Review: Fisher Price Kick & Play Piano Gym

When Fisher Price contacted me and offered to send a Discover 'n Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym for Molly in return for a review on my blog, I was delighted to accept.  I've bought many Fisher Price toys for Lizzie over the years and I've always been pleased with the quality and durability of their products.

Molly is just starting to reach the stage where she can enjoy the Kick and Play piano now that she is a few weeks old, although this toy is suitable for use from birth.

The Piano offers three play "modes", the first being Lay & Play, where the baby is placed on their back looking at the toy bar overhead, and their feet within kicking distance of the piano at the end.  The second option is Tummy Time, where the toy bar is lowered to ground level and the baby is placed on their front, with the piano in kicking distance and the toy bar within easy reach.  Thirdly there is the Sit & Play option, in which the piano is raised and the baby is able to sit with their feet underneath it, using their hands to activate the keys.

The toy is really easy to assemble once everything is out of the box, and the toy bar can be removed when not in use to make storage easier.  The four toys hanging from the toy bar can be arranged to suit, allowing you to change the order they are in from time to time and keep things interesting for your baby.  There's also a mirror angled from the toy bar so your baby can gaze at their own reflection whilst playing.  

The piano itself has large keys that are easily pressed by the gentlest of baby kicks.  There's also two lights that flash when the keys are kicked, offering additional visual stimulation for your baby.  Batteries are included with the toy and can be replaced - three "AA" batteries rather than the huge chunky batteries that cost a fortune!

The play mat attaches securely into place and is soft and comfortable for the baby to lie on.  It has a bright design on it too, offering something else for your baby to look at.  It's easily removed and is machine washable - I haven't needed to wash mine (yet!) but I think it's inevitable that it will be in the wash before long!!

Now that Molly is starting to focus on objects, she'll happily lie on the play mat and watch the toys hanging from toy bar above.  The toys are visually appealing and stimulating in bright colours, and Molly bats away at them for quite some time, whilst kicking actively at the piano at the base of the play mat.  Kicking the piano starts music and plays individual notes, and the various settings allow you to adjust the volume and and also to choose between "long play" or "short play", where pressing the buttons results in a song being played, or an individual note or a short melody.

Obviously with Molly being only 7 weeks old, I can't ask her for her opinion on this toy, and I can't say for sure how much she is aware of the "cause and effect" of her actions at this stage.  I don't really think she knows yet that the music plays in response to her frantic kicking, or that the toys swing when she reaches out and hits them.  Whilst we like to think that she is dancing to the music, I suspect that in reality she's just lying there watching the pretty colours, blissfully unaware that her arms and legs waving about are even hers!  

I can say for sure though that she is more than content to spend time on the play mat, absorbing the stimulation offered around her from the toy.  I'm sure that as she continues to grow and develop (as babies do so quickly!!) she'll be able to engage even more with this toy and get real enjoyment from it.  Fisher Price toys are built to last and the quality of this toy is apparent; I'm sure Molly will be enjoying it for a long time to come.

Thank you Fisher Price for sending this to Molly!

Our new arrival

I'm delighted to share our happy news with you all.

Our new daughter, Molly, arrived safely and we couldn't be happier with her.  She's perfect in every way!

The days since her birth have been somewhat blurred into one continuous round of feeding, changing and sleeping - we're all settling down and getting used to life with a newborn in the family.

I'll be back soon but in the meantime I'm taking a little break to concentrate on Molly and Lizzie.

Thank you for all your lovely messages!

Debbie x

A long nine months

I've pretty much held my breath for the best part of nine months.  I've occupied my days and filled my time and tried my very best to keep my head above water.  I always knew that this pregnancy was going to be difficult, in so many ways.  But I continue to be surprised by the twists and turns in my emotions, right up into the final weeks.

At times I feel completely overwhelmed with panic; bubbling in my throat and gripping at my heart and threatening to consume me, the fright and the worry that something will go wrong and I'll have another baby in my heart instead of my arms.

I also feel weighed down with a sadness on my shoulders that's so unbearably heavy.  As we approach Daisy's birthday I cannot help but re-visit the heartbreaking memories of the time - the joy of her birth, the earth-shattering moment when she died, the crushing memory of cradling my newborn in my arms for the first and last time - the only time.

There's also a sense of tentative anticipation.  Maybe, just maybe, this baby will be born, she will take her first breath herself and they will pass her to me straight away.  Maybe I will be able to hold her into my arms and gaze lovingly at her face for the first time.  Maybe I'll stroke her cheek and kiss her forehead and Dad and I will beam with joy and love for our new daughter.

We are physically prepared for our new arrival.  The practicalities are in place.  The bags have been packed and arrangements have been made for Lizzie to be cared for whilst I am in hospital.

Emotionally and mentally is a different story.  All we can do is keep focused on the last few days, one day at a time, and get through each one.

Thank you all for reading and for your supportive messages throughout, they have meant a great deal to me.

Best wishes
Debbie

A proud moment

It's not often that the blog spotlight is on my husband, Dougie - but today's post is all about him.

This is a very special week for him and I'm thrilled that we have reached it.  This week he graduates from university with a first class honours degree and I couldn't be prouder of all that he has achieved.

We knew that for him to return to full-time education as an adult, a married man, a father - was going to be hard work from the start.  Fitting in the required amount of effort, commitment, and study around family life was going to be testing at times and we prepared ourselves for it.  This decision impacted every area of our lives; we changed our lifestyle, we made our budget, we cut back on expenses where we could, we planned in time for each other and time for the children and we knuckled down to some hard work to pull it all together.

Studying and research fitted in along with all the other commitments my husband had.  At times things were difficult and he needed to prioritise or face stretching himself in too many directions.  He juggled and somehow kept all the plates spinning.

Then Daisy died just before his final year, his honours year, and our world stopped.

Everything we had planned and dreamed of and imagined fell apart in an instant and grieving made us question all that we were doing.

For Dougie that meant questioning his future.  Where was he going?  What was he doing?  What was the point in continuing?

He was at a low point and all he wanted to do was throw in the towel and hide from the world.

But he found the strength to brave the journey of life ahead.  A life without our daughter Daisy was not what we had planned.  But him achieving a degree in a subject he was passionate about was definitely what we had planned, and he managed to find the courage to continue.

