes in my body recently. My clothes, including my bras, not fitting being one. So I went to get measured for maternity bras.

I went to Marks & Spencers and the lady I dealt with was lovely. She explained that I didn't need maternity bras yet as I was likely to increase again (!!) but pointed out some bras that will fit now and will cope with a little more growth so I won't need to buy more than I need to.

From my small (but perfectly formed) 32A bras, I have gone up to a 34B. This was quite a shock to me, and explains why my bras were so uncomfortbale. But I feel so much better now & I was amazed at the difference it has made. I will definitely be going back when I need to get some maternity bras and will make a point of getting measured regularly.

Again, Lottie, thanks. :)

Royal Wedding Panini Sticker Swap - UPDATED

2011-04-29T08:22:00.007+01:00

Image from : http://www.paninionline.com/

I used to love the Panini sticker albums & collecting the sticker albums. So when I saw they had released one for the Royal Wedding I thought it may just be grown up enough for me to pick it up. Unfortunately I am yet to find anyone else who is collecting the stickers & I now have a number of doubles I'd like to swap.

If you are collecting and would be interested in a swap, leave a comment below or get in touch on Twitter (@rhiandaniel).

Doubles:
1, 8, 16, 20, 31, 33, 47, 48, 52, 68, 73, 78, 83, 84, 98, 99, 102, 109, 110, 113, 114, 125, 126, 129, 130, 136, 146, 150, 163, 176, 179, 180, 181, 183, 207, 210, 222, 232, 234, 236

Stickers I need:
2, 4, 5, 14, 17, 22, 35, 43, 46, 55, 65, 71, 72, 74, 76, 77, 79, 93, 96, 100, 103, 104, 115, 116, 119, 120, 131, 133, 134, 141, 154, 155, 156, 162, 165, 166, 168, 171, 173, 174, 175, 177, 193, 194, 195, 196, 201, 202, 203, 204, 212, 214, 218, 221, 224, 225, 226, 233, 235, 237, 238, 240

Updated: 15th May 2011
Going down...

M is for .... Moisturise

2011-04-13T16:34:00.001+01:00

Yes, that's right. Three posts in 2 days! :) As L is for... had no particular week long challenge I figured I had time (& inclination) to move on to the next one without feeling too bogged down.

This weeks challenge is to Moisturise. I go through phases when I moisturise all the time, and I do notice how much better my skin is....or rather I notice how bad it feels when I haven't been taking care of it. This post does come at quite a good time as I am very close to finishing my moisturiser and need to buy a new one, and new products always make we want to use them more. I'm also a bit guilty of buying cheaper products, rather than spending on quality. So this is a good opportunity to go and buy a decent moisturiser. Any recommendations would be great!

I do tend to moisturise my face once a day, usually before bed. I have been using different day and night moisturiers from Avon. The night one being more of a gel which I do really like and is probably why I moisturise at night more than in the morning.

I moisturise my body after a bath or shower. I was bought a coconut cream for my birthday that smells lovely and is really soft. My hands have gone incredibly dry lately, so I have been mositurising them once or twice a day lately, using whatever handcream I can find as I have different ones in my bag, around the house and at work.

For those following my Finishing School progress, you may remember that on the E is for Eyes challenge I said I would make an effort to put on eye cream. Well, this didn't last as long as I'd have hoped, mainly because I didn't like the eye cream I was using. So I am also going to buy myself a new eye cream and use it every day.

I do wonder though, do I need to buy an eye cream & moisturiser that complement each other? Or does it not matter? Is it better to get different moisturisers for day and night? Feel free to dish out advice!

L is for .... Ladylike

2011-04-12T19:34:00.000+01:00

Slowly catching up with Lottie's Finishing School! This challenge is all about being Ladylike, and luckily it's an 'easy' one. Here's what Lottie said:

All you need to do is think and give a little thought to being ladylike.

Think about your own behaviour. Are you ladylike all the time? Do you have a lady like image? If you don’t, what can you change to improve that?
Think of a woman from the past or present that you admire. What do you admire about her? Is she ladylike? If so, what makes her ladylike? What is it about her behaviour and look that you like?

Lottie defines being ladylike as:

Holding yourself with good posture and confidence.
Be well presented - always.
Move gracefully.
Use pleasant language.
Use good manners & have good grace.

I don't consider myself to be particularly ladylike or un-ladylike. Just somewhere a bit in the middle, I guess.

My posture could be better - although being pregnant now I sense it could be a bit unbalanced at the moment. Confidence-wise I am getting better. I spend more time looking up than at the floor and I am definitely much better than I was even just a year ago.

I do make much more of an effort with my appearance since starting the finishing school, and it does make a difference I know I keep going on about it! But tough, this is my blog. ;) But I also have days when I want to be comfortable. I am struggling a bit at the moment to be well-presented all the time as a lot of my clothes already don't fit, so I'm living in leggings at tunic tops or wrap dresses - and my harem pants that are just so comfortable...but probably not something Princess Diana would have been seen in.

Move gracefully....quick side note, you're going to notice a lot of pregnancy related excuses over the next few months, just so you know..... I wear my Uggs a lot at the moment, and favour flat shoes, which don't help with graceful movement. But with summer round the corner, the Uggs will be taking a back step and I'll do my best to look graceful - with a bump.

I do swear a lot. However, I have already make a promise to myself to cut it down because of Fidget (see, not all pregnancy excuses are to get out of doing stuff!) so I am hoping to do better. I never swear in writing, so there's not really any excuse for speaking it either.

I do like to think I have good manners - except when it comes to writing thank you cards. I am a bit lazy with that. But I always say please and thank you. However, I know that because I am small and feel the need to be over assertive at times this can sometimes come across as aggressive. So I do need to tone down on that a bit.

Ok. Someone I admire.

Kylie Minogue. Because she always comes across well in interviews, she speaks well and is graceful and confident, sexy, successful and always looks amazing.

17 Weeks

2011-04-12T19:06:00.000+01:00

I thought it was time I posted a little pregnancy update. I am now 17 weeks (& 3 days) pregnant. Time has actually gone pretty quickly. It really doesn't feel like it's been 5 weeks since I had my scan, and the half way mark seems to be really close all of a sudden.

But I am SO excited.

Now that it's all sunk in and I've got used to the idea, I can't wait to meet Fidget and see what he or she is going to be like.

I am feeling great at the moment. The tiredness seems to have passed (I was up past 11:30 last night & up at 7am and feeling fine). I am eating really well - 3 good meals a day, plus healthy snacks - and some not so healthly, but I reckon baby needs that too. :) I love my fruit and veg at the moment and drink plenty of water. I have pretty much cut out the caffeine, with the exception of 1 cup of tea or coffee if I don't have any de-caff. Haven't had any alcohol since the end of January. I'm not doing a huge amount of exercise as I'm not entirely sure what I can do, though I do have a pregnancy yoga DVD to try out.

I do have a bump. It varies day by day, but has been a lot more consistent in the last few days, and I am sure I felt a flutter on Saturday. I can't wait until I can feel baby moving.

So, yeah. I'm pretty happy right now. :) Cakes are going really well and I have a new idea I'm looking at, which hopefully I'll be launching in May. We've finally started work on the house and I'm really hoping the bathroom will be finished by Easter. Plus we're making progress sorting out upstairs so we can get into what will be the nursery. We're also turning our spare room into a guest room & study so that I have somewhere to go and write for Brew Drinking Thinkings and stay on top of my cake accounts, and Matthew has somewhere to write too.

Now, time for some homework....

K is for Kit

2011-04-06T15:35:00.000+01:00

I am so behind on Lottie's Finishing School...but feel like I have some time to get back on track. So, starting where I left off, here is my response to 'K is for...'

This challenge is all about getting organised so that it's easier to be feminine and fabulous each and every morning. You may remember that back in September last year I (or rather hubby) set up a walk-in wardrobe and dressing table for me to use. Well, it doesn't quite look like that anymore! So it was definitely time to sort it all out. All my make-up, brushes, hair stuff was all thrown into the drawer and I couldn't see what I had let alone find what I wanted to use.

Here is my table before:

Today I have spent some time to empty and go through my make-up drawer so that it now contains my (organised) essentials. Enough to get me going in the morning and ready for bed at night. But with all my other make up and nail varnish stored in a box under my table for when I have time to search for something a bit different for a big night out.

Here is my table now:

Home Made Vanilla Extract

2011-03-22T20:39:00.000Z

Vanilla extract is one of the key ingredients in my cakes. It gives them a bit of a lift. However, it is also the most expensive ingredient. So, while I was looking online to find what other options may be available, I found some instructions on making your own vanilla extract.

I combined the general ethos and quantities from a few sources (see list below) and decided to make my own!

Photo Taken: 13th March 2011

In the jar above are 5 and a half vanilla pods (because we'd used half of one that day for another recipe) and 280ml of vodka. Make sure the vanilla pods are completely covered, then leave the jar for about 8 weeks in a cool, and preferably dark, place. Make sure to gently shake the jar about once a week.

And that's it!

Just 3 days later, this is how my vanilla extract is looking:

Photo taken 16th March 2011

Look at the colour already & it smells amazing! Vanilla extract can also be made with Rum, which I imagine would give amazing flavour to fruit cakes, or even rich chocolate cakes. That will be added to my to do list! :)

Here are some of the sources I discovered on which I based my extract experiment:

Brew Drinking Thinkings

2011-03-17T18:36:00.001Z

Remember I said I would be blogging for another blog? Well ... I am one of the food writers for Brew Drinking Thinkings. :)

Brew Drinking Thinkings, or BDT to those in the know, is a magazine style uber-blog compiled by some of the best blogging greats from around the web. The aim is to create a central hub where women who don't get a lot of time due to work or parenting, for example, can get the best of the blogosphere and the internet in one place. Features will also include craft classes, service booking systems and shops as well as articles and feature posts.

The blog launches on Monday, 21st March and will cover a huge range of topics from some amazing bloggers. I hope you will join us all on Monday, and in the meantime you can stay up to date on progress on the BDT Facebook page and follow BrewDrinkThink on Twitter.

Making a Gingerbread House...it's not as easy as it looks!

2011-03-15T20:07:00.001Z

The latest table for the Oui Chef challenge over on Beckicklesie is Hansel & Gretel. There are so many things that I could blog about, unfortunately being so tired at the moment, I haven't had the chance to get into the kitchen. It did however remind me of when my neice & I decided to make a gingerbread house.

After all - how difficult could it be?!

Well. I thought I'd make a headstart by making the gingerbread dough so we could get stuck straight in to the rolling & cutting out. Not an easy task in itself! We then made some glue to stick the house together, and unfortunately had a bit of an accident with the front panel of the house.

My neice got to work sticking the sides together, and we got the roof stuck on too. It was all going pretty well, even though the gingerbread pieces had warped somewhat while cooking. I had a huge array of sweets, and we got cracking on sticking everything we could to the house.

