2014 - Exhausting!! And SO MUCH CAKE

What a busy year 2014 has been! There have been ups and there have been downs, there have been lefts and rights and round the bends, so rather than diarise the whole year, here are some Top Tips of 2014 for you...

1. Don't hold Grudges - It can put back so much in your life that you may not even realise was missing. Especially if you can't really remember the reason for the grudge, or looking back it's not as serious as it may have seemed at the time.

2. Frozen is really a great film - even after about 30 watches, it's still good! You can't help singing along with the rest of the world, however hard you try and resist.

3. Despite a national hatred of the BBC, it does produce some really good drama's that you wouldn't want to miss for the world! Dr. Who, In the Club etc.

4. You're never too old to start a new hobby... but you can really get laughed at when you're hanging upside down off a large pony!

5. Some friendships are not meant to last. Let go and don't hang on til it's too late and things get bitter. Be honest with yourself, do you really want to be friends with that person or are you just waiting for them to fall on their bums so you can laugh!

6. Dogs are awesome. Fact

7. Being 40 is super cool, best age of them all and everyone should have a go!

8. Being the designated driver is also cool, cheap and gives you a clear head the following morning. Especially cool when you have young children or Puppies to wake up to!

9. When your 6 year old daughter tells you "You look like a pregnant teenager", somehow that is meant to be a compliment,

10. Learn to love yourself. Until you do, how can you expect others to love you? Think of all the things that make you special, and who you are and celebrate those things.

11. You can't reminisce about the 70's any more for fear of celebrating a sexual predator. There are only about two episodes of TOTP that are ok to watch any more.

12. You cannot and SHOULD NOT expect your friends to watch all 5 videos of your childs end of term performances. One should be the max, irrelevant of how many children you have.

WISHING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A FAB CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR. SEE YOU IN 2015.. with more cake of course!

How to overcome people ... and rainbow Owl cake!

Aren't people funny creatures. You think they should be like you in some way, although you do realise that everyone is different, but oddly enough, some people just don't think like you do. They aren't programmed in the same way and probably think that you are very strange too.

Obviously, the first thing to note from this is that being different is good. How boring would the world be if everyone was the same. Thought the same, acting the same, had the same interests and ate the same food. So we should embrace and celebrate that everyone is different.
Having said that, it can be a right pain in the backside, when something so straight forward to you and comes as second nature without having to think about it, is so foreign to others.

So how do we deal with this? Sometimes we want to shout, scream and cry. Why can't others understand me? Why can't my friends treat me like I treat them. Why can't my boss give me a 50% payrise? Why can't the postman stick to the path instead of walking across my newly laid grass? It can be the smallest thing that irritates us the most, and if its a build up of one thing after another, you can be forgiven for wanting to scream or yell or facebook or tweet. Well STOP.  There is nothing to be gained (in most cases) by washing your dirty laundry in public. Look at the current saga with internet trolls. These are people, a lot of them just like you and me, who get pissed off at someone else's actions/appearance/comments and then write some really nasty things in the spur of the moment.. and then get hauled in by the police for harrassement. They don't gain anything apart from a warning, potentially a criminal record or even a prison sentence.

Think of how many celebrities you read about and disagree with. There are probably thousands of them, but would you start berating them publicly, or letting their actions upset you? Hopefully not (if you do, we need to talk).

The key to dealing with people who are getting your back up, is by not letting yourself get upset! So much easier said than done, you're saying. Yes and NO. You can teach yourself not to, and actually once you get the hang of it, its very rewarding!

Sometimes, when you really want to scream and shout, you should let yourself, but not in public. Sit in the car, have a good cry, call your bestie or your other half, but don't publish it.  Once that is out of your system, think about the person who has upset you.
What did they do and why did they do it? Think of how sad and unfortunate they must be, to behave in such a manner as to go around upsetting others. Think of THEM as the victim, start to feel sorry for them and their pathetic little lives.  Think of how lonely they are, because everyone else thinks of them as you do, they don't have real friends like you do, they don't feel love and other nice emotions.

Once you are in that mind frame, you can start to think of yourself, and how much a better person you are, because you behave so much better. You do the right thing, use the right manners, say the right words. The other person doesn't have those skills, what a shame for them.

The best thing, if they continue to treat you in a manner you don't want them to, is to look at them with pity, let them see the pity you have for them! Cock your head to one side when they're talking at you and give them a little smile. It will piss them off a LOT more than they are pissing you off and that will make you smile, and then you will become INVINCIBLE.

Having said all that, some people are rude because they've had a shitty day! Maybe send them this blog so they can have a better day and start to smile too.

Feeling good? You'll feel even better when you see this cake.....

Why 40 is so much better than 30... and a three tiered cake!

I've done it. I've reached my milestone 40th birthday and I'm happy as Larry.
For those of you in your twenties, who think I am old, you know NOTHING. Being 40 is the best age so far, because now I'M in charge. I do what I want to do and I don't care what others think.
Here's a brief run down of the other decades-

0-10.  Well, here I was quite under my mum's control. She determined my elfin haircut (just because everyone else had long hair) and decided I would do Judo instead of Acting classes, and Piano instead of dance. My mum chose my school (and I did love it though) and was the decision maker as to whether I had to go to Hebrew classes or not (luckily not for long).
I was a very good child, I didn't argue back much, so as a result, did what I was told, wore what I was made to wear but still very happy, just not a lot of control.

TEENS. A VERY interesting time and quite a lot of fun (not that my mum knows all of this). Still a lot of pressure on getting the right education, and choosing courses I thought I would want to. I persuaded my mum to let me drop Piano lessons, I left school and went to college. I was in control when I got the bus to college, but not necessary when James Drew was driving! I passed my driving test not long after I was 17, I met boys, a lot of boys (but mostly at the Jewish Youth clubs I was steered towards).
I met my best friend Candy and we decided to rebel without being naughty. That was the most fun! Turning up to an "evening in" wearing bondage trousers and biker boots, only listening to Chili Peppers and cool rock. Then we found the Hatfield Forum! Best days ever there, but still had to be back at a certain time because my mum would worry. Still felt sick with worry about what she would say when I totalled my first car a month after passing my test, still felt out of control and used eating as a weapon, and as a result was bullimic for many years.
Got to Uni, made some awesome friends, pretending that I was very independent and knew how to live on my own. Was still a goody goody and didn't bunk of any lessons. Was broke!

TWENTIES.  Finished Uni, had an amazing time living in Germany, got to know a few more boys, got popular in the music industry thanks to the family. Left uni and got a job, reverted back to living at home and following rules. Was still a very good girl, but with a little more money. Discovered designer togs and heartbreak (not necessarily linked). Got a mobile so could be a little more adventurous with my time keeping and spontaneity. Still VERY insecure. Followed people like a little lamb, always concerned about missing out and was a doormat occasionally because people knew I wanted to be "in". Chopped and changed jobs but didn't seem to progress.  Towards the end of the decade though I threw up on my husband to be's shoes and we fell in love...

THIRTIES. Such a busy decade. Became a lot more of a grown up, but so much pressure on becoming one there is less time to enjoy being me. Got a better job with good money, bought a house, bought a decent car, got married. Had some AMAZING holidays around the world and a few spontaneous weekend breaks abroad.
Had children, stayed in more, spent money on them, tried and tried to diet. Stopped dieting to try for a second baby. Hated my job, got depressed by it, luckily found a job I liked and spent an amazing three years there and without the stress got pregnant with Lucy. Spent lots and lots of money on children, house, petrol. Discovered Primark and dumped the designer. Still insecure, still paranoid about what people thought of me, if I was making a good impression. But then I headed towards where I am now.....

