two become four

Guest Post: Driving you crazy? How to avoid arguments in the car

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Your partner doesn't like asking for directions. You don't like sharing the CD player. And you’re both backseat drivers.

These habits can cause arguments and sour the atmosphere when you’re driving with a loved one. Worse still, they lead to stress and distractions which can seriously impair your driving ability. Let’s take a look at some of the common flash points while driving and how they can be overcome.

Navigation

According to the AA, 53% of people argue over map reading. A sat nav system can solve this problem. But without one, you’ll have to fall back on the old-fashioned art of map reading. The navigator needs to keep their wits about them as they may have to take split-second decisions on motorways. But, above all, everyone needs to be patient. A few wrong turns are nothing compared to a full-blown argument that ruins the journey.

Backseat driving

An AA survey has revealed that 33% of us admit to backseat driving. And almost 60% of women feel they are nagged by male relatives about their driving.

Constant criticism can severely affect a driver’s confidence. Try to avoid commenting on your partner’s driving unless you think it’s absolutely necessary. If you really want to make a point, wait till you’ve pulled over.

If you’re teaching your partner to drive - or they’re teaching you - and it’s causing arguments, perhaps you should consider switching to professional driving lessons.

Sharing driving duties

It’s not only fair to share driving duties on long journeys - it’s safer, too. Decide beforehand how you want to split the responsibilities to avoid last-minute disagreements.

Make sure that the same person isn’t driving continuously for too long. Driver fatigue may cause up to 20% of road accidents, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Another point to remember is to ensure that both drivers have adequate car insurance before setting out.

Sharing the radio/CD player

Some people think the driver should have control of the car stereo. But why not be democratic and give everyone in the car a chance to listen to something that suits their taste?

To avoid unnecessary rows, try not to criticise the choices of others. Find neutral ground where possible, and make sure the volume suits everyone.

If course, passengers can always use their personal players with headphones.

Designated driver duties

Obviously, whoever is driving has to stay within the legal alcohol limit. To be certain, it’s best not to drink at all. Make sure you have a clear agreement beforehand so that everyone knows where they stand and there’s no confusion about who can drink and who can’t. Planning ahead will avoid any last-minute arguments or, even worse, getting stranded because there’s no one fit to drive home!

Lack of consideration

The key to avoiding arguments in the car is showing consideration to your co-passengers. Not thanking the driver after a long journey, adjusting the car’s temperature to suit only your needs, and being critical of your partner’s driving can all lead to flare-ups. Try to keep a calm and retain a positive atmosphere so that it’s a pleasant journey for everyone.

Disclosure: I have received no form of compensation for this guest post from Sainsbury's Bank. I am happy to post this as I agree with their values and am a happy customer of a number of their services.

Wise Words Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Source: cubiclerefugee.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Out and About with the Pink Lining Twins Change Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:44:00 +0000

Just before Christmas we were sent one of the first review samples of the Pink Lining Twins Change Bag to video and review before it hits the market at the end of this week.

If you missed my first post, go check out my introduction and initial thoughts... and now here's a very short snippet of us out and about doing our Christmas shopping. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that the shoulder strap fitted across the handles of the double buggy with no buggy clips needed. A huge tick for Pink Lining!

Stay tuned later in the week for our final review of the Pink Lining Twins Change Bag...

Disclosure: I was provided with the Pink Lining Twins Bag in order to video and review, but this does not affect how I write and will always blog with honesty and integrity.

Goals for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:03:00 +0000

Source: life-love-laughter.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Despite the lovely time we had, and the twins thoroughly enjoyed Christmas, I found it a very difficult end to the year and struggled even more with the beginning of this year.

I've been putting off writing about my goals for the year... to be honest I just want to huddle away and for time to stand still. How are you supposed to celebrate a year that has so much uncertainty about it and most likely won't end well? How selfish is that? After all, it's not all about me!

So I have made myself to set some goals for 2012... if only to keep me going for everyone else's sake!

The big one for the year will be to declutter the house... there will be more on this soon, but I am tasking myself with getting rid of at least 10 items from the house each week, whether that be through selling, donating, repurposing or disposing... and to keep a record of everything to keep motivated and on track.

