Musings - Mama Kat's Workshop (31st May 2012)

I decided to join in with Mama Kat's Writing Workshop this week; as I have limited time these days I only post a prompt if it is about something I know will entertain me to write and hopefully entertain you to read.

The prompt that I chose put a grin on my face from the start... If you had to choose a Disney Princess to spend the rest of your life as... which Princess would it be and why?

Being a blonde you are probably thinking Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella but I don't so much like needles and domestic goddess I am not. I can't swim so Ariel is out and while I live with Sneezy, Grumpy and Dopey I never really felt a connection to old Snow. I know very little about all the new Princesses and I am guessing I have missed out some of the important classics but that doesn't really matter as for me... the only one to be is...

BELLE

I know, I know... technically she is not a Princess but the week after the movie ends she (I reckon) marries the Princely Beast and gets herself a title.

So here is why...

1. Books - the girl loves them!
2. Sass - she sticks up for herself even when the Beast is being particularly beastly.
3. Furniture - how fantastic would it be to have a talking wardrobe that tells you when 'your bum looks big in that'.
4. Optimism - she genuinely believes that she can get her man to change.
5. Brave - Off she goes to save her father without a second thought.
6. Father - one day that crazy old fool is going to invent something useful and make a fortune.
7. Glam - for an ordinary girl from the village she really cleans up well.
8. Beast - if anyone says they do not have a soft spot for the beast, they lie! He is a hunk. :)
9. Heart - she can see the good in the Beast and fall in love with him.
10. Story - out of all the Princesses I think that Belle has the most realistic tale, metaphorically speaking.

I'm right, you know... she is the best. I could live her life and not get tired of it.

And let's face it, with hair that only reaches to my jawline, a Prince would have to bring his own climbing equipment to scale my tower. :)

www.mamakatslosinit.com

Photo - Tug of war...

Look at this photograph closely...


Needless to say, one of them ended up covered in chocolate. :) xx


- Posted in the kitchen...

Photo - Sandal of sun...

Can I introduce you to my new summery sandals...


It is not like me at all to have a pair of shoes so pretty and exciting. I usually live in my black zip up boots and my trainers.

Aren't they lovely, ha ha. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Sigh...

I think the photo says it all... :) xx


- Posted on the move...

DIARY - 21st May to 27th May 2012

This week has been about three things…

1. Not being in work on the most glorious week for weather this country has seen for years,

2. Eating far too much and feeling the podge of it,

3. Drooling over The Efron.

The husband and I have not been at work this week. We have taken a holiday but not actually gone on holiday, though we have filled our week…

Monday I dragged man and babe to Ikea where I measured and priced up a whole new range of bedroom furniture for our master bedroom. I decided once I got home that the stuff we had looked fine and we didn’t need to waste the money so we are just going to decorate instead and give the room a facelift. After Ikea we went to Toys R us, Katharine was in heaven as you can imagine. We didn’t come back with anything though, nothing really jumped out at her. Back home I sorted all the clothing out that I don’t even look at and put it all in bin liners for the charity recycling bins. It was very therapeutic.

Thursday we packed our picnic basket and blanket, layered on our sun cream and hit the beach. As I detailed earlier in the week, Bridlington is only a couple of hours away. We had a fantastic day, Rohan was able to bounce about in the sea and even Katharine did a bit of splashing. We had ice cream, avoided seagulls and walked along the promenade. It felt like we had been on holiday even though it was only for the day.

Friday we picnicked at the park with Auntie Noisy before heading to Manchester to stuff our faces at the Red Hot World Buffet. Due to traffic and motorway accidents, however, it took two hours to do a 38 mile journey. The thirty different puddings just about made up for the hassle.

And the weekend saw me visit the cinema twice! Saturday was to see the latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. ‘The Lucky One’ saw Zac Efron as an ex marine trying to find a woman whose photograph had kept him safe during his tours of war. It was a warm, emotional film that made you feel like you had just watched something amazing. Zac Efron is really coming into his own, he is fast becoming an exceptional actor. It doesn’t hurt that he is absolutely beautiful to look at either, ha ha. Sunday, for our sixth wedding anniversary, we went to see Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows. It was so awful that Kieran fell asleep and I came out with a renewed dislike of all things TB and his need to keep his wife in the business.

