Life In My Thirties Is Far Better Than Expected

Today I write a post on happiness.

Being a 30 something really does feel good.

It probably is a little premature making comparisons when I am only 12 months and 1 week into my thirties but I can honestly say that life has not been better!

I was glad to be out of my 20's. Whilst they seem a long way off and I feel that I did so much in a relatively short space of time, there was alot of times where I made mistakes.

It's the mistakes that make for a better future much of the time so whilst I made wrong choices from time to time and had my own fair share of ups and downs, there is nothing I would change.

I don't know if it's been since I met my hubby or as late as when we moved house, but in the past few months, I've noticed that things have clicked into place. I cannot pinpoint a time or date but life feels like this is how things should be.

In a way it's almost surreal as it really is a good place to be.

I'm a happily married mother of 3 lovely little boys with a beautiful house in a beautiful village.

I have some great friends and despite the fact they can always be a pain at times, I have a great family and really good in-laws that have always been welcoming. I know a parent should always support their children but there was always a fear I would be judged and disliked by my hubbys family when I first met them. I know we all get the nerves of meeting the in-laws at the beginning but that is more so when you are a single mother midway through an awkward divorce.

I think part of me changed when I lost my grandad earlier this year. I think it changed all of us to an extent. He was probably the most fit, active and healthy of all my own and hubbys grandparents so to say it was a shock was an understatement. It has made all of us more appreciative of how precious life is and how you have to live it to your best and enjoy what we have from day to day.

I don't feel sorry to have lost my grandad. I feel proud and honoured to have had him in my life so long.

I do feel incredibly blessed in life.

I've always been very open about my feelings and have never really hidden too much of the person I am. Good and Bad - I've blogged about it.

I think that's why I love blogs the way I do.

You see REAL LIFE on a daily basis, although I will never know many of my readers or those I read about daily, these people are real friends.

We see real emotion, real love, real heartache, real beauty, excitement, sadness, strength, determination, honesty and hope in each and every post. It's like having a favourite tv drama with your most favourite characters all in one spot but it's real and you are experiencing it first hand.

I know some people are dismissive of blogs but it's reality  at it's very best. We have good times and bad times together, things are not dramatised or played up for the camera as in reality tv. It's human nature in it's most simple form.

I love the simplicity yet intricacy of nature. I've really become a country-girl. There's nothing better than the warm fresh air, sunshine, blue skies on a beautiful autumn day like today. I've had two wonderful walks in the village this morning, I took Matthew along the nature trail to school and later took the two young ones to the shops through the village.

I also have grown to love baking! It used to be my nemesis. It just goes to show that with the right equipment we can do almost anything we set our minds too.

I love the way my kids surprise me every day. Life with 3 children under 8 can certainly never be called dull. They are intuitive, crafty, sneaky, smart, cuddly, exciting, loving, healthy and everything I wish my children could be. They are inspiring in their own little rights and they are the most hilarious bunch of monkeys.

And my husband - Well I love him just because he is who he is. He's the best husband and daddy around and I will never fail to be grateful for all he does for us all. He's just the best and I love him dearly.

So that's a few of the things that make me appreciate the world I live in. Like the saying above says, happiness is about letting go of the things that aren't so perfect and focussing on the things that are.

Birthday Shenannigans

7 days in Blogging really does fly by.

I do alot of online surveys as I find for a few minutes of my time do add up to rewards every couple of months. I have the time so why not? This week my age category has changed from the "25-30" to the "31-35" category. Eek!!!

I did have an amazing birthday. My birthday was on Friday and on Thursday hubby went out to do a few jobs. He came back armed with my birthday present. We have a shop in the nearby town that specialises in spices and he got them to put together a huge gift box.

I have been interested in Indian cookery for a long long time and whilst many women may not greet a cooking present with much excitement, it was THE BEST present I could have asked for.

