Pancakes!

Some times at weekends I try and make breakfast a little bit more special and with pancake day this week I thought some blueberry pancakes would be appropriate.  I don't do these very often as you obviously add sugar but they are seriously delicious. It's even better to have a little helper who wants to help stir

Although I have to be honest, often as a parent you're looking forward to things such as a nice breakfast but it doesn't always go that way that you plan in your head. Prior to the pancakes being served two grumpy children were voicing their hunger very loudly! So we did appease them with some cereal first and when the pancakes were done we all certainly enjoyed them - especially the little man who managed to get blueberry juice all round his face!! But it wasn't quite the relaxing morning I had planned in my head!

Do you have a special breakfast you like to make?

20 things about returning to work

So I've done one whole week (well minus a day but who's counting?) back at work and here are 20 things about returning to work; some tips and some observations.  I'd love to hear any additions you have to my list!

1. Wear deodorant - I've been wearing deodorant for at least 15 years but for some reason on my first day back I completely forgot to apply it so spent the whole day paranoid that I smelt. Not the best move for a first day
2. Break in heels - so if like me you have been living in flats whilst looking after the children then I really suggest breaking in your heels. I was in pain by 9.30am and I was sat down most of the time! It really is worth getting used to heels before wearing them for a whole day!
3. Don't drink too much coffee - like when I first started work when someone asks if you want a tea or coffee I said yes... Big mistake especially as I usually drink decaf still so there were a few shakes going on with too much caffeine in my system.
4. Remember dresses ride up - so when I returned to work last time I was pregnant so this time I needed new work clothes. Lots of dresses looked nice in the changing room but I totally forgot about that annoying thing that dresses do... Ride up! Grr so annoying having to remember to keep pulling them down all the time.
5. Cake is all around - it's always someone's birthday. No matter how much you're "trying to behave" forget it, temptation is all around and of course you're back at work so you "deserve it". This week, this is the week that I will behave... Unlikely....
6. Some people will be more pleased to see you than you expect - I got a big hug from a woman that I didn't know that well and asked to see pictures of the kids. Great, more than happy to do this and always happy that people are pleased to see me but so surprised by who wanted to see them. I was a little shocked but it was a nice feeling. 
7. You have to be creative from the start - "ooh you had one of each, not need for anymore or anymore maternity leave" err awkward actually we've always wanted 3, cue a little nod from me and not saying a lot.
8. Everyone will assume you're sleep deprived and those parents who are will hate you if you're not - we've been lucky our kids sleep well and the only reason I was tired was because I woke early, not the children. But those parents at work who have been woken the previous night will stare at you with daggers. 
9. Some conversations will come to an abrupt end - "so are you working full time?" "Yes I am" ... End of conversation as there isn't really a lot to add.
10. You realise how big you must have been when you left - "wow... You looking amazing"  I obviously liked the compliment but they didn't need to sound quite so surprised.
11. It helps to remember your job title and team - when I returned to work last time I returned to a different role and team. When I then got introduced to people and they asked what I was doing I kept forgetting. Not very professional, it would definitely help to remember what you do and who you do it for.
12. You need to re learn how to sit in a chair - if like me you spend most of your time on the floor then you need to re learn how to sit in a chair. Especially one that swivels, I felt like the work experience kid who's never sat on a office chair before.
13. The adult conversation that you've "been missing out on" isn't that stimulating - at lunch time the conversation took a turn to talking about pickle and big or small chunks. Not the intellectual conversation that people like to make out that you've been missing out on then. 
    
14. There can be good banter - but you need to remember that some people will react as badly as your two year old. Oops! Must remember those sensitive types who can't handle a joke.
15. You quickly end up talking "business speak" - please don't hate me but I did use the phrase "touch base" this week. I cringed and shrunk in my seat a little as soon as I said it. 
16. Business is much like home - by this I mean you go back to find that budgets are being squeezed and the profit needs to improve. Much like home then. But at least my employer is still making a profit
17. You may need to work on your concentration - Particularly in a meeting which spends a lot of time on semantics rather than actually "doing" anything and you might find yourself planning your food menu... Or thinking up blog post ideas.
18. You have to talk to people you don't like - whilst on mat leave I got to spend a lot of time with people I like. Forget it when you get back to work, it doesn't matter whether you like them or not you have to be professional and get on with them
19. But you may also remember how many good friends you have there - I made the most of the first week at work and managed to have lots of coffee catch ups with some lovely friends. This reminded me what nice people I am surrounded by at work which makes leaving the kids that bit easier. 
20. But it'll never be as fun - I work for a good company but let's be honest it doesn't compare to spending time with your children, seeing friends, jumping in muddle puddles and generally being child like yourself! But it's worth trying to make the most of what ever situation you're in. 

Midweek Meal Makeover 5/52 sweet potato, broccoli and Feta Frittata

So we're into the second month of the year and my new years resolution is still going strong, this is pretty good right?!  So meal number 5 is a first for me - a frittata, I've made omelettes before with plenty of fillings but never a frittata so after this recipe card from Waitrose had been sitting in my file for over 2 years I thought it was time to give it a try!

