I am a sheep....

I have proven myself weak and have buckled under peer pressure and have read Fifty Shades of Grey / Darker / Freed.

Part of me is horrified that I gave in so easily but part of me is secretly pleased with myself that I read it.

I know it's not a brilliant book, her writing will never win awards and at times I do want to slap both Ana and Christian (though I admit both of them might enjoy that a little too much) it was a fun read and something I definitely would talk about with others, even if it has been called 'Mummy Porn'.

I'm calling it my guilty pleasure and it's now amongst my list of books I know I can just read when I don't have time to get involved with what I'm reading and can use it to pass the time as it's not deep and it's not time consuming. 

Great dislike for those women in the hair dye adverts

It's never as glamorous doing it yourself as they make it seem.

Happy New mobile to me

<p>An early upgrade fee may have been paid but I'm pleased to announce that I now have a phone that's not trying to die and I'm so chuffed with it I keep killing the battery each day cause I can't stop footering with it.</p>
<p>It's an HTC one x and I'm in love! I've also got the all you can eat data because I'm on 3 so I'm all excited by that too.

Can't wait to see what else this phone is capable of other than blogging on the go, of course.

Feeling like a failure...

One of our twins has a cavity and it was my dental nurse sister that discovered it so of course I'm the worst in the world and she's letting me know exactly what she thinks.

I've done my best, I've limited sweet stuff and sugary treats, our daughters eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, they drink lots of milk, lots of water, they don't drink fizzy stuff and if they drink any diluted juice it's so watered down it's coloured water.

They brush their teeth as much as possible and it's something they enjoy doing, it's not a struggle to get them brushing but still everything I've done and am trying to do isn't good enough.

I'm a failure, my best isn't good enough and I'm not sure what to do.

I know that if I'm such a bad mother feeding them loads of sweets etc that both our daughters would have a cavity but it's only one of them so I must be doing something right somewhere but that's not good enough for my sister.

I'm feeling very miserable right now and a little depressed but I hope it won't last too long. I'll just have to get over this and do better than my best to make sure the rest of her teeth stay ok.

Holding a dessert and wii party instead of a typical hen party

My little sister is getting married in a couple of months time and instead of a typical hen party I've asked if she'd rather have a dessert and wii party because she doesn't really drink and she rarely goes out to a pub or club so a party full of her favourite things seemed to be a great idea.

I'm having trouble deciding what to make for this dessert party though, there are just so many options!!

Definitely there will be chocolate brownies (without blowing my own trumpet everyone loves them and they're the most popular thing I make), there will also be chocolate mousse because it just seems like such a party treat to have and without a doubt there will be pavlova, it's not a party in our family unless there's a pavlova!

Everything else I'm not so sure of though.

Quite possibly a lemon tart because it can't all be chocolate and I know she'll like it.

Found a recipe for buttermilk tart in a Hairy Biker's book which would be different.

Cupcakes, so everyone can take something home.

Chocolate chip cookies so if anyone wants they can have cookie and ice cream sandwiches.

Truffles maybe and was thinking that everyone could make their own and decorate them however they want.

After that I'm a little stuck for ideas and inspiration is lacking.

Who knew deciding on what desserts to make would be so difficult. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

1st night in their big girl beds....

From this...

To this...

Only joking, to this really...

It's absolutely terrifying and nerve-wracking and completely unfair that our babies are now old enough for their cot beds to be turned into beds.

Tonight is their 1st night in their big girl beds and even though they're asleep right now (it took 1.5hrs and me having to get into bed with them because Miss A just wanted cuddled and I wouldn't hold her and this was a compromise though I actually think she won more than me compromising to be honest), I'm sure they won't spend the whole night in bed now they can get in and out as they please.

With me getting into their bed tonight I know I've started something that I really didn't want to and I'm sure there are some of you out there shouting at me for doing it, I completely deserve it I know, but we'll see how it goes for a wee bit and as long as they don't expect their Daddy to get into the beds with them it should be ok for a while.

I'll just have to get them used to going to sleep by themselves, I don't mind it taking some time, with everything with our twins it'll all happen when they're ready for it and not when we'd like it to happen.

