The Christmas Tag

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I haven't done a meme in ages. Like months, possible even a year. I went through a stage of being tagged in every single one going and I put my foot down forcefully and ignored the tags. (Sorry taggers)

However, I like the look of this one, I'm in the mood for Christmas so I'm having a go! (I also want something different on my blog in amongst all these sponsored posts, sorry for them but Christmas is coming, ya'know?)

Q1. What's your favourite thing about Christmas?
Seeing my son playing with his grandparents and cousins and exploring his new toys, while enjoying sparkling lights, scrumptious food and Christmas tv on in the background. You know that Asda advert where the mum walks out of the kitchen and sees everyone with hats on in the living room playing together? It made me cry because that's what I love about Christmas.
Q2. What's your favourite make up look for the festive season?
Foundation, lipstick and black mascara are my staples aside from eye-shadow and smoky eye-liner. At Christmas time, I'll have slightly heavier smokiness and bronzer all over. I'm a creature of habit.
Q3. Real or fake tree?
Fake. Real ones bring my arms out in prickles plus I can't be bothered to hoover up after them. Our fake one is a good one with a central pole which you hang the branches onto, we bought it in the B&Q sale seven years ago in January; it was £120 to £60 to £30!
Q4. Giving presents or receiving them?
Absolutely giving them. I spend a lot of time choosing and I like to see the recipient's face when they open their parcel up.
Q5. Do you open your presents Christmas morning or evening?
Morning! What is this nonsense talk of evening?! Why in Santa's name would you wait?!
Q6. Handmade Christmas cards or bought?
Handmade! In the past we've made our own photocards and had them processed. This year, I can't seriously subject The Boy to another costume, however I do have another idea in mind which will be printed onto photo-cards. The Boy will also make cards from himself to his family members.
Q7. What's your favourite Christmas film?
'The Polar Express' although I'm quite partial to Arthur Christmas too!
Q8. What's your favourite Christmas food?
The buffet style tea which we have on Christmas Day and on Boxing Day. If I could spend my life eating buffets, I'd be a) enormous and b) a very happy woman.

I was tagged by Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum, the original post came from Makeup-Pixi3.

In return I am tagging:

Little Photos From Little Fingers

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I was tagged by Momma Two ages ago to complete this meme created by her and Mammasaurus. Well she didn't originally tag me, but I sulked on twitter so she told me to consider myself tagged, I favourited, did the leg-work and then forgot to write it!

I am forever finding photos on the iPod Touch taken by The Boy, and I've blogged about them before. They make me chuckle, especially when I find random ones of my feet when we're walking around the supermarket, or of me putting my make-up on but only from the waist down.

Well both Momma and Mamma had been having a conversation late one night on twitter about the same thing, and so created this meme with the objective of showing off the photos that our little ones take. I will confess to giving The Boy the smallest amount of guidance beforehand; showing him how to hold the iPod so that the item he wanted to take a picture of is in the frame. Then I let him go with it, and these are the shots he came up with:

I don't think he did too badly really, in fact the crayons are quite arty!

I want to carry this on for Momma Two and MammaSaurus and so am tagging the following five bloggers, because I know for some of them, that their children are always having a play around with iPods, iPads, LeapPads, etc:

  1. The Crazy Kitchen
  2. Mummy Mishaps
  3. The Moiderer
  4. Mummy Mummy Mum
  5. Multiple Mummy

Websites I Visit The Most

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The jovial Jenny from Mummy Mishaps has tagged me in a meme started by excellent Emma from Mummy Musings showing the websites that I can't live without.

It's quite apt for me because the second that the laptop has finished firing up, the second Firefox has loaded I'm opening up new tabs; one for each of the following and in this order:

  • Gmail

The e-mails at the moment are bananas. Obviously I run a fair amount of competitions and so I get a lot of e-mails from entries, alongside the lovely comments on my original content posts. In addition to the notifications for blogs that I read, are the review requests. And at the moment there's a fair amount. I am inordinately fortunate to be receiving them but reading through take a little time.

  • Twitter

At the time of writing this, 58,999 tweets show that I'm an addict. Nearly 60,000 tweets in a year. God, I talk a lot of crap. Now, is the time to disagree with me and say that every one of my 140 character statements are profound and worthwhile. Come on, 1,807 of you follow me so it can't all be crap?

