Sunday 30 September 2012

September sings - Weekend stories

Now Asa is at school our weekends have become something to look forward to and make the most of

Saturday was spent pottering in the garden. It seemed to turn into a jungle over the summer with warm weather and all the rain we had. Barry had to make the decision to either cut down our old elderflower tree or the hazel as they were hurting each other. In the end the Elder needed to go, it did make me sad but at least we will now have some beautiful hazel which we can use



Barry made use of our old washing machine a few years ago and designed a spinning burner, the boys spent the afternoon burning up the elder and playing with all the wood, climbing up our bank and making up games. Asa decided he and Jasper should be buzzards like the ones that fly over our garden, he made Jasper be the mummy buzzard who needed to sit on the eggs while he looked for food.


Mummy's hot dogs and milk for lunch


 

 
We spent Saturday evening having our now weekly film night, it was Asa's choice this time so he decided on The BFG with home made pizza for tea and popcorn. Boy heaven

 Sunday was spent running my cake decorating class at the wonderful Paper&Cotton, eating cake and drinking tea at Wotton's town hall teas then a ramble with my boys finding treasures...more on that tomorrow





I do hope you had a good weekend too, take care, Natalie x

Thursday 27 September 2012

Hokey Pokey

Asa's school have a cake sale tomorrow so I am deciding what to bake. I have wanted to make Nigella's hokey pokey since I saw her make it on TV. Have you seen her new series Nigellissima? I thought it was brilliant, I am planning on making the steak and Italian fries meal as a surprise for Barry

 
There is only three ingredients, sugar, golden syrup and bicarbonate of soda.
 
Wish me luck
 
Take care, Natalie x

Sunday 23 September 2012

Something from my weekend

We've had a busy weekend, we spent Saturday morning at our local car boot, I picked up a £1 vintage mirror, some beautiful old books and a fabric Christmas scene which I have nestled away. We made a great little pizza for lunch (recipe to come later)
 
We met Barry's parents at the brilliant Stratford Park which has a big duck pond, woodland walk, play ground and skate park. Well we spent most of the afternoon at the skate park. The boys just loved scooting up and down with all the big boys. I was just beaming but tried to be cool in front of all the skate boarders!

 Sunday we had a slow morning, the boys made Barry's American pancakes, they were so good. We then finished our cakes for the school cake sale.
 
My boys and I made our way to Nibly scarecrow festival. As the rain was now coming down hard we stayed in the car and I tried to snap a photo or two as we went round. Thanks to Wallace and Gromit we had a free biscuit and cheese! 

A great weekend, one to be treasured
 
Take care, Natalie x

Saturday 22 September 2012

Apple and Lancashire pie - Recipe corner

Happy Saturday everyone

I don't know about you but some days I just get stuck, what to make for tea? I started a food week planner a year ago after a friend suggested it. It has really changed the way we eat and shop for food, great for keeping to a budget too!

So to help inspire myself as well as you I am going to start posting recipe ideas I have and also recipes I am going to be using

I will save them all in my new recipe corner so you can come back when you need some inspiration

First up is the fantastic Jamie Oliver magazine, my sister bought me a subscription a few years ago and it was so lovely every month to get another little gift from her.

I will be making this tomorrow for all my boys to have for their Monday lunch

 
Take care, Natalie x

Thursday 20 September 2012

The school run

I posted a while ago that I was leaving my job of 11 years, becoming a full time mummy and running my little business too

Well it has been 3 weeks now and I feel like a big life change has happened for me. I used to try to feel content and happy but it never sat right, I now walk and see beauty in all manor or things, a pretty house, a tree full of elderberries, my husbands face, the warmth of my home. I feel ok finally to just be me

So.......as I sit here eating hot buttered toast after dropping my boys off to school I thought it would be nice to share some of my morning with you





 
Take care, Natalie xx

Tuesday 18 September 2012

The 6 P's

Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance
 
So today I will be starting my Christmas preparations, sound crazy? Maybe but this year I have the time to be a bit more prepared
 
For your Christmas cake to be the best it can be follow the brilliant pink whisk instructions. With the price of dried fruit I think it makes sense to start spreading the cost of Christmas now

 
Take care, Natalie xx

Monday 17 September 2012

New forest weekend

We visited my parents in Sway this past weekend. The boys were so excited on Friday, I had a children's party which I was hosting in the afternoon so Barry came home early.
 