Just to prepare myself though, how did or do you deal with the transition from cot to bed? Do you have any tips or tricks that might be of some use when dealing with our twins' bedtime?

Thank you, xXx

Not sure what possessed me...

...but I decided to scrub the living room floor (it was in dire need of a good scrubbing) and I've only managed a quarter of the floor and I'm knackered!

My knees are aching, my back is throbbing and my dodgy hip (or whatever it is that I hurt when I fell down the stairs ages ago) hates me.

Think I'll be scrubbing in stages tonight or I'll never get it all done before the hubbie gets home from work and despite the fact he's not my favourite person at the mo (something along the lines of nothing gets done in this house and it's all up to him, idiot) I don't want to leave it for him to do in the morning.

I should really think twice before I take these notions into my head, seriously.

Wordless Wednesday - I'm too good to these rowdies

Wordless Wednesday Fun!!

Another glorious day in Larne!

Nothing else for it but to spend the day in the garden.

Weather for Larne

Monday 28 May 2012

5 day forecast

Today

Sunny

Temperature: 11 C to 22 C

Wind Speed: 15 mph

Wind direction: South east

Tomorrow

Sunny

Temperature: 11 C to 19 C

Wind Speed: 12 mph

Wind direction: South east

Wordless Wednesday - Where's the roundabout?!

Time for me....

The girls are at their Granny and Granda's for the night, hubbie is at work for another couple of hours so it's just me for a while.

Bubble bath is ready, kindle is turned on, I'm ready for a couple hours peace and quiet thank you very much!

Bad couple of days...

The girls and I have had a bad couple of days, some of it is definitely all of my fault and a small bit of it is theirs.

I've been sick for nearly a fortnight now, been on antibiotics since last Monday and they aren't helping much, the asthma is just messing me about and instead of my chest infection moving in the usual direction it's actually going somewhere completely different and it's thrown me for a loop.

I'm out of sorts because of that, add in a tight chest and some wheezing, plus the serious lack of sleep and even Freddie Kruger would think twice about coming near me.

Our girls have had a bit of a cold (the joy of twins, if one is sick they both get sick) and they've been pretty much house-bound and are going a little stir crazy, hubbie is also having to use my car because his failed mot and is waiting to get an auto-spark to look at his before he can get it re-tested so we couldn't have gotten anywhere anyway.

The past couple of days has more or less just been constant screaming from either one or the other and at really bad times from both at the same time and I'm at the end of my tether.

Nothing is working to distract them, I can't get anything right and they're refusing to help in anyway. Even something as simple as having a drink has turned into a major tragedy and ends up being poured over the place because they want something other than what they're allowed (though they won't tell me what it is they want and they're usually brilliant at letting me know these things).

I'm at the bawling my eyes out stage and despite hubbie saying I need to talk to him more about how I'm feeling I can't, his answer is always to send them up to his mum and dad but I don't want them anywhere near them! They're in their seventies and not able to cope more than they already do and apart from that each time the girls are up there they always come home scared of something else e.g. they used to love dogs now when one barks they freak out, and spiders were a source of entertainment because they loved incy-wincy spider but now they're so scared of them they barely sing that song anymore (mother-in-law is scared of these things and I've heard her tell them that they're scared of them too, she doesn't even realise she's doing it and yes we've said to her to stop it she hasn't).

Fingers crossed for a better start to the new week than how the old one ended, and if I can't have a better start can I at least have a big bar of chocolate, a thing of squirty cream, proper home-made rice pudding and a couple packets of mango chunks from Tesco?

How do you remove crayon from your kitchen table?

Thanks to my little darlings 'missing' the blank white paper completely I now have a table covered with their crayon scribbles (or mark-making as it's meant to be called now).

I can't get it shifted at all!!

Any advice and tips would be most welcome.

There's also some finger paint on the table that didn't get wiped up when it was still wet, would anyone know how to remove it also?

Thank you!

Can't figure it out...

How do you add buttons etc to your blog?

