Author: Scottish Mum

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Guest Post – Cash in the attic? Turn unwanted items into extra pocket money.

This is a Featured Guest Post, and it makes sense to look at our old dusty belongings that simply ship from home to home with us when we move.  Perhaps these dusty old relics could be put to better use, and really turn into cash in the attic. 

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Many people feel that to make a house a home, they need to fill it with all the earthly possessions they’ve ever come across. And, while it can be nice to be surrounded memories and lovely items, they could probably be put to better use.

There’s a reason that things tend to go in the attic, and it’s not because you want everybody to see them. Sure, photo albums of weddings, your children growing up and Christmas decorations are placed there to save room, but in the attic and across the home there will be items that could add to your pocket-money.

With the economy not looking likely to change anytime soon, cashing in on these things can do anything from helping the kids go on school trips to raising money for the holiday fund. Whether it’s time to get the antiques down to the auction room or you can start selling DVDs with musicMagpie, now’s the time to start the Spring clean. Read on for five of the best items to sell.

  • Memorabilia – Remember that time you were lucky enough to go and watch Queen on tour and bought some items, or you were given that Bruce Springsteen Born to Run t-shirt as a present? Well, do you still need it? Are you a big collector? Of course, it brings back great memories to you but do you really need to keep it? T-shirts, especially from the bigger bands and the special tours, sell at a great price to serious collectors. With some items going for as much as £100, surely it’s better off out of your hair and put the money in the pot. Don’t forget signed football t-shirts either because they are sought after products by many – especially the vintage ones.
  • Electronics – Technology hasn’t half continued its meteoric rise over the years, and the odds on you having something in the home that you don’t use because you upgraded is pretty much odds on. Anything from a laptop to a digital camera or a smartphone could be lying around, unused. Let’s be honest, once you’ve stopped using it, you’re not going back so stick it on an auction website and see what money you can get in from it.
  • Entertainment Collection – Mixed with both of the first two points, you are bound to have CDs, DVDs and computer games that aren’t needed anymore. So, with that in mind gather them up and decide whether you should continue to have them cluttering up the home. If it’s an old LP then you might be able to get a fair amount for it or if you’ve just got a lot of average discs to get rid of then you can get a little extra pocket-money using musicMagpie to get rid of them.
  • Wedding Gear – One of the biggest sections on auction websites is for bridal wear, and there are plenty of other things from your wedding that could be sold. From ring-bearer pillows and decorations to bridesmaid and bride dresses you can usually get a few pounds for anything you had. Even if you don’t want to sell your dress, there may well be other items that are taking up space – get them shifted.
  • Exercise Equipment – Remember that time that you said you were going to go on a fitness drive? Probably not, but if you did ever invest in an exercise bike, elliptical or treadmill that is now collecting dust in the roof – consider selling it. They cost a lot brand new, so trim the price and second-hand should go for a good few quid. Tightening the belts is starting to turn into a cliché, we’ve heard it that many times. But, with everyone needing to cut back a little, there are always ways and means of earning a few extra pennies.
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Mothers Day Haul for the Scottish Mum Household from the Kids and Warner Bros.

Mothers day is a good day for some, and not such a good day for others.  Motherhood came to me by adoption, but a mother I am.  Warner Bros. came first with a fabulous box of feel good movies for me to watch (when the kids are not here) and sent through Doctor Zhivago, An American in Paris, Gone with the Wind and The Blind Side.

From the kids, came a lovely bunch of flowers, a box of Ferrero Roche chocolate, a little make up bag and a prettily decorated daffodil from my middle boy who made it at his special school.  The teachers had spent time to help him write out the card himself, and he is as proud as punch of it.

There were two little golden oscar chocolate figures in the Warner Bros. pack, of which one was a little broken, but it still ate well.

Yum said littlest who was a little worried at first by the gold coating, but it was tasty.

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Goodbye Vodafone (your customer service was poor)

To understand the background, after a very frustrating 5 hours on the phone to Vodafone to sort out the ending of our contracts, my other half with red face, and scarcely controlled temper had decided that enough was enough and tried for the second time to finish the current contracts that were actually ending.