The fizzy rainbow belts made great roof tiles, and Jelly Tots helped to create a 'feature' of our little accident. We also filled the house full of packets of sweets and lollies. Here you can see how much the pieces had warped, although we decided it added a bit of character to the house.

Here is the back side of the house:

And here is where it all started to go wrong. The glue clearly couldn't take the added weight of the sweets and the roof started slipping. Luckily it stayed together long enough to take it to show Nana & Granddad, before collapsing in a heap. Although I can't say that my neice was partculary upset at having to eat the wreckage! :)

We did have some advice from Granddad, a carpenter by trade, for when we next make a house.....Gingerbread joists!!

We did have a fab day though and we laughed a lot. We have also set a date to have another go during the Easter holidays, so if you have any good glue, or gingerbread joist recipes, please leave them below. :)

13 Weeks

2011-03-12T16:57:00.000Z

Yes, I know! I've been a bit rubbish. But I do have an excuse.

I'm 13 weeks pregnant. :)

Everything I tried to write I had to keep deleting because I didn't want to say anything, and I've just been so tired that I really haven't had the energy to blog. Thankfully I had my scan and all was well, and tiredness seems to be passing, so I'm hoping to get back on track.

We have loads to do before little one arrives and I have started today. Unfortunately it means sorting one room out so we can move stuff from another room into it, and so on, so it's going to be a slow process. But it will be great to have it done.

I don't really have a massive amount to say today. But I'll be back again soon. Promise!

I'm back!

2011-02-26T13:08:00.000Z

Hello.

Yes I am still alive!

I can't believe it's nearly March. The last few (6) weeks have been a bit bizarre for a number of reasons I won't go into right now. One of the biggest changes is my decision to go part-time at my 'day job'. Starting now.

I have been thinking about it for a while, as it would give me more time to focus on my cakes especially as the business is growing, so I need to spend time doing some planning. I'm hoping it will also give me a bit more incentive as I'll have to start making money to subsidise my wage (or pay for holidays & treats).

I am really excited about it, as it will also give me a chance to spend more time blogging and knitting, to spend more time learning cake techniques and get to grips with my beautiful new camera (Canon EOS 550D). There's also bits and pieces that need doing in the house and not being restricted to doing this on weekends and evenings will make a difference.

So, that's what I've been up to. It's going to be different & quite a change. I am going to need to be very organised. But there are so many opportunities! Maybe I can start selling knitting. I want to try posting cakey treats (I'm sure my sister in London will be happy to help me test). I also need to set up an office space to manage all my admin, calendar, blogging etc.

Have I also told you I'll be blogging for another blog? Not sure how much I can say about it yet, but it's baking & home-cooking related, and something else I need to stay on top of.

Also need to play catch up on Lottie's Finishing School - have been a pretty bad student lately! ;)

So, as you can see I have loads to be getting on with! :D Wish me luck!!

This little piggy.... Bento Box

2011-01-18T19:25:00.002Z

Two things have resulted in this post. Number 1 was @RockSaltUK reminding me about the magic that is Bento and the Oui Chef challenge over on @beckicklesie blog being all about pig meat... and I couldn't resist combining the two!

I'd been trying to come up with a theme for a fun bento, and pig seemed ideal.

So, top layer consisted of:
- Sushi Rolls with a ham centre
- Ham & Sweet Chilli Cheese Rolls (see how to make them below)
- Formed sushi rice topped with ham & cucumber (the oblong shaped bits)
- Pig Onigri (or Japanese Rice Balls stuffed with chopped olives)
- Soy sauce (in little pig shaped bottle)
- Grapes
- Japanese Rice Crackers

The Onigiri is sushi rice, formed into balls thanks to the recipe over at Just Hungry, found via this post on RockSalt's blog.

The bottom layer was a lovely Japanese Pork & Ramen Noodle Salad - recipe below.

Ham & Sweet Chilli Philly Rolls
To make the rolls, get a slice of medium cut white bread, remove the crusts and roll it out until it's quite thin, and mor eof a dough texture than fluffy bread. Spread the flattened bread with the philadelphia (or other soft cheese) and make sure it's covered edge to edge. Lay a slice of ham on top, leaving a gap of about 1 cm on the edge furthest away from you. Roll the bread, starting with the edge closet to you in a tight spiral - the cheese on the ham free edge should help to seal it. Trim either end (and taste!) then cut the roll into 3.

Japanese Pork & Noodle Salad
Take 100g pork steak and marinade in 1tsp minced ginger, 2tbsp soy and 1tbsp mirin. (Marinade is based on this one on Just Bento's forums) I left it for about 30 minutes. Then chop (if you haven't already) and fry in a little bit of oil until cooked. Leave to cool.
Boil a pint of vegetable stock in a saucepan and add ramen noodles (I used about half a bundle) and cook for 4 minutes. In the last minute add 2 sliced spring onions and some torn lettuce leaves. I used about 4 little gem leaves. When the noodles are done, drain and rinse under cold water to chill.
When the pork is cold mix with the noodles. I ate mine cold, but I'm sure they'd work fine heated up again too.

From Tuesday to Saturday : My 29th Birthday Celebrations

2011-01-18T18:23:00.000Z

I have had an awesome birthday this year. It can sometimes be a bit lack-lustre so soon after Christmas. No one has money or is detoxing, but this year was different somehow.

TUESDAY

My birthday was on Wednesday, but as hubby had darts we decided to start on Tuesday evening with a meal in Hanson's at the Chelsea Restaurant in Swansea, with my parents. It's a lovely, small cafe type place, that serves the most amazing food. Andrew Hanson is reowned for his fish and I will always, without fail order scallops. Except this time they weren't available (gutted!) but I had a Crab & Smoked Salmon Tian which was beautiful.

Starter was accompanied by:

Main course was Gower Lamb 3 Ways which consisted of a lamb chop, lamb noisette with stuffing and a mini shepherds pie. Each piece was so different and tasted divine, each showed the lamb off so well.

Main course was accompanied by:

As it was my birthday, I had to have a pudding.....white chocolate torte. Yum!

with a dessert wine...

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was my actual birthday, and I had some lovely clothes, a new cake tin and season 6 of Lost - among other things. But the thing that made me smile the most was this FAB card Matthew got for me. Love it!

Didn't really do much - went to work & then to local pub to watch hubby play darts (the joy!)

THURSDAY

Another quiet day, but I couldn't resist buying myself a little present with my birthday money:

FRIDAY

We invited my parents around for dinner to try out the some recipe in our new Atul Kochar book - Fish Indian Style. Hubby was cooking, so I was in charge of laying the table. Isn't it beautiful? :)

We had Martinis (my first ever - not really sure what I thought of it!)

Starter was 'Scallops 3 Ways' with a grape and mint salad - and it was gorgeous!

Main course was monkfish & char in a coconut sauce with mango, rice and home-made chapatis. All very tasty, but I forgot to take photos.

SATURDAY

Saturday night 14 of us went bowling. Being part of a rugby club we have a large (fab) group of friends but as the boys are usually playing (or watching) rugby on a Saturday it can be difficult to get them to leave the rugby club...apparently bowling is the answer!

Here are my super cool and trendy bowling shoes
(yes, I have size 3 feet, so always get the ones with velcro!)

And here is a very blurry shot of my velvet party dress. Bought from Miss Selfridge for £5. Bargain!

And if that's just turing 29 I can't wait to see what happens next year! ;)

Juggling & Me-time

2011-01-13T19:12:00.000Z

After a little break, Lottie has returned with the next installment of her Finishing School - K is for.... this reminded me, that I hadn't posted about the challenge set back in November for J yet. So, here goes.

J is for Juggling and Lottie talks about all the roles women take on, from career to mother, to wife, to domestic goddess, friend... and the challenge is this :

"You must make YOU the priority for one week. Give up something and spend at least 30 minutes of that time, each day, for a week, doing something you enjoy."

I consider myself lucky, in that I do get to spend time on my hobbies, whether that's knitting, reading or cross stitch, I can spend an hour painting my nails and getting ready to go out.

I do have a full time job, a have set up a part time cake making business, I do a lot of work for my local rugby club & have a husband, pets and house to look after. (Though hubby does make it very easy for me! :)

In theory, this challenge is done.

But over the last few months I have been thinking more and more about where I am and where I want to be in 5 years time....if I don't win the lottery in the meantime....so I have decided to set my own little challenge for next week and to put 30 minutes aside each day for my future. I have always been a bit rubbish with money & am finally in a position where I can start saving, this has left me feeling very grown up all of a sudden (must be turning 29) so I am going to start being a grown up and take more responsibility for my future. I am going to start a plan.

Wish me luck!

Happy Houmous Bento

2011-01-08T09:59:00.001Z

The new year has seen hubby return to his WeightWatchers diet & after all the crap we've eaten, I have been getting back into healthy eating. So, when RockSaltUK reminded me about the wonder that is bento, I thought it was a greact chance to try it again.

I did have a go in May last year, when I first heard about it from another twitterer (will post username, when I remember it - sorry!). Here was my first effort:

Tea & Cake Bento

It wasn't all that inspiring / imaginative or tasty, but it was a start. Bit of a false start as it turned out as I haven't done anything since.

Just before Christmas, when perusing the pound shops for cheapy decorations I came accross a 2-tiered lunchbox that I thought maybe someday come in handy, as it turns out it's perfect for bento & a good size for me.

Layer one (bottom) I filled with stir-fry veg, topped with ham and a handful of prawns, then made a dressing with olive oil, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey & sweet chilli sauce to drizzle over the top.

The top layer included a pot of salt & pepper houmous (with smiley face drawn on top), carrot sticks, olives, grapes & lettuce.

It's very basic for a bento, but it was very late. However, it did make me smile (and my workmates laugh a little) when I opened it for lunch. It's also very healthy and makes you think about adding different coloured veg to make it look more attractive.

One thing you may or may not know about me, is that when I decide to try something I like to go and buy stuff. I decided to take up running so bought a book & heart rate monitor (no idea why!), when I started crochet I bought books and loads of different sized hooks. So, naturally deciding to start bento I have ordered a few 'necessities' to make it better. Hear are some of my favourites:

Hat Picks (Image from www.casabento.com)

Jungle themed sauce bottles (Image from www.casabento.com)

Penguin Mayonnaise Case (Image from www.jlist.com)

See - how cute are my lunches going to be now?! :)

A little bit of link love for RockSaltUK as I am jumping on her bandwagon a little bit, go and see her blog at http://rocksaltuk.wordpress.com/ for what promises to be the Year of Bento.

No New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-05T12:01:00.022Z

Happy New Year!

I can't believe another year has passed and in 1 week I'll be 29.