I've tried reading the blogger help stuff and I've googled it as well but I just cannot manage it!!

I've a couple of buttons I'd like to add to my blog like the Goodreads.com one and the Britmums one but I just cannot do it at all.

Is there a dummies guide out there for a dummy right here?

Mummy's boobs

I was just randomly thinking back to what we were doing roughly this time last week and I started giggling.

We were at the swimming pool in the Haven Holiday Park of Craig Tara and Miss C wanted to come with me whilst I got dried and dressed so she came into the cubicle with me and I start to strip and get dried as quick as possible because hubbie and Miss A were waiting on me.

Miss C shouts as loud as she can "Mummy's boobs, look!!"

There was silence and then a smattering of giggles from across the changing room, the loudest of all coming from the cubicle right beside me that held my mother-in-law.

I wasn't embarrassed as my daughters are slightly obsessed with my chest and like to point it out as often as possible but the swimming pool has family changing rooms meaning men and women share this area and as I left the cubicle I caught the men all glancing at my boobs quite obviously, they weren't hiding what they were doing in front of my husband. Thankfully he was so busy listening to Miss C rambling on that he never noticed so I didn't have to listen to his jealousy but my goodness my daughters know how to pick their moments!

Was that really me?

Did I hear those words coming out of my mouth or was I possessed by some confused, troublesome spirit who thought they'd test my strength and push me further than I've been pushed before?

Did I really offer to give up a weekend in London, with the chance to see a West End Show (bearing in mind I've been wanting to do this forever!!!), in September to spend five days in Haven Holiday Park with my in-laws?

Did I really offer to give up a weekend of naughtiness (the kind of naughtiness you only vaguely remember having before you have children) to spend a frigid week scared to even kiss my hubbie on the cheek whilst sharing a caravan with possibly my mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, sis-in-law's husband and maybe even our niece and her fiancé?

What on earth was I thinking?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I'm having a pity party...

...anyone want to join me?

My chest is pretty tight but my inhalers aren't easing it any.

My voice is croaky and rough and is on the verge of disappearing.

I'm dizzy and floaty feeling.

I'm not interested in eating but I'm getting hungry.

I haven't seen my girls all day because I've been upstairs in bed and they've been out visiting their Granny in Belfast and now they're having their nap on the sofa - I don't really want to go near them incase I pass something along but I could really do with a hug.

To sum up:

I'M MISERABLE!!!!!!!!

Survival

That was the name of the game the past week.

On holiday with my husband, twin toddlers, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law and her husband. This could be considered by some their worst nightmare and at times I would definitely have agreed!!

Saying that it wasn't all bad, mother-in-law kicked straight into granny-mode and took charge of the girls so hubbie and I could spend some time together and also so we could go out for the evening with hubbie's sister and her husband but at times it did feel like I didn't get to see my daughters at all.

Can't have it both ways I suppose.

I'm just thankful I survived the week as fun as it was at times I'm glad we're back home.

Silent Sunday

fed-up and ready to go home

Being terrorised by a 4 year old...

...and she's not even family!

She lives in a couple of houses down and I've let her come in a couple of times to play with the girls, as long as her Mummy agrees 1st but today she's being a little nightmare!

To start with I had to chase her twice when our girls were going down for their nap because every time they heard her they woke up again and then after their naps she let herself into the house whilst I was in the bath and hubbie was on the phone in the kitchen and her Mummy didn't even know where she was.

Now, since 7pm I've chased her a few times, I've shouted through the window for her to stay away from the window because I was trying to get the girls into their jammies and start their wind down but she keeps coming over regardless of what I say to her.

There's just no telling her!

Her Mummy says to just tell her to go away if she's annoying me but it's not working and I don't want to have to get any sterner with her than I already have because she's only 4 and by the looks of it she's an only child so is just wanting the company but she's starting to bug the life out of me when I'm trying to keep our girls on schedule and routine is seriously important for our twins, if we veer off course then it's a nightmare trying to get back on.

Oh what to do!!

Daunting task ahead....

I must entertain not only two toddlers on a four hour boat journey but also a husband with a short attention span.