Apparently, with Vodafone, we have to phone to cancel the contract a month before the contract ends, or they charge you another month of payments.  We called on the 20th February to make sure we had done everything right to end the contracts when they were finished on the 6th March.  We were advised that we had paid up to the end of the contract and could cancel the direct debit, so we did.  We were also told that the unlock codes for our IPhones would be with us in a few days.

We had asked about transferring our contract to a sim only deal, as we were on a high IPhone tariff which included a premium for the handset when we first took the contract, but apparently they can’t move us to a new sim only deal when this one ended as it would be cheaper than the rate we were on, and our only options with Vodafone would be to upgrade or stay on the inflated rate once our contract was actually finished.  I was speechless.  Nobody would listen to the fact that we had paid 2 years of the contract, FINISHED it, and should then be put on a new deal which didn’t include the extra price for the phone.

A few days later, messages began to appear about unpaid charges.

Calling Vodafone – NOBODY – would talk to us about the issues, unless we paid the charges first.  FIVE hours trying to sort it out was mind-blowing and nobody would put us through to supervisor to discuss the charges they now said we were due.

We eventually paid them to get to speak to someone who would talk to us, and suddenly the unlock codes would now come to us after apparently not being ordered in the first telephone call.  Then after we pay those, they now want to sting us for another month, as they said there was no record of the phone call on the 20th to cancel – that is despite several Vodafone reps saying they could see notes on the system, but that it just hadn’t been done.

Apparently this is all in the small print, but what a pity we don’t have an IPhone contract then?  They never sent us one, but we were supposed to know that the terms and conditions from an old contract would apply here too.  The calls were passed from department to department, some told us they system was down and others told us it was fine.  Very generously a UK rep finally agreed to backdate the contract termination to the 20th, so the message from me is to phone well in advance of your contract ending if you plan on moving, AND put it in writing with recorded delivery.

We were hung up on several times when being transferred and each department told us it was another departments problem.  Take note, the staff have a lovely habit of listening to one line of a statement, and then saying something like, oh that’s disconnections, then not waiting and just hitting transfer button, and disconnections would then just say, oh that’s customer service and bang, you’re on hold again.  It’s a nice trick to pass people round and round and round and round.

A ranty message on Twitter and a Vodafone rep asked if they could be of any help, but the only topics they will discuss are the unlock and pac codes and they conveniently ignore the question of the EXTRA MONTH AND A HALF OF CHARGES they have stung us for.  Nobody would talk about the fact we were told there were no more charges on the 20th February and to be honest, no matter where we move now, I will never, ever go back to Vodafone.  They’ve had nearly 20 years of service from us, and this is a poor way to end it all.

So it’s goodbye to Vodafone and I am also moving my son and my mother away too, so they have now lost 4 phones, not that they actually care of course as we are probably just a drop of pee in the chanty pot to them.

AND HELLO TO GIFF GAFF NETWORK

ps – the Giff Gaff link does open to an affiliate page – what can I say, if anyone signs up, we both get a free fiver and I really have to tell you about them later this week.

 

 

 

 

 

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Mothers Day – Crafty Tealight Candlemaking Tips for Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Making sure our mothers get a present that is fit for the fabulous job that they all do, is difficult.  Often, it is the time spent on making something that is more important than what it is that they have received.  How can we give our lovely mums something different?

Making handmade gifts lets your mum know that you think she is special and deserves the time and effort it has taken to make it.

We could:

  • Make some homemade cards.  Kids often love to make lovely things, so it’s an easy thing to do.
  • Buy one of the jars from supermarkets that have the clip on lids and make pot pourri, smelly jelly or simply fill it with her favourite sweeties as it will look much better than the shop bought cardboard versions.  After it’s made, you can tie a lovely ribbon around the neck and attack a tag.
  • Make candles..

Wooo hooo, did I mention making candles..  Ok, I’ve said before that I was going to help you all with making some basic candles, so here we go.

The very first things to learn about making candles is how to handle the materials.

Before you start making any candles, please read:

Tools for Candle Making

  • Wax melter or double boiler & Pour Pot
  • Stainless steel measuring cup if needed
  • Stirrer or wooden spoon
  • Scales
  • Thermometer
  • Scissors
  • Knife
  • A lid off a box, flat baking tray etc.

Don’t be tempted to harden your candles in a fridge.  They will cool too quickly, and the candle quality will be compromised.

