Who? Me?

by 4 Comments

Really? Oh WOW!

Or should I say the other relevant three letters here? No, not OMG (although they are highly applicable here, possibly insert another letter in there). I mean T, R and U.

Toys

R

Us

Let me explain myself because I know that I'm wittering, which makes a change from twittering! Ha ha!

A few weeks ago, I saw that the toy giant that is otherwise known as Toys R Us, were running a competition to find new Toyologists. For those in the know you will understand how coveted a role this is. For those who are wondering if I've come over all Beatty ("he's got an 'ology!" Showing my age? Never mind) then I shall explain. A toyologist is an individual or family who are selected specifically by Toys R Us to receive and review several boxes of toys, feedback to the company, and provide advice to other families about which toys are good to play with, and those to avoid. It is an amazing opportunity.

I spent a week or so gathering photos and videos together in order to review The Boy's favourite outdoor toy, and I had it all written in my head. Then the Easter holidays came to an end and I had to go back to work and found myself facing the deadline with no entry! Eeek! I stayed up late that night, completely ignored the schoolbooks waiting to be marked and the planning that needed to be done for the next day ("Class, today we're researching on the laptops" is always a good standby lesson), and managed to get my submission in 10 minutes before the deadline.

Yesterday on twitter I received a tweet saying "Congratulations for being shortlisted!" My head was full of hyperlinks, inserting videos, slide transitions and animations (guess what I'm teaching Year Six at the moment) and so I was a little confused and had to ask for further explanation. I almost choked on my sandwiches when I found out what I was being congratulated for. I've been shortlisted for the TRUToyologist competition! I was completely and utterly overwhelmed, and distracted for the entire afternoon.

It transpires that out of 150 entries they like my review of the Little Tikes Makin' Mud Pies Kitchen enough to put me on the shortlist of 27; ten of us will be chosen. I am beside myself with excitement and anticipation; even as I type this the adrenaline is racing around my body. How amazing would it be to be chosen to represent Toys R Us? Hence staying up 'til nearly 1am last night completing the questionnaire that they sent me. Well I figured it was a lucky time of day to do it after the review success.

Even if I'm not chosen, I truly am honoured to be shortlisted, especially alongside my twit-friends The Crazy Kitchen, Multiple Mummy and EdSpire, Inside The Wendy House; and other lovely mummy-bloggers Mummy of 3 Diaries, Would like to be a Yummy Mummy and Susan K Mann.

Wish me luck; we find out on Monday!

P.S. I really like giraffes!

Movie Meme: Book Adaptations

by 3 Comments

I've found the Movie Memes the past few weeks a little difficult to do; the themes have not necessarily been my genre and so I've had to think outside the box to find a film to fit the bill. Therefore, when Hannah divulged last week's theme as 'book adaptations' I was more than happy to crack on. Unfortunately life got in the way and so I find myself the night before the deadline desperately trying to finish my homework and submit!

Way back in the mists of time when I was in my early teens, I discovered the marvels of Jane Eyre. I have always loved books but back then graduating from Enid Blyton to Charlotte Bronte was a big task, however one which I persevered with. I fell in love with the book and the brooding Mr. Rochester there and then. However, it is not (oh my word, I have stopped using contractions; I fear that the writing influence of the sisters Bronte may have infringed upon this manuscript!) the ever so naive Jane which I want to wax lyrical about; it is her literary cousin Cathy.

If you have not read Wuthering Heights then shame on you (shush now, literary spectres of the past) because it is the most amazing love story between a young and innocent boy held back in life by his poverty, and the ultimate bad girl who corrupted him. Yes I do mean it that way around. If you honestly think that Heathcliff (swoon) was a bad boy before he met that tart then you need to read the book again! Their love stories transcends time and generations of their own family. The book has time and time again been voted the best love story, for good reason.

There have been several film adaptations and whilst the 2009 one starring Tom Hardy was good (I'm not even going to mention the American MTV modernisation starring Katherine Heigl), he will never fill Ralph Fiennes leather boots. Long before any patient, English or other nationality, was attended to, he starred in this 1992 classic with Juliette Binoche. The chemistry, mischief, angst and loss that the pair of them portray in their acting youth is just astounding. The melody that follows the highs and lows throughout the film is haunting. Nearly 20 years since I first saw it and I still get overwhelmed with the film.

 


—
Now pop over and see the other entries:

The Green-Fingered Brigade

by 5 Comments

This bloke has got a lot to answer for you know:

Him and his flipping Composterium!

