A quick cuppa.......

On Saturday I found myself at a loose end.... Couldn't go out due to the freak weather we've been having, so I put out an appeal to my friends with children to see if anyone fancied a cuppa. It made my day when my friend Jemima said, yes she would love a cuppa and a catch up. So I ran frantically ran around the house, tidied up and cleared the dreaded washing up ready for my friends arrival with her Gorgous daughter Rose.

Kavan and Rose didn't really interact at all with each other, Kavan pulled on her foot a couple of times and they gave each other a nudge, but other than that they both carried on as though the other one wasn't there. All in all though it was a lovely morning.... 

My mums shoes x

A Silent Sunday....... Part 3

The last part of my Silent Sunday is this lovely recipe for homemade popcorn with salted caramel sauce. The Popcorn I used came in one of my Graze boxes so I thought I would jazz it up a bit.

Here is the recipe: 1 packet of microwave popcorn
                              A quater of butter
                              Same amount of brown sugar to butter.

Melt the sugar and butter in a large pan until melted...... on a low heat. Once it begins to simmer keep an eye on it & no matter what DO NOT STIR!

Once the caramel looks thick and gooey pour over the cooked popcorn and mix well.
Add a sprinkle of sea salt.
Spread the popcorn out on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 5-6 mins.
Leave to cool and enjoy!

My Mums Shoes x

Crusts & Crumbs.......

I wanted to share my amazing find with you all, there is a little quaint sandwich shop/deli in Chapel Allerton called Crust and Crumb. If you don't know its there its quite hard to spot, however I was driving through Chapel Allerton trying to find something, 'different' for lunch so i thought id give it a go.

I was far from disappointed, what a homely, fresh cosy shop with an amazing choice of food, not your regular cheese and pickle either options include salted beef, chicken with brie, home made leek and sausage rolls, cheese and asparagus tarts and so much more.
Prices start from around £3.75 take away or £4.30 eat in. The food tastes fresh and is filling, this is a great change from re-packaged cardboard sandwiches, if you have not yet had the pleasure of eating from here you really owe it to yourself to go!

Last but by no means least i must tell you about the brownies they sell, believe me when i tell you this is no normal dry tasteless brownie, its moist, rich, melt in the mouth gorgeousness and to top it all..... its gluten free! shame this doesn't double up as fat free!

Crust and Crumb is now my favourite, regular sandwich shop.

You can also purchase bottles of Carrot or Beetroot juice, Tea bags in stunning Indian Elephant canisters, rounds of goats cheese and lots of other yummy bits.

http://www.crustandcrumbbakery.co.uk/

My Mums Shoes x

One of many To - Do lists..................

Things I must do this week......

1. Buy bird food for the big tree in the garden.

Kavan loves looking out of his window into the garden, just outside his window is a huge tree, unfortunately I have noticed we don't have a lot of visitors so I've decided to buy some bird food to stick in the tree and attract the birds. Excuse the pun but i figure this way i can, 'kill to birds with one stone'.
I get to feed the birds (good deed) and see the delight on Kavans face when he sees all the birds from his window.

2. Do the big food shop.

Am I the only one who does a big food shop? Waiting for pay day is a grind, eating tins from the back of the cupboard and mixing random frozen food stuffs together to make a meal..... sound familiar? I must say though I find it very humbling having to create random meals, using up bits and bobs ready for the yummy new food.
I hold my hands up and admit I spend a fortune on food, probably more than I should but hey we love food! That is the one thing I refuse to , 'budget' on. I love buying lovely food such as, Kale, Spinach, Spices and other interesting meal options, it all adds up.

3. Return to my work out regime.

OK hands are up again, I have become so lazy, now that I think about it I realize I cant blame work anymore! I have the option of waking up an hour early to work out or I could do a quick workout when Kavan goes to bed....... Laziness. I'm sure I'm not alone on this topic but Ive come to realize if I don't get up and start exercising again real soon come summer I'm going to regret it and excuses....... Not much point in excuses.... its just another reason not to work out. I really must get up out of armchair.....