Work Area

Prepare your work area.  Weigh out your wax so that you know how much you are using.  Make sure you keep records of amounts and weights for the future.  Candle making is all about testing what works for you.    Remember candles work differently with everyone in their own heat settings and environment.

What works for one may not work for someone else, ie wicks, temperatures and scents.  Keep notes so that you can replicate something wonderful and not copy what didn’t work for you.  You may think you might remember which wick, how much scent and which wax gave you a wonderful candle, but in two weeks time, you honestly won’t.

Scent and Colour

The general rule of thumb for all candle making with our chips and fragrances is

  •  Maximum 1oz scent to 1lb of wax, or the maximum of 10 percent rule.
  • With colour chips, use approximately 1chip to 1lb of wax (or less / more depending on what shade you want).  Less than 1 chip per lb will give you a lighter colour.  More than 1 chip per lb will give you a darker colour.

It is all down to testing your amounts and keeping records so that you know how to reproduce the effect that you want.

Double Boiler Wax Melting Method

This means boiling a pot of water on a heat source.  The temperature of the water will never exceed 212 deg. F.     The pour pot with the wax inside is then placed inside the boiling water.   The pouring pot is never in direct contact with the heat source and the water transmits the heat to the pouring pot quickly and evenly, without scorching the wax and minimizes the chances of a fire. Even with a double boiler, do not leave it unattended.

  1. Choose an old pot large enough to put your pouring pot into.
  2. Add an inch or two of water to the old pot.
  3. Bring to a boil.
  4. Place your pouring pot directly into this boiling water. You may wish to place a metal biscuit cutter, or something similar in the bottom of your old pot to elevate the pouring pot.
  5. Lower the heat to a simmer.
  6. Add water to replace water lost to evaporation. Do not let the double boiler run dry. It can quickly get too hot.
  7. Allow the wax to melt and monitor the temperature until you reach the temperature needed for the particular type of wax you are working with.
  8. A thermometer is a necessity when working with wax.  The temperatures that you work with can alter the burn properties of your candle.

The Nitty Gritty –  Making Tealights – Soy Wax

Materials

  • Soy wax
  • Wick
  • Glue spots
  • Fragrance Oil (optional)
  • Colour (optional)

To find out how much wax you need for each tealight, simply fill a tealight cup up with water and find out how much it holds.

Place your tealight cups on a flat surface, i.e. an old flat baking tray would do nicely and would catch any wax drips if you overpour.  Do not use it for cooking afterwards.

Leave a space between each of them, i.e. not touching.

  • Put a generous dab of your wax glue, or a glue spot onto the bottom of the sustainers attached to your tealight wicks and then stick your pretabbed wicks into the tealight cups.  Some people put  their tealight wicks in after they pour the wax, but I find that this can cause overpour.  It depends on your particular preference.

  • Melt the amount of wax you wish to use and keep a note, as it will affect the amount of scent and colour you use.
  • While your wax is melting, weigh out your scent, remembering your maximums and get your colour ready.
  • If you use half a lb of wax, use half a chip of colour.  For 1lb of wax, use one chip of colour unless you wish to have a darker or lighter colour.
  • Weigh out your scent.  For half a lb of wax, use a maximum of half an ounce of candle making fragrance oil to start off with.  Once you get the scent level you like, note it down and for future reference you will know how to reproduce   it.  Don’t think you will remember it in future, as you won’t.
  • Heat the wax to 165°F.
  • Be sure to stir/mix the wax while melting and after adding fragrance and colour.  Allow the wax to cool to your desired pour temperature, add the fragrance, colour and mix well.
  • Pour into your tealight cups.
  • Straighten any wicks that have bent over while pouring.  Do this before the skin forms.
  • Leave for a few hours to harden.
  • Your tealight is now ready for burning, but they would be best left to cure overnight if you have made scented tealights.
  • Pop it inside a tealight holder, or wrap it up to make it look pretty.

 

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Top tips to Reduce our Environmental Footprint?

My children have forced me into learning a little about what all of this is about.  Their school has an ongoing project and have a permanent ECO group which works to raise awareness and get children into the mindset of what it is all about and how we can all contribute to making it work.