FORTIES. It's quite a big word and baffles me why the U from FOUR has been dropped. But here I am. I'm happy because I like myself. I like myself a lot. I love what I have become and what I've achieved. I am happy with my appearance albeit far from perfect, I choose whether I want to get drunk or just have a diet coke and drive. I choose my children's after school activities based on what I think they will enjoy (well Lucy hasn't actually done many yet, but she will). I adore my husband, I love my house. I downgraded my car, but its great because the music is loud, the colour is pretty and the boot space is awesome. I save money rather than splurge it, but when I've saved enough, I buy myself presents as well as the rest of the family. I reason with people, I don't agree with everyone and everything they say, but I listen to them and offer my opinion when it's wanted. It doesn't bother me now, if people change the plans, change their minds. If I think it's personal I will ASK. I have a plan, I have a bucket list (not that I'm preparing to leave this world any time soon). The future is exciting, I can be who I want to be. The last three decades were a great preparation for my forties and I'm grateful for how I got here. I'm still not ready for Radio 2. Now I'm here it's time to have FUN, LEXI STYLE!

And this was my birthday cake ..... and my hilarious 70s outfit.

Life begins at 40 and life is worth living.

Never work with animals and children..... we got a puppy!

Apparently, they say working with animals and children is very difficult. None of them listen or do what you want them to.... but what if you let the children and animals loose on each other, and work together. BLISS.

So we got a puppy a few weeks ago. He is a 13 week old Cockerpoo and we brought him home after letting the girls meet him where he was with his mummy and siblings.

We were pretty nervous, because our initial thoughts were of the puppy biting and scratching the girls, the girls treading on him and hurting him and him eating all their toys. However, things could not be going easier.

To start with, as we were potty training Lucy anyway, it was easy to manage toilet training of the dogs, and without too many errors of putting Lucy in the garden and Ben on the potty, we've mastered both of them going in the right place. Titbits all round. Lots and lots of toilet praise in our house at the moment.

Toys. There cannot be a better excuse than to say to Molly, our 6 year old. If you leave toys on the floor, I won't be able to stop the dog from eating them. Then they will have to go in the bin. Double result. Molly has kept the floor free of toys, and nearly always manages to put them back in the playroom, and on the odd occasion where she has missed a few (mostly annoying plastic McDonalds toys), I have had the luxury of putting them guilt free into the recycling bin.

Biting, scratching and pulling tails/legs.  This was admittedly my biggest genuine worry, as you can't really blame puppies or children for stumbling, teething and not looking where they are going. But as they are all as bad as each other, the girls are forever apologising to Ben for nearly treading on him, and he gets lots of cuddles out of them in their own guilt-ridden way. Might I add, that not once has Ben actually been hurt by them. On the flipside, he is a teething puppy and when he gets itchy teeth he will have a go at my or James' hands, but I'm pleased to say not once has he actually tried to eat a child. Scratching happens all the time though, but then children fall over, get bruised, tread on MY feet and pinch my fat bits in their playing anyway, so a little revenge by a tiny puppy makes it all better.

Playing. One of the best bits about having a puppy, especially one who isn't allowed out yet, so has quite a bit of energy to burn off, is having a two year old with an equal amount of energy. I can sit back and watch Lucy chase Ben around the garden, whilst Molly is in fits of giggles. The game only takes about 5-10 minutes before the smaller two are exhausted and come in for a rest. My Mummy role of getting the children/dog active is complete.

Love. Finally, watching the girls build their love and adoration for this gorgeous little puppy is fantastic. I especially love watching them when they don't know, and Molly will get down on the floor and have a little cuddle with Ben, declaring her love for him. He knows he has the best family, who love him more than anything and we can see that he loves us back.

Best decision we have made in a long time.

A very blurry picture, but thats the only problem with children and animals, trying to get them all to sit still for just two seconds!

And massive apologies, there is no cake this week. That is because I'm building up to two weeks of mammoth cake baking, so will post some pictures of that soon.

x 

Paranoid Potty training

I've given in. With Molly, I waited until she was nearly 3 years old to potty train her. I just don't have the ability to stay home for more than 4 hours at a time, and so it gets quite difficult.
It's funny how you forget all those difficult moments in child rearing (if we didn't forget we wouldn't have multiple children) and then it all comes sweeping back when you repeat a process..

With Molly I drove her and myself mad. I put her on the potty every 5 minutes and she still had a million accidents, until we were on holiday in Tenerife. Molly was standing in the middle of the toddler pool. I was sitting on the edge reading a book and keeping an eye on her and all the other british children (unwritten parent rule on holiday, all the British kids are under your watchful eye, because you know if you DO take your eye off the ball, there are other parents watching your kid for you). Suddenly she shouts out, loud enough for most of the guests in the hotel to hear - MUMMY, I NEED A WEE!!! Proud but lazy, I secretly though to myself, you're in a pool and you're wearing a swimming nappy, just go. But to encourage her, I ran into the pool, scooped her up in my arms and tried to run, without slipping on the wet concrete, what seemed to be about a half mile run to the nearest toilet. When we came back, there were lots of smile of encouragement from other parents and my smugness overtook my laziness.

So now i'm doing it all again.
Once again, with Lucy, the toilet training sort of started on holiday (this time in Gran Canaria - I do like my Spanish Islands) and the novelty of being able to shout in the middle of the hotel restaurant - I NEED THE TOILET. So literally every 15 minutes during mealtimes (me thinks she was trying to get away from maincourses and she knew if you left your plate for a few minutes it would get cleared away - bring on the ice cream). This also worked by the pool and despite being in nappies and swim nappies, I took her each and every time.  Her nappies would still be wet though, so not sure how much of this training malarky she was really taking in.
And now with a couple of days off before work again, and almost a week before she goes back to her childminder, we're doing it "properly!". Bribes of yoghurt coated raspberries are working a treat, although Molly is looking quite enviously on, and I have to be strict not to reward her with "sweets" when Lucy uses the potty. Day one, we went through Lucy's knickers and a few pairs of Molly's too. Almost onto mine, so not the best start.
Day two and we realise that we get rewarded- I have NEVER seen a child do so many wees in a potty and the proudest moment was when she was in the garden playing (of course have a potty in the garden), and she ran in to her potty in the lounge (sorry guys but its the easiest location to have it) and pulled her NEW knick knocks down to do a massive wee.

Day three now, and I've almost stopped asking every 10 minutes and leaving it at least every 12 minutes to ask. But the next stage is to take the well managed potty training out of the house and into public domain. Already I'm having mini panic attacks and restocking the former nappy bag with the 10 pairs of knickers I bought her yesterday. I have a potty in the boot of the car and will offer it to anyone looking after my daughter for the next year or so...
Wish me luck that this continues in the manner is has started.....

and for your culinary enjoyment, this is a cake I made for year one's end of term picnic! 31 Jelly babies for the 31 gorgeous kids in Molly's class.

Are you living your own life or somebody else's?... and a great gymnast cake

A bit of a serious one this month, and apologies it has been over a month since I last posted, but there are only so many children's birthday parties you can write about, and that has taken up so much of my time (fun but not to read). 

So I was thinking about what to write about, and having had my "happy" head on for the past 100 days, I looked around me at those who might not be so optimistic and I looked into their lives and how they conduct themselves and most of the time, when I see people who aren't happy with themselves, its easy to see why. They are living their lives as to how other people want them to be.

When you grow up, you are very much governed by your parents. They are the people who will (most of the time) guide you and influence your way of thinking, but when you grow up, there has to be a time when you can think for yourself, and at the risk of upsetting your parents (albeit usually only temporary), you need to take that step, think about your action and decide how much will you upset your parents compared to how much can you improve your own wellbeing. They will get over it, surely they want the best for their children, even if thats when you're in your 30's and 40's. Be brave, explain why you're doing it and remember, they're getting old and grumpy and you're still young and fun!