4. Oh one more thing.... Sort out Kavans wardrobe.

I have kept hold of so many of Kavans outgrown clothes either because its one of my favorite outfits or purely because its just too good to give away, only now i have about 4 black bags in the bottom of his wardrobe filled with baby clothes.. its about time I gave them to charity.......

My Mums Shoes...x

A Silent Sunday..... Part 2

Going back to my silent Sunday... I'd love to share this recipie with you all. It's fresh, light and so good for not only your little ones but for you too! The fresh air made me want something packed with goodness, but my cupboards were bare! 

This is the simplest version to help you make do with what you have in. 

Never under estimate the tomatoe there are many different things you can do with them besides slicing in a salad. There cheap, plentiful and so good for you. Packed full of vitamins A, C & E, Flavanoids ( a natural anti-inflammatory ) potassium, mineral salts, an anti oxidant, Lycopene which helps absorb damaging free radicals in our bodies. Plus there low in calories! Here's my recipie......

Bag or carton of tomatoes (large or cherry is fine) 

1 onion 

Couple of carrots 

Tomatoe purée ( if you have )

Veg stock

Pasta ( any kind) 

Soften the onions and carrots. 

Halve or quarter the tomatoes depending on size and add. 

Cook on the lowest heat until they soften. At this point add half a pint of stock stir and cover. 

Bring to the boil & simmer. 

Add in some tomatoe purée stir and simmer until thickened. 

Purée in a blender, add to pan and add a couple of handfuls of pasta. Simmer until pasta is soft. 

Serve with a swirl of double cream/croutons/or grated cheese. 

Depending on what you have in you can make as sime it as luxurious as you want! Olive oil, black pepper and cream are great. You could add celery too. I try to be careful not to rob the tomatoes of there flavour by over adding ingredients. 

You can also de seed and peel the skin before blending but hey, this is the simple busy mum version :) 

Bon appetite! 

My Mums Shoes x

A Silent Sunday.......... Part 1

Today has been a lovely quiet day, playing outside & cooking up some homemade quick easy food. The sun is shining and my garden looks like it's coming back to life however it occurred to me that there are not many visitors in our garden so I'm looking forward to buying a bird feeding kit from the RSPB. My son loves watching birds so this is a great way to attract them. 

It felt so refreshing to finally go outside and enjoy it instead of shivering back indoors to central heating. Kavan was kept amused with just a football and his ride on car, giving me the opportunity to sit and take 5 in the fresh air, cup of tea in hand and plan my summer garden. 

Here are some of the beautiful pictures I snapped in the garden. 

My Mums Shoes x

A New Years Promise..............

Happy New Year Bloggers!

I feel quite annoyed with myself that this is the first blog I have posted in 2014, going back to work and trying to implement new year, new me changes has taken its toll.

To be honest ive not actually made a long list of resolutions so that I cant be dissapointed when I break them, honest but true! However one small change that I have ensured I impliment is making sure my son spends time around other children his age. Before I returned to work we would attend playgroup once a week and atleast once a week we would arrange a play date with other mums, since ive been back at work my father in law looks after him, it occurred to me the other week that he no longer has the opportunity to interact with other children his age, and ive really started to worry about his social skills and development.

I took it upon myself to arrange a play date with a group of mums that I met when Kavan was first born at the baby massage course we went to, we have kept in touch ever since and our children have grown up together we named our group, 'Cake Club'. I sent everyone a message arranging a day to meet, we agreed on the Saturday at Rachael's house. It could not come quick enough! It turned out to be a lovely morning, the children played together nicely and i saw a different side to Kavan, he was interested in the other children and tried in his own way to play with them, approaching them individually and trying in his own language to talk to them, it was a lovely thing to see and very satisfying.

The day before this we also went to Wacky Warehouse with another Mum and her son. Kavan loved this, running around trying to encourage his friend to chase him, going down the big slide and really just having the freedom to run around without constantly hearing me say, 'No!'.

I have double checked the new days and times for playgroup and the have informed me they will be starting a new class called, Mini Movers, we will defiantly be making time for playgroups and play dates this year!