Our eco footprints give a reflection on how much energy we use as a nation.   Officially, it is an estimate of the land and sea area needed to give us the energy we need to use in our lives, which includes the water, transport, food and materials we use up.

Don’t confuse your ecological footprint with your carbon footprint.   Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases we use.

In the UK, we use far more than is sustainable.  If everyone on earth lived in the same way that we do, then we would need more than 3 or 4 planets as a minimum to keep us going for the future.

The top tips to reducing your environmental footprint (as well as keeping down your bills) are:

  • Recycle, recycle, recycle.    Recycling plants seem to spring up everywhere.  Use them where you can.
  • Turn things off and don’t leave them in standby modes, ie  TV’s, computers, cookers, chargers etc.
  • Turn down central heating and water settings as even one or two degrees will make a difference long-term.
  • Insulate your loft, walls and hot water tank.  We keep hearing this, but how man of us have done it.
  • Use energy-efficient light bulbs where you can.  I have some, but sadly, my mother cannot see in the dim light they produce.  I am led to believe that the normal bulbs we grew up with will not be available soon so the choice may be taken away from us.
  • Travel where you can, by bus or train instead of car.  Car share if it is possible, and try to walk or cycle for short distances.
  • Use trains or ferries where you can, but this is beginning to be difficult as the flight is often much cheaper.
  • Choose energy-efficient appliances where you have to replace your old ones.
  • Buy your meat, fruit and vegetable locally when you can.
  • Fill machines to full before switching on, ie full dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer modes.  I still have to convince my mother that this is a good idea as she seems to have the idea that leaving ANY washing overnight is a bad thing to do.

So, that’s about it in a nutshell.  If you are over 30, you might only have seen the adverts on TV trying to get us to reduce our footprints, but not REALLY know what it is all about.

If I have missed any good ones, feel free to add them in a comment.   Comment anyway, you know we bloggers love them, and commentluv give you a lovely linkie back to you.

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Three generations of Scottish Mum women at the age of 18 ish.

Uncovering some family photos, I came across some lovely photographs of my grandmother, that I have not seen in years.

We don’t have many photographs as a family, and there are so few of me that it is shocking.  I will go to my grave, as almost the faceless entity, mother of 3 adopted children.

My grandmother – how hip and trendy was she.  I wish there were lots more photographs.  My grandfather took the photograph so I have no idea who she is posing on the bike with.  We Scots didn’t all run around in our kilts and sporrans, even in the early 1900’s !!

 

My mother – now where DID she put that dress??

 

And last, but not least (I hope) – me, with awful bouffant hair, but I wish I was still as slim as that.

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Lucky Winner of the LG Washing Machine……………..

The appliances online staff read through all the comments, and the winner is the lady who wrote this lovely poem.  A fabulous prize for anyone to receive.  I hope you enjoy it.

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Five minutes peace and what would I do?
well honestly talking from me to you,
these moments are hard to grab
You will know this if you a Mum or A Dad
Ironing , cooking cleaning the lot, a parents job will never stop
theres homework, reading and dance class
and theres always cutting the grass
and dont forget washing and theres loads of that
With 5 little kiddies and one on the way
I use my washer at least 3 times a day
But this LG your showing to me would chop this in half
its got a massive load you see
And then I might grab that bit of peace
Omg that would be a release
I could take five minutes to sit and think
I could even grab a little drink
oh my god it makes my heart miss a beat
how nice it would be to have a little treat
just the odd five minutes just for me

Natelle Arnold

The washing machine is yours.  Please DM me your contact details, including a telephone number for the representative to get in touch with you.

Congratulations, and well done.

Lesley
x

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Questions & Answers Meme – I’ve been Tagged

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I can see I am not going to get away with this one.  The lovely ladies over at More Than a Mum,  Yummy Step Mummy and Fluffy Dumplings have all tagged me so far.

