Lakes Single Mum

#AnchorElevenses: Simple Fairy Cakes

2012-01-27T11:29:00.000Z

Sponsored Post

The lovely people at Anchor have asked some of us parent bloggers to share our favourite elevenses recipes. They are hoping to revive the good old elevenses tradition. Regular readers will know that I love baking with and without my children so here is my little contribution Simple Fairy Cakes:

Heat oven to 190 C (fan 175 C)
Pop paper cases into a 12 hole cake baking tray
Get a large mixing bowl
Sift in 4 oz of self raising flour
Add 4 oz caster sugar
Add 4 oz margarine or butter
Add 2 medium eggs
Add pinch bicarbonate of soda
Add few drops vanilla essence
Mix together until mix drops off a spoon
Share between the 12 cases
Bake for 15 minutes in the oven
Once cooled decorate

For more ideas for Elevenses pop over to Anchor's Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

All the entries on this are being put into a competition to in Anchor 125th Memorabilia so hope I win!

Reasons to be Cheerful XXXV ( #R2BC )

2012-01-26T21:27:00.000Z

Been a bit of a roller coaster week so I really need to think just about the positive things! So here we go:

1) At home

My parents came and swapped our small kitchen table for my granny's slightly bigger one. We now have 4 chairs and it can open up to seat 6. It's great having a decent sized table so I can do things like lay out serving dishes and feel all posh:

De-cluttering and tidying has moved along noticeably this week. The heap on top of the dressing up box at the top of the stairs has been sorted and either returned to its rightful place, binned or set aside for a car boot. One small victory in the battle to get the house straight!

2) My Children

On Saturday my daughter decided I needed looking after and brought me breakfast in bed, She tried to keep me there all day by bringing me an early lunch as well!

LifeCircle 2012: Planning Ahead

2012-01-26T12:32:00.000Z

This week Kate has asked us to write a Life Plan. I did this on the original LifeCircle so I don't need to re-invent the wheel! So this is a short post as nothing much changed in 4 months...

To see everyone else's please pop over to Kate's post and the linky.

#TheGallery: My Photography Resolutions

2012-01-26T11:31:00.000Z

A good challenge from Tara this week to shake us out of our photography ruts for 2012 and make a resolution to change/improve something! Think I'm going to go with a lot of mums on this and try to take more pictures of me (whether I like them or not!). Bit hard to do on a camera phone but this is the kind of thing I have managed previously:

The look nervously into the mirror technique

Use the built in camera on the MacBook

Guest Post: A woman’s guide to safety in the car

2012-01-24T12:25:00.001Z

A woman’s guide to safety in the car

Most women drivers spend time in the car alone, but worrying about vehicle breakdown and risks to security or personal safety can leave many feeling vulnerable and lacking in confidence. However, just a few simple measures can cut down on uncertainty and help you stay safe while driving solo.

Keep your car in tip-top condition

Not all mechanical failures can be prevented, but by keeping your car well serviced you will reduce the risk of an unscheduled stop.

Also, make sure you fill up with fuel well before you run low, particularly when entering areas with which you are unfamiliar.

Prepare for every eventuality

Being prepared for a car breakdown will stop you worrying and help you deal with any problems should they arise. So...

Always make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged.
Ensure that your spare tyre is fully inflated and that you have the tools and know-how to change a wheel, or appropriate breakdown cover if you don’t.
Let someone know your travel plans, including your intended route and approximate time of arrival.
Have an emergency pack in the boot of your car that includes items such as a hazard triangle, warm blanket, high visibility waterproof jacket, a torch and spare batteries. Always carry a bottle of drinking water and something to snack on.

Stay secure

There are simple measures you can take to improve your level of security and personal safety. While there’s no need to drive around in a perpetual state of anxiety, it’s worth following a few basic rules for peace of mind:

Keep the doors locked and the windows wound up when driving in built up areas.
If someone other than the police tries to get you to pull over, don’t stop but drive on to the next petrol station. Check your car for faults but if you find none, report the incident to the police.
If you need to pull over at night, do so in a brightly lit place and if you are unsure of the area, stay in the car and do not open the door.
Don’t drive with your handbag or valuables on the passenger seat or in open view.