Next year I'll be 30 - that's a bit crazy! :)

On my 'minilifestyle' blog I have posted about why I don't want to make any New Year's resolutions this year, and I think that my 101 Things list pretty much covers what I'd like to achieve this year, plus hubby has also made a list of his own that I am more than happy to help him achieve as it's mainly food & travel related.

I don't want to make any promises on this blog that I won't keep, however on my to do list is:

Update my 101 things list.
Catch up on Lottie's Finishing School.
Add to my flickr account.
Update my reading list.
Re-design my blog.

Here's to a great 2011. :)

#52 Learn about Wine

2010-12-09T21:18:00.000Z

My name is Rhian and I like a glass of wine. There, I said it!

I don't drink every night, but I will have a glass of wine more evenings than not. Sometimes with water or as a spritzer, and I am happy to just have the one glass.

One of my favourite quotes is:

"I love to cook with wine....sometimes I'll even put it in the food!"

And it's true. If I am cooking a nice meal, I'll get out my knife, chopping board, ingredients and a glass of wine. Mainly it will sit there until I've finished cooking, but there's always something missing if it's not there - especially on a Friday night.

My preference is white wine, but if the mood or food is right, I will have a glass of red and I do tend to use red wine rather than white in cooking.

Item number 52 on my 101 things list to to learn about wine. I know what I like and I enjoy finding new wines, but I don't think I could identify grape types and I can't pick out flavours or match with food (apart from the basic fish & chicken = white wine, red meat = red wine).

So, I have decided I will start to learn a bit more about wine. I'll blog about my findings partly to share with you what I learn, partly to record my progress and remind me what I've learnt. If you fancy joining me on my little quest let me know by commenting below or come and find me on Twitter.

Cheers!

Red Wine Risotto

2010-12-08T20:07:00.001Z

Ok, so it's not the most appetising of photos - but it tasted lovely! For those that don't know I have a list of 101 Things to do in 1001 Days. On this list is to cook every recipe in Rachel Allen's Home Cooking book.

I tried a version of Red Wine Risotto a few months back, but didn't have an chorizo, so thought we should try it again. Yesterday my copy of Eclipse (the third in the Twilight saga) finally arrived, so my friend (Mrs M) - who was as excited as me - and her husband came round for food & DVD watching. Boys in the kitchen making food, girls watching Edward & Jacob on the TV.

I was a little wary of the risotto (the first time I made it) as it brought back memories of trying to make a red wine sauce with cream when I was in uni...it did not go well! So I have limited my red wine in food to a bolognese sauce or Coq au Vin. However the feedback on the risotto was good. It does completely change the flavour and the chorizo gave it some extra depth. I would defnitely make it again and am happy to experiment with it in the future.

In case you don't know, the Oui Chef Table this month is Red Wine & Cinnamon. Hence the little lego dude below. :)

Countdown to Christmas

2010-11-30T21:56:00.000Z

As we have done the last few years, hubby & I have decided to have a sensible Christmas. Making presents, not spending a fortune, and generally trying to be thrifty. But I love Christmas - and am excited, so will try to post an update every day to let you know how our countdown to Christmas is going.

So, on Sunday (28 Nov) we bought a Christmas Tree - pre-lit! It's great. I put it up on Monday (30 Nov), which took 15 minutes rather than the usual 2 hours finding the right parts, clipping it all together, arranging the branches and then dancing round and round and round the thing to put the lights on! Anyway - here it is:

Then today I have started with phase 1 of decorations. This photo is taken with my new favourite app for iPhone : instagram.

I also have a bit of a thing for snowmen. Have been collecting them for a while, so here's a few of my favourites.

You shall go to the ball...

2010-11-24T20:29:00.000Z

OK, so, here's the deal. I am going to a charity dinner on Friday. it's black tie & there are going to be lots fo fabulously dressed ladies. I am not going to buy another dress to only wear once but can't decide on the ones I have - so it's over to you! :)

What do you think I should wear & how can I bling it up?

I will apologise for the very dodgy photos, but have loads to be getting on with tonight and you should be able to get the general idea from the pics.

Outfit #1 : Red dress from coast with embroidery detail.

Outfit #2 : Purple dress from Per Una

Outfit #3 : Black & White dress from New Look (Bargain - cost £3!!)

Outfit #4 : Skirt from Warehouse - not sure what top to wear with it.

What do you think?

New Meal a Week: Spicy Chicken Curry with Spinach

2010-11-21T10:29:00.000Z

After seeing Atul Kochhar on TV, I bought hubby his book Simple Indian: The Fresh Tastes of India's New Cuisine. It's excellent. We have made lots of the recipes and not one of them has disappointed. Some of the ingredients may need a bit of searching (or online shopping) but it's definitelty worth it. The recipes are easy to follow, the pictures are great and there are sample menus and ingredient descriptions.

Last night I made Palok Diye Tikha Murghi Kalia from the book. Translated as Spicy Chicken Curry with Spinach.

With it we had basmati rice & homemade chapatis. And it was gooood!

The chapatis were delicious and easy to make - just chapati flour & water, mix to a dough, leave for 10 minutes, then roll out & dry fry. Mmmm. Just buy some chapati flour and follow the recipe on the packet. :)

Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding

2010-11-21T10:17:00.002Z

I have a real issue with soggy bread. I can't touch it or look at it - let alone eat it. Makes me shudder just thinking about it... bleuch. This means I have never tried bread & butter pudding. I imagine it's much nicer than it sounds and isn't really just bread soaked in milk.....I hope!

My husband really loves bread & butter pudding, so being the good wifey that I am, and in the spirit of trying new things I made it for pudding. Hubby is on the Weightwatchers plan, so I found this recipe and thought I'd give it a go. However, I'm a bit of a bugger for changing recipes to suit, so while my pudding is based on the weightwatchers recipe, I have made a few changes to create one 'normal' pudding with vanilla & nutmeg and 1 chocolate version with Baileys. As baby puddings this recipe is ideal for trying new combinations without having to make one huge one that may not taste right.

Here's how I did it.

Get 2 ramekins and cut 6 circles of white bread using a patry cutter so that they fit nicely inside the ramekins.
Line the ramekins using fry-light butter spray (or real butter if you're not concerned about the calories!).
For the normal pudding, lightly butter one side of 3 of the bread rounds.
For the chocolate pudding, spread chocolate spread on one side of the remaining 3 rounds.
Put the chocolate rounds in one ramekin, all chocolate spread side up.

Chocolate rounds in ramekin

Put the buttered rounds in the other ramkin, butter side up, but put a few sultanas between each layer (I used 12g for one pudding).

Buttered rounds & sultanas in ramekin

Put 250ml skimmed milk (again, you could use semi-skimmed or whole milk, even a mix of milk & cream) into a saucepan with 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla sugar & bring to the boil.
Remove from the heat & allow to cool a little.
Beat 1 medium egg, then add the warm milk, and beat together.
Split this mix bewteen the 2 ramekins, making sure it goes down the sides of the dish.
Optional - add 1 tablespoon of baileys to the chocolate pud & sprinkle nutmeg on top of the normal pud.
Leave this to soak in (so you get really soggy bread) for a minimum of 3o minutes (I left mine for a few hours & it was fine.)
Heat overn to Gas Mark 5, 190 degrees C, 375 degrees F.
Put the ramekins into a roasting dish filled with hot water, so it comes about 2/3 of the way up the side of the pans.
Cook for 20-30 minutes until risen & golden brown.
Leave to stand (coz it'll be very hot!) and eat.

Blurry pic of Vanilla Bread & Butter Pudding

Finished Chocolate & Baileys Bread & Butter Pudding

My verdict? Well, it wasn't as bad as I expected! :) It tasted lovely and it definitely wasn't soggy bread. But there was just something not right about it. Having said that - I would try it again and the possible flavour combinations could definitely be interestng.

Hubby's verdict - It did taste nice, but wasn't as rich as a full-fat version! For those on the WeightWatchers plan, the Vanilla pudding worked out at 8 ProPoints.

Let me know if you do try these, especially with any other flavours. :)

Edited, 2nd December 2010: Oh my, have just found out that this post was a winner in the Beckicklesie Oui Chef Competition for November!! Am SOOO very excited. Thank you so much to Beckicklesie for selecting it!

Chocolate Cake Pops & a Cupcake Tower

2010-11-18T18:24:00.001Z

On the weekend I was asked to make a cupcake tower & cake pops for a friend's son's naming ceremony. The civil ceremony version of a Christening. So I made 50 each of chocolate fudge and vanilla cupcakes and cake pops, with a blue & white colour scheme. Although a little stressed (beacuse I left some of it til the last minute) I was really pleased with the way it turned out and had lots of compliments - which is always nice! Not many people in this part of the country (Swansea, South Wales) had come across cake pops, so it was very much a novelty and very well recieved.

This was a first for me in a few ways (hence worthy of a blog post!).

1. My first naming ceremony/christening cupcake tower.
2. My first cake pops order.
3. My first chocolate cake pops.

Cupcake Tower & Cake Pops

Vanilla & Chocolate Fudge Cake Pops

Close up of Cupcake Tower

Top of Cupcake Tower with Personalised 'S' toppers.

November is full of chocolate!

2010-11-18T13:51:00.003Z

This month over on the Beckicklesie blog, the Oui Chef Challenge theme is - Chocolate!

Wonderful! :) I bet there's a few things I can write about on this, so there's likely to be a few blog posts.

My husband has told me that I am a snob. And I'm quite happy with that in some ways. I like to own nice things, (can't always afford to, but I'd like to!) I like to eat good food, drink nice wine....but I also LOVE a bargain. Chocolate, I think, is a luxurious product, and one that doesn't always come with a high price tag!

I am a fan of chocolate, and am a bit of a sucker for packagaing, gimmicks, brand, marketing etc, so anything new or different I am more than happy to try out. Like the recent 'Screme Eggs' - Halloween themed Cadbury's Creme Egg, with a green 'yolk'.

I read a book called The Chocolate Connoisseur: For Everyone with a Passion for Chocolate which discusses how chocolate is made, types of chocolate, even how to taste it. In this book it mentions that one of the top chocolatiers in the world is based in Pisa, Italy - something I happened to find out just before going to Pisa!

This chocolate is made by Amedei and I made it my mission to go and find some of this chocolate. Which I did. And it was gooooood!

Now one thing the book says is that 'Chocolate Purists' only accept bars of chocolate as chocolate. Truffles etc, are not the same. And apparently white chocolate is not chocolate either - but I can't remember why right now...

This has turned into a bit of a rambling post, but I'm hoping it'll set me up for a few posts to follow.