The gist of it is this.  I have to answer 12 questions from each of them – eek.  I am going to try to do it in one post.  After you have read mine, you’ll find a new list of questions at the bottom from me, for you to answer on your own blog. Then you make up a new set of 12 for your victims.  I have amended the rules to save loads of different posts

From Yummy Step Mummy

1. Where are you from and where do you live now? – Aberdeen and Aberdeen – Boring I am.
2. Favourite pizza topping –  Chicken, Sweetcorn and Mushroom
3. Favourite childhood story/book/film – Little Women
4. Favourite story/book/film now – Too many to mention them all.   Anything with Morgan Freeman seems to be a good film. I tend not to have favourites as such.
5. If you could change gender for a day what would you do? Sack David Cameron & Nick Clegg & put Richard Branson & Stephen Fry in charge of the country.
6. Do you feel you family is complete or would you like more/some children? I am always tempted to go back to adoption panel for a girl, but I’m too old now I think.
7. What do you do/Where do you work and do you enjoy it? – From home.  Hard work, long hours, but the coffee is fab.
8. Which three words do you think sum you up? Opinionated, Determined and Self-Conscious.
9. If you were a fairy what magical powers would you possess?  The ability to cure disability.
10. If you were invisible, where would you go and what would you do?  Why? Sit at home in a comfortable seat and ignore all the shenanigans going around me for a week.  Ahhh, the peace.
11. Do you know what meme, blog hop, linky, Klout, Pinterest, Google +, SEO, tags, categories, keywords etc are and what they all mean?   Um, yes, I’m a geek.  What can I say.
12. Have you ever picked your nose. Of course not.  Like royalty, a lady must never divulge any bad habits in public.

From More Thank a Mum

1)    What song can’t you listen to without crying? – Angels – Robbie Williams, don’t ask why, I don’t know.
2)    Which book changed your life – or at least made you think a lot? – The Trouble with Alex- A Mothers Battle, A Child’s Rage
3)    Which of your personality traits do you most hope your children will inherit? – Inherit is impossible but I hope they learn determination to get things finished.
4)    Which of your personality traits do you most hope your children will NOT inherit?  As above, they can’t inherit but they might end up with my impossibility to stop myself from saying “stop that now or you will be grounded tomorrow.”
5)    Why do you blog? Because I love it, and I love the community.
6)    What do you wish you’d known before becoming a parent?  That taking on 3 moving toddlers at one time is a feat akin to climbing Mount Everest.
7)    What is your top ‘me-time’ tip? Leave the house for it.  Me time never happens while anyone else is in residence.
8)    What can’t you live without?  Materialistically – Netbook.  People wise – The Kids.
9)    Which of all your blog posts are you most proud of and why?  I am not proud of the post, but I proud of the actions of the people who the post is about.  Read it here.
10) Have you ever met a famous person? Who and where?  Prince Phillip at Holyrood when I was 16 and another, but not going to tell, or a friend will stop talking to me.
11) What is the best thing about parenthood? – Seeing them when they are sleeping and knowing I make a difference to their lives.

From Fluffy Dumplings

1) When did you last have a full nights sleep?  Far too long ago, but it might have been about a month.
2) How often do you and your partner get to go out on a date? Never – he’s not romantic at all.
3) What is harder going to work or staying at home with children?  Definitely staying at home with children, but I have special needs in children so different comparison I suspect.
4) What are you doing for Easter?  A week at home and a week away in the van.  I would miss my caravan too much and campsites are fab for my kids.
5) Can you ride a bike? Yes
6) What is your favourite tipple? It would have been diet irn bru once upon a time, but now I’m not sure.  I don’t like the taste of alcohol so it would have to be something lemonady for a tipple.
7) Do you play any sports Apart from running after the kids, I swim and cycle with the boys when the weather is nicer.  I used to play volleyball and badminton but not since the boys arrived.
8) What is your most embarrassing  moment? That will stay with me forever.  Actually I think it is on my blog somewhere, but not letting on.
9) How clever are you? It depends.  I can work out lots of things, but I can be as daft as anyone else at others.  I am quite shy around new people so my bravado is usually a front.
10) Name your favourite tv show? Doctors – cheesy, I know.
11) Any guilty pleasures? Chocolate and crisps.
12) Favourite song? Angels – as above.

Questions for my victims – tags:

1 – If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be?
2 – Who do you most admire in life, and why?
3 – What is your most treasured possession?
4 – Are you a glass half full, or glass half empty type person?  Give an example.
5 – Tell your favourite funny joke…
6 – What is your biggest fear in life?
7 – What is your favourite flavour of ice cream? What does it remind you of?
8 –  If you have kids, do they do what you tell them first time, every time? If no kids, what about your elders?
9 – Prada or Primark?
10 –  Jeans or joggers?
11 – Jennifer Aniston or Meryl Streep.
12 – Sean Connery or Daniel Craig.