My Mums Shoes x

Twas The Night Before Christmas......... A realisic Version.

Good Evening Bloggers,

Good Christmas? I had a great Christmas day, However I am not here to talk about the big day, I am here to cast a light over the day before. Christmas Eve. It was the worst day of the year from morning through to night. This is a realistic Christmas Eve that others can relate to.

So the day started with getting up and getting ready to go into work until 12, all of this was a success, I then went to my in-laws to collect Kavan to take him to town with me as there was no one to watch him. And yes I know, I know I am crazy to go into town on Christmas Eve but I had one more last minute gift to buy! I made it into town with the intention of going straight into Pandora, grabbing a charm and then into Boots, arrived at Pandora to find the Que all the way down the street! Went to the other one, same thing. At this point Kavan was already getting fed up and it had started to rain. I tried my luck in TK Max and managed to find a nice frame and candle, paid and left, this is where my nightmare started.

I nipped round Sainburys for last minute bits and Kavan kicked off and screamed his head off, que was massive, used self service which kept telling me I had not put the item in the bag properly, at this point I was started to feel a bit rattled. Left Sainburys to find it heavily raining and gale force winds, I put Kavans rain cover on but he was crying his eyes out in the pushchair because he'd had enough.
 I waited 15 minutes for the bus, couldn't get on the bus due to there already being two pushchairs on board, tried to call my father in law....... five times, no answer, phoned a taxi which I had to wait over 20 minutes for in the rain, with Kavan in my arms, I couldn't feel my feet and Kavan kept taking his hat off. Finally the taxi turned up, Drama one over, home, bath and bed for Kavan.

 Ready for task number two, make the homemade Plum & Blackberry Jam and the Red Pepper & Chilli Chutney from the Nigella Lawson recipe for my In-laws gift. Have you ever watched Nigella's cooking programs? She glides around her Christmas themed kitchen sensually licking her spoon and making cooking and filling the kitchen with winter wonderland aroma look a breeze. This was NOT my experience, the Jam was a success as I have made jam a few times but the chutney was new. The recipe states to use 500ml of cider vinegar, the kitchen stunk of vinegar and was very over powering, it actually caused me to cough repeatedly. I was really worried that it would just taste of vinegar, however I bought it to the boil and then left it to rest as instructed by the recipe. According to the recipe it should take about 40 minutes to set and cool, mine did not, it took 2 hours! Not to add this was all going on whilst trying to make Jam, making sure the sugar didn't burn and whilst making shortbread, Nigella......... I salute you!

Luckily in the end it all came together and actually tastes quite nice, my husband says it tastes like O.K sauce, I am not sure if that is a good thing?

I know it may not sound like much of a bad day but I suppose everyone is different, but I am sure you can all relate to that moment where in public, child in tow, lots of people, you just want the ground to swallow you? That is how I felt, standing in the rain with Kavan screaming, when the taxi came I sat in the back and nearly cried! But as I said it all came good in the end it was just hard work getting there!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

MyMumsShoes x

Bedtime antics.

Good Morning Bloggers,

Its time for a bit of a moan im afraid, last night was an absolute nightmare.
 Kavan has been awake since 2am and proceeded to scream all night..................... and I mean all night until 7am when he decided he was feeling much better and wanted to not only get down and play but to also pull the whole Christmas tree down and then laugh as he walked away.
Needless to say I am so happy I get to come to work for a few hours just for the break.

We have a structured bed time routine in our house which consists of bath, singing and story time, then into the cot with a bottle of milk, so when the routine fails (which is not that often) it really throws me. I think he may have a sight ear infection. Its so hard to know the best thing to do when the routine goes out the window, I got to the point where I bought him downstairs for a while which is not like me at all usually im quite strict, its amazing what lack of sleep can do to your mind.