Ok - Before you look at the pictures, please again excuse my laziness for using my I-phone again as I failed to get my canon out! And please excuse the broken plate in the background! My only saving grace is that for once it wasn't me who broke it!!

This frittata should be served with salad, please excuse me for just having cucumber - it was all the salad we had in the house!
Now about the frittata... Yum!! It serves four and since it used 7 eggs (yes 7!!) I decided just to have my quarter and try and be good about portions for once, especially after last weeks massive portion.  It was seriously yummy, I urge you to try this one and now think a frittata could be a regular meal for us; it's healthy, packed full of veg and the leftovers will be perfect for lunch for the children! And of course it's cheap to make, is there nothing not to like?! I'm looking forward to trying new combinations and think grated courgette maybe a great one to add in as well as spinach and peas!
It's also got to be well done to Waitrose - Their recipes always hit the mark and I can assure you that there will be more Waitrose recipes featured here in the coming weeks!

How are your new years resolutions going? Am keen to hear whether people are sticking to them or not!

Monday's Moment... Let's celebrate our differences

I was recently reading a great post by Charlotte Taylor on being a single mum which then led to us having a twitter conversation and her saying that "motherhood should be about embracing our differences" which got me thinking.  She is so right!  As I have previously said in my mind the (age) gap post sometimes it feels like if you're not doing what others see as right (I.E. what they do) then it must be wrong.  But isn't this really narrow minded and should we be bringing up our children to be this narrow minded? No, as Charlotte says I think we should embrace our differences.

I would love us to start embracing and celebrating all our differences.  Differences in where we live, how / when / if we work, child care, how many children we have, age gaps, routine and so on and so forth.  We are all different and we all have different circumstances, I'm fed up feeling like I have to explain my circumstances when I say I'm going back to work or justifying a 15 month age gap with our children and so I'm going to (try to) stop doing this.  My husband and I are different people but we're a team and we're different to everyone else, why don't we all enjoy being different to each other rather than judging others and their choices and the circumstances that are forced upon them.  I know that I've been lucky with the people I have met since I became a parent and I have met some really nice people and have some great groups of friends.  I love how different all these friends are and what they each individually bring to my life now and the support they give me as a parent.  I have different people to go to depending on the circumstances and this is a great thing to be celebrated!

One of the most annoying people that is around at the moment is a certain ex-apprentice "star" who's initials are KH.  I refuse to put anymore than that or link to her because this gives her publicity and I think as long as she's getting publicity she's going to continue coming out with controversial statements.  But I feel that she is very narrow minded and of the impression that if people aren't doing what she is then it must be wrong and her children must not come into contact with them.  I actually feel like some of views are almost dangerous in the sense that she is a parent of impressionable young children and I worry how narrow minded they are going to grow up to be.  If they are not allowed to go to a party of a child the mum doesn't like the name of then they're not going to learn about people different to them and often this is where you learn the most.  We're supposed to be moving away from a class based society but if our children are already having it drummed into them that they are better than others just because of their name then this is never going to happen.

So before I rant anymore especially about KH let me sign off.  Parenthood is a journey (argh hate saying "journey"!) and we are all going on separate ones.  Let's enjoy the differences that meeting other parents brings and enjoy the differences that our children will encounter.  Of course we won't like it all but we can learn from almost all of it and surely that's important for us and our children? I feel that it's such an important thing to bring them up to be more open minded and accepting of the people they meet and to judge people on the values they live their life by rather than the house they live in.

If you want to follow Charlotte on Twitter it's @charltaylor

Shopping with a toddler

So shopping with a toddler in a high street shop (I.E. not supermarket shopping where you have a trolley) should be renamed extreme shopping.  It's such hard work!!

After a library trip we headed into town to get a coffee and a babycino (I think these are cute and my daughter loves them!) and then go into a couple of shops.  My first mistake was not having the second seat on my Phil and Teds pushchair to stick her in if required and my second was not having any stickers to hand (note if you have a toddler keep stickers in your pocket AT ALL TIMES!).  So into Superdrug we go, my third mistake was saying "don't touch that", I should have remembered from my swimming teacher training that all my child is going to hear is "touch that".  So I was duly ignored and she grabbed everything; lipsticks, moisturiser, sanitary towels and I tried to remain calm especially to the peering public, then she grabbed the cotton wool pads and realised I actually needed those!  And like a light bulb moment I suddenly had a brainwave - I needed to occupy her. Cue asking her to hold not one but two things for me, one for each hand!  She did try and pop one under her underarm to free a hand but we moved round the shop quickly. We managed to get round the shop unscathed and managed to walk back to the car whilst she carried on holding onto my make up remover and cotton wool (don't worry I did take them off her to pay!) which was brilliant until we got to the car and I took them back again and she screamed "MINE, MINE, MINE!" oh well, you can't win them all!

It would be fine if it wasn't for the fact that I have an awful memory and always forget something that I need to buy so have to repeat the whole process tomorrow!  I will try to remember stickers and to occupy her hands!

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