The last 12 months has been such a rollercoaster of emotions for all of us, Dougie included.  He was grieving for Daisy and yet focusing ahead, working hard to keep on top of the demands of his honours year and to keep our family life going.  He is very, very good at what he does and despite the challenges, he never gave less than 100% effort to every aspect of his education.

The final pieces of work were submitted, the final presentations were given, the final deadlines were met.  He had done everything he could.  I was already proud of him for his commitment and his success, no matter what the final mark would be.

To find out that he had not only passed, but achieved first class honours, was such a proud moment.  It was the recognition he needed for all his effort and determination during the darkest of times.

This week we'll celebrate that achievement at a graduation ceremony and it will be such an emotional moment for me.  I always knew that he could do it and I believed in him even when we were consumed in the saddest of days.  I'm looking forward to seeing him accept his certificate with pride - and I'll be bursting with pride myself.

Well done!!!!

A baby quilt in progress

If you've been keeping up with me on my Facebook page you'll know that last week I started another quilt.  I know, I know - I said I was going to give the quilting a miss for a while, but once we'd finished decorating the baby's room I couldn't resist making a quilt to match the bunting (more on that later).

I'm now desperately trying to get this quilt finished before the baby arrives at the end of the month.  Well, I do work best with a deadline!

I cut 10cm squares from a selection of fabrics in greys and pinks and arranged these in a random pattern, 11 squares by 15 squares.  I then machine-sewed the squares into rows, and then stitched the rows together to form a cot-sized quilt top.  No real skill or fancy patterns here!  All I need to do now is assemble and quilt it, then apply the binding.  I've got a lovely red fleece blanket to use as the underside of the quilt, so it will be lovely and cosy.  I'm really hoping to have this finished by early next week, all being well - but I always underestimate just how long the final stages of quilt making take!

My bunting was finished and was looking fabulous - until my husband hung it up for me and it was really too long for the space I wanted it to go.  So I need to do some unpicking and re-assembling to get the flags the right distance apart - the bunting is personalised with the baby's name, so I can't just drop some flags, unfortunately!  Hopefully I'll have this completed early next week too.

My To Do list seems to be never-ending - no matter how hard I try to tick things off, more gets added to the bottom!

Best wishes
Debbie

New gluten free products

As regular readers of my blog will know, I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease in 2009 and as such, I need to follow a strict gluten-free diet.  I'm always trying new ways of converting recipes and meals into gluten-free versions, and giving new gluten-free products a go.

Recently I'd heard of a company called Ilumi, who offer a range of "free-from" food choices that are gluten-free, nut-free and milk-free, and I was pleased to receive some of their products to try out.  The Ilumi approach is to make tasty dishes with British ingredients, using naturally allergen-free recipes rather than substituting ingredients with alternatives that often affect the end result.  As this is the type of cooking I adopt at home, I was intrigued to try the range.

Chicken Cacciatora | Ilumi

The Ilumi dishes I tried were tasty, packed with flavour and contained plenty of chunky ingredients.  The packaging was clear to understand, with the ingredients list set out on the front of the pack - once you are diagnosed with a dietary condition, you become very skilled at reading ingredients lists thoroughly!  I was also pleased with the convenience of the products - it is very rare that I eat out of the house for fear of cross-contamination or accidental gluten-poisoning, so the last time I went to my sister's house, I took my own lunch with me!

Tom Kha Gai Soup | Ilumi

I only need to worry about gluten-free as part of my diet, but I can imagine that having a nut-free and milk-free range of options to choose from must be fantastic for those who need to follow those dietary restrictions as well.

Sweet Chilli Stir Fry Sauce | Ilumi

The Ilumi website, www.ilumiworld.com, contains lots of interesting and useful information as well as the opportunity to buy the products online for home delivery.  I noticed that they are also offering an introductory discount of £10 off when you spend £20 or more (until the end of June) - I ordered a stock for myself and everything arrived, securely packaged, a couple of days later.

Best wishes
Debbie

Making the most of the sunshine!

We've enjoyed some glorious days recently and have taken advantage of the sunshine at every opportunity.  One of my favourite places to go is the beach, no matter what time of year - you may remember our visit to the beach in November, where we wrapped up against the chill and enjoyed the fresh air regardless!

As soon as it shows signs of being a lovely day, the children always ask to go to the beach.  On our latest visit, there was barely a cloud in the sky and the temperature had reached 20 degrees - now that's warm for us here is Scotland!  We are so lucky to have lovely beaches like this within a short drive of our home - we can decide last-minute that we're off to spend the day there, and once we are packed up we can set off and be there in next to no time!  None of the "are we there yet?" questions from the back seat of the car!

On this occasion we'd packed a picnic and spent the day making sandcastles, digging in the sand, collecting buckets of water and just generally enjoying the fresh sea air and the sun's rays.  A healthy dose of vitamin D and family time together - you can't go wrong with that!  Lizzie even braved a dip in the sea (and let me tell you, the water was freezing!!) and didn't blink an eyelid.

Of course we ended up with sand all over the car, in all our bags and shoes, covering the picnic blankets and lining the bath at bathtime - but it was all worth the clean-up operation to have the chance to soak up some time outside together!

I hope you've been enjoying some sunshine wherever you are!

Best wishes
Debbie

Refreshed and recharged!

Every now and again we all need some time out, some time to reflect and re-focus.  I for one have been taking that time recently to re-charge my batteries, take stock, and spend time with my friends and family in the run-up to our baby's upcoming birth.

I've been spending a lot of time in peaceful places.  How lucky are we to have views like this almost on our doorstep?  The kingdom of Fife is a beautiful place indeed and there are so many wonderful places to spend time.  I've been to the beach a lot, enjoying the sound of the water and breathing the fresh air.

Spending time in my garden has also made me happy.  Now I'm no gardener by any means, but I like to look at pretty things and seeing all the beautiful spring flowers bloom over the last few months has certainly lifted my spirits no end.  First came the crocuses, and they brought a welcome splash of purple to the garden after the long months of winter.  Next the daffodils appeared, and their cheery yellow heads bobbing up and down made me smile from the kitchen window as I washed dishes.  Finally my tulips made an appearance and their lovely colours brought brightness around the edge of the patio.  I'm so glad I thought to plant bulbs last autumn and I was delighted to see all the colour in the garden.

