Igniting Passions…of Interest!

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I have been tagged in a meme created by the rather lovely Kerry, over at Multiple Mummy. The premise of this meme is that she had to go to a dinner party last week and, wait for it, wasn't allowed to talk about nappies or weaning. (I'm not sure that they actively banned her from that, but she did have to try and remember how to talk to adults about something other than her children.)

Obviously my family make my world go round, but remembering what things make me tick, ignite my passion, strive for more and give me confidence and self esteem is also very important. So what are they? What are my interests? I have found this actually quite hard. It is like writing that crappy bit of your CV when most people say things like they love climbing and then get caught out in interview, because they can’t name one other Mountain other than Snowdonia!

Ben Nevis, Sugarloaf, Scapell Fell, Mount Everest. Wahay! Go me, and I didn't need to refer to Google either!

Not the point here. What are my interests?

Ok, Here goes:

  1. Gardening: I'm pretty damn sure that the weeds in my flower bed would like to raise their leaves in protest at this point, but just because I don't have time to weed doesn't mean that I can't make things grow, because I can. My garden (when it's looking tidy) has lots of compliments from a range of people. When I look out of the back bedroom window, ours is the only garden that has had anything done to it. Other people have retained their uniform '70×30 foot rectangle of grass, concrete path to the end of the concrete washing line and nothing else' garden exactly as it was 50 years ago. The first thing we did was cut down the hedges, knock down the line and kango hammer the concrete path. I then drew a plan to scale, laminated it and within six months that garden had been produced.
  2. Photography: I know that I am not Annie Liebowitz or Lord Snowden, and that some of my photographs are a little like 'snaps', but when I whip out my Canon EOS 300D and actually concentrate then I can produce some photographs that I am really proud of. Like this one, or this one. Before The Boy, I had the time to experiment and understand the manual setting a lot more. Nowadays, I am confined to the restrictions of the automatic settings. Composition is something that doesn't take much effort though and stems from my next point.
  3. Painting: Specifically oils or silk. I did Art 'A' Level and it was my minor in my teaching degree. I get rather passionate about children being taught the correct mechanics of drawing, once they understand that, they then just have to battle with their natural ability. I used to love painting with oils and produced some decent paintings; my sister had one on her wall for years. Silk painting is something that is so effective and easy to do, everyone should try it. My number one medium though is probably pastels. My parents have still got my 'A' level exam piece on their wall, and I do feel a sense of pride when I look at it.
  4. Reading: I know, I know. It's the one thing that everyone puts on their CV and the one thing that employers groan about. I was going to say "I'm not that good at it", but that sounds wrong. I clearly can read, I mean the analysing of the text. Hence only getting a 'C' in my GCSE. However, I do enjoy a really good book be it Wuthering Heights or Divas Las Vegas.
  5. Blogging: I'm not entirely sure I'm any good at it but it's something I enjoy. My original purpose was to share a few stories and to create something for the future. However, through my reviews I've managed to gain some lovely goodies and share these with people in competitions. I've combining my love of photography in my 365 project, and I've come across some fantastic reading material (which is just as well since I've not finished my book that I started a month ago!)

This is not a tagging meme as Kerry has set up a linky on her blog for it, however I'm tagging in the hope of guilt-tripping them into taking part. Who do I want to converse with in my metaphorical dinner party? Lets go with these lovely souls:

Christine over at Thinly Spread

Garry over at The Blog Up North

Kate from The Five Fs

Helen from Jessies Crazy Kitchen

Lauren over at The Real Housewife of Suffolk County

Movie Meme: Horror Films

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Oh no! Quite frankly, NO!

Hannah, how could you? I knew it was coming sooner or later, but this theme is the worst one for me. I was quivering behind a cushion just reading your notification e-mail earlier. I am a big scaredy-cat. Years ago, a male friend and I went to see The House on Haunted Hill in the cinema and I spent the entire film hiding behind his shoulder. Six people got up and left the cinema because they found it so scary. He was a bit freaked out himself, and I had nightmares that night. For weeks after I had to sleep with the light on, and I still can't think of it without freaking out.

Hang on, I'll be back in a moment; I need to go and watch some Mr. Tumble to calm down…

…

Ok, back now.

Right, having been reassured that I was allowed to just choose a film that gave me a surge of adrenaline, I am choosing this little gem:

The Frighteners

This has got to be Michael J. Fox at his best. He's not being a goofy teenager who thinks he's cool but fails miserably (Back to the Future, TeenWolf). This is him as an adult, acting an adult role of a man whose wife was killed in an accident when the car he was driving crashed off a road.

As a result of this crash, he was left with the interesting side-effect of being able to see ghosts and consequently has made his living since being a very overdramatic, and fake, exorciser of unwanted spirits. It's fake because there are never unwanted spirits, he enlists the help of three friendly ghosts to create the effects in the house. He's rumbled as a fake, and therefore has great difficulty convincing anyone of the true culprit of the murders which are prevalent in his home-town.

The only problem is that these murders are almost exact replicas of a murder spree decades before; the victimshave a number carved into their foreheads. The original culprit was convicted and received the death sentence.

So who on Earth is killing these people now?

You have to watch it!

Oh and it's directed by Peter Jackson, there you go: even more reason to watch it!

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Now pop over to Metal Mummy's blog using this neat little widget to check out the other entries! Please?

Fun on the Farm

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This is a short post and not at all witty, but we popped along to a lovely place today that I wanted to blog about so that I can remember it to use in the future.

I'm not sure if the Primary Times is a national free magazine, but it's something that we have in our area that is full of a calendar of family events, places to go, offers and shops that are suitable for primary age children, or younger. It's given out in primary schools once a term or so, and I always nab a copy because it's full of ideas for family days out and often contains coupons.

