How and why I love a bargain so much - and review of cakes from the jumble sale!!

Well, today certainly deserves an almost gloating blog as I'm so proud of how little we managed to spend but how much we've actually done. Could you believe it if I said you could go to the cinema and a farm with a family of 4 (alright, one of us is under the age of 2) and spend less than £20 on the whole day? Well apart from petrol, but I can blame having to go to work for that, as I could have completed the day without getting it but that would be stressful in Monday morning traffic!

So, this morning we went to the cinema. Normally, if we would go to our local VUE cinema it would cost £38.20 for standard seats (not wasting VIP on the kids) and booking fee. Ok so the film we went to see came out initially in the summer, and its now the beginning of October. Better late than never I always say. Booked online and we were able to choose our seats. It cost £10 for standard seats and booking fee. First saving of £28.20
I then was a bit cheeky and took fruit shoots for the girls with me (4 for £1 this week in Tesco) and some sweets they got in a party bag, and a couple of bananas. I think if i'd have bought drinks and sweets at the movies, it would have cost well over £5 so for arguments sake we'll say we saved £4.10 (about 20p for a banana? and the two drinks). We watched Monsters University. It's a great film and the other benefit of going to KidsAM is that it doesn't matter how noisy your kids are because every one else's kids are a little bit noisy, although in general the film is so loud (or i'm getting so old) that you don't tend to hear it.

That took the whole morning and we popped home for lunch (home made, part of the weekly shopping doesn't count as daily spend).

With a little research and a lot of liking facebook pages, its very easy to find things to do at the weekend and special offers too. So we headed to Farmyard Funworld in Bushey.
OK, so comparably, if we'd have gone to another farm, lets take Odds Farm in Beaconsfield as an example, it would have cost us £10.95 for Molly, and £11.95 each for James and myself. Lucy is still free there for being under two (although i'm sure she is the one who benefits the most from it all. So to tot that up, its £34.85.
Farmyard funworld had a family day on, that meant that on top of the usual farm animals and playground equipment there were a few stalls, bouncy castle, face painting etc. Adults were FREE! How fantastic is that! Lucy was FREE and Molly cost £6. Total saving on entry £28.85.  We did indulge whilst at the farm and spent 50p on face painting, 20p on a kids game with a guaranteed prize (cardboard hat) and about £1.50 in donations. So an additional £2.20 on top of what we might have normally spent.
We spent a couple of hours there, the girls played mostly on the slide and Lucy fell in love with a rabbit which she was allowed to hold for ages (yes don't worry, we scrubbed her hands afterwards).

That took us til about 4pm when we got home, but then Molly still had far too much energy, so we went out on her bike, bumped into a school friend (not literally thank God) and another hour was taken up.

Today could have cost us at least £78.05 if we'd have done it without doing our homework first. It actually cost us £19.10. A saving of £58.95. I am soooo going online now to buy myself a new dress! I deserve one after that (but of course only after using Topcashback - here's the link to join http://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/nobby070 please do if you EVER buy ANYTHING online, and i'm sure i'll find a 20% off voucher or free delivery or something else yummy and discounted).

So talking of bargains, Arnett Hills School held a Jumble Sale yesterday morning and unsurprisingly I made some cakes for it

They were (from top left) Morello Cherry with a Glacé cherry on top and buttercream icing, Early Grey and almond with a vanilla buttercream in interesting Blue and Wheat free/Dairy free Rose and Marshmallow with a fondant icing. Well i'm pleased to say feedback was good and I will certainly be making these ones again. The Jumble sale itself was a success. If, like me, you like a bargain, but unlike me you also have patience (I can't even go into TK MAXX i'm so bad at looking through the rails) then starting at 30p an item, and a lot of designer clothes, skateboards, puzzles etc. there were a LOT of bargains bought at our sale, and a LOT of happy customers.

Happy to help if anyone needs some ideas on budgeting and almost NEVER paying full price. Give me a shout!

Define "Adult"

Yesterday, on paper I became a year older than I was the day before, and a year closer to the big 4 0, and that got me thinking about whether I do consider myself to be an adult yet or still quite a large (well not large but old) teenager.

