365 Day Photo Challenge - 179 / 365

179 / 365 - Jacob at the park working hard on the treadmill! xx

Herman the German Friendship Cake

I baked my first ever cake!

This was courtesy of a friend from work who gave me a sample of some mixture as part of a friendship cake.  This works similar to chain letters, except with ingredients and not the threat of  somthing bad happening to you if you dont fulfill the task!
  You can read all about it here.

So armed with my own instructions I began a 10 day ritual of following the rules and started with this mixture -

It doesn't look alot but once it is stirred everyday, the mixture rises and bubbles, and then covered with a loose tea towel.  By the fourth day, I had to add a cup each of milk, flour and sugar and then carry on stirring everyday until the ninth day where I had to repeat day four.  I then had to split the mixture into four so that I could pass it on to three other friends and keep the fourth for myself.

On day ten, it was time to start making the cake!  I had to add cooking apples, flour, baking powder, vanilla essence, cooking oil, and sugar to a baking tin.  I was also supposed to add raisins, which I chose not to use, and cinnamon, which I could not find in the supermarket! This mixture was stirred and I was a little apprehensive as I was not sure if I was doing it right!

Once in the oven for 45 minutes I could relax because it appeared to be rising and cooking nicely!

The first picture on this post is the finished result and I was very chuffed with myself for completing the challenge successfully!  As for the taste of it, it was very sweet, just how I like it.  It appeared dry but the apples made it moist but still tempting to add some ice cream!

YUM!!!

xxx

31 Day Blog Challenge - Day 10 - What is My Best Physical Feature?

Day 10 - My Best Physical Feature

Right now, I am suffering from a miserable cold so I don't feel like I have a best physical feature right now!
  But if I was feeling well, I would say my bum!  I have, in the past, had many positive comments about it so I am proud of this!  I don't think too highly of myself so any compliments I do get, I try to take on board!

I hate my legs but others say they look good on the rare occasion that I get them out!  I don't think much of my face, hehe!  I would say I am average looking and as my mum once said, my personality makes me pretty!!  Make of that what you will!

xxx

365 Day Photo Challenge - 178 / 365

178 / 365 - In the school playground today we were greeted by this wonderful fire engine which Jacob had the pleasure of sitting in!

31 Day Blog Challenge - Day 9 - My Worst Habits

Day 9 - My Worst Habits

I found this post quite hard to get started, not because I don't have bad habits but because I couldn't directly pick them out!  Or maybe I didnt want to!

Bad habit Number 1 - Finger nail biting!

I have been biting my nails ever since I can remember and having tried to stop on numerous occasions and failing, I know this habit will stick with me for life!

Bad habit Number 2 - Being Sarcastic!

I know they say its the lowest form of wit, but its also the best!  I use it when ever an opportunity rises in conversation, usually when I feel awkward or as a defense mechanism.  Some people don't take to it too kindly, mainly because they do not realise I am  not being serious, I just come across really sarcastically!

Bad Habit Number 3 - Going on Facebook!

This has turned into a bad habit but I only usually do it when I am bored and need to occupy myself!  I dont update my status as much as I used to, although I know some people will disagree, but its interesting to keep up with everyone!  Some people would call this being nosey, I would call it taking an interest!

Those are my 3 worst habits, Im sure I have more so may add to this list as I remember or stumble upon them!

31 Day Blog Challenge - Day 8 - My Five Senses

Todays blog post challenge is courtesy of a snotty cold and chesty cough!  It involves talking about my five senses at this point in time and how I am using them right now:

Eyes - I am looking at my laptop, of course, plus some Tv at the same time!

Ears - I can hear my son playing in his bedroom with his friend, the tv on a wildlife programme, and the clicking of my typing!

Taste - I am not eating at the moment and probably would not be able to taste anything with this rotten cold anyway!

Touch - The keys on my laptop and I am feeling quite warm

Smell - If a cold can smell, then that's what I can smell right now!  And maybe my baking cake which is in the oven!

365 Day Photo Challenge - 177 / 365

177 / 365 - Today Jacob went ice skating for the first time and with the aid of a 'penguin' he was a little star!  He got a bit cocky towards the end, letting go and proceeding to fall over!  But he managed to stay up longer than mummy ever would!

Listography - Top 5 Things I Love About Kids

Oh Listography, how I have missed thee!
KateTakes5 is only doing this feature once a monthn instead of weekly which I am gutted about but I will make the most of the ones I can do!

This months subject is close to my heart, not only because I have children but also because I work in a Nursery so I have 71 children to refer to!  I hate other peoples kids, not the ones I know but the ones in the street/ bus/ shopping centre/ supermarket! 
  I love kids that I know personally and get to spend almost everyday with them!

Here are my top 5 things I love about kids:

1 - The way they make you, as an adult, do stupid things!

For instance, I have pulled many a funny face, told a silly story or made up completely random things just to entertain, losing all self dignity and professionalism! When at home, I have been known to chase my son around a room or wrestle him to the ground just to entertain!

2 - When you get random bouts of affection

I love it when my son tells me he loves me for no reason.  Or when a child at work runs up to me and hugs me!  I get that warm, fluffy feeling inside!

3 - Teaching them new things and seeing them apply it to life

The best thing about being a mum is teaching your children new things and when my son learns from me I feel an enormous sense of pride and achievement. 

4 - When I can talk to kids like an adult!

Dont get me wrong, kids should be kids and act like one.  But having a normal conversation with them without talking down to them like a child is so much easier!

