notSupermum

How I survived a week in heels

2012-01-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

I dress for comfort. I wear flat shoes, boots and comfy clothes. I try to look smart for work, but I admit to wearing the same thing over and over again. I like shoes though, but I buy them then never wear them. No, I go back to the same comfy boots in winter or flat sandals in summer. The heeled shoes stay in the wardrobe, unworn and unblemished.

This week, for some reason, I decided to set myself a challenge. Yes, not content with denying myself alcohol for a month (a bloody month!) I set myself another one - I decided to wear some of the unworn heels I've been storing for months, and in some cases, years.

Two pairs of the very sensible heels I wore this week.

This is my heel diary for the week.*

Monday: I thought I'd start off with heels I'd worn several times before, although not for a long time. It was time to get the ankle boots out with the 2" heels - not too high, nice solid heel, easy! Erm....well, not quite.

I got to work and almost immediately a colleague asked "Have you lost weight? You look different."

Kept feeling like I was going to topple forwards, I'm so not used to this.

By 3pm, and after being on my feet for a large part of the day, the balls of my feet were BURNING and I couldn't wait to get home and take the boots off.

Tuesday: Not only a pair of heels, but also a skirt! Wow, I had my legs out for the first time in.....well, I can't remember. It felt weird feeling the air around my calves.

As we were getting ready to leave for school I was singing along to the radio and the Teenager asked "Mum, have you got a boyfriend?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"Because you're very happy, and you've worn heels two days running."

Got into work and was greeted by a group of colleagues who were amazed by a) another pair of heels, and b) a skirt! That got them talking.

Wednesday: Another day, another pair of heels. The morning went well, but I had a lunchtime club so didn't get much of a chance to sit down. By mid-afternoon I would have cheerfully thrown the heels out of the window, but I gritted my teeth and carried on. After school I realised I had to go to the supermarket. By this time my feet were crying to a rest!

By the time I got home my feet were throbbing, but oh! the bliss of taking them off was the nearest I'll get to an orgasm anytime soon.

Thursday: Why am I doing this again? I don't know if I'm getting used to the heels, or if the shoes I wore today are just more comfortable. I've realised that I don't walk very gracefully in heels, I'm more of a clomper - not an attractive quality. Tall Daughter asked me today why I had been wearing heels, "Is there something going on?"

By the end of the day though my toes are in pain, and I need to soak my feet to stop them throbbing. I'm such a lightweight!

Friday: thank the Lord! Last day wearing heels and I'm back to the heeled ankle boots I wore on Monday. I don't work on a Friday, so it doesn't seem too bad today - I'm not on my feet as much - so the heels are bearable. I won't be repeating this challenge next week though. My toes have been through enough hell this week.

Over the course of the week almost everyone I work with including the caretaker (and some of the children) have commented on how nice I looked. It made me realise that because I was wearing heels I took a little extra care with the rest of my outfit and it made a difference. Even if I don't wear heels everyday from now on, I learned something this week - people really do notice if you make a bit more of an effort.

I'm interested - do you wear heels everyday? Or do you save them for special occasions?

*as far as I'm concerned a week is 5 working days. I couldn't face any longer than that :-)

New house, new bedroom

2012-01-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

When we moved into this house I decided my bedroom had to be one of the first rooms to be decorated. I took these first two photos the first time I went to view the house (to send to my brother, who was still at sea at the time) and although the room was a decent size it was decorated in a dreary blue wallpaper and was very cluttered.

Still, I could see the potential. It's now been redecorated and I love it. Apart from the main part of the bedroom there's what was described in the estate agent's details as a 'small dressing area' (sounds grand, but it's not much bigger than a cupboard), but the room's best feature is the big, south-facing window which overlooks the park.

Wallpaper and bedlinen from Laura Ashley
Cushions and bedspread from Homebase
Bed from M&S, table lamps from Next

I also revamped an old chair to fit with the new colours

I really pleased with the final result, and glad I did it so early on - I just couldn't live with the blue wallpaper. The next project is already underway - the spare room. I'd better get a move on with that because I can't wait to invite our first guests.

Why having an alcohol-free January was a rubbish idea

2012-01-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

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Since 1st January I've been having an alcohol free month. In fact, for the whole of January not a single drop of wine - or my favourite organic cider - will pass my lips.

For some reason, mainly because I overindulged over the Christmas holiday, I decided it would be A Good Idea not to drink during January. I did it last year and I survived in one piece, but this month has been more difficult for some reason. Maybe I just realised it's a completely rubbish idea.

Now the thing is, I don't drink very much and usually only have a drink on a Friday evening but I really look forward to that Friday evening drinkypoos. I mean, I spend time choosing my drink of choice and perhaps a snackypoos or two to go with it, and then I'm set for the evening. (Okay, so I don't get out much...) Did I mention that I really enjoy my Friday night drinkypoos?

