Reasons to be Happy

 

 

The Mini Mes have settled back into school well after a fun packed half term of trips to the cinema, crafts, baking, seeing friends, playing at the arcades, eating out and more. We have made the most of the nice weather too and used the scooters to and from school each day - it makes the journey a lot quicker also!

Although sports day was cancelled it has been rescheduled for next week which the Mini Mes are excited about. Minxy is very much into running at the moment so she is doing quite a few long distance races. Jamster is still in KS1 so his races include the egg and spoon and funny outfit run. Fingers crossed for some certificates and stickers.

I booked tickets to the TT for next year as a surprise for the Mr. I left him this note in his lunchbox last week when he went to work to see if he could work it out.

He wasn't able to work it out so I had to tell him but the flower delivery I received was proof that he was pleased!

 

What reasons do you have to be cheerful this week?

Saturday Caption

The Mr looks pleased to be posing with the Minions doesn't he....

 

 

 

Do you have a funny or witty comment for this picture?

I'd love to hear it!

You can link up your own picture or view more over with the Mammasaurus

Have a great weekend.

Our Christmas That Was

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse... 

...well maybe a hidden baby hamster that was running in his squeaky wheel!

We spread the reindeer food outside and left some snacks for Rudolph and Santa to enjoy before popping on pjs and watching Arthur Christmas.

Santa left lots of lovely gifts for us all...

The Mini Mes were wide awake at 6.20am and we had a lovely time opening all the presents...

The Mini Mes went to their dad's house for a few hours which was the perfect opportunity for me to tidy up all the paper and boxes and then we went over to my parents for a delicious meal cooked by my mum...

We had a buffet style tea too before heading home around 7.30pm. Stuffed!

Boxing day was spent setting up and playing with new toys and then in the afternoon the Mini Mes went back to their dad's home for the night so my mum, sister and I went to see The Hobbit while the Mr, my dad and my sister's boyfriend went to the pub.

It all went by so quickly but we had an amazing time!

I'm really looking forward to New Years Eve with a fancy dress party at my parents with all the extended family too.

Reasons to be Happy

My reasons to be happy

The past few days flew by so quickly but we had a wonderful Christmas. I am very grateful for all of the lovely gifts that we received, the delicious roast dinner and buffet tea cooked by my mum and a relaxing Boxing Day. The Mini Mes were up at 6.20am filled with excitement waiting to see if Santa had been and they were still buzzing at 8.30pm when they finally settled for bed.

My blogging Secret Santa gift arrived - a lovely Bumble Bee set from Lush. Thank you, whoever you are, I love it as does Minxy so I need to hide it away!

Yesterday after sorting all of the cardboard and finding places for all the new toys, the Mini Mes went to their dad's house so I headed to the cinema to see The Hobbit with my mum and sister which is a superb movie. The Mr went to the pub with my dad and sister's boyfriend for a few pints and to play darts so it was nice to have the girls together while the lads were occupied too.

I don't tend to do a lot of shopping in the sales but I managed to pick up some calendars, a onesie and some nice smellies.

I'm really looking forward to New Year's Eve. Usually the Mr and I stay in, watch a movie and have a few drinks (I've never been out for it!) but this year my parents are hosting a party with all of the family round and I can't wait. It's this time of year when loved ones are appreciated and I really enjoy spending time with them so I feel it will be lovely.



What reasons to you have to be cheerful this week?

The 10 Greatest Romcoms Ever Made

The rise and rise of romcoms in recent years means the new batch of latest movies released are often dominated by films that’ll make cinema regulars laugh and cry in equal measure throughout the course of 90 minutes or so. With so many movies in the romcom genre brought out each year, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pick out which are the best. These are our 10 greatest romcoms ever made.

There’s a train of thought that if Hugh Grant is the lead role then it’s a romcom worth checking out and that certainly proves the case with the likes of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones’s Diary, all of which were a smash-hit success at the cinema. Put simply, Grant oozes sex appeal and charm.

Four Weddings and a Funeral may have been the movie that gave Grant global success, but the smooth-talking Londoner produced arguably his best performance in Love Actually, which saw him work once more with Richard Curtis.