Can it?

  • TheBoyandMe

Of course, it should probably be first but hey-ho! Approving comments and writing posts. Do I need to explain anything else about it?

  • Facebook

Why? Why do I still bother with it? It's a pile of pants nowadays, but I'm a bit rubbish at letting things go. Besides, the TRU discussion group is a fab little community and I'm addicted to playing Words With Friends with Carole and Kate.

  • Picnik

It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best photo editing facility that I've come across. I've subscribed to the premium functions and I use it daily. Love it!

And so I tag:

Ten Questions

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I have been tagged by The Crazy Kitchen in Ten Questions, another bleeding meme! However, as I am not one to walk away from a tossed gauntlet, here goes:

1: Describe yourself in seven words:

I am a stroppy, sensitive, tired bugger blogger.

2: What keeps you awake at night?

Not much, when I've gone, I've gone. However, floating off on that cloud can often be disturbed by husband's snoring. If he falls asleep before me then I've had it, and so has he because I elbow or belt him one to make him stop. I once held his nose for a few seconds; it worked, he didn't breathe for thirty seconds and I was worried I'd killed him.

3: If you could be anyone for a day who would you be and why?

Me, but a less tired version with an infinite amount of money. Just one day, that's all I need.

4:  What are you wearing now?

Black top, underwear, vest-top and cropped trousers. My full-length ones need ironing and I can't be arsed at the moment. I'll do it before we go out to the fireworks!

5:  What scares you?

Death. Or rather not being here anymore with my loved ones, and them not with me. I'm absolutely petrified of general anaesthetics because of that, to the point where I have a panic attack and cry.

6:  What is the best and the worst thing about blogging?

The opportunities I've had, both with events or products, but mostly the opportunity to make new friends who I click with. There are now three bloggers (and one tweeter) that I've met that I consider real-life friends, and a few more that I can't wait to meet because I'm pretty sure I'd feel the same.
The worst thing is the arrogance of some bloggers who think they are better than everyone else. They don't bother to talk to the little people (forgetting that they themselves were once there) and they harrass people who don't blog the way that they think every blogger should. They criticise people who review calling them blaggers, but would themselves turn up to the opening of an envelope. I think that envelope should contain the word 'humility' written on it.
7:  What was the last website you looked at?  

Twitter, unsurprisingly. Other than that this morning I've been on Facebook to post a Toyologist review, Amazon to copy it across (it wasn't a good one), The Crazy Kitchen, Mummy Mishaps and Gmail. Was that interesting?

8:  If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?Physically: in general it would be how hefty I've become, although specifically it would be to have slender upper arms; I struggle in the Summer months.

Personality: my low levels of self-esteem.

9:  Slankets Yes or No!?

What the hell is a slanket? <goes to look it up>

Um no, I'm 34 not 84.

10: Tell us something about the person who tagged you?

Helen is kind, caring, funny, down-to-Earth and a good friend. She's also a sh*t-hot cook.

Now I tag Mummy Central, MammyWoo (she won't do it though), SAHDandProud and MotherVenting (I want to see what she says about slankets).

The rules of the game are:

1) Answer the 10 questions
2) Tag someone to do the same
3) Come back to the original blog post by Super Amazing Mum and comment that you have done so in order for us to find out who has been tagged and therefore find out more about our fellow bloggers!

Ten things you don't know about ME…

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I think I've done one of these before, certainly something similar. However, Helen from The Crazy Kitchen has tagged me because she wants to know more about me. Who am I to refuse such a fantastic friend and baker extraordinaire?

