What's for lunch Mum ?

Hartley's your lunchbox 

Packed lunches can be the bane of my life during the holidays. You see Brown Bear has a hot meal at school every day so I don't have to provide a lunch for him. Blue Bear has a packed lunch twice a week when he does a longer day, so during term time it's not a regular thing for me to make a lunch. During the school holidays, however, they go to holiday camps and I make a lunch for them both every day, so we go shopping together for all the components. Their special teddy companions get to sit in the trolley and my boys can wander round randomly dropping items into my shopping that I won't usually buy. If they're lucky - or sufficiently persuasive - I might actually buy what they've chosen.

Woof Woof and Jiggles get a ride 

I used to have to find ways to get round that fact that the boys wouldn't eat sandwiches, but now they seem to be ok with them so this year I've come into my own both creatively and nutritionally. I always include a juice carton or a water bottle - recently I saw this coconut with a ring pull in it. Why a ring pull ? Who knows. I'm not sure who the target market is for this really - for one it won't fit in a normal packed lunch box and for another it's hardly a handy convenient post yoga snack is it ? I'll stick with water or juice cartons thanks. 

Coconut water - no really 

My boys have become veterans of packed lunches now so I like to include them in decision making. I like to theme the lunches and this summer we've had colour themes with two strong favourites coming out.

This is the yellow and green theme with apple juice, a pineapple jelly from Hartleys and a box of raisins and apple pieces. The sandwich thins have been a revelation as the boys will eat these with cheese spread on them. which is an improvement on dry bread which is what they used to insist on or they'd just throw away the filling and eat the bread. I've also discovered mini cucumbers that fit into the box and are waste free if I top and tail them so there's no stalk to dispose of. 

The yellow and green theme 

Personally I prefer the purple lunch - with blackcurrant drink, blueberry fruit snack, blackcurrant jelly pot and some dark cherries. I've always like the goth look and this would leave a nice dark mouth if they ate everything ;) the mini biscuit pack is a treat and a chunk of baguette instead of a sandwich goes down well.

The purple packed lunch

I like to ensure the boys eat their five a day and they love fruit so they are pretty good about it. An idea I can't claim as my own, but that I love, is fruit kebabs on a straw. Why a straw you ask, well, it's less spiky than a skewer and holds the fruit on securely. I choose fruits like melon, grapes and strawberries that I know my boys love to eat, but you can also include apple chunks or banana slices. Mine like a whole apple or small banana in their lunch so that works too.

Fruit straw kebabs 

The idea of the 'reverse sausage roll,' came about entirely by accident. I made up a lunch plate for Blue Bear with breadsticks, cucumber slices and some sliced ham in the shape of a teddy bear face - don't judge, he chose it in the shop. After watching him peer at the food for a while I decided to try something different. I rolled the ham onto the breadstick and behold he suddenly took interest and could hold it in his fist and munch away easily. I'm not sure I'd be quite so relaxed about my lunch watching me though !

Reverse sausage rolls 

I usually like to include a 'pudding' in the packed lunch - more than anything so the boys have an incentive to eat all of their lunch. They both love jelly and I often make individual portions of jelly for them to eat at home with custard or ice cream (if they're being proper spoiled). I was delighted to find Hartleys make individual jellies that are low in sugar and don't have to be kept in the fridge. Hartleys are running a collector scheme and once you've collected pot lids they will send you a fab lunch box with stickers to customise it.

Hartley's Collector Scheme 

I almost wish both my boys did take lunch to school so I could continue to challenge myself to find more creative ways to keep them interested in trying new food . I might just have to collect to get a lunchbox for myself :) 

This post is an entry for BritMums #HartleysYourLunchbox Linky Challenge, sponsored by Hartley’s Jelly

How am I supposed to live without Woolworths ?

It's taken a few years, but I have finally had to accept that Woolworths is gone. I know I am possibly the last person on Earth to accept this, but I only just managed to get used to HMV being gone then they reopened in Croydon and I thought I was imagining it. I spent many hours (and pounds) in HMV over the years, but Woolworths holds a special place in my heart.