An all-star cast including the likes of Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman come together in the much-loved Brit flick as the love lives of a host of different people are linked together. A firm favorite on the small screen over the festive period, Love Actually will make you grin from ear to ear and possibly shed a little tear at the same time.

There’s Something About Mary is as good now as when it hit the cinema for the first time back in 1998. The sleazier side to the film – remember the hair ‘gel’ moment? – means it divides opinion, but on the whole the laughs come along on a regular enough basis to make it a universal hit in a similar way that 50 First Dates stands out.

The hapless Adam Sandler steals the limelight in 50 First Dates in his pursuit of a lovely lady, played by Drew Barrymore, who has amnesia. It’s a really touching film at heart. Like Grant, Barrymore regularly pops up in numerous romcom favourites, such as He’s Just Not That Into You, which was released back in 2009 and made over $180million.

When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Woman were released in 1989 and 1990 respectively and are without doubt both regarded as timeless classics over two decades later. The on-screen chemistry between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally is incredible.

The beauty of romcoms is that they sometimes show an actor like Jack Nicholson in a completely different light. The Batman, Easy Rider and Shining star showed he’s just a softy at heart in As Good As It Gets and won himself an Oscar in the process along with his co-star and love interest in the film Helen Hunt.

This article was supplied by Vue cinemas UK

*This is a featured post*

Reasons to be happy

My reasons to be happy

I started Jenny Craig on Monday and so far I'm really enjoying it. The meals are filling so I don't feel like raiding the fridge like Pacman every evening which is a bonus! I'm hoping my weight loss can continue and I'll be 1 stone down by Christmas eve. I'm positive that I can get there.

I've done quite a lot of Christmas shopping this week and having seen the Coca Cola advert I'm getting quite excited that Santa will be here soon. I managed to save up all my Tesco vouchers and I had £110 to spend in on toys which was amazing and helped a great deal. Still a lot left to buy but I feel a lot more organised.

I received tickets to review Nativity 2 at the cinema and me and my mum had a great time. The Mini Mes were with their dad so they missed out unfortunately but it was a lovely family movie with lots of giggles to be had. It definitely had the feel good factor about it.

My car passed its MOT - YES!

What reasons to you have to be cheerful this week?

Reasons to be happy

My reasons to be happy

Despite another week of illness and two days off school for the Mini Mes, I have lots of reasons to be cheerful!

On Monday I was contacted by the lovely Tara from over at Sticky Fingers to let me know that I had won a competition on her blog. The competition was based on photography and part of the Gallery link up with the theme Fitness and my entry was selected to win the first prize.... £200 of Sweaty Betty vouchers, £50 of high street vouchers, some fitness books and 2 crates of drinks from Coca Cola - WOW!! I was thrilled and I can't wait to receive my goodies. You can view my winning entry here.

It was fantastic to attend parents evening last Thursday night and to hear about how well the Mini Mes are getting on. Both are achieving above expectations for their age and progressing well.
Proud mummy moment!

My next reason to smile is my Mr. He is such an awesome man and although I feel he knows that he is appreciated and loved dearly it's nice to pop it down on paper (or here) from time to time. He truly is fantastic for taking on the Mini Mes and me (not that I'm hard work or demanding *cough*) over the past 3 and a half years and treating them as if there were his own. He never moans and he doesn't even suffer from man flu! He is my rock and I would love to spend my life with him.



What reasons to you have to be cheerful this week?

8pm - The Gallery

Evenings in this house vary quite a bit depending upon the day of the week....

Mondays we are usually saying our goodbyes and just leaving my Grans house after a family catch up - with lots of chocolate and biscuits being scoffed.

Tuesdays and Thursdays the Mini Mes are fast asleep and the Mr and I are just settling down to watch a movie with a glass of wine or two.

Wednesdays and some Fridays and Saturdays the Mini Mes go to their dads house for the night. The Mr and I are usually enjoying a meal out, a trip to the pub to play darts and catch up with family (hmmm we are starting to sound like alcoholics!) or a visit to the cinema to watch the latest release.

Sunday the Mini Mes are always tucked up, fast asleep ready for school in the morning and I'm usually soaking in the tub after a busy weekend.