Parking safely

Try to park in an open, well lit area if possible. Don’t leave any valuables on show and, of course, lock all doors and close all windows, even if you’re only leaving the car for a short while.

When returning to the car, be sure to have your car key ready in your hand to avoid delays or fumbling around in your bag. Don’t leave your bag on the floor while unlocking your car - keep a firm grasp of it at all times.

If you are, say, leaving work in the dark and are nervous about returning to your car on your own, ask a trusted friend of colleague to walk with you.

Other tips

Avoid getting lost by using a sat nav - but carry a road atlas, too, as back-up.

Become a member of a national breakdown service and keep the helpline number in a prominent place in the car. Many breakdown services prioritise women travelling alone or with children.

Make sure that you have adequate car insurance. Policies differ considerably, so check that yours gives you all the cover you need.

Valentine's Day Gifts from Find-Me-A-Gift

2012-01-23T16:02:00.000Z

Sponsored Post

The lovely people at Find-Me-A-Gift sent me one of their Valentine Gift ideas to try out for the blog. They asked me to choose from the following selection:

Heart Umbrella

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/ladies-umbrellas-brolly-funky-umbrellas-heart-umbrella.html

Cupid’s Cushion

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/novelty-cushions-glowing-led-heart-cushion.html

Personalised Glitter Heart Key Ring

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/personalised-diamante-heart-keyring.html

Bomb Cosmetics Bath Melts - Chocolate Gift Set

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/cocoa-butter-bomb-cosmetics-bath-bomb-bath-melts-chocolate-gift-set.html

Red Rose Compact Mirror

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/novelty-mirrors-red-rose-compact-mirror.html

Big Hug Heart Cushion

http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/big-hug-heart-cushion-heart-pillow.html

Living in one of the wettest parts of the UK I chose the umbrella. Typically for nearly a week after it arrived we had no rain at all so I didn't get to try it out for a while. Eventually there was the perfect wet school run to road test it on!

It feels like a pretty robust umbrella and I wasn't afraid that it would blow inside out. The umbrella is also a decent size and could comfortable fit 2 adults under for a romantic walk in the rain. To show scale here it is by my front door:

The umbrella kept my head and upper body dry in the rain. It also drew a lot of glances and comments with its unusual shape. This makes both a fun and practical gift for the lady in your life.

They are currently on offer at £13.99 and come in a choice of red, bright pink and light pink. If I hadn't already got one it wouldn't upset me to be receiving one of these on Valentine's Day. It will last longer than a bunch of roses and won't pile on the pounds like a box of chocolates!

#SilentSunday 22nd January 2011

2012-01-22T10:13:00.000Z

Change4Life: Supermeals: Vegetarian Shepherd Pie

2012-01-20T11:59:00.001Z

Today you can get a voucher from The Mirror to redeem against the Supermeals cookbook in Asda. To whet your appetites Change4Life sent me this recipe today:

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie:

Ingredients:

2 carrots, chopped

300g swede, chopped

600g potatoes, cut into small cubes

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

300g vegetarian mince

300ml reduced salt vegetable stock

1 courgette, grated

100g frozen mixed vegetables or frozen peas

Ground black pepper

1 tsp cornflour

Approx cost:
£2.72
Per head:
68p
	for 4 adults

Nutritional Info:
411kcals / 1720kJ 38g protein 8g fat of which 1.5g saturates 49g carbohydrate 14g sugars 6g dietary fibre 3564mg sodium 8.5g salt

1	Cook the carrots, swede and potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes.

2	Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the vegetarian mince and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and add the courgette and frozen mixed vegetables or peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes. Season with black pepper.

3	Preheat the grill, warming a baking dish underneath for a few moments. Meanwhile, drain and mash the carrots, swede and potatoes, seasoning with black pepper.