Eeeeeeeekkk!!!!!!!!!!

At least I've got the girlies sorted, well at least I hope I've got them sorted with a colouring book each, a drawing pad each, some stickers and a whole load of crayons, but the hubbie is a different matter all together. He can't sit and read the way I love to, he can't go for a dander because all three of us would have to go with him incase he sees something that he must absolutely share with us, and I can't push him over the edge of the deck because knowing my luck we won't be allowed out.

I'll have plenty of snacks with me, we can get cups of tea and juice on the boat and as a last resort I've a secret stash of chocolate already in my bag just waiting on the first squeal of grumpiness to be heard (this more than likely will be from the hubbie and not the daughters).

I'm completely and utterly dreading the boat in the morning.

4 black bags full

Was feeling brave and I finally have cleared the comfy, slouchy clothes I've been wearing since I was pregnant and continued to wear right up until yesterday I'm ashamed to admit. They're all packed up and ready to be taken to a charity shop.

I have been a slummy mummy, not the yummy mummy I should be so clearing out all of those clothes is the 1st step to yumminess!

I'm trying to not snack as much unless it's the fruit and veg I give the girls and instead of turning to fizzy drinks I'm trying to drink tea (don't take sugar in my tea so I don't have to worry about cutting that out of my diet) and water which is quite easy to do because I tend to drink a lot of water during the day anyway, it's just when I'm out and about that I rely on fizzy drinks.

Exercise is a bit of an issue for me because I keep hurting my back/slash hip (I feel down the stairs about 4 years ago and hurt myself pretty badly and my body likes to remind me of it now and again) so I'm doing what I can including using the Wii Fit Plus and dancing about the house with our girls which is very easy to do because they love to have a bop about the place.

And with us going on hols on Monday to Haven Holiday Park, Craig Tara, then I'll also get a lot of walking done so my bum will appreciate all of my effort, I hope!!

How to tell I'm a home alone Mummy

For my tea

For my viewing pleasure Carmine Giovinazzo in CSI: NY

All rounded off with a cuppa and a lovely cinnamon bun whilst curled up on the sofa wrapped in a cuddly blanket.

Ahh peace and quiet!!

Blog Envy

I read the instructions and advice (four times), I completed each step slowly and carefully, I swore a lot, threatened my laptop with everything from being doofed across the floor to allowing our toddlers at it, but still I cannot seem to add widgets etc to my blog. I cannot add anything personal to make it seem more mine than just a template already set up.

I have complete and utter blog envy, I torture myself looking at what everyone else has but cannot manage for myself.

I'm going to leave it for a while, maybe when I return to the design of my blog I'll be in a more positive frame of mind and more willing and able to attempt what has been so far the impossible and turn it into the possible and have the blog I'd like to have.

If that fails I'll just have to ask someone nicely, bribe them with home-made chocolate brownies or call in a favour and get them to do it for me. I'd rather do it myself though, the sense of accomplishment would be wonderful!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm married to an oul' fart

Hubbie turns 38 this Thursday the 26th and already he's complaining about how old he's getting.

He's been looking at all of his grey hairs (he's got loads, almost the same amount as his 74 year old Dad and it's really bugging him).

He's starting to talk about how old he's looking when he sees himself in the mirror.

My response to his moaning - I start giggling and call him an oul' fart.

Not the most supportive I grant you but I just cannot help it, if he stopped reminding me that I'm turning 30 this year then maybe I'll be a bit more sympathetic but until then all I can do is hide my giggles and make sure he has a brilliant birthday with the 3 gorgeous ladies in his life.

1001Sheets.com - Free Piano Sheet Music

1001Sheets.com - Free Piano Sheet Music

Just found this online and I'm loving it. Can't wait to spend some time reading through all the sheet music that has been added and I look forward to downloading some pieces to play.

Maybe inspiration will strike for what to play at my niece's wedding!