To include (hopefully):

- My first chocolate cake pops
- My favourite chocolate bars
- Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding (recipe) (Added 21/11/2010)

vlogging

2010-11-09T17:12:00.000Z

Vlogging or Video Blogging means using a video as a blog post. It intrigues me. I am a big fan of social media, social networking, social marketing - whatever you want to call it - and really wish I had the time to really understand it. I love Twitter and Facebook, have finally set up a You Tube account. I'm on LinkedIn, goodreads.com, I have a digg and StumbleUpon account - but don't use them enough to really 'get it'.

I'm going off on a tangent a little bit...

Vlogging has been around for a while, but it's not something I've particuarly followed until recently. And I quite fancy having a go. There are a lot of people doing it, and I've done a bit of research looking at different styles, etc. I'd also like to do some quick videos for the web design company I work for.

My problem is this - will people be interested in what I have to say? What do I talk about? In some ways I figure if people are reading my blog (and yes, I do have the odd visitor every now and then) then there's not much difference between what I write about and what I'd vlog about. Right? Alternatively, if people aren't insterested then no one's going to watch them anyway, so I still have nothing to lose, right?

I guess it's going to come down to just doing it, have a go and see what happens.

Watch this space guys - you never know what may happen! But if you do have any advice on how to get started, or examples of your first vlog I'd love to see them! Post a comment below or send me a message on Twitter (@rhiandaniel)

Supporting TREAT Trust Wales

2010-11-08T20:26:00.000Z

In June of this year I recieved a phone call in work from a lady called Melanie who wanted me to do some work on a website for free. I admit that at first I was not overly impressed and didn't really want to get involved. We had already sponsored websites for Llys Nini, a local animal centre, Waunarlwydd RFC and The William King Educational Trust (of which my parents are patrons) and didn't feel we had time to get involved with another project.

However, Mel explained about TREAT and what their aim was and told me a little bit about herself, so I had a chat with my boss and we decided that if the time we could spare was enough to help them achieve what they wanted, then we'd go from there. So we arranged a meeting with Mel and Mike of TREAT and myself and a designer from work and off we went for lunch.

I spent a few hours with Mel and Mike and couldn't help but be impressed by Mel's drive and ambition. Despite being in a wheelchair following a motorbike accident when she was 15 and surviving cancer Mel was completely focused on raising £10 million to build a therapy centre in Swansea. Mel is an amazing woman, and an inspiration to many. She has written a book (Never Say Die
) and won a bronze medal in athletics for Wales.

Over the last few months working on the website with Mel, I have come to fully understand the project and the need for a centre like this in Wales. It is not aimed just at people with disabilities, it's for everyone and their families. For people living with cancer, for injured soldiers and sportsmen, for people suffering with diabetes, for anyone with - or without - a health issue. It is intended to provide a space that everyone can use regardless of ability, offering treatments that may not otherwise be available and providing support where NHS care finishes.

This is just a quick snapshot of what TREAT wants to do and there's plenty more information on their website: www.treattrust.org.uk

Mel's drive is contagious & has definitely rubbed off on me. Life is too short to not do what you want, to not have something to aim for. So - go for it, dudes!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T16:27:00.000Z

Today is Halloween - but as it falls on a Sunday we decided it would be best to celebrate it on a night when we didnt have work the next day. I've never been a huge fan of Halloween, didn't go Trick or Treat-ing as a child and don't like the fact that teenagers feel they can put on a mask, come to my house and expect sweets!

Last year hubby & I decided we would host a little gathering (fancy dress a must) to celebrate Halloween as there were a few friends we hadn't seen for a while and, well, it was just a good excuse. Everyone really enjoyed, and it saw the start of the 'Chilli-Off' between hubby and one of our friends, Mr M.

Anyway, here is a tiny selection of photos from this year's Halloween party.

Hubby's (rather happy) Pumpkin

My Vampire themed pumpkin

Yes - I event dressed up the bears! Bella (as Bella Swan), Edward (as a Mummy) & Sookie (as a Witch)

Matthew (my hubby) as Zombie Huw (long story)


Me - as The Evil Drinking Pixie (explanation below)

The Winning Charades Team

The Losing Charades Team

Ok - so - The Evil Drinking Pixie is a nickname I earned from friends of ours. I'm not going into details, but I thought it would be a good costume. I even made my own wings!

The charades was all horror movie related - and I'm sure we only lost because one of our team members kept giving points away....not that I'm bitter! We all took it well, but I was surprised at how the actions for ghoul, zombie, ghost, gremlin, demon all appeared to be the same. ;)

So Happy Halloween everyone! Hope you have a sppok-tacular time tonight, whatever you do!

Mum's Cooking!

2010-10-27T18:13:00.001+01:00

The first prompt for the Oui Chef challenge is: Mum's Cooking!

I am not a mum, but have borrowed and adpated many of my mum's recipes. I enjoy cooking, have no problem trying anything once but do have a tendency to just chuck stuff in a pan and hope for the best. I have always helped my mum out in the kitchen, whether measuring & mixing or washing up, but I never paid much attention to the actual recipes until I left for university and realised I had no idea what the 'secret ingredients' were for bolognaise, chilli, stew etc.

One of the big things I learned from both my parents was to just try it out, to experiment. Once you have the basis of a curry or chilli - try adding other stuff and see what happens. Carrots maybe, a different type of bean, even a touch of cocoa powder. My dad was a big fan of getting out a pan and adding whatever was in the cupboard (hence my tendency above!) - baked beans, crisps, tuna - most of the time it was quite awful, but sometimes it worked. So mum having a night out was a little hit and miss. ;)

The first recipe I remember my mum teaching me was spag bol. A great classic. Just before I left university. And then the most wonderful cheat in the world - how to turn bolognaise into chilli!! Genius! All it took was a bit of chilli powder and some kidney beans and all of a sudden 2 meals for the price of one.

The second meal was beef stew & dumplings. When I left for uni I was in halls with 5 other people and for the first few weeks we would all eat together. Each of us taking it in turns or pairing up with someone else. So I decided to make stew. I called my mum and wrote down the recipe then went shopping. What I hadn't realised is that stew does actually take a lot of peeling and chopping veg and a lot of time to cook, and I spent all day making this stew. Luckily for me, it turned out great and tasted nearly as good as my mum's! Nearly!

The 3rd recipe I have taken from my mum was always a Friday evening meal at home and one I didn't really bother with until I left university as for some reason, I would never think about it - Stroganoff! Beef fillet and mushrooms in a creamy mustard sauce, with saute potatoes and asparagus. It is such a simple dish, but so effect. It's quick, ideal for a dinner party and can be made with whatever you like. I'll post the method below, because I couldn't tell you quantities. I do it all by sight & feel, but every time it works out ok.

Basically, heat some oil in a pan, add onions and cook until soft and slightly golden. Add garlic and cook until also slightly golden in colour. Remove from the pan (add a little oil if needed) and put in whatever meat (or mushrooms) you want to 'stroganoff' and cook until you're happy with them. While the meat is cooking mix (about a small tub of) soured cream (althoug creme fraiche can work too) and 1 large teaspon of mustard, plus about 1/2 teaspon of cornflour in a separate bowl*. Put the onions and garlic back in then add a splash of maderia/masarla/sherry to deglaze the pan.When this has reduced to practically nothing, add your soured cream mixture, mix and heat through. Then serve!

* In theory, think about how much sauce you want at the end and make up this quantity. It will reduce slightly. The mixture at this point should not be thick - the flour is there just to stiffen the mixture a touch not thichen it as it can go very globby. << Technical speak! ;)

My final cookery tip is how to cook rice. This is the only way I have been able to cook rice without it going sticky (unless it's meant to be!). Boil plenty of water (the more, the merrier), add salt, put in the rice and LEAVE IT ALONE! Give it one QUICK stir to make sure its not sticking to the sides, but then just leave it. Time it according to whatever it says on the packet and don't touch it until it beeps. Then drain it and serve.

Enjoy - and if you do try the Stroganoff and have measurements please feel free to add them below. ;)

No. 82: Vegetarian Week [Done]

2010-10-26T12:58:00.000+01:00

So last week hubby & I decided that we would try to be vegetarian for a week. No particular reason really, just to see if we could do it & to save a bit of cash.

Hubby didn't manage the full week, but I'm not going to go on about it!

I did 'cheat' a little - at about 10pm on the Saturday night (we started on the previous Sunday). 10 of us had gone for a Chinese to celebrate a friends birthday. I was determined to stay veggie, but they had all of about 6 vegetable options, 4 of them containing fish. So, it was (very logically) pointed out to me that technically I had managed 7 days, from 10pm the previous Saturday to 10pm this Saturday....so I tucked into Spare Ribs, Aromatic Crispy Duck, Fillet Steak cantonese style, King Prawns, Chicken in Black bean & Special Fried Rice - not all to myself, obviously! :)

What did I learn from Vegetarian Week?

1. I 'could' be vegetarian, if I had to. I didn't miss meat - well, not until we went to The Brasserie in Swansea on the Friday night, where I know they do the best fillet steak. Again the menu consisted of about 3 veg starters and 6 main courses, but enough for me to choose from - they do, after all, specialise in meat and fish.

2. Not to make meat or fish the main ingredient of every dish. I love mushroom stroganoff, and made a great sweet potato curry.

3. I definitely could not be vegan. I ate a lot of cheese this week, and would have really struggled without cheese, milk, cream, eggs, etc.

4. That alcohol affects hubby a lot more on vegetarian week! Not sure if this is a fact of life, but he was definitely more tipsy this week than 'normal'.

5. It's a lot easier to get in your 5-a-day if that's all you eat. Obvious I know, but it hadn't really dawned on me before.

What I do it again? Definitely! I am not going to switch to a vegetarian diet but I am going to make an effort to eat less meat, more vegetables and fish. And we are going to try it again but adding meat to the diet.

Oui Chef: A(nother) challenge

2010-10-25T20:42:00.000+01:00

So apparently life isn't challenging enough and I need to seek out challenges to keep me on my toes. So far I am in the middle of Lottie's Finishing School and have started a 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge, which fetaures a few mini challenges. I have just finished Vegetarian Week, am trying to read 52 books in 52 weeks, trying to not buy clothes for 3 months ..... um ..... I think that's it for now!

Today I discovered beckicklesie.com and their Oui Chef Challenge. I love my food - so how could I not get involved?

First challenge is due end of the month - watch this space.

I is for .... IMAGE

2010-10-25T19:18:00.000+01:00

Lottie's next challenge it to look at our current image, write down what image we'd like to have and how to get there.

1. Write down 3 words that describe your image now.

Grey: because I tend to opt for dark, grey/black clothes. They are easy to match and I don't have to worry about standing out.
Quirky: this one I actually borrowed from a friend who once used it to describe my dress sense. I quite like it and want to keep the 'edge'. My sister, on the other hand, laughs because I try to match everything - but I put this down as another quirk. :)
Casual: I love my jeans and denim skirts, and often get told I'm too casual for work. I suppose this could also be described as sloppy . Often I will dress up only to leave the 'glamour' behind but wearing my Ugg boots or chucking a chunky cardigan on top, rather than some nice shoes and a blazer jacket.