On paper I reek of adultness - I am married, I have given birth twice, I own a house, I have a mortgage, I manage my finances each week/month so that I can continue to own my house, I work, I pay for my child to have school dinners, I pay a childminder to look after my other child.
I sometimes read the newspaper, and occasionally watch the news on TV. I think i can hold quite a grown up conversation with anyone asking for one. I try and eat healthily and I try and get a decent amount of sleep at night (toddler permitting).
That is what an adult is, right?

But what about the other things, that children and teenagers do, that I do so often, and I know other people around me do..... where does that put me now?

Lets start in the car, oh, that's one for adults, I can drive and I own a car. But when I'm in my car and song comes on that I like, I will turn up the stereo full volume and pretend that I'm at Wembley Stadium singing that song to thousands of screaming fans. But it gets worse. I have a lot of music on my MP3 player that belongs to my 5 year old. Occasionally, this music will come on random play when I'm commuting home from work. I don't fast forward "I am the Music Man" or "The Laughing Policeman" but as above, I turn up the stereo and try and do the moves without taking my hands off the steering wheel (I might be childish but I'm still safe!). My route to work is all M25, and I pass Heathrow every day. I have a little game that I can't stop myself doing either, and that is if there is a plane coming in, I have to try and align my car to be right under it when it flies over. In my head thats a lucky day to come, but HA before you mock me, I know someone else who does exactly that!

So moving on to food times. As mentioned above, I buy healthy food, try and balance the families diet, lots of fruit, veg, protein, carbs etc. but if I'm on my own for an evening meal, what better food is there than a massive bowl of coco pops or frosties, followed by chocolate.  If I'm at a posh "do" and there are lots of cream cakes sitting around waiting to be plated and eaten politely at a table, I will find myself running my finger through the cream to make it look like i've not just done that. And if at said posh "do" I drop some food off my plate, I will endeavour to move the food by someone else's plate so that they look like the messy ones.

Skin care is another area. I buy grown up skin creams because society tells me to, and it tends to cost a hell of a lot more than stuff for children. But if I decide to use the children's bathroom for a long soak, I would DEFINITELY and WITHOUT DOUBT pour in Molly Matey or her other half Captain Matey for a really foamy beard. I would go for the strawberry heart shaped soap over Imperial Leather any day and God help me if I find a spot somewhere on myself, it would get squeezed before you could say "children, don't pick at spots. Its disgusting" (again I will admit to this one as I know i'm not alone here).

As mentioned above I watch the news sometimes on TV. I also watch QI, and understand it, and other grown up shows. But the number of times I've found myself still sitting watching Peppa when the children have left the room, or even worse, laughing at ICarly or Victorious because I genuinely think they are funny.  If you know who Icarly and Victorious are, then I think you can join me on this one, and I don't have to suffer alone. Please! ? Someone?

And what about playing pranks on people. I've told colleauges in the office that they didn't qualify for time off on a Bank Holiday, and nearly, so very nearly kept it going right up until the Bank Holiday.  We have Nerf guns in our office full of "Adults" and if no one is looking (I'm a terrible shot) I will spend ages trying to knock things over by firing at them.  I laugh at others minor mishaps and point out those things that shouldn't probably be pointed out on people when i'm out and about (particularly large bottoms in thin leggings, bearded ladies etc) and very occasionally I will compare my fashion sense to that of a teenager (although I don't go quite as far as to purchase the fashion items i'm scrutinising, but thats more of a budget issue than not wanting to). I also stick my tongue out and swear at people behind their back if they've "told me off" for something.

I could go on and on with my quandary on whether I am a fully fledge adult or not, there are so many more things that I do. But I don't have the time to right now, as I'm thinking of covering my new notepad in cool stickers and then playing on the trampoline (I'm sure I can still do a somersault) before I have to pick my daughter up from school.
What do you think? I would love to know if its just me!!! What age does Adulthood really start?

This one really is all about the baking!