My advice for next week… if the sun is shining, stay inside!

Photo - Pre jubilee...

Today the College held a Jubilee day! They had all things Queentastic as well as Olympic fun for all.


It was a great day for it too. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Still shining...

It is very rare in West Yorkshire to have a full week of sun! Therefore today we have taken advantage of the weather once more and taken a picnic to the park.


Katharine LOVED the swings.


Auntie Noisy loved the climbing frame ha ha. :) x


- Posted on the move...

Musings - Beaching it...

Today we have taken a trip to the east coast. Bridlington is a lovely seaside town, one of the quaint places that still have teddy grabbing machines and hour long boat trips around the bay.


We all had a great time, though I got sunburnt.


Sometimes I feel very lazy when I think that the beach is less than a two hour drive yet we never go.


We will have to make more of an effort to go, doesn't that seem to be my mantra these days? ;) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Hands on...

We did offer her a spoon but the cold chocolate balls on a bed of vanilla ice cream but just too much for little fingers to resist... :) xx


- Posted out to lunch...

Musings - Sucker for small...

This post is not as exciting as the title suggests, ha ha.

It merely came to my attention today that now that I have a small person I seem to be automatically attracted to all things small.

Especially food items, I see the term MINI and have to buy. Take these Dodgers for example...


They cost a fortune but they look so cute in Katharine's little hand.

Would you have been able to resist? :) xx

- Posted on the move...

Photo - Napping, contagious...

They say that you can spread a yawn like a Mexican wave... Well our little bundle can make even a quick nap contagious. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - No diary...

Sadly, there is no diary this week. I came to write it today and realised that apart from Katharine being poorly I could not remember any of my week.

Being a mummy took over. :)

Next week we are not at work and I promise that I will take notes or something!


:) xx

- Posted on the move...

Musings - Barriers...

I feel oddly closed off today. I have a wall around me, so to speak.


I don't know if it is because I feel tired or that I feel down but I have this urge to hide away somewhere quiet and ask that people just leave me be.

I feel very selfish today, how odd. :( xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Literary relief...

Finally!!!

Finally I finished Fifty Shades (of drivel) and I am able to move on to something more entertaining.


'A Load of Old Bones' by Suzette A. Hill is an entertaining murder mystery from the point of view of not only the local Vicar but the cat and dog as well.

I think I am just looking forward to reading without a constant frown on my face. :) xx


- Posted with book in hand...

Photo - Surprisingly patriotic...

I popped into Asda today to find that the whole place had gone even more bunting crazy than the week before. And by bunting I actually mean the place was covered in dangling Union Jacks.


It's heart warming. It's about time this country got behind itself and cheered a little louder.

And this is the perfect year for it! What with the Jubilee, the olympics and the Euro football tournament.

I guess at the end of the day I am a patriot at heart, bring it on world. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Poorly baby...

The last few days have been filled with snot, teething, coughing, tears and then to top it all off an eye infection. Yup, my poor little baby has been a bit under the weather.


But you know... she is such a trooper and no matter how rotten she feels, she can always find a smile from somewhere.

Hope you feel better soon sweet cheeks. :) xx


- Posted wishing I had that mummy magic that makes it all better...

Photo - Pinball wizard...

Yes, today we had a visit from none other than the world renowned (Miss) Elton John!


The crowd goes wild... :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Musings - Struggling...

Not since trying to tackle Peake have I found a book that I just can not get along with... 'Fifty Shades of Grey' is doing my nut.


I love reading, I read fast and practically absorb the words from the page but E L James' trilogy of romantic (cough) porn just isn't doing it (cough) for me.

It is repetitive, I dislike both the main characters and I am dreading the page where they return to this red room of pain. If Ana says 'oh... my', 'holy crap' or the word 'there' in relation to her womanly parts is written in italics one more time I am gonna scream. And it won't be a pleasurable scream because being flogged is not something that turns me on. And that is what reading this book feels like... Self punishment.