What was I thinking? No drinkypoos for a whole month? It's probably one of my worst ideas EVER.

Oh, and did I mention that a random tweeter informed me that if I felt the need for an alcohol-free month, then perhaps it should be permanent. The cheek! Don't get me wrong, I'm all for restraint when it comes to drink - and there was a lot of news coverage recently about having 2 alcohol free days each week (just two?) - but I think a weekly tipple does not an alcoholic make.

To make matters worse I persuaded 9 other bloggers/tweeters to join me on this insane alcohol-free month and so now I feel obliged to complete the month, especially as most of the others seem to be enjoying it. Damn.

Just do me a favour though, next January if I mention that this ruddy idea again TALK ME OUT OF IT!

I'm just going to check how many more dry Fridays are in store for me....

Tesco mobile phone tariffs: win a LG Optimus 3D

2012-01-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

Tesco recently launched their innovative capped mobile phone contracts which you may have seen featured in this TV ad. The idea is so simple I'm surprised nobody else thought of it - a phone contract that is capped to avoid unexpected phone bills. Genius eh?

This is how it works:

the Tesco contracts ensure your monthly bill is never more than the cost of your tariff
This is done by fixing your tariff so you can only use your inclusive minutes, texts and data
The ability to top-up your account with a Pay as you go top-up, if you run out during the month
The choice of Capping any contract on any phone across the whole Tesco mobile phone range – a unique offer in the mobile market

If you're the proud owner of a phone wielding teenager, or just want to keep tabs on your own phone usage this is a brilliantly easy way of doing so.

I'm always looking for ways to save money, and shopping more economically and saving money is the top of my resolutions for the new year.

Tell me what your money-saving resolution is, and the person with the best one will receive a brand spanking new LG Optimus 3D mobile phone which would normally cost £420 SIM free.

Enjoy crystal-clear, eye-popping 3D imagery courtesy of the Optimus smartphone from LG. There’s no need for glasses with this handset, just shoot, show and share videos or pictures all with the added bonus of High-definition 3D.

The Optimus is the world’s first mobile to feature dual core, dual channel and dual memory technology. This means high speed smooth processing for games, movies and other applications. What’s more as this HTC mobile is installed with Android 2.2 you can be sure of a reliable and powerful operating system.

With a huge 8GB of memory also included, the HTC Optimus is everything you could want from a smartphone.

To be in with a chance of winning, just leave a comment below with your money-saving resolution. Make sure you leave either an email address or twitter ID to make it easy for me to get in touch. Good luck!

Terms: I'll choose the winner on Monday 23rd January. There is no cash alternative. UK entries only please. The prize will be sent directly from Tesco.

UPDATE 24th January: The winner of the mobile phone is TiredMummy. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Disclosure: Tesco have sent me a shopping voucher in return for running this competition.

New house, new garden

2012-01-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

We moved house right at the end of October, and today was the first day I had a proper root around in the garden.

This is a bigger house than the last one, but the garden is considerably smaller - which I prefer. And, as an added bonus, there are no lawns to mow! Mowing the lawn in the old house - with its front and back gardens - was my least favourite job and I had grown to loathe that particular chore. So much so, that by the time the grass had been cut and I'd done a bit of tidying I didn't have any more time or enthusiasm for anything else.

This garden is mostly paved, gravelled or has wood chippings. There's also a lovely little raised deck area with a working fountain.

There is quite a bit of structural planting, and a gorgeous bamboo plant next to the shed. Most of the other plants aren't in flower, but there's already one or two showing some colour. I really like the small shrub with the tiny red flowers, does anyone know what it is?

We've only seen the garden in the autumn/winter so it'll be nice to see how the garden develops over the year. I don't want to make any big changes until then, but there's quite a lot of pruning to be done and a very large, tall shrub was knocked over in the recent gales so that will be my first job.

My Green Man plaque is just propped up against the wall, along with some of my Dad's old gardening tools. I've got a collection of terracotta pots and some metal tubs ready to be planted up, and I'm already looking at gardening websites and magazines to get some ideas for a smaller garden. Now, I need to go and find my old gardening books....

Teaching Tessie to say I love you ~ YouTube via Xbox Live

2012-01-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Not long after we first got our gorgeous hound, Tessie, we saw this video clip on YouTube:

Now, I'm not saying we're competitive but the first thing we thought was "How hard can it be?" So we had a go, and here's the result. This is Tessie responding to the Teenager saying 'I love you'.

Okay, so she's not quite there. But watch this space, that's all I'm saying.....

I love trawling through YouTube - who doesn't? All I need is a few ~~hours~~ spare minutes, a cuppa and Youtube and I can keep myself amused.

