In a bun dance

139/365 Let's not keep tomboling along...

2013-05-19T21:48:00.000+01:00

Due entirely to family planning failures on my part, I am going to attend 17 school May Fairs before I'm done. Nine down, eight to go.

Don't get me wrong I'm a huge supporter of the Parent Council that runs these things, and I know the money they raise makes a big difference to the already excellent things the school and the teachers can do.

I also know the Parent Council volunteers work very hard giving lots of time and energy to the role.

But...

There's always a but, isn't there?

Amid the really nice - I wouldn't mind winning that, in fact, I'd even pay money for it - tombola prizes are the others. The ones which, when you look more closely, are vaguely familiar.

I'm talking about gift sets of candles, gift sets of cosmetics from brands you haven't heard of, gift sets of table linen, gift sets of golf tees, and so on.

(Questions the meaning of 'gift set' doesn't it?)

They have the look of something that has languished in the back of the emergency gifts cupboard since they came home after the last tombola. Many even have tell-tale sticky marks left by the previously taped-on raffle ticket. Or maybe that was just the items that came from this house...

No? You too.

How many of us have cupboards full of stuff that, almost certainly, will never get used and simply exists so that when our offspring says "mum I need to take something to school for the tombola today" you've got something to hand over?

I confess I do like the cheery little lift I get when Boy Two heads off to school with a bulging bag leaving me with a tidy empty space in my cluttered home, however, that's what makes the resultant mini-gloom of stuffing this year's spoils into the cupboard all the more depressing.

What is the point? All right. Clearly, the point is we raise money for the school and I don't have a problem with that at all, but perhaps it's time for a re-think on the gift donation front.

Maybe we can have a charity shop collection point at the next May Fair so we can drop off the stuff that won't be used. After all, whose feelings are you going to hurt? Or perhaps you pay double for another go allowing you to leave the thing you didn't want and try again for the Clarins gift set or the nice-looking Sauvignon.

Surely we can do something a bit less annoying than using it as an occasion to simply circulate unwanted items around the village from one dusty cupboard to another.

This is not, by the way, a very convoluted way of volunteering for the Parent Council (I'm much to contrary for that), but I am available for consultation. After all, over 17 years I would be very much cheered if there was some form of evolution.

PS The photo is of the raffle (distinct from the tombola) which I manned for a while on Saturday. Here I report excellent evolution. Instead of buying tickets for every prize and running the risk of wining a signed football shirt (I have enough soiled sporting attire without pretending the acquisition of more is a good thing) you opt only to enter the raffle for the good stuff - hair cuts, meals out, booze, cleaning firm vouchers. This is marvellous progress.

138/365 Jamie Oliver's Italian - Mint

2013-05-18T21:12:00.002+01:00

Leafing troubles behind - diving into a mojito

Once upon a time it was a summer evening in Glasgow. The people strolled 'neath the fresh green foliage of the dear green trees.

There was laughter, painted toens in sandals and the sound of people relaxing in the warm, dappled, dropping evening sun.

A day later it would rain and the people would hurry by hunched up and saying: "Ah well that was summer for this year."

But such an evening happened yesterday and, by happy coincidence, it was the day the baby-sitter was in charge, the friends organised and the table at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant on Glasgow's George Square booked.

Inside it was busy - buzzing even, but never jostly or too noisy to talk.

There wasn't even too much Jamie in evidence, hardly any large photos of his mugging grin. Mercifully. There wasn't even too much 'Jamie-ness' on the menu. By this I mean not his choice of food, but the way his uses language. Have you notice how on telly and even in some of his books he suggests adding a 'lug' of some liquid or other to a dish? Presumably he means 'glug' or, at a push, slug. But not lug. No.

Anyhow, our meal was lovely, perfect and fresh. The company was good and the walk to the station afterwards was warm and dry.

Of course, today it's piddling down and I have cooked supper for children who clearly would rather be at McDonald's and the Panther who claims I've got a "blind spot about seasoning". Then I loaded the dishwasher and cleared up the kitchen.

But that's what makes nights like last night so good, isn't it?

137/365 proud mother #46

2013-05-17T16:10:00.002+01:00

Boy One came home from school with, among others, this picture. It's good, isn't it?