To create weekly. I need to use crafting as therapy and keep my mind focused and I'm loving using pinterest for inspiration. This will involve me putting aside one evening a week to have some time to be in control over how/what I make. I am a total control freak, and much as I love getting crafty with Tilly and Jasper, I do find it so difficult not taking over!

To make a better effort at keeping in touch with friends. I am useless at this and tend to be the one replying to messages (eventually) rather than sending out little texts, emails to let people know that, although we've not seen each other for a good while, they are in my thoughts. I have never had a huge network of friends outside of family, but I have had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with someone amazing, supportive, beautiful people in recent years, that I find it difficult to know what is 'expected' of me as a friend!

To preserve family memories. I have failed miserably at creating photobooks since the twins were born... we don't have a single one, and I am very annoyed at myself for this. Digital is great, but nothing can beat flicking through and poring over photos in an album. This is why I have decided to attempt project 365(+1) again to capture the daily snapshots of our life, and Project Life (when it becomes available in a few weeks) to document it in a little more detail. I've only ever done digital scrapbooking so I'm quite excited about this.

To lose weight and get fit. Well it had to be in there, didn't it! Not too much to add to this really... other than my comfort eating is totally out of control and I'm struggling to reign it in :( No food in the house is safe from me! I have just ordered Zumba Fitness for the Wii, so will soon be seen dancing around the front room with my 2 little sidekicks :)

To be an awesome mother and wife by becoming a totally domesticated, house-keeping goddess... I fear this is unfortunately the one goal that will take the most work!

So there you have it... my goals for 2012. I'm probably setting myself up for a huge fail!

How about you? I know I'm a bit late with this, but what goals/resolutions have you set for this year?

Project 365+1 | Page 2

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:46:00 +0000

As I'm not at the stage of printing off the first month's photos yet I thought I'd post a quick update of what page 2 will look like (sort of) in the flesh.

For more information on what I am doing with my Project 365+1, and to see page 1, please have a read of my plan. I am still yet to buy the supplies for this project as I'm waiting for the Project Life products to come into stock on Amazon and then I'll be placing my order... which should hopefully be in the next few weeks... exciting stuff!

Are you doing Project 365+1? I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am! Please leave a link in the comments so that I can make sure to follow you :)

Wise Words Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Source: eversolovely.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Angry Birds Children's Face Masks

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I bought a pack of craft foam on a whim from Poundland ages ago and it has since been sitting in my stash glaring at, and taunting, me because I hadn't found a use for it yet...

That is until yesterday! Inspiration suddenly struck. Face masks.

My original idea was to make some nice little woodland creature face masks... but the craft foam is a rather spewtastic selection of rainbow brights. Not really very natural at all. I didn't want to stray too far from the nature theme so I settled for those cute little red and blue (yes, I know I should veer away from the gender-based colours) feathered friends otherwise known as the Angry Birds.

They were stupidly quick and easy to make... here is what you will need:

Craft foam of various colours
Paper, pen and a pair of glasses to create template
Scissors
Double-sided sticky foam or tape
Hole punch
Elastic cord
Circular object as guide for eye-holes

Simply use the pair of glasses as a size guide to draw your template onto paper, then trace around this onto your craft foam and cut out.

Use a circular object (I used a perfume lid) as a guide for the eye-holes... you don't even need to draw around it - if you press down it will leave an impression that you can then cut around.

I decided to use double-sided sticky foam because I'm impatient and can't wait for glue to dry... but you could use either to stick the beak piece to the main mask.

Finally use a hole punch to punch holes for the elastic cord. Attach the elastic cord and then find a willing child(ren) to model your fabulous mask(s) and run around the house shouting 'tweet, tweet, tweet'.

Angry Bird?

The boy was a little less willing to pose for photos so I had to step in...

Slightly demented bird?

Moody bird?

Not bad, eh? (The masks, not the modelling!)

I have a few ideas for the rest of the craft foam... all masks... perhaps a skunk and a pink rabbit for starters... watch this space ;)

Recipe: Perfect Chicken and Root Veg Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

I love one-pot dishes not only for their ease, but also for the minimal washing up that they produce too. No mountains of saucepans and wooden spoons at the end of the evening. Perfect.