And partners! Wives, husbands, boyfriends and girlfriends! Why do we choose each other? Most of the time its because we fall in love, find our soul mates, fancy the pants off each other etc. so why should that change once we're all settled together? Why are so many partners scared of their other halves? Why should we tread on eggshells around each other? We live in the twenteens, where we are all equal and have the right and means to say and do what we want. If you partner doesn't support you, tell them that you want them to! Tell them that your partnership asks for support and they ought to have a damn good reason to oppose your exciting plans. And on the flipside of that, think about what you say before you put down your partner and mock their decisions. Just because you are partners, doesn't mean you lose feeling! You know that as well as they do!

And work. So we've been through some tough times in the economy but things are getting better and jobs are materialising. So if you hate your job, why stick at it? Yes, you need the money thats obvious, you've got a house to run and a family to feed, but why sit at a desk where you get bullied every day? Why do you put up with it? If your partner/children were doing the same, you would (hopefully) go mental at them and tell them to start looking for a new job straight away. Why do you have to stay in the same industry your whole life? Retrain and do something you actually like doing. There is something out there for everyone, but you have to look for it, and want it, and then GO FOR IT!

It's not rocket science (unless that's what you want to train in) but its thinking about yourself, and realising that actually if you make yourself happy, those around you will be happy (it's infectious), you will thrive in your life and encourage others to do the same. 

If you're not happy SPEAK OUT, what's to be afraid of? Give it a go and see how it pan's out.

And in the meantime, check out my gymnastic cake I made last week. Remember, cakes are made to order.... ;)

Starlight Walk for The Peace Hospice

The Peace Hospice is a charity based in Watford caring for people with life limiting illnesses and their families in south west hertfordshire.  It was started in 1925  and over many difficult years it has had its ups and downs, and was even closed down in 1988 after the building was vandalised and was falling into disrepair. Even the historic clock that was there from 1924 was stolen from the facade.

After public outcry an office above the Hospice shop was set up and campaigning started in 1991. By 1993 it had raised enough money for a temporary day care centre in a portacabin alongside Watford General Hospital. It was opened by legendary entertainer Roy Castle.

Gradually, funds were raised to move the centre back to where the old hospital building had been and building work began in 1995, with the new location being opened by Princess Michael of Kent the following year. Five years later, the princess returned to open a new wing with 11 inpatient beds.

In 2005 the hospice started a Hospice at Home service and in 2008 they added two new inpatient rooms.

The hospice is growing and supported throughout the local community but continue to look for donations and fundraising, as they require £4m a year to run  and develop their services.

The Peace Hospice Care provides medical, physical, emotional, social and spiritual care, comfort and support to people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and also their families.

Its services include:

1.    In-patient Unit: 12 fully equipped home from home type rooms which all have direct access to the garden, for when people need to stay with us for a while, either to provide respite, or due to medical need.

2.    The Starlight Centre:

The hospice provides information, support and care as soon as a diagnosis is made so that people can be supported in living as positively and as well as they can, for as long as possible. There are a range of services including legal advice, social care support, classes such as yoga, meditation, art therapy, group meetings and HOPE courses amongst other services which can all be accessed by people who are leading full lives and visit the Hospice to attend specific sessions.

3.    Hospice at Home:

People who are able and would prefer to be supported in their own home can be through the Hospice at Home Service.

4.   Counselling:

The hospice provides counselling for adults and children and a range of complementary therapies such as reflexology and massage therapy, for patients and family members affected.

5.    Education and Support for Young people:

The hospice provides support, education and training to teachers and students in primary and secondary schools to assist them in supporting each other if a young person is going to be bereaved of someone close to them. Bereaved children also visit the Hospice to attend support groups where they can meet other young people in the same situation, and begin the journey of coming to terms with serious illness or loss in the family.

ALL OF THE SERVICES OFFERED BY THE HOSPICE ARE FREE OF CHARGE.

And for this reason I shall be doing the ‘Starlight Walk’ for Peace Hospice Care today, Saturday 21st June. I didn't realise how far 6 miles actually is. We start at the Watford Colosseum, walk all the way down Rickmansworth Road, past the Harvester (ooh can get a takeaway) up the hill, past my friend Gills House, all the way to the Ricky School, along Croxley Green, down Baldwin's lane to the bottom (near enough to wave at Scott and Claire, and the Simpkins) then back through Cassiobury park all the way back to the Colossuem. We're starting at 9pm, and my team leader for Arnett Hills Lucky stars is a beautiful 11 year old - Hayley.  If you can still support us, anything would be grateful for this amazing charity. 

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/alexisnoble1

OK, two days later and I have cake!!!
I have Portuguese Custard tarts to be honest. Enjoy! They are delicious.

Take care 

Pessimism, and why I don't get it. .... and an amazing Sophia the First cake

I forgot that I wrote my last blog about emotions, so this one could be linked, so sorry. I'll try and think of something funny to write about next time, or review the next bit of market research I'm doing for you.

But today is all about Pessimism and why I can't understand people who are pessimistic (and why I can't spell it very well).  As you may or may not know, I am very optimistic. Maybe too optimistic that I piss a lot of people off, so optimistic, that when things don't go the way I planned them to, I just think how it will go to plan next time and everything will be wonderful! That is why I buy lottery tickets every week. Someone has to win eventually, why can't it be me?  The glass is definitely half full over this way, and if its virtually empty, there is still that reminder of how lovely that glass was when it was full and aren't I lucky to have had it.

My darling husband (who doesn't actually read my blogs, so I can say what I want about him) and many more of my friends and family are Pessimists. So how are they still alive? Not that I wish them dead or anyone for that matter (well, there is the odd serial killer blah blah who I wouldn't miss if they were gone), but how can they live their rich and fruitful lives with so much pessimism around them?

The Pessimist will receive a party invitation and think - it might be a crap party, why should I go? The optimist will be choosing what to wear even though the party is months away.
The Pessimist will look out on a sunny day (like today) and think, bloody hell, this is no good for the grass growing;  its going to be hot in the car later; I'll get heatstroke in this weather blah blah....
The optimist is out there with their factor 30 on. The sun is out for gods sake! No time to moan!

So why do pessimists survive? Surely they don't go out anywhere, or do anything because it might turn out crap, or they might not like what they see, or who they're with.
They can't have conversations with friends and family because the others might get the wrong end of the stick and misinterpret what they are saying.
Can't have a party or even invite one person over for dinner, because if they decline (for reasons unknown to the pessimist) then that's a person smack round the face to say I hate you and never want to come to your house/party (unless its at a time when I am free).
Pessimists complain about their jobs, and complain when they don't have a job. They complain about the weather, they complain about what to eat.
STOP COMPLAINING AND BEING SO PESSIMISTIC AND LIVE YOUR LIFE!

I watched a programme the other night on the people of Brazil, living in their Favelas. They have nothing. Most of them don't have roofs that keep them dry when it rains. They sell the rubbish surrounding their homes to live. They don't always get paid on time, but they smile! They smile because they have hope and faith. A lot of this comes down to religion, and I am not a religious person, but even the pessimistic hubby could see how religion keeps a lot of these people alive, because they are hoping and believing that things will work out for the good.

People over here should look at that and pay attention. By no means am I saying, give up everything you have and live in  Favelas, but look at what you have and look how lucky you are and who is around you, and who loves you and remember that even if they are not there when you want them tomorrow, they will be there next week. And next week will be so much more fun than tomorrow, but tomorrow we will be excited for next week and think of more things to get excited about.
Stop trying to pick fights with someone to feed your own pessimism, its not healthy. If you're stuck in a situation you're not happy with, or people you're not so fond of but have to be around (we all know who we're thinking of), get over it, think positively, think optimistically and think how you can benefit your lives as well as theirs!  You may still not like them but you can think of optimistic ways to bide your time with them!!

