Lisa xx
Thursday 31 July 2014
Wednesday 30 July 2014
Tuesday 29 July 2014
Sunday 27 July 2014
Saturday 26 July 2014
Friday 25 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 23
For some reason the ducks decided to sunbathe on the decking with me. They had a lovely cool pond to jump into but spent the day panting like dogs. So I decided to cool them off with the hose pipe.
They loved it and they made me laugh so much!
How have you kept cool?
Lisa xx
Thursday 24 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 22
Please excuse the unmade bed, now I have drawn your eyes to it haven't I..... But come out of the bathroom this morning ready to go on our usual early morning walk to this. It made me laugh, too hot for them two already. Maybe a night time walk then? 
Lisa xx
Wednesday 23 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 21
Wild raspberries are ready to pick and blackberries are not far behind! Now thats a reason to be happy!
Lisa xx
Tuesday 22 July 2014
Monday 21 July 2014
Sunday 20 July 2014
Apron strings
I wrote a couple of weeks ago when Georgia was leaving for Mexico on her first holiday without me, that my apron strings were being well and truly cut! She was no longer my baby to look after and care for.. Although I always will... She is a young woman making her own decisions, her own future, her own life. For that I am proud, I must have done a good job.
After all I still have Ellis to 'mother'
Until today....
Ellis was going on a three day school trip. One of these outdoor activity centres. He had brought a list home from school with everything needed one it and I had said we will pack after tea.
After tea came and I was busy with household things. I remember about packing his case and went in the living room to tell Ellis to go and get some clothes out while I just finish off. But he wasnt there?
I shouted upstairs with no reply. 'He's got his ear phones in and he is playing on his xbox' I thought.
I ran upstairs and into his room, ready to be annoyed at him, when I stopped in my tracks!
He wasn't on his xbox, but he did have ear phones in, he had already half packed the case, which he had chosen and got down from the loft his self. Put all the clothes, shoes and toiletries into piles on his bed and was busy packing it all.
It was then I heard it..... Another apron string snipped!
'What are you doing' I said.
'Packing' was he reply. ' do you not need my help?' I said almost desperately. ' no mum i've watched you pack enough times I can do it myself. So I sloped off and left him to it.
After he had finished I asked if he had remembered this and that. And yes he had remembered it all.
Proud and heartbroken I congratulated him on a job very well done and he grinned and gave me a big hug. ' I still need you mum I always will' I think he read my mind.
'Have you got any headache pills? You know you always get headaches' ' oh no I haven't' he said.
I grinned and got some out for him.....
Lisa xx
100 happy days. Day 18
Cheeky ducks! Came in from the lounge to find these three in the conservatory. They kicked up a bit of a fuss when I put them back outside in the rain! #spoiltducks.
Lisa xx
Saturday 19 July 2014
100 happy days. Day17
The heat was too much for Tilly today. She spent most of the day cuddling up to me.
Lisa xx
Friday 18 July 2014
Thursday 17 July 2014
Dukan egg custards
Oh my!
Im not a good cook, I get by but these were so easy, even I managed them.
They tasted as good as they look and really satified my sweet cravings.
Dont they look good.
Here is the recipe, taken from the Dukan Diet site.
H & V’s Perfected Baked Egg Custard
Ingredients (Serves 10)
- 6 cups of skim/skimmed milk
- 4 tablespoons of Splenda
- 5 whole eggs
- 5 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
- 2 teaspoon of almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 140 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 1)
- Scald the milk till just below boiling. be careful not to burn – stir to make sure milk isn’t sticking to bottom of pot.
- Stir in Splenda and salt till dissolved.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs till completely blended.
- Add vanilla and almond extract.
- Slowly add hot milk while beating continuously.
- Pour into 10 ramekins.
- Put into pans large enough to hold all – or 2 pans.
- Pour boiling water to mid-level of ramekins.
- Bake for 1 hour or until custards are firm around the edges and just a little soft in the centers.
- Cool and refrigerate.
- Enjoy.
I halved the recipe using 3 whole eggs and two whites and it worked out great.
I am going to make some more tomorrow but this time swap the almond extract for a lemon one.
I will let you know how they taste.
What do you use to control your sweet cravings.
Lisa xx
Yes I can Dukan.
Since I can remember I've been a yoyo dieter. Lose a stone, put a stone plus on. Repeat repeat repeat.