Tilly takes after me and loves her roast parsnips... she could probably eat a whole plateful... in fact she probably did yesterday after hoovering them up off everyone elses plates!

Jasper, on the other hand, is a carnivore... so this dish keeps them both happy.

Perfect Chicken and Root Veg Roast

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 generous helpings

You will need:

4 carrots, large - peeled and cut into wedges

3 parsnips, large - peeled and cut into wedges

1 onion - peeled and cut into wedges

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

Chicken seasoning (I use Schwartz Perfect Shake - Chicken)

4 chicken breasts, skinless

125 g cous cous, crushed

150 ml boiling water

Directions:

Begin by preheating the oven to 200^oC.

Place the carrots, parsnips, onions and garlic into a stoneware dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chicken seasoning, then toss until evenly coated.

Place the chicken breasts on top and rub in a little more olive oil and lightly sprinkle with a little more seasoning.

Place in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and continue cooking for a further 30 minutes.

Serve with cous cous that has been prepared by soaking the cous cous in a dish with the boiling water and allowing to stand and absorb for at least 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

A very thrifty anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

This year we are going into super-frugal overdrive... where we can cut costs and save money, we will... where we can make the odd buck, we definitely will... and we are trying to apply it to all areas of our lives.

The first chance we have had to put this into practice was today... our 4th wedding anniversary. I'm not really one for spending money willy-nilly on every single celebration of the year... and cards - well, you'll get a card from me if you're extremely special and I'm feeling flush! Christmas, for me, is the one big celebration of the year... and we've even got that down to a budget that works well for us now.

Keith, on the other hand, is quite the opposite... I'm having to re-train him ;)

So, how did we celebrate our anniversary on a tight budget?

After quickly finding out that the traditional 4th anniversary gift is fruit and flowers, and apparently there are also flowers associated with each year too (who knew?)... hydrangea for us then... I had a think and remembered there was a sorry attempt of a hydrangea bush outside our kitchen window, and it had a single bloom on it that had been slowly ~~dieing~~ drying away. Perfect.

My plan was to use an idea from pinterest to make a pretty, glittered jar for my lovingly harvested hydrangea 'posy'... a beautiful idea, no? It just oozes romance and Keith should love it ;) And best of all... I had all the materials to make it, so no money would be spent... result!

I'm quite pleased with the finished item... and secretly Keith is too, he just doesn't want to admit it ;)

Our next bargains to be had were the evening before our anniversary. We had taken the twins for a 'late night' shopping adventure in attempt to tire them out (it's been a nightmare week so far... new beds + twins = no sleep for anyone!).

In an attempt to recreate the tropical feel of our honeymoon in Malaysia we grabbed a rather large (ie head-sized) pineapple for £1 and a coconut for 60p... food sorted then. Lovely.

But the biggest bargain of the evening, thanks to the fact that we were shopping as they marking things down, was a gorgeous bunch of 14 red roses marked down from £15 to £3... not bad indeed!

So there you have it... our very thrifty anniversary... very little money spent, but much love and fun shared :)

How do you celebrate your anniversaries?

Wise Words Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Source: piccsy.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

New Boots

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Last week I mentioned that we'd got some fab new boots for Tilly and Jasper in the Clarks sale.

Well... it wasn't entirely true... we managed to get Tilly some amazingly cute pink GoreTex boots reduced down to £25... the only shoes in the sale in her size, and thankfully perfect... but there wasn't anything in Jasper's size (I guess the masses had already beaten us!), so we picked out some cool, chunky boots from the non-sale shoes. Which is fine... normally Jasper's shoes cost slightly less than Tilly's for some reason, so it's nice to turn the table once in a while :)

Anyway... as promised, a few photos of the new boots in action...

Tilly wears: M&Co T-Shirt, Next skirt, F&F tights and Clarks boots.

Jasper wears: Next polo shirt, Cherokee at Tesco jeans and Clarks boots.

Project 365+1 | The Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Those of you that follow me on Twitter and Facebook will already know that I've started a separate photoblog for my latest attempt at Project 365 (a photo a day, for those not in the know)... except this year being a leap year it is obviously 365+1.