Reasons to be Cheerful - 19.04.2012

Thank you as always to Mummy From the Heart.
I'm not sure what to be thankful for this week. Hubbie lost his job, he's pretty down about it and I'm starting to feel the strain trying to keep moral up for both of us.
So in light of all the depressing stuff that's happening in our household this week I think my reasons to be cheerful should be completely frivolous and just for a giggle to put a smile on my face, and hopefully a smile on yours as you read it.
1.Housework is getting done!!!With Hubbie out of work it means our house will be spotless (well as spotless as our monsters will allow anyway!). He's already gutted the hot press, he's washed every dish in the house, the living room floor has been cleared, today he's finishing the ironing and on Sunday, weather depending, he's going to be doing some gardening for me.Now if only I could get him to cook every meal I'd be a lady of leisure about the house.
2.We have a kingsize duvet for our double bed.For anyone who shares a bed with a quilt hogger you'll understand the bliss having a larger quilt for your bed than is necessarily required.
3.Stickers!Stickers are the currency of choice in our house and if it wasn't for these delightful sticky pictures I'd never get a minutes peace, especially on the days our girls don't nap. Our girls go crazy for them and I'm not sure what we would've done if we hadn't discovered them months ago.Thank you sticker makers wherever you are, you've helped preserve my sanity (well for a little while longer anyway).

Hubbie lost his job today

Needless to say he's devastated and so am I though we knew it would be a possibility.

I only work 8 hours a week because we can't afford childcare for our twins and that's definitely not enough to get us by.

Haven't a clue what we're going to do but it looks like I'm searching for a full-time job and we'll just have to work out the childcare if I'm successful. As for Hubbie, I'm starting to search for him as well but he's in a terrible state right now.

Just hope I can be strong enough for the both of us.

Disney Channel - good or bad?

Special Agent Osu never listens and actually endangers himself during training - should we trust him to teach our children how to do things?

Mickey Mouse says 'Uh-huh, yeah' - do I really want my girls to grow up thinking that's the proper way to speak?

Curious George always gets into trouble and never gets reprimanded - is he teaching children it's ok to be naughty because you'll get away with it?

I know they're only cartoons and a bit of fun but the more I see of the Disney Channel the more I'm loving Cbeebies (nothing to do with the fact I've a bit of a crush on Mr Bloom and Justin Fletcher, it's all for the good of our twins, of course :D ).

What a day....

...can't wait to get out into it!

view from the porch

out the back

lovely blue sky

Reasons to be cheerful

Thank you Mummy from the Heart.
1.The bin men arrived!! This in itself isn't all that thrilling but knowing the nappies my monsters have produced the past fortnight I'm so thankful the bin men weren't late or off because it was getting rough out the back!
Roll on potty training is all I can say, it'll mean fewer nappies in the bin!
2.I didn't have an asthma attack. This time last week I couldn't breath and was halfway to having an asthma attack but thank goodness for my inhalers and both my Mother-in-Law and my Mummy for taking the girls for me so I could look after myself instead of chasing about after the monsters.
3.Speaking of the monsters, they are one of my reasons to be cheerful. They're healthy, happy and in the mood to mess about just like they should be. Stuff any mess they make, it can be brushed up, as long as they're having fun that's all that matters.

I look forward to reading everyone elses reasons to be cheerful

Titanic Belfast

We have been to Titanic Belfast and thoroughly enjoyed it (despite the fact I cannot stand hearing about the Titanic which is unfortunate considering I married a Titanic nut!).

We had gotten hubbie tickets for Titanic Belfast as part of his Christmas present and I thought that I was being clever and picking the last Saturday in March thinking that the initial rush would be over, of course I didn't read it right and ended up choosing the opening day, my goodness what a crush!

Hubbie enjoyed himself immensely and I enjoyed all the history surrounding Titanic, the era it was build in, the work involved, the people associated with the building and operation of the ship, just didn't like the bit about it sinking and especially didn't like reading about the body of a two year old boy being found - this definitely struck a chord with us as our twins are now two and it greatly upset us.