So ten things you don't know about me! Um…

  1. I've been vegetarian for 13 years. I've always maintained that I miss tuna mayonnaise a great deal, until I accidentally bit into The Boy's sandwich last week and had to spit it out pronto. I'm not going to test my memory of steak or cold turkey sandwiches in Christmas Day; I like to have that memory of the turkey melting the butter into the bread.
  2. I sat the entrance exam for, passed and received an assisted place to go to a private girls school. I spent seven years there; six of them were very happy, the final was hell on Earth as I was bullied mercilessly. I sat my 'A' levels in a room on my own as I refused to go back to school from the Easter onwards.
  3. I once tried smoking but had no idea how to inhale so held the smoke in my mouth before slowly releasing it. It came to a head one night when I was so inebriated that I couldn't understand why the cigarette was on fire. I'd lit the wrong end.
  4. I now teach in the same primary school that I went to as a child.
  5. I will have been married ten years in November.
  6. I got married in a castle.
  7. I once scratched an apostrophe into the sign of a local wine bar.
  8. I descend from a Polish Jew.
  9. I'm incredibly insecure and lacking in self-esteem.
  10. My name! Ha!

I now tag the following lovely ladies:

MotherGeek

Not My Year Off

Mum's The Word

Diary of a Lagos Mum

Life & Motherhood

This originated at  Me and my Kiddywinks

Good Bloggers Pay it Forward

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It's true. Blogging as a simple exercise is a way of recording your thoughts, feelings and daily events. But blogging is so much more than that now, and for the vast majority of us it is about belonging to part of a community. There are the Elders and the Newbies. Having only started blogging in December of last year, I am still a Newbie. However, I do get the basic concepts and I like to support other bloggers. So I'm being a female and older version of Haley Joel Osment and joining in the meme where we are Good Bloggers (Who) Pay it Forward.

Now I have been awarded this pretty little badge by the ever-so-talented culinary genius that is Helen from The Crazy Kitchen and therefore hold the responsibility of nominating five lovely individuals that I think will pass the flame on in true Olympic-Blogging style.

Lauren at The Real Housewife of Suffolk County

Lexy at MammyWoo (just do it woman!)

Christine from Thinly Spread

Susanne at GhostWriter Mummy

Keith at Reluctant Housedad

These fortunate souls must now carry the beacon of loveliness by following these five simple rules:

1. Put the badge at the top of your post

2. Refer to the lovely blogger who awarded it

3. Pass it on to five others

Please?

Questions and Answers

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I've been tagged twice today in the Q&A meme by The Moiderer and Christine over at Thinly Spread; a meme that originated with Mrs. Lister when she confessed that the "one feature I always look forward to is the ‘Q&A’ interview with a random celebrity/politician/author/whatever."

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

My mother. She is the strongest person that I've ever met. Life has dealt her some really tough cards, a lesser woman would have broken many a time, but she has kept her chin up and kept going regardless. If I have a fraction of her strength, love and compassion then I am a lucky person.

When were you happiest

From the moment that I went on maternity leave looking forward to the birth of my first child, throughout my entire time off with him and ever since.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

It was clearly so embarrassing that I have wiped all memory of it. However, I do tend to put my size eights in it rather a lot so these moments are frequent.

Aside from property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?

My car. Still paying it off monthly, it's not a Lamborghini or anything, just a Renault Scenic.

What is your most treasured possession?

My family. If I'm forced for a material possession: my photographs which are my key to unlocking all my memories.

Where would you like to live?

Right where I am, it's why I gave up the chance of a Deputy Headship at the age of 27.

What’s your favourite smell?

The Boy's hair and skin, freshly mown grass, filter coffee and the crash of a wave.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

God only knows. A friend once commented (ten+ years ago) that I was like a fat Cameron Diaz (not as bad as it sounds; remember that thing Chris Evans used to do on TFI Friday? 'He's a fat George Clooney, she's a fat Jennifer Aniston' where he'd bring on a general public lookielike of a celebrity?). However, being that she is a simpering female, I'd probably sack her and employ someone else instead.

What is your favourite book?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and I Love Capri by Belinda Jones.

What is your most unappealing habit?

I'm not going to be vulgar here so I'll say the fact that I swear like a trooper, I detest it.

What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?

1920s.

What is your earliest memory?

Sitting on the floor of my Nan and Bampi's bedroom playing with the doll's house, when my Bampi called me over for a cuddle. He died when I was two and a half so sometime before then.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Too many to list really, but I'll go for gorging myself on a feast of my favourite food.

What do you owe your parents?

Everything, in particular my mum. She had the determination to get me started in my adult life as best as she could and without the opportunities that she had. As for my dad, probably about £1275 for all the odd-jobs he does around my house because "that's what dads do!"