Now, before I go and buy another lottery ticket, check out my cake I baked for Molly's 6th Birthday party. It was a joint party with her friend Elyse. The girls had a fantastic time and all the cake got eaten :)

People eating my cake is enough to boost my optimism permanently!!

The top half was chocolate, the bottom half wheat and dairy free. Both were deliciously moist and very very tasty!!

Emotions ... and my first Frozen inspired cake

Emotions - funny old thing aren't they! Some people are riddled with them, like fleas on a stray dog, and others have the bare necessity to get them through life as normal as possible (i.e. i'm not talking serial killers here).
But one thing that has come to light in recent times, is that despite getting older, getting married, settling into routines and comfort zones, becoming parents and putting all your energies into raising the kids as happily and responsibly as possible, those emotions you felt in the school playground, outside McDonalds on a Sunday evening or in the nightclubs on Student night, haven't actually gone away.

Its strange isn't it. We become so responsible for other people, whether its our children or boss, or elderly parents, that we assume we should grow out of thinking the things we do, because life doesn't actually have the time or space for them. But we don't.

In the school playground, I remember as a child my best friend telling me she didn't like me any more and going off with another friend. They left me alone and I was devastated, my world had ended. The next day we were best friends again, silly playground antics. In the nightclubs, friends and I would spot the guys we wanted to pull. If we both happened to spot the same guy, some reasoning would be had, to either bagsy him first or leave him alone. The hurt when I caught my best friend snogging the guy I'd been telling her about all night broke my heart.  I pulled someone else about an hour later but we didn't talk until she dumped him a week later. When I first got my driving licence, suddenly I became really popular. It was an amazing feeling, until I realised that actually I was only being used for my wheels. I soon decided that petrol was more valuable than fake friends and chose my riders more carefully.
Really petty things that mean the world to us while we are younger, but actually, in different circumstances still jump up and bite us on the bum today.

I just find it really strange that firstly we do still react so emotionally, if an event gets postponed/cancelled/changed and you're the last one to find out, surely we should be pleased that we get extra time to spend with the kids or doing something at home with our loved ones, not pondering on why we weren't part of the change and always asking the question "what did I do wrong" or "why is my opinion not important".
How about, a translation into modern terms, if you post a really cute picture of your kids on facebook. People see it, and can show their fondness of the photo by "liking" it. So if a friend, who you know has been on the site, doesn't "like" it, it can be heartbreaking! But why should we care. 53 other people, some of whom we barely even know have liked our photo, so why does it matter if one person doesn't?

Emotional actions (rather than REactions) are often carried out in moments of jealousy, but at our old age, surely we should get over our jealousies, and accept that we have indeed made our beds, now we have to lie in them, and if our friends have something we don't have, why can't we be happy for them, they are our friends after all. Jealousy though, leads to spitefulness and spitefulness is a horrible emotion to be on the end of. Being ignored by friends, having your loved ones ignored by your "friends" or having snide comments said about you are all really hurtful. EVEN for people in their 30's and 40's.

I still can't get over how we still react in such a way, and on so many occasions I want to shout "Grow up" to my friends, and even to myself when I look in the mirror, but instead I will spend a few days dwelling on what I could have done wrong to become the bad guy all of a sudden, heart skips a beat, checking Facebook for any clues....  I'm going to spend the last bit of my 30's training my emotions to come out only when needed, and the rest of the time I will stick two fingers up at the situations and get back to playing princess castles with those who matter most to me!

A little emotional rant today, but now, as I'm not fussed about anything other people are up to right now (as long as they are safe, well and happy) here is my Olaf cake. I'm pretty proud of this one, if I might say so myself!!

#100happydays - its a good thing... And a hidden surprise cake!

Hi everyone,
Hope you're keeping well and enjoying the sun which finally came out today.
Wanted to blog today about something I saw on Facebook and have actually decided to do myself. I'm usually anti all these do this, like that, play this on FB because frankly they're all a load of crap. But I love a challenge and 100 happy days is a challenge to think of something every day (ideally with a photo) that makes you happy.
Corny you might say? But actually not only is it a bit of a challenge, but also, by thinking daily of something that's made you happy, you're thinking positive thoughts.

How to do it, if you think your life is a bit dull or crap...
Firstly, do you have kids? If so, and even if they are the most annoying, spoiled children in the world, I bet there are things they do that make you stop and smile at them. For example, listening to a child singing, or playing a game when they really don't think you're listening, or hearing that they did well at school, or watching them being nice to a pet or another animal.

Don't have kids? Be happy that you get to sleep all night, can go to the toilet on your own and can have a phone conversation without being interrupted continuously!

What about Nature? Its the littlest things that can be added to my 100 happy days. Sunshine for example is a great one. Did you notice how happy everyone seemed today because the sun came out? Or look at the butterflies and birds out doing their thing. If you stop for a minute just to watch the world passing by, I challenge you NOT to smile at it.

Eaten something nice? Food is always fun, and when you go out for lunch to get a regular sandwich and accidently end up with something that tastes sooooo good, you can't help but smile at your achievement. I remember doing this in a Shell Petrol Station once. Who'd expect thats where the best sandwiches in the world are made, and to make it better, and what made me smile even more, was that I emailed Shell to tell them I thought their Sandwiches were ace, and they sent me a £5 voucher to say thank you! I definitely smiled then.

Friends and acquantances. Sometimes we're too quick to criticise or find fault in the people we're around every day. Complacency leads to boredom and boredom leads to trouble making. Pretend that you're new in town and you're becoming acquainted with these people all over again, and remember why you chose them as friends, or why you laugh at work so much all over again. Failing that, imagine them in their undies!!

Strangers, if all the above is failing, and nothing is making you smile. Try something completely new. Go and speak to a total stranger. It could be someone in a supermarket, someone at the bus stop or someone walking in the same direction as you! As long as you don't turn into some mad stalker-like person, and frighten your stranger off, then this can be just as rewarding to put a smile on your face.

And do you know what's best? If you smile every day for 100 days, you will continue beyond this, if for 100 days you can find something to be happy about, I bet you can for 100 more and suddenly, life becomes good, life becomes enjoyable and life is worth living.

My lecture for the day. I hope it made you happy! And if not, check out this cake with a hidden star agenda in the middle. That should make you happy!

Facebook .... my do's and don'ts!