2. Write down 3 words you would like to use to describe your image.

Professional: for me this encompasses quite a range - smart, confident, assertive - but it doesn't necessarily mean suits and court shoes. If I am doing my web design/marketing it's a very different professional to baking. For example, red nail varnish would look great at a business lunch, but doesn't go down well in the kitchen!
Fun: I suppose another version of quirky! I like statement jewellery, scarves and bags and is one way of adding something a bit different to an outfit.
Fabulous: well, isn't this the point of this course? :) Also to include feminine, obviously!

3. Write down 3 things you love about the way you present yourself (what you wear, how you act, what you do)

I love ... that I keep my make-up fairly natural and don't go overboard on foundation and that I don't use fake tan. I will wear more make up on a night out, and have recently dyed my hair red - so can't say I'm completely natural!
I love ... my hair! It's definitely much better short (and red!) and have had loads of compliments. Plus it's SO easy to do.
I love ... my bags, jewellery & shoes and my apparently 'quirky' sense of style. :)

4. Write down 5 things you can do to change your image or further enhance the good bits of your present image.

Don't slack! I can be a little bit rubbish at taking my make up off at the end of the day, or always using eye cream, and need to spend more time keeping on top of my general maintenance. Legs, eyebrows, nails, that kind of thing.
Get back into a fitness routine & proper sleep pattern.
Spend more time planning outfits so I don't just throw on the first thing I find, and inject a bit of colour into my outfits.
Don't worry about what people think and add a little fabulous to my day! I know this has been covered before but it's something I need to take more notice of. A pair of heels, a lovely scarf, a fancy brooch or a handbag, some nail varnish (not just left over from the weekend), a different perfume...just something a bit different.
Start an evening class. This is something I've been thinking about for a while. A way to meet people & expand my mind. So will keep an eye out for courses and see what takes my fancy - wine tasting, dress making, a language maybe....

Today is exactly the kind of day I am trying to avoid. I had to take my make up off this morning, and didn't have enough time for my full routine.I am wearing black trousers, black vest, black & grey stripey jumper & black boots. With a black bag, no jewellery and nail varnish I put on to go out on Saturday. I am feeling a bit rubbish - hence the complete lack of interest & staying in bed too late.

No. 95: Make Cake Pops

2010-10-18T19:01:00.000+01:00

I forgot this was on my list!

Thanks to some left over cake & buttercream I made my very own cake pops yesterday. Feedback was excellent and the people I gave them to had never seen or heard about them - let alone tried them.

I was very pleased and will be adding them to my minirhi bakes! baking list.

No. 9: Don't buy new clothes for 3 months

2010-10-18T18:53:00.000+01:00

Now, this challenge started on 1st October 2010. Which means that I won't be buying any new clothes until NEXT YEAR!! That's right! So far it has been ok. It has taken some willpower I have had to walk out of shops, but I've done it - with the exception of new tights and a vest I needed for a fancy dress night. But that is all I have bought, and tights don't count anyway!

I have every intention of sticking to this in an attempt to save a bit of money and rediscover my wardrobe. Especially as I haven't seen many of my winter clothes for a few months anyway, so as long as I bring things out in bits and pieces, it'll feel like I have new clothes anyway.

So, just a couple of rules:
1. Tights, socks & underwear are needed and can be purchased.
2. Jewellery does not count either.
3. If I see a mac I like, I will buy it as I've been looking for one for ages!

No. 82: Be Vegetarian for a Week

2010-10-18T18:45:00.000+01:00

I've been a bit rubbish at staying up to date on my '101 Things in 1001 Days' challenge. So will try to catch up a bit this week to let you know how I am getting on.

This week, hubby and I have decided to try number 82 on my list - being vegetarian. We have opted not to eat fish, so this is strictly veggie. The week started yesterday and we have so far survived 2 days. Joking aside, I am looking forward to the 'challenge', although I have had a few comments from people who have tried being veggie and never went back. I can't quite see that happening - but who knows?

We've planned some meals for the week such as spinach & ricotta canneloni, quesadillas and home made tomato soup, but haven't been shopping yet.

So far we've had:

Quorn shepherds pie
Pasta with wild rocket pesto, spinach & pine nuts
Jacket potato with beans & cheese

I can see a lot of cheese in the near future! :)

I think the biggest challenge will be the weekend, as my cousin is home on Friday and we'll be going out for food, and we're out for a chinese for my friend's birthday on Saturday. Wish me luck!

My day at Build-a-Bear Workshop

2010-10-14T08:26:00.000+01:00

I have started taking the time recently to read and comment on other people's blogs. 2 reasons. 1: because I know how much I like it when people stop by and say hello on mine, 2: because I'm actually pretty nosey.

So when @inawelshgarden blogged about her recent visit to Build-a-Bear I felt this was something I could extend an opinion on. Little did I know that this would lead to me being asked if I would like to review the shop too.

Ummm. Yes, please!

I think I was asked partly because of my small (but growing collection) of Build-a-Bears and partly beacuse I am slightly outside the target market. So last Saturday, me & my mum (also a BABW fan) went to Cardiff. After a quick nose around the new John Lewis (fab!) and lunch at Las Iguanas (also great) we made our way to the Build-a-Bear Workshop in St David's Shopping Centre.

After the initial confusion (as the person we were meant to meet was off ill) we had a quick nose around the shop and then got straight to Step 1:

There was plenty of choice, but with Halloween round the corner, I opted for a Limited Edition Midnight Kitty and Mum (who also had to get in on the fun) chose a Portuguese Water Dog.

Here I am - looking more excited than some of the kids in the shop!

We queued up (Saturday is a very busy day at BABW!) ready for for Step 2:

We got to choose whether we wanted our bears 'soft & cuddly' or a bit more solid, and chose a little satin heart to go inside them. You could also choose from a selection of sounds too, should you feel the urge! At the Stuffing Station you get to step on a pedal, while the BABW associate ensures the bear gets stuffed in all the right places.

And here's my Mum. Yup, she's going to hate me putting this up :) (Hi Mum!)

Serious bit - Me & my mum were very impressed with the quality of the bears. Especially as they are 'sewn' up in front of you. It doesn't take long, the bear stuffing is very secure and you can 'bearly' see the join. We weren't asked to do the BABW promise, as we were when we visited Covent Garden, but it didn't detract from the experience.

So we moved on to the clothes & accessories section and there was so much choice. The clothes are again, very well made, and so cute! At the moment they have a fab collection of Star Wars costumes, so you could have your very own C3P0 or Hans Solo. Now, from this point we got a little excited & wrapped up in dressing our bears, so we took no more photos until we got home.

Now what else could I dress kitty in, but this fabulous Witch's outfit, complete with broom?

Totally spoilt for choice, I couldn't resist this gorgeous little knitted cardigan & beige skirt for Bella and hooded top for Edward. Perfect for the winter :)

I don't know if it's my marketing background (this is how I justify my collection) but I love the whole shopping experience. From the staff in the shop, to the box the bear comes home in, from the making of the bears to the quality of the clothes. They have done everything so well.

On the left is the box I recieved an outfit in when I ordered online. I still use it as a wardrobe now.
On the right is the box I brought Sookie* home in.

* Yes, I have named Kitty Sookie. After True Blood. Her & Bella seem to be getting on ok so far....

I love Build-a-Bear and would recommend it to anyone who loves teddies! They make fabulous gifts and great collectors items. I already have my eye on the website looking out for the next limited edition - apparently for Christmas they have limited reindeer and and an Abominable Snowman coming out.... Now, he'd look fit in with my Christmas collection of Snowmen, wouldn't he? ;)

Bella Bunny, Edward, Marques the Monkey, Rose Mateus & Bailey Bear

2010-10-07T13:41:00.001+01:00

On Saturday I am going to Build-a-Bear. I am so excited, but I thought I might share with you ny Build-a-Bear history to put the visit in some perspective.

When hubby & I got married in 2008 we bought our flower girl (hubby's neice) a Build-a-Bear to say thank you. She was 5. The bear was gorgeous in a very glittery cream & gold bridesmaid dress, and flower girl was really happy with it. But the whole buying experience was great, the staff in Cardiff were lovely, the shop is well laid out and there was SO MUCH CHOICE! It took ages to decide what to have. Anyway - I vowed that one day I would have my own bear.

One year later, for our first wedding anniversary, my wonderful hubby got me - yup - a Build-a-Bear, well, Bunny actually. She is named Bella (yes, after THAT vampire film) and has a fabulous 'New Moon' top.

Then my Dad turned 60 in the following August, and me, Mum & my sister happened to be in London. Covent Garden just before it and decided to pop into the Build-a-Bear shop for a nose. Here we brought Marques the Monkey (Marques after the wine). Another fab time. Although the shop was full (of very excited kids) they still spent the time with us going through the promise. (I haven't got a photo of Marques yet - but he looks a little bit like Terry Pratchett....)

Then came my best friend's hen weekend. Again, the three of us were in Covent Garden and decided on a Pink and Black bear to match the hen do theme - this time named Champagne.

In March this year, for Mother's Day, we opted to buy my mum a BABW, as she was a little jealous of Dad having one and did like to dress him up to match the occasion - much to Dad's disgust. Here's Bailey Bear:

Then hubby had an operation on his knee, so as a Get Well gift he got a cat (that looks an awful lot like one of our kittens) that he very graciously named Edward as a companion for Bella. Yes, I know - but I love it! I do confess that Edward is not actually a fully-fledged B-a-B, but am American version of the same thing, bought online - because I wanted a cat. He was bought a crutch, had a bandage and BABW clothes. Here they are. (And no, I couldn't resist a little wolf Jacob.)

Then my sister had one for her birthday. Meet Rose Mateus:

I have noticed that the service is excellent, no matter which store I use or whether I order online. So, as I am sure you have probably gathered by now, I am very much looking forward to Saturday's day trip, with my mum. No doubt we'll spend a fortune & will have some very smartly dressed bears on our return!

New Meal a Week: 6 - Chicken Nacho Grills

2010-09-27T13:50:00.000+01:00

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3573/chicken-nacho-grills

New Meal a Week: 5 - Eggs Benedict

2010-09-26T12:05:00.001+01:00

Today I attempted Eggs Benedict - basically poached egg on a muffin with ham & hollandaise sauce. The eggs are from our hens & were collected minutes before being poached, so were ideal! And so tasty! You may be asking where the hollandaise sauce is. It split. :(

And I really didn't have it in me to try again this morning, But I will - one day!

One thing I was happy with, was the egg poaching process (a la Rachel Allen). Basically, bring the water to a simmer, not boiling & slide the eggs in. And it worked. The water was barely moving, just a few bubbles every now and then and I left the eggs in for about 3 minutes. Perfecto!

