Bake Brave - World Baking Day 2013

As some of you may know Sunday 19th May is World Baking Day and this year they are encouraging us all the Bake Brave, eek! 

I like to bake and I regularly do but it is always simple things like banana bread or lemon drizzle, occasionally I'll branch out into cupcakes, brownies and carrot cake. I very rarely make any kind of pastry, once a year I make a pumpkin pie and that is the only time I will attempt it. 

In honour of Baking Brave I have chosen to make the Treacle Tart at level 71. This is one of my favourite puddings and reminds me of school dinners; it must be years since I last had some. This is well outside my comfort zone but still something I'm happy to attempt. 

I'm hoping, if successful, to update the post with a photo of the finished product. Are you going to have a go at Baking Brave and what will you challenge yourself to make?

My Teenage Years In A Shot Glass {Flashback Friday}

I was hunting through the kitchen cupboard this week and stashed at the back I discovered some long lost shot glasses. Obviously, these haven't been used for quite some time; I think my years of shot drinking may have passed but they have seen a fair bit of use in their time! I won't go into details, you can all use your imagination; I believe a friend bought them for me on a teenage birthday. 

They will still always have a place in my kitchen cupboard as they were bought by a very good friend and they were from one of my favourite shops as a teenager. If you are from the North West you may remember Quiggin's in Liverpool; it was like a little indoor market but in this amazingly old higgledy piggledy building with lots of cute little independent and vintage shops. I suppose it would have been an 'alternative' shop but so many people went there, I know my Nana loved it.  I spent many a weekend there, we used to get all sorts of things like vintage t shirts, beads, badges, patches and studded belts, candles and me and my friend used to regularly visit to have flashes of bright colour's added to our hair; we thought we were so cool! There was a lovely little cafe in the middle of it that did the best slice of pizza, salad and coleslaw. There was also a shop that had all different glasses with little pictures painted on and I had lusted after them for a while; I was made up when I got them for my birthday. Sadly Quiggin's was closed with all the developments in Liverpool. I believe it relocated outside the city centre. 

Finding these little shot glasses has brought back so many memories, way before I was a Mum, just looking back to when I was a scruffy teenager. I haven't got any pictures of me at the old shop but here I am at Leeds Festival 2002, and yes, I am cleaning out a teapot. Typical Northerner; that's just how we roll.

A Little Bit Lately

You can see my first, A Little Bit Lately post here to find out more about it. These have been inspired by Sometimes Sweet's Currently posts so check her out if you like it!

Reading
I've just started reading The Book Thief which is a book that has been on my shelf for so many years. I'm really enjoying it so far and it isn't at all how I expected. I finished The Perks Of Being A Wallflower and loved it so much that it has leapt right into being one of my favourite books. I wanted to read it all over again and it's one of those books you feel like recommending to everyone. I've also read The Lost Queen, a historical fiction book which I enjoyed. Every now and again I like historical fiction, especially books about royalty or aristocracy but they aren't always the best if you want some light reading!

Watching
After I finished The Perks Of Being A Wallflower I had to watch the film; another favourite and another one I wish everyone would watch. It's not often that I love the film as much as the book but this one I did, I think they got Charlie's character spot on. I also watched The Notebook as I read the book last year and forgot to watch this film, that was definitely a girly night film and I saved it for a night that James was out. On TV I'm enjoying the latest series of The Good Wife; I love it but don't know anyone else who watched it other than my Mum!

Listening To
I've put a random mix on my iPod to try and listen to some more music. I always listened to albums, mostly in the car but now we only have one, that my husband uses, I very rarely get to listen to my albums. Lissie has been popping up on my iPod, I first saw her on Jools Holland many moons ago and she has the most amazing voice. Me and my brother went to see her live about three years ago and she was brilliant, it's kind of chilled out folk; just what I'm in the mood for at the moment. 

Loving
Family - I have the best family and not just my immediate family but my extended family and my in laws. As I've got older I've become all the more aware that not every family gets on quite as well as ours do; I had always assumed that all families were like ours but they really aren't! I am so grateful for mine and I would hate to take them for granted because I actually think it's pretty special to have such a close and loving family. 

Thinking About
Ooh, lots of things to look forward to over the next year! A wedding of some amazing friends that I really cannot wait for, hopefully a little girly road trip to see another friend and visit the Harry Potter Studios (eek!), the long summer holidays with my husband at home, Lucas' 2nd birthday and I'm sure there will be some other treats in store!

The Cautionary Tale Of The Childe Of Hale {Children's Book Review}

The Cautionary Tale of the Child of Hale

Rachel Lyon

I love it when Lucas is given a book as a gift; a story is a timeless present for a child.

The Childe of Hale is an old Liverpool legend and has been transformed into a beautiful children's book; it is rumoured that the Child of Hale was a real life giant by the name of John Middleton and there is even a cottage in Hale where he is supposed to have lived. Rachel Lyon is a local author (local to me) and I had heard that her book was being published. My Nana very kindly bought a copy for Lucas as his Easter gift and I have enjoyed it so much I wanted to share it with you.

This lovely book tells the story of the Child of Hale accompanied by some beautiful illustrations. I love this interpretation as it is most definitely, 'A Cautionary Tale' and has a good moral message; as all good fables should. The Childe is whisked away from his home by the king for his queen and lives in splendour, but it is too good to be true and he realises what truly matters to him.