But this year I thought I'd do it slightly differently. As with previous years, my intentions are to come out if it with an album at the end... but instead of thinking that I'd put together a digital scrapbook at the end of the year (which has never happened anyway because I've always given up - perhaps from seeing no rewards?), I've decided that I will be printing out the photos and creating an old-school, physical 'scrapbook'.

Not even a scrapbook really... just an album with a few index cards marking the beginnings of each month. I'll be leaving the proper scrapbooking to another project that I've decided to attempt this year... Project Life... but more on that another time.

I'm hoping that keeping it simple, and printing the photos off at the end of each month, will be enough of an incentive to help see it through to the end. Now that Keith has an iPhone (Not. Jealous. Or counting the days until I can get one in May!) I've opted to use Instagram. I've been lusting after this for ages, and it hasn't disappointed me, unlike Hipstamatic. Instragram gives you beautifully treated, square photos that are easy to share... and you can also 'Instagramify' other photos on your camera that weren't taken using the app... perfect for when I don't have access to Keith's phone!

So once I'd settled on how I was going to take and share the photos, it was quite easy to decide how I was going to create a simple album. 365 days plus 12 index cards for the months gives you 378... which is divisible by 9 (a page protector of 9 squares) to give 42 pages (or 21 page protectors) to give a pleasingly simple album which takes very little work.

I've designed the index cards, including and end card that can be used for years with 365 days (i.e. most!)... and even designed a card for the offchance that I might miss a day... not that I am planning on failing this time! I'll print these along with the photos so that they are all on the same type of paper/card... OCD? Me?

And as we have completed enough days for one page I thought I'd do a digital mock up to see what it would look like... and then eagerly await the end of the month so that I can actually start putting the album together.

What do you think? I'm quite pleased with it, and happy that this year I actually have a solid plan right from the start... I have a good feeling that I will be holding a completed album this time next year :)

What about you? Do you have any plans for your Project 365 or will it just be your chance to capture those daily moments?

Next Girlswear - Spring 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Back in November last year we headed to the Leicestershire headquarters of Next, with a group of other mummy bloggers, to have a sneak preview of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections of childrenswear. Jasper had been having quite a 'difficult' week, so I left him with Nana (who lives only 5 miles away from Next) and enjoyed a great day with just me and my girlie! We were treated to beautiful cupcakes, drinks and nibbles... followed later by a delicious lunch with children's entertainment too... everything had been thought of, and we had an amazing time.

A lot has happened since then, and I haven't had the time to write about it until now... which is rather timely as the Spring/Summer collections have now hit the rails!

Now being an analyst at heart I like to keep an eye on trends (even if I don't put them to use myself!), and as I've mentioned before the Pantone fashion colour forecasts are one of my favourites... so once again, I thought I'd put it to the test... this time on Next girlswear...

I think the picture says it all really!! I am totally loving these skinny jeans for girls... and what a selection of colours... I'll have one of each for Tilly please!

The colourwash ranges feature pretty much all of the colours in the Pantone forecast, whereas the Oh Buoy range is predominantly Sodalite Blue and Solar Power Yellow, with a splash of Cabaret Pink thrown in to the Oh Buoy Posh range.

But my favourite range is 70's Show, which is a cool collection of 70's inspired girlswear in Tangarine Tango, Sodalite Blue, Bellflower, Cockatoo and Starfish. That striped a-line dress is just too cool!

And here's the little video that Next put together of our fab day... if you don't blink around the 55 second mark you get to see Tilly! ;)

I am a member of the Next Blogger Network, a private online community for selected bloggers to connect with Next. I am not paid to write these posts, and Next have no editorial control whatsoever about what I blog about. Being a member of the Next Blogger Network means that I may recieve the occasional goodie or product to review, or even invites to previews and other events. This does not affect how I write and will always blog with honesty and integrity.

Recipe: Malted Chocolate Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:07:00 +0000

Did anyone else receive a tonne of Maltesers over Christmas? Is it just me, or do you think they also give the message "here's some chocolates... we think you need to lose weight, so we got you Maltesers" ;) Anyway... I'm trying very hard to rid the house of all evil foods before the serious dieting starts next week... so here is what I came up with to use up our abundance of malty chocolate balls...