Who knew he was so good at art? Certainly not his family. Still he's doing art next year so watch this space...

136/365 a bench mark for summer

2013-05-16T21:09:00.000+01:00

Two whole days the sun has shone, brightness all around.

The light has streamed in and started to turn my head. I've found myself thinking about linen trousers, sun tan lotion and barbecues.

I was so far into a fantasy about sitting outside, shades on, reading the papers and sipping a cup of Earl Grey that before I knew it I'd bought a bench.

I realise that as fantasies go this was hardly setting the heather, or anything else, alight. Much more Grey Shades for the Over Fifties than anything steamier.

Anyhow, the bench arrived - the way of most things these days - unfit for purpose without some degree of effort or irritation. Then I remembered the Panther of News gave me a power drill with a screwdriver attachment (no not a euphemism) for Christmas. The drill made short work of the bench.

Unfortunately at this point Boy Three got hold of the drill. It's just like a gun, you see. It took some lengthy effort to disarm him.

Minutes later I assumed the pose, mug in hand. It didn't last long, however, as it was so cold the shivering was putting me at risk of spilling the tea. I retreated indoors.

It's probably just as well because the soundtrack to the fantasy - a lawn being mowed in the middle distance - wasn't going to happen either.

Boy One, enthusiastically tackling the gardening element of his day's chore had inadvertently severed the Flymo power cable.

I am learning that the biggest challenge of getting others to help is serenity in the face of them doing so.

135/365 A nose for something different

2013-05-15T22:00:00.000+01:00

Whisky is a man's drink - and it shouldn't be polluted. It should be neat - and so strong it makes you gasp and shudder. That's a proper nip of Scotch.

Or at least that's how things used to be in the country that claims whisky as its national drink.

Bollocks. That's as old hat as the idea that women shouldn't be enterprising and pioneering.

At last night's meeting of Scottish Women in Business, Cutty Sark's master blender Kirsteen Campbell did an excellent job of entertaining, giving an insight into her world and kicking the old hats further into the mixed metaphor of the long grass.

She is responsible for the consistency of the Cutty Sark brand, as well as for creating new products. Put simply she tests - by smelling - the quality of the blended whisky's ingredients and monitors its process from cask to bottle.

She's as far from the broken veined and tweedy cliche of the industry as you could get. And that's an excellent thing.

As the brand tags itself "the spirit of adventure", that's perhaps the best distillation of the evening too.

Kirsteen's has blended her undoubted adventurous spirit with the science and diligence necessary to rise in her industry. And she's not the only woman to do so.

And that's really what it's about - a woman in a man's world must surely by now be a red herring. Instead, having passion and courage to look for adventure - but not losing sight of the need to sniff out what's quality and what's, quite frankly, wrong for the job. Dammit, having spirit, that's the thing.

And if you're asking - mine's a whisky with soda, a dash of lemon and lots of ice.

134/365 Twiddling my thumbs on Newsnight Scotland

2013-05-14T13:03:00.000+01:00

If you watched last night's BBC Newsnight Scotland special debate and thought that woman in the back row looked oddly familiar, it was me. If you thought she just looked odd, it probably wasn't...

The audience comprised people who live in Scotland but who didn't start life there. I was invited along because I'd written a post about it. Though if, on the back of this, the producers were expecting someone articulate and engaged, they were sadly let down.

I tried to come up with questions relevant to an audience of what the Yes camp are claiming as 'EnglishScots', but evidently didn't cut the mustard.

Actually, I was quite surprised that the questions that did get chosen were more general - such as "should Scotland vote on membership of the EU?", "what currency should be adopted?" and "what fiscal levers would an independent Scotland employ?".

There didn't seem to be any interest in exploring if the issues looked different from the viewpoint of non-Scots member of the Scottish electorate. (Not a snappy title, but much more comfortable and accurate than 'EnglishScots'.)

That said, there were interesting points raised and discussed.

On the panel were newspaper columnist Katie Grant, Green councillor Charles Booth, Labour MP Gordon Banks and SNP MSP Humza Yousaf. Two from each camp. I wonder why there was no LibDem.

Beforehand, chatting to a few other audience members, there was a strong sense of 'undecided because we need to know more'. I sensed an understanding that there must be a middle way between the 'unlimited free unicorns' promised by the Yeses and the 'we're all doomed, Captain Mainwaring' from the Nos, but many of us hadn't figured out exactly which way it went.