Sigh. But I am half way through now. I don't know if this means I should stop because I have gotten this far and it hasn't gotten any better or if I should carry on because I might as well as now.

And there are two more books! Which I bought because I was oh so stupidly attracted to the cover!

Advise me please... Stop or carry on? :) xx

- Posted with something better to be reading...

DIARY - 7th May to 13th May 2012

This week has been about three things… 1. Unfolding the Conspiracy,
2. Sending a strongly worded email to a useless company,
3. Eating crap even though I have tried not to.

Monday was spent in a combination of family gatherings, travel and falling knackered in to bed. Bank holidays are great but I always end up feeling a lot more tired than if I had just spent the time at work. It was great to see the little nephew though; it makes my day that he loves books and is charging full steam ahead with his reading skills. It even inspired my to purchase a little something for him but sssh it’s a secret.

Tuesday was my second taster night at the slimming group. People made some delicious food and it is fabulous to think that every bit of it was really healthy. I made a cheesy tuna pasta bake and came home with an empty oven dish which is always a good sign ha ha. For the next few nights I continued to get my cook on but if you scroll back a couple of posts you can read all about what I made.

Mid week I uncharacteristically got furious. I ordered something weeks ago that failed to arrive. I rang the company twice, a week apart, to be told that my order would be dispatched within 24 hours (both times). When another week went by I rang again only to be told this time that the item had never been in stock in the first place. How ridiculous is that! I won’t tell you who the company is, but if I don’t receive a response to my email of complaint by next Friday I will be bitching in full swing on here for all to see.

Friday I finally finished the Conspiracy 365 Books. I felt like I had achieved something and a little sad that I had finished the twelfth book and that there would be no more. Cal Ormond was an exceptional character, even for young adult fiction. How an author managed to keep the suspense and thrill going for over 2000 words shows real talent. Please read the books, then when you love them, recommend them to everyone that you know.

The weekend involved the usual pub lunch and then today saw my husband and my father disappear to a Landrover show; so we three generations of girls went on a shopping spree to Huddersfield stopping off at the Stadium Way Pizza Hut for the unlimited salad. While I love lazy Sundays I love productive ones even more.

And that is about it, dull huh?

My advice for next week… if you decide to read ‘Fifty shades…’ be warned it’s a shocker.

Photo - Boot bargain...

Bought these this weekend, £3.25 from Mothercare...


Best buy ever! If only there had been a size big enough for me. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Two days in a row...

I am on a roll this week with cooking so I thought I best document it as it doesn't happen often. :)

Tonight I made a Colourful Carbonara. Pasta, vegetables, bacon, quark, Parmesan cheese and three egg yolks. And spices of course.

Here are the vegetables...


And the process...


And the grand reveal...


How delicious does that look? (if I do say so myself ha ha).

Ps. If you are wondering why the diet coke is in pot mugs, well it's incognito as Katharine insists on using a glass if she sees one! :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Musings - Cous Cous creation...

Cous Cous is boring, let's face it I'm right. The packet ones with the flavouring are a bit better but then you never really know what you are getting.

This week my slimming group had a recipe for Cous Cous Bites so I brought it home...

And adapted it. I created the Cous Cous Turkey Balls.

I used:
Cous Cous, cooked turkey mince, leeks, onions, peppers, garlic, chillies, jerk flavouring, quark, two eggs and some Parmesan cheese.

I mixed it all up in a bowl, formed some balls, stuck them in the oven and voila...


Don't they look delicious? :) xx

- Posted in chef mode...

Photo - Katharine's current fave...

Katharine has a new favourite book that I would like to recommend to you all...


There are things to see on every page and an annoying song to sing along to.

You can ask her where the dog is and she will find each one on every page. Little show off. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Photo - Mini Magnum

Katharine had her first ice lolly... a mini white Magnum. The girl has taste. :) xx


- Posted with a smile

Musings - Fish and cheeky grins...

We took Katharine do see some fish today. She has a thing about tropical fish tanks so we thought we would take her to have a look.


She loved them... Here are some of the tanks that got her really excited.