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?

Gosh this is a difficult one. Probably my great-aunt who I didn't get to see for the six months before she died (even though we knew it was coming) because I suffered with horrendous morning sickness for five months, and then couldn't handle the three hour drive down to see her. She was buried three hours after The Boy was born. I will always regret not being able to say goodbye to her.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My husband.

What does love feel like?

Unconditional acceptance and devotion.

What was the best kiss of your life?

You know that bloke that I've already mentioned in the last but one question?

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Jesus Christ! In fact the other day, I said 'Jesus' and The Boy said 'Christ'. That's when I knew it was time to stop. That's aside from the all swear-words!

What is the worst job you’ve done?

I've never done a job that I didn't want to do, although I once worked in a cheapy clothes shop in Cardiff. I stood there for an entire day, not allowed to use the till, not allowed to assist the customers, just allowed to tidy. The next day I walked in and told him that I would not be staying that day or any other.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?

Nothing really, because everything has made me the person that I am. However I would like to go back ten years and forbid myself from ever taking out a loan or credit card.

What is the closest you’ve come to death?

General Anaesthetic I suppose!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My child.

When did you last cry, and why?

Last night because I don't want to leave The Boy to have to go to work, it happens every night before work.

How do you relax?

Hello? Have you seen my blog? Other than wasting my evenings on the Internet, I like gardening and being by the sea.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

Having enough money to not need to work.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ok, so that was actually Ferris Bueller, but he's right isn't he?

I tag in turn:

Alli at Mum2Four

Kerry at MultipleMummy

Sabina at DeepinMummyMatters

Jennie at Esther and William in the World

'My Refrigerator' or 'The Most Bizarre Post I've Ever Done'

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This is quite possibly the most surreal meme that I have ever taken part in. I'm not going to pretend to understand it, in fact I'm not entirely sure that there is a reason to it other than "why the hell not?"

I have been tagged by the chirpy chappy that is Garry from The Blog Up North to photograph and list the contents of my fridge and then tag some other people. I am only happy to do this because I had a delivery from Tesco's yesterday!

 

 

Organic milk, cheese and butter for The Boy, 0.75% milk for us, water filter, vegetables, fruit, salad, jam, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle, cheese (paneer, Somerset Brie, Le Roule, mozzarella, cheddar, grated cheddar, grand padona, Philadelphia), Clover, Dairylea Dunkers, Petit Filous, yoghurts, ham, opened tuna, stir-fry veg, noodles, stir-fry sauce, Onken Cherry yoghurts, Elmlea.

Think that's it!

Who do I pick on now…

Ha, good luck!

How do you perceive me? The 1 Word Meme

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This is such an incredibly difficult post to write. Not because it is making me face up to a powerful and traumatic memory, but because it is not in my nature to self-congratulate. Most people are the same.

I discussed this with the Year Four class  that I teach on Thursday mornings in my R.E. lesson. Their task was to identify their most positive personality trait, their 'gift from God'. I warned them that it was difficult, however I was pleasantly surprised how easy they found it to do. Within two minutes we had post-it notes all over the white-board with a range of personal qualities. Some of them were unrepeated: unique, thoughtful, and one child wrote weird; whilst the vast majority of the class opted for caring, kind and helpful. I Found it really interesting that not only do they perceive themselves as that, but that's what they wanted others to see in them.

So if children can do it, why can't adults? I know it's in our nature to be self-deprecating but not this time!

The lovely Michelle over at MummyFromTheHeart has decided that we all need a little positivity and congratulations in our life. As I look out of the window at the dull, grey weather brought to us at this miserable time of year, I am inclined to agree with her that we need a way of lifting out spirits. In the lady's own words (please excuse the editing):

"…an email I received a few years back … was about the power of positive affirmations and how knowing what positive things others think of you can boost your own self-esteem.  It talked of an inspirational teacher who got all her children to write one positive word down to describe the other children in the class and then they had to hand them in.  The teacher then collated all the positive words for each child into a special sheet for them and handed it to them to read and keep.  They learnt that their peers saw them in ways they had never imagined and it had an immense effect on them…

Well, what about if us bloggers and virtual friends did something similar?  How marvellous would we all feel to learn these new facets of ourselves that we did not know existed… If people are kind enough to give us a compliment we should be gracious enough to accept it…. and why not go one step further and actually go out and ask for it?