And did you know that you can search for YouTube clips on the voice activated Xbox Live? No? Well you can!

If you want to try it out I've got a special discount which gives you 3 months Xbox Live Gold membership for half price. Just enter this code - N0tSprM3m - into the Go Gold box on this page, and get cracking!

Guest post: silicone implants, the NHS and you

2012-01-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

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This guest post is written by a very good friend of mine who has worked in the NHS for over 30 years. She began her career in nursing and is now a senior NHS manager. Please take a couple of minutes to read what she has to say.

There has been a lot of coverage in the press about the poor quality silicone implants, which have been used in breast "enhancement" surgery. This has sparked debate in many quarters on what should be done for the women who've had breast enlargements. On Mumsnet, for instance, one contributor wrote "let the vain bitches die of cancer", but most were sympathetic, and many thought that treatment, including surgery to remove the implants, should be undertaken by the NHS. One thing was clear; people trusted that the NHS would do it right.

People tend to feel very strongly about the NHS. Admittedly there are many negative, some appalling, stories in the press, and perhaps you've even experienced some poor care yourself - but in the perspective of a lifetime most people probably have very good care. In 1948 when the NHS was created they talked care being provided "cradle to grave", but with advances in technology it became "sperm to worm" and now its "erection to resurrection".

Some of us who work in the NHS understand what the so-called "health service reforms" mean - but it's all so complex, most members of the public don't. So I'll try to break it down to some very clear messages: it is privatisation. It will take away the duty of the state to "provide" care, the state will just provide the funding, i.e. an insurance system. This will allow care to be bought from any hospital, clinic, or community service. The big multinational companies are waiting in the wings, rubbing their hands with glee - a great-untapped market they can make profits from. They will be outcompeting hospital and community services run by managers who have not come from the world of business.

This reform is also coming in at time when cuts are being made - oh yeah - they don't call them cuts, but the hospitals have to return "savings" of about 4%. So the NHS hospitals will be struggling to survive economically, and some will be bought up by private companies. The companies exist to maximise return for their shareholders, so we have a scenario where cheaper, lower quality products will be used, patient to staff ratios will be increased, and the amount of regulation and scrutiny will be reduced.

I think the story of the silicone implants should signal a warning about the danger of privatising the NHS. The private company that manufactured the implants has gone out of business. I don't know what influenced the private clinics' choice of implant - but I suspect cost had something to do with it. No one is clear where responsibility lies now and the private providers are unable to supply adequate records of what they have been doing and to whom. The same private clinics are charging exorbitant sums to those women seeking information on what happened to them.

Thankfully we still have the safety net provided by National Health Service for now. Let's hope the House of Lords, which is currently considering the Health and Social Care Bill, will now think twice. The Bill provides much less protection for patients than is available to people booking package holidays. This cannot be right. I hope you, like me, are doing all you can to stop the NHS privatisation, by contacting your MP or local Lord and spreading the word.

Why we need to keep quiet about Xbox Live

2012-01-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

As you know we share a house with my brother who works away from home for most of the time, but he's due home at the end of the month.

Usually when he gets home he likes to catch up on sports coverage, seemingly episodes of Top Gear and his choice of the latest films. And he tends to hog the remote control until he realises that actually, there's nothing much to watch.

That's why we won't be telling him about Xbox Live.

If he knew he could watch back-to-back episodes of his favourite TV shows we could have a problem. And if he had the faintest idea that he could have his fill of sport courtesy of ESPN (including his beloved motorsport) then it could spell disaster for me and my girls.

For a start, we wouldn't have as much time to watch our favourite films (we like romcoms, he doesn't), listen to music, watch videos or just simply watch our favourite TV shows.

And we definitely won't be revealing that we can do it all using the Kinect voice search which means we don't even need a remote. We just ask Xbox to find what we want, and it does.

No, we won't be mentioning that at all.

Let's just keep this to ourselves. Okay?

My mood board for 2012

2012-01-01T00:38:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, and instead of making resolutions that I won't keep I'm going to do another mood board. These are a few images that will, hopefully, give some idea of what I intend to focus on this year.

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Happy new year! Fancy doing your own mood board? Go on, you know you want to....then add your link here so we can visit your blog to see it.

Goodbye to 2011

2011-12-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of my brother.

My Christmas in tweets.

2011-12-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

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21st Dec: It's not a good sign when you agree with everything on The Grumpy Guide to Christmas is it?

12yo is in the kitchen making cupcakes. The Teenager is at another party, and the hound is asleep at my feet. Life is pretty good right now.

22nd Dec: POA for today: breakfast, walk hound, wrap presents, paint bedroom ready for decorator to wallpaper tomorrow. Better get a move on.