Malted Chocolate Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves: 12 muffins

You will need:

9 oz self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 oz margarine, softened

3 oz caster sugar

1 dsp cocoa powder

120 g maltesers, crushed

2 eggs, large

1/2 tsp vanilla extract, crushed

8 fl oz milk

Directions:

Begin by preheating the oven to 200^oC and lining a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

Place the flour, baking powder and margarine into a large bowl and rub together to resemble fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder and crushed maltesers.

Beat together the eggs, vanilla extract and milk, and then quickly mix into the dry ingredients... the mixture will look lumpy, but this is fine. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.

Bake for 20-25 minutes and remove when golden and well risen. Allow to cool in the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!

So that was Christmas... and New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:08:00 +0000

It's January 4th, Christmas and New Year has come and gone in a blur... thankfully not alcohol-fuelled, but just scarily fast! Rather than bore you with a blow by blow account of what we got up to I thought I'd post a select few photos that captured the best memories...

♥ Visiting family

♥ Decorating the house

♥ Going to the farm for fresh veg

♥ A family walk on Christmas Eve

♥ Christmas breakfast: English muffins, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and buck's fizz

♥ Colour-coded presents!

♥ The excitement at all presents whether satsumas and socks or train sets and cuddlies

♥ Tilly and Jasper playing nicely together - a rare occurrence

♥ Thriftily chosen and lovingly wrapped presents

♥ Preparing the brussels (little acorns!) with Tilly

♥ More playing together nicely

♥ Staying up late with a sore tummy

♥ Plenty of cheese and biscuits

♥ Unusual uses for Brussel's sprouts!

♥ Having gurning competitions in supermarket cafes

♥ Winning the gurning competition

♥ Spending quality time as a family at Butlins - review to follow

♥ Swimming on New Year's Day

♥ Fun family gatherings with far too many presents...

♥ ... and fairies eating far too much chocolate cake!

Hoping you all had a fabulous Christmas and New Year

What we wore over Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:06:00 +0000

Normally at this time of year we are buried under a huge pile of gorgeous brand new clothes due to the amazing generosity of friends and family over the Christmas holiday.

We've been extremely lucky that with the twins also having their birthday in August we have had to buy very few clothes for them and usually end up just needing to get the essentials like socks, vests and shoes.

But this Christmas we were completely unfestive and asked for money for the twins. It did feel quite awkward asking this, but we will soon be making the transition from cots to big girl/boy beds, and having to buy two at a time, including mattresses and bedding, it is looking scarily costly!

Of course, family being family, they did get a fantastic haul of presents as well, and when I get the time I will be sending out suitably chastising thank you notes!

This means that we are making the most of the clothes we already have. Tilly and Jasper are having a slow growth phase so they are still even able to fit into some of the clothes that they got for their first birthday! We've also had the benefit of hand-me-downs from their cousins, which were also handed-down to them, so some of the items are quite 'vintage'!

It's fun putting together outfits from the mix that they now have, and Tilly is particularly loving the denim pinafores that have been passed on to her.

We thought we'd start joining in with Little M's new meme... Trendy Toddler Tuesday. Any excuse to post photos of Tilly and Jasper! So here's a little look at what they wore a lot of over the Christmas holiday...

This is one of my favourite pinafores. It is 'vintage' Next (about 5 years old I think), and always gets compliments when out and about. It is just pure girlieness... pink netting with appliqued and embroidered flowers and fairies. Gorgeous! And Tilly is a lot more amenable to having her hair put up now, so it adds to the cute factor :)

I love to put Jasper in shirts. This one is from Primark and was a 2nd birthday present... the cargo trousers are from Debenhams and were a 1st birthday present! Jasper's legs need to do a little bit of growing!

We did manage to get some fab new winters boots yesterday in the Clark's sale... so tune in next week for some more trendy toddler pics :)

Wise Words Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

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Wise Words Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Source: j-jump-jennifer.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Introducing the brand new Pink Lining Twins Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:43:00 +0000

I have always lusted after Pink Lining change bags... they are just the right amount of cute, with the added benefit of being practical at the same time. Unfortunately many things have kept me from owning one... two of those being my gorgeous little monsters... and the worry that an ordinary (in the sense of it being designed for a single baby) change bag would not provide sufficient space for all the extras that you carry around when you have twins.