As I was sat there I knew in my head this is not a good idea! But the silence it bought me took over the rules. Another thing I find when we have the occasional bed time drama is my husband and I really do take chunks out of each other for no reason. It really does put such a strain on a relationship no matter how strong you are.You know that eerie lonely feeling you get when your up early hours of the morning and the rest of the world is asleep, it really makes you feel like your the only person awake. My health visitor told me that I should now take his night time bottle away from him as he is 15 months but I just don't think I am ready for that yet, I might try it over the Christmas holidays because at least that way I don't have to worry about getting up for work the next day.

I really would love to hear other peoples opinions and ideas on Toddler bedtime routines, what do you do when your little one plays up? Do you leave them to cry or comfort them? Its so hard to know if as a parent you are doing the right thing or in fact making life harder for yourself. I do use the controled crying technique but I think Kavan has sussed this out as he screams until he chokes, this gets me every time as it makes me worry.

There is definatly some truth in, 'You have to be cruel to be kind'.

My Mums Shoes x

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A Raving Christmas.

Morning Bloggers,

Well its Monday morning and I am back in the office with a week to go before we break up for Christmas. Unfortunately since returning to work I don't have much time to go to as many mum & baby events as I would like so on Sunday I took my son to the Christmas Baby Rave at Control in Kirkstall.

Unfortunately we arrived a little late but despite this we were not disappointed. The atmosphere was electric! In one room there was soft play and a bouncy castle, the room with the stage is where all the signing and dancing was happening, lots of action based songs, lights and even falling snow which my son found fascinating. 

On the main stage the founder of Baby Rave, Faye Kenny engaged the children in singing and dancing with lots of different types of music and actions. Baby Rave is every parents dream, not only will your child go out like a light at bedtime but I personally think they are so educational. The singing and dancing alone teaches them to listen, respond to instructions, rhythm, sharing and is great for children's social skills. My son learnt the concept of dancing from attending baby raves, and really enjoys clapping and singing songs because he is so used to being around music and dancing. It's a great way for children to express themselves. 

My father in law gave one of the interactive performances. He is a professional tabla player, as mentioned in one of my other blogs he also teaches my son. He began the session with a clap & rhythm work shop, allowing all the mums, dads & children to get involved & clap in time. Next he used something called a Dhol which is a large drum worn around the neck and across the body. He went into the audience and interacted with the parents & children by encouraging them to hit the drum in time with the beat. It was a great success everyone really got into it. 

Another thing I just love about baby raves is the local businesses that support the Rave and in return get that support back from having a stall to sell there home made items, which is handy if you're after something a bit different and special, and what a great platform for small local businesses to become recognised. 

Originally launched in Leeds, Baby Rave has now travelled to Halifax and I'm quite sure it is going to start making its way across the country, so if you like the sound of a Baby Rave watch this space! 

My Mums Shoes x

Snacking salvation

Good evening bloggers,

If you are a parent I'm sure like me, you struggle to find new interesting but healthy snacking options not only for your child but yourself. 

I know I know that yes there are a lot of snacks that can be pre-made easily with little fuss but honestly.... Time! Time is such an issue when you work as I'm sure you all agree. I don't really want to spend the spare time I have in the kitchen. 

I am happy to say my salvation lies in a little cardboard box from a company called Graze. Originally there boxes were marketed towards busy working adults, but now they offer boxes for children so I thought I would give one a try & I have to say I am hooked! 

It arrived on our doormat just 3 days after ordering with my sons name printed on the front of the card which I thought was a lovely touch. We opened it straight away, there are 4 sections each in sealed little plastic boxes. This is what our box contained: 3 Flapjack fingers, a berry blast mixture of cranberry raisins and white chocolate berries, pizza flavored bread sticks with a tomato dip & cheese croutons and tomato bread sticks. 

My son loved every single section & it was nice to freely let him snack knowing it was all healthy. The best thing is we will always get a different box which is handy because my son changes his mind on foods he likes from day to day. 

To top it all off the packaging is 100% recyclable and each box only costs £3.89   They have a great offer on where you get your first & fifth box free!

They also offer new breakfast boxes, different types of cereal such as Blueberry and Loganberry with honey. I will defiantly be trying these for work in the new year.

Give them a try, you won't be disappointed. 

www.graze.com 

My Mums Shoes x

Only the wrapper will do.