For the first year since moving into our house, we have daisies growing in our grass.  Every time I see one I smile and think of our darling Daisy.  It will be her birthday soon - where did the last year go?

It hasn't been all peace and tranquillity!  There's been trampolines and picnics, trips out and visits to the park, school activities, after school activities, camping, creativity and mess - in general just a huge old dose of real life.

There's also been an extreme amount of DIY going on at home, with the PC buried under a pile of dust sheets for what seems like weeks!  It's finally been uncovered and we're now back up and running online.

And I'm back to blogging.  I enjoy writing; it's good for me to have an outlet to write and share.  And of course I get to interact with lots of lovely readers, which pleases me no end.

Thanks for all your continued good wishes and kind messages - it's always so nice to hear from you!

Best wishes
Debbie

Chocolate and Black Cherry Cake

I've been planning this creation in my mind for some time and at the weekend I finally got the baking tins out and came up with this - Chocolate and Black Cherry Cake.  Not quite a Black Forest Gateau, due to the absence of any alcohol, but deliciously chocolatey with fresh cream and black cherries.

My "secret ingredient" on this occasion (i.e. cheat ingredient!) was a tin of black cherries in syrup.

I made a simple gluten-free chocolate cake mix cooked in two 8-inch sandwich tins.  Then I layered together with fresh whipped cream and some of the syrup from the cherries.  I spread another layer of cream over the top and piped swirls of cream all around the edge before filling the space in the centre with cherries and syrup.

I sprinkled crushed chocolate Flake all over the top, too.

I had leftover cherries and syrup, so I made individual versions - chocolate cupcakes topped with fresh cream, cherries and syrup and chocolate flakes.

Delicious!

We took the large cake to my mums for after dinner and needless to say within a couple of days all traces of this cake were completely gone!

Best wishes
Debbie

Happy Easter!

We've had the chance to spend lots of time baking and making in our house recently.  Here's Lizzie's Chocolate Nests - so easy for the kids to make and such an adorable treat for Easter!

The snow and cold weather may have kept us indoors (unusual for this time of year) but we have made the most of it instead by raiding the craft box and having fun coming up with Easter-themed creations.  Here's our paper chicks!

Now that the lighter evenings have begun and the daylight hours stretch out longer and longer, I'm hopeful that the snow is finally behind us and we can look forward to warmer, brighter days enjoying the outdoors!  First we have two weeks of school holidays to fill and enjoy, so I'm off to browse on Pinterest for more ideas!

I hope you have all had a lovely Easter weekend however you have chosen to spend it.  It's been an indulgently lazy day for me today; very much needed and thoroughly enjoyed!

Best wishes
Debbie

A Proud Mum

Little Lizzie took up a new hobby this month which has been keeping us really busy.  After deciding that her previous career aspiration to be an X-Factor contestant is no longer for her, she's decided she wants to take part in Got to Dance instead.  Fair enough - she is only seven, after all - and the world is her oyster!  So dance classes it is; she's enrolled in a local dance school and has thrown herself wholeheartedly into mastering the works - ballet, jazz, contemporary, disco.... to name but a few.

This week I had the opportunity to sit in on one of her lessons and I realised - as I watched her throw herself about, twirl and spin, pose in dramatic fashion and hang off her teacher's every word - that I had a lump in my throat and tears threatening to fall.  Not at her skills and dancing capability - yet - she has a long way to go and is very much at the Bambi-on-ice stage of learning to dance.  

I felt emotional watching her as I realised I was proud.  

Proud of my little girl, who joined a class full of other girls aged from younger than her right up to late teens, and didn't bat an eyelid at saying hello and making new friends.  Proud of my little girl, who had no hesitance whatsoever in launching herself across a room, swinging her arms for all her worth, running as fast as she could and exactly as she had been told to, without a shred of self-consciousness.  Proud of my little girl, who has quickly idolised her dance teacher and listened intently to every instruction, trying her hardest to please.  Proud of my confident, outgoing, determined and enthusiastic daughter...  All the qualities that frustrate me at times but ultimately I wouldn't change for the world.  

She may not end up with a career as a singer, or a dancer - she may change her mind a dozen times over before she even reaches her teens - but the qualities and attributes she has now, the confidence and interpersonal skills she's developing at seven I am certain will take her places in life - wherever she may wish to go.  

And that made me proud.  A very proud mum indeed.

Best wishes

Debbie

Finally - another finished quilt!

I finally finished the little quilt I had been working on for Lizzie - I'm working my way through my unfinished projects and I'm delighted to show you the finished result of this quilt!  This was my first attempt at quilting blocks and I'm very pleased with the final article - the pattern came from a book I borrowed from the library.  I used an old fleece blanket as the reverse of this quilt, rather than cotton fabric, to make it more snuggly and cosy - being striped made lining it up a little more challenging, but overall it looks pretty good!  I used an old white fitted sheet cut up into strips to make the border for the quilt top and some leftover fabric from the blocks stitched together into strips to make the binding.

Lizzie was delighted with it, and that was the main thing as far as I was concerned!  She's been watching me working on it (on and off) for months, and was beginning to get slightly impatient waiting for it!

Here's Lizzie modelling the finished quilt.  Most nights she sleeps with it over her duvet, but it is often brought downstairs to snuggle up under on chilly days - and we seem to have had a lot of those of late!

I now just have two quilts left to finish and then I'll allow myself to make a start on some bits and pieces for the baby's room.

Best wishes
Debbie

My pregnancy - 23 weeks

With less than 15 weeks to go until we meet our new arrival, I'm beginning to feel as though the reality of bringing home a baby might be just around the corner.  So my thoughts are turning to the To Do list - and, quite frankly, there's a LOT to do!  After Daisy died and we packed up all our baby things into storage, the baby's room became the spare room and from there it didn't take much time at all to become the junk room... and we're now at the point where there's barely space to squeeze in amongst all the "stuff" that has accumulated in there over the last 9 months.  We made a start on clearing the room at the weekend; a trip to the tip later and some items stashed up the loft, and we seem to be making some progress.  There's still plenty to be done though, clearing space and finding a proper home for everything, before we can make a start on re-decorating and furnishing the room.  All of this at a time when there seems to be so much happening with work, school, activities and so on, that there doesn't seem to be many hours in between to make much headway.  And all of this with just 14 weekends remaining, and I'm starting to feel just the tiniest bit of pressure!