I always bought Easter eggs from Woolies and took my youngest sister with me. She had to promise not to look inside the bag and find out which one she was getting. It was a tradition.  

It was where Dylon dyes came from during my dressmaking stage in the 80's - in fact I didn't even know what I'd need them for, but I'd buy an amazing peacock blue and decide what to dye later. 

Pretty much all the household items I had in my first flat were from Woolies - my laundry basket, hanging rack for socks, dish drainer and bathroom bin. As these items fell apart one by one I had to work out where to find replacements for them. Ikea doesn't have the same homely feel really. 

I remember going to Woolworths to buy Chad Valley toys, Ladybird clothes for children. Selection boxes for Christmas. Multipacks of Christmas cards. Tinsel, baubles, card holders and random things for celebrations you didn't know you needed. 

When I ran out of teaspoons once I just went into Woolies in Croydon (the largest store) and bought a pack of 8 of them. They always had whatever I needed from interfacing to fix hems to needle and thread for repairs. I also bought dressmakers chalk and buttons. 

I really don't want to have to find a haberdashers whenever I need a small item like that as the only one I know is in John Lewis on Oxford Street and that's a long way to travel for some bias binding or a thimble.

So why am I feeling the loss of Woolworths so keenly right now - you may well ask.

Well, my oven gloves have gone. The years of cake baking and biscuit making have taken their toll. Just as I prepare for my big Christmas bake session I've had to admit that I burn myself when I use them to take things out of the oven. These well used and loved oven gloves were from Woolies and I look at them forlornly wishing I didn't have to plod around the internet to find new ones.

Oh why oh why did you have to go Woolworths ? Even your online presence can't replace these - or anything else I used to rely on you for. It's taken a few years, but I'm now living in a home where there are pretty much no remaining memories of you Woolies. I will always remember you. Fondly.

I'm off to trawl the internet for double oven gloves. Wish me luck.

My mission, should I choose to accept it is...

I've set myself a new challenge - not one that involves dancing for hours or running or walking to raise money for charity. This is one where I am going to give something up. I've done it before so I know it's possible. The last time was out of necessity, this time it is out of embarrassment and mostly shame.

I've been declutturing our home for years now. At the weekend I decided it was time to take a serious look at the cupboard filled with shoes and bags to see if there was anything that could be gotten rid of. Turns out there is quite a lot. On a massive scale. I mean to a degree that I find so cringe-making I'd be making jokes if it didn't make me look like such a dope. So here is the unedited truth.

I have enough handbags to use a different one every week of the year - and the majority of them have never been used.

A small selection of my many, many bags. 

I've got more shoes than every other member of my family put together - I don't just mean the boys, I'm including siblings and parents here. This is following a cull of shoes and having a half dozen brand new pairs in boxes put aside to sell already. 

The clothes I own are repetitive and unimaginative - mostly jeans in either bootcut or skinny leg / jegging style. I own many striped tops and over the years I've noticed I've got the same jumper (exact same style, colour everything) because I've forgotten I already own one. 

At the weekend as I was sorting through the many handbags I found three (not one) three piles of clothes hidden behind them. There were 8 items of maternity clothing that I bought and never even opened. Yes, I bought some maternity clothes in anticipation of becoming pregnant again and completely forgot I had bought them. Then I found one of the piles was maternity clothes that I had worn and didn't need any more. Nice frocks, trousers, etc. that I had worn even after my boy was born, but that strictly I didn't need to keep.  

I was shocked by my own inability to remember how much I own. At my sheer greed.

So, here is the challenge I've set myself. I'm not going to buy any new clothes, shoes or accessories until my birthday next year. This will be interesting as we have established that I don't buy out of need, but mostly forgetfulness. I will go out to a shop I like and see something I like and when I get home I realise I've got more than one of those already - well, of course I have, because I like it !

Just to be clear I'm not equating this will real suffering. I will still go out to eat with Hubbie or friends. I will go to gigs (but I won't buy a t-shirt) and I will buy nice food for us to enjoy as a family. What I won't do is 'treat' myself to a handbag because I've always wanted one like it. Or to a shirt because I never look glamorous enough and I want to feel like I'm still that fashion forward young woman I used to be.