During the debate, the charismatic and charming MSP Humza Yousaf proved to be more then a match for understated and slightly-downturned style of MP Gordon Banks.

Once the cameras stopped an audience member said: "Interesting how none of the questions were against Independence."

Then later, Humza tweeted this:

Sure there were some who had made up their minds, but many hadn't and here's the thing:
A question is a question, not a for or against statement.

And in order to find out the kind of information needed to make an informed decision - or as informed as it can ever by - we need to ask lots of questions. And we need to ask questions that start with something like 'so, in an independent Scotland would there be.... ?'.

This means that we have to spend some of our question imagining that there have indeed been more Yeses than Nos. But it doesn't mean that we are wishing that to be the case, or suggesting that we will necessarily be among those Yeses. It simply means we need more 'what if' information.

SNP supporters appear to be quick to include those 'let's supposes' as endorsements of their campaign and that simply isn't the case.

I watched the broadcast last night, of course I did. I didn't get much time in the spotlight - probably because I didn't get to ask a question. But if you look closely you'll see that, while I thought I was sitting still as a still thing, while maintaining a look of intelligent curiosity, I was, in fact, twiddling my actual thumbs.

Me in the back row twiddling my thumbs.

Tips for creating a family friendly bathroom

2013-05-14T11:26:00.000+01:00

On the face of it the perfect bathroom might be an oasis of tranquillity with exotic expensive-looking tiles, posh smelly stuff and gleaming surfaces. In an ideal world this is a place to escape for serenity and me-time.

However, if you've got kids then you don't live in an ideal world so the perfect bathroom requires a whole different set of considerations.

If you're creating a bathroom in your home from scratch, as we did a couple of years ago, or renovating the existing one, here are some points to ponder.

Do not have any more moving parts than you need. Moving parts will trap fingers and dirt. Then they'll break. This means, for example, using a fixed shower door instead of a sliding one.

Minimise grout. It's such a nasty word, isn't it? But grout will attract dirt and mould. The bigger the ceramic or porcelain tiles you can find, the better. Even consider sheets of shower wall panels.

Pick a deep shower tray. I know the really flat ones are trendy but consider what happens when a toddler sits in the shower and blocks the plughole with his bottom.

Don't loo-se the battle. If you have sons and they need toilet training then make things easy for yourself. They will splash and miss the toilet, you might as well accept it. Just install a toilet and surrounds that are accessible and easy to clean.

Bathrooms to dye for. If you colour your hair at home, then the same advice about minimum grout - and easy-clean surfaces applies. Otherwise, your grey hair giveaway will be the state of the bathroom.

Dry up about wet rooms. Wet rooms are all very well, but your children will see that as an instruction. Is that really what you want?

Safety first. When your kids are little, it's probably better to have a lock on the outside and not on the inside. You'd rather keep them out than run the risk of locking themselves in.

Consider comfort. Bathing children is great fun, but not very comfortable if you have to spend ages kneeling on the hard floor beside the tub. If possible, allow space to put a small stool beside the bath - your joints will appreciate it.

Don't rail against dropped towels. When choosing a towel rail, select one with big enough spaces between the rails to make it easy for a child to hang theirs up again after use.

Make it DIY. I don't mean fit the stuff yourself, I mean create a bathroom that your small children can learn to use by themselves. Put the light switch on a long pull cord that they can reach or have space for a stool so they can step up to turn it on. Make room for steps beside the sink and toilet.

Smooth operator. Consider how easy your beautiful bathroom will be to keep clean. Smooth, flat surfaces are inevitably easier to keep clean than bumpy ones that catch the dirt and dust.

Disclosure: This post contains elements I was paid to include, however, that doesn't mean the advice is any less good.

Review: Asara board game by Ravensburger

2013-05-13T15:57:00.001+01:00

I'd like to say that we're the kind of family that loves board games. The truth is I love board games and the Boys occasionally indulge me and sit down to Monopoly or, my favourite, Trivial Pursuit.

So it is with great glee that I accept the opportunity to road test some new games, as it forces the Boys to play with me.

But it's not actually that cruel. Usually after a little while their competitive natures get the better of them and they're pulling out all the stops (AKA working out how to cheat) to beat me.