On our way down we bought some chips from our local Fish and Chip shop. Hot steaming chips, oh they were so good
 
Saturday was spent visiting my sisters new house, going to their local park and popping into their pub the Fleur De Lis which is the oldest pub in the forest

 
Jasper and Grandma Lynn
 
 My dad cooked us all a BBQ on Saturday night




We went to the local car boot sale on Sunday morning, picking up some bridges and cranes for the boys brio set, a big box of Lego (Christmas present prep for Ace) and a 1976 jug for me
Sunday afternoon was spent at highcliffe beach, so beautiful






 
I hope you all had a lovely weekend too, after some very dark days we as a family are coming into the sun again
 
Take care, Natalie xx

 

Thursday 6 September 2012

today.....

 
Today, Jasper and I picked blackberries on the way home from school, he found these apples too high for us to reach
 
Took silly photos of myself while Jasper played in the stream


 Found a conker for Asa

Went looking for more blackberries


Picked every single one of our apples, 14 in all. We have 8 apples trees!  
 
~A dragon fly (huge) flew into our cottage looking for our pond, we opened the front door and off he went
~I lost my patience with the boys when they covered themselves in mud making mud pies
~We ate tinned mackeral for the first time, actually quite lovely
~I baked banana bread, blackberry and apple cake and shirt bread while the boys slept
~I felt guilty for taking business calls in the day
~Got a party booking, queue less guilt
 
Take care, Natalie x

Wednesday 5 September 2012

My boy

Jasper and I have just come back from dropping Asa off at school, he looked so grown up and loved his new scooter which we had promised him



A coffee and biscuit after the school run

A message from Asa's teacher. I could not hold back the tears in the cafe wile reading this.
 
Must dash, I need to do a few jobs before we go and pick him up
 
Take care, Natalie x

Monday 3 September 2012

Saturday 1 September 2012

September

Now we are in September and from inspiration from a fellow blogger I have decided to put a little list of what I would like to get done in September, here goes.....

1. Enjoy one on one time with Jasper while Asa is at school
2. Start making birds feeders
3. Have the boys hair cut
4. Use up the last of the rhubarb for crumble and jam
5. Make nature masks with the boys
6. Teach the boys to make tree markings
7. Do lots of baking
8. Ask Barry to make wooden boats for the boys to race down the stream like last year
9. Find lots of conkers
10. Learn how to crochet
11. Look for beautiful blankets in charity shops
12. Spend less
13. Finish framing all my new photos and prints and get them up on my walls
14. Have a outdoor dinner with friends
15. Make mushrooms on brioche for Jasper and I when Ace is at school
16. Go to one of my favourite shows
17. Put up Jasper's book self my parents have me and paint a blackboard for him


 
Take care, Natalie x

The end of August and life as we know it

It's been a while coming but we are finally here, I have left my job and we are days away from Asa starting school

A new life for all of us has begun. As with most things in life not everything has got better or easier. I am now going to have to keep a firm eye on the food budget and not overspend, something of which I am terrible at.

So goodbye sweet August, we did have some brilliant days.........

Ashton court last Sunday, just me and my two boys


We found a fallen tree stump completely hollow inside,just like in the film the BFG

We had a BBQ for tea that evening and 5 balloons went up in front of us

School shoe shopping

We were in the middle of the city but found this lovely water area, I am trying to say yes to fun (free) things so in they went. It makes it easier when I say no to buying toys

On our first sight seeing bus tour of Bristol

I am so please with the shot, my darling boy
 
Wishing you all a very lovely weekend
 
Take care, Natalie xx



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