Wish me luck with it - and if you fancy a handbag let me know :) 

I got to do the bank holiday big shop at Morrisons... and loved it !!

Morrisons new campaign

Under normal circumstances I'm banned from doing the weekly shop as I'm too easily distracted by BOGOFs and 3 for 2s. I go in for a pint of milk and come home with 5 boxes of bear fruit, 4 marked down low fat lasagnes (2 meat and 2 veggie) and a pile of bakery goods that have been reduced. It means we end up over budget and with a fridge, freezer and cupboards crammed full of impulse purchases.

Hubbie is far more disciplined than I am and rarely goes off list so I had intended to take him with me for our Morrisons Bank Holiday shop last week. In the end it was just me and the boy, but I managed to stick to the list - mostly - and we had a great weekday shopping trip in a pretty quiet store. It was with some trepidation I went with the toddler to the new and snazzy Morrisons at Fiveways (Croydon), but I was armed with a list and had been to this store before so I knew the layout well enough to avoid any traps that might lure me into a casual purchase of seasonal food items that we don't need.

The most welcome sign ever :)

It started well with the perfect parking spot in a parent & child space located safely in front of the store with no busy roads to negotiate. I'm stunned how many shops have the family spaces in places that provide hazards that Indiana Jones would struggle to negotiate.

Veg kept fresh by spritzing - fancy that ! 

Once in the store the toddler offered to 'help' by pushing the trolley, as it wasn't too busy I agreed and he loved putting fresh fruit and vegetables into the trolley for me. As ours is an innovation store it has the fabulous cold storage vapour thing that spritzes the vegetables to keep them fresh. My boy calls it 'smoke,' but was delighted when I said he could put his hand into it to feel that it was cold.

I had made a list of the usual items we buy and was stunned to find that Covent Garden soups, Tilda rice and fresh pizzas were half the price we normally pay. The fresh pasta and sauces were such good value I bought a few to freeze and keep - old habits die hard and all that.

Fresh pizzas 

Ready made rice (don't judge me !)

I don't often buy meat, but we had a barbecue planned as it was a long Bank Holiday weekend so I went to see the in-store butcher to ask for some help. I don't eat meat, but Hubbie and the boy do so I wanted to get the right things and the butcher was very helpful. Burgers, chicken and sausages chosen, we went to get the bread rolls. My boy asked the baker where the bagels were and he kindly pointed out the pick and mix section where we chose a range of rolls and bagels. I love a choice so this was great. Of course I had to buy all the ones my son had pawed at !!

Butchers and a deli !

Lots of rolls to choose from

Lovely Teresa helped us 

A quick check of the list revealed I'd managed to completely forget the french mustard that Hubbie had asked for so we went to get some help. The lovely Teresa walked us to the correct aisle and even agreed to a photo for this post.

Every member of staff we met was really helpful and kind to us. When my son set off an alarmed gate at the checkout and I was having a meltdown the incredibly patient lady serving us complimented me on my 'bouncy, pretty hair' and diffused the tension of the situation.

I love her. 

We don't usually shop at Morrisons - well as I said I'm not allowed to do the weekly shop - so this was a rare treat for me. My boy had plenty of room to roam and he even got to have a ride with Peppa and George Pig at the end. He was pretty helpful but I didn't get him any clothes despite his best efforts to convince me he had to have yet more Spiderman shoes. I loaded four massive bags for life filled with food into the car boot and we made our way home.