As an adult I find it a nice read; it has a good rhythm and the words easily trip off the tongue. If you read regularly to children you will know that some books are lovely to read out loud whereas others don't seem to flow. I like to read books that rhyme nicely as it is pleasant to read to Lucas and I put more expression into my voice. Although the book is a little old for Lucas' age we still enjoy it as the pictures are bright and engaging and I can point to things he will recognise. He particularly likes to point out the animals to me!

This is an all round great children's story and a beautiful book but the thing I love the most about it is that it is a local legend, lovingly brought to life. 

This book was bought for Lucas as a gift and I wanted to write about it as we enjoyed it so much. 

All opinions are my own.

Blossom & Bubbles

We have been eagerly waiting for the blossom to come out in Grandma's garden. This the house than my husband and his sister grew up in and I love that Lucas gets to play in the same garden that they grew up having so much fun in.

This week was our lucky week; the blossom had appeared and in between the rain showers we ran outside to play. Lucas' cousin came to have some fun too.

It will be a lovely way to see our boys growing up together and we can look back at the spring photos with the blossom tree in the background. 

 I love to think that every year the boys will be looking out for the blossom and next year Lucas' baby cousin will be there with them too. 

Summer Lovin' {Flashback Friday}

Although I am writing this on a cold, dreary Friday we did actually have a flash on some warm weather this week. It was lovely to go outside without layers of clothing and winter coats and Lucas was very happy to potter in and out of the patio doors and play in the garden. Everything seems better in the sunshine! 

Last year I remember a similar warm spell in May  when Lucas was around 8 months old; he wasn't quite as happy about the heat then but we did set up a little sun shade tent for him in the garden. He sat out with us for quite a while, trying to keep cool and trying on Daddy's hat. It was a lovely lazy afternoon spent with my little family. 

When we lived in our old house I wasn't as far from my Nana and we went to spend the day with her every week. This was a life-saver for me as we were quite isolated where we used to live. In the sunny spell we went for lovely walks in the sunshine and sat in her garden and played with our sun hats on. 

It's all so different this year; he will let me put sun cream on him but keeping a hat on his head is quite an ordeal. Last year we could sit him in a spot and he would mostly stay there; this year we chase him all over the garden and he loves to go barefoot. I find myself chasing him with a sandal in one hand while he chuckles and runs away. Last year I was starting to see him change and we were reaching that stage that was getting a bit easier. Being out in the sun this year has been even more fun and hopefully we'll get some more warm weather to enjoy!

A Stay At Home Mum And Proud

Everyone reacts differently when I say that I'm a Stay at home mum; some people think it's brilliant and others think I'm nuts. That's fine, everyone is different and I honestly think every parent should be able to do whatever makes them happiest. While I think that for now staying at home and not working is the best thing for me I equally understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I originally always wanted to stay home when we started our family but I never thought I would have the opportunity. My mum stayed home with me and my brother as much as possible and I've always been grateful for that. After having Lucas I went back to work part time after six months which I found incredibly difficult. As it turned out everything changed and I was able to become the stay at home mum I always wanted to be. 

My husband knew that 2012 was going to be his last year in the school he had been working in; he'd been there for six years and felt like it was time to move on. It opened up the discussion of us moving, where we would live, would I be able to continue with my job? I worked as a sales manager and I enjoyed my job; I wouldn't say it was a calling or a vocation but I was happy. We decided to move back to our home town and closer to parents, brothers, sisters and cousins. Along with childcare costs and commuting my wage would have been gobbled up making the decision for me to stay at home an easy one. I was more than happy with that but there were still worries.

I must admit that the thought of returning to the workforce one day is a scary prospect. I worry that I won't be easily employed because I have been 'just a mum' for so many years. I worry that Lucas doesn't get enough contact with other people and other children. Some days I feel so isolated, even with many people close to me.  It's been hard for us to adjust to not having the second income and had we adjusted sooner it wouldn't have been quite as difficult now. We can't go out very often and we have to be careful what we buy. I'm not sure when we will ever afford a holiday but I know that it won't be for ever, it’s just a compromise for now.

I am constantly surprised that I don't get bored and I don't regret my decision, not at all. It sometimes seem easier than I thought and then at other times so much harder than I could ever imagine. We have days were we are out exploring or doing activities at home but there are plenty of days when we stay in pyjamas for much longer than is really acceptable and Toy Story is on a loop. I have days when the peace of an office seems like it would be bliss but I really don’t get much time to reflect on the alternatives! I'm sure that by the time Lucas is going to school I'll be itching to do something different. However, I am so appreciative that I've been able to do it now.

I enjoyed my job for 7 years but being at home is where I am happiest. I couldn't imagine going back to work while Lucas is young. It seems natural to be with him everyday; I want to be the person who knows him best and to watch him grow and learn. I want to be the person he turns to when he is upset or worried. I want to be the one who takes him to nursery that first day and picks him up to hear all about it. I want him to look back and remember me being a part of his childhood.

For every day that isn't so great we have many moments that are perfect where I can sit back and think how lucky I am to be able to spend all my time getting to know my little boy. There are some days that I will never forget and I am glad I have got to experience them. There are some days when I'm counting down the hours until bedtime! I am conscious that these early years are flying past and I’ll never be able to do them over again;  hopefully in between all my silly mistakes we are making precious memories that we’ll always remember.