It's been a fantastic weekend for baking. I got so overexcited and others have benefited from this!
So firstly, Friday all around the country was Macmillan coffee morning. I had forgotten we were doing one at school until I saw an email Thursday so, having bought myself a new Baking Bible (Annie Bell's) and feeling the urge (a week off is long time without baking), I rushed home Thursday afternoon to start on my Millionaire Shortbread. At 6am Friday morning I was finishing off the chocolate layer and taking loads of things out of the freezer to set the chocolate before school at 8.30am.

Because the chocolate had set quite quickly in the freezer it was VERY difficult to cut the shortbread and I gave up making small pieces, so left them big for my customers to cut themselves. Feedback was very good. They were quite rich for 9 o'clock in the morning but seemed to go down well with parents and staff at school.

I then went home to bake my own birthday cake!!! What????? I hear you cry. Poor girl having to make her own cake!! But the way I look at it, and as I told Molly, why would I want anyone else to make my cake when I think i'm better than everyone else (in my immediate family). 

With my own cake, I had free range to make anything I wanted, a complete blank canvas. My only criteria was it had to be both Wheat and Dairy Free. Thats easy with wheat free flour and this time I used TREX as my spread, because I couldn't find the soya marge in the supermarket. I thought i would go civilised, make a plain white iced cake with some delicate decorations, something fitting for an almost 39 year old. I went to Hobbycraft to update my coloured icing but only bought pale pink and yellow. Thinking delicate flowers or hearts would be nice... how did I end up making this then!??!

Need to work on my "smoothing out" but quite pleased with the results. Molly named her Daisy because I refused to admit i'd made a Peppa Pig style cake at my age! It again went down very well, although I think I overcooked it, basing it on a 4 egg recipe from my novelty cake book. Won't listen to instructions again! My Godson (the dairy free one) said to me it was a really yummy cake. Gotta love him and I do!!

Whilst making my birthday cake, I received wonderful news that friends of mine had a baby boy. In the excitement of the moment, and because the oven was on, I made a quick half batch of cupcakes. Not thinking of course, that they wont want visitors the day after their baby is born. I was far too excited in the knowledge that i had blue food colouring and still had two little baby boy decorations from the last time a baby boy was born. I made these - 

Then worried for a day how I would get them to my recipients without being pushy! In the end I got to meet Baby Alexander when I went to secretly leave them outside the front door, but got caught and invited in! Ha a win from every corner!!

I am very lucky that I am being made a cake for my work "party" tomorrow by my dear friend Katy, but part of me couldn't go to work on my birthday empty handed, so back to my new Baking Bible and I've quickly whipped up a batch of choc chip cookies! They certainly smell good coming out of the oven, lets hope they taste good tomorrow!!

A very big weekend of baking, and I think i might take next weekend off. But then next weekend is a long way off, so anything could happen between now and then!

Bon Appetite x

A truly honest review of Dylan Fabric Dyes for the lovely people at BZZ

As a BzzAgent, I am very lucky to receive lots of wonderful, free goodies to test and report back on. Research relies on honest opinion, which is what I'm all about and most recently I have been given a whole box of goodies from Dylan Fabric Dyes to try out... You want honesty? Here's honesty!

Well, I excitedly signed up to the campaign thinking dreams of turning all the girls scrappy clothes a beautiful pink colour. If they'd have offered yellow I would try and dye all Molly's school uniform to make it look less 3rd generation hand-me-downs (which most of it is! The joys of being the smallest). But I got pink! My girls love Pink.

It arrived and I got scared! I might love pink, but I love my kitchen and the rest of the families wardrobe a little bit more. I started to have a mini panic attack and visions of EVERYTHING in the whole house turning pink (I suppose it was an optimistic view at the same time. I didn't think it wasn't going to work). So I trod very gently and actually only took one size 18 month shirt and one age 2 t-shirt.

Reading the instructions, I realised my dye could cope with a LOT more than I was offering, but I really couldn't find anything else that I wanted to turn pink at that time. So I used just half the quantity of dye from the pack and salt that was to be added.

Put the lot in the washing machine, and pretty much sat watching it for an hour and 25 minutes. I was very VERY scared. "Mummy, look the washing machine is pink too" said Molly. That didn't help!
The cycle finished and in panic I took the clothes out and put the washing machine on a rinse cycle on its own. Then reading the instructions properly I realised I was meant to wash the clothes through again, so I had to wait, but during that wait I did look and the clothes were VERY pink. A great fuchsia colour, very bold and colourful. I liked what I saw.