Worst thing about being a single parent: you don't get a present from your husband/partner. Best thing? You get to buy yourself a present.

23rd Dec: So glad I've done my food shopping, all the supermarkets will be like hell with the lid off today and tomorrow. #smug

I feel obliged to tidy the house. Damn servants taking Christmas off again. #downtonwannabe

24th Dec: Happy Christmas Eve everyone! Is anyone else watching the lovely Nativity drama on BBC1?

@kateab Awwww, that's so sweet. I really miss when my girls still believed. It really changes things. Enjoy their innocence x

@LadyOfTheLattes the Teenager is still sulking about the fact Santa isn't real, she says it ruined Christmas when she found out.@kateab

I think I'm going to have to lock myself in my bedroom and wrap the girls' presents, cos they won't go to bed until late tonight.

25th Dec: It's Chriiiiiiiiiiiistmaaaassssss! Merry Christmas everyone. My girls are still asleep, so sitting here having a quiet cuppa.

Bloody hell, my ex-husband has just rang and wished me a happy Christmas. #stunnedsilence

Turkey's cooking, girls are at their grandparents, just talking to my cousin in Oz on Skype. A good day so far.

Absolutely stuffed after a lovely dinner, listened to Mickey Bubble's Christmas CD and had a quiz. Nearly time for pudding :-)

I want to watch The Gruffalo's Child but my daughter is insisting on watching a rerun of a Friends episode. #sulking

Highlight of our day so far: daughter doing the worst ever charades mine for Harry Potter. Truly awful/hilarious.

26th Dec: Got an email wishing the notSupermum team all the best. Erm..that'll be me and the dog then?

Our real christmas tree hasn't shed any needles at all. NONE! Must just check that I didn't buy an artificial one by mistake.

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Do you have any tweets that sum up your Christmas?

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

My blogger CV

2011-12-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

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Okay, Jay and Tara have been throwing their weight around asking us to write our own blog CVs - so I thought I better do mine before they slap the back of my legs. Plus I'd also like a blogger calender which I remember being a chaotic but hilarious part of Cybermummy.

Reason for blog name: notSupermum? Because I always seemed to be saying to my demanding girls "Just a minute, I'm not supermum!" Geddit?

How long I've been blogging: I started around June 2008 purely as a hobby. After years of keeping a written journal I liked the idea of this new fangled style of journalling.

I deleted most of my posts towards the end of 2008 after a minor panic over whether my ex-husband would find it but then restarted it with all personal details kept anonymous.

Blogging has changed a lot over the last couple of years, but I still enjoy it and have made some truly lovely friends - you know who you are. I've had a couple of times when I've considering giving it up in the past, but now it's an important part of my life. I love blogging.

Most popular posts:
The good, the bad and the single parent
My mood board for 2010
My family's recipe for Scouse

Inspiration for blogging: everything really, although this is a vague thread of being a single parent throughout the blog. The rest of it is about life, home, my daughters, my dog, friends, films....nothing specific. In fact I'm constantly amazed that people actually read all this nonsense - so thank you!

Blogging plans for 2012: more of the same nonsense I'm afraid, although because we've just moved house I'm planning to do regular updates on how we're decorating and furnishing the place and doing the garden. I also really want to do regular recipe attempts. I say attempts because I'm not a brilliant cook, just an average one, and sometimes things go awry, but I'll still include them. Nigella I am not, although I do have a big bum like her.

Christmas in the new house

2011-12-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

The first time I came to view this house one of the things I liked was that there was an ideal spot for a Christmas tree in the living room. Funny how those sorts of things make all the difference.

Well, we moved into this house at the very end of October and now we're going to be spending our first Christmas here. And yes, there is a Christmas tree where I thought it would go.

This is the first year for a while we've had a real tree.

The Christmas cactus

Every year we make a display of our Christmas cuddly toys
but one of the Rudolphs always goes missing....

Merry Christmas from our house to yours, hope it's a good one!

The Britmums Christmas Carnival

2011-12-20T00:23:00.000-08:00

About a hundred years ago I offered to host one of the regular Britmums blogging carnivals, and at the time the 20th of December seemed a loooong way off. And yet, here we are - we've already had snow here and it'll be Christmas in a few days.

So, without further ado I present some humdinger blog posts, so why not make a cuppa and enjoy a mince pie (or two) while you read them. We've got crafts, songs, traditions, a bit of reminiscing and the odd (very odd) present idea.

Curly Mum is getting a bit stressed in the run-up to Christmas. I wonder if the secret stash of goodies will be safe behind the sofa? Let's hope so.

Perhaps Elinor Wilde has the answer, with her 5 Steps to a stress-free Christmas. I'm taking notes...