I have tried, weightwatchers, slimming world, atkins, cambridge, 2/5, slim fast, you are what you eat, cabbage diet, heart foundation diet, calorie counting.
Crickey thats a lot and I bet there still more. But ive never stuck to anything really.
A few of years ago my weight rocketed to an all time great, I wasnt happy and I do tend to comfort eat. That and I'd given up smoking, so instead a cigarette I ate chocolate!
I looked through the mirror and didn't like or know the person staring back at me.
I tried to stay my usual bubbly self but working in an area where your surrounded by mirrors, inside I was distraught. I had also, after an illness, developed Asthma and was on quite a hefty dose of inhalers to keep it at bay. All round, things weren't good.
One day I was in TK Max looking at hang bags, ( clothes held no interest to me) and I wandered over to the clearance section. It was there I saw the book that changed me. It was 99p. It was the Dukan Diet. Another diet book I thought but it's only 99p I will have a look.
It was near christmas and over the christmas holidays I started to read it. Something inside clicked and I knew where I'd been going wrong all these years.
The first week in January I bought in everything I needed to start. This mainly consisted of meat, eggs, yogurt and cottage cheese! And I began....
By the first week in June I had lost 3.7 stones, went from a size 20 to a 12. Was completely off any Asthma medication, looked and felt so much better.
The only draw back my hubby says is I can't stop buying clothes now.
So why this blog post?
Well, its been over a year and I have only put back on 10 lbs, which is amazing for me. My clothes still fit but they are a bit snugger than they were, so I thought I would go back to the first stage of the diet again to kick start me off. This time with only 10lbs to lose!
Although I have still been following it ( not religiously ) for over a year, I know what I can and cant eat, but the monthly sweet temptation gets too much.
I knew this would be my downfall to my kickstart so I started on the hunt for new attack stage dessert recipes.
It was then I came across my new life savers. dukan egg custards!
Im not much of a cook but I had to give these a try.
You can see them tomorrow!
Lisa xx
Wednesday 16 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 14
Meet Fernando our new drake.
The lady ducks are giving him a hard time so I oicked him up for a cuddle. He loved it! And it made me happy!
Tuesday 15 July 2014
Monday 14 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 12
Joni, my friend Helen's new kitten made me very happy today snuggling right next to me. 
How cute is she?
Lisa xx
Sunday 13 July 2014
Saturday 12 July 2014
Friday 11 July 2014
CHAMP
We had 8 quail eggs to hatch all nicely warming in the incubator. When the day of hatching came round 5 didnt hatch. But three were starting to hatch. Unfortunately one died trying and one died overnight.
But not the now the aptly named Champ!
He is a surviver!
But he ( it could be a she) is lonely.
Sat under his heated lamp chirping away making me feel really upset for the little thing.
So I got him out and put him on my knee. Tilly was curious.
Then she started to nuzzle up to it and after 20 minutes of him crawling all over her.
They fell alsleep....
Im not sure shes really a terrier! It just goes to show that mums have a natural instinct to look after babies.
Lisa xx
Thursday 10 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 8
Health and wellbeing day at work. 35 of us went to play golf at the local course. I wasnt sure I would like it but do you know what? I really did. I had a good laugh and I was pretty good at it too! The sun was shing the sky was blue perfect day for it.
Back to college for a end of term barbeque. And now.....5 weeks off... And relax.
Lisa xx
Wednesday 9 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 7
Waking up in the morning to this little one. Looking more like a kangaroo in this photo!
Tuesday 8 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 6
Taking Sprout and Tilly out for their early morning walk especially on a lovely sunny morning is just perfect. Seeing their faces when the treats come out always makes me smile. They should sit but hey they do when they are told.
Monday 7 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 5
All ready. Im feeling rather excited. My new desk is all ready and I'm ready to start my new job.
Lisa xx
Sunday 6 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 4
Ducks!
My four little ladies are coming along just fine. They are getting tamer and tamer.
Today Nina came up to greet me with a quack quack as soon as I went near to the pond. Even the camera didnt bother her! Yeahhhh! Happy days!
Saturday 5 July 2014
Its simple?
When Ellis started playgroup when he was two he made a friend called 'Max'. The two of them got on really well and played like normal kids do. As time went on Max started to struggle to move his limbs and soon went from a stick to a frame to a wheelchair all before they started school.