Bless her. :) xx


- Posted at sea...

DIARY - 39th April to 6th May 2012

This week has been about three things…
1. Realising that some people take joy in figuratively tripping you up,
2. The Alhambra Theatre is an entertaining place to be,
3. Finally, I get to December!

This week has unfortunately revolved around one thing… Interviewing and the drama that came with it. I can’t go in to too much detail, unlike some I am more professional than that, but let’s just say that I have been on an emotional rollercoaster. All we wanted in our team was an Apprentice but anyone would think that I was on the interview panel for a new world ruler. The interviews themselves were on Tuesday but the fall out of ‘all the things I (supposedly) did wrong’ flowed all the way to Friday.

Friday… which saw me in tears of anger and frustration. Sigh.

I love going to work which means I REALLY dislike those people who make it hard for me to get out of the car when I reach the car park. Said person better watch out though, I am fiercer than I look and we all know I am a fan of the UFC. :)

(That is all I want to say about the working week… I am sorry, its such a cop out but I don’t want to simply be a tale of woe.)

Saturday we fulfilled the May section of our Year of Adventure. We caught the train (my favourite mode of transport at the moment) to Bradford to visit the theatre and enjoy a jolly good rendition of the musical ‘Blood Brothers’. I gave you more detail in yesterday’s post so I will try not to repeat myself but it was a fantastic afternoon spent. I really think I could get a taste for this theatre lark, but back stage of course. I could make the coffee, I am Barista trained you know, ha ha.

Today we journeyed to Stafford to visit the in-laws and as the weather stayed fine we went out for the day to visit a garden centre that has animals of the furry, reptilian and fishy variety for Katharine have a look at. On the way down, during the ninety mile drive, I was able to read all the way through the November book of the Conspiracy 365 set and finally started reading December. I have really loved reading them and readily recommend them but I have bought one of the Shades of Grey set and I can’t wait to start it.

My advice for next week… don’t let the B%$%^ards get you down! :) xx

Musings - PART 5 Year of Adventure...

Part 5 was a little more low key than the previous months...

May involved a trip to the local theatre to see a rendition of the renowned 'Blood Brothers' starring a Nolan sister and a cast that just bellowed talent from the stage.

I didn't know the play before I went but at the heart of it is that ultimate thought provoking question of What If? I even shed a tear at the end but, for those who haven't seen it but want to, I won't spill the beans as to why.

Being a theatre performance I was, like February, unable to take any photographs when they were in full swing. But during the interval I managed to snap a couple just to show you how beautiful the inside of The Alhambra' theatre in Bradford is. Enjoy. :) xx





- Posted on the move...

Photo - Gereing up...

You may have noticed my spelling mistake in the title above... It's intentional!

You see, today in the post, Richard arrived in his glorious white suit. Richard Gere that is (get it) and the film being An Officer and a Gentleman.


My friend had never seen it, and despite us believing otherwise, neither me nor my Mother owned it. So I bought it. For £3.65.

I can't wait to watch it! The eighties had the best films. :) xx


- Posted on the move...

Musings - Sophisticated Kitchen? Hmm...

We don't have a sophisticated household, we have too much clutter to be a show house and not one wall is hideous magnolia.

We are crazy, daft, loveable people and I think that shows.

Take the kitchen for example; the fireplace wall has our exciting honeymoon photos displayed on it...


Slightly sophisticated right? Until you look closely...


And see the chicks...


And the Han Solo and Batman double act.

Ridiculous huh? But we love it, it is just who we are. :) xx


- Posted with a smile...

Photo - Pretty or old fashioned...

What do you think... Is this pattern really pretty or does it have the potential to look old fashioned?


The block background colour can't really be seen but it is a very pale mint / turquoise. :) xx

- Posted in thought...

Musings - Rohan...

It is not often nowadays that Rohan takes the time to humour us with her presence. She is either hiding up stairs in her bed, sneaking behind the curtains to sit on the windowsill or making the point of avoiding us by stalking off.

But sometimes she comes for a cuddle and it is absolutely adorable...


:) xx


- Posted on the move...