Mammasaurus offers us her version of the Ultimate Christmas Song with possibly the cutest video clip you'll see this week.

The very talented Maggy at Red Ted Art shows us how to make gorgeous little walnut babies. I take my hat off to you Maggy, you're a genius.

Looking for a Christmas present that's just a little bit different? Cocktails at Naptime have just the thing, including yodelling lederhosen and dolls that look like a demented David Lee Roth. No, really it's true.

I don't think you can beat giving a homemade present at Christmas, and Nova at Cherished by Me has a recipe for Chocolate Coconut Truffles which she'll be giving to some lucky person.

Laura at Adventures of an Ordinary Parent has had a busy year! Not only has she had extensive building work on her house but she's had a baby, but finally she's looking forward to Christmas. Have a wonderful Christmas!

When you have lots of visitors it's good to have some homemade cakes to offer, so how about a Christmas Angel Cake recipe? Here's a very colourful one at Here Come The Girls.

I'm not very good at last minute cooking or baking, but when the Domestic Goddesque has to make last minute treats she doesn't panic - oh no, she does something very clever with chocolate digestives and makes Christmas pudding biscuits. I, on the other hand, would just shove the packet of biscuits into the child's school bag and hope for the best.

Life, Ninja Killer Cat and everything else reminisces about a fabulous trip to Lapland and has lovely photos of reindeer, huskies and smiling children. What a wonderful memory for her son to have.

What will you be doing on Christmas Day? Nicki at Curly and Candid knows exactly what she'll be doing, and it sounds so good I'm thinking of inviting myself along for next year!

Liz at the Mum Blog is in Christmas denial. I hear you Liz, and I wonder if it's something that happens when our children don't believe anymore?

Victoria at It's a Small World After All is enjoying being home for Christmas after spending last year visiting penguins. I wonder if they sent a card this year?

Madamding is enjoying listening to Christmas carols and I must admit to having a soft spot for O Holy Night - and this version is particularly lovely.

If you prefer something a bit different, then Kelloggsville might have just the song for you with 'Zat you Santa Claus?

Sandy at Baby Baby is getting all crafty on her blog and shows us how to make a very attractive Christmas wreath. If only I'd read it before buying one!

And Super Lucky has compiled a list of Christmas competitions for children - that should keep the little ones busy over the holiday!

At The Life and Times of the working Mum, Laura tells us about some of her Christmas traditions which she hopes to pass onto her son Leo.

I used to love it when my daughters wrote letters to Santa, and on The Anamumblog there's a very sweet one from Miss N, and his reply! Now that's what Christmas is all about.

I hope you enjoy reading them all, and perhaps finding some new favourite blogs to follow.

Merry Christmas!

On becoming a recluse

2011-12-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

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I think I'm becoming a recluse.

Not out of choice you understand, it's because I can't face social situations. I'm fine if it's home or going to visit someone else because that's usually a more relaxed situation, but as soon as it involves getting dressed up and going 'out' out, then I start panicking and thinking of ways to avoid it.

Last week I had a great weekend and genuinely enjoyed having friends over on Friday and then visiting friends the next night.

This weekend was the Christmas staff night out and I started dreading it this earlier this week. Of course, it didn't help that I didn't want to leave Tall Daughter home alone (the Teenager was going to a party) and the only person who could look after her was my ex-mother-in-law who didn't want to stay late. That meant I could only go for the meal which meant driving myself there and back and not drinking. Not the end of the world, I know, but it's a pretty miserable night when you have to leave before everyone else while they're having a good time. It's not the first time I've had to do that, afterall it's difficult to get childcare sometimes, but having said that I am the original party pooper. I've never been into late nights and prefer to go home early.

As it turned out it started snowing in the morning so by early evening there was thick snow everywhere and I really hate driving in snow, so it was easy for me to cancel. It was a huge relief to cancel it but even so, I felt like I'd let my work friends and more importantly, myself, down.

I don't remember when or where this fear of social situations began, but it's fair to say that I've never been a party animal. Even so, I've used to enjoy going out with friends and meeting new people but that seems like a long time ago now. I bet most people just think I'm a miserable cow and that's why I don't go out and maybe they're right.

I think one of the main thing that puts me off is the need to get dressed up. I just never look any different because I put absolutely no effort into it. I just don't know how to do it anymore - how did I lose the ability to get dressed up for a night out? I'm so overweight I can't get anything remotely nice to wear, and compared to my colleagues who all look amazing when we go on nights out, I just look like I'm going to work in a slightly smarter outfit than usual. It's a huge part of the problem.

I don't get that many invitations to go out, but it's hardly surprising that the invites dwindle as time goes on. Who can blame people for not inviting me out? I make excuses as to why I can't go - some genuine and some down to my crushing lack of confidence in social situations.