So i've been thinking about what to blog for a couple of days. Not that life is boring and I don't have anything to rant about, but I like to keep my blogs as amusing and informative as possible. I don't want to write a diary for you to read because some of my life is PRIVATE!
So Today's blog, especially for those of you not on FB (Facebook) is about this wonderful website that has made one young man pretty rich and lots of people rich with information.
So here is my list...
1.  DO - Befriend people you know from childhood but have no intention of ever seeing again!
My hubby says, why go on facebook. If you want to see someone just give them a call and meet up, but the joy of facebook is purely the fact that you don't have to meet anyone you can't be bothered to, or don't really have the time for. You just befriend them and occasionally write them a note or like their photos. They feel loved, you feel popular! Its what its all about.
2.  DON'T- Befriend Ex boyfriends that you still fancy though.
They will have moved on and you'll only be jealous of them
3.  DO - Put lots of lovely photos of your kids, dogs, guinea pigs and days out on there. People are nosy and love looking at your photos, and its a great opportunity to show the world how gorgeous your kids/animals/self is.
4.  DON'T wash your dirty laundry in public, especially if you're not going to actually write what the hell is wrong. Don't put on your post "Oh Shit, can't believe that has happened to me...." You'll get lots of very nosy people asking whats wrong. If you wanted to tell them, you would have posted the full "Oh Shit, can't believe that I've crashed my car, got sacked from work and caught my brother in bed with my husband", and any real friends you would have texted in private!
5. DO Share those funny postcard type pictures that say things like, " If I want to get my children's attention I just have to answer the phone to someone or go to the Loo". It makes us realise that everyone is in the same parent situation, and its not just your own children who don't understand that when you're on the phone you want them to shut up, and when you're on the loo you want the door SHUT!
6. DON'T share those sentimental posts about loving your daughter, or dead people or Autism week (which seems to be every week) etc. We do all appreciate those special to us, but there is no value to "Share if you love your daughter too"
7. DO enter competitions via Facebook. I've won LOADS already, from the likes of RUCOMFY bean bags, to One Stop Convenience Stores hamper of Easter Eggs.
8. DON'T post political opinion if you don't really know what you're talking about. There is nothing worse than reading one side of an argument, shouting about it on FB, only for someone to come back and put you right back in your place.
9. DO use Facebook to criticise large, well-known brands who have pissed you off no end. Talking to customer services on the phone is a private one to one, where you can be fobbed off with any talk, but get public on FB where others can read it, and you tend to get the proper customer service response you deserve. Don't you Tesco Mobile!!? ;)
10. DON'T invite me to play Candy Crush!

My cake this week hasn't actually been baked yet. So you'll have to come back to that, but here is a picture of my brother's birthday cake I made back in November. Thinking I need to make another one like it again!

A 5 year olds take on Passover and Easter... and a buttefly birthday cake

So, its the time for lots of religious festivals, across many different religions. We have celebrated Passover and Easter (in the chocolate Egg sense) in my house, so I thought I would ask my eldest daughter and her friend what they though the meaning of these two festivals were. Lets start with Easter -

So Jesus is a nice guy and he wants to go to Jerusalem. He finds a donkey and heads off with his disciples (good word Amelie). When he gets there, there is a mean king who doesn't like him. (At this point, I am told its a fun festival). Jesus gets put on a cross with a couple of other men and on Good Friday he dies. Then on Easter Sunday some women came to see his tomb and he wakes up.
But why the Easter eggs? I've asked Molly and her friend.
Because everyone likes Chocolate! Good answer.
After Jesus came back to life he died again.
We have Easter Bunnies to give us the Easter eggs.

I think this is a perfect explanation of Easter, lets now move on to Passover.

Moses was in the water and Pharaoh's daughter was going  to the water for a swim.  She found Moses in the water (I think he was a baby) and she called him Moses. He went home to see her daddy and he was treated as a slave when he grew up. Moses said to Pharaoh, let my people go, but Pharaoh still wouldn't listen. Then Pharoah said you can take your people but he was going to kill the first born babies.
Moses put his walking stick up and said "Open Sesame" and the water opened and everyone walked through the water, and they landed in the desert.
They put the bread on their backs because they didn't get time to cook it before they went and the sun baked it and it turned into Matzo, which is why we eat Matzo at Passover.
Pharaoh's army went through too, because Moses saw his army when they all got across, he shut the water.
We dip wine at Passover to welcome Elijah. We eat bitter herbs because that's the medicine.
Passover is fun too, just like Easter.

I think children should become the ministers in our churches, synagogues and mosques. I would go and listen to their sermons any day!!

So today's cake is butterfly hidden surprise cake. Hopefully when little Evie cuts it open, she will see butterflies on the inside... fingers crossed.

End of an era... the Toddler Group.. and a Marvel..ous birthday cake!

They say, all good things must come to an end. And last week was the end of 5 lovely years at Christchurch Toddlers group!

Having started with Molly when she was about 6 months old, and going through the rigmarole of having to get a friend to put a good word in for me, and a massive waiting list (For a Toddler Group for Gods sake), I started attending the Tuesday morning Christchurch Chorleywood Group with my NCT friend Kim, and her little Isaac. A very friendly group and welcoming, unlike a number of others I've come across and heard about in the past, I managed to last it out through Molly turning three and then Lucy being born, so barely a week during term time went by without my Tuesday morning visit to the Church hall.

Toddler groups are a funny old thing. They can be so cliquey, not always friendly and sometimes quite exhausting (depending on the age of the child and their enthusiasm for getting involved). When I first joined, I was lucky to meet some of the loveliest local people I could wish to meet. And most importantly, Pamela was there every week to serve us tea and coffee and biscuits. General rule was that you only had one cup of hot drink, but, if you're really "in" with Pam, you could often get a second cup. 

A great array of toys put out each week for the children to play with, and surprisingly, all in very good condition and all put away (by us parents and carers) in exactly the right place at the end of the session. When Molly was younger, I think things were taken a lot more seriously. We had a rota for reading during snack time (For the kids of course), a rota for organising crafts (all expenses reimbursed) and sometimes even a rota to start off the singing at the end of the group.

From barely being able to remember a single nursery rhyme when I first started with Molly, I now have a full repertoire under my belt, from the likes of  "Wind the bobbin up", "Sleeping bunnies", "Dingle, Dangle scarecrow" and of course the obligatory Jesus and God based songs ( we were in the church hall, and at times the church after all) "Jesus' love is very wonderful" and "Who made the twinkling stars". 

Once a month, instead of sitting in a circle for singing time, we went into the Church with one of the Youth Workers, who would tell the children a bible story. Barely a single child actually listened, but running up and down the pews is so much fun! It was the constant running around the alter that sometimes got them into a bit of trouble, and left a few red faced parents chasing them around, trying not to upset God's place.

When I went back to Toddlers with Lucy, it was a little different. A lot more relaxed, and dare I say, Lazy planning. The toys were still there, and still put away in exactly the right place each week, but the craft ownership was luckily taken on mostly by one lovely lady Jo, and the reading during eating was dropped in favour of the Mums chatting whilst they didn't have to chase the children around. Singing was generally started by the lady who runs the group but everyone had a little shy go and starting something off, or at least putting a recommendation in.

Molly and Lucy have had such a great experience of Toddlers, and I've had some fabulous cups of coffees with some lovely people over the past 5 years. I think, if I were to have another baby, which is definitely not going to happen, I'm not that sure I could do another three years of this though.  I was starting to get a few looks when I would tell people that Lucy, at the ripe age of ONE was perfectly able to join in the craft by herself without my help, because I was too busy sitting on my big behind, chatting to my friends about 3D-Lipo, numerous birthday parties and other lovely gossip. Crafts were becoming an interference, as was sitting on the floor playing train sets or doing puzzles. I can do that with the girls at home when I've got no one else to chat with, but for the past term, Toddlers has been about having a bit of me time!! Its been a wonderful experience, and I'm sure I will miss it, but I won't pine for it, thats for sure!

Thank you again Pamela for all those lovely coffees!

Todays Cake is the MARVEL AGENTS OF SHIELD cake I made my wonderful husband for his birthday. It was a wheat free, light sponge with Almond icing. All eaten by his work mates and none came back for the children. But they eat too much anyway!

Review of the P'zazz performance of Joseph and the technicoloured Dreamcoat... and a cake fit for a Head Mistress

Happy Mothers Day to you all. I'm writing this morning following a lovely evening watching my Molly (aged 5) in her first proper theatre production of Joseph.  She was only in the choir and as we had no idea what to expect, I thought I would write a review..