4	Blend the cornflour with 1 tbsp cold water and add it to the mince mixture, stirring until thickened. Transfer it to the baking dish and spoon the vegetable mash on top. Grill for about 5 minutes, until browned. Serve.

You can watch Ainsley Harriott cooking a Supermeal and talking about healthy eating here:

Reasons to be Cheerful XXXIV ( #R2BC )

2012-01-19T21:24:00.002Z

I am feeling very positive at the moment so looking forward to sharing everyone else's R2BC this week!

1) Getting on my soap box

I had a chance to talk live on BBC Radio Cumbria about the impact of toxocarra on my daughter's life as part of a debate on dog fouling. Anything I can do to make people aware of the potential devastating impact of not clearing up after their dog is a good thing. There is more about this on yesterday's post.

2) The great Lake District countryside

It was a marvellous weekend to get out hiking up the fells. I wrote a long piece about Loughrigg on Saturday and being able to be out of doors enjoying the wonderful landscape and stunning views whilst hiking with the family is definitely a top reason to be cheerful.

OK I just can't resist re-using this one again!

I don't anyone could fail to get a smile on their face walking along the banks of Grasmere on a perfect winter's day.

3) Family

My granny has moved to Kendal from Appleby to she is now really close by and I can visit her much more easily. Hopefully my children will also have more time to get to know their last remaining great granny.

4) Me

I've been good again this week and lost another 2 lbs making a total of 7 lb this year and an overall 1 stone 10 lb since I started at Rosemary Conley. This time I am determined to stay focussed and continue losing weight steadily and not have the yo-yo effect I had last year! The carrot of a 2 stone certificate for losing the next 4 lbs is a great incentive to look forward to.

Please go and see the other lovely people on the linky:

LifeCircle 2012: Taking Action

2012-01-19T10:15:00.000Z

Kate has asked to put in a Taking Action plan based upon last week's 2 lowest scores on the Wheel of Life. We need to think of 2 actions to undertake in the next fortnight for each area. In my case my lowest scores were Finance and Romance. So let me see what I can come up with for each of these...

Finance

Well I obviously find ways to increase my income as there isn't much I can do in the way of reducing spending! So what can I do?

Follow up on my leads for my Usborne Books business and generate some revenue.
For my Kendal Family History Services and blog businesses I need to up my online presence and keep on marketing.

Hopefully by the end of the fortnight all of this will have resulted in money in the bank...

Romance/Significant Other

This is a tough one to crack! It maybe beyond my control but this is what I can try to do to increase my chances of finding myself a new man:

Get time to myself out of the house in places where I can meet people.
Er can't think of anything else!

So there you go hope that I can report back with some progress in a fortnight's time... To see everyone else's posts pop over to Kate's Action post and the linky on there.

#TheGallery: Eyes

2012-01-18T16:40:00.001Z

When I found out that this week's gallery was eyes there was only one choice for me:

The eye belongs to my 8 year old daughter and it hides a secret. Her eye was damaged by toxocarra from dog or fox poo and she can't see properly. She wrote about it on her own blog My Life. Not surprisingly we are ardent anti dog fouling campaigners in our house and endorse the Keep Britain Tidy campaign:

To get yours go to: http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/

For more gallery pics click on the logo at the top of the page

Change4Life: Latest News

2012-01-17T22:10:00.000Z

The latest Change4Life newsletter has just popped into my inbox so I'd like to share some of the highlights with you all.

Drinking

February will see the launch of a new Change4Life campaign to show how easily drinking too much alcohol can sneak up on you.

Here are their top tips for cutting down on your alcohol (and sugary soft drinks) consumption:

Carry a bottle of water when you go out to avoid sugary soft drinks
Don't stock up on alcohol and sugary drinks when you shop
Have a few consecutive days with no alcohol at all each week
When you out at the pub drink more slowly (this will lead to fewer rounds)
If out with heavy drinkers avoid joining in with rounds
Have your first drink later in the evening and don't feel like you need to finish the bottle in one go
Try something different instead of going to the pub

For more information go to the Drink Swap page and see what else they offer.