This time the game is Asara made by Ravensburger.

The blurb says:

Asara is a strategic board game for 2-4 players ages 9+, who assume the roles of famous architects. Players compete to build the highest, grandest and largest number of towers over four rounds of play. Each stop of the way, the architects must keep their sights set on their work as they overcome obstacles and competitive forces and strive to gain prestige points for their building achievements. The player who earns the most prestige wins. A nominee for the 2011 German "Game of the Year" Award. Asara was created by celebrated award-winning game developer Wolfgang Kramer."

After reading this and peeping into the box, Boy One was selected as guinea pig du jour.

How was it?

Asara is all about collecting the bits you need to build the biggest and best towers to earn prestige. It's more strategy than actual building.

What's good about it?

Once we got going the game is quick and compelling.

It's played over four rounds and there is a clear and definite end - when you've used up all your 'buyer' cards.

There is an element of chance, but cunning's also required.

It's best with four players but also works with three and two.

What's less good about it?

It's very complicated to get up and running. It took the bribe of a large bag of nachos and chili cheese dip to get Boy Two to sit through the set up.

There are at least three different lots of colours used to differentiate things. This caused unnecessary confusion.

The instructions took several readings to get the hang. I don't know if it would have been possible to make it more easy or if we were just being a bit thick, but it was hard going.

Recommended?

Yes. It's worth the effort. I like a game that keeps you interested and knows where to end. Boy One is already asking for another go and Boy Two wants to play too.

It's ideal for tempting your little geeks out from the glow of their screens.

Asara's RRP is £47.99 but you can get it for around £30 in some places.

133/365 Breakfast in the Palace of Bundance

2013-05-13T10:05:00.002+01:00

A typical morning scene... someone grumpy, someone half naked and someone taking advantage of the attention being elsewhere to scoff all the good stuff.

132/365 Glasgow women's 10K - things I learned from a wee run in the rain

2013-05-12T21:00:00.001+01:00

There I was 4576th - well within the target of not being last

Action shot by Boy Two - athlete's zoom past

Supersister is accompanied on her lap of honour by Spiderman and Boy Two

Another one of Boy Two's showing just what a lovely day it was

I'm not quite as slow as I think. Admittedly I'm not built for speed, but when Supersister and I first took part in this event in 2001 we completed 10K in 73 minutes. Now, 12 years later with four additional babies between us, we were only 5 minutes slower. Not bad when you consider that included a comfort stop too.

Rainy days mean less loo paper gets used. Really. At the halfway point the queues for the lavs weren't bad, and there was still loo roll left. I theorise that people drink more water on hot days.

It's always best to start at the back and overtake. We started off quite far down the pack, corralled with the smokers and the women dressed as pandas. But that meant almost all the time we were overtaking and not struggling to keep up as people ran round us.

Somethings are harder than you think to get rid of. I took with me a really nasty green hoody with the intention to discard it as soon as I warmed up at the start. Only the warming up didn't really happened the nasty green hoody has come home with me again.

Two bras are better than one. I've found the best bosom solution isn't to spend a fortune on a sophisticated engineered creation, but simply to wear two really ordinary sports bras at once. The other benefit of this is you get a handy mobile phone pouch between the two.

It's much more fun with friends. Supersister and Dynamic Deb (new nickname, but well deserved) made it much more fun - thanks.

The ladies from She Boom were giving it laldy. This video is from a previous year, but they were every bit as good today.

PS You'll notice there was no photo for 131 - that's because you lucky folk got two 127s.

130/365 snail wail

2013-05-11T22:08:00.001+01:00

Boy Three was struggling with his snail impersonation. Under his shell he argued loudly that he could still see his knees. "You can't see real snails' knees," he wailed.

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129/365 baba ghanoush or aubergine and sesame pâté if you'd rather

2013-05-10T22:17:00.001+01:00

Why would you call it an eggplant? There's nothing the least bit eggy about the squeaky purple thing

It's one of those marvellous veggies that metamorphoses depending what you do with it

I got a notion to turn some into baba ghanoush some weeks ago, fancying the smoky silky dip with pitta bread.

However, it took quite some time to track down the tahini, which isn't available in our nearest supermarkets.