The build up to Joseph was, to say the least, disconcerting. I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on one of her P'zazz lessons at school lunch time, and watched as half the class rolled around on the floor, some falling asleep, some coming and going, others trying to read guitar manuscripts. Thankfully, my own Molly was singing her little heart out, but not a Joseph song in sight. This was three weeks before the show. I asked the teacher if she planned on actually singing the Joseph songs, which she said she was going to, and I asked if the children would be on stage the whole time, as in the musical/film version they have a massive presence throughout. She said she'd never seen the show so couldn't tell! YIKES!
So I left it in their hands and judgement. I was after all paying them to teach her this. A week before the show, the kids had a Saturday afternoon rehearsal, just for two hours at the Theatre (James Theatre,Watford Grammar School). They came out of it feeling very proud and excited. I felt more at ease. But then we were told the day before the show, they had rehearsals from 6pm-9pm. Most of the kids are about 5 years old! 9pm!!! We all started to threaten we wouldn't send our kids out that late, but we gave in, in the name of showbiz. The kids were fine with it, but its one of the first times I've gone to bed before Molly got home. Hope that doesn't become a habit!
Saturday 29th March was the big show. There we two in fact, at 2.30pm and 6.30pm . I roped my wonderful Mother, Nephew and Sister in law to see the first show, and they were very polite. Mostly about Molly, and my dear friend, who's daughter was also in the Choir with Molly was slightly less complimentary. I was starting to dread watching the evening performance.
After the afternoon performance, the children were told they couldn't stay at the theatre, so they came home, for 45 minutes! Barely enough time to throw some food down their throats and make them sit still for 5 minutes and rest.
And so we headed back to the theatre for the evening show. The kids were taken off to put their choir T-shirts on (these are quite nice really) and we were given our tickets. Its a cute little theatre, but the showy mother in me, was then thinking, she should be on at Watersmeet or somewhere where more people can see her, not just family members of the cast!

The show was actually quite good. Some cast members were amazing, especially young Reuben. Joseph was great and the narrator, who had the biggest task of all, was quite good, although started off quite nervous.
The choir were of course amazing, but spent most of the time sitting in the theatre seats alongside us audience, so we couldn't see much of them. Luckily for me, Molly and Eva sat parallel to us, so we could see them doing their bit, and they did go on stage three times.
We were told not to take any photos, but there weren't even opportunities at the end, so I was a bit naughty..

When my baby is on stage though, no one is going to stop me from taking a photo!!

Looking through the programme, it became apparent that quite a lot of the children in the main cast were children of the people who run and manage P'zazz, which did explain a lot. But overall, it was enjoyable, the children did so well, despite it ending quite late (after 8pm) and the children all being knackered. Speaking to a couple of friends, we discussed whether we think they would do the next show next year... Hmmmm... maybe time to look at other drama options, although the children are all begging now to be in the Jungle book! March 2015. So watch this space, anything could happen, but well done to Molly and all the cast of Joseph this year.

And finally...... last week was our wonderful Head Mistresses 50th birthday. You know when your Head is loved when you can't get into her office for all the cards and flowers and chocolates... and a cake from the children of Year 1 (made by me!)

Young children having accidents, OMG shock horror... NOT. And a lovely bundt marble cake

So there is an article in the papers stating that the minister for schools is shocked that some children start primary school but still have accidents and wet themselves! Has he never met a 4 year old child?
 I quote "Teachers have to spend months ‘socialising’ children when they start primary school in how eat, mix with other pupils and go to the toilet, an education minister has warned.

Growing numbers of youngsters start school aged four with ‘very challenging social skills’, Lord Nash said.

Eight in 10 staff at nurseries and primary schools say they have had to deal with children who have wet or soiled themselves."

So let me get this straight and have a little rant at the same time. Does dear Lord Nash expect 4 year olds starting school to go straight into their Maths, English and science education, because of course, at that age, they WILL take everything they learn in, and probably sit reading coursework books for hours on end....

Oh hang on a minute.... yes, thats right, they are 4 year old children. My guess is that they learn best through playing, and getting to know the other children they're playing with.  They are not expected to start school knowing when they can talk, when to be quiet, when to say they need the loo and when to say they are hungry. One of the main jobs of a reception teacher is indeed to teach the children social skills. That, in my opinion, is one of the most important life skills, above, science, maths and English. 4 year olds don't usually come from a background where they are stuck with 29 other 4 year olds all day every day, unless they've been at full time nursery, but that is still different from a school environment. 

Reception class is about bringing these children together, teaching them each how individual they are but how they can get along together, play together, and conform to instruction. They are taught about meal times and how they should behave, as at home, its a little different when I'm feeding my two children, to being a school where 200 children need feeding.

And with regards to wetting themselves, well, who can honestly say now, as an adult, when you've been laughing so hard, you can't stop, a little bit of pee might come out? Anyone who denies that hasn't had a life! 

My daughter had accidents in Reception, and one or two in year 1 too. Its called having too much fun and getting to the loo a little too late. Plus, Reception in her school have spare knickers with fairies on, which are so nice, all the kids want to bring a pair home!

Lord Nash, take a long hard look at yourself, go and stand in the corner, but don't forget to rush to the toilet if you need to go. I'd hate to see you having an accident on your naughty spot! YOU FOOL

Rant over!

Here's cake...

Toddler birthday parties.. why do we do them? ... apart from the amazing cake of course

So my youngest daughter was two last week. Last year on her first birthday, I had three little parties at home to accommodate various people who couldn't make certain dates. Most of the children were Molly's friends from school though, as being One, Lucy was unaware of who her friends really were.
This year, however, was different. Lucy goes to toddler groups and can now talk about her different friends... but would she still appreciate a whole party? Who have I done this for?

So I decided on a party away from home because -
1. Molly had one when she was two (be it a family garden party at my mums though with glorious weather)
2. I wanted to invite her friends over
3. Her friends mostly have siblings the same age as Molly, numbers were getting high.
4. I love parties
5. I wanted to make a big cake
6. Its a good excuse for a get together

Planning the party was easy, and I just booked it on the credit card so it wasn't a big hit to my account, and I did it as cheaply as I could, but the basic room hire was still £150. Being a savvy spender, I made the invitations and printed them off (possibly at work) which cut the cost of about 15 invitations, and they were very personalised to Lucy and quite fab if I might say so myself.
I declined politely the offer to purchase food for the children at about £4 a head. They don't eat half of it anyway, so I made a plan of simple crisps, fruit, sausages and of course birthday cake. I still however managed to spend about £60 on food and supplies for the day.
Invites went out quite early to all Lucy's friends (she does have about 7 genuine friends of her own age who she can name and find in a crowded room), their siblings of course (much to Molly's delight), family and family friends who we wouldn't never be without. 30 children in total from the age of 9 months to 11 years.

Working out the spreadsheet of costs, that was quite a good return on investment, and of course as mentioned above, all their parents would be staying so it was a good social for me too!

Next on the list was party bags. These days you can rarely get away with a party without party bags. Children are so spoilt and expecting of them! Again, the savvy shopper in me was not prepared to spend a fortune on toys that get left in the car on the way home (I could have made up the bags with all the bits my own kids have discarded over the past years worth of parties they've been to) so I bought some bubbles, you can NEVER go wrong with bubbles, some bugs that crawl down the walls (actually these are pretty cool and fitted in with the Gaston/Ben and Holly theme) and then made home made personalised biscuits to go with them. I do love my baking of course!

And then with a few days to go, come the apologies for not coming. I totally understand that everyone has things coming up, and heads to crack open and hospitals to rush to (only one and thankfully he is ok now), but it puts doubts in your mind.
We were down 9 kids by the morning of the party. I started to think about why I was having a party, what I could have done with the money if I'd not spent it all, was it a waste? Was Lucy going to appreciate it, was she even going to be ok herself, as she was under the weather (a bit of Calpol and she was fine), was it going to be a Molly party after all? Too late now anyway!!