One of the places that I've seen mentioned for a while is Warren Mill Farm, near Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. It's not too far from us and we wanted to do something today but only had about an hour or so before we had to be back home. The farm is quite small, nestled down in a little valley and situated alongside a fishing lake. It wasn't packed but there were a number of families that had obviously been there for most of the day, and I can see how that is easy to do. There wasn't a huge range of animals there, it's not a massive local attraction, but I was keen for The Boy to see farm animals as we had been playing with a little set that I'd bought in the nearly new sale a few weeks back.

We had a pleasant hour or two wandering in amongst the free-roaming chickens (whose eggs could be bought on the way out the door), and The Boy was fascinated with the warrens that spread all over the farm. He kept wandering up to them, squatting down and trying to find the 'sqwrels' that lived in there. He was wrong, they weren't squirrels, but they weren't rabbits either. Look at the photos and see if you can work them out!

Competition: NIP + FAB Frown Fix

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I'm rather aware that I'm knocking on a bit now, what with being the grand old age of 33. In addition, I'm a mother, wife and teacher. All of these things can lead to frowns occuring on a daily, possibly even hourly, basis! I've discovered that pushing my skin back down and trying to smooth down my eyebrow furrows doesn't really work, which I think is a bit inconsiderate.

So when I was approached to review the brand new NIP + FAB Frown Fix, I metaphorically bit the hand off of the kind soul offering. You may have seen NIP + FAB in the beauty pages of the national newspapers and glossy magazines. If you haven't then you've not been paying attention properly. The range of products is amazing, including a Tummy Fix and a Cellulite Fix, and is coveted by many a celebrity from Alexandra Burke through to Jennifer Aniston. To top it all off, they are launching the Frown Fix as we 'speak' so I feel a little bit special in having the opportunity to review it!

The Frown Fix which I have to try comes in a neat little tube, similar in size to a mascara so it can fit nicely in your make-up kit. One end opens up to show a little brush, the other twists to push the formula up. The description on the box says 'Frown fix is a concentrated formular designed to plump and smooth the appearance of expression lines, fine lines and wrinkles.' And hopefully my furrows caused by people who stress me out!

I followed the instructions to 'brush directly onto clean skin to target expression lines around eyes, forehead and mouth', although I didn't need it around the mouth (clearly I don't smile enough!). It is incredibly smooth, doesn't sting or feel tight (or any other unpleasant sensation) and just gently works subtly. The research indicates that 'the effects are instant (within a couple of minutes), but everyday use also results in a cumulative effect so lines become permanently more visible. Clinical tests on the active ingredient has shown a reduction in wrinkles of up to 50% over a 60 day period.'

I'd call it botox in a tube, but that sounds derogatory to Frown Fix as it doesn't render you incapable of showing expression. Don't even think of it as polyfilla. Consider it a magic wand to indicate that you are a young and carefree woman! It could just be your new BFF!

I am giving FIVE of you lucky individuals the chance to win a NIP + FAB Frown Fix (which retail for £10.25 each in Boots and Harvey Nichols don'cha know).

In order to be in with a chance of winning, please do all of the following things:

  1. Tell me in the comments box whether you are going to be using it fill the laughter or frown lines, and who causes them!
  2. 'Follow' NIP + FAB on twitter or 'like' on Facebook
  3. Tweet the following message:

"I've entered to win a @NipandFab Frown Fix on @TheBoyandMe's blog https://www.theboyandme.co.uk/?p=2216"

Please only leave one comment to tell me that you've done these things. You won't be getting more entries if you leave separate comments!

T&C:

The competition will end on Monday 9th May 2011 at 8pm. I will draw five winners using www.random.org and notify them by e-mail, I will need a reply by Wednesday 11th May 2011 at 8pm or I will redraw. Open to UK entrants only please.

GOOD LUCK!

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I have been provided with a tube of Frown Fix for the purpose of this review, which is as always honest and my own opinion. No other reward was given.

To see the winners, please click here.

How Egg-citing!

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Last year, Easter was a bit non-consequential for us; The Boy was too young to appreciate anything to do with it, besides not having any chocolate until he was one years old (something that didn't happen until June). Therefore this year was going to be different.

Hubby started the day well, he managed to take the hints from twitter and got me these.

I felt slightly guilty because he had a Mint Aero Easter egg in exchange. However, The Boy chose it by shouting "Daddy! Egg!" in the middle of Asda and reaching out and grabbing it. When this was explained, all guilt was instantly diminished!

We then gave The Boy his Easter egg, it was a Zigzillas one with a mini xylophone and a mini tambourine in. Not that that mattered, as you can see!

Having stayed up 'til half past midnight making the structure of The Boy's Easter basket ready for his Easter Egg Hunt, he helped me decorate it this morning before he went back for his nap.

Then after lunch, we had our Easter Egg hunt. It took a while for The Boy to get the hang of it, and actually resulted in daddy having to hide the eggs repeatedly throughout the remainder of the afternoon. However, we all had great fun!

Bouncy Castles v. Sand Castles

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Today we went to a birthday party. Little Miss Chatty was celebrating her 2nd birthday with soft play and then party food. When I was telling The Boy about this last night, he was able to tell me straight-away that you have cake and 'b(all)oons' at a party. We talked about the fact that there would be a bouncy castle there which he wasn't sure about, and that he'd give her a present.

As it so happened another work colleague was there with her little boy who is slightly older, Mister Rough and Tumble, and The Boy thought he was the best thing since sliced bread! Or since bubbles anyway, he doesn't really have an opinion on sliced bread. He followed him everywhere and had great fun trying to copy everything he did!

After he'd filled his Doodles with party food, we trotted off to Barry Island for half an hour playing in the sand building sand castles. It was a little parky and full of tourists. I think we'll be giving it a wide-berth on weekends until September!

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