Earlier this week I made the epic voyage up the M8 to Sainsbury's and after a couple of fruitless laps I found a little jar in the specialist section. Hurrah. (Yes, I don't get out much.)

Today I roasted two aubergines. They were supposed to have half a hour, but, obviously I forgot and they had an hour in the oven.

When they were cool I skinned them and bunged the squashy insides into the Magimix with two spoons of tahini, a squeezed lemon and two garlic cloves. Then I whizzed it until Boy Three moaned about the noise.

The mixture was a bit sharp so I bunged in half a tub of cream cheese with some seasoning. Yum. The result was well received and rapidly scoffed.

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128/365 Run and park and ride, maybe

2013-05-09T21:02:00.000+01:00

It's only three sleeps away now....

The Glasgow Women's 10K is on Sunday. And I've just turned my mind to the matter of getting there. Parking at Shields Road and getting the bus looks like the best option. But will it be busy? Will there be space in the car park? Will I have time? What if it's raining? If I need a wee? Will I remember my number & my shoes? What should I have for breakfast?

So many things to worry about...

Running 10K, that's the easy bit. (I said that with my fingers crossed)

Review: Walkers Hoops and Crosses or when did it become tic tac toe?

2013-05-09T10:42:00.000+01:00

There is a new snack on the block. Walkers have made something called Hoops and Crosses. Not Noughts and Crosses, you see, but Hoops)

The blurb says that they are made from wholegrains (something apparently lacking from most kids' diets) but are free from artificial colours and preservatives. Each bag is only 85 calories.

The idea is that we parents (who are supposed to care about these things) can add them to our kids' lunch boxes because they are both tasty and healthy.

Given my loathing of creating packed lunches, I suspect I was something of an easy sell. But what did the Boys think?

Boy One, ever the laconic teen, said: "Yeah, tasty. Whatever."

Boy Two said: "The prawn ones taste just like prawn cocktail Pringles. This is a Good Thing."

Boy Three said: "I don't like the circles, they're too spicy, but the crosses are yummy."

Then we decided to have a go at noughts and crosses. Not hoops though.

Boy Three had looked a bit bewildered at the conversation about noughts and crosses, but as soon as the grid was drawn he said: "Oh you mean tic tac toe. Why didn't you say so?"

Who on earth plays tic tac toe?

Anyhow, his version of the game, whatever it is called, is somewhat freestyle. Eventually, playing alone, he declared himself the winner.

Our verdict on Walkers Hoops and Crosses.

We all like them (me too). And if each bag is made with 56 per cent wholegrain and only 85 calories, I'd say Walkers was on to a winner. We'll certainly be back for more.

I was paid to try out a packet of Hoops and Crosses, but we liked them so much I have already been out to buy some.

127/365 Lavender's in the loo, dilly dilly

2013-05-08T21:06:00.002+01:00

Eventually 'do the garden' had been on the action list so long it was impossible to ignore.

Monday afternoon saw the Boys and I clearing the weeds and rubbish and generally tidying up.

Like last year and the year before I have resolved that I'll do something about the garden this summer. I will. I really will.

To this end I have taken action. I've ordered a bench off the internet and I bought some plants in the supermarket.

The bench hasn't arrived yet and the plants - including the seductively pretty lavender - are still paddling in the sink in the downstairs loo.

This year, I promise...

PS If anyone can suggest good things to plant that grow in shady soggy spots yet look wonderful, smell heavenly and don't let any weeds through, I'd be very pleased.

Packed lunch ideas for people who hate making packed lunches

2013-05-08T13:05:00.001+01:00

I hate making packed lunches.

I can just about create something for myself if I know that's all that stands between me and certain starvation, but I don't like it.

The main reason my kids have school dinners (however much horse or other rogue animal might be in them) is because I couldn't bear to be buttering bread, dreaming up fillings, stuffing it into lunch boxes (named top and bottom) and then remembering to hand the damn things over.