There are very few (that I'm aware of) change bags that are designed specifically for twins (and even fewer, if any, designed for higher order multiples), and I think that so many brands are missing a trick with the incidences of twins and multiples increasing year on year.

That's why I was extremely excited to be told by Pink Lining that they would be introducing a twins changing bag in January 2012... and they wanted me to roadtest, video and review their only sample available before launch!! Wow!

Their twins bags are available to pre-order now and will be available from January 27th 2012.

Here's the first of the videos that I've put together... this one introduces all of the great features of the beautiful Pink Lining Twins Bag...

It's absolutely gorgeous don't you think? I really enjoyed filming this... do you think I could make a blossoming career on television shopping channels?!!

Disclosure: I was provided with the Pink Lining Twins Bag in order to video and review, but this does not affect how I write and will always blog with honesty and integrity.

Just a little Christmas baking!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:01:00 +0000

I can't believe the amount of parchment paper we've got through this month!

The pièce de résistance... my red glitter Christmas cake made using the Tesco/Mary Berry Christmas Cake Baking Kit. A little overdone, but looked fantastic!

A close-up of the bow... it took me ages to get it just right!

Lots more Christmas biscuits...

... hearts for Tilly...

... and stars for Jasper :)

Sparkly Christmas snickerdoodle cookies!

Festive fridge cookies... recipe coming soon!

OK... not offically baking, but couldn't resist including our festive popcorn. Butter popcorn drizzled in honey and lots of sprinkles!

Keith even braved making mince pies with Tilly and Jasper. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any photos, but it was a delight to listen to them as I was wrapping presents in the next room.

We've still got a stollen baking kit unopened... It may be a while before we decide to make this... perhaps when the Christmas excesses have worn off!

Hope you all had a relaxing and joyful Christmas

xxx

Don't let meningitis ruin your Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:13:00 +0000

A little while ago I was extremely fortunate to be invited to join a group of bloggers in a forum to discuss the complexities of one of the most worrying diseases - meningitis.

It was very eye-opening. I thought I already knew quite a bit about meningitis... the photo-sensitivity, stiff neck, the rash etc. but it turns out that these are just a few of the symptoms. In fact it turned out that I was one of the 34 million people in the UK that unmistakably believed that the rash was one of the main symptoms. How wrong could I be? The rash is actually one of the late symptoms, and only occurs when you get septicaemia associated with meningitis, so you may not even get a rash.

Although there are a couple of 'at risk' groups (small children - due to their weak immune systems, and college students - due to their increased 'social' activities) meningitis can strike anyone at any time regardless of age, gender, race or class.

At Christmastime there is a slightly higher risk of contracting meningitis. Families and friends come together indoors to spend time together, so please make sure that you are aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis. It is better to be safe than sorry :)

You can check out the following websites for further information:

Meningitis Trust web // facebook // twitter // vimeo // iPhone app

Meningitis UK web // facebook // twitter // youtube

Meningitis Research Foundation web // facebook // twitter // youtube

If in any doubt or worried at all contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647

Disclosure: I received expenses to attend the 'Unfolding the complexities of meningitis' bloggers forum in October 2011

Wise Words Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:11:00 +0000

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Recipe: Christmas Snickerdoodle Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:57:00 +0000

Last Sunday we headed over to visit Keith's family to help pick their Christmas tree and to take Tilly and Jasper to see Santa in his grotto. We had a lovely time and it definitely helped to get me feeling a little more festive.

While we were there they gave me a copy of Cake Days (from the Hummingbird Bakery) for my birthday present, and Keith's sister also gave me some edible red glitter to try out. So as soon as we got home I immediately picked out a recipe that I wanted to adapt... I'm not one for ever following recipes to the letter, even if they are new ones!

When I opened up the page for their snickerdoodle cookies I automatically assumed that this was some kind of cookie made using Snickers (or Marathon for those of use old enough to remember) bars, but I couldn't have been more wrong! It appears that snickerdoodle cookies are a festive American tradition... to which my brain suddenly flashed into life and got thinking about how I could utilise the red glitter.

