Wedding Anniversary Task - Part 2

So here's where I'm at with the Wedding Anniversary Task (as of yet haven't bought any of it but at least I now have some sort of idea of what I'm getting him) :D

1

1, Pewter Keepsake Token - Soulmate token (forever and always)

Something he can keep in his wallet

 

 

 

 2,  Map of the world & Marking Flags

We both love travelling and this is to plan everywhere we want to go, now & in the future....maybe also we can mark where we have been already??

 

                                                                                                          

         

3, Cool Water Aftershave

Customary bottle of aftershave :D

4, Agent Provocateur Tuberose Intoxication Massage Oil & Massage book

Need I say more ? ;P






5, Tattoo Gift Voucher

He's got 1 large tattoo on his calf but really wants another on his arm (I'm leaving the design to him as he knows what he wants, but I know it has got something to do with me & the 5 kids.......


6, Sexy Undies

Again speaks for itself........although I'm going with the theme of Silk, seeing as this is what 12th Anniversary is.......ahhhh see I'm being a little bit clever





7,  The Art of Marriage personalised poem

I love the idea of this and think its very romantic










8, Having a new thin style wedding band made up (out of my old gold) & set with 12 tiny diamonds (out of my old ring), to wear along side his wedding ring

Something I've wanted to get for him for a while now, as we were skint when we got married, so his wedding ring is a cheapy 1 (i don't want to replace his actual wedding ring as that's the 1 that was blessed when we got married, so it wouldn't feel right getting rid of it).......really need to pull my finger out with this 1, maybe a trip into town this week!


9, Trainers

Not just any trainers......the hubby loves running and knows exactly what he likes......all i know so far is they've got to be Asics, this is going to be a difficult one as he is really fussy with trainers



10, Sports Car Fund - Pot of Dreams money box

Maybe 1 day he will get the car of his dreams!









11, Photo / Scrap Book

A collection of photos & keepsakes from when we 1st met.......ahhhhhh V.Romantic :D 

12, Thornton's Classics

His fave choccies, he buys these for me......and then we share them hahaha





Of course this is all subject to change...........

The Gallery: Sunshine......I ain't gonna grumble at Mr Sunshine

Well I'm certainly enjoying the glorious sunshine we are having at the moment......i don't have 1 incey complaint about it, well maybe just 1, i wish the hubby was off work to enjoy it with us.
Saying that we had a lovely BBQ the other day on his day off when the kids got in from school, we had a great time messing about in the garden

I do love the weather in the UK (as much as people grumble about it), we do get a bit of everything and I really think having lived in Cyprus for near on 4 yrs has made me truly appreciate this.
Cyprus it was constant heat and in winter freezing cold & damp (i say freezing cold in the loosest sense...... what i mean is the houses are really cold and suffer from damp due to non existent heating, badly fitted windows etc etc).
As much as I loved the Cyprus weather, its nice having a bit of variety and when the sun does decide to make its limited appearance over here then its lovely just to get out in the garden and enjoy it.
In all honesty I don't know how I coped with the Cyprus sunshine day in day out now (I suppose I acclimatised haha) , the weather we're having at the mo I would of more than likely had a cardi on in Cyprus......and now I'm sat out in the garden in my bikini, thinking....'yeah, that's a bit warm'.
Well heres hoping that we have this gorgeous weather for the up and coming half term (and the hubby's off for a week woohoo!).....so it would be nice to have half decent weather to have a couple of days out and to enjoy the trampoline Ive just ordered :)

I posted this a couple of days ago and then relised the theme for the Gallery was Sunshine.
So i've adapted my post a little for this as it seemed silly doing another post :D

Flash Back Friday; Party

This weeks is is : Party.
Im flashing back to July 2000.....my hen night & wedding.
A coach load of us made the trip from Liverpool to Blackpool for my hen night, it was a fantastic night with all the girlys.....followed by another fabulous party soon after.....our wedding :D

Me & the hubby

The Gallery: Picture Postcard

This weeks Gallery  is: Picture Postcard.
I love this picture, it was taken in Cyprus whilst we were living there.
Its the natural bridge near Cape Grecko (which also happens to be one of my fave beaches ever).

 

Flashback Friday - Waiting

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Making cupcakes is a new found favourite past time of mine, I used to hate baking (basically due to the fact I was useless at it and my cakes resembled a brick rather than being light & fluffy).....I have got better but I think that's down to the fact I have a little more patience about it now, but I'm still by no means an expert.....but at least they pass as edible now :D

These are 1 of my all time favourite flavour cupcake (the other is lemon curd).

I nicked this recipe off the Internet but adapted it slightly......I cant stand nutmeg, so that got left out and I used mixed spice instead......I also added a little more spice than stated.