For the interactive ride there was a very long queue, it was having a few malfunctions not surprising considering it was the 1st day of the exhibition but we stood for well over an hour waiting on it. The staff, or crew as they were called, were as helpful as could be, offering to take us on to the next bit and maybe coming back to see the ride later if we wanted but we said we were ok to stand, and then a while later more crew came up and asked again if we wanted to skip it offering us 50% off vouchers on our next visit because of our delay if we did want to move on.

The gift shop was pricey, but then they always are in places like this, some lovely pieces of jewellery and Belleek had some gorgeous pieces that I would've loved to have brought home but 1. we couldn't afford them and 2. we don't have anywhere to put them so we just had to leave them be.

The one thing I'm sorely disappointed over is that we didn't get to see the staircase, it's not part of the exhibition so I understand why lots of people are up in arms that one of the guys from JLS got to see it and tweeted a pic of himself infront of the staircase:

So unfair and it makes me wonder why the staircase is part of the advertising if it's not open for public viewing. Just goes to show that the paying customer isn't that important, it's the hype that celebrities can bring is the real issue here. 

Maybe someday we'll all get to see the staircase because really that's the one thing I was most looking forward to.

 

 
 

Empty Office

Work is closed this week because of Easter and I'm the only one in.

If I wasn't off sick last week on the one and only day I work I wouldn't be in either, I'd be at home preferably still curled up in bed whilst hubbie takes the kids to his Mum's for the day letting me have a day to myself after the mare of a day I had yesterday (dunno what was up with our girls but the terrible twos were rearing their naughty little heads).

Instead of enjoying the peace and quiet I'm in work about to try and keep busy in work for 8 hours in complete silence because I cannot get my speakers working on my computer. Not amused.

So if any of you are out enjoying the sunshine think of me stuck in the office, with only the tick tock of the wall clock to keep me company, slowly counting down the minutes until I get out of here.

Baking up a storm

Going to the in-laws for lunch tomorrow, which will turn into an all day thing once everyone arrives and though we're all having a proper lunch, teatime is a very casual affair with just bits and pieces put out and everyone helps themselves as and when they want to.

My Mummy-in-law already has a load of the party foods from Iceland for teatime and one of my Sis-in-laws will also be providing things like that whilst the other Sis-in-law always brings her pasta salad (it's very yummy) but I never get to bring anything, I always get told that they have everything they need and I don't have to worry myself.

My answer to this is to bake something so naughty and so tempting that they'll forget about everything that's already there and just want to eat what I've brought.

I'm bad, I know.

Usually I just get told to bring one of my cakes and I'm usually ok with that but lately I've been told not to bring anything, I'm starting to wonder if they're doing it on purpose just so I will make something naughty for them.

So on my baking agenda today we have, oat and raisin cookies, pavlova, meringues, chocolate brownies and maybe something else if time allows.

Guilt

The Committee Member for our area put the latest Prayer Diary and Communion Token through our door last night and as I sit here reading through it I'm filled with guilt that I haven't been to Church in quite a while.

Everyone says it's understandable what with our girls not sleeping through the night and most nights not going to bed until at least 11pm but still I should've been making more of an effort.

I try to be a good Christian and I know that I'm not but I also know that as long as God knows I'm trying that's all that matters, what others think of me isn't important.

Wordless Wednesday

2 year assessment

Just off the phone with our health visitor's assistant arranging appointments for our twins to have their 2 year assessments.

This will be an interesting 40 mins.

Unless any either of my parent's in law come down on the train the morning of the appointments I'll be taking the girls myself so that definitely means double trouble!!

Have to say I'm a little surprised because the last time I was talking to the health visitor she told me that they came out to the house to observe the toddlers in their own environment rather than their office so I was expecting her to ask when they could come out instead of us coming in to see them.

Oh well, where it happens doesn't matter as long as it happens.

30

I don't want to be thirty-something, I like being twenty-something.

I don't want to turn 30 this year, simple as that.

I'm not going willingly, there will be moaning, wailing, gnashing of teeth and plenty of alcohol to ease my reluctant passage into my thirties.

Headaches....

...leave me alone!!

I can't seem to avoid them at the moment but just for one day I'd like to be headache free. One day isn't too much to ask, is it?