I love how peaceful the Mini Mes look when they are fast asleep. Jamster often ends up with his feet on his pillow surrounded by his bears and Minxy is usually muttering something between snores!

The Gallery Theme this week is 8pm

The Gallery - Movies

I am a great lover of movies. Most nights the Mr and I snuggle up on the sofa to watch a Blu-ray before bed, possibly a glass of wine in hand or a pear Cidre and some chocolate.

Our love has definitely rubbed off onto the Mini Mes too. Both experienced their first cinema trips at around the age of 1 and they have their own vast collection of films. Minxy loves comedy whereas Jamster prefers action, Marvel being a favourite. Often on rainy days they play cinemas by closing the lounge curtains, adjusting the furniture and making tickets before their eyes are fixed on the tv screen in the darkness.

We have had lots of lovely movie experiences both at home and the cinema...

They love to dress as the characters too...

The Gallery theme this week is Movies - you can link up your posts over at Sticky Fingers.

My week that was...

Another week has flown by with some quite varied weather. We still had a lovely week, and quite a quiet one compared to usual.

Monday we were recovering from a long day at Lollibop so we had a nice chilled day at home. In the morning a friend popped round with a card and flowers for me which was a lovely surprise and in the afternoon the Mini Mes decided to put on a music show and test out some freebies that they received from the festival. In the evening we went to my Grans for our usual weekly catch up and lots of ice cream and treats on the patio.

Tuesday we went to another craft event at the library for the movie Brave. The Mini Mes got to make arrow bookmarks, crowns and then play archery.

Wednesday we had a day at home baking. We made triple chocolate brownies and coffee and walnut cupcakes. In the afternoon the Mini Mes went to their dad's house for the night so the Mr and I had a chilled evening in.

Thursday the weather was a little disappointing yet again so the Mini Mes played beauticians and spent a long while pampering each others feet, giving massages and painting toe nails.




Friday morning I had to wait in for three deliveries but afterwards we went to see The Lorax at the cinema.




Saturday I woke up in domestic goddess mode and spent the majority of the day clearing out drawers and boxes and sorting out old toys, books and clothes. In the evening the Mr treated us all to a delicious Indian takeaway.

Sunday we went to see Brave at the cinema followed by lunch out. In the afternoon we went for a walk in a nearby forest and for ice creams and once home the Mr went out on his CBR for a while while I cooked roast lamb for dinner - yum!

What did you get up to last week?

I'm linking this with...

My reasons to be happy

My reasons to be happy

Even though the weather has had a turn for the worse I'm still a cheerful little lady with lots to smile about again this week!


A relaxing child free weekend
Being so busy during the summer holidays keeping the kids entertained can be hard work at times, so I thoroughly enjoyed a chilled out, child free weekend with the Mr when the Mini Mes went to their dads house Friday-Sunday. We enjoyed a trip to the cinema, a pub quiz night and some retail therapy. I feel rather refreshed!


Family over for dinner
It's not that often that my family come over, generally we do the travelling and go to them, but I invited my mum and sister over Monday night for dinner. I cooked lasagne and had some chips, salad and garlic bread that everyone could help themselves to. The Mini Mes and I also made flapjacks (their current fav) and we made our own mint choc chip and marshmallow ice cream too. Both were a real hit so I was pleased.


Holidays
Next week we are heading to Dorset for a few days camping. I don't really like mud or mess but I do love the great outdoors and I'm really excited! We have some fab day trips planned too while we are there (but if anyone has some suggestions on places to visit let me know!). We will of course miss Spartan but I'm sure he will be ok in the kennels with his freshly cooked chicken to eat!

Some pictures from our last camping trip

What reasons do you have to smile this week?

Monday Me

It can be hard as a parent to get time to yourself to relax a little but it's important to get the odd breather away from the chaos and kids!

Monday Me is all about child free time. Joining in can actually help you to make time for yourself even if it's just reading a new book or taking a soak in the tub with a face mask - it's the little moments that can really make such a difference to how you are feeling.

My Monday Me

Wednesday night we took advantage of the Orange 2 for 1 cinema tickets and went to see Batman with the lovely Tom Hardy as Bane and Christian Bale as Batman. It was a great movie, despite being quite long, and I thoroughly enjoyed an evening out cuddled up on the back row with the Mr. We also popped to KFC on the way back for a late night snack! Popcorn chicken is my weakness.