Details
Recipe Name: Eggs Benedict
Source: Rachel Allen's Home Cooking, p30
Would I make it again? Maybe
Occasion: Weekend
Course: Breakfast/Brunch
Difficulty: Intermediate
Stars (Out of 5): ** (2) Beacuse the sauce split
Time to make: 20 minutes
Serves: 1

How am I doing?

2010-09-24T20:29:00.003+01:00

I thought it was time for a 101 Things in 1001 Days update - mainly to refresh my memory & get me back on track.

Quick Stats
Not Started: 70
In Progress: 30
Completed: 1

Here's some info on those marked 'In Progress'

2. Attend a show with my cakes
Nothing new to report here!

4. Start & stick to a beauty blog
This is actually going ok, and I'm enjoying it! Just need to sit down and plan out some regular posts as holiday has thrown me a little bit.

5. Write a business plan for my cakes
It's a bit more of a marketing plan at the moment, but will develop. At least it's started!

6. Make my cake business profitable
See above!

7. Sort out a walk-in wardrobe
This is very nearly done! I blogged about it last week, all that's left is to put up a few hooks and move in all my clothes & shoes to check there's enough space. :D

11. Sort out attic
As part of 'The Big Sort Out' that included the walk-in wardrobe, step 1 was to start clearing the attic. Still a little bit to do, but nearly done.

16. Sort all photos into albums
I did start this, but it's on hold for a minute as all my albums and my PC with photos on have been stored until the study is ready.

17. Design & knit own patterns
I have started doodling some designs & have a sketchbook. I am actually hoping to knit some as Christmas presents. Not telling you exactly what yet though...

18. Set up a bespoke Christmas cake service
Part of the marketing plan, mentioned above.

20. Finish Lottie's Finishing School
I blogged my progress on this so far yesterday. Again, I am enjoying this, although do have a bit of catch up to do!

23. Develop own cupcake recipe
Have started thinking of ideas for Christmas time - so maybe!!

26. Stick to a beauty.skincare routine
I'm not doing too badly at this. I am pretty good at taking my make up off & moisturising at night. Although I do miss the odd one I try not to let it bother me & make sure I do it the next night/morning.

27. Organise all crafty/knitting/sewing stuff
Again as part of 'The Big Sort Out' this is in progress.

31. Read 52 books in 52 weeks
Thanks to holiday I have so far managed to read 8 books in nearly 7 weeks. So far - on track.

01/09/2010: Play Dead, Richard Montanari
01/09/2010: Pirate Latitude, Michael Crichton
07/09/2010: The Husehold Guide to Dying, Debra Adelaide
10/09/2010: Home Truths, Freya North
11/09/2010: Glass House, Rachel Caine
12/09/2010: Dead Girls Dance, Rachel Caine
15/09/2010: The Shakespeare Curse, J L Carrell
23/09/2010: Bones to Ashes, Katy Reichs

33. Pass my Professional Diploma in Marketing
Unfortunately I failed my last exam, so need to plan to take this again.

37. Try a new meal every week
Well we are 6 weeks in and I think I have tried 4 brand new recipes. Will rack my memory to see if any more come to light! Plus I need to write posts for the missing ones.

Basque Chicken Casserole
Turkey Meatloaf
Courgette Lasagne
Red Wine Risotto

38. Cook every recipe in one book
I have chosen 'Rachel Allen's Home Cooking', so I'll run through it soon and tick off what I've so far made.

48. Convince another person to make a 101 list
A few have started it, but so far don't have confirmation they've finished! :(

59. Try a new beauty/make-up/skincare product every month
August's products were the BettyHula samples I recieved & reviewed. I have 1 week to find something to try in September...

63. Clear debts
I have paid off my outstanding balance on an online clothes magazine site & have plans in place for the rest of it. Me & hubby have devised a 5 year plan to sort ourselves & finances out, so quite excited about it at the moment.

65. Read 26 books written by an author of every letter of the alphabet
9 out of 26 covered.

71. Save all 20p for 1001 days
On-going!

Will update again soon!

Lottie's Finishing School Catchup

2010-09-23T16:37:00.000+01:00

For those of you following my progress on Lottie's Finishing School, you may notice that my last post was E is for Eyes and today Lottie has posted H!! There are a few challenges I am still working on, so thought it was time for a bit of a catch up & plan of attack. So this is where I am.

(BTW: I have linked the titles to Lottie's blog posts in case you want to read the whole thing)

A is for Attitude
Ok, the first challenge was to write about what makes you happy about yourself. A pretty tough challenge to start, but I did it.

B is for Bra
B, I kinda skipped out, but I promise I will go back to it before we get to Z!

C is for Clothes
This challenge is still going on in my house! The first part was to think about who's dress sense we admire, and generally sorting out the clothes I do wear to those I don't (or shouldn't)! Last week my fabulous hubby helped to convert our old study into a walk-in wardrobe, providing the ideal opportunity to fill it with all the clothes I love to wear - why would I want to clutter it with rubbish?? I am also making a list of wardrobe staples I need to get - a mac, some nice black boots - and replacements for anything too tatty. Definitely making progress though!

D is for Dream
This was kind of easy, as I've been thinking about it A LOT lately. Here's my dream.

E is for Eyes
I still haven't booked my eye test, but will do so tomorrow. I promise! Other parts of the challenge were to wear mascara - which I pretty much do every day anyway, so I added a little challenge for myself, to start wearing eye cream. Short of missing the odd day here and there, I have managed to stick to it, and it has also helped me stick to a whole beauty routine. Before I would use a 3-in-1 make-up and be happy, now I use make-up remover, toner & cleaner (2-in1), eye cream & moisturiser.

F is for Fitness
F was posted while I was on holiday - a lucky escape for me I think, because as it happens we were staying with my brother in law in Malta who lives about a 30 minute walk from St Julians. So what did we do every day? Walk into & around St Julians - admittedly to get lunch or a drink - but we still did well over 30 minutes of walking every day.

Before that I had taken up bouncing (or rebounding, for its more technical term) but have been a bt rubbish lately. Since returning from holiday we've been doing a lot of sorting out which has left me a bit short of time but has seen me running up and down the stairs a lot! So as of next week I plan to get my fitness back on track.

G is for Glamour
When I first read this challenge - to spend some time making yourself glamourous by spritzing perfume, painting your nails or wearing matching boots & bags - I had that day put on my purple boots & grabbed matching purple bag, and yes, it did make me feel a bit special.

I have also been making an effort to paint my nails (because it stops me biting them!) which does make me feel better, and have gone through a crazy amoutn of perfume lately. But, you know, it makes me feel good. Wearing a dress as part of Think Frock it's Friday also makes me feel a bit glam and gives me a bit of a reminder to put more effort in.

H is for Hair
I am a bit rubbish with my hair. I get bored pretty quickly and always think I'm a bit crap at styling it so generally I don't bother. I hadn't been to the hairdresser for about a year before this August, when I finally got myself sorted and decided to try somewhere new - Toni & Guy in Swansea. As I had 2 weddings I decided to stay fairly safe and stuck with a bob.

Now I have no problem at all with trying new haircuts and colours - dare I say it I have even bleached my own hair (sorry Lottie) and there was a very bizzare 'sun-in' episode when my hair went yellow - I have died my hair various shades of blonde, brown, red and purple. I've had symmetrial hair, asymmetrial hair, long hair, short hair - you name it! And again I have decided its time for a change. So just before Lottie posted us this challenge I had recieved a (very clever marketing) text from Toni & Guy reminding me it's been so many weeks and offering 20% discount if I booked today - so I did! And I intend to go for something a little different. Appointment is 2nd October - so watch this space & I'll try to remember to take a before & after shot for you.

Ok - well, I think that's pretty much got me up to speed on the workshop for now! Just a few things to plan in, but getting there. :) Again I'd like to say thank you to Lottie as it has definitely helped me make more of an effort in what I wear, how I look after my skin and has given some little tips on how to add a bit of magic (glamour) into my day.

New bedroom & a walk-in wardrobe

2010-09-20T17:35:00.000+01:00

Hello! It's been a while, I know - but I have been on holiday. I have been back nearly a week but we decided to start re-organising the house and I've been too shattered to even think about blogging. Plus there's so much to say....but I'm going to take it one post at a time and today is all about the changes we've made in the house.

We've been talking for a while about redecorating our bedroom (hubby got fed up of the purple ceiling) and sorting out storage (my excuse for not doing all the washing was that there wouldn't be anywhere to store our clothes even if it was all clean at the same time). So we did it!

We spent the holiday discussing our plans and got straight into it when we got back. Anyway, save me rambling on, here are some photos.

Walk-in Wardrobe


Yes, I still have plenty of clothes to add!! ;)

Bedroom

My dressing table

So there you have it. :)

New Meal a Week: No. 2 - Turkey Meatloaf

2010-09-17T16:50:00.001+01:00

I completely forgot to take a photo, but I need to catch up as I missed one last week - and it was new, and tasted lovely! :)

It was based on a recipe in Rachel Allen's Home Cooking.

Week 2 Details
Recipe Name: Meatloaf with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Source: Rachel Allen's Home Cooking
Would I make it again? Definitely
Occasion: Dinner Party, Midweek Meal
Course: Main Course
Difficulty: Easy
Stars (Out of 5): ***** (5)
Time to make: 20 minutes prep, 1 hour 30 mins in oven
Serves: 4 (6 at a push)

New Meal a Week: 4 - Red Wine Risotto

2010-09-14T15:10:00.000+01:00

Made Red Wine Risotto.

No photo. :(

New Meal a Week: No. 3 - Courgette Lasagne

2010-08-23T13:42:00.000+01:00

101 Things Update

2010-08-20T12:59:00.000+01:00

#2 Attend a show with my cakes
To be honest I can't really remember exactly what I meant by this, but in November a friend of mine is holding a Christmas Fayre in Harpenden, St Albans where I will have my very own stall. It's quite similar, isn't it?

#16 Sort all my photos in albums
I decided to start with the most recent & work my way back, so last Sunday, after Jo & Wayne's wedding, I printed out all the photos I liked and put them in an album. Let's hope I can keep it up!

#26 Stick to beauty/skincare routine
I have been a bit crap at this lately, but whereas I would usually admit defeat I have every intention of carrying on with it & not letting it get me down.

#33 Pass my Professional Diploma in Marketing
I am due to get my results for my final module this month! I am not very hopeful as work has been a bit crazy, but fingers crossed - you never know!

#37 Try a new meal every week
Getting a bit short of time on this one - but hoping to try one tonight!

#15 Visit Folly Farm

2010-08-16T18:43:00.000+01:00

Today me & Matthew plus his mum and Auntie Julie went to Folly Farm for the first time. Here are some of my favourite photos.