As we hadn't got any ground cinnamon I made a few other changes to the recipe and also added a bit of red food colouring... I was going for festive overload! I think next time I might leave the food colouring out and see what they look like 'au naturelle' with just a sprinkling of glitter in the coating... anyways, here's how they turned out... I love the little glints of glitter! Festive, don't you think?!

Christmas Snickerdoodle Cookies

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves: 14-18 cookies

You will need:

FOR THE DOUGH

60g unsalted butter, softened

160g caster sugar, peeled and roughly chopped

1 capful vanilla essence

1 capful red food colouring

1 large egg

240g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 tsp mixed spice

FOR THE COATING

1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp edible red glitter

Directions:

Begin by creaming together the butter, sugar, vanilla essence and food colouring (if using) until light and fluffy.

Add in the egg and beat well until all of the ingredients are combined.

Sift in the dry ingredients and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball. Place in a covered bowl and refridgerate to rest and firm for about 40 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 170^oC and line baking trays with parchment paper.

Next mix together the ingredients for the coating in a small bowl.

Remove dough from fridge and break into about 18 walnut-sized balls, roll in the coating mixture and place on baking trays allow room between each for spreading.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, then remove and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.

Enjoy!

Travelling light for Christmas? I don't think so!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:53:00 +0000

Are you one of those families that pack everything up and go visiting friends and family over the Christmas holidays?

Because we are the furthest away, with everyone else more-or-less relatively local to one another, it inevitably falls to us to pack up our lives and do the rounds at Christmas and New Year.

I wouldn't mind, but I've calculated that we'll be doing about 500 miles (not including any incidental little trips that are bound to crop up), staying at 3 different places, and stopping in at nine different addresses! Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year and this just adds to the exhaustion... and the costs!

And then we've got to make sure we pack everything we need... which, when you've got twin toddlers, isn't easy, and when Keith is involved it doesn't necessarily mean packing light anyway! We're talking about the guy who insists on taking snorkelling gear to any destination we go that is within driving distance of the sea... and it usually comes back unused ;)

Items we must remember to take are:

Enough clothes for the twins for a week, plus a few spares
A large carryall for all of Keith's stuff
A smaller bag for all of my stuff
A few toys to keep the twins occupied
Duvets and pillows for the twins
Enough nappies etc. for the week
Christmas presents
Keith's winter survival kit for the car (snow shovel, bottles of water, bottles of energy drinks, biscuits, blankets, winter coats and boots for all occupants of the car)
2 travel cots
2 high chairs
1 double buggy
2 single buggies (for if we need to go separate ways!)
And a partridge in a pear tree*

If you have any tips for travelling and packing of the Christmas season why not head over and share them at flythomascook.com and be in with a chance of winning an Antler Purelite suitcase.

*May or may not be true ;)

Vintage Blue and Red Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca McLuckie) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:55:00 +0000

A little while ago I was given the opportunity to try out and review some of the Vintage Blue range from Brabantia. Having once owned a rather splendid pastel yellow Brabantia pedal-bin many years ago... in fact I think it now has pride of place in my sister's kitchen... it only took me a few seconds to consider the offer and then quickly replied with a big YES PLEASE!

A few days later there was a delivery man on my doorstep bearing two large boxes which very generously contained a roll-top bread bin, a couple of window canisters and an awesome touch bin... and all in the gorgeous vintage blue! Tilly and Jasper had a lot of fun helping me unpack the goodies, and then proceeded to pack each other into the boxes. It was difficult to restrain myself from taping the boxes up and marking them 'return to sender'! ;)

The colour of the vintage blue is indeed that... vintage blue. Inspired by the denim of the 70's, it's a lovely 'warm' blue and is a bold choice for a colour that is not often associated with kitchens. But I think it works beautifully. Combine it with a few other bold colours such as red... a bit of Cath Kidston... a splash of Laura Ashley... throw in some rather cool retro-inspired gadgets... and you've got yourself a rather fabulous kitchen... or hopefully one day, when we've finally got ourselves back onto the property ladder! A girl can dream can't she?!

You can find links to all of the above products and many more in my vintage blue and red inspitation board on pinterest... and of course the question on everyone's lips is 'what did we think of the Brabantia products?'... check out this little video to find out:

For me there is only one brand for bins... and that is Brabantia!