I admit it, I am a foodie person, I love cooking, I love learning about cooking and I would love foodie gifts like flavoured oils, jars of anti-pasti, chutneys, relishes etc because I know they are not cheap and I would never buy them for myself. As much as I want them I could never find reasoning in paying more than £2 on anything foodie for myself as it would come out of the family budget. I would rather have the kids happy and get the gifts.

So my special present consisted of 17 packets of "essential" Indian cooking ingredients from chilli powder to cumin seeds, to ground coriander to star anise, cinanmon sticks to fenugreek. So many times have I looked online for curry recipes and the ingredients list seemed endless. I now pretty much own every single one. I also have 3 pastes and on our shopping trip this week got some creamed coconut to keep in stock. I also have 2 Indian cookbooks to start off.

On Saturday I gave my special box a go (it's hard to see but more than half these packets have been used) to make a prawn madras. It truly was the best curry I have ever had! It was on par with the Indian restaurants and takeaways but having made it myself and controlling the oil I used in it, it was an INCREDIBLY healthy low fat meal! I am so pleased with it! I really wish I had taken photos of my meal.

My actual birthday itself was a quiet little affair. Matthew was at school so we had a quiet day in then went shopping afterwards. We left the kids with my mum and hubby and I went out for a romantic meal in a very good greek/steak restaurant. (We actually sat on the table to the left of the foreground)

I Rarely have steak when out for a meal but I opted for the sirloin and it really is the best meat I have ever had. The whole meal was beautiful, the two glasses of wine I had were the nicest wine I have had in a restaurant for some time and the atmostphere was lovely. Soft lighting and candles set in champagne bottles on every table really made it a memorable birthday meal. I was very impressed.

Hubby had wanted to go here for his birthday the previous weekend and we couldn't get in. In a way I was incredibly pleased as it was a beautiful setting for a nice quiet meal for 2.

I did have a small emotional moment on my birthday. I opened my card from my nan and it's the first time I have had a card from just my nan - not nana and grandad. I did have a few silent tears as it really hit home. Liam and hubby had already had birthday cards from "nana" alone but it really did hit me harder when it was in my card. I'm just a big soppy thing really.

The rest of the weekend we spent doing bits and pieces and seeing family as well as visiting Colchesters new art exhibition. It opened on Sunday so we were one of the first to see it. It's a beautiful building inside and out. The architecture was wonderful but it's not somewhere I will be visiting again. The artwork really did not make me feel inspired.

Hubbys birthday was also a lovely weekend.  We met up with some of his friends and went for an Indian meal. We later met up with some other friends. Drinks were flowing and we had a wonderful evening with some fun company. We spent the night in a local hotel.

The Rose And Crown is a very popular place for weddings in recent years and with the condition and historic look of the hotel I entirely see why.

 

It was a little walk out of the town but I certainly preferred it here to the hotel where we spent our wedding night. It just had a really good feel about the place and would certainly be somewhere I would recommend to others.

I know I am getting older when I am beginning to appreciate historic sites and English Heritage. Being impressed at staying in a hotel dating back to the 14th Century shows just that.

I've also been keeping busy baking cakes and biscuits for the kids and I am in the process of making a binder full of my favourite recipes. Every time I give something new a go, I am putting it into a folder for fast reference when working in the kitchen. Each hand written recipe is safe in a plastic sleeve to prevent splashes and spills.

In other news, the nail growing is going really well. I am very impressed with my efforts and despite 3 birthdays and endless treats so it feels, I have managed to lose a further 4lb in the past 2 weeks. So I am now down 10lb on starting weight. I must say I am pretty pleased with myself. Just because I am on a diet doesn't mean I'm missing out. I am baking for the family, I just keep it sensible and stick to 1 or 2 biscuits or cookies or a small piece of cake then leaving it at that. I have stopped eating anything fried, chocolate and really cut back on complex carbs once again. This always seems to be the key to my weightloss. Starch leaves me sluggish so I eat less bread and I am not eating pasta since it causes stomach problems and bloating. Since I have given up pasta I feel much better internally.

Sorry for such a long post but that's you all back up to date.