Very scary Fortune Teller. It didn't move, just dished out a fortune & a little surprise.
But after thefilm BIG I am always just a little wary of these...

Gorgeous carousel.
I used to love these - need to remember to take kids next time. :)


The only giraffes in Wales. Gorgeous, elegant animals - and so very very tall.

Alpacas.
Fab hair!

Lemurs

Prairie Dogs.
All I could think was 'Alan! Alan!' Tee hee.

Meerkat
Not sure what they're all looking at, but it's clearly very interesting...

Ocelot
Gorgeous big cats. Kind of wanted to take one home...
will definitely have to go back if they ever have kittens.

And that (in a very quick flash) is my day at Folly Farm. I completely forgot to take any photos in the Jolly Barn, but I guess there's always next time.

#15 Visit Folly Farm - done! :D

New Meal a Week: No. 1 - Basque Chicken Casserole

2010-08-14T09:35:00.000+01:00

My first new meal is a WeightWatchers one (my husband is on a diet and doing really well!) from Weight Watchers Cook Smart Family Food. We have made a few from this book and they've all been pretty good.

I chose the Basque Chicken Casserole, which was chicken breasts in a light tomato, white wine & paprika sauce. It was really tasty, with loads of flavour, but my favourite bit was the 'sprinkling' for the top that consisted of 1 chopped red chilli, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of capers and a handful of chopped fresh basil. I made the recipe for 4 people (with a bit extra chicken) and it was more than enough to serve 5. It was served with fine green beans and sauted potatoes.

Week 1 Details
Recipe Name: Basque Chicken CasseroleSource: Weight Watchers Cook Smart Family Food.
Would I make it again? Definitely
Occasion: Dinner Party, Midweek Meal
Course: Main Course
Difficulty: Easy
Stars (Out of 5): ***** (5)
Time to make: 20 minutes prep, 1 hour in oven (but would happily wait until you're ready!)
Serves: 4 (6 at a push)

101 Things Update - Day 2

2010-08-12T17:58:00.001+01:00

I don't plan to keep daily updates, but a few things have happened since yesterday that I felt were noteworthy, so here you go.

#15 Visit Folly Farm

Folly Farm is an adventure park and zoo (but I won't use it towwards goal number 92 as well!) that I have been wanting to go to for ages. So Math and I have decided to take Monday off, make a picnic and go! Very excited, and I plan to take a lot of photos - just please, don't rain!

#38 Cook every meal in a recipe book

I have said this before and think I'll stick with the same book. So I will be working my way through Rachel Allen's Home Cooking I'll get some details on number of recipes etc and write a post on it.

#48 Convince another person to make a 101 list

I am trying to get Matthew to write a list, but so far no luck. However I think I may have convinced 2 people on Twitter to give it a go. Yay!

#71 Save all 20p coins for 1001 days

I now have a little tin next to be bed so far containing.....one 20p. Yup. That's all I could find! But it's a start.

#73 Guest post on someone else's blog

After posting on Twitter, the fabulous @LottieLoves1 has offered me a chance to guest post on her blog - www.lottieloves.com. She's a proper blogger and everything, so I'll have to come up with something sensible to say. I am very flattered!

#77 Save £1001

This constitues another little container - this time an old coffee jar - in which I currently have some change (definitely over £2) and will run alonsgide the 20p collection. So by the end of it, I should have loads of money! :)

#98 Try 1001 different drinks

I just wanted to clarify this a little bit really. This can (and will) include tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. Interesting ones. So while I have had plenty of coffee & water over the last few days I will wait for an interesting picture/glass/container before I post it. I have also set up a page for my 1001 drinks.

101 Things Update - Day 1

2010-08-11T20:45:00.002+01:00

I know it's a little bit naughty, but I think it's a positive step to start a list with items you've completed or started. It gives you a bit of a boost. Now I haven't completed any of my 101 things, but I have started one or two. So here's a little progress report.

#4 Start & stick to a beauty blog

I am not one to particularly follow fashion or any kind of beauty routine, but I have recently been following a Finishing School by Lottie to make us fabulous and this has lead me to start my 'lifestyle' blog. So far I have been managing to keep it up to date and am enjoying it so - progress!

#7 Sort out a walk-in wardrobe

This is something we should have done when we gutted the house originally, but I am determined to do it. At the moment it is in planning and sorting stages as I need to rearrange all the rooms around upstairs to sort out storage. Exciting times though!

#26 Stick to a beauty/skincare routine

I have blogged about this on my new blog, and while the routine is still new and I so far sticking to it.

#31 Read 52 books in 52 weeks

I have been trying this for the last 2 years. It has always startsed on 1st September, and so far I haven't managed it, but as it's nearly time to start again I thought I'd add it anyway - with a new start date as I started a new book last night (and only read the prologue) so I'm starting now!
Book 1: Play Dead, by Richard Montanari.

#98 Try 1001 different drinks

Yup - start as I mean to go on!
Drink 1: Budweiser Brew No. 66

Challenge: 101 things in 1001 days

2010-08-11T20:09:00.002+01:00

This morning I came across this blog by @sjl1974, I thought it was a great idea and decided to write a list of my own.

My list can be seen (and will be kept updated) on my 101 things in 1001 days page

Today (11th August 2010) is the first day and the challenge will end on 9th May 2013.

I then started searching the web to see who else had written a list, and there's quite a few. I believe it originated from the Day Zero Project and on this site you can register your own list and see other peoples' lists.

If you decide to have a go as well following this post or any update, please leave me a comment as it will help me on the way to #48: Convince another person to do a 101 list. :)

E is for Eyes

2010-08-04T08:18:00.001+01:00

The next challenge in Lottie's Finishing School has 2 parts:
1) Go for an eye test
2) Wear mascara every day for a week

The timing for this couldn't be more perfect! I recently had a letter telling me that I am due for an eye test, and as I don't need glasses and haven't noticed any changes - I ignored the letter. But I will now book a test, just to make sure! :)

I enjoy wearing make up but tend to be a bit lazy with it. I know it makes me feel better when I have it on, but if I am running short of time in the morning I will ignore it.... however last weekend I was away on a hen do and my sister-in-law decided that she would do my make up for the weekend. I had so many compliments, as it was a lot more than I would normally wear, which did make me wonder what I usually look like! So this week I made a promise to myself that I would make sure I put at least a smudge of eyeshadow and mascara on before I leave the house so that when I go for a night out I would be happy to wear a little more. Spooky, eh?!

One thing I don't do is put on eye cream - mainly because I don't like to think I am old enough to worry about these things, but I guess that at 28 it wouldn't hurt. :) So my challenge (as long as Lottie doesn't mind) is to start making sure I moisturise or put on eye cream each day. Just for the record, my current (new) daily routine goes something like this:

> Moisturise (when I remember/can be bothered/have time)
> Foundation (sometimes, if I have a meeting or lunch or similar to go to)
> Blusher/Bronzer (for a little bit of glow)
> Light sweep of eyeshadow (a bit more if I know I'm wearing foundation)
> Eyeliner (if I'm feeling a bit daring!)
> Mascara
> Lipstick/Gloss/Vaseline (again depending on mood & events of the day)

I don't wear the same thing every day and I think it's nice to change every now and then. I tend to match eyeshadow with what I am wearing and stick to either a brown or grey, sometimes I'll add a bit of colour to match jewellery.

I spent a year as an Avon representative and have quite a large make up collection (gave up because I was spending more than I was earning!) so I think it's time I started using it and experimenting a little. I did have a go at 'smokey eyes' last Friday, having found a little tutorial online, and was really pleased with the results which hopefully means I'll do a bit more experimenting!

I am still working on my B & C challenges and will hopefully have an update to post soon!

D is for Dream...

2010-07-15T18:29:00.000+01:00

Yup, it's time for Lottie's Finishing School Workshop and D is for Dream. Our task for this is to write down our dream. So here it is...

My dream is to have my own tea shop.

I have always enjoyed baking and have recently set myself up so I could bake for others. I registered with kitchen with the environmental health and passed my food hygeine course then told people about it. It's been just over 6 weeks now, and while it's been a slow start, I am enjoying it. But I do stil have my day job.

I also do a lot of knitting, and would love to design my own patterns, but need a bit more practice for that I think.

Recently I have started thinking more and more about having my own shop. Somewhere I can make cakes, sell tea and do knitting. I have started planning what it'll look like, what I'll sell, who I'll employ, and looking at where Id set it up! :) So to bring it too life - here are some pictures:

Cakes to sell

Hand knit tea cosies

There'll be table cloths, cups & saucers, bunting. Fowers on the table. Maybe even chickens outside. (These are our ex-battery hens.)

Hubby has also got involved and would love to sell preserves, pickles and jams. Maybe even bread. It's the thing we talk about just before the lottery comes on.... :)

It's a great dream and I do hope that one day it will come true. I've no doubt I'll add to this post as I remember more of what I'd love to do - but this is start.

Happy dreaming folks - can't wait to see what everyone else dreams on.

Wardrobe Revamp - Day 2

2010-07-06T19:07:00.000+01:00

It's day 2 of of Lottie's 3rd Challege, and this is the result of my sorting.

I even had enough space to move my pyjamas into the bottom drawer! Plus my wardrobe is full of clothes put away tidily and sorted in colour order. It's so easy to see what I have, and even though it doesn't look it here - I have SO MANY CLOTHES! This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are clothes waiting to be washed, to be dried, to be ironed, to be put away. There are clothes in the attic and in my spare room. I have already found some that I had completely forgotten about.

The only problem I'll have now is not finding something to wear, but deciding what I want to wear... and NO excuse not to look fabulous all of the time. :)

C is for Clothes...

2010-07-05T20:31:00.001+01:00

I am skipping 'B is for Bra' for the time being until I can get myself an appointment. I have been for a bra fitting within the last year but I completely disagreed with the verdict. I was wearing 32A bras and was told I should be a 30C, but the bras were not comfortable at all. I will go again. Sometime. :)

Anyway, I have been planning to sort out my clothes for a while and Lottie's post has come at just the right time. So this evening I have started sorting out my clothes. Getting rid of clothes I haven't worn for a while or am never quite sure about wearing. I have started separating Summer & Winter clothes so that my wardrobe is a little clearer and it'll feel like a whole new wardrobe every season!

Another part of the task is:

"Sit down and think about whose dress sense you admire and why you admire it. Do you like matchy matchy, do you like retro? Do you think someone looks good when they wear statement jewellery? Is there a type of dress you like? Think about it and write it down if it helps. What sort of image would you like to have? Are you a Christina Aguilera in the making or a Victoria Beckham or a Helena Bonham Carter? It doesn’t matter what image you choose as long as you are comfortable with it, it makes you feel great and you are committed to carrying it through. I am not talking about copying someone, you merely need to have an idea of how you would like to look on a day to day basis."