The Victims

@fightingcat
@bessytweets
@theslummymummy
@loobie16
@bagi1972
@transatlantimum

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I Demand a Parent Contract – Full and Binding

Image: maple / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I had to go shopping for a birthday card this morning.  After wandering endlessly looking for one that the little mister might not think was too gauche, or too girly, or too boyfriendy for his gal pal, I eventually found one that looked plain enough to be boring, but sensible enough not to be misconstrued as anything remotely resembling a card that someone who has a crush on you would send (phew).

Thinking about the ensuing afternoon and future possibilities kept me in a daydream as I imagined fussing about as mother of the groom, and pointy finger wagging in his direction if he dared to so much as divert from his route to have a pint half an hour before the ceremony.  That led me on to thinking about what clothes we should wear, what other people would think – and a lightbulb moment ensued.

Why, just why on earth do we care so much about what other people think?  Ok, so they might raise their eyebrows at the potential of an 11-year-old groom having a pint on his way to his wedding, but come on, I’m allowed to daydream.   My little mister is just not caring in the slightest about how the future is going to turn out, as he’s not even on very good terms with most of the women of this planet (myself included).

So, all this planning and scheming and wedding attire drooling is all about me.   I can’t be the only one who thinks that the rollercoaster rides to get that far are just too much to live with.  Oh the pressure.

I’d love to set out a parental contract for rules between parents.  It would have to be signed and witnessed by all classmates mums and noted by a qualified barrister (free of charge of course, it’s for mums).

PARENTAL CONTRACT

1 – Attire
All children under 10 years old must attend any function, party or playdate with mandatory ripped jeans, dirty shirt, messed up hair, egg dribbling from chin, and a big cheesy grin.  Parents must come straight from doing housework with no make up and scraped back hair.

2 – Birthday Parties
Bring a small gift – what on earth makes people think it’s ok to give anyone under 90 a voucher, or a ten pound note, it’s a child’s party?   Smile when you enter the room, and for goodness sake, don’t let the gossipy ghouls put you off from going over and dipping your hand into the party food.  Size issues MUST be left at the door, and any parent partaking of party fare must eat 4 chocolates and 3 sausage rolls as a minimum.

3 – Playdates
Do not spend 5 hours pre-cleaning your home for 4 pre-schoolers to run around and mess up.  You’ll only regret it.  I promise that I will only clean my house to the degree that you will not be sitting in a pile of hair and fluff when you take a seat to watch the proceedings.   Dirty dishes may be hidden in the oven, and mucky clothes make very good cushion stuffers.

I will light a candle bearing the smells of filtered coffee and freshly baked double choc chip muffin, so be ready for a  watery latte and supermarket cake.

I will only provide clean activities without water, colour or squeezies and I expect you to do the same if a playdate is reciprocated.

4 – After Playdates or Parties
We agree to a mutual verbal thanks for any presents received.   Thank you cards – pored over by bored tinys and tweens that get ripped up 5 minutes after they are received must be banned by mutual appreciation.  Arrive on time to pick up your offspring if you have dropped off and run for the hills, and you must agree to actually come in and help put rubbish in the bin before you go.   Visit my toilet and clean up after your own child if they poop in my toilet and I will do the same for you.

That is about all I can think of just now, add any more that you can think of below.

Please don’t read and run, leave a comment to let me know you’ve been here.  We all love a bit of comment love, and the back-link won’t do you any harm either 🙂

 

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Clic Sargent – A Yummy Grand Mummy

The CLIC Sargent Yummy Mummy Week is the 10th to 18th March 2012.   Anyone can join up and do something positive to help children with cancer.

This year, they are asking us to Do Something Yummy  and come up with new ways to raise money.  Click on the Yummy Mummy Link to join up and request an event pack.

Yummy Mummy is a fundraising campaign run by CLIC Sargent, the children’s cancer charity and for six years, mums in the UK have raised money to support the charity through the year.

Nickie @nickie72 From Typecast blog is one of the 4 Lead Blogggers on this campaign with Clic Sargent.  She has set writing prompts to help bloggers join in with promoting the campaign and spreading the word.  Visit her blog if you would like to take part.

