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Time For a New Phone

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

I’m not really into gadgets, but I do like to have a nice phone.

When I got the chance to upgrade my very dated old mobile, I decided to go for a Blackberry. My husband was horrified! He’s an apple man through and through and if it hasn’t got an ‘i’ in front of it, he isn’t interested.

My phone has served me well though. It does everything I want it to do. Take photo’s, email, text…OK, so just the basics. I don’t use the apps (don’t like them) and I find the screen too small.

So now it’s time is up and I’m looking at new phones. As I’m a bit rebellious, I don’t want to go down the iphone route, much to my hubbs dismay, I’m looking for an android phones. He suggested I try the Galaxy S and I have to admit that I do like the look of it. But, it’s the old touch screen that I have trouble with. I find it really awkward to use, but then I can’t have a Blackberry for ever as…well…it’s not that good! (Sorry Blackberry).

I wonder if anyone else out there has problems with touch screens or is it just my fat fingers that are the issue?

The Honeymoon Isn’t Over Yet

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

So we’ve been married for a whole 2 months and so far so good.  After the big day itself, we did have a few days away in sunny Dorset…and it really was sunny despite being the middle of November!

We visited both Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, had a day trip to Bournemouth, and it was absolutely lovely.  I really wouldn’t have wanted anything else from a honeymoon….that is until my new in-laws offered us the trip of a lifetime to Hong Kong!

My husband grew up in Hong Kong due to his dad taking a job out there and as a very generous wedding gift, his parents are not only paying for us to visit his childhood home, but they are also having our 4-year-old for the entire time!! What a honeymoon!!!

Now to do some serious shopping! First things first, some replacement sunglasses. I’m especially liking the Arnette brand at the moment, particularly for running. And then there’s new shoes, T-shirts, dresses…etc. etc.

How exciting!

We love to Geocache!

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

What do you mean…what do I mean?

I don’t know why it’s called Geocache, though I’ve no doubt some techie would be able to tell me.

The Geocache is a treasure. You log into www.geocache.com, put in the area you want to search and in return you get a series of geocaches that people have designed. Choose which one you want, print off any hints and tips, put the coordinates into a handheld GPS system (for us it’s the iPhone) and off you go!

The geocache that you eventually find could be anything! Usually it’s a jar or a box with some treasure inside that other geocahers have left and there is usually a notebook and pencil so you can log in. Once you’ve found your ‘cache, you can upload your story and photo’s online for other treasure hunters to read.

It certainly livens up a dull Sunday and is a cheap way of entertaining the kids during the summer holidays. My lot love doing it, plus we’ve explored some parts of our local area that we didn’t even know existed!

It’s also a great way to explore new areas. If you’re going away somewhere you can find geocaching sites before you go.

We’ve also been advised to get a geocaching chirp. Apparently the best chirp is to be found in the US where they are big geocahers, but I’m not entirely sure how it works so I’m going to leave that one for now.

If you’ve never tried geocaching, I can highly recommend it. If you’ve got a smart phone with a built-in GPS system you don’t even need any fancy equipment.

We’ll definitely be doing it during the impending school holidays!

Time for bed!

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Almost 20 years ago my Grandad gave me £250  to buy some new furniture for my first flat.

I decided to go with a bed. To be exact, it was a lovely, traditional style, white metal bed frame and comfy matress from habitat. Ever since it’s been a permanent bedroom fixture in all the various places that I’ve lived over the years.

Soon after he gave me the money, he passed away, but I often reflect back on how he gifted me money for my favourite piece of furntiture, my lovely bed.

Trouble is, 20 years later, my lovely bed is very old and very creaky. It’s had several new matresses but to be fair, it’s on it’s last legs. Whenever I turn over in bed it squeaks…loudly! I know it’s time to get a new one but it reminds me of my grandad…weird I know…but it does!

Also….I hate buying beds. Being a sufferer of a sore back and neck, it’s extra important that I get this absolutely right and I’ve been putting it off and off and off.