Finally put the washing machine on a 3rd wash, this time with the tops back in it, and all looked normal again.
To be on the safe side though, the next wash I did was a black wash. At least that way I wasn't going to turn all James pants pink (not that i've not accidentally done that before with a new red outfit in the mix).

So I'm very happy with the way the girls tops have turned out - check out this photo. We love bold colours!

BUT - i'm now too scared to put the girls in them! What if the colours all run if it rains or they get sweaty. What if their skin is dyed pink and I can never wash it off?

What if they are fine on, but when I come to wash them again it does turn everything else Pink?

So, we are at a cross roads. I will eventually put the girls in their new tops but maybe when its a bit colder and I can put vests on underneath. I will update again when I've done this, and in the meantime have a think about what I might want to dye black! I'm also thinking me and dyes is not a good combination. A mixture of fear, excitement and the what if? factor for dyeing so many different things.....

In summary, if I had to give Dylan a mark out of ten. For dye quality it would have to be a good 9 (I don't give out tens very easily) but then as i've only done half the task this may change in the future. Watch this space!!

P.S. No cake this week! Will make some tomorrow

My top ten things we secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) wish we could still do, that we did as young children.. and a small cake.

Whilst watching my children playing and doing and everything else, it got me thinking how bloomin' lucky they are, and how as we grow up we grow out of, or have to sacrifice some of the best opportunties going. There could be millions but here is my own top ten....

1.  Sleeping wherever and whenever you want.
Probably one of the most obvious. Children of all ages are allowed to fall asleep wherever they feel the need, and they are not scolded for it, but praised and coo'd over.
Now imagine.. you get up in the morning, so much earlier than you want to, you get washed and dressed and if you're lucky, have breakfast. You commute to work either on public transport with other people who, without knowing a thing about them, you loathe for taking your personal space, or you get in your car and park it on the motorway for an hour, whilst you don't drive anywhere fast. You get to work, you have a coffee if you're lucky, you check your 100's of worthless emails from even more worthless people and by 10am frankly you are exhausted, thinking about lunch which is at least two hours away.  What if you just put your head down on your desk and had a snooze. People would walk past you and say "aah, look at so and so, he's sleeping! Be quiet everyone, stop your calls, we don't want to wake him up".  Then you would wake up about an hour later, people would ask if you slept well and you're an hour nearer lunch... NOW STOP DREAMING ABOUT THIS AND GET BACK TO WORK, WE DON'T PAY YOU TO SLEEP ON THE JOB!!

2.   Wearing nappies?
Maybe this is one of the ones we don't shout about, but everyone has thought of it. The logistics of being so far away from a local convenience, or knowing how much cleaner wearing a nappy could be to using the public loo's in a town centre/train station etc.
Men like this idea for when they are pissed, because they are so lazy. Women think of it more as a useful tool after sneezing and laughing uncontrollably. Example, at a children's birthday party the other week, I was chatting to a friend and we were watching her child come down the bouncy inflatable slide. The way this child flung itself down was SO funny, but not as funny as watching this mother LEAP out of the room in about 0.5 seconds flat to make it to the toilet in time. That nearly set me off.
Just a thought! Might not look so good with leggings though.

3.  Being fickle
This is probably my favourite kids trait that I miss most as an adult.  Children get told off for doing something fundamentally wrong, and usually at the expense of younger siblings, they do that look of utter fear, sheer worry, and if you have a real drama queen, the tear tap is turned on full throttle and you end up feeling guilty for causing so much liquid out of such little eyes. But you know you've done right and they must learn, and think about what they've done wrong. But the second the tear tap is turned off, they go straight back into "Mummy I'm hungry" or "I want that toy" (as you put the telly on to keep the peace), or  playing with the sibling that caused the telling off in the first place, like nothing had happened.  As an adult, I think this could prevent so many fights, lawsuits and relationship breakups.
Imagine, you are in a packed supermarket, you see one last packet of the right size nappies on the shelf, and as you reach out to them, someone else sweeps in front of you and literally takes them out of your hand. "OI," you shout. "I'm buying them!" "No you're not" comes the reply and your anger builds up and you yell, and they yell back, and other shoppers have some entertainment and management start hopping from one foot to another. Your blood is BOILING! Imagine you don't win this round, in real life you would storm off "I'm never going back to that supermarket again. I hope all those nappies split open blah blah.... angry words, more angry words" Its normal. It puts you in a bad mood all day. But if you were fickle.... "I wanted those nappies... arrrgghhh, scream, shout, cause attention." You get the attention and then turn to the other side of the aisle "ooh a special offer on chocolates. Ooh, I want chocolates. Look lady who stole my nappies, cheap chocolates!" Both of you skip off into the sunset with big chocolately smiles on your faces.