I don't know how to break out of this, although sometimes I just feel like retreating even further into my reclusiveness. It's easier not to have to deal with it all but I worry that I will end up with no friends and so it has become something that needs to be dealt with. I have no idea where to start.

Our Christmas tradition: films, food and fun

2011-12-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

Each family has its own Christmas traditions, and for us a lot of it revolves around eating pizza, opening yet another tin of Roses and watching back-to-back films.

And now that I've finished work until January 3rd I will be indulging in my love of film by using my Love Film subscription to watch films via Xbox Live.

Not only does Xbox Live have oodles of entertainment for you but it's now voice activated! Yes, you tell it what to do and it does it - how many objects in your house (including children and husbands) do that?

Just so you can check for yourself how cool it is, I've got a special discount code which gives you 3 months Xbox Live Gold membership for half price.

Just enter this code - N0tSprM3m - into the Go Gold box on this page. All that's needed then is to order in your pizza, chocs and drink of choice and away you go!

Enjoy!

My Top 5 Christmas films

2011-12-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

I love watching films, and Christmas films in particular are best watched at...erm, Christmas. Who knew?

Anyway, because I know you hang on my every word and just because I like making lists (it's therapeutic. What?!) here's my top 5 Christmas films.

The Holiday (2006)

I only saw this for the first time a couple of years ago but it's already one of my must-see Christmas films. Okay, so it's got Jude Law in it but even he is bearable in this and I love Jack Black and he's playing a straight(ish) role (well, for him anyway.

White Christmas (1954)
C'mon, it's not Christmas without watching this one! I'm a huge fan of film musicals, and I love, love LOVE this which has to be one of the most famous Christmas films. It's musical perfection, and the combination of Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye is one of the best film partnerships ever. There are so many great song and dance sequences but one of my favourites has got to be this one - Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen dancing - and just look at how small her waist is!

The Family Man (2000)
Nicholas Cage plays a man who appears to have everything but essentially has nothing. Nobody loves him y'see? So an angel gives him a chance to see how his life might have been had he made different choices. Sounds familiar? Well, it's a modern day version of It's a Wonderful Life and (whispers) I actually prefer this one. See what you think.

Elf (2003)

This has become a Christmas classic, and rightly so. Funny, charming and heartwarming - just the way Christmas films should be.

Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray is a modern day Scrooge. I think that just about covers it. Hilarious, and Bill Murray is fantastic as always.

Do you have a favourite Christmas film?

Christmas giveaways: 3 software packages from MAGIX

2011-12-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, and because you're so lovely I've got some Christmas goodies on offer.

For bloggers, having a tip-top, trouble free PC is important and so I was chuffed when MAGIX, a provider of multi-media software, contacted me recently. They have very generously supplied not one or two but THREE different software packages for your delectation. I haven't had a chance to use my copies yet, because shortly after moving house my own PC died a death and I've been using my Macbook so this information comes directly from the MAGIX website. See what you think.

The first one is the Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 7 which is an all-in-one for photo editing, illustration and desktop publishing. You can edit different project using just one program and export them for different purposes, for instance image files, PDF files in printed form, etc.

We store so much personal information, photos, videos and music on our PCs and notebook computers but there's always the risk that they will be damaged by viruses, hard disk damage and accidents. PC Backup offers a simple and reliable solution for backing up your data, and preventing permanent data loss. This is a good one for all of us who KEEP FORGETTING TO BACKUP!

PC Check & Tuning is the all-round solution for maintaining and speeding up your PC. It will ensure that problems and weaknesses with the system are identified and fixed in one step. The software will make it easier for using PC games and surfing t'internet and will help to return your pc to its original speed. Sounds fantastic!

If you fancy winning any of these, please leave a comment to say which one you would like and why. I'll pick one winner for each on Sunday evening 18th December. And the winners won't need to wait for the postie to arrive with a parcel either, because MAGIX have sent me the download codes which will be sent to you by email for immediate downloading! That also means that you can enter the giveaway from anywhere in the world. How cool is that?

Good luck!

Please note that these packages are not Mac compatible.

UPDATE - Sunday 18th December:

THE WINNERS ARE:

The Xara Photo & Graphic designer ~ Liz Burton

PC Back-up ~ Grr

PC Check and tuning ~ @asrielrusdyawan

Congratulations! Please send me your email addresses and I will email the link and licence number to you.

A quiet weekend. Not.

2011-12-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

I've just had one of the best weekends I've had in a long time. Both of my girls were at away for the weekend, so it was the first time I'd had a free weekend for months. Now as you know, I'm not one for parties, staying up late or drinking too much but this weekend I managed to do all three and then some.