5 - The excitement

The joy in kids faces when they explore or do something fun, you cannot beat the look on their faces!

xxx

31 Day Blog Challenge - Day 7 - What's in my Handbag?!

Day 7 - What's In My Handbag?

This is my bag!

And this is whats inside!

I usually carry a vast amount of crap in my bag!  And my bags constantly change, I have so many but that's a whole separate post!

Inisde we have:

•  One mid year diary containing my scan picture and lots of notes!
• One "Baby On Board" badge in case I have to squeeze onto public transport with my bump!
• A spare phone case
• Lipgloss
• A mini bag containing phone headphones and an emergency phone charger
• Hand sanitiser (an essential!)
• My Alice in Wonderland style purse
• Sunglasses
• My name badge for work
• Keys!
• A pen

365 Day Photo Challenge - 176 / 365

176 / 365 - This morning when I woke up, baby was kicking like mad, Dean normally gets to feel this strange sensation in the evenings but Jacob misses out.  So it was great when they could both feel their impending son/brother kicking the crap out of me!

31 Day Blog Challenge - Day 6 - My Pet Hates

Day 6 - My Pet Hates

Oh this post was made for me! I am the worlds moaniest person in terms of pet hates!  I have at least three or four new pet hates everyday and it get sworse as I have got older!  So this list will be longer than it should be but hopefully a good old rant will be needed to make me feel relaxed after!

• I hate mornings except for summer days when its easy to wake up and jump out of bed,  I hate the mornings when I have work with a rubbish nights sleep topped by it pouring with rain outside and freezing cold!
• Since learning to drive a year ago, it has opened my eyes to a whole new world of ranting and raving!  I hate drivers who go below the speed limit by at least 10mph, I hate drivers who have no consideration for others, I hate drivers who pull out when you least expect it and blame you, I hate drivers who tailgate me on a motorway when I am already doing 80mph and continue to flash me to bully me aside, I hate drivers who don't indicate round a roundabout, I hate drivers in general!
• Saturday shoppers is a big pet hate of mine and Dean's despite still going to our local shops every week! We know what to expect yet we still go!  Its packed at the weekend yet our moaning consists of hating the following:  people who walk in front of us and then suddenly stop with no warning then proceed to 'tut' at us for bashing into them; people who cut you up to go in a completely different direction to the flow of the crowd; people holding up queues for no reason, people standing in a queue when you queue up behind them for ten minutes before they turn around and tell you they are not in the queue; children running riot around a shopping centre and the parents screaming their name across your face to get them to stop!
• There is nothing worse than children not sitting at the table when dining in a restaurant!  It is not difficult to keep your child sitting by entertaining them and talking to them rather than letting them run around a restaurant spoiling dining for everyone else.  My son has never left the table for anything unless he asks and when I used to work in a restaurant I used to tell parents not to let their kids run around as I was carrying hot food to tables.   If you dont want to be disturbed when eating, don't take your children with you!!!
• Bus drivers who make life difficult for others.  Before I learnt to drive, I used to get two buses there and back everyday to do the school run so I had every run in you could imagine!  Not letting me on the bus with a buggy, not waiting for me to fold the buggy, and most recently not changing a ten pound note for me so I could pay my fare!  Not all bus drivers are evil so then its the turn of the passengers to be rude and not give up their seats for the elderly/pregnant, eating smelly food next to me, a hundred school kids getting on the bus when paying passengers get left behind, people sitting on top of you, kids (again) running riot, etc!!!
• Cold callers, and clipboard street sellers which I am sure most people will agree with me on!  I tend to walk past the charity sellers in the street however nice they pretend to be.  But the phone calls on our home phone drives me barmy.  It takes ten minutes for them to answer when I have answered my phone, for them then to ask me how I am before even telling me who they are!  They pretend they are not selling me anything but they are just wasting mine and their time.  The latest pet hate includes the shop stalls inside shopping centres where they approach you asking if you would like your hair straightened/ eyebrows plucked/ teeth whitened!  I believe that if your stall is there then I know you can provide me a service if I need it, someone approaching me asking to try it will only make me turn around and dismiss you!

To be honest, I could go on!  But I think this post will over take my blog and my mind and now I come across as a right old moany cow when really I am a stress free, relaxed and harmonious person!  *cough*

RANT OVER!!!!

31 Day Blog Challenge - Day 5 - Ten Songs I Love Right Now

Day 5 - Ten Songs I Love Right Now

Considering music these days is so awful I have managed to pick ten songs that I love right now!  This would have been easier ten years ago but these days I never listen to the charts, I have no idea who is number one at the moment and I can just about pull through this list with my love for indie!  So here goes, pulling at strings here....

1. Coldplay - Princess of China  Regular readers of my blog will know how much of a Coldplay fan I am but this song is a duet with Rihanna and is suprisingly amazing!
2. David Guetta - Titanium  He seems to be everywhere on the radio but this is my favourite by him even if he ripped off his own song on Jessie J's latest hit!
3. The Maccabees - Feel To Follow  My favourite song this year, I cannot get enough of it and the album is just as good!
4. Linkin Park - Burn It Down  They are back and regular fans will not be disappointed!
5. fun. - We Are Youing  Loved by my son, this song is so catchy!
6. The Wanted - Chasing the Sun  I am a secret fan of theirs'!  Well, I was!
7. M83 - Midnight City  Have loved this band for years, its nice to see they have some commercial success.
8. Noel Gallagher - Dream On  Loving his solo album if not a little overplayed at times
9. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks  A happy jolly summer song!
10. Niki and the Dove - Tomorrow

xxx