I'd really like to have the baby's room ready before our baby arrives; although it will be some time before the baby will be sleeping in there, I'd like to have a proper room set out with all the baby's things organised and accessible.

When I finish at work I was thinking about starting a sewing project or two (I know, I know - I haven't finished the last one... or two, or three!) - I was going to make bunting to hang on the wall in floral fabrics with letters spelling out the baby's name, along with a matching cot quilt and a patchwork cushion cover for the chair in the corner.  Something pretty and pink, that I can spend time concentrating on in the run-up to the baby being born.  I've never tried making bunting before but a friend of mine gave me a pattern and I'm hoping it will be straightforward.  I'm not sure how to go about the lettering, though - I've seen iron-on felt letters online which might be an idea, unless you have any other suggestions?

In the meantime I seem to be adding more to the To Do list than we are completing - my husband is going to be very busy over the coming weeks, as my expanding bump is beginning to get in the way and I need to take it easy more and more!

Best Wishes
Debbie

Fundraising Success!

Weeks and months of hard work and preparation culminated in our Charity Party Night at the weekend!  I was delighted to see everything come together, and we gave away dozens of fantastic prizes on the night - from hotel stays, to racing championship tickets, to shopping vouchers, meals, nights out, theatre tickets and more.  Our tombola was a great success and I was so pleased to see all our tombola gifts snapped up within an hour.  We enjoyed a mind-blowing dance display from a local performing arts school; everyone was on the edge of their seats and the girls impressed us with their talents.  The party atmosphere ensured everyone had a good time and the dance floor was packed until the end of the night!

Our efforts raised just over £3500 for Fife Sands, our local group of the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, in memory of our daughter Daisy.  I'm such a proud mum - my darling girl may only have lived for 29 hours but everyone knows her name.  The money raised will ensure that support continues for bereaved parents in our local area, which makes me very happy indeed; we cannot bring Daisy back, but we have managed to bring a positive out of her death and to have received so much help from others to achieve such an amazing sum of money for Fife Sands is both humbling and overwhelming at the same time.

Now I can relax somewhat after having so much of my time taken up with the planning and organisation of the event!  Until the next time...

Best Wishes
Debbie

My pregnancy - 20 weeks

We reached an important milestone in my pregnancy this week as we went for our 20-week scan, the anomaly scan.  I'll admit I was wound up like a spring before we went in - I'd barely been able to eat, and felt sick with apprehension.  I was tense and worried that we were going to get bad news.

It wasn't until after the scan was over and we were back in the waiting area that I realised just how uptight I had been - when I burst into tears with relief that the scan had happened and everything was as it should be.  I had no reason to expect otherwise - but then I'd had no reason to expect that something would ever happen to my last baby, and Daisy died the day after she was born.

I hadn't realised that throughout the scan appointment I'd been gripping my husband's hand so tightly that the imprint of my engagement ring was pressed into his fingers - marked red and white from a lack of proper circulation during those twenty minutes or so.  He'd obviously understood my tension and didn't say a word - I don't think I gripped his hand that hard during labour!!

The tears let out the anxiety I'd held in all that morning, but they also came from knowing that we're expecting another little girl.

Another daughter.

Another niece, another grand-daughter.

Another little sister for Lizzie.

I cried with sorrow for the daughter we'd lost, the little girl who'll remain in our memories forever as a 6lb 10oz newborn we'll never see grow up.  And I cried with joy for the little girl I'm growing inside me now, who deserves to have as much anticipation, excitement and preparation for her arrival as her older sister Daisy did.

So here's to the next 18 weeks of planning and expectation until we meet our new arrival - another little lady to welcome into our family.

Best wishes
Debbie

Meal planning for the week ahead

For the last couple of weeks I have managed to do all my food shopping in Aldi and I've avoided the big supermarkets altogether.  My freezer was almost empty, so I needed to do a complete re-stock of the meals I like to have ready and frozen - bolognese, chilli, casseroles etc.  I've also been making the most of my slow cooker of late, so that a tasty dinner can be ready on the table very quickly after getting in the door in the evening.

Here's the meal plan for this week:

Sunday: Homemade pizza and salad
Monday: Beef casserole, potatoes and vegetables
Tuesday: Veg chilli and rice
Wednesday: Pork loin steaks with mustard sauce, potatoes and vegetables
Thursday: Omelettes and baked beans
Friday: Spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread

I'll make a bit extra each evening so I have leftovers to take to work for lunch the following day.  On Monday I'll be making enough beef casserole to freeze half so we can have this next week.  The veg chilli is already made and in the freezer from a couple of weeks ago - full of different varieties of beans and very tasty and filling!  On Wednesday we'll have two pork loin steaks between us - I cut a piece off each steak once cooked and this is enough for Lizzie.  I'll make extra boiled potatoes that night so there will be leftovers for the omelettes on Thursday - anything else lying around the fridge by this point will end up in the omelette too, probably a slice or two of ham and some spring onions.  Friday's bolognese is already made up and in the freezer, left over from last week - so that will be a quick dinner to prepare as well.  I'll have the garlic bread ready the night before so that just needs to be popped into the oven when I get home.

I like to put a bit of thought and effort into planning for the week ahead so there's one less thing to think about when I get in the door in the evening - I stick the list up in the kitchen so everyone can see what we're having.  Sometimes my husband will make a start on tea if he makes it in the door before me - it's straightforward for him if everything is ready in the fridge and he knows what the plan is.

Whilst I'm making the dinner I prepare the lunches for the following day and also get anything else ready for the following night's tea, such as peeling potatoes or taking something out of the freezer to defrost.  Being organised like this is my routine now and it makes things so much easier - especially in the mornings when everyone is rushing out of the door!

Do you have any time-saving, meal-planning tips?

Best Wishes
Debbie

Half term is over!

Well it's been a fun-packed few days whilst Lizzie and I have been off for half term and we've managed to squeeze loads of things in since finishing up on Tuesday.

We started off with pancakes on Tuesday evening - homemade and gluten-free.  No matter how many different recipes I try, I always come back to my Mum's tried-and-tested recipe for scotch pancakes, which works well as a gluten-free version with the addition of a little baking powder.  Here is Lizzie enjoying hers with lemon juice and caster sugar - no sooner were they out the pan than on her plate, being demolished!  She asked, "Why do we only eat pancakes once a year?! They're so good!" and I didn't have an answer for her!  So we've resolved to make pancakes more often in future.  I personally prefer mine cold spread with butter - maybe that's just me!