My boy choosing some clothes

Driving Peppa & George Pig 

Of course the purpose of our trying Morrisons was to see what savings we could make with their new low pricing so here are some simple sums I've done to work out what we spent on meals over the weekend:

Our pizza tea on Saturday night

Saturday Dinner:
Pizza and garlic bread      
£1.75 per serving

Sunday Lunch:
Barbecue                              
Meat £1.95p  & Veggie £2.30 per serving

Monday Lunch: 
Soup and rolls                    
60p per serving



It is safe to say we spent a lot less than if we'd gone out to eat and substantially less than our usual shop. Not only that, but we tried some new things that we don't usually eat - like grilling cheese on the barbecue as well as the usual burgers, sausages, corn cobs and asparagus. My boy has widened his repertoire of shopping skills and proven he can help and not demand a toy car in return. I've shown I can keep to a list (sort of), but sanity has now returned to the household and Hubbie will be doing the weekly shop again this week.

Long may it last :)

Disclosure: The lovely people at Morrisons sent us some vouchers - via Britmums - to shop and blog honestly about the experience. 

You must be this tall to ride the World Wide Web

It's been 25 years since Tim Berners-Lee launched the World Wide Web - which apparently is different from the internet, but I don't really know how so I won't pursue this point. I was not an early adopter having learned typing rather than 'keyboard skills' and I handwrote all my essays at uni rather than typing them - the only lad I knew who was allowed to type his had special permission due to his  dyslexia. The computer at school took ages to 'warm up' and we all had to take turns to use it so I never got a go.

My first keyboard was a portable typewriter and when I was editing the university arts pages I had to sit with the designated geek who used a Mac to set pages to my specification.  No one was allowed to touch anything as it was all so precious and expensive and he had studied maths at Cambridge (and had met Stephen Hawking) so he was clearly the only person qualified to use a computer. It's fair to say that we have come a long way since then. So, to celebrate I thought I'd share what I have learned from the World Wide Web:

1. If I was an Avenger I'd be Iron Man - even though I'm no genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist

2. Posting schmaltzy messages about how much you love your kids/hubbie/family will just get you sarcastic comments 

3. If I was a mythical creature I'd be a fairy (wtf ?)

4. Reading Twitter while watching a TV show means you will inevitably stumble upon a spoiler  

5. If I was a character in Sherlock I'd be Irene Adler - Oh yes !!

6. I am richer than Croesus when it comes to shopping online - apparently money is no object when there are pre-filled payment details 

7. If I was a Joss Whedon character I'd be Buffy - Yes ? You have an issue with this why ?

8. I've watched far more action movies than is strictly necessary (thanks for this one Cath !)

9. Online quizzes are addictive and I should really get a life

10. A photo of a cat will always get far more likes than anything else you ever post

Here you go :)

In these shoes ? I don't think so…

I went back to work two months ago. In order to make it possible for me to work we have a finely tuned operation involving dropping off to and picking up from nursery, some home working and family childcare. My boy goes to nursery from Monday to Wednesday and on a Thursday he is at home with either Hubbie or my sister who is a nanny and has helped take care of him since he was a baby. 

The new routine has been tiring and repetitive and yet I've lost all ability to dress myself properly. You'd have thought that I'd have found my groove with what to wear to work by now, but apparently I have time to find clothes for my boy, but not for me. I was so perturbed by this revelation (brought on by two days last week where I was wearing entirely inappropriate clothing for the weather) that I put my name down for a style session at the Britmums event on Saturday.

Now bear in mind that I have always loved clothes and shoes and handbags and accessories and pretty much everything to do with fashion. I've never been a trend setter, but I always took time to keep up with what was in fashion and would browse and spend time and money in clothes shops. My happy place was Topshop Oxford Circus and if I was late home on a Thursday night Hubbie would call to check if I was there for late opening - I usually was. If friends phoned me I would often be part way through buying clothes or I'd have just bought some shoes. I loved clothes. I still do. I just don't know what to wear any more.

On the Saturday morning before I went to Britmums I got up early and looked outside the window to see what the weather was doing. I chose some loose fitting trousers instead of my usual jeggings and a shirt that I thought was light and pretty looking. They weren't high fashion or frumpy, they were ok. Kate (the stylist) took one look at what I was wearing and said, "your clothes are too big for you." I stammered a response along the lines of, "these were my post pregnancy trousers and the top was from East because I had a voucher to spend." How post pregnancy is three years exactly ? I'm seriously failing at being a yummy mummy.