But no more! It’s time to start looking seriously at beds and more importantly budget!

After doing some searching I keep coming back to good old Tesco, mainly because of the price. I also think it’s time to get practical and buy a drawer divan, somewhere to shove all the junk that piles up in my bedroom. My only concern is that buying online means I can’t try the mattress!

Oh what to do!!!

But what I do know is this….I’ll be buying one of these leather sofas as I’m sick of trying to get snot, chocolate, yoghurt and at times, sick out of my lovely chenille sofa! Not mine, you understand, the kids who think nothing of wiping their faces and hands on MY SOFA!!!!

Long time no blog!

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Two Cousins Bakery vintage cupcakes

How long has it been since my last post? Way too long….but so much stuff has been happening!

Easter, holidays, wedding planning and being a Mum have been taking up all of  my time. I have no idea how other mums manage to blog as much as they do!! Please can I have some tips!

Most significantly, I started my new business, Two Cousins Bakery and I’m now concentrating on building it.

So with no apology I’m now going to promote said business with a link through to our latest competition.

The Royal Wedding Cupcake Competition!

Simply click through to here with a chance to be enjoying the televised nuptials while munching through a box of six of our finest vanilla cupcakes.

The competition is only activated if we get 250 fans on Facebook. So come on chaps, give a fellow mumpreneur a hand!

Thanks and here’s to many happy hours of blogging!

Getting married used to be so simple!

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

I’m 40 years old and have three children of my own plus a soon to be stepdaughter, so I’m sure it will come as no shock to read that I’ve been married before. Twice to be exact…though the second one doesn’t really count in my mind…but that’s for another post!

And here I am getting married for the third time! OK…get the Liz Taylor and Joan Collins jokes out the way now!!

I first got married when I was a young, freshfaced and naive 23 year old, unaware of what life was going to throw at her in the coming years.

Back then, weddings were pretty simple, all pretty much the same and pretty much followed the same sort of routine, at least the ones I went to did.

Your parents sent out a standard invitation, inviting your guests to the local church or registry office where you would show up in a traditional white or ivory wedding gown  from your local bridal shop accompanied by three bridesmaids in dreadful matching gowns.

After the formal standard photographs, you and your guests would retire to a sit down, three course meal in an overpiced hotel. You and your spouse would then cut an ivory iced fruit cake as some sort of symbol of your marriage. All of this was followed by an evening  knees up to a bad DJ, finally ending with you drunk, your dress tucked under your arm wailing to ‘High Ho Silver Lining’.

Your guests chose from your Debenhams wedding list (or John Lewis if you were posh) which you dutifully sent hand written thank you letters to after you returned from your two week  Honeymoon in the sun.

However, if you were REALLY daring, you’d take off to some exotic destination and get married on the beach.

Easy!

16 years later we now have civil ceromonies, divorced families and the internet!

Getting married is very different to how I remember it!

We’ve chosen our venue, which we’re both really happy with. A humanist ceremony in a converted farmhouse in the Scottish Highlands!

All we’ve got to do now is put it all together!

Every night I trawl the web looking for ideas….it’s sent me cross eyed!! And as for a dress!? What do I wear?

As my lovely friend Alison said the other week…’Look lady, just because you’ve been married before, don’t you be turning up in a white trouser suit…..you need a BIG GOWN!’

Why am I thinking ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’?

Romance isn’t dead.

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Christmas plans and preparations have certainly been keeping me very busy, and in the middle of all my card writing, present buying and christmas wrapping, something happened that came as a surprise.

A couple of weeks ago OH took a day off and we spent the day shopping.

We had a lovely time and to round it all off he’d arranged for my dad to babysit so we could go to the cinema.  And that is when I should have started to get suspicious.

Around one hour before we were due to leave he said, ‘Lets go for something to eat instead’. What! But we’d already been for lunch! And yet I still wasn’t suspicious.