Friday evening the kids headed to their dad's house for the weekend so I got to watch some of the Olympics, enjoy a glass of wine and delicious food at home with my feet up. Saturday we went to see Ted which is a rather naughty comedy movie about a swearing, drug abusing bear! It had both the Mr and I giggling in the back seats. In the evening we went to a pub quiz where we came fourth... we won £5 which barely covered the price of a drink and packet of mini cheddars but it was a funny evening with family and friends and we had a great time getting home around 2am!

The Mr stood at the poster!

Sunday we popped into town for breakfast which involved a trip to Muffin Break for a peppermint chocolate slice - yum! Even without the kids I could't resist popping into the Disney store (anyone else love it in there?) to get Jamster a spiderman lunch bag, pe bag, backpack and filled pencil case ready for going back to school. I did however spend my £25 boots voucher that I won from BritMums in a Twitter party recently on myself.

What have you done for you this week?

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My week that was...

The change in weather from good to bad meant the majority of the week was spent indoors avoiding the rain, but we still managed to have a lovely week.

Monday we spent the morning watching a movie and the afternoon baking; Rice Krispies raspberry bites and flap jacks.

Tuesday we went to a mini beast event at the library. We thought it involved handling lizards and snakes like last year but it was a craft event.

Wednesday we went to the leisure centre for an Olympic craft event where the Mini Mes got to decorate t-shirts and biscuits. Afterwards we went to a Tangled craft event at the library and then we visited my friend and her children. In the evening the Mini Mes went to their dad's house for the evening so the Mr and I went to see Batman at the cinema.

Thursday we spent the morning making crystals and Zubber bracelets and then we had a Subways for lunch. The rest of the day was spent at home watching the Olympics and a movie.

Friday I had to wait in for a hamper delivery so the Mini Mes played nicely together and then we used some of the food from the hamper to make lunch. In the afternoon the Mini Mes went to their dads home for the weekend so I had a nice relaxing evening in with the Mr, wine and we watched Cruel Intentions.

Saturday after a lovely lay in we went to the cinema to see Ted followed by an evening at the pub for the quiz night. We were joined by my mum, my brother and his girlfriend. We came fourth and won £5... it's the taking part that counts, right?!

Sunday we did a little retail therapy and had breakfast in town with my mum. In the afternoon we headed to Tesco for the food shop and then spent the afternoon in doing bits and bobs around the house.

What did you get up to last week?

I'm linking this with...

Monday Me #4

I hope you all had a fab weekend and managed to squeeze in some valuable me time last week to share. A bit of time to ourselves is vital to relax, think and refresh our mind... and restore our sanity!.

If you are new to Monday Me and would like to join in you can find out more here and gran the badge code from the right.

My Monday Me

Last week my mum treated me to a few bits in Lush when we were shopping and I've thoroughly enjoyed some tub time in the evenings! I adore Lush products and this week I've used a Creamy Candy, Sex Bomb and Dorothy. They smell delicious but my all time favs are still Twilight, Sweetie Pie and Comforter... anything feminie that smells like a sweet shop generally!

Saturday we were child free from 10am so I made the most of some me time with a foot long tikka subway and a trip to see Spiderman at the cinema. I love Marvel movies and I actually felt this was better than the original. Jamster has been asking to see it since so I will probably go again during the summer with the Mini Mes too.

In the evening I headed to The Imli Lounge in Northampton for a wonderful curry with the Mr, my brother and my parents. I indulged with a lamb tikka masala, pilau rice, keema naan and bombay potato OINK. It was fab though.


Sunday after a lovely lay in the Mr and I headed to Hollowell for the annual Steam and Heavy Horse show. Again I scoffed naughty foods in the form of a hog roast roll with stuffing and some caramel and chocolate fudge. The mud was incredibly slippy and deep but thankfully I had my funky floral wellies on!

Even after all of the above my exercise and calorie counting, Monday - Friday at least, has paid off with a 2lb loss!

What have you done this week for you? I would love to hear!
You can link up below and I'll pop over for a read and share them on Twitter for you too.

SIlent Sunday