I have chosen to do a Yummy Post as I do know someone who has had cancer and survived.

My mother is well into her seventies, although she certainly does not look it.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer a month after our boys came to stay with us.

It was difficult coping with three toddlers who had no boundaries at the same time as trying to help a mother who then had to go through treatment, surgery and the aftermath – while I tagged along three bundles of mischief.  It certainly brightened up the hospital ward.

She fought, and she fought hard.  The treatment was tough and the stay in hospital was tough.  She also had to contend with arthritis, thyroid disease, sciatica and is a type 1 diabetic.

The boys have been here for 8 years now, so the length of time she has been a survivor for is easy to remember.

It’s been hard going for her, so how difficult is it for a child to cope with?  We all need to help with local charities and get involved where we can.  I support a local charity with time already, and helping to spread the word about this scheme is an easy ask for me this week.

Nickie would love to see 50 link-ups for her writing prompts this week so please feel free to blog and link up with us on her blog on Thursday.

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Slow Cooked Sausage & Onion Hotpot

Another slow cooker recipe.

Is it showing just how often that I actually use my slow cooker?  The food rarely looks pretty on the plate, unless it is a curry, risotto or a piece of meat for carving, but hotpot style food just never looks right although it tastes fantastic.

Saturdays are manic here with football matches and club sessions, so making a proper meal on a Saturday is a rare occurrence.  I had a pack of sausages in the fridge with a bag of potatoes in the cupboard and that makes for a perfect slow cooker meal.

Ingredients

12 Sausages
2 Onions
2 Tablespoons Caramelised Onions
500 Mixed Veg (I ran out of fresh, so the standby frozen had to do)
1 kg Baby Potatoes (any potatoes would do for this)
1 x Beef Stock Pot or 2 Stock Cubes
Pinch Salt

Method

As usual, my slow cooking is just all thrown in.  I wanted to give the sausages the taste and aroma of the onions so I took the frying pan out and first let the chopped onions cook for a few minutes on low heat.

Turn up the heat a little and fry the onions until they are mixed in with the caramelised ones.

Add the sausages to the pot.

Lightly cook sausages in the pan with the onions.

Then put the sausages and onions into the slow cooker, along with the vegetables and fill with enough boiling water to cover the ingredients.  Add the stock pot or stock cubes and salt.

Place the sliced potatoes on the top of the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Don’t put any more water in the pot.

Put on the lid and cook for 8 hours on low setting, or 4 hours on high setting.  Thicken before serving with cornflour and hey presto.

I really, really wish I could get slow cooked pots of food to look prettier on the plate for photographing, but I don’t seem to be able to.  My sausages crumbled when my mother in her eagerness to help, had decided to take off the lid when I was out, and give the mix a good old brisk stir.

There was enough food in the pot to feed 6 of us.

That was a meal on a budget and a half.

 

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Warner Bros. Valentines Day Gift

Thank you to Warner Bros. for the lovely gift box that arrived her on the morning of the 14th February.  It was a hectic day as the man of the house started a new job and was out of the house by 6am.  He didn’t make it home until about 8pm and was so tired that he crashed out at 8.30, pretty much into his supper.

The lovely box had 4 films in it that I haven’t seen before, so they are going to be put to good use over the weekend when the man might not be quite so sleepy.  The gorgeous Crazy Stupid Love bag and the little compact mirror were lovely touches.  The packages from Warner Bros. are really something lovely to receive, and they even add little touches.  There must have been dozens of tiny red hearts which scattered the floor like confetti when the box was opened.   My boys have gathered them up to stick on to envelopes for the girls they plan to give late valentines cards to at school on Thursday.  Very thrifty my boys are getting.

The kids didn’t miss out either, as they were sent their own little gift box with DVD’s, sweeties and a colouring book.  My boys had seen the stamp on the packs with the WB on the front and were beside themselves with anticipation, even before I managed to open the massive envelope that their package arrived in.

We only have one day left until the boys go back to school, so hopefully we can enjoy some down time watching a film or two and polishing off the malteser pack from the boys treats.  Mums maltesers bit the dust early evening on the 14th as a treat

Thanks again Warner Bros.
The Scottish Mum Blog household all love you.