Wednesday morning we woke up to a blanket of snow - despite the forecast, I hadn't really expected it and was surprised when I opened my curtains in the morning!  We had an unplanned day outside, wrapped up, playing in the snow.  Lizzie was delighted - she's been waiting all winter for this!

I enjoyed Lizzie's company whilst I carried out all the little errands and visits here and there.  She made everyone in the queue at the bank laugh with her antics through the window - she loves a captive audience!

By today we enjoyed glorious sunshine and managed to take a trip round the park!  Here's the learner driver trying her best to stay upright!  She just can't seem to get the hang of riding a bike but she is a determined young lady and I'm confident that she'll master it soon!

In between there's been plasticine, board games, trampoline, movies to name but a few... and a "spring clean" of Lizzie's playhouse - her idea, not mine!  Like mother, like daughter, indeed!!

Finally thanks so much to all of you who have voted for me in the MAD blog awards.  I really appreciate it - I tend to write about this, that, and everything in between so it's nice to have so much support from strangers who follow me and my Family Life - my blog and the people I get the chance to speak to have given me a lot of comfort, especially over the past few months.  If you haven't voted yet and you would like to, you can do so by completing the nominations form here: http://www.the-mads.com/vote/.  Voting closes tomorrow (Monday) at midnight.  I'd love for my blog to make it through to the next round of the competition but there are hundreds of fantastic blogs taking part this year, so even to have been nominated is a fantastic feeling.  Thank you everyone!

Best Wishes
Debbie

So much for spring!

It was bound to happen.  As soon as I mentioned that the arrival of spring was around the corner, we woke up to a blanket of snow.  Fortunately, the timing couldn't have been better, because the schools are off for the rest of the week for the half-term holiday and as such I'm off work too.

After a leisurely start with (yet more) pancakes for breakfast, Lizzie wrapped up and headed out into the garden to play in the snow.  With a bucket and spade, of course.  Well, when you think about it - it does make sense!!

I'm absolutely convinced she planned to throw this snowball at me - then had a re-think at the last minute.  Just as well, as I was still wearing my pyjamas!  Her cheeky smile gives away just what she was plotting.

She built various sculptures, rolled giant snowballs, tried (and failed) to climb onto the trampoline, sat a snowman on the garden bench and basically shifted snow around the garden until her little face was frozen and her wee hands ice cold.

I watched all of this from the comfort and cosiness of the kitchen.  With a cup of tea.  And another pancake.

After coming inside and peeling off all the soaking layers of clothing, I wrapped her up in a duvet and she watched a Barbie movie.  Then after lunch we ventured out together for a walk to the supermarket, trudging our way through the snow and slush.  It may be the last outing for our snow boots this year (fingers crossed!) so we made the most of it.

It's starting to rain now and I suspect (and hope) that the snow will have washed away by tomorrow.  Nevertheless, I am pleased Lizzie had the opportunity to enjoy herself in the snow today.  We've missed out on every other snowy occasion this winter!

Did you have snow today?

Best wishes
Debbie

My pregnancy - 18 weeks

Once we get to the end of this week, we pass the halfway point in my pregnancy and there will be officially less time to go than the time that has passed.  This milestone means a lot to me in that it signals the end is in sight - and, whilst I don't want to wish my life away, I'll admit that there's nothing I'm looking forward to more than reaching the end of my pregnancy and welcoming a healthy baby into the world.

In terms of forward planning, very little has been done - but this is mainly because there is very little to do.  Shortly after Daisy died my husband and I packed away all of our baby things.  It took a while for us to face going into the baby's room and carrying out the heartbreaking task of packing up everything we had lovingly prepared.  Each item was tenderly folded and tucked away in storage boxes - from blankets and bedding, to nappies, baby toiletries, toys and more.  The patchwork baby quilt I'd made.  The lovely baby gifts from my work colleagues.  The soft, fluffy hooded towels all washed and ready.  The boxes were filled and these are currently stored in the cupboard in my mum's spare room.

We hadn't bought much but we'd had everything we needed.  As all of this is stored away, we'll have everything we need again - although I don't plan to collect the boxes and bring them home until much nearer the time of this baby's arrival.

Last time we didn't buy any clothing except the basics, as we were leaving it until the birth to find out if we had a new son or daughter.  This time, we're planning to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl and this will allow us to buy a few things in pink or blue in preparation for his or her arrival.  It will also give us a chance to firm up on a name for our baby.

The baby's movements are getting stronger and Lizzie is delighting in these movements just as she did during my last pregnancy.  She kisses my bump every morning and every night, starting each day by asking how the baby is doing.  She has also taken to singing to the baby now she knows that he or she is starting to hear sounds from the outside world.  Although, to what extent the baby is enjoying her renditions of "Gangnam Style" is anyone's guess....

Best Wishes
Debbie

Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

I like to keep little pots of this sauce in the freezer as it can form the basis of a meal in no time at all - from pasta dishes, to pizza, to leftover chicken with rice... there's loads of possibilities.

I made some today using fresh basil I picked up in the supermarket last night.  I love fresh herbs but as they are quite expensive, I don't buy them very often.  This bag had been reduced to 16p so I bought it with this sauce in mind!  Half of the bag went in today's sauce and the remaining leaves went into the freezer for another time.  

There's probably loads of fantastic recipes out there for tomato sauce - I tend to vary mine and throw together whatever I have.  I'm not usually too fussy with measurements either!  On this occasion I softened two onions in a little oil along with some garlic and some green chilli (both of these were in my freezer).  I added half a pack of passata (also from the freezer), a tin of tomatoes, a jarred red pepper and some tomato puree.  I popped in some sliced carrots, a teaspoon of caster sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, paprika, seasoning and some dried oregano for good measure.  I brought everything to the boil and simmered for ten minutes or so then left to cool.

After adding the fresh basil, I blitzed the lot using my stick blender (to save on washing up!) then split the sauce into little tubs to go in the freezer.  I left the sauce quite thick; it can be thinned out once I know what it's going to be, for example leaving it thicker works better with pizza.  Smaller, individual portions for pasta for lunch - on it's own, with a little cheese, with some leftover ham/chicken/tuna or whatever - and larger portions for the family, either with pasta, rice or as a homemade pizza topping.