9 times out of 10 my headaches are caused by my blood pressure going up and there's not much I can do about that, I haven't been on the 300mg Irbesartan long enough to see if it's doing any good yet so I can't really go back to the Nurse Practitioner until she calls for me, but at least I know why I'm getting the headaches which is much better than sitting wondering what on earth is wrong with me.

Maybe it's just a settling in period I'm going through as up until recently I was only taking 150mg and because it wasn't doing much good the dosage was doubled and that's bound to knock me about for a wee while until my body is used to the increase. Fingers crossed that's the reason for the headaches because I don't want to have to change tablets or get the dosage increased, again.

Top 5 Beauty Products

Thanks to Kate Takes 5 as always for the great idea!

1. Vaseline Lip Therapy Original 

I carry a pot of this everywhere I go, it helps keep my lips smooth and kissable and having soft lips definitely is a confidence booster. It's also handy for when we're out and about and our girlies ezcema is looking particularly sore, just a little dabbed on helps ease it until we get home.

2. No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Dry/Very Dry Skin

I discovered this a couple of weeks ago and I'm loving it!

As my girls are getting older I'm getting less time to put any make up on, especially when it's just us three in the house so this has definitely been a God send. I specially love that it comes in three different skin ranges so I'm able to pick which one suits me most.

3. St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub

The best facial exfoliator I know of, my Mummy told me about it and I'll be passing it onto our daughters when they're old enough also.

4. Max Factor Masterpiece MAX Mascara

My eyelashes are quite dark and long anyway but I love having dramatic eyelashes because I've been complimented on my eyes since I was no age and as I sometimes don't like my smile my eyes need to speak for me and draw any attention away from my mouth.

5. Sudocrem

I know this is the 'in' product for celebrities but we've been using this for years, not only is it good for nappy rashes but it's definitely a panacea for all ills, or skin complaints in this case, everything from dry skin to spots, it's there!

Wasp!

Opened the living room curtains and there it was sitting on the window outside (excuse the dirty window, the girlies decided they needed a new canvas for their art work and the crayon isn't coming off all that well!)

wasp on our living room window

Can't open this window now incase it flies in, spiders don't bother me but wasps scare the bejesus out of me!

I need Alan Titchmarsh...

Our garden is a dreadful sight I'm ashamed to admit.

When this house was built it was used as the show house and the garden had a water feature, a couple of trees and some lovely bushes all placed to advantage, then someone moved in and it was barely looked at again other than to get the grass cut. When we moved in almost 2 years ago we didn't know there was a water feature because the weeds had grown over the protective sheeting that had been laid to discourage weeds and everything was so overgrown it was a complete mess.

Last year we tried to tidy it up and we succeeded a little bit, mostly by cutting everything back, cutting down a few of the trees because they were getting a little dangerous and by discovering the abandoned water feature (not sure how they worked it because there's no outside tap or water connection to be found anywhere) and other than a few planted pots and hanging baskets etc nothing else was done.

This year however, with our girls now being 2 and loving the outdoors, it is imperative we provide a safe and secure garden for them to play in and it's a little beyond me how on earth I'm going to manage it!

Must take pics and let you all see what I have to work with and fingers crossed my Alan Titchmarsh (aka my Mummy) will help me work miracles.

Words I hate to type

I work in the construction industry and do a lot of typing for tenders, applications, various letters here and there plus I have to design a lot of spreadsheets for in-house use and I love typing all of this stuff because I know I'm good at it and I'm the person everyone in the office will come to when they need something typed, there's a couple of guys in here who'll deliberately wait for me to be in work before they'll get their typing done and that secretly pleases me, they would rather I did their typing and not one of the other girls, I'm all chuffed about that.

Despite my obvious pleasure there are a few words I absolutely hate typing and at the mo I'm having to type them over and over again as a type out some terms and conditions for my MD and I just have to let it all out before I start shouting at the pages in front of me!

Commencement

Subcontractor

Contractor

Liabilities

Notified

I don't know why but I just hate having to type those words, my fingers are starting to trip over themselves after typing these silly words over and over again.