First of all, on Friday evening eight of my colleagues came over to my house for a belated birthday party/housewarming/early Christmas party. We had such a good time!

It was ostensibly a Cheese and Wine evening, but somehow it turned into a wild dancing party. Hey ho.

After everyone arrived I gave them a grand tour of the new house, then it was time for a quiz. Once they'd split into two teams (I was the quizmaster) they chose unspeakably rude team names which I can't bring myself to repeat on here but caused much hilarity when they had to shout it out before answering.

After that there was some dancing followed by more competitive dancing when we started using Dance Central on the Xbox Kinect - and let's just say, I've got some moves for an old bird :-)

Before I knew it, it was 2am and I'd had far too much to drink, but bloomin' heck we had fun. It was almost worth the hangover I had on Saturday morning (and afternoon) *cough*

On Saturday night I travelled north to stay with two very good friends. I love going to visit them because not only is J the most fantastic cook but they're also terrific company and just the perfect hosts. AND their house is gorgeous. I felt so incredibly relaxed there, and really enjoyed seeing them both again.

So, now it's late on Sunday evening and I'm feeling pretty tired. But very, very happy and content. I really do have some fantastic friends.

More despatches from the chalkface: Jesus, vegetables and venison

2011-12-07T11:56:00.000-08:00

During a lesson with year 1 children, I read the story of the 3 wise men and how they brought gifts to the stable. The children were then asked to choose their own gift for the baby Jesus.
Lucas: I'd give him £50.
Me: Why would you give him that?
Lucas: (pointing to picture of Jesus in the manger) "so he could buy a new bed."

As part of a lesson I took a selection of vegetables into class and talked to the Year 1 children about them and how they were grown. The children then had to draw a vegetable and write something about it. One boy, James, said "I'm drawing a drip". The teaching assistant asked him what he meant and he repeated it "I'm drawing a drip...look, like that one!" - and pointed to a leek.

And it's not just the children. Recently when we were talking about recipes in the staffroom, a colleague was confused about what mutton and veal were until another colleague explained. Later, when someone mentioned venison she piped up: "Ah, I know what that is - it's meat from a snake!"

Thinking outside of the (x)box: the future of TV

2011-12-07T03:14:00.000-08:00

I travelled to that London on Sunday to attend an event hosted by Xbox to learn all about their latest Xbox Live innovation. It was, how shall we say, interesting.

The words bizarre, surreal and downright bonkers spring to mind but we were told it was all designed to make us think 'outside of the box' and it did that in spades.

I'll give you a little taster of what we experienced. We were invited to the Supperclub in London.

Where we were shown to our beds....

Then a leather-clad minx starting dancing to the Avengers theme tune.

..before she started playing her electric guitar with an angle-grinder, as you do....

Next up was a tall drag queen who undressed down to his shorts before 'showering' and then doing acrobatics up and down the shower curtain. Got that?

Note the rubber duck on the mat

All of this was going on whilst the music from Psycho was playing, and when the stabbing sound came on he started spurting 'blood' from his mouth before falling to the floor. He was dead for a good while before getting up and walking off. It was sort of Psycho meets Cirque du Soleil in a dress. Then, the food....

Mmmmm...macaroons. Look nice don't they? What if I told you they had fish and seafood fillings? Bleuugghh!

Followed by our real pudding served in a cat-food bowl. Nice.

All washed down with a glass or two of prosecco. Well it would be rude not to.

As you can see it wasn't your average Sunday afternoon, not by a long chalk.

So, why did we need to think outside the box? Because suddenly the box that 57 millions users worldwide have is about to be upgraded for free.

With the new Xbox 360 experience, entertainment is now more intuitive with the launch of Bing on Xbox, which lets customers search entertainment services on Xbox using.... their voices.

Last year, Kinect for Xbox 360 revolutionised controller-free entertainment by letting you use your body and voice to play your favourite games and entertainment, turning you into the controller. This year, the power of Kinect combined with the search intelligence of Bing is turning your voice into the ultimate remote control. With Bing on Xbox, you can use your voice to effortlessly find the games, movies, TV shows and music you want and discover the best offerings on Xbox LIVE, by simply saying what you’re searching for. You say it, Xbox finds it. It’s that easy.

From Christmas, in addition to offering the best blockbuster and Kinect games, Xbox 360 consoles are set to deliver live and on-demand TV shows, movies, videos, sports, music and news, becoming the best device to experience all your entertainment. TV and movie fans can instantly stream live television via our current UK TV partner, Sky, as well as enjoy a variety of fantastic content from the likes of AlloCiné (Screenrush), blinkbox, Channel 4, Channel 5, Crackle, Dailymotion, LOVEFiLM, MSN Video, MUZU.TV, YouTube and Zune, as well as, in 2012, the BBC.