I'll use whatever I have, and sometimes I add in mushrooms and fresh peppers if I have them - but as I'm trying to use up just what I have for now, this is all I had!  And it tasted quite good!

Best Wishes

Debbie

A hint of spring!

Lizzie stopped me as we went to school this morning, to point out the blossom starting to appear on the branches of a nearby tree.  Sometimes when you take a step back and take the time to see what's around you, especially through a child's perspective, it's easier to find pleasure in the little things in life.

Despite the forecast for more snow this weekend, I'm starting to see the first hints of spring and I couldn't be happier about that.  Everything seems more hopeful when the days are brighter and longer, when the first tiny splashes of green start appearing everywhere and the grey and miserable months of winter can be put to bed for another year.

I love rediscovering the garden after it has been neglected through the cold months.  I'm so glad I had the foresight to plant spring bulbs last autumn; there's all sorts of shoots appearing from the pots and troughs I planted them in, and I look forward to remembering what I planted - I think I went for daffodils, tulips and crocuses - but I can't be sure.  Each morning when I look out my kitchen window I see the new life appearing in my garden and it reminds me of the promise of things to come.

It will be so nice to have the back door open again to let the children run in and out.  From now until next winter there will be little sets of wellies at my back door, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice as they dash outside to play, digging up mud pies behind the shed, helping to plant things, raking the grass and in general just enjoying the fresh air and delighting in the things around them.

This year I am going to make even more of an effort to capture these little moments.  Another spring means they are another year older - and we won't have this time again, so I for one am planning to savour and save every precious moment.

Best Wishes

Debbie

Finding new blogs to read and follow!

I love reading other people's blogs on all sorts of different subjects.  Real experiences, real people, real ideas - that's what makes blogs (and blogging) so enjoyable.  Last year I voted in the MAD Blog Awards, the Mum and Dad blog awards for parent bloggers.  I got the chance to vote for my favourites and I discovered some other fantastic blogs along the way too.

Today I thought I'd share a small selection of my favourite blogs and direct you to the 2013 MAD Blog Awards nominations so far, so you can find some new blogs to read and follow too if they interest you!

Some of these blogs are well-known and others are new and upcoming blogs - take a look for yourself and you might find they appeal to you too.

Adventures of an Unfit Mother - such an entertaining blog from Emma - always makes me smile!

Frugal Queen - Jane shares her frugal lifestyle on her blog and shows how you can clear debt and pay off your mortgage early.

MammyWoo - I love Lexy's frank and honest posts about life, so beautifully written.

Mortgage Free in Three - Elaine shares her tips and ideas for budgeting and living within your means.

Motherhood or Madness - Lisa tells it like it is about being a mum to two young toddlers.  And she's Scottish, too!

I'm delighted to be taking part in the Awards as a blogger this year as well as a reader!  If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to nominate me in the Awards this year, you can click on the image to the right or on this link to the Voting page.

Do you have favourite blogs that you'd like to share?  Leave me a note in the Comments below - I'm always on the look-out for different blogs to follow!

Best wishes
Debbie

Money Saving - Eat Everything!

I posted the other day about saving money on supermarket shopping.  I received a lot of messages and questions on the subject so I thought I'd expand a little further.

I won't get it all into one post - so for today, I'll start with our first tactic for saving money on food shopping - Eat Everything!

Nothing gets wasted in this house.

Anything leftover at the end of a meal is usually deliberate rather than accidental.  For example, if I know we'll be having omelettes for tea the following day, I'll cook extra boiled potatoes with the dinner the night before, then have them ready in the fridge.  Or, I'll make double of something, for example chicken curry, so I can freeze half - a "ready meal" in the freezer for another day.  Sometimes I'll make extra at tea-time and have it again, reheated in the microwave, for the following day's lunch.   I usually get my portions spot-on so there isn't anything left once we've had our dinner - but if there is, it goes in the fridge to be used up along with the next day's meals, or into the freezer for another time.

My freezer is only small but it is always full and anything that will not get used up before it goes off in the fridge, gets frozen.  If there's a pack of ham with a couple of slices still lurking in it and we have no planned use for it, those slices get popped in the freezer and I can then use them another time for pizza topping, omelettes, pasta dishes etc.  Likewise for any vegetables that are starting to go a bit floppy and sad-looking - I either make soup with them (and freeze it) or peel and chop them and freeze in food bags.  I like using fresh herbs if I can pick them up at a reduced price - although invariably I don't need the full pack, so anything left goes in the freezer.  Herbs work well from frozen - I have a little tub in the freezer as we speak, full of rosemary for sprinkling on roast potatoes!

I never have to "clear out" my fridge and chuck away out of date milk, mouldy cheese or past it yoghurt.  If something needs using up, I'll adjust our meal plans accordingly to ensure it does, or alternatively I freeze it for another day.  My fridge is almost empty by the time shopping day comes round again - everything fresh has been used up or frozen.

Obviously if something was off or if I was in any doubt, I wouldn't feed it to my family - but I use best before dates as a guide only, and use common sense with the rest.  I haven't given us food poisoning yet!  That jar of mustard that says "use in 4 weeks after opening"?  The ice cream in the freezer that's to be eaten in three months?!  If it looks alright, smells alright and tastes alright, we eat it.  I'm more careful with Use By dates, but to be fair we don't tend to buy such huge stocks of fresh produce that I have to be concerned about the Use By dates on the fresh things I buy.

Finally, I take advantage of reduced price, yellow-stickered items in the supermarket.  You know the Reduced to Clear section - that's where you'll find me, rummaging for bargains.  I buy it and either cook it or freeze it, and write it into the next week's meal plans.  It's a good way of being able to afford more pricey items that would normally be off the menu.  Also, I tend to pick up bakery products for pennies in my local supermarket at the end of the day.  Baguettes and french sticks are turned into garlic bread, and croissants, pains au chocolat and crumpets freeze well too - making a lovely breakfast treat for my husband and the kids at the weekends.  I wouldn't dream of buying 4 croissants for £1.50 - but 10p I'll stretch to!

I'll come back with more ideas next time!