It turned out that Max had musclular atrophy an uncurable muscle wasting disease. But Ellis and Max didnt know they just carried on playing adapting it so they could both carry on.
Through primary and high school they ended up in the same class and Ellis helps Max if he needs anything. The years have gone by and when Ellis isnt gigging he will spend the night at Max's house.
They have an amazing house which is very well adapted to their needs. I say their needs as Max's younger brother was also diagnosed with the same disease a few years after Max.
Ellis was shouted at this week at school by a teacher for being cruel to Max. Max has a bionic arm aid that he uses to help him reach food by pressing it bit by bit with the finger of his other hand and Ellis had pushed the arm back to the begining stopping Max from getting his food.
Yes it sounds cruel to an outsider, good job they didnt see him take the battery out of his wheelchair or put Max's arms on the outside of his chair so he can't put them back in. And writing messages on Max's arm to his mum like ' Jane, Max has been a naughty boy at school today' knowing Max cant wash it off. Or the other annoying things that he does to Max. Sometimes Jane writes a message back to Ellis too haha.
But they also dont see Max running over Ellis feet with his chair, or calling him close to whisper then screaming in his ear or when Ellis passes him something, grabbing his hands and nipping or scratching all the skin off his hands with his long fingernails.
The thing is Max loves Ellis for all this.
Ellis sees Max.
Not Max in the wheelchair.
Simple.
Of course Max nearly cried with laughter that Ellis was getting told off and tried his upmost to make it worst. Thats the relationship they have.
Yes Max has lots of friends but they see Max in the wheelchair who cant move and treat him like he has a disability. He doesnt need reminding of it, he lives with it everyday!
So Ellis treats him the same as he would all his friends. He is Max. Simple as that.
I'm so really proud of Ellis for how he is with Max and Max tells Ellis how he wishes all his friends were like him instead of making him feel like they are his carers.
When I go to pick Ellis up from Max's house I try to do the same and chat to his mum ( who is the most amazing person I have ever met) she is so positive and inspiring. I try to be on the outside, but inside I'm screaming at the sadness of having two beautiful children both with such cruel disease.
I really dont know how she copes. But she does! And she does it amazingly better than I ever could.
I simply need to take a leaf of of Jane and Ellis's books.
I will give it a good try!
Lisa xx
100 happy days. Day 3
Being woke up every morning to this face. With her tail and bottom wagging in excitment then the 'kisses' begin. Always happy to see me, thats Tilly! 
Lisa xx
Friday 4 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 2
I hadnt heard from Georgia since she told me she was on the coach and have been panicking all day. 
I got home from work and my phone went off. It was Georgia! She face timed me ( not done that before) she showed me the hotel, lobby and her room.
As she waved goodbye I screen shotted her happy face.
This really is the happiest point of my day!
Lisa xx
Thursday 3 July 2014
100 happy days. Day 1
My good friend Sarah from extraordinarychaos completed her 100 happy days yesterday. She enjoyed doing it so much she was quite sad to end it.
She asked me to start it as I enjoyed reading her daily spot of happiness.
Today is my day 1 to find something in my day that makes me happy.
So here it is
Its not a great photo but it's of Georgia and Josh going on holiday.
I didnt feel happy, I felt like my apron strings have been well and truly cut!
Georgia had booked, bought, packed and organised her and Joshs holiday to Mexico all by herself. And as I dropped her off at Manchester airport, kissed her goodbye and watched her walk towards the departures I realised that she is a lady and my apron strings wont reach to Mexico.
She has promised to text me as soon as she arrives at the hotel. I have spent the day constantly checking my phone even though I know she hasn't even landed yet! Its turning out to be a very long day.
I have never been apart from Georgia for longer than 4 nights when she went on a trip at primary school. Its going to be a long two weeks too.
Im missing her already....
She has promised to text me as soon as she arrives at the hotel. I have spent the day constantly checking my phone even though I know she hasn't even landed yet! Its turning out to be a very long day.
I have never been apart from Georgia for longer than 4 nights when she went on a trip at primary school. Its going to be a long two weeks too.
Im missing her already....
THIS IS MEAN'T TO BE HAPPY I hear you say!
Well it is. What made me happy is knowing that I have helped to make her into the sensible, mature thoughtful caring person who makes me very proud and I'm sure that she will have a ball.
Have your apron strings been cut yet? How did you feel!
Feel free to leave a comment
Lisa xx
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