Sausage and mash monsters

We usually eat together as a family in the evenings, but occasionally the boys will have something different to us, a little earlier.
Sausage and mash is one of their favourites and a no-brainer for me. Its one of the meals I know they both love and will eat without complaint.

They only thing they do request are monsters....................and gravy of course.

Stand and deliver

We are a bit Horrible Histories obsessed in our house.
We've only discovered it recently - as we gradually moved over from Cbeebies to CBBC, and its clear why it has won so any awards.
This is our favourite song at the moment - the boys know this one off by heart, and it still hasn't become annoying (yet!).



And you can't have the Highwayman without the song it was clearly inspired by. I played this recently to my eldest and he loved it immediately.

Raisin Bread

I made raisin bread yesterday - and I have to say it was pretty delicious.
I love anything cinamony and doughy and this fit the bill exactly.

The recipe was from The River Cottage Family Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Fizz Carr.
This has to be our most used cookbook - it has lots of simple homely recipes like pancake batter, scones, banana bread, lentil soup - with an emphasis on the kids helping out. So, the instructions are very detailed and clear. I actually learnt how to make an omelette from this book - only last year, never quite been able to master it before.

Anyway, back to the raisin bread. In the book Hugh describes it as a giant currant bun and thats exactly what it was.
Perfect with an afternoon cuppa.

5

This little boy was five on Monday.

At five, you:

• Have a 'sense of fun and enthusiasm that is infectious' as your teacher wrote in your first school report
• Love to draw and paint - and have a definite talent for it and a confident, quirky style
• Have recently outgrown your hoover obsession! (thankfully)
• Are loving, caring and so affectionate
• Still have the occasional afternoon nap on the sofa
• Still cry when you get properly told off and it breaks my heart (especially when your bottom lip wobbles)
• Have a swagger about you that is going to get you noticed one day (in a good way!)
• Love to 'pretend', to the point where you can spend all day in character, and we're not allowed to call you by your real name
• Love to help me bake, especially when you get to lick the spoon at the end!
• Don't eat many vegetables but your favourite fruits are peaches and strawberries
• Love jacket potatoes, beans and cheese
• Still fight and argue with your big brother, but you also think he's the greatest.
• Have a soft spot for all your aunties and can charm the socks off them!
• Are the most adorable little boy in the world - and I'm so glad you are my little boy. You make me happy every single day xx

Folksy treasury #1 - Garden

Here is a round up of some of my favourite items on Folksy at the moment, all with a garden theme.

Hi

I've had a nightmarish ten months since I last posted in October last year.

Two days after my last post we lost our baby. I was 20 weeks pregnant.
We had many tests but were never given a reason why and we have had to come to terms with the fact that we probably never will.
Since then I've gone on to have two more miscarriages - both at early stages, but still devastating. We are due to see a consultant who specialises in miscarriages in September so we shall see what becomes of that.

Its heartbreaking to read back that last post. Least of all as it reminds me how naieve I was about pregnancy at that time. I just assumed that when you get pregnant you would have a baby at the end of it - and now I know that is clearly untrue.

It also reminds me how much I've changed in the last ten months - and not necessarily for the good. I'm much more intolerant of people and get angrier much easier. But the whole experience has made me realise that I'm incredibly lucky to have my two boys and my supportive husband - and that knowledge has helped me through probably the worst year of my life.

We found out that the baby we lost in October was a little boy, and I still think about him every day. About the boy he could have been - and the brother he never was to my sons. Every month that goes by I count the months old he should be - and the milestones he would be passing. It still hurts, but you get to a point where noone asks you how you are anymore and seems to have forgotten when all you want to do is talk about it.

Anyway, its been hard to come back here and write this, but I feel like I'm turning a corner and I'm determined to get back to how I was, albeit a slightly different me, but me all the same.

Handmade tutorial collection #1 ~ For her

Well, I can't believe it has been four months since I last blogged. Far too long. I do have an excuse though.
We found out in the Summer that we are expecting our third child - due in March, so I decided to take a little time out.
The sickness has pretty much gone now and I'm just over halfway through so I thought it was a good time to get back to blogging.
I have so many posts stored in my brain - things I've been mentally filing away, just waiting for the right moment to write it all down.

This is one of the things I've been itching to do. I've been trawling the web and lots of fantastic crafty blogs looking for handmade gift inspiration. I'm determined to make as many Christmas gifts as I can this year, and as I am currently obsessed with fabric I have been searching with a sewing head on. I'm not a brilliant sewer - I'm still a novice, so I've been particularly looking for items that are simple to make but look amazing.
Here is my round-up for the ladies

Beaded Fabric Flower Necklace

Knotted Fabric Necklace

Simple Fabric Scarf/Shawl

Fabric Flower Ring

Round Fabric Pinwheel Necklace

Poppy Boutonniere

Chic Wrist Cuff

Rice Heat Therapy Bag

Patchwork Belt

My aim is to post a list every other day over the coming week - look out for: Gifts For Kids, Gifts For Him and For the home. I'm also planning on finding some gorgeous crochet ideas as well as gifts for kids to make (or help make!)themselves.
If nothing else, I hope to introduce you to some fantastic blogs that you may be yet to discover.