Best wishes
Debbie

My pregnancy - 17 weeks

As I'm approaching the halfway point in my pregnancy now, I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on things. When I wrote on my blog that I was expecting another baby, I was really touched by all your kind messages and emails.  It is indeed an emotional rollercoaster and nothing could have prepared me for that fact, no matter how much I anticipated it would be.

I'm very lucky in that the physical aspect of pregnancy hasn't given me any issues.  This is my third baby; my body is well-practised, and knows exactly what to do.  Perhaps too well - my body shape seems to have changed very quickly this time, but then I guess that is to be expected, since only 7 months ago I gave birth to Daisy.  I unpacked all my maternity clothes again and I doubt very much that I'll be re-visiting my size 8 jeans again anytime soon - if ever!

Emotionally, well - that is more complex.  To be honest I had been feeling almost detached from the idea of having another baby; it wasn't that I wasn't happy to be pregnant again - of course I am very happy to be having another baby.  But what lingers in the back of my mind is fear.  The fear that something will go wrong, the worry that something awful will happen, the rising panic that there are so many things that can go wrong, that I was blissfully unaware of the last time I had a baby.  And although I can tell myself that the fear, the worry, the panic is not helpful, an almost self-preservation mode kicks in.

But people don't want to hear about fear and worry - they want to think that you are fine, that you are coping, that you are happy and excited.  So I smile, and keep my worries and fears to myself.

My local Sands group runs a Next Pregnancy Support Group - a group that meets monthly and is run by a Sands befriender and a local midwife, specifically aimed at supporting parents going through a pregnancy after the death of a baby.  I went along to the last meeting and finally I was able to talk to other people who knew, and understood, just what I was feeling.  I almost felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders - sharing my worries and concerns with others feeling the same, made me feel a whole lot better.

And I could talk about Daisy.  I like talking about her; I like sharing the details and memories I have.  Even though some of those memories are acutely painful, they are all I have - and like any proud mum, I like to talk about my children.

I came away from the meeting feeling more positive and optimistic than I had been.  Nobody said "oh, I'm sure everything will be fine this time", not really understanding, or knowing.  They said, "it's perfectly understandable and natural to be anxious after what happened to Daisy.   But you can do this, you can get through your pregnancy, one week at a time, and relax as much as you can - you're not alone in how you're feeling, and it's normal".

So I began to tentatively look ahead.  I promised Lizzie that we'd go shopping for an outfit for the baby, after I have my next scan (and hopefully, find out whether we're expecting a boy or a girl).  Her excitement is catching - I cannot help but be drawn in.

In the last few days I have began to feel my baby's movements; I lie back on my bed with my hand on my tummy and concentrate on feeling my new son or daughter, dancing around, growing and developing and becoming the little person we'll be welcoming into the world in a few months.

And I am beginning to feel excited.

Best wishes
Debbie

Saving on Supermarket Shopping

Like many families, we work within a tight budget and we watch what we're spending.  In particular, one area I save lots of money on is food shopping.  I write lists, I plan my shopping trips, I use coupons and I compare prices to ensure my money stretches as far as it can whilst still keeping our meals healthy and nutritious.

I'm always surprised when I come across people nowadays who don't do this!  It's so easy to be tempted at the supermarket to part with more cash than you had originally planned.

Here's what works for us!

I do my shopping weekly every Friday.  I've tried different techniques, for example doing a "big shop" monthly and then top-up visits in between, but we only have a small fridge and freezer so it's difficult to store a lot of items.  I've been shopping weekly now for nearly a year and I find it works best for our family - nothing ever goes to waste, no food is thrown away, and any leftovers are used up in meals the following day or frozen for another time.

Usually on a Thursday I check out what's still lurking in the fridge and hidden in the freezer, and I sit down and plan out the meals for the week ahead.  I use up what we have and then write a shopping list for the ingredients I need to fill the gaps.  Once I have my meal plan for the week, I stick it on the wall in the kitchen and then I know (and the family know) what we're having for dinner every night.  This means that if my husband is home before me, he'll happily make a start on the tea.  I also stick a blank post-it on the meal plan and any shopping items that come up during the week, I make a note of on the post-it for the following Friday.

Before heading off to the shops on the Friday I check in my purse for any coupons that I can make use of.  The free magazines offered at supermarkets usually have lots of vouchers inside them.  Then I take my list and my coupons and head off to whichever supermarket suits me for what I am buying.  Aldi and Tesco are right next to each other and Asda is only five minutes away, so it's no hassle to get round them all if I need to!  While I'm out I'll get petrol if I need it (usually I buy this every two weeks).

This method means that I can keep my weekly supermarket spending to below £30 every week for the entire family.  This is for everything, including all food items, cleaning products and toiletries.

Do you budget and meal plan in your house, too?  I'd love to hear your tips on keeping costs to a minimum.

Best Wishes
Debbie

Success! Chocolate Truffle Cake...

After two days of tears and tantrums, I finally managed to come up with a Chocolate Truffle Cake to be proud of.  This cake took a lot out of me - it was the first time I had attempted the recipe and after my failure on Thursday I was determined it wouldn't get the better of me.  Yesterday I took my time, followed the recipe to the letter and here is the finished result!  This was my first time icing a cake with chocolate ganache, so it took a bit of practise with the palette knife - but I got there in the end.

You can buy fancy icing turntables to help you when you're decorating cakes.  I have a "lazy susan" that I use for icing mine (you can see it in the photograph below) - I picked it up second-hand in the charity shop for a couple of pounds and it has been such a fantastic addition to my stash of cake-making equipment.  I found it particularly useful on this occasion as with the ganache, I needed to turn the cake often to get as smooth a finish as possible.

The recipe for this cake came from the Great British Bake Off "Showstoppers" book, which I received from my lovely husband for Christmas.  I replaced the flour with gluten-free flour and added a little baking powder too for good measure.  My first attempt used real butter, but for my second I used Utterly Butterly spread - who knows if this made any difference, but my second attempt certainly worked out better!

I had dowels left over from making my wedding cake back in 2011, so I used those to stack the 6" cake on top of the 8" cake and finished off with a final layer of ganache.

The birthday party is today - I'm sure my Nana will love her birthday cake.  You may remember the parcel cake I made her last year.  Each birthday I like to try something bigger and better!  Goodness knows what I'm going to do next year for her 80th!!