So. I do like to match. I am more comfortable matching colours than trying to be a bit more...eclectic. :) I like to wear jewellery - lots of bangles and statment-ish jewellery. I like wearing skirts & dresses, and tend to wear a lot of black/grey, so I need to inject some colour into my wardrobe.

As far as people go...here are some photos:

Glee's Emma Pillsbury

Kate Moss

Ashley Greene

Image borrowed from: http://www.instyle.co.uk/images/2630?page=42&destination=celebrity%2Fa-z

Kylie Minogue

This is just a quick look, and I wil spend more time defining my 'style' but I do know it varies depending on mood and where I am going. It's a start though and I am looking forward to my new wardrobe! :)

A is for Attitude...

2010-06-16T22:31:00.000+01:00

Lottie's first challenge is to think about 'what makes you happy about yourself?'

So. Here goes.

I like that I am small-built & only 5 foot tall. It means that I am naturally small and get away with eating what I want, plus I can wear kids clothes, and when I DO make the effort, I think I look pretty ok.
I like that I have recently got off my arse and started a part time cake making business. It's still early days but I am usually a bit of worrier & dreamer, so this is the start of something new for me.
I like that I am doing well in my full time job too, and am proud when I get complimented on my work.
I like that I am generally socialable and friendly, I now have a large group of friends who I spend time with and get on with.
I like that my husband and I started raising money for the local rugby club and am pleased that we have raised over £22,000 in just over 3 years.

And there you have it. Some things I like about myself. Maybe I am ok after all. ;)

Finishing School - A is for Attitude, B is for Bra...

2010-06-16T22:01:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago I came across the tweets & blog of @LottieLoves1 where I discovered 'Think Frock it's Friday' a campaign to get ladies wearing dresses. It's great and it brings a fabulous sense of occasion to a Friday. :)

This morning I discovered Lottie's Finishing School Workshop, the A-Z of becoming feminine and fabulous. Now based on the difference Think Frock has already made to my Friday, surely this can only be a great thing? So I have definitely decided to sign up!

As a brief overview - Lottie will be posting a challenge every other Wednesday for all ladies. For more information, check out her blog, but it really is that simple. Read it, carry out the task and either blog about it or don't. Either way, jump in and let's all become Fabulous! :)

I need to catch up on tasks, so posts to follow. First A is for Attitude...

minirhi bakes, challenges & bento

2010-05-17T20:54:00.000+01:00

Just a quick update on everything I haven't blogged about recently!

minirhi bakes!

I have registered my kitchen with the Environmental Health people and am due to open for business on 1st June. I have scrubbed my kitchen and am in the process of sorting everything out, getting rid of the clutter and getting everything in place for a kitchen fit for baking. I am going to meet my uncle (accountant) this week to find out where else I need to register and what records I need to keep and have to work through my 'Safer Food, Better Business' pack. Exciting times!

I have set up a new blog (yes, another one) where I will blog all progress, I have a Facebook page with 26 fans, I am tweeting as @minirhi and have a flickr photostream - so choose your favourite method of staying in touch and come and say Hi. :)

Fitness & Scaredy Cat Challenge

I've been a bit rubbish as the kitchen has taken over my spare time at the moment. But I have set up my mini trampoline and will be using it from tomorrow. I have made very little progress on the Scaredy Cat Challenge and will be starting again on the weekend. Very little to report!

Bento

I discovered Bento via @BentoBoxUk on Twitter. There's a good description on Wikipedia but essentially it's a meal that has been prepared to look pretty. Search for bento on flickr and you'll find loads of images. Anyway, tonight I had a go myself. I call it 'Tea & Cake'.

Ingredients are mixed leaf salad with tomatoes and olives, potato salad, cous cous with bread beans, peas and pepper, chicken slices (cut into teapot shape with cookie cutter), mini bowl of caramelised onion hummous and carrot sticks. Really looking forward to digging in tomorrow.

Fitness & a Scaredy Cat Challenge

2010-05-04T21:17:00.001+01:00

I have been trying to find an aim for my new fitness regime. So far I haven't found anything. I want to be more toned & I want higher energy levels. Will that do for now? :)

On Twitter I am following a number of FLYbabies - people that follow the FLYLady way of life and some of them @DianeDenmark and @lareine27 have set themeselves Scardey Cat Challenges. An aim to do something they have been putting off, for example sorting out their garden or painting furniture. I realised yesterday, that quite of my own accord I started my own challenge.

I have a spare bedroom, a 'little room' and a study, all of which have become dumping grounds. The plan is to have the spare room always available for guests (with additional storage), to transform the little room into the study/craft space and make the study a walk-in wardrobe as it's right next to our bedroom and doesn't have any windows or doors (there's just a little arch off the landing). Yesterday, in true FLYlady fashion, I set my timer for 15 minutes and started to clear a space in the spare room. I then spent 15 minutes ironing clothes that needed putting away, and spent another 15 minutes today. You can now see the floor!! My aim is to have the spare room clear by the weekend, so I can move furniture out of the little room and start painting.

Wish me luck!

What to Wear: 04/05

2010-05-03T20:14:00.000+01:00

Here is my planned outfit for Tuesday, 4th May.

Shirt & cardigan from New Look, skirt & belt from Jane Norman, shoes from Dorothy Perkins. Marc b handbag.

Bank Holiday Craziness

2010-05-03T20:11:00.001+01:00

It's been a funny old weekend! What with Matthew not being able to get around. It's had a bigger effect than I expected, but think I've been pretty good. :) We've managed to watch the entire first series of Merlin in 2 days, I've cleaned the kitchen and found out about registering my kitchen for cake making. I made 2 birthday cakes. And have had urges to iron & exercise. 2 things I haven't done in a very long time. I have updated my FlyLady control journal and sorted out my calendar so I keep on top of everything.

Part of this includes laying out my clothes for work the night before. I always struggle with what to wear for work and rarely get up with enough time to spend time considering my 'look'. I work in an office doing marketing & web design. We have a dress code that states no jeans (among other things) and I have to look professional. Although being in a creative job does allow for a degree of - what my friends call - quirkiness. So, I have decided that for the month of May I will post photos of what I will be wearing in the hope that I'll put more thought into it, with maybe a slight influence from Glee's Emma Pillsbury. I also need to sort out my wardrobe and inject a bit of colour and these posts should help me see what I actually wear so I can get rid of the rest. :)

Fitness Challenge

2010-05-02T11:25:00.001+01:00

I have been trying to think of a challenge to set myself for getting fit. Although I am small (height: 5 foot, weight: just over 6 stone) and am classed as underweight, despite eating well most of the time - my big failing is not eating breakfast - I am not fit. I could do with a bit of toning up and having more energy.

I have a mini trampoline, a rebounder I believe it is called, and a wii fit. There are roads outside and I have floor space to do sit ups, crunches etc. I need a plan.

1. Eat Breakfast
2. Clear exercise space
3. Get on with it!!!!!!

Super Choc Cupcake Tower

2010-05-02T11:11:00.002+01:00

My nephew is a bit of a choc fiend, so this is the cake I made for his 13th Birthday. Chocolate sponge with chocolate buttercream & topped with Curly Whirly, Flake, Malteasers, white chocolate drops, chocolate buttons, chocolate marshmallows and drizzled dark chocolate. My teeth were aching just being around so much sugar! But it went down well and I was very pleased with it.

Cakes, Baking & Balls

2010-05-02T11:06:00.000+01:00

On Friday I spoke to a lovely lady at Swansea Council Environment Department about registering my kitchen. She was very helpful & apparently I can register and bake from my kitchen as long as the cats aren't in there while I'm baking & all services are disinfected before I begin.

Hurrah!!

So the plan now is to sort out my kitchen, maybe paint a little bit. Sort out storage & whatever else I need to bake & run proper kitchen. Very excited! And I promise to blog about my progress and provide links to help anyone else along the way.

This weekend has been pretty busy. I have made a birthday cake for my 7 year old neice & a cupcake tower for my 13 year old nephew. Plus I attempted cake balls, which looked ok, but didn't taste great! :( Not enough buttercream I think. Here they are:

And so it begins...hopefully!

2010-04-29T17:01:00.000+01:00

I have finally done it! I have called my local (Swansea) environment office to ask about setting up my cake business. Unfortunately I now have to wait for someone to call me back. As it's now 4:55pm I doubt it will be today. :(

So, this is it. The new me - no more procrastination, I AM going to DO IT! In line with turning over a new leaf, and because I'm going to need to be more organised I would like to present to you my resolutions:

1) I am going to have a cake business set up by September 2010 and will blog about my progress.
2) I am going to get fit & take better care of myself.
3) I am going to get my finances in order & save properly.

I think that's enough to be getting on with for now.

1st of May will be the start of my fitness, which gives me 1 day to sort out the spare room to set my mini trampoline back up. So if anyone fancies joining me on a fitness kick over the next few months, follow me on Twitter (@rhiandaniel) or comment on the blog. Mmmm, I feel a challenge coming on.... :)

TwiPhone Cover

2010-04-24T16:01:00.000+01:00

I am a Twihard & I love my iPhone. What better way to combine the two than create a TwiPhone cover? :) Yes, cheesey I know. But I love it. This is only a prototype and has been knit in navy rather than black... but for a first attempt at my own design, I'm quite happy with it... ready to see?

The front...

The back...

The whole thing before being sewn up...

Ah! Will work on a pattern and I WILL post one soon...

1st Birthday Cake for Tobi

2010-04-23T18:01:00.000+01:00

Here is the birthday cake I made for my nephew on his first birthday! Was actually prety pleased with this one. Next week I will be working on a cake for my neice's 7th birthday (REALLY can't believe she's going to be 7!!) and a choc cupcake tower, topped by a 6" choc fudge cake, for another nephew who'll be 13. I'm looking forward to it, just makes me wish I could be doing it as a 'proper job' - although would that then take the fun out of it?!

On another note, I've been doing loads of reading lately, although have come to a bit of a stop today as I finished my book sooner than I thought and have nothing else lined up yet. I've recently joined www.goodreads.com, which is great for finding new books, recording what I've read or want to read, and there are challenges such as A-Z author challenge and 50 books in a year.

New House

2010-04-19T20:25:00.000+01:00

With DH due to have his knee op next week, we have decided to get the house tidied up, so on the weekend we painted our living room. This has meant decluttering and making it beautiful - and I love it!! Just so long as I can keep it that way. We've ordered a new sofa (due in about 7 weeks!) in black & grey, so have painted to match. It didn't take anywhere near as long as we thought and it's made such a difference.

Also trying to stay on top of the FlyLady routines and creating habits. It tends to be the weekend that throws me, although we had a small dinner party yesterday and the house is back to normal now, it would usually take a bit longer than this. :) Ah well, trying not to let it get to me and just catch up when I fall behind. Onwards and upwards...