Specifically here's what I hate:

Plastic boxes and their intrinsic inability to be in the same house as their lid... at the same time.
Lunch envy - there's always some smug person scoffing an organic and fresh looking concoction of something with exactly the perfect implement.
Leaks and squashes - no not innovative ingredients, what happens to at least 50 per cent of all packed lunches (except for other people's). The aforementioned plastic box lid, in its attempt to escape the box, will cause leakage... usually smelly leakage. And anything that doesn't leak will be mashed to unappetising.
Ideas. All the stick-waving in the world wouldn't cover the screeds of 'lunch box ideas' that have been written. There are menus of suggestions taking you through whole weeks. But, when you look a bit more closely they require more planning, organisation and specialist equipment (boxes with lids that fit and plastic cutlery) than I can afford. Here's my lunch box idea: make lunch, put it in a box.
Tuna-morphosis. I like tuna - it's handy, healthy stuff. But as soon as you put it into a packed lunch of any description it becomes stinky, fishing and revolting.
Stock horror. It doesn't matter how often I put it on the list, or, even, actually buy it, there is never, ever any nice peanut butter or proper pickle in the house when I want it.

However hard I try, though, it is not possible to avoid the need for packed lunches sometime. New continents can't get explored if you're expecting to pop home at noon for some soup and toast, can they?

Therefore, for many years I began formulating my own solution to food on the go. Until recently I kept it a secret - tucking in away from the smug sarnie merchants. But now I'm out and proud.

Here are the picnic ideas for people who hate making picnics and can't get to M&S:

Cold beans - really not that bad once you get used to them.
Soreen lunch box loaves - unwrap and stuff in your mouth. Champion.
Cold sausages - cooked first, of course. Or warm if you put them into a wide-necked Thermos, although this is dangerously close to proper packed-lunch territory.
Oatcakes and processed cheese (in a tube preferably) - tell onlookers it's wheat-free for added value.
Kids' yoghurts in tubes or other weird-shaped containers.
Bananas - one of the five a day that comes in a handy wrapper, though there is some risk of squashing.
Pizza calzone. Bit of a cheat - cook pizza and fold in half while warm. It will look like you did it on purpose.
Solid leftovers: Not congealed, just not sloppy so as to avoid leakage. Tortilla, pie, bacon, fishfingers and any sort of loaf/rissole/burger type creation.
Popcorn: If you ping some for an after-school treat for the kids, stash a few handfuls away in a plastic bag and hay-presto, more effortless lunchbox fodder.

I am being paid to talk about Soreen as part of a campaign by Mumpanel, but I really do hate making packed lunches and consider it a staple part of a picnic.

127/365 getting sweaty for spaghetti

2013-05-07T23:01:00.001+01:00

As the precise transformation into a finely honed 10k runner reaches its final stages, I was found trotting through the streets of Glasgow. Trotting with 50 or so other women in the general direction of a large bowl of pasta.

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126/365 Once more unto the garden...

2013-05-06T20:43:00.001+01:00

I used to think that I wasn't very good at growing things in the garden. It seems that's not the case at all.

The only problem is that I've no idea what it is I've grown or how to get it to grow elsewhere.

Still we've cleared some space and might get round to planting something pretty soon. (For pretty read robust, ground covering and happy to be neglected)

In fact, I'd love some ideas for what to do with an unlovely, utilitarian garden that doesn't get much light and is quite soggy at the bottom.

How to get the rest of the family to do their share of the chores

2013-05-06T16:05:00.000+01:00

The rota has landed.

Something has been amiss in the Palace of Bundance for some time now. There has been an imbalance in the domestic effort - fairness matrix. In other words, I'm doing all the flipping work and I'm tired of it.

I pondered the matter from a feminist point of view for a while. But it's gradually dawning on me that this isn't a gender issue - more one of idleness.

First we had a family meeting where they all listened diligently and nodded that "yes, everyone should pitch in more".

Then nothing changed at all.

So now I've drawn up a rota for Boys One, Two and Three plus, of course, The Panther of News.

Interestingly both Boys One and Two asked where my rota was and what I was going to do now.

I made a list of all the jobs they could do and shared them out between Boy One and Boy Two throughout the week. The Panther's rota has him helping different boys with their jobs on different days. Plus everyone has a list of things they need to do every day or they get banned from the wi-fi.

Boy Three has a rota too with things like "tidy up toys" and "dusting", just so he wasn't left out.

The bigger Boys don't get to play on their computers or phones until the jobs are done to my satisfaction and training will be provided.

I'd love to know how other people everyone in the family (and I mean everyone (looking at you Panther of News)) to pull their weight.