If you haven't already done it, I'd like to invite you to complete a survey with the chance to enter your name in a prize draw.

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About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE is the online entertainment service for your Xbox 360, connecting you to an ever-expanding world of games, movies, TV, music, sports and social entertainment. Xbox LIVE lets you play the best games, enjoy one of the world’s largest on-demand libraries on any console, listen to millions of songs and share the fun with friends around the world. Xbox LIVE is also the exclusive home of controller-free online entertainment through Kinect, making your Xbox 360 more intuitive and interactive than ever before. With an active community of nearly 35 million people across 35 countries, Xbox LIVE, together with Xbox 360, provides you with instant access to the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, wherever you are. More information about Xbox LIVE can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/live.

Xbox Live and a prize survey

2011-12-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

I went to a completely bonkers Xbox Live event in London at the weekend. I can't wait to tell you about it, but in the meantime I'd like to invite you to complete this survey which gives you the chance to be entered into a prize draw.

Thank you and good luck!

To live without love is merely existing

2011-12-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

I read this a couple of days ago and haven't been able to get it out of my head.

I would rather risk my heart to the possibility

of pain, than to never feel love again.

To live without love is merely existing.

There is no greater pain than that.

Is that what I've been doing for the last 9 years? It's beginning to feel like it, but it's the possibility of pain that I'm afraid of.

Christmas is the perfect time to think of others

2011-12-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas is all about family and children and for most of us it's a time of celebration and fun. But not everyone is as fortunate and so I make no apologies for writing this blog post - these charities deserve our attention and you might not realise how easy it is to support some very deserving children, even some of the stuff we do everyday - like buying shopping, watching telly and washing the dishes - can help. Don't believe me? Read on.

Together for Short Lives is the only charity representing the estimated 23,500 children and young people across the UK who are unlikely to reach adulthood, a fact that I find incredible. The charity works to ensure that every one of these children and their families get the best possible care and support whenever and wherever they need it.

You may have seen the very moving film about the Lloyd family on the X Factor results show last Sunday. I watched it and really felt for the parents of the three boys, Dan, Tom and Sam who all live with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Their parents are full-time carers to their boys and live with the knowledge that their only children are unlikely to reach adulthood. How they find the strength is beyond me, but for them it's a daily necessity and - I'm sure - a labour of love.

But providing care - often 24 hours a day, seven days a week - can place families under enormous emotional, physical and financial strain. Relationships can suffer; careers may have to be abandoned; well brothers and sisters can feel left out; and normal family activities become almost impossible.

Together for Short Lives is there to help. It could be as simple as signposting a parent to a place that can take care of their ill child while they take their well sister to Brownies, or providing them with a ‘family companion’ booklet to help families work through what to expect, and where they can find help.

The X Factor Charity Single ~ Wishing on a Star ~ is available to buy here or from any high street store including M&S who feature it in their Christmas tv ad, with all proceeds going to this very worthy charity. There's also a free X Factor partypack available for the final.

The profile and funds generated by the X Factor single will make such a difference to this critical work. Please be generous in your support.

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Since 1949 SOS Children has been working to ensure that children who have lost their parents through conflict, famine, natural disaster, disease and poverty - can enjoy a family life. SOS Children's outreach support includes education, vocational training, medical care and community development programmes.

SOS Children are currently building a new Children's Village in Chipata, eastern Zambia, where poverty and disease have left thousands of children completely alone without parental care. The new Village will provide a safe home for vulnerable children, as well as a school and medical centre for the community.

Sales of Nouvelle Soft toilet roll are funding the construction and maintenance of a much needed toilet and sanitation block for the school, which will drastically improve hygiene and comfort for generations of pupils to come. Access to clean water and adequate sanitation are critical in tackling factors related to child mortality and survival, with an estimated 4.8 million Zambians living without access to clean water and 6.6 million lack access to sanitation.

I often buy Nouvelle toilet rolls because they're made from recycled paper and I'll definitely look out for their special packs over the next few weeks. We all buy loo roll, and that's how easy it is to support this great initiative!

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The Fairy and Make-A-Wish Foundation partnership is now in its 8th year and aims to help dreams come true for children across the UK.

According to research by Make-A-Wish at any one time in the UK there are around 20,000 children and young people with life-threatening illnesses and this year, with the help of a network of supporters and dedicated volunteers Make-A-Wish has granted wishes for over 750 of them.

Whether their wish is to become Prime Minister for the day, take part in a helicopter rescue or ride a bicycle around the garden the charity can make if happen.

You can help by buying the special packs of Fairy when you're out shopping and also by 'liking' the facebook page. For every person who likes the page Fairy will make a 50p donation to Make-A-Wish (up to a max of £20,000). Now how easy is that?