Lazy Sunday

I got the idea of posting a photo of my favourite plate from Rachel's blog post. I found this plate at a charity shop. Didn't need it and I normally much prefer having a completely matched set of table ware (yes, I am soooo anal and boring) but couldn't resist buying it. Do you have a favourite find?

N3S and I went strawberry picking yesterday. He has a tendency to wander so I had to make sure he stayed in front of me and then I alternated between picking and looking to see how far he'd gone up and across the rows. Nerve wracking but worth it. He liked his 'freedom' and I got loads of berries. Today I will be turning that perfumed hoard into jam, pie filling preserves, wine and one large pavlova. Yum, yum, yum...

Our computer goes in for a service on Tuesday and I am so routine bound that I am unlikely to use either of our other two computers to write blog posts. So if you don't hear from me for a while that will be why. xo

P.S. if you want a little something extra to keep you busy while I am waiting for my computer to come back from repairs then you can read my post called 'The Umbrella of Love'

Ooooh rain! Must be Glastonbury festival weekend then...

The winner of this week's wordless Wednesday is Sparxs with 'The last thing Tweedledee remembered was the Red Queen shouting 'Off With Her Head!'

Honorable mentions go to Joe for 'Gav wasn’t a big art and culture buff, but given the beer glass, the socks and the DMs, he reckoned he must have stumbled across the famous ‘Angel of the North’ that everyone had been talking about...'

Chopper with "Shit! I didn't see that coming!"

Debs with 'She knew this blue knicker look would soon take off.'

And, Helen for (the most random girlie caption), 'I'm not quite sure these shoes go with the rest of the outfit. What do you think?' (love it Helen, how very us!)

The Elderflower champagne is all bottled. One has blown its top rather spectacularly already but I think the rest are going to behave themselves and wait to be drunk at the end of summer.

I am going to be busy making strawberry jam this weekend (among other various mummy related activities like taking boys to hair appointments, play dates, riding lessons etc),using this recipe. Yum, yum, yum and yum!

Also on my list of must do's is to buy this book! I've been reading Stan's blog for a long time and am thrilled he has a book out. If you want a sneak peek inside then you can follow this link to a clever little widget that lets you do just that.

What is on your list of things to do this rainy weekend?

Wordless Wednesday (for me anyway...please leave your caption in the comment box)

Happy Father's Day - Random comments from N3S (part 25)

'Cats eat anything except for bears and crocodiles.'

'I've just done a sideways stare so I can look out of the house.'

'I've got a paper slice on my finger.'

'Ketchup is a sauce and gravy is actually a sauce which is made by hand.'

'Soon I will grow out of my racing car bed but I won't grow out of my bedside table because I don't sleep in it.'

Follow this link to hear some random comments from another child

The winner of the girls cycle safety kit is: Kate Morris Thank you to everyone who entered. The suggestions of activities that children should wear a safety helmet for included ice skating, mountain climbing, skateboarding, roller skating, skiing, snowboarding, canoeing and wall climbing!

Grumplestiltskin got tired of his mouse toy and yesterday he brought a real mouse home to play with. The mouse was not amused and hid in our honeysuckle. Until it had cleaned off all of Grumplestiltskin's saliva.
Then it went home. I am pretty sure it won't invite itself round for another 'play date'.

Lazy Bratz Sunday

Summer is in the air... and as you all know N3S loves to ride horses (the photo above is of him riding in the woods yesterday). The nice weather means he is showing more interest in trying to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels now too.

He wears a helmet for both activities but I worry more about him getting hurt coming off his bike than his horse. He hasn't fallen off his horse (so far) but he has yet to manage to stay on his bike for more than a couple of minutes!

Cycling is my preferred form of transport and an activity I really enjoy although I take care to always wear my helmet. Chopper won't ride his bike without a helmet either.

What completely freaks me out is the number of children and adults who do! What is that all about? I know helmets make cyclists look slightly ridiculous but surely they would look a lot more ridiculous if they got knocked off their bike somehow and their unprotected head came into contact with the pavement?!

Anyway...*deep breath*...I'll get off my soap box now and tell you about my competition....


The Department of Transport has added a cycle safety section to their ‘Tales of The Road’ campaign. There is also a bike safety leaflet you can download, plus many more links. To help promote cycle safety, the DfT and Halfords have given me a Bratz brand cycle safety kit to give away to one of my readers.


The Bratz cycle safety kit is worth over £30 and contains:
A cycle helmet 50-54cm



A cycle seat cover



A horn


A bell

All you need to do to be entered in the prize draw is to send me your name and the name of an activity or sport (other than cycling or horse riding), where you think a child should wear a safety helmet to djkirkby@gmail.com.

Digital Outlook are paying for the postage so this competition is open to all of my readers worldwide, yes even you lurkers who always read but never comment.

I am going to keep this competition open for one week before drawing your names out of a suitable receptacle and announcing the winner next Sunday.

My lovely friend Caroline has a boys cycle safety kit so if that suits your better then head on over and enter her competition instead. I have been told that there are similar competitions running here and here too but I am not sure when.

Good luck everyone!

Oh happy Friday

I am so happy Friday is finally here. There wasn't enough weekend to go round last week and consequently this week has been a struggle for me. I feel quite overloaded (in a sensory fashion) at work this week, simply making a priority list is a challenge and I am struggling to maintain a neurotypical facade.


In addition, N3S has a cough and runny nose (which means Chopper will have it next) and our car broke down, again! I am spending a small ransom every month on 'feminine protection' products (which I am having to use for at least half the month). And, since last Friday it has rained more days than not ! Grump, grump, grump...


But you didn't come here to hear me moan and I am grateful that we can pay for our stupid car to be repaired from our savings, that N3S only has a cough and nothing worse, that we all have relatively good health, a lovely house, food on the table and a happy family. Perspective, must keep it all in perspective.


This week's wordless Wednesday winner is the creator of the urban fantasy town of Laverstone. Rachel Green's caption was 'Jasfoup smiled at the tiny demon, then looked up at his host. "Appetisers?" he said. "You shouldn't have...".


I have a great love of 'Lolspeak' (more of which can be found here) so honorable mention goes to dkmnow for his caption 'LOLbat sez: "hay interwebz! yoo iz borkin' mi bat-nap! qwiet nau plez, yes? kthx bai!"


This Sunday I am running a competition for a Bratz brand cycle safety kit. Come join in the fun!

Wordless Wednesday (for me anyway...please leave your caption in the comment box)