I've certainly had enough of baking for a while after two days in the kitchen stressing over this - so there will be no more cakes for a while!

Best Wishes
Debbie

Chocolate cake failure!

Thanks for all your suggestions yesterday for my leftover Christmas turkey.  Some fantastic ideas which will help shake up my meal plans no end!  I had every intention of trying something new today, but after two failed attempts at my chocolate cake, I was pretty sick of the sight of my kitchen!  Tonight's leftover turkey got a jar of curry sauce poured over it, served up with rice and and green beans.  Very lazy and not very exciting!  But quick and stress-free after failure with my chocolate cakes.

Ahh, where did I go wrong?

Not too sure why, but my cakes turned out more like brownies.  Not quite the two-tier, ganache-coated chocolate extravaganza I had in mind!

The absolute worst bit about this is the fact that my hubby gave the recipe a go at the weekend and it turned out PERFECTLY.

Which only serves to make me feel an even bigger failure!

So the pressure is on tomorrow, to bake, fill, ice and assemble my cake, ready for the party on Saturday.  Wish me luck!

Best wishes

Debbie

Using up leftover turkey!

Are we only family still working their way through leftover Christmas turkey?!  We were very lucky to pick up a reduced price turkey just before Christmas day - a gamble, I know, but every year I like to leave it to the last minute in the hope that I can pick up a bargain - and I always do!  I also had a £5 off voucher which resulted in a super-size family turkey for less than half the price it should have been. This meant that we ended up with an absolutely huge turkey, one that would feed all of us on Christmas day and beyond.  I didn't mind, because I knew that every scrap would end up in the freezer and be turned into something wonderful another day.

Well, over the last few weeks we have been working our way through the turkey in various guises, from salads to sandwiches, curries, sweet and sour, to "Christmas dinner" all over again with vegetables and gravy.  I had a wee run-through of the freezer contents this morning and shouldn't have really been surprised to find several bags of cooked turkey still remaining in there.

But I'm starting to run out of inspiration!  What else can I do with my cooked turkey other than repeat the meals I've already made?  Do you have any suggestions?  I was thinking about giving turkey and leek pie a go, but gluten-free pastry can be a bit of a challenge!

I'd love to hear your ideas.

Best Wishes
Debbie

Spicy Carrot and Coriander Soup

It's been a while since I shared a recipe, so here's my version of Spicy Carrot and Coriander Soup.  This soup is delicious and easy to make, it freezes very well and costs very little for the ingredients.  With the cold weather we're having, a bowl of warming, spicy soup does the trick at lunchtime!

 Ingredients

Olive oil
2 onions
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp dried crushed chillies
2.5 litres of chicken stock
1kg carrots
Handful of fresh coriander leaves

Peel and finely chop the onions then fry gently in a little oil for about five minutes, until softened.  Add the garam masala and dried chillies and fry for a further minute or so.  Peel and chop the carrots and add these with the stock to the onions.  Bring to the boil and simmer for about twenty minutes, then allow to cool slightly before blending to a smooth consistency along with the fresh coriander leaves.  Taste and season before serving!

These quantities will make around 8 large bowlfuls- I like to make a big batch like this and put half in the fridge for another time.

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments and emails following my news last week that we're expecting another baby - it's very kind of you indeed to share best wishes and to follow our journey.  The support from strangers has been so overwhelming over the highs and lows of the last year - it means a lot to me indeed, thank you!

Best Wishes
Debbie

Some happy news to share...

Today I have some happy news to share with you all.  

In June we'll be welcoming another baby into our family.  Yes, I'm 15 weeks pregnant with my third child and we're very happy indeed to be expecting again!

I hope this goes some way towards explaining my sporadic blogging activity of late.  What between morning sickness, tiredness, and a rollercoaster of extreme emotions, I have been physically and mentally exhausted and blogging has somewhat slipped further down my To Do list.

My physical symptoms are now starting to settle down and I'm getting back into my normal routine of things.  

As for my emotions, to say they are mixed would be a massive understatement.  Pregnancy can be an emotionally charged time anyway, without the experience we've had.  Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while will understand why this is, of course.  For new readers, this is because this pregnancy follows the death of our last baby, Daisy, in July of last year.

Wow.  Emotional doesn't even scratch the surface in describing how I am feeling.

My poor husband.  He would probably be kind and describe my alternating moods as somewhat erratic.  But in all honesty I swing from being elated to scared, to joyous to tearful, in a state of almost perpetual anxiety and occasional denial that my pregnancy is even real.  I'm sure this is completely normal, given that I am still grieving Daisy's death.  But I'm sure it makes me very challenging to live with!

So I'm channelling my energies into positives where I can, in order to keep myself busy and to help the remaining weeks pass quickly and smoothly.  I'm returning to focus on my blog, I hope to finish some of my crafting projects that have been hanging around for what seems like forever, I'm coming up with lots of delicious gluten-free recipes to share, I'll be tackling some of those To Do items that always end up left on the list, and also sorting out my house and catching up with some (long overdue) housework - including a truly towering ironing pile!

On top of all this, planning for my Charity Party Night for Sands is well underway and my return to work is keeping me busy too.

So thanks for sticking with me as we move into this next eventful journey for Family Life in Fife.

Best wishes

Debbie

Fundraising for Sands

Much of my time has been taken up recently with the preparation for a Charity Party Night I'm holding in March.  I'm raising funds for Fife Sands, the local branch of the stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, in memory of our daughter Daisy who died in July 2012.

We've had a great response from local businesses and have managed to obtain a range of fantastic prizes for our raffle, as well as a few offers for entertainment - so we're finalising all the arrangements for that as we speak.  We've also been lucky to have been offered a fantastic local venue to host our event which will allow us to have over 200 guests at our party.

My fundraising target for the evening is £3000, although at the rate the tickets are selling, I'm really hopeful that we'll smash our target and raise lots more for Fife Sands!

I'm enjoying pouring my efforts into organising this event and I'm so pleased at the support we have had from friends, family and the local community in order to raise money for such a supportive charity as well as raising  awareness of the work that Sands does, both locally and nationally.

The planning of the event has taken up a lot of my time and has been keeping me fairly busy.  With only a couple of months to go until the party, preparations have stepped up a gear and I'm now working on something related to the event nearly every day.

It's great to see everyone pulling together to raise money for such a fantastic cause.