One Potato, Two Potato...

Look what i found in my garden...

2 potatoes

I planted these at the end of my flower bed while i was deciding what shrub i wanted to put in that corner. I used sprouted potato skin and i can't believe it works. Unfortunately i changed my mind the following day and dug them out to plant poppies. I must have left these two by mistake because i discovered them while planting bulbs. I couldn't believe it and was so excited, i have already cooked them as part of tomorrows packed lunch (potato salad) so i am looking forward to munching my 2 homegrown potatoes. I am definately putting potatoes on my list of things to grow next year.

Hope you have all had a good day xxx



My Treasures....

I haven't been to the carboot sale because of the weather so all my treasures are either from jumble sales or charity shops.

I am in love with this rose printed tea set. It consists of  4 cups, saucers and side plates. I managed to find myself a conserve jar with spoon included.

  

C. S Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia collection. The 7 books are The Magician's nephew, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The horse and his boy, Prince Caspian, The voyage of the Dawntreader, The Silver chair and The last battle.

Mrs Beeton's cookery book. The reason i bought this apart from the price tag (50p) was because of an article i read in the Good Food magazine by Gerard Baker. He has updated some of Mrs Beeton's recipe to be more modern and i wanted to have a read of some of the original recipes.

Every year i grow herbs and every year they die before i can use them. Hopefully this little book will be worth more than what i paid for it.

Cookie cutters. Reindeer, snowman, gingerbread man, heart, teddy bear, duck and candy cane shaped. I am not sure what shape the orange cutter is. Any ideas?

Some clothes

I love them all

Last but no means the least this book. Martin Lewis has nothing on me i managed to buy this for 70p. I am hoping it will be of some use to me come January. If not i know i can always rely on my fellow bloggers for hints and tips on saving those pennies.

So far i have everything that i need and will be taking a break from shopping for myself. I will keep posting some of the things that i have bought in the past few weeks.

First Sunday in Advent

Light the Advent Candle One
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas time


Candle, candle, burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle, burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas light

Mild Autumn

I can't believe that this time last year it was snowing and so far the weather hasn't been too bad. I have been in the garden today for a couple of hours pulling out weeds and dead flowers and making a boarder on my flower bed. The boarder is still work in progress which i hope to complete in spring. I bought some Lily, Tulip and Alium bulbs in Wilkinsons when they were 50% and 75% off and they are waiting to be planted. We are both off on Wednesday due to the strike so hopefully i can get digging weather permitting. I also need to go through my seed stash to see what needs to be grown in January. I know i know i should be thinking about Christmas not growing season but i cant help it.

I managed to find my Christmas cards in the shed so now i can start sending them.

Hope you have all had a good weekend i am off to watch My Fair Lady with a nice cup of tea.

Homemade Bread

On Saturday i decided to use my new bread maker and i wasn't happy with the results. I love homemade bread as much as the next person and this was the first time i used the bread maker as i usually do it the old fashion way. I am not sure it was the bread maker at fault but the recipe i used but who knows. So dear blog friends i know most of you have secret recipes for baking bread in the bread maker, i would love you forever if you would be so kind and share your recipes with me. Wholemeal and White. Pretty please....

Swimming...

Master T came back from the childminder this evening so excited he said "Mum, mum you won't believe what happened at swimming today." He didn't even give me to a chance to ask "What?" He just blurted out the news. He told me that he had swam 10metres without any arm bands and without stopping and he swam to the deep end of the pool. I am not so sure about the deep end part but i am still proud.

He is in Y4 and he started going for swimming lessons with his school for a term when he was in Y3 as part of their curriculum. Between the end of September this year and now he has gone from having 4 arm bands to swimming 10metres without any. I know it doesn't that much of exciting news but i can't swim and i wish i could and this is one of those moments/ activities that i am trying to live through my child hence the excitement.

I really wish i could swim hopefully one day i will join a swimming class AGAIN.

It was Master T's birthday on the 3rd and i booked a 2 day coach trip to...

He was so excited about the trip and he enjoyed himself. We got there in the afternoon so we didn't have enough time to go on the popular rides. There were long queues on some rides so we decided not to waste time and went for the rides with no queues. We also managed to watch a 4D movie, we were just passing by looking for somewhere to go when they started letting people in. The 4D movie was amazing and the characters really leapt out of the screen and it fel real. Some of the effects were real which i think was an added bonus. 

We could feel the wind blowing, water splashing, fire burning and there was a snowy scene where they had bubbles falling, it all looked so real.

He bought himself some Lego with his birthday money and he has been constantly playing with them. I think i already know what he wants for Christmas.

We watched a pirate show which was very funny and everyone seemed to enjoy it including me.

As it was born fire night there was a...

display.

Our experience of Legoland gets 10/10 and Master T is already planning a return trip with my grandbabies which i hope is not in the next 15 years or so. Grandbabies i mean.

On Sunday we had a tour around London....

....and had time to wonder around the capital city. I have never been thanked as much as i was this weekend there is no doubt that i am the best mum in the whole wide world for the next few days.

When i booked the holiday i wasn't so sure about the accomodation we would be staying in as i am a bit fussy when it comes to clean beds, carpets, toilets, bathrooms and everything in between.

We stayed at the

Which was very nice and very clean.

Dinner wasn't so great but the food was edible i enjoyed breakfast as i love a full English breakfast and i am just plain greedy. Master T barely aet anything on Saturday and Sunday beacuse of all the excitement.

 If i had decided to make my own way to Legoland by coach, bought the entrance tickets, book a room for the two of us including dinner and breakfast which is what i got i can tell you now i wouldn't have gone. I still feel as if i robbed the coach company because what i paid them would only have covered our travel expenses and half an entrance ticket nothing more. The service from the coach provider was brilliant and i am definately travelling with them again come spring and summer and would highly recommend them to anyone.

The only downside is that i would have prefered to have a full day at Legoland and half a day wondering around London but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Who did i travel with you might ask, National Holidays will be my answer.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post just a happy customer.

Happy Birthday....

Master T is 9 today. The years have flown by i cannot believe it. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. I loved him the moment the midwife placed him in my arms. Can't believe how a tiny little baby can steal your heart so unexpectedly.

I wanted his first name to start with the letter T and i had toyed around with different names but could not think or find a name that i thought would suit him. By the time i was about 7 months i had narrowed down his middle name to Gabriel or Alexander. Gabriel after the Angel Gabriel who brought the good news to Mary that she was going to be the mother of God and Alexander because i loved the way you can shorten it. The choices being Alex, Xander or Lex.

When i held him for the first time i just new what his name was going to be and it wasn't a name i had thought about before and so i named him Master T. Middle name wise i settled for Gabriel because of the reason mention above and because it is 2 letters shorter than Alexander. His first name is eight lettered and as it is not an English name and can be difficult to pronounce i wasn't going to lump him with Alexander. Odd reason i am sure but that's what happens when you have nothing to do in a martenity ward.

He has grown into an independent, loving and caring young man. He is a little chatter box and very friendly he will talk to anyone who will talk to him which is a big worry and he is very ,very impressionable. He is happier around people and is creative. I know he will go on to do great things. I am biased i know but i am his mother so i have to have faith in him.

...oh did i mention that i love him to the moon and back....

Happy Birthday my dearest son.xx