4. Unlimited Energy
I don't know where kids get it from, because most of the time its not from a healthy, varied diet! Kids wake up and play, they eat, then they play again. Then you take them out to the playground so you don't feel like a bad parent. Then you might take them on an outing to tire them out. Then you get home and they want to PLAY AGAIN! But its bedtime, and you really want them to go to bed, because frankly you are exhausted from chauffeuring them to and from each area of play for a whole day. Where do they get this energy from?
Imagine, you get up in the morning with energy!!! I can stop there, its beyond belief anyway, and you know where i'm going with this one! Lucky bloody kids!

5. Doing every single hobby you fancy at the time
Some kids are more lucky than others, and this one does come down to budget/grandparents generosity and again time. But a lot of the kids I know (talking about reception to year two age) get to try everything they want.  Dancing, singing, football, cooking, karate, gymnastics, swimming, cheerleading, piano. If there is a hobby out there, and there is a cost and weekly class in it, kids get to do it. They go to these classes, most of the time have a different uniform to wear for each one (which YOU of course must wash before the next class), they get to see their friends and make new ones, you get to sit outside and wait and wait and WAIT.
OK, so as an adult, you don't have the time and possibly the money to do all the hobbies you would like, but just imagine, if you did. How rich would your life be? "Sorry, I can't do my tax return, i'm horse riding, and when I come back from that its Tap dancing, oh and Saturday morning, is flower pressing, followed by synchronised swimming, and of course a birthday party to top it all off!" "Energy? Why do you ask! Of course I've got all the energy in the world to do this, why wouldn't I?"  Oh to be able to dream of being IN the class instead of sitting outside waiting.

6. Peppa Pig/Ben and Holly
Again, maybe one you might not shout about so much, but truthfully, you tell me a time when you're sat in front of the telly, watching your kids programmes and you don't realise that they walked out of the room a good ten minutes ago. The worst is when its a pair of parents, and you both snigger at the same time whilst watching Peppa, only THEN to realise that your children are in the other room, reading the paper or something.
Some programmes are a lot more watchable than others. For example, I won't ever put In the Night Garden on, because as a parent, I can't bear it. But give me Ben and Holly or Peppa any day, and I've even caught myself conversing with other parents about particular episodes. I bet those with slightly older kids, feel they are really missing out now!

7. Dancing
Kids learn to dance very early. They are all awesome at it, brilliant dancers. A definite crowd pleaser, whether its in the supermarket, dancing along to an announcement over the loud speaker or moving and grooving to mini disco on holiday, or just strutting to Gangnam style or any other chart topper, golden oldie, ring tone or car indicator tick. They can move, and every move is 100 times better than any Disco king or Queen. Their dancing warrants Youtube videos, facebook statuses, visits to grandparents. When does this change? When do we all become rubbish and laughable and embarrassing? Such a sad state of affairs, that we only feel we can really let our hair down when we are blind drunk, or more importantly, those around are so drunk they won't remember and remind us the next day.