Supermeals

I have already written about Supermeals and the campaign is expanding. They are now running offers from 3 supermarkets to tie in with the recipes. To see what you can get have a look at the offers currently available.

SmallSteps4Life

This is a competition for English schools to win a visit by a top UK athlete by getting their pupils to think like an athlete. It opened on January 9th and runs to 9th March 2012. Teachers need to download entry forms and information for the SmallSteps4Life page.

Competition with ExperienceDays.co.uk

2012-01-16T16:11:00.000Z

Sponsored Post

The lovely people at Experience Days UK have asked me to give away a £50 Gift Voucher to use against one of their Experience Days. In return I get entered into another draw to try and win one myself. So if you are feeling a bit flat after Christmas and New Year then why not enter the draw?

I am trying out Rafflecopter for the first time to see if it works for me. The only compulsory part of the draw is to comment on what your ultimate experience day would be. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

Just use the options below to gain a maximum of 6 entries per day. Draw closes at midnight on 31st January.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#SilentSunday: 15th January 2012

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000Z

Family Fun: A Frosty Hike Up Loughrigg

2012-01-14T22:50:00.000Z

I just love living on the doorstep of one of the most beautiful corners of the United Kingdom. On a day like today when the sun shone, the sky was blue and the temperature never got above 5C it was a marvellous place for a hike. We wrapped up warm with plenty of layers, tied up the hiking boots, grabbed the walking poles and headed off to Rydal Water, Loughrigg Fell, Grasmere and the Rydal coffin trail:

Rydal Water

On our way we saw lots of beautiful things:

Icicles over waterfall

#FlashbackFriday: My favourite holiday

2012-01-13T12:47:00.000Z

There is a competition over at Tots100 to win an Al Fresco holiday for sharing our favourite holiday on our blogs. So I would like to share mine with you today..

I am going to take you way back to the summer of 1979 (so not many photos to hand!). As a family we usually went camping, youth hostelling or stayed on farms in the UK and France for our holidays. However this time my mum had inherited some money so we were able to travel to the USA for the first time ever to see family and friends.

We started our 3 week adventure with a flight from Prestwick Airport on our first ever Jumbo Jet. This was the era of the Junior Jet Club and my brother and I got taken to explore the cockpit mid flight (this would never be allowed these days!). I remember seeing ice bergs from the plane and finding it amazing. Then we had to face the "joys" of US immigration which I was very intimidating. It was then a cab ride to another New York airport to catch a flight to San Francisco. After a full day travelling we landed in a very hot California. We were staying with friends of my parents and I was amazed at the outdoor pool!

Driving down the twisted streets of San Francisco and riding on the tram was brilliant. Another highlight of this part of the stay was a visit to the giant Redwood trees, Then we drove down Highway One (I would love to repeat this) to Los Angeles. This has to be one the most amazing journeys you can do in the States. Fantastic scenery and stops at places like Monterrey to see the otters and ride on the carousel.

Our next stop was Los Angeles and probably the best bit of the holiday for children - Disneyland! At this time there was nothing even approaching Disneyland that we had been to before. The rides were incredible (and scary) with Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Small World sticking in my memory. We spent an amazing full day including the final parade and were very attached to our souvenirs:

Reasons to be Cheerful XXXIII ( #R2BC )

2012-01-12T21:34:00.000Z

I love it when Thursday comes around and I can join in this hop! Especially when every entry this month gives me a chance to win something from the lovely Michelle ;-)

1) Slimmer of the Week

Yes I did agin and was joint Slimmer of the Week at my Rosemary Conley class! With a 5lb drop it's given me a great boost to losing weight this year. That's everything I gained at Christmas plus an extra 2lb gone so I am very happy. Makes giving up booze this month and having lots of detox juices etc worth while! In total my class lost over 7 stones between us this week which is amazing. Just hope I keep up the momentum for longer this year...

2) My children

My 5 year old continues to amaze me at how much he is learning this first year at school. He quite happily counted to 100 this week and is doing simple sums. Back in the pool for his first swimming lesson of the year and he actually managed to go on his back too.