We started the day watching this and I've got to say that my initial reaction to it has completely changed; it's a fabulous programme which encourages children to get out and plant, exploring the garden for a marvellous and fantastical world of talking veggies ('Veggies, meet the Veggies, they grow here in my nursery. Veggies, meet the Veggies' repeat until your husband is telling you to stop singing, and no whistling it won't help it go either! All day, ALL DAY I tell you!).

So after a nap (The Boy, not me) and lunch of hot dogs and chips (all of us) we went out into the garden to plant up some seeds. The Boy was so engaged and did everything that I told him to, learning really, really quickly. He filled the pots up with his little 'spade', poked his finger in to make a little hole, dropped some sweetcorn or beetroot seeds in to the hole (or all over the table) and then covered them up with some more soil 'putting them to bed'.

After that, we came in and read 'Grow' by Amy Trevaskus (competition to win a copy over here) and scrubbed our nails repeatedly!

Alternative April

by 4 Comments

When I started thinking about my entry for The Gallery this week, I decided to do a collage of all of the photos that I thought best represented what April meant to me. I then re-read the brief and it said a photograph so I decided to stick to what Tara wanted and just pick one photograph.

However, having seen a few other entries from people and also realising that this is my blog and I can put whatever content on that I want to (without sounding like a petulant schoolchild), I decided to bugger it and post my original entry into The Gallery. These photos best represent our April, which was fantastic!

Big Cook, Little Cook

by 8 Comments

I was thrilled to discover last week that we had won a competition on the lovely blog of A Small Hand in Mine. Our prize was a Kellogg's Rice Krispies Goodie Bag Giveaway! I was ever so excited, and as much as I tried to enthuse The Boy, he seemed to have a little difficulty joining in!

When it arrived look at what was in it:

Yum, scrum, in our tums!

I could put it off no longer, the trauma that I anticipated with cooking with The Boy was going to have to happen.

Only it didn't. Which quite frankly is marvellous. He was a really good boy, actually managing to stand on the chair for a start (last time we tried, he wouldn't because we'd taught him not to stand on chairs, d'oh!) and following all of mummy's instructions. I know it wasn't 'proper' cooking because there was no eggs (bleugh) or baking in the over involved but he had such fun doing it. What's more is after he'd done all the cooking he had a bonus play of 'washing up', clever mummy!

I can't tell you the exact recipe because we made it up as we went along. It contained something along the lines of:

  • a melted down chocolate bunny (blitzed in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirred, then 20 seconds)
  • three marshmallows (melted in with the chocolate, I'd probably do one or two next time)
  • a dash of milk (to thin it out)
  • a squeeze of golden syrup
  • three shakes of the Rice Krispies box
  • bags and bags of fun.

[nggallery id=10]

Thank you to A Small Hand in Mine and Kellogg's.

Listography: Simple Pleasures

by 10 Comments

This is a simple Listography this week, Kate wants us to talk about our Simple Pleasures. It's a topic that's close to my heart, enjoying the little things that make the day tick by in an enjoyable manner.

  1. Watching The Boy sleep: I chose this one for The Gallery a while back, and it still is right up in my top five. I described it at the time as "Having a cwtch with my son and staring at his beautiful baby face."
  2. Chocolate: You know that urge don't you? I feel fraught and I need a bar of Dairy Milk now. The first chunk slowly melting on your tongue… bliss!
  3. Sitting in the garden: and feeling the grass between my toes, hearing the birds in the trees, children squealing with delight and the washing flapping on the line.
  4. A freshly made bed: specifically with line-dried sheets that smell of the outdoors. Slipping in between those sheets and feeling the cool side of the pillow.
  5. Sunshine: Not excessive heat to go with it because I don't do hot, but the gentle caress of the sun's rays on your skin and that glowing feeling.

Short and sweet. After all "Simple things for simple minds while greater fools look on".

May Day

by 1 Comment

Swimming yesterday seems to have completely wiped us out and today was a little of a non-starter.

We did however decided to 'pop' down to Margam Park to see what they had to offer for a family day out (even though it was only an hour or so). It was a pleasant walk around the grounds and we checked out the Fairytale Land area that they have, but it was a little lacking in entertainment for a toddler and probably somewhere that we won't be going to regularly. However, I did take some nice photos which I thought I'd share.

Waterbaby?

by 11 Comments

I love this time of year; it's the start of the Bank Holidays and this year in particular we've been spoilt with two four-day weekends in a row. The weather has been particularly amazing for April (which is why it's grey and overcast now on the first day of May) and we've been able to take advantage of the great outdoors at almost any opportunity.

Today, however was a tad grey and overcast so we decided for an indoor activity. Having recently been sent a Happy Nappy to review (more about that in another post) we decided to take The Boy swimming. I am ashamed to admit that he has only been once in his little lifetime due to various neurosis of mine, ranging from 'I need him to have had his main jabs before I take him into germ-infested water', to 'it's Winter and I don't want him to catch a cold' and eventually 'I don't want to go when children from school might be there and see me in my swimming costume'. Pathetic isn't it?

As it so happens, I think I may have created a little rod for my own back here (which is good because it's knackered since having had The Boy and could use a little support!).

We took The Boy along to the pool fairly confident; he loved it last time and he loves the bath. He seemed a little unsure when we toddled into the shallow end (and I mean shallow, it's a long slope which starts at the edge of the pool and after about 30-40 feet is only 2 foot deep) but generally quite happy. We went a little deeper so that the water was up to his ribs and he was still fairly happy. After a good splash and kick around, we took him a bit deeper. He clung to me so tightly it was like someone was trying to rip him from us.

Uh-oh!

You see, I lack confidence in the water even though I love it. I can't stand putting my face under the water, I don't like going out of my depth without being about two arms length from the edge and if someone splashes me then the irrational fear creeps in and I panic. My mother is petrified of the water and was determined that all four of us would not be. My father adores the water and used to go scuba-diving regularly when I was a nipper. So you think I'd follow him? Only I don't. And it stems from going swimming with him to Swansea swimming pool when I was about 9 years old. He left me in the shallow end while he went and had a quick go in the plunge pool under the diving board, and they turned the wave machine on. I got swept under and had difficulty regaining my footing. Ever since then I've freaked out.

I have always wanted The Boy to be confident in the water, hubby loves it and adores swimming under the water; testing himself if he can get from one end of the pool to the other in one breath (he can't quite). I want The Boy to love the water like that. Don't get me wrong, he did enjoy himself; he splashed and kicked, giggled and squealed with pleasure, but I just expected him to be fearless like he was last time. Maybe I pushed him too far today? All I know is that next time, we'll take it slowly and stay in the very shallow end for longer.

Oh and next time will be a lot sooner, we've decided to take him a couple of times a month from now on.

He was so tired, he fell asleep eating his lunch with a mouthful half eaten!

ShowOff ShowCase: The One That Should Have Done Better

by 3 Comments

This weekend, I'd like you to link-up a post that you wrote that filled you with a sense of satisfaction. You typed that last full stop, pressed 'publish' and thought "yes, this will be a good one!" and waited.

But no bugger actually bothered to read it, or if they did they certainly didn't comment on it!

Why? I can still hear you shouting it at the stats counter/comments log.

Heaven only know why. They didn't deserve it, they were good posts. Like I said in my brief the other day: don't leave those poor posts being teased and taunted in the corner of the blog-posts' playground by the stat-breakers. It's not their fault that they were published on a Bank Holiday or when people were experiencing blog-apathy. They don't deserve to feel inadequate, not when they've done nothing wrong.

This weekend, I'd like you to help that post to hold its head up high! Brush them off, stick my badge at the bottom of the post and show them off for everyone to see. Don't be ashamed of them, help them shout at everyone: I SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER!

ShowOff ShowCase

A Right Royal Knees Up

by 16 Comments

I have managed to avoid everything to do with the Royal Wedding. I mean everything. No news, magazines, newspapers, television programmes. I'm not entirely sure if this is something to be proud of, or if it highlight the fact that I am out of touch with up-to-date general news?

Nonetheless, I decided that we would be acknowledging the union of William and Kate (if she's a Catherine, why is her shortened name spelt with a 'K' and not a 'C'?) by inviting over my parents to watch the ceremony and have a party lunch. Well ok, dad and hubby were going to be busy in the garden, but mum, The Boy and I would be watching the ceremony. And we'd have a very 1950s style party lunch.

So this morning, I stuck up the single strange of bunting that I'd bought, fished out the napkins and made a crown with The Boy. My mum turned up with a whole load of food on top of what I'd bought. I had a minor sulk that my plans were hijacked but as it so happens, this was a good thing because the lunch would have been a little too sweet otherwise! Somehow for two blokes who didn't want to sit and watch the ceremony, dad and hubby certainly managed to admire the convoy or guests going in, the arrival of Kate and most of the actual vows. Hmm…

After we'd watched the ceremony in dribs and drabs (thank God for Sky+), and The Boy had woken from his nap, we scoffed our way through lunch; both the proper food and my party offerings. Dragging ourselves back into the living room, we all ooh-ed and aah-ed (aside from The Boy who wondered what we were going on about) over their balcony kiss, followed by grandad educating the apple of his eye on the types of planes in the fly-by.

A good day, a beautiful ceremony and some scrummy food!

I'd like to take credit for the ice-cream cone/cupcake idea that you see above, but it is brainchild of Helen at The Crazy Kitchen.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...