Then yesterday I wore a top that kept falling off the shoulders with some jeans that are a bit loose and realised that I do it all the time. Today I caught sight of myself in the mirror at a pilates class and I saw an older version of my teenage self. Since I was 18 I've worn enormous clothes to disguise my shape. I used to buy men's large size t shirts which swamp me now, back then I was almost 2 stones lighter so I must have looked even more ridiculous. I still buy and wear clothes that are too big for me. I've done it for years. Well, decades actually.

In my head I'm much bigger than I actually am. In my mind I have fat knees. a massive body and chubby arms. Wearing clothes that are too big for me doesn't make me look slimmer, or shapely. They make me look like I've got someone else's clothes on. Dark clothes that don't fit too close to the body or flatter my figure.

In order to be able to dress myself properly do I need to become one of those odd people who break a biscuit in half or eats 2 rice cakes for lunch ? Do I have to become skin and bone to be happy with my body so that I don't mind wearing clothes that fit me ? 

Or do I just accept that I'll never be skinny because that requires too much deprivation. I don't want to be so obsessed with myself that I only think about my own body shape to the detriment of all else. When I lost weight and was a size 10 I never truly accepted my smaller size. I kept all the jeans in larger sizes (just as well really) and still thought I was enormous. I was convinced that the labelling in Dorothy Perkins was somehow flawed.

So if I spend more time planning what my boy wears than what I wear I think that's ok. I've spent enough of my life (and money) on myself. Now it's his turn.

I have seen a great pair of shoes in Next that I think I might have to have though…  

Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it

I've been considering whether or not to buy an early bird ticket to the Mumsnet Blogfest and it's caused me to ponder. My main ponder has been about the depletion of social skills that comes from being at home with my boy and whether or not I could be in a room full of strangers for a whole day without hiding in a corner nursing a drink and calling Hubbie every 20 minutes to ask what the boy is doing.

In ponder mode the list making goes haywire and my observations of minutiae become more frequent. This is just a selection of them from this week: 

- When I take my son to nursery we pass under a canopy of trees - he calls it a 'snuggle' 

A 'snuggle'

- If something is wrong with my boy I take him to the doctor immediately. However, my arm has been 'not right' for four days, but I keep telling myself that it's fine. I can't tell if I'm over or under-reacting. 

- The cat comfort eats during bad weather and strokes me with his paw when we're sharing the sofa. I could sleep all day. Have we swapped lives ? 

- We were at playgroup on Wednesday and my boy came over and asked for a "Mummy cuddle" then clambered up onto my lap - he has never done this before - my heart skipped a beat

- The day after I stock up on baby stuff it's all on offer - are the shops doing it on purpose ? 

- A new Bond movie is coming out soon - I remember when this used to be a diary date for me and my friends to watch at the Odeon Marble Arch. Now it's a waiting game before it's out on DVD

- Despite owning 3 different sizes of jeans (pre, during and post pregnancy) I have not one pair that fits right now

- When it's raining my son looks out of the window and says "pitter patter" - I'm delighted that he chooses onomatopoeia over mere description 

Some weeks you just watch what's going on in the world. That's been this week for me. 

From Clockhouse to Yessica and back

As my little man goes to nursery on Mondays and Tuesdays I now have time to do nice things for myself. On a Monday I present my radio show on Croydon Radio and on a Tuesday I usually catch up with some boring housework and watch a DVD if I have time or like today I get something to eat outside the house. I decided to have some dim sum for a treat today and was really surprised at how many families were eating out too. Then Hubbie reminded me that as it's the last day of school hols for most children this is their last hoorah with the grown ups.

When I was at school we didn't have a ritual other than to get our bags and clothes ready the day before we went back for the new autumn term. What we did have was the annual shoe shop on the Saturday before we went back. Every year my Mum would pack us all off in the car and take us to Hounslow to buy everyone new shoes. We always began at the C&A end of the High Street. For the youngsters out there it was like a department store that sold skiing gear at affordable prices and was a favourite amongst Asian families. I was delighted to find a few years ago that C&A still existed in Europe - we bought a pretty ropey suit for Hubbie in a branch in Paris and a vibrant pink coat for me that all but two of the buttons fell off after two wears.