Just a shame that these words are the words I must type most often working in the industry that I do, there's just nothing I can do to avoid it.

Being a tea lady

On Tuesday night I get to be one of the tea ladies along with my Sister and Cousin to help my wee Brother and my Uncle out at their installation. Election results are being announced to the Lodge in front of the higher ranking Brothers and being the dutiful females of the family we must oblige them with tea, sandwiches and buns after the meeting draws to a close with a final prayer.

All of a sudden I'm feeling very grown up. The last time I did this I helped my Granny and Mummy helped as well but this time I'll kinda be in charge and I'm part excited part terrified, especially as I don't know how to work the huge water boiler/urn thingy they have in the hall that's ancient!

I've been rummaging through the back of my head trying to think of what tray bake recipes I have. Most of the men present will be men my Grandfather's age, God bless his soul, so they'll appreciate something home-made rather than shop bought and I love to bake but there are so many brilliant recipes I just can't decide on what to make for them.

Must remember to take plenty of sandwich bags with me in case anyone wants to take whatever is left home with them because the wives etc. of the Lodge members will hopefully be providing stuff as well.

5 Reasons I Know I'm a .........

Mother of Twins

Thanks to Kate Takes 5 for this week's suggestion.

1.

My handbag now resembles a small suitcase when I'm not taking the changing bag out with us, it must be big enough to fit a day's worth of nappies, baby wipes, at least two cuddly toys, and goodness knows how many stickers and note pads to keep the girls entertained.

2.

I can make tea whilst carrying both of my girls, okay well not so much now that they're two, but I was able to make a full meal, complete with a mug of tea each when our girls were smaller without needing to put them down in their bouncers.

3.

I have to drive a Vectra just to fit their pram into the car. I had to give up my beloved Corsa when our girls were a couple of months old because their pram was just far too big to fit into the car.

4.

People give me more pitying looks than they would a Mummy of a single child. The oh dear how on earth do you cope conversation is heard at least once a day when we're out and about and the amount of silly questions I get asked is beyond the joke, but I've learnt to smile, nod and agree and then walk away before they hear me laughing at them.

5.

I have 5 scars to prove it! Not only do I have a caesarean scar to show for carrying around my bundles of joy I also have 4 scars from needing to have my gall bladder out, according to the surgeon carrying twins gave me gall stones because of the build up of calcium floating around my body and I ended up having to have it removed as the stones just wouldn't stop getting stuck. Funny how no-one warned me about this during my pregnancy but after it they all talked about it like I should've been aware it was a possibility. 

1 flu, 2 colds and a sore throat

That about sums up my week.

Hubbie is down with a flu-like illness, our twins have a bad cold each, and I'm fighting a sore throat and hoping it won't turn into anything worse as we can't afford for me to get sick with Hubbie starting his new job on Monday.

It's been nothing but colds, chest infections and sniffles in our house since Christmas and I'm looking forward to the day when we all wake up and there's not a runny nose in sight, green is fast becoming a colour I hate.

Fingers crossed it's something that by the weekend it'll be easing up and all three of my monsters will be up and running again by next week.

Then they were 2!!!!

Tomorrow our twins turn 2!!!

Oh my goodness where on earth has the time gone?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Just thinking about the past two years makes my caesarean 'wound' (as the midwives kept referring to it) ache.

(Picture taken 27th February 2012 with their Great Nana & Great Nanda, it was Nana's 80th birthday)

Tomorrow is just for the four of us, though we will be doing the rounds visiting Grandparents and Great-Grandparents and I'm sure my sister, the self-proclaimed favourite Auntie (she really is the favourite Auntie and the girlies make sure everyone is aware of it) will be up after work to see her girlies. Inbetween visits we'll be taking them to Victoria Square to have a nosy round the Build-A-Bear Workshop and see if anything catches their eyes and then onto Frankie & Bennys for some nom noms.

Fingers crossed between all the visiting and dandering about we'll knacker the pair of them and they'll sleep through the night as they've a busy weekend coming up with a bouncy castle birthday party being held in our Church Hall for them both (courtesy of the favourite Auntie).