This term my daughter seems to enthusiastic at school about things such as comparative fractions and French. Off her own bat she has joined in the school's lunch time Quest club which is like a primary school Christian Union. Hope this will help her feel even more settled.

3) Out and About

I went on a lovely (if muddy) little hike around Crook with my mum and her local Ramblers group. It was great being out in the fresh air with lots of new people to meet and chat with and enjoying wonderful and interesting sights. One of which was yesterday's Gallery photo but I also found this bit of agricultural history:

4) Getting Crafty

I am finding rediscovering/learning crafting talents such as sewing and PomPom making. Its so rewarding to see the results and its very therapeutic!

For more people's reasons please follow the linky:

LifeCircle 2012: Wheel of Life

2012-01-12T11:33:00.000Z

After breaking us in gently last week Kate wants us to evaluate where we are at the minute. I did this back in September but I'm not going to look at that until I've written this one! What we do is look at this wheel:

and then score each section from 0-10. I haven't got around to actually drawing lines on mine like she has but here is the basic results for me:

Fun and Recreation = 8
I am managing to enjoy a variety of activities in and out of the home and have started to really get into hiking and sewing at the minute. Yes there are things I can't do due to childcare but things are pretty good.

Career = 5
Still not got a regular income from a paid job but I have begun to earn money from my Family History business. The blog continues to provide a trickle of money and good in kind. I need to work on boosting the books though.

Health = 8
Nothing bad about my health but still carrying a bit too much weight! This is definitely going to change this year.

Personal Development = 7
I am challenging myself to re-learn how to sew this is a real rest of my little grey cells. I would love to find courses I can do to work on other aspects of my personal development.

Friends and Family = 9
The reason I moved was to be nearer my family and I love it! My friendships up here are building nicely and I still get to see my old friends from down south a few times a year.

Read more »

#TheGallery: Mobile Phone Picture

2012-01-11T17:28:00.001Z

Tara wants to see mobile phone pics this week. Easy for me as 90% of my photos are taken on my phone!

I took this on a hike around Crook yesterday. A long time ago someone abandoned a plough and a tree grew all the way through it and over it! This has had a little Instagram treatment to make the plough wheel stand out more.

For everyone else's pics click on the logo and check the linky!

#CharityTuesday: 120 Years of the Epilepsy Society

2012-01-10T20:54:00.000Z

I received a mailing from the Epilepsy Society today announcing its 120th birthday and their hopes to raise a £120,000 in 2012. They want to celebrate 120 years of providing a full life for people with epilepsy by:

finishing their world class medical research centre
launching a new Targeting Seizures campaign to help people with epilepsy achieve the best seizure control possible.

When I was at High School one of my best friends was diagnosed with epilepsy and this was my first real exposure to the condition. Luckily she has not had problems since becoming an adult but for many others are not so fortunate and they need on going support from the Society for the rest of their lives.

So what can we do to help with this fund raising target? Well they sent me a few suggestions:

apply for one of their guaranteed places on a half or full marathon including Bath, Brighton, Edinburgh, the Great North Run and Great South Run
sell 120 cakes, raffle 120 items or cycle 120 miles (you get the idea if not look here!)
help find 120 new locations for a collection tin or even have a home collection box
join their 120 skydiving team on May 20th by raising £395 in sponsorship
hold a Purple Day at school/work
buy some purple merchandise from their online shop
become an online member of the society

What ever you do it will all help to make a difference to people's lives.