The reason for beginning at C&A was so that my Dad could take hours to buy the same blue shirt and sand coloured trousers he bought every year. It took so long because he was so outraged that his size had gone up since last year and he'd try all permutations of outfit before reverting to his usual style and colours. He was also the wild card in the shoe buying stakes as my Dad has always worn slip on shoes, but he'd insist on trying every pair in every shop before choosing the same ones as last time. I have a theory that he can't actually tie shoelaces which is why he wears slip-ons. He never helped me tie my laces and seemed a bit befuddled when I did them myself. I will test this again when my son has shoes with laces and get back to you.

Of course the trawl of the High St ineveitably ended at Curtess shoe shop which provided most of my teenage footwear. It was affordable, pretty fashionable, but not trendy. Also, Paula Rushbrook from school worked in the Greenford branch on Saturdays so she'd slip friends a sneaky discount. I bought my first pixie boots in Curtess and probably many other ill-advised fashion choices. A woman with a love of shoes is so cliched as to be beyond parody. I mention this only because my own love of shoes has slowed in recent years due to swollen feet in pregnancy and now the need to be able to put on shoes quickly to get out of the house to do whatever activity is planned for the day.

I pretty much only wear sandals or boots now anyway as the trawl of the High Street was usually a pointless and ultimately unsatisfying search for the Holy Grail of shoes. A non-ugly, practical and yet nice to look at pair of shoes. I've found they just don't exist so I now own beautiful impractical shoes kept in clear boxes to look at. Lots of flat sandals that tone my legs (apparently) and many, many pairs of boots that keep my feet super warm.

However, it's the pair that I don't yet own that interest me most right now. A few years ago me and Hubbie made a bet which he lost - the details of the bet are not that important - suffice it to say that he owes me a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and it's now time to collect. I've never spent more than £50 on a pair of shoes (boots don't count) so this is a pretty major purchase for me. If I'm not careful it could end up being the most expensive pair of flip flops ever or a disastrous foray into the world of slingbacks (after a bad experience at Nine West in Las Vegas we don't mention them any more in this house).

I'll keep you posted as the search progresses...

My festival baby collection (Next competition entry blog)

I went to spend a Next voucher that I'd been given for my birthday yesterday having decided that I wanted to get a new bag for the summer. I was distracted on the way in not only by my boy straining on his reins to rush over shouting "buggy !!" at any he saw, but also by the range of t shirts they have in for children this season. 

When I was pregnant I spent time looking at the children's clothes in Next and loving the styles for boys so much it made me glad I was having a boy. The clothes aren't twee and they also don't all say "little monster" on them. The girls clothes also look pretty good and I can see why when they have the massive half price sales it's always the childrenswear that sells out first. I've been in my car at 6am waiting for the sale to start only to find it was open at 5am before now so I gave up trying. Instead my sister does the legwork and finds some great things for my boy to wear and I get to lie in :o)

This season has really surpassed the usual at Next as they've gone for cool young dude look which I love. The ones that caught my eye were the Stone Roses designs, but they also have the Jam, the Beatles and various other 'I'm with the band' themed styles. http://www.next.co.uk/boys/younger-boys-best-of-british/2

Now, I've spent a lot of time looking at rock t-shirts for kids online and they are not cheap. The collection at Next averages at under a tenner so I'd be able to get the whole range to ensure my boy has a new one for every festival this Summer. They're also 100% cotton so I can wash them and they should look just like the originals that Daddy and I have. 

In fact if they also do matching ones for adults I'd take father and son in matching clothes to go for maximum dude appeal. After all the comments a Daddy gets when he's out with his cute son are far more gushing than they ever are for a Mummy aren't they ? 

If I had any money left over I'd get myself some of the pretty cotton summer outfits and probably something nice for the garden from homewares. Even if we don't make it to any festivals this summer I think we can all look the part and listen to music in the garden pretending we're surrounded by thousands of other people.