So the party went ahead. 21 kids, still quite a few little ones of Lucy's age. Lucy has the BEST time. It was a soft play party at William Penn Leisure Centre, lots of bouncing around on the castle, lots of soft play equipment, all the kids from 9 months to 11 years had a fabulous time. After an hour of playing, we went into the party room for food. I didn't prepare food boxes, I didn't even take the crisps out of the packet. It was great. Lots got eaten, my dearest Godson told me that it was a "lovely meal aunty Lex" and then we cut the cake.
I was particularly proud of my cake, mostly because Lucy knew exactly who was on it, even Big Bad Barry the fish in the pond. AND it tasted awesome :) (smug moment here).

All too soon it was over and everyone left. We went home and Molly helped Lucy to open her gorgeous presents (that I was worried about too, as we have so many toys at home, I wouldn't know what to do with any more) but books, clothes, Ben and Holly wall stickers.. Lucy was very excited, I was very very happy (Thank you all SO much), and now I'm thinking of what to do next year for her, as I've already mentally planned Mollys class party for June!

GOT TO LOVE A PARTY, I'm so pleased I did it, and here is the cake that was the perfect finish to a wonderful day!

A day in the life of a Quiz show contestant.... and a fab 1 Direction cake

At last I can finally reveal the immense fun I had going through the process of applying and appearing on Tipping Point (ITV, Wednesday 19th Feb 4pm)

I love money but hate spending my own, so other than winning the lottery, I thought I'd fancy my chances at winning some on a quiz show. I applied back in October through one of the many websites for Tipping Point. I'd only ever seen the celebrity series where the prize fund is twice as much as the regular.  But hey ho its still up to £10k that can be won.

A week later I received a phone call, number withheld, I was about to hang up, assuming I was owed PPI from one of the four major lenders, but it was a very pleasant young man from Tipping Point. I was in the process of putting a lamb shank in the oven, in the biggest casserole dish I could find, so I wasn't really concentrating when he asked me some general knowledge questions. I'm sure I got most of them wrong, other than what is the name of the new Prince but nevertheless, he told me I'd done well and I would be contacted shortly.

Another phone call within the week confirmed I'd been invited to audition up in Kensington, London. Cleverly, I asked for a parking space as I didn't fancy trying to get the tube across London. They were most accommodating and sent all the details over to me by email, as well as a LOT of paperwork to complete and contracts to sign.

The audition was fun, there were about 20 of us sitting round a very corporate looking table, everyone very chatty, proving instantly their confidence and ability to talk for sure! It was interesting to know that so many people were serial quiz show appliers, although the contracts do state a time period before appearing on TV again.

We were asked to talk about ourselves for a minute (Just one minute I thought? How will I fit it all in?) and it was interesting to hear that some people couldn't think of anything to say other than their enjoyment of the programme. I doubt we'll be seeing them on TV this series! We then had a general knowledge quiz with 25 questions. We had to write the answers on a piece of paper and had another piece to cover our answers. The few women in the room were very craftily placing their papers but the men weren't interested in that, which was a great help for one or two of the questions for me ;).

We then were sent away and brought back individually to be interviewed in front of the camera. This was the first time I got a little nervous, but soon found my voice and chatted away, remembering big smiles in between (Television, is after all very cheesy).

We were told we would be informed in a couple of weeks if we were successful. It took a LOT longer and I started to worry, then get annoyed, then almost resigned to the fact I hadn't been chosen... BUT THEN, I received a call, from a lovely young lady, inviting me to film the show! OMG, it was really happening...

So on the 11th December, on dear Mr Ben Shepherds birthday, I made my way to Wimbledon studios. I was in the third group so arrived around 11am, and was taken into the Green Room (not quite a trendy as I would have expected) and met with Lyn, Tom and our 4th contestant was running late as he'd gone to the wrong building. We were all quite pleased with that, because surely it meant that he was a bit stupid, if he can't even read the instructions correctly! ha ha. It was a great way of bonding and getting to know each other. We were called individually into hair and make up, which initially I was dreading, as I hate wearing make up, but the make up artist was amazing. She asked what I liked and did nothing more. Hopefully it came across well on TV. My hair she did amazingly, I was pleased as punch just with that bit itself!

Once our 4th contestant (A Simon Cowell lookalike) turned up, we all went off for lunch. Today's choice was 7 different types of hotdog! I went for a jacket potato. We weren't allowed to sit in the main area, because the staff were there and might be talking strategies etc. so we were put in the corner, which was fine and had a lovely lunch, getting to know one another, and my personal strategy was forming in my mind...

1. answer the first question (to build confidence)
2. Get rid of Simon Cowell in round One, he's annoying
3. If I get to round two try and answer the questions first
4. Relax and enjoy

You'll have to watch the programme to see if it worked!

At about 4pm we were called in to the studio. It was quite big, but its not an audience show, so not too big that it was daunting. The set up itself is very funny. The podiums we stand behind are on quite a narrow stage. No getting too excited and jumping back because you'd fall off the back! The crew in the studio were great, really fun, lovely people obviously enjoying their jobs.
I was lucky that Lyn was also very short, so hopefully we look more average on TV together. Lots of touching up make up and after the first couple of times, you get used to it.  We spent a few minutes on the sidelines when one of the bulbs went in the drop zone and Ben Shepherd was very, very friendly, amusing, chatty and generally a charming man!

The nature of the show you'll have to watch to find out but it was great fun. Really great fun. I would recommend it to anyone who has the confidence to talk on TV.

Without giving the game away, as I said you have to watch it, I really enjoyed the extra cash, and am now looking for the next show I could go on!!

And for today's cake, this was requested and made for a dear friend of the children at school. A big 1D fan, but how funny that their logo isn't symmetrical! The OCD in me is really coming out as i'm getting older.
This was 100% wheat and dairy free, using alternatives thanks to an amazing website - www.icedgembakes.co.uk and three days on its still moist and delicious! Happy 11th Birthday Hayley xx

3D Lipo, a very personal review but alas no cake this week!

Every year, rather than set a New Years Resolution as such, I tell myself that I will spend some money on ME, and no one else. It can be on anything I like, and if it doesn't work then so be it but at least I'll have tried something new.
2014 is the year of 3D Lipo!
What the hell is 3D Lipo I hear you ask..

3D Lipo has been around for about 2 years, but has been in research status for about 7, so it is a relatively new idea. It is a completely non-evasive method of breaking down fat cells using Ultrasound. Unlike other forms of non surgical liposuction, it does not use lasers, which shrink fat cells, but it actually destroys them. When they are destroyed, by the ultrasound, they pass out through the lymphatic system out are managed through the liver and passed along with regular waste.  That's as scientific as I'm going to get because I am NOT a scientist! Unlike other laser Lipo treatments too, the effects are immediate. Unlike the old fashioned Liposuction, there is not so much as a bruise or a sore tummy to show for it.
Too good to be true? Well, lets find out.

I found a local clinic that does 3D Lipo and emailed them for some information. They were quick to respond with answers to my questions, which included the confirmation that no other diet or exercise is required with this treatment, but of course the more you do to help yourself, the better the results. They confirmed the immediate results, but advised a full course of 8 treatments is best, and they told me that their policy is not to do more than one treatment a week because of the extra pressure on the lymphatic system to pass out the waste.
So I booked in for a consultation and met the lovely Ravi, who was very polite and professional. She asked me what I wanted to get out of the treatment, and she showed me the machine and how it worked. The full set up, if it is needed involves Cavitation (the ultrasound destroying of the cells), Crylipolisis (which freezes the cells and eventually breaks away after about 9 months) and skin tightening, but as Ravi explained, she only uses the first, and very rarely the Crylipolisis on areas such as bingo wings, but as the results take so much longer there is little use on areas such as the tummy and legs, the Cavitation treatment tightens the skin itself so there is little need for additional tightening too. I was hooked, and booked my first treatment, which would involve a more medical questionnaire too.