Getting Crafty: Cloth Kitty

2012-01-09T22:36:00.000Z

One of my resolutions for this year was to learn to knit, somehow I am currently being side tracked into learning to sew! This came about due to a combination of factors:

someone posted about PomPom makers and I thought now there is an easy craft to do with my children!
I followed the link on their blog and ended up on the Clothkits site and duly added PomPom makers to my basket
Being a child of the '70s I grew up with a wardrobe containing a wide variety of Clothkits clothes made by my mum (she didn't have a huge budget but had the time and skills required to sew). So I decided to browse the site to see what 21st century Clothkits looks like.
At this point my 8 year old starts peeking over my shoulder and spots the Cloth Kitty doll kit and asks to spend some of her Christmas money so can learn to sew so doll was added to basket

Fast forward a few days and we get a parcel from Clothkits. My daughter is very excited about the doll she is going to sew (with help from mummy) and cancels all plans for Saturday so we can make a start. Once I have looked at the instructions I realise that maybe I am going to struggle as the doll itself is fairly simple to sew her clothes come with instructions for bias binding, gathers and shirring elastic. For a woman who's worst subject at school was needlework this is a daunting prospect!

Nevertheless I cut out the required parts of the doll (having even ironed the fabric first - shock horror!) and set to. I demonstrate the sewing technique to my daughter and then pass the leg over to her for her turn. Her enthusiasm is quickly dampened after a few finger pricks so inevitably I end up doing all the sewing of the doll. It does turn out that my daughter is a dab hand at stuffing the doll though:

Note essential wooden spoon

#SilentSunday 8th January 2012

2012-01-08T00:04:00.001Z

Sudocrem: Mummy Matters Week

2012-01-07T11:11:00.000Z

Sponsored Post

Between Monday 9^th and Friday 13^th January 2012, a team of the UK’s leading lifestyle experts will be sharing need to know advice on a range of subjects as well as answering direct questions from the Sudocrem Facebook community.

Each day will host a different expert (as outlined below), who will share around 20 key pieces of advice and answering questions on their subject throughout their allotted day.

Sudocrem would love for all Mums to join the Sudocrem Facebook community (www.facebook.com/Sudocrem) and get involved by asking questions directly to the experts.

Monday 9^th January 2012 - Jennifer Liston-Smith (Executive & Maternity Coach)
Tuesday 10^th January 2012 - Claire Wylde (Dietician)
Wednesday 11^th January 2012 - Jo Barnard (Careers Advisor)
Thursday 12^th January 2012 - Wendy Powell (Pre & Post Natal Fitness Expert)
Friday 13^th January 2012 - Beth Goodrham (Personal Stylist)

nappy rash

Change4Life: Supermeals

2012-01-06T14:25:00.001Z

I have rather neglected my blogging for Change4Life recently so thought I'd better get cracking as they have recently launched their Supermeals campaign. In order to help parent change their families diets they have brought out recipes for meals that are:

low cost
quick and easy to make
tasty

I ordered a paper copy of some of their meal ideas but they also have an online Supermeals recipe finder. With this you can search by ingredients, create a shopping list and make a 7 day meal plan.

If that doesn't appeal then you can have recipe ideas e-mailed to you instead. All you need is to register and then wait to see what pops up in your inbox. All the recipes cost about £5 to make 4 adult servings.

You can get the children to join in by creating their own Cookbook crammed full of their favourite healthy recipes. Think I need to try this with my 2!

The final part of the Supermeals programme is a free cookbook featuring Ainsley Harriott. All you need to do is buy a copy of the Daily Mirror on Friday January 20th and hand the voucher in at your local Asda store. The book has 30 easy, healthy and tasty recipes which all cost around £5 to make.

So what are you waiting for get over to the Supermeals site now and start changing your families diet!

Reasons to be Cheerful XXXII ( #R2BC )

2012-01-05T20:51:00.000Z

Well we have made it to 2012 so I guess that is a reason to be cheerful in itself! This is the 1st anniversary of the blog hop so even more reason to smile (and Michelle has a giveaway for all those who take part in January). But here are my more mundane reasons to be cheerful:

1) Pride in my children

It's been a very wet week but it hasn't put my children off going out and doing things. On Friday they did their longest bike ride to date and we all got soaked but they did it!

We also did a 4 mile hike on New Year's Eve and got very wet and very muddy but it hasn't put them off hiking!

2) New Year's Eve

It was a very quiet and soberish New Year's Eve for us but a very enjoyable evening rounded off by watching the amazing London fireworks from the comfort of the sofa whilst drinking Prosecco: