Month of May catch up....

Ok so I'm still crazy busy so here's a quick catch up for the month of May!

We have been to....

Chester Zoo, love, love, love this place

A day out with Thomas the Tank Engine

And contrary to their faces they had a great day out!

The girls went on a train for the first time.

A big old steam train that went from Bury to Rochdale (and back).

It was fantastic, we had a little picnic and I love this picture :)

We went to Blackpool, Amelia the thrill seeker wanted to go on every ride she could and Isobel wouldn't go on any, chalk and cheese.

We had Amelia's 4th Birthday.

4???? Where on earth did those years go?

She had two parties, one for all her friends and one for family and thankfully it didn't rain.

And August 2008 must of been a very aherm.. busy month as we've had parties every weekend this May.

The girls and hubby did a bit of gardening, put in a border, potted lots of tubs and hanging baskets and he even made a table (more to come on that one)

Craft wise, I finally got around to learning how to make bunting and did a very simple birthday bunting for Amelia and I have sussed the dreaded door stop.

The girls have decided they want to share a room, up to now we've had a few late ish nights but they are doing pretty well, it's lovely to hear them chatting in bed, very cute.

As they are very close anyway I'm hoping it helps to cement the sister bond, they already hold hands where ever they go, long may it continue as it warms my heart.


Amelia has started her swimming lessons (and Isobel is moaning because she wants to go as well)

Kitty had a hair cut and has digressed back to Cujo (argh). He has been booked in go get his bits cut off so I'm hoping it calms him down a bit.

It was also my birthday, getting ever closer to that 40.... Eek 

I will be back on track with the blog next week, need to get half term out of the way and I have cushion orders coming out of my ears but I have loads to write about.

School placement

My learning to cook update

Making princess crowns

My new table

Making bunting

See you on the other side xx

Silent Thursday....

Peace

&

Tolerance

So much to say... So little time

We've just had a glorious week off, my husband was off work so it was day trips galore (Chester Zoo, A Day out with Thomas, Swimming)

But I am struggling to find the time to write about what we did, I could most definitely use an extra few (10) hours a day at the moment. So something has had to give and at the moment its my blog!!!

I have a backlog of cushions to get out, my normal day job is ridiculously busy (what should be 7-14 hours a week is more like 25 hours), Kids, Kids, Kids (why did no one say that toddlers are a nightmare??), organising Amelia's birthday, and a million and one other things going on I feel like I am about to implode.

But fear not I am hoping next week some normality should resume and I have lots to tell you about :)

#Blogging4Madeleine - Hope..

Its hard to belief a year has passed since we first did the blogging for Madeleine campaign.

But here we are again a year has flown by and still no trace of little Madeleine McCann. 

As I did a blog last year which I expressed my views and opinions on Madeleine's disappearance and on peoples onions of the McCann's I don't really want to cover old ground, here is a link to the original blog post, if you would like to read it.

http://jules-home.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/blogging4madeleine.html

What I would like to do is just express hope... Hope that one day she will be found... Hope that one day we will know the full story... 

And after the weeks story of the three girls found in Ohio after 10 years, we must believe that there is hope. 

Ohio has provided the true meaning of hope.

HOPE... TRUTH.... JUSTICE

Madeleine McCann Age 3- Missing since 3rd May 2003

Daniel Entwistle Age 7 - Missing since 3rd May 2003

Ben Needham Age 21 Months - Missing since 21st July 1991

Katrice Lee Age 2 - Missing since 28 Nov 1981

HOPE...

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight - 
Found after 10 years

Elizabeth Smart - Found after 9 Months

Natascha Kampusch - Found after 8 years

Shawn Hornbeck - Found after 4 years

Steven Stayner - found after 7 years

Jaycee Lee Dugard - Found after 18 years


Lets never give up hope.

http://www.findmadeleine.com/                 +44 845 838 4699

http://www.helpfindben.co.uk/                  (44) (0) 114 220 2020

www.missingpeople.org.uk                        020 8392 4590

http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/              0800 555 111

0800 555 111

        

Thanks again to the wonderful CJ A Mummys View http://amummysview.com/ for organising and to Brit Mums for Hosting

Erm my plant pot is waving at me....

Well not quite waving but it's definitely high fiving me!

I'm convinced this little hand has just appeared. We've had the pot for eight years at least and I have never seen the hand before.

My husband thinks it was covered with soil but I am really not convinced, I think I would have seen it.. Surely???

But it's starting to creep me out a bit! I mean where on earth did it come from???

So my plant pot can high five off... Unless it could be the next hand of God like those images in toast...

Hmmm... I wonder how much I would get on eBay for a haunted flower pot...?

Kitty passed

Awww Kitty passed puppy training :)

But so did the dog that wouldn't do anything apart from run around yapping. So I wouldn't say it was difficult....

We enjoyed it, I would thoroughly recommend it and we have booked on the further training course (I need all the help I can get).

Home Made Yorkshire Puddings - Revised

Another food blog!!! 

As you know I am determined to start cooking things from scratch and next on my hit list was Yorkshire Puddings.

No more Aunt Bessie's for us (well that is the plan)

I trawled the Internet for recipes and they all looked pretty similar and easy enough and this is the one I went for.

125g of plain flour
300 ML of milk
2 eggs
Pinch of salt & pepper

Sieve the flour into a bowl
Make a well and put in the eggs
Then mix until firm
Add the milk and mix thoroughly

Leave to stand for 30 minutes

Oil and pre heat muffin tray

Add Yorkshire pudding mixture and cook for 25-30 minutes

Do not open oven door until they are cooked (as I learnt to my horror last week as I ended up with very flat stodgy yorkshires and I only opened the door for a second)

Makes at least 12 Yorkshire Puddings and I always have some mixture left.

And that's it! Simple and very tasty Yorkshire puddings. Amelia currently will only eat yorkshires so I am judging her as a bit of a expert and she says they are much nicer than Aunt Bessie's so that's good enough for me :)

Update

Ok after my early smugness my yorkshire puddings stopped rising (damn you yorkshire puddings!!)

So after much sulking and head scratching (and the power of Google) I know add 3 eggs rather than 2, make sure my oven is on full wack, get my oil sizzling before I add the mix and then turn the oven down once the mix has been in for 10 minutes and (touch wood) they have been great since.

Making real gravy.... Revised!

I was a bit nervous of this one for some reason, but in reality it was very simple and absolutely delicious.

I will not go back to instant gravy for roasts ever again, it made such a difference to the meal.

So here is what I did

Put pan with meat juices onto the hob and heated until fat started spitting

Then I added two table spoons of plain flour and mixed to a paste

I then added hot water from my potatoes and whisked

You can add a stock/oxo cube at this point if you desire (I did)

Then I whisked some more


I left to simmer on the hob whilst I dished out and it thickened up nicely

I will say that I struggled to get the flour to mix completely so I had to siv the gravy but for my first attempt I was delighted with the result.

Update!

I have figured out how to not make lumpy gravy (woo hoo) and its down what I stir with. If I use a spoon with holes in then viola I don't get lumps, which makes me a happy girl :)

Sunday catch up....

Sorry I've been a bit quiet of late, I've had a horrible chest infection that has exhausted me, along with being ridiculously busy, I don't seem to have had a spare minute.

We have been planning Amelia's 4th Birthday party and after going through every type of party imaginable she has finally decided to have a soft play party (thank god! At least we can just leave them to it). So the invites have been sent and all I now need to do is come terms with the fact my baby is almost 4!!!!

Talking of my beautiful 3 year old (still saying it whilst I can) she finally got her gymnastics jacket after we ordered it 2 months ago (don't ask). The absolute delight on her face when she got it though was well worth the wait. She hasn't had it off since Tuesday and even went to bed in it on the night she got it, bless her :)

In other news, I have managed to make a start on some of my other projects (at last!)

I made a garland for my kitchen window, I originally was going to make some curtains but as the kitchen can be quite dark I decided against it but I still wanted "something" and I saw this on Pinterest (gotta love that site) and went for it.

It looks great but I can't get a decent picture of it, for the life of me (grrr)

I plan next week to paint my kitchen chairs (I know, I've been saying it for months but I mean it this week).

Also I'm on the look out for a shelf unit to refurb and then the kitchen will be pretty much done (until I rip it out and put French doors in)

Oh and I'm after a big ass rug for in there as well.....

What else have I done.... Oh yes... sew, sew and more sewing. I have some new fabric which is beautiful to touch and predicting its going to be popular.

And I got some fabric to start making some bunting, I'm starting simple with some birthday bunting for Millie Poo so I will post that hopefully next week.

And that's about it, hubby is off next week so visits to a local farm, swimming and a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine are all planned.... Happy Days!!

For sale - Laura Ashley Hydrangea / Awning Cushion Covers...

Beautiful Laura Ashley Hydrangea cushion covers with Laura Ashley Awning on reverse

Zip closure

16 x 16 inches

£15.00 (free P&P)

Other options available

With plain cream reverse, zip closure - £12.00

Plain cream envelope reverse - £9.99

Other colours and sizes are available so please contact me.

Seams overlocked to prevent fraying

14 days return policy

For your peace of mind payment is via PayPal and you can also order on my eBay account Juleshome2012

Sunday catch up

Well it's been a busy old week

Spent lots of time with my sister, which is something I love doing and we don't do enough off, I think a little pampering weekend is on the cards soon.

Then it's been all cushions, cushions, cushions! Mad busy, which is fabulous. Well, apart from the girls wrecking my house whilst I sew (argh) but I am not complaining :)

I am currently buying new fabric for some lovely spring time cushions, bunting and I want to crack the door stop (bloody cube shape!)

Time to step it up a gear I think.

Cooking wise it's been a low and then high, I had the family around for lunch last Sunday and I was all smug about my Yorkshire Puddings and guess what.... They didn't rise!!!!!

How frigging typical!

Then Monday I made Toad in the hole and it was perfect YAY!!!

All comes out equal in the end...

But now we are all ill well the hubby and I are coughing and spluttering, feeling sorry for ourselves. A quiet weekend is on the cards with a visit to grandparents on Saturday and a little walk and the pub on Sunday.

Hopefully we will be back fighting fit sharpish.

Yummmmmy Toad in the Hole

Cushions, Cushions, Cushions

My very talented sister cutting Amelias hair

Cousins having fun!

Real gravy....

Today I made gravy for the first time and all I can say is "Oh my god! Why have I not made gravy before!

(I didn't get chance to take pictures so proper blog post next Sunday)

It was simple enough to do (it did go a tad lumpy but my siv soon sorted that out) and it was by miles the nicest gravy I think I've ever had and I'm really not exaggerating it was divine.

In fact my whole roast was perfect (happy dancing), the lamb melted in your mouth, roasts were lovely, my Yorkshire Puddings were perfection and I got all my veg fresh from the farm shop yesterday and by god you could tell the difference. Poor Kit Kat had no left overs!

Even Miss "Fussy Pants" Amelia ate something other than just Yorkshire Puddings.

My homemade apple crumble is now in the oven so lets see if I can do a full house :)

Laura Ashley Woodland Creatures Childrens Nursery Cushion Cover 16"

Beautiful Hand Made Cushion Covers made in Laura Ashley Woodland Creatures Fabric.

Size 16 x 16 inches

I can do other sizes if required

This cushion cover has a cream envelope reverse

£7.99

Laura Ashley Josette Bolster Cushion Cover

Laura Ashley Josette Bolster Cushion Cover

Same fabric front and back

Zip fasten

£14.99

A little taster of my spring range

Spring is in the air and I am seeing lots of lots of yellows about so I have made this little beauty today with more to come over the next few weeks :)

Reversible Laura Ashley Awning Fabric, Zipped 

£13.99 Free P&P

Bank Holiday Fun at the Beach

Well it wasn't exactly beach weather (it snowed on the way) but we are a hardy (Ha Ha Ha) bunch, so we bundled up in lots of layers, waterproof trousers and wellies and off to the beach we went.

I love the sea, for me it has a real calming effect, it definitely soothes my soul like no other place can. Luckily we live only about 25 minutes from the coast so we can go on a regular basis and there are some lovely beaches near us so I am blessed.

We went to Southport which is a bit more commercial than our normal beach but we wanted food, doughnuts and donkey rides with it being so cold. A little bit of comfort on a cold day...

The girls and the dog had a great time, even Isobel (much to my surprise) went on the donkeys and LOVED it. I think a bit of pony riding is now on the cards in the summer, I really love how much they enjoy animals and this I want to nurture as much as possible.

But sodding hell it was freezing!

The girls made a few sand castles, chased the dog and then we headed off for food as it was just too cold.

I am looking forward to a bit of warmer weather so we can go to the beach more regular, Amelia is already planning picnics.

A little bit of cold won't stop her from building sandcastles 

A few snaps we took in the summer at our usual beach