Well that is what I want us all to do.  I am creating a meme, called the 1 Word Meme and I would love for every one of us to be able to collate all the the positive words left by our real life friends, virtual friends and fellow bloggers so that we each have a sheet of positive affirmations to treasure and boost our self-esteem."

Then she tagged me. I am incapable of saying no to someone if they ask for help or ask me to do something. It comes from my need to be thought positively. Therefore you'd think tagging me would be a good thing, it may affirm my need to be liked. Here's the killer though, <shhh> what if no-one likes me enough to respond? (Excuse me while I hyperventilate a second).

So here's what you have to do:

– Just write one word in the comments box below to finish this sentence off (and please be nice, or I might cry)

TheBoyandMe is…

And because this is a meme I have to tag people and challenge them to do the same. So I challenge you:

Please be kind to me.

5 Things That Make You Feel Good

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I have been tagged by two lovely people in the past 24 hours; the original author Scottish Mum, and by Jennie at NairnNicuJournal. Seeing as though two of them have tagged me now, I'd better have a go!

The rationale behind the blog-hop is this: "I have seen lots of posts about what we struggle with, or things that we like to do, and I’d like to find out a bit more information about all of you. This is my way of doing it. I am looking forward to visiting some of you on the blog hop.”

Unfortunately, she's been cruel and set rules! I hate rules! Especially when they rule out things that I was going to choose! Ho-hum!

What you cannot choose.  The Rules are Simple

We all know that blogging/facebook/twitter is in our arena of what we like to do, so I am going to rule them out as one of the 5 that you can post about. They really are not very girly. Likewise, phones, computers, ipads are all out of the running. I am challenging myself to this, as I am really not a girly girly type of person, and I want to find that within myself. It’s not all about power suits, filofaxes, ipads and designer phones. If you want to pass this along, pick bloggers that you want to find out more about, and challenge them to write up their 5 secret passions that make them feel good. The idea is to lift our spirits this week. The fact that there is a linky added, just makes it all the more worthwhile in doing.

See? That's completely screwed it up for me: I was going to choose my blog, my phone, twitter, and my iPod. Quite frankly, bugger!

So having thought long-ish and hard-ish about it, I have come up with these as my top 5:

  1. The Boy: Simple really. He makes me feel good because he makes me happy, one look at his little face fills my heart with joy and happiness, and an overwhelming realisation that he is my purpose in life. I know that's corny, don't worry I'll balance it out!
  2. Spring and the approach of Summer: Glancing out the kitchen window and realising that the sky is blue and cloudless. Oh and look, the plants that have laid dormant all monochrome Winter are shooting. Popping out for a walk up to town rather than driving, feeling the sun on your face and having to take your coat off because actually it's quite warm.
  3. Chocolate and cheese: Not together, that would be grim! Basically any chocolate but preferably milk or white. Or mint. Or dark. Or orange. You get the picture. As for cheese; yum! I'm currently sat here eating cheddar on crackers with apple chutney, and Le Roule on wheat-crackers. Yum!
  4. Going out for the day with my hubby and The Boy: I love the Sunday Outing. They should be resurrected big time. We do try and make the effort to get out for a few hours and have a little outing as a family on the weekend. I can't wait for the weather to improve so we can pop to the farm centres and adventure parks around the area. And of course, the south Wales beaches and make sandcastles all day long!
  5. Reading: I'm not even going to pretend to be a 'War and Peace' girl! I am talking Belinda Jones (my favourite), Jill Mansell, Katie Fforde and Sophie Kinsella (but not the Shopaholic books, can't stand them). They take me out of myself for half an hour, and Belinda Jones novels in particular are invariably set in a fabulous location, which has quite often dictated our holiday locations. Hubby groans inwardly when he sees me reading another one of hers. However since having The Boy, our holidays are limited to this country, so she needs to write one set in Bognor or it's not happening anymore!

So that's it, I've finished waffling. I would like to tag the following people because I love their blogs and want to know something different about them!


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