8.  Having such a big wardrobe
Kids have an outfit for every occasion, and more often than not, they have more than one outfit for every occasion, and then they just grow out of it before they've really had a chance to wear it in. Summer dresses, summer skirts, summer shorts, autumn dresses, skirts, leggings, shorts, trousers, t-shirts, tops, cardigans, winter warmers, legging, lined trousers, combats. Every colour, ever mix, every material. You name it, they've got it.
Unless you have a dressing room and a big disposable income for fashion clothing, you probably, like most people have two pairs of jeans, a couple of pairs of leggings (for the females out there) maybe different work to play clothes, but you will find your jeans have to suffice the whole year, tops are seasonally adaptable. Dresses, well you wear it once, then you rewear it with different accessories to try and make it look different the next time.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU DON'T HAVE NEARLY AS MANY DRESSING UP CLOTHES AS THEM PESKY KIDS.

9. Reward Charts
Kids get rewarded for doing things they are meant to do anyway. Sleeping, eating, going to the toilet. There is a reward chart for everything. They get stickers for their charts and when they've had fun putting all their stickers on, they get a present at the end!
Can you imagine, how great and how many presents you would get as an adult. "I did a number two in the toilet" just 9 more of those and I can chose myself a present. "I ate peas!" give me another present.
Not in reality. I think if you went around and told people of your personal everyday achievements, you would probably get locked up in one of those comfy padded rooms and friends call you less and less, and you have fewer friends on facebook!
NOW STOP MESSING AROUND AND GET ON WITH YOUR JOB!

10. Toys
Kids get toys. They get toys for birthdays, religious holidays, being ill, being well again, being bored, parties. You name it they get toys. As we get older, we get less and less. The lucky ones might get vouchers! Why don't you just give us the money, rather than saying "here's some money, but you can only spend it in one shop, where you won't be able to afford anything with the amount I got you, so you'll end up spending your own money on your own gift anyway"! As I said thats they lucky ones. The others don't get anything. "Happy Birthday Son here's a card". "But I wanted Transformers!" "You're 35, grow up!"
"Happy birthday daughter, I got you some tea towels!" "But I want a Hello Kitty Nail Art kit" "Grow up and clean those dishes!"
Luckily, as parents, we can confiscate our kids toys, when they're naughty and then secretly play with them, but whatever you do DO NOT GET CAUGHT OUT BY YOUR CHILD. They can use that as ammunition against you!

So, this concludes my top ten reasons why I sometimes wish I was still a child. Of course there are more to add to the list, but guys, remember, the one you are thinking about right now... its' your MUM! A mum is the only one who feeds a new baby! Ugh, you sicken me!

Oh, and this weeks cake was a simple but hopefully tasty spiced apple cake with a honey drizzle dressing! No picture I'm afraid, and no feedback as of yet!

Proud of my British optimism .... and cake (of course)

Sometimes decision making is harder than other times, especially when so many people can be affected by one decision. And sometimes, you don't want to have to make that decision because its always so much more fun to blame someone else, but then if it works out, retake back the credit as a joint effort.

Well in this case the decision was based on our wonderful British weather at the weekend.

As Office Manager for BigMachines, one of my 300 jobs is to organise events, and the big event of the year is the big family summer "DO". This year, summer managed to escape us and we booked our event for last Sunday 15th September, and we booked (when I say we I am totally talking purely about myself) the fabulous corporate BBQ section of Frimley Lodge Park (you should visit), together with gas BBQ, field and .... well I suppose a lot of free space for children to run wild.

At one point there was a potential 50 people turning up to this, and although I was checking the weather forecast daily for a month, and it was looking fine and dandy, at the back of my mind I was thinking, do we have a plan B, and would James allow me to invite everyone back to ours.... don't even GO there!!

So there was no plan B (not talking about the band, they are still around as far as i'm aware but they weren't part of my BigMachines event) until I got a text on Saturday morning asking for it.  It was starting to rain, I was still being optimistic, then I checked the weather forecast again... Oh.

Right, onto plan B, there is a harvester restaurant behind this field, so i called them, and asked what their reaction would be to 50 people turning up to their restaurant? Their reaction was "well we can't fit you all at tables!", so I suggested hijacking the bar area and ordering food, and we are talking £100's worth here (and a free salad bar please). Two phone calls later, I established that its a small Harvester but not usually busy so if we did turn up we could probably take over the bar but unofficially and I couldn't reserve anything.