Evening bloggers, today has been a lovely lazy Sunday doing not very much at all. Wrapped some presents, watched The Little Mermaid & spent a good part of the day watching my 15 month old Kavan play with the wrapping paper wrappings! 

It kept him amused for over an hour, carrying around a box twice his size, pulling out the bows, and unraveling the ribbon. He was fascinated by it but yet I just know if I actually face him something like this to play with he wouldn't be interested. It's a comfort to know that there are lots of other mummy bloggers out there who know exactly what I'm talking about. That saying, I shouldn't of bothered with the present, I should of just given them the box really does have a truth to it. 

Whilst on the Christmas note let me just quickly complain about baubles, I know probably another world wide parenting problem. The shiney ones he likes to throw, the small ones he likes to put down the side of the chair and the sparkly glittery ones he likes to eat. I love Christmas but wow all this extra stuff in the house is just temptation over load for a toddler. My word of the day is NO! 

Merry Christmas :) 

My Mums Shoes x

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Following in footsteps

This is my 15 month old son turning his hand to his granddads Tabla, he loves it.  

It's the first thing he goes to when arriving at his grandparents house, he will tap away at it and then look around the room smiling for some praise. 

He's so lucky as his grandad is a very talented musician so Kavan has lots of exposure and access to music & instruments. 

My Mums Shoes x

My baby's Rave.

Hi all, I finally got the pictures from my sons first birthday! They are fab, we're lucky as it was a family friend who just so happens to be a photographer.

I'm actually wanting to let you all know what we, 'did' for his party. My friend Faye is the proud creator of, Baby Rave'. An innovative musical interaction experience for kids or better known as playgroups! 

Faye got the idea when she took her son to a playgroup and realized, is this it? What she has come up with is amazing. Every Rave is always a sell out and has just recently featured on Calender News! 

Each Rave is a themed musical active session with singing, instruments and dancing. 

From the Baby Raves then came the idea of doing Pick and mix birthday parties with the stuff she had for raves! So we went with a Baby Rave party. 

It was amazing,we all sat together in a circle, singing songs with shakers and actions, bubbles and disco lights then Peppa & George Pig dropped by. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all his friends too. It was different but so much fun. 

My Mums Shoes x

Christmas 🎉

Good evening bloggers, I have to say I am now so exited for Christmas ever since the adverts started, funny isn't it that the media contributes to your emotions towards a holiday. Don't get me wrong I really do get a warm fuzzy feeling when the Christmas music comes on and you sell all the snow & lights :)

It makes me feel magical if that is such a feeling?

However it does make me wonder would we be as exited if there were no such things as adverts?

My Mums Shoes x

Home cooking ❤️

I recently went back to work on a part time basis but it might as well be full time, I always feel so rushed to get everything done from when I get home in the afternoon right up until bedtime, so home cooking has not been top of my list which I really dislike as I love home cooking, not only does it taste better, it makes me feel better inside.

I tried out this recipie for Kavan on Friday using a few left over veg and some cream cheese and I am pleased to say he loved it! He made, Mmmmm sounds as a signal for more.

Here is the recipie:

Put on to boil a portion of pasta or more if required, bring to the boil and add in peas and a few brocolli trees, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked.

Sautee 1 small onion or leek

Add 1 small courgette grated with a knob of butter and leave to go soft

Once soft add a handful of spinach and wilt, add half a tub of cream cheese and stir until melted.

Add the drained pasta, broccoli and peas, stir and serve :)

My Mums Shoes x

Christmas shopping 🎅

I went off to do some Christmas shopping today at Mothercare as I'd already reserved some items in store.

Busy and crowded is not the word! Because the ELC have a huge sale on, the store looks like it's been looted. Random toys every where, stressed out mums trying to find toys with the best value for money and the poor dads, left to entertain the screaming children. 

Despite all this chaos I did manage to spot a few bargains of my own..... Paint! And lots of it. 

I've bought lots of lovely different coloured paints in ready for a big Christmas Art Project! 

Watch this space ..................

My Mums Shoes x