How do you do it?

Karcher WV 60: taking a shine to the window cleaner (review)

2013-05-06T15:12:00.001+01:00

The way things were

One of my favourite things about this house is the large windows. What light there is this far north streams in.

However, the down side of this is that there is quite a lot of glass to keep clean. I've never got the knack of doing a streak-free clean and it isn't for want of trying.

So when I got offered the chance to review something that has "revolutionised" window cleaning and is the first of it's kind to make it "easier than ever to achieve streak free windows with ease, leaving surfaces completely dry and crystal clear", I said "yes please".

Karcher said they'd send us a WV60 that the blurb promised it would "make light work of removing liquid from mirrors, shower screens, tiles, condensation from windows and even spills from floors and worktops".

It went on: "Perfect for those who don't want to spend a long time on their housework but aren't willing to compromise on the results."

Well, actually, I've long ago decided to accept a great many compromises on the results, but we'll let that slide.

What was in the box?

Less complex than it looks

At first glance it looked like it was going to be complicated to get going, but it wasn't. The box contained baffling-looking instructions, the machine, a cable to charge it, two blades and a squirty bottle with a sponge attached. Oh and a little sachet of window cleaning liquid.

Use the long blade for big windows and the small one for little windows - although I tend to find the small blade does most things perfectly well.

How does it work?

Squirt the window and wipe it with the sponge. Sadly this isn't actually magical so some effort is required to shift the dirt.

Then use the Window Vac in steady strokes from the top to the bottom of the window. It sucks the moisture off the glass leaving it clean and see-through.

Is it any good?

Double yuk - from only two windows

I'd say so. This is the colour of the liquid that collected in the reservoir after I cleaned both windows in my kitchen. They're biggish windows, but even so....

It gets the windows clean and is much less effort than any other method I've tried previously.

It also does shower screens, car windows, bathroom tiles and formica sheets on the wall in the kitchen.

It's not perfect though.

As I said before, it's not magic. You still have to actually use the thing.

Also if your sweeps down the glass aren't smooth, there may be slight smears (but much, much fewer than previously).

Sometimes - especially if the window finished at the floor - it was hard to get a sweep all the way to the bottom. I'm working a method of doing cross-wise ones.

Is it worth it?

The WV60 has a RRP of £79.99 which is quite pricey when you think that it replaces a shammy. However, if you have lots of windows and hate to see them streaky then it's probably a good investment.

Another way of looking at it is that I spend £9 a month getting the outside of the windows cleaned. This is a waste of £108 a year if the inside of the windows are still mucky.

So, on balance, it probably is.

Disclosure: Karcher sent us a WV60 to try out.

125/365 Hamilton Park Racecourse: Who knew there was so much sport?

2013-05-05T21:01:00.000+01:00

A hole in one... but which one?

A spot of duck fishing

Almost the moment frisbee and rifle shooting collided. The frisbee was flung by the Panther, in the opposite direction

This way for horse racing

Ah look, there is horse racing (pic by Boy Two)

Of course they're playing football

And now for a visit to the rodeo

The end of Boy Two's visit to the rodeo

For once parent and child aiming for the same thing

And ab-zorb-ing passtime

"This is the sport of kings", the Panther of News airily informed me as he waved a chip in the direction of the race track.

Right - oh.

We were clearly lacking any blue blood at all.

Instead we were on a right royal run of picking the horse that came second and there are no prizes for that, least not if you bet to win.

However, our consistent form didn't matter. We had been invited to the family fun day at Hamilton Park Racecourse to see what we made of it.

I had imagined that the Boys would get a bit fed up after the first race or two, and Boy Three in particular would be gutted to find he really couldn't ride one of the horses, we weren't just saying it.

However, sport of kings aside, we found more other activities than we could shake a stick at, if stick shaking was a thing, and, here, it probably would be.

We found crazy golf, bucking bronco riding, lazer shooting, air rifle shooting, hook a ducking, coconut shies, zorbing, fairground rides as well as enough space to fling a frisbee or kick a football. It's no wonder everyone was exhausted by the end.

The Panther of New was particularly proud of the moment he threw a frisbee for Boy Two (into the brisk wind) for it to go off in entirely the wrong direction and clunk Boy One (taking aim at the shooting tin cans stall) on the back of the head. And I captured it on camera.