So I called the Park Ranger (I love that job title) and told him that we would probably cancel. He wasn't too fussed and we decided to make a final decision by 10am Sunday morning.
By Saturday evening I'd finally got hold of some senior BigMachiners for their opinion and was feeling great about the Harvester and cancelling the field. They had agreed, it was all their decision now (if it didn't go so well)

And then Sunday came and with it sunshine and blue skies!! Why oh why Mr Weatherman do you have to do this to me? I checked the forecast. Actually I checked about 7 different ones. its good to know they are almost all the same, so there can be some calculations with getting the weather right (on the day at least) and they all said NO RAIN UNTIL 4PM. We were meeting from 1pm.  to BBQ or to Harvester? That is the really big question. It was all down to me, I had to call Mr Park Ranger before 10. I hadn't bought any food yet and had to take my eldest to a birthday party.

There's a lot to be said for the phrase "Sod it, let's do it" which I do believe is a very British phrase and one that might not translate as well as others. but I said it, and I dropped the rest of the family off at the party and zoomed to Waitrose to buy 60 burgers, 60 sausages, too many bread items and a lot of sweets, crisps, drinks and one small bag of salad. Happy with my final own made decision I drove out of Waitrose.... and it started raining. Oh My GOD!

I told myself it wasn't rain and I believed myself for a while and then it stopped.

Suffice to say the BBQ went ahead. It rained for a little bit at one point, but the hard core Sales team were too determined to win their game of catching the rugby ball, and the rest of us were sheltered under the trees eating. The rest of the time, it was FANTASTIC! 10 children running around like loonies, wearing T-shirts 20 times too big for them and exhausting themselves between bouts of pouring sweets and party rings down their throats.
The adults enjoyed numerous burgers and Sausages, crisps and drinks, and I even had a salad garnish on mine (I was the only one mind you), and of course there was CAKE. Two cakes in fact. Birthdays for John and Brad in the office. They seemed to go down well (again :))

Admittedly, it did start to get a little colder (I thought lips were turning blue from the icing of the redbull cakes, but apparently they weren't) so we packed up at 5pm and headed off. As the engines were turned on in the cars the heavens opened and it poured and poured and poured. But it waited! The weather fairy was definitely watching over us that day, and I suppose my message would be - Be British, Sod it and go for it! It will probably turn out fine in the end!

Half a review of the Cake and Bake show... and a cake!

Well firstly I can really only give half a review of the Cake and Bake show, because admittedly, I didn't actually watch any of the shows/seminars or attend any of the classroom sessions. I can only comment on the walking around bit and the stalls - overall I give the event 2/5... here's why.

Firstly, if you are going up there at the time of day when it might be very busy (as it opens), good advice to take a buggy (preferably with a child in it). I took mine and whizzed past the really long queue of i'm not quite sure (only upset one woman on the way who thought i was queue jumping. In a way i guess she was right, clever lady!) and up the disabled ramp straight into the building and through the gate into the lift et voila!!

Everyone in front of me immediately went to collect their goody bags and programme (I'm not sure why you need a programme of a day where everything is advertised on boards all around you) and i went to collect mine only to see LOTS of money changing hands. £5 for a bag with a programme in it? No ta, i'll guess. So Lucy and I guessed our way around looking for freebies as you would do at these events. We got a small morsal of marzipan from Renshaws, who were possibly the only company actually offering a discount on their products - and a decent one at that. Ready roll icing for £1. Its £2 in Hobbycraft!
We did also get to try little bits of bread with oils to dip it in too. That was IT for freebies!!

It was busy there, and this was first thing on the friday morning, full of bored housewifes really looking for the freebies too and getting annoyed when they didn't get any! A handful of competition slips to fill in and some big displays from the likes of Dr. Oetker, Neff, Renshaws etc. the rest of the stalls were hundreds of little independant cupcake constructors, fudge fabricators, muffin makers... all with the same looking product at some ridiculous prices.

Lucy and I left after 2 hours and drove home to bake a cake.. not going to make this a profession because there are just too many would be cake makers out there :(. Having said that, if anyone does want me to make them a cake for  a special occasion (or just a night of gluttony), do please get in touch!

This is my latest creation - its a chocolate mint cake with chocolate icing and hopefully you can tell its a $100 bill! This is for my American director who like money a lot!!