They are absolutely gorgeous (well if you like ginger like me hehe)

These are what mine looked like:

 (this is the 1st time I've ever made butter cream & as you can probably tell I'm probably not the best with the piping skills, but hey they still taste the same) :D

This is what they're meant to look like:

(As you can see, ever so slightly more professional looking than mine) :D

 

Heres the recipe that I used if you want to give them a go:

Ingredients

• 150 g butter, room temperature
• 150 g soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp milk

For the frosting

• 200 g butter, at room temperature
• 50 g soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 200 g icing sugar
• pinch ground cinnamon                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

  Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4.
  
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  
  3. Sift the flour together with the spices.
  
  3. Gradually mix the eggs into the creamed butter and sugar alternating with the flour to stop the mix from curdling. Finally, stir through the milk.
  
  4. Place 12 paper cupcake cases into a muffin tin and divide the mixture between them.
  
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
  
  6. For the frosting: while the cupcakes are cooking place 50 grams of the butter in a pan with the brown sugar and cook over a low heat until melted. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and stir to form a thick glossy toffee sauce. Leave to one side to cool to room temperature.
  
  7. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until smooth, then start to sift in the icing sugar, stirring regularly. Add the toffee sauce and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Add a splash more of milk if the mixture seems too thick - the frosting should be light and creamy.
  
  8. Put the frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving.
  

Wedding Anniversary task

Last night after a bottle or 2 of wine and hubby going to the toilet with a fag (this is where he does all his serious thinking), he came out and declared hes set a task for our 12 year wedding anniversary in 2 months time.

I was slightly intrigued now at what the hell he was going on about.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The task is as follows:

We are to get 12 gifts for each other, 1 for every year we've been married (the price of each gift isn't important) but they have to have something to do with the past, present & future of our realationship.

I've agreed to the task and find it really romantic.....I just haven't got a clue where to start......time to get my thinking cap on!

I'll let you know how I get on :D

Born Too Soon – Link-up for pre-term babies

I have 5 children (4 of which were prem) with my fabulous hubby.

I went into labour at 38 wks with my 1st, 34 wks with my 2nd, 34 wks with my 3rd, 33+5 with my 4th (I gave birth in Cyprus whilst we were living there but all my others were born in the UK) & 32 wks with my 5th baby.

Premature labour isn't easy no matter how many times you've experienced it....in fact I'd say I was the most scared with my 5th baby.

I got through it with a lot of love & support from my family, friends & the doctors & nurses.

Its like being on one major emotional roller coaster and it feels like you've had the normalness cruelly snatched away from you and instead you are dealing with a tiny baby that you cant do an awful lot for other than touch their hand and be there watching them, talking to them, until they are well enough for a cuddle, nappy change etc.

I think you have it in your head when your pregnant of what is normal and what you can do for your baby  after you've had them and that's the bit you look forward to all throughout your pregnancy, but having a premature baby kind of throws all this out of the window and your plans are changed for you (eg your baby is tube fed and you cant breast feed straight away or even that 1st proper cuddle is put on hold)......the machines all bleeping away is pretty scary too and by the time your baby leaves hospital you will know what every single bleep and wire means.

Your life becomes consumed with the thought of getting your baby home safe and well, they're in every thought, every dream.....nothing else matters until theyr'e home safe.
The weeks they're in special care is awful and when you've got older children at home it makes it even worse and taking them home can be a pretty scary experience too,  but once your home and into a routine you forget that they are super small and just get on with it.  Although having to leave hospital without your baby is truly awful and you cant help but feel jealous of the other smiling parents carrying their new bundles of joy home in their car seats, it seems so unfair and you count down the days until its your turn.

Its not an easy time and I'm just so thankful that even though my children were premature they are now healthy / happy / normal children that you wouldn't even think had been premmies to look at them now.

Between my 5 kids Ive had a whole host of un-wonderful ailments: panic attacks, back to back labours, episiotomys, forceps, vanishing twin syndrome, Obstetric Colostasis, severe varicose veins, having a Shirodokar stitch,  placenta praevia, 1 emergency c-section.

Even though I didn't have great pregnancy's & labours, i wouldn't have it any other way.......I love my kiddies and I'm just so grateful they're here & healthy.

Pants or no pants.....that is the question

After a breath blip / not sure if i wanted to blog anymore i made the decision to delete my entire blog.

I felt like I had hit a brick wall with it and wasn't entirely sure where I was going with it.

I've decided to start afresh and see how it pans out.

So here goes round 2 :D...............

I am having a little bit of a dilemma with my 3 yr old at the moment, he starts nursery in September and although hes been out of nappies for the last year he refuses to wear underpants, if I try to put them on him he starts shouting 'ow ow ow' at me (he obviously like to be free and roomy and not confined to a pair of pants).......so I've kind of given up trying to get him to wear them and have let him go commando every day.

Now I haven't really got a problem with this, if this is how he feels more comfortable, but with him starting nursery in September do you think I should try and get him in pants before he starts or let him carry on with his nakey ways? (I'm getting concerned with the thought of him scaring the girls with his naked boy bits & them going off and telling their parents theres a flasher in the class......do you think the teacher would have a problem with him wearing no pants?

My 3 oldest boys have never had issues with pants so this is a 1st for me :)