An hour and a half later I found myself sitting in a gorgeous restaurant in Leamington called Queans. As we took our seats the waitress came over and said ‘Two glasses of champagne as requested.’ I burst out laughing, ‘Oh you’re such a Gigolo!’.

Still none the wiser.

We chose our food and it was then that things started to go really weird.

‘I’ve got something for you,’ he said ‘Though it’s not what you think it is’.

Now my heart was starting to beat faster as he placed a rectangular shaped jewellery box in front of me.  I tentatively opened it and inside was a white gold pendant containing four diamonds.

I instantly recognised the diamonds as the ones from both my mums and grandmas engagement rings. This started the waterworks off. Big fat tears rolled down my cheeks and landed with a plop on the table.

It was beautiful but I couldn’t help but think how I had always imagined the diamonds in an engagement ring. I was filled with happiness and disapointment.

Between the tears I sniffed, ‘I love it, but I always wanted these set in a ring.’

‘Maybe this will help’ he said as he went down on one knee. ‘Will you be my Queen?’

This time he gave me a ring shaped box, inside sparkled a gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring.

By now I was sobbing and from the corner of my eye I saw the waitress appear with our starters and just as quickly retreat as she laid eyes on a man kneeling in front of his wailing girlfriend!

Of course I said yes.

He then went on to explain how the diamonds couldn’t be set in a ring as they were all different sizes and he hoped he done the right thing. Of course he had, the whole day had been wonderful. He had obviously put a great deal of thought, time and energy into the jewellery as well as the day and the proposal.

I don’t remember much of the meal that followed, though I’m sure it was delicious.

The date is set, 12th November 2011, and so now the planning starts and what better place to document it all than here on my blog.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

P.S. We asked the owner of Queans why it’s spelt the way it is. ‘Oh it’s an old Scottish word and it used to mean prostitute’

Hold on….does that mean he asked me to be his…….oh it doesn’t matter!!!

The difference between men and women

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Last weekend OH and I went away for a weekend to Divonne in France.

As a result of only taking hand luggage on the airplane, we had to put all of our toiletries in a plastic bag in order to get through security.

Can you guess which bag is mine and which is OH’s?

Back down to work

Friday, August 13th, 2010

I can’t believe my last blog post was back in May!

Where has the time gone? I’ve been so distracted by camping holidays, day trips, writing, kids and my other blog over at The Coventry Evening Telegraph.

But no more….I have made a resolution to myself to keep the blog up to date, even if it’s just to get all the stuff out of my head that’s in there!

So be prepared for ramblings, random thoughts and a new business venture!

Fashion for fortysomethings part two.

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Last weekend saw my Fortieth birthday come and go.  My OH asked how I felt about it and I had to admit I was quite looking forward to it, not like my thirtieth when I spent most of the day crying and mourning the loss of my twenties!

I feel fit and healthy, I have three lovely boys ,a great partner and a step daughter that I have a good relationship with. I love my home and where I live and I have a supportive and loving extended family. What more can I ask for?

Clothes!

If you read my last post, I’ve been fretting over what to wear just lately. I was especially fretting over my fortieth birthday outfit. I knew what I wanted but also knew that I had no chance of finding it in the shops.

There was only one thing for it. To get on the good old t’interweb and search for ‘made to measure dresses’, then up popped www.styleshake.com.

It has to been one of the most fantastic websites I ‘ve ever come across. You get given a choice of sleeves, necklines, bottom half etc. and you design your own dress/skirt/top.

It’s brilliant! It was like playing a Wii game except that 60 quid and one week later my outfit arrived at my door.

I opened the package and there it was. The dress that had been in my head was now in front of me. I felt really nervous as I tried it on. What if I’d got the measurements wrong and it didn’t fit? It took me a while to pluck up the courage to try it, but when I did I was as pleased as punch.

I’ve been looking for a photo that shows it off the best, but decided to post the one above of me and my OH. The theme for my party was purple and silver, which explains the amount of purple in the picture!

We had a great time and the dress got plenty of compliments and I have been raving about StyleShake ever since!!