We enjoyed the fact that the car park attendants used large foam horses heads to direct the traffic. Sort of Timmy Mallet meets the Mafia. But our attendant had a noteworthy pony tail too. (Well it made me giggle.)

For the price of an adult ticket (starting at £18 for a family fun day), kids go in free and use the entertainment as much as they like. So presuming you don't go daft at the bookies, a family day out turns into a great value proposition.

Family Bundance gave the whole experience the thumbs up and will certainly be back for more.

The best events for families this summer are Hamilton Park's Got Talent on July 13 (from £18), Totepool Family Day on September 22 (from £12) and September Holiday Raceday with Shaun the Sheep and the Championsheeps on September 30 (from £12).

Kids are welcome to all race days throughout the season.

Disclosure: We were given free tickets for the whole family.

124/365 May the fourth be with you too...

2013-05-04T20:04:00.000+01:00

Princess Leia gets star struck

Anikin finds a new recruit

New measures to tackle problems in the car park

In the queue at KFC...

Look out Boy Three, they're behind you

Boy Three insists he was there first at the fancy dress party, so he isn't going to change

The Boys find they aren't alone

The force was strong with us today as we met some funny looking characters at Glasgow's St Enoch Centre today.

123/365 looking forward to a splashing weekend

2013-05-03T21:25:00.001+01:00

Floody heck, it's coming down like stair rods. Just in time for the weekend. Of course.

Still it hasn't been a bad week and I've learned a few things.

Cricket has been played in Japan for 150 years, not the same game though.

The new chocolate Soreen is one of the tastiest things ever.

Life on Mars is an excellent series.

It is possible to put a sleeping three year old to bed without waking him if you go really slowly.

Posted with Blogsy

122/365 wake up

2013-05-02T18:18:00.001+01:00

This is a catastrophe. It means the little so and so won't want to go to sleep at bedtime. Sigh.

Posted with Blogsy

What is the big deal about Minecraft?

2013-05-01T21:47:00.000+01:00

You know all that sage advice about knowing what your kids are doing online and having open dialogue so they'll tell you stuff. You know? That.

I've been trying so hard, but have to hang my head and confess to failure.

The thing is, my boys are in to Minecraft. It's a computer game apparently. And they love it. They do it for hours - on their own sometimes and with other kids whenever they can. If you can't find one of them, almost certainly he'll be doing (is that the right word) Minecraft on his computer or his iPhone.

In fact, they adore it so much they make videos about it that they put on YouTube. And so, apparently, do most of their friends. Don't tell them, but it's hard to imagine any more tedious content committed to YouTube.

But in pursuit of that much-vaunted dialogue, I keep asking them about Minecraft. What do they do? How does it work? Even - what the heck is it?

But when they speak I just hear a rumbly, squeaky kind of white noise. Sure one-by-one I recognise the words - vanilla, sandbox, horses - but put them together and they might as well be talking to me in Japanese.

Perhaps the same thing happens when I utter the words: "Go and tidy your bedroom." Because the look of utter bafflement is the same.

As far as I can see in Minecraft - which at £17.95 isn't a very expensive game, as these things go - you can build stuff. There's no shooting, no car chases and not even any fancy graphics. No sexiness and no subliminal advertising. There's no finish - winning or losing - and, as far as I can see, no real objective.

To be frank, it looks a bit rubbish. Like crude drawings of Lego and why would anyone do that?

Minecraft's own website says:

"Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew, players worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things.

"It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sunrise over a blocky ocean. It's pretty. Brave players battle terrible things in The Nether, which is more scary than pretty. You can also visit the land of mushrooms if it sounds more like your cup of tea.

"So far 10,336,387 people bought the PC/Mac version of the game."

So that's it then - it's computerised Lego without the price tag or the limitations with added monsters and some mushrooms.

Refreshing and unnerving in equal measure, Minecraft doesn't seem to do the same huge budget mass-marketing as other games. I have no idea how just about every young teenage child in the western world knows all about this... and wants to have a go at it, but it's a triumph of something.

As far as I can see, there's nothing much to object to about Minecraft - it's creative, co-operative, not apparently violent and the kids might even learn something. Maybe I'd feel differently if I understood it, though.