When I went back the following week, so keen to get started, Ravi went through a full medical questionnaire, this treatment is not advisable if you've had cancer in the last 5 years, diabetes and other illnesses/diseases whereby there is more pressure put on your kidneys and liver. The idea is that no pressure is put onto the body to cause any concern. She measured me in three places around my stomach (thats private though thank you) and weighed me ( you really don't need to know about that one) and then I lay down on her treatment bed. She covered my tummy in the gel used in Ultrasounds, which I'm very very familiar with. I mean, the reason I'm here in the first place is because of my two gorgeous children! Then she started with a small "thing" with 4 metal circles on it, she massaged my tummy, explaining there were 8 areas in total and each got about 5 minutes. But its not stop start, its a continuation, and the feeling was lovely. The "thing" warmed up quite quickly so took away the coldness of the gel, and the only discomfort at all is that the Ultrasound causes a high pitched ringing noise in your ears. Not my practitioners ears, but just mine. Whilst we were chatting though, i could barely hear the noise.

40 minutes later and she was finished. She measured me again, and after session one on the first area I'd lost 2cm, the middle bit (around my belly button) 1cm and the top bit of my tummy another 2cm. Thats 5cms in my first session.

I was happy but a little dubious. I've had wraps before where i've lost inches but as soon as I've had a drink of water they've come back again. I booked for my 2nd treatment, and as much as I tried to argue she wouldn't do it before a week and went home, immediately feeling a little "better!" I don't know how psychological that was, but I was happy, and I was drinking lots of water and going to the loo lots too. That had to be a good sign.

I've now had 4 sessions, so I'm half way through, I've changed my diet slightly, I've just reduced the amount of wheat that I eat because it doesn't generally agree with me, but I'm still eating everything else I want. But I do exercise too, I will try and do an hour on the exercise bike, about 4 or 5 times a week. I've been doing that for ages though.

So after my latest treatment, Ravi measured me again. I have lost in total over the three parts of my stomach a total of 19cms so far, and I still have 4 treatments left. The scales are showing a little change but its not about what they say. I'm generally a heavy boned person so I don't tend to listen to the scales anyway, but I wore my jeans last weekend, and my muffin top was much reduced from the last time I wore them (AND i'd just washed them too), my stomach feels smoother and much less bumpy, and the biggest test for me of them all...
Occasionally I stand in front of my mirror, sideways on and see how pregnant I look if I really push my tummy out. Most of the time its past due date, and on a couple of occasions I've done a pregnancy test just to make sure I'm not actually overdue, and this week, the "best" I got was about 4 months pregnant. So for my personal achievement, I've lost 5 months of pregnancy.

I can't wait for my next 4 treatments, and this next 4 weeks I'm even going to try and stop eating so much chocolate alongside the treatment, and see how that helps.
So far so good, it really is as good as it sounds......
Watch this space.

I'm sorry there is no cake this week. I've got a diary full of cake baking opportunities over the next two weeks though, so there will be lovely pictures to follow.

Take care

Thanks to Physio Dynamix in Iver Village http://www.physiodynamix.com for providing my treatment.

First use of a Premium Merlin pass....... and a microlight cake!

After a lot of research and a lot of waiting for the right time, I bought three Premium Merlin passes this January. I didn't use my Tesco clubcard points as they would have worked out still very expensive and I definitely would not have got 3 x the value. So I waited for the January sales and bought directly from Merlin for £99 each. Thats the premium passes that you can use all year round, no restrictions, free parking and from what I read some fast tracks on the rides at the parks. Not bad, I uploaded photos of the family (Lucy doesn't need one until she is 3) and we received the cards free delivery in the post within 5 days.

Excitedly,  I looked up where we can go, most of the theme parks don't open until March but London is open! So yesterday we decided to take a family trip up to London.
I am NOT impressed with London Underground and the lack of buggy friendly access. There is no way people with disabilities can easily use the service that suppose to be so people friendly! Luckily for us we didn't have too many changes, and of course I had my wonderfully strong husband with us to help with the buggy.

Before we started we checked and there were no metropolitan line trains from Harrow, so we planned to go Chiltern to Marylebone, it only takes 27 minutes. An hour after getting on the train we finally reached Marylebone and carefully had to carry the buggy off the train, as the gap is so big between the train and platform. I wouldn't have been happy doing that by myself!

Anyway, we finally got ourselves to Waterloo and thanks to James picking up and carrying the buggy with Lucy in it up the stairs (he's aching a little bit today!) we were on dry land above ground.
We strolled over to South Bank and the girls were really excited to see the London Eye, but then we spotted the queue. It must have been over 2 hours long, my kids would not want to stand around that long.... what was I going to do??

Some might say i'm an opportunist, we walked along a bit, decided we'd go to the Aquarium first, but then I saw the tiniest queue for the London Eye, the priority queue, I went over and flashed my Merlin passes with a big smile at the lady and inquired if we could go in this queue. "Of Course" she said, "go in!" AWESOME, as Molly shouted out, we queued for about 20 minutes if that, and were straight on the eye. The staff are all very very friendly and helpful. They are smiling and its good to see they at least seem to enjoy their jobs and want their customers to enjoy their experience. Its amazing, its relaxing, fun, of course the best views of London and the girls loved it..

It takes about half an hour, just perfect for seeing all the sights, running around the pod, taking loads of photos and for some, just sitting and relaxing. We came off the ride, easy to maneuver the buggy and children and felt pretty smug at the poor people still queuing!
We took a very short stroll over to the queue for the Aquarium, 2 and a half hours from here" the sign said! Not for the Nobles! Straight to the fast queue, can we go in here please? "Yes but the queue starts over there" I was told, Ok so maybe a half hour wait, we queued up for about 15 minutes, until we crossed the empty space that was the door to the waffle shop (ooooohhhhhh) and then flashed our flashy cards again at the women by the short queue. "No" she said "Not this queue" (my face fell....), "its THIS one!" Well, she pointed to a queue with absolutely NO one in it! we strolled right through and we were at the front. SMUG again, I'm LOVING this! So we walked around the Aquarium. The Sharks were unbelievable and the walkway over them was so amazing, a little scary but truly awesome. Its a fabulous place there, and despite walking quite quickly, we didn't stop to read everything but did look at all the animals we wanted to, it took over an hour to walk around. That's a decent sized Aquarium.  So by the time we came out it was gone 4pm, and starting to get cold.
One truly amazing thing about both the attractions we visited, was that we bought NOTHING in shops on the way out! Miraculous. The guy at the Aquarium did make the best effort to sell us our photo book from inside, but luckily, we pointed out that Lucy had her finger up her nose in every single photo so we got out of a £20 photo book cost.

The only thing we did buy was ice cream. On a day when the outside temperature is about 7 degrees, but with a wind chill making it feel about 3, you can't beat a 99 flake. It was freezing, the kids loved it. The kids sitting next to ours with their ice cream were shivering but wouldn't give up their 99's either. Truly a British sight to see so many kids wrapped up in hats scarves and gloves eating their ice creams!

We made our way back to the tube and somehow managed to get down onto the platform and up to Marylebone.  We were home by about 6pm and the kids were fast asleep by half 7, but sadly, to waste a good evening, I was also asleep just after 8!

As for cake, it was my Mum's partners birthday last week. John is a keen Microlighter, and having now googled so many pictures of microlights, I understand what they are and think he's a bit crazy, but this is the cake I made for him anyway! He was very impressed. A simple BLUE victoria sponge with a fondant/marzipan decoration.