Liams Second Birthday

The Birthday cake baking went very well.

They tasted good too. We had chocolate vanilla, chocolate orange and chocolate mint sponge cakes with a chocolate buttercream icing. They were very very nice.

Liam LOVED his birthday. He loved opening the wrapping on his presents and James was more than happy to help.

Liam loved all the toys he got, most were musical of some variety and some were educational as well. They were great toys.

We took the boys to my nans and Liam had a lovely time drinking lots of juice and running around before we took him to Pizza Hut for his birthday lunch. He loves their pasta!

Hence the shirt after the pasta dinner! Here he is in the car we got him for his birthday.

In this photo, my little man looks much older than 2! He looks a fair bit like Matthew too. He was incredibly pleased with the talking singing Bob The Builder we bought him.

It just feels a little odd that this gorgeous little boy has grown up so much and is now 2.

 Thank you Liam for giving us the most wonderful 2 years!

SEVEN

Seven.

That's the number of Bloggers I follow who have announced pregnancies THIS month!!!  (3 of which I've learnt of this weekend!!!!)

I am so delighted for them all.

I also feel left out.

I miss being pregnant.

So, me broody???? It doesn't even begin to explain how I feel right now.

2 Years??? Really????

It's funny how sometimes 2 years can disappear in the blink of an eye.

I remember this day 2 years ago very well. Little did I know at the time I was in the final hours of pregnancy. Liam Oliver arrived at the respectable time of 7.11am on September 16th.

I cannot remember the world without my little treasure and although some of the early days were hard, all became clear why he was such an unhappy little baby when we discovered his hernia at 6 weeks. It was almost a relief and the surgery that followed strengthened our bond.

Liam my dear little boy, the past two years have been amazing. I am very proud to be your mummy and I wish you a fantastic 2nd birthday. I know your daddy and brothers feel the same way about you.

I love the above photo and how it shows how his big brothers were enthralled by the new little life in our house as much as mummy and daddy were.

For anyone interested in Liams birth story, check it out over at my old blog under the title of Liam Oliver.

Happy Birthday little boy. xxxx

A Week In

After just one week of getting back to healthy eating and back to the regular exercise of the daily routine and I have shed 6lbs.

I feel really good. I do miss it when I don't spend a minimum of 90minutes walking a day. It adds up over the course of a week and I feel that my body needs it.

Not much has changed since the last school term. The only difference being that Matthew now does football practice after school on a Tuesday, he did it yesterday and really loved it. James is back at nursery on a Wednesday morning so Liam and I get to have some quiet time together. Today he played out in the garden with the footballs whilst I did some gardening. I really see this little boy growing up! He walked a fair way to collect James from nursery too and played with the other kids. On collection of James, Liam ran into the room with all the other kids, gave them all a wave and left as quick as he went in. He is so funny.

I am trying to grow my nails yet again. I can do it, I just need to stop doing jobs that will destroy them all the time. 

My leg is healing well and though I still have quite a scar and I am covered in blue bruises but I don't have the constant stinging anymore. I am comfortable with it and hope that by the weekend I can shave my legs. Ha!

I did buy myself a dress for the weekend. I am really looking forward to having the chance to dress up and have an evening out with hubby and some of his friends. I think it will do us good to have a night out with a group. It's been a long time since we caught up with friends.

Amateur Baker

My horoscopes said that this September I will discover a new talent. I think they may actually be right this time.

Somehow I have become a real little Kitchen Goddess of late. Baking in particular.

Since I've had the new oven, every recipe is coming out perfect. I have more confidence in myself and I am getting daring and having only cooked a handful of cakes in my life, I am already adapting recipes. With both my youngest and my hubby's birthdays this weekend, what better a time than to play with my new "toy".

Yesterday I finally got some baking equipment. I got 12 hole bun pan (I don't know the official term hence the title Amateur Baker)

Today I am experimenting with a basic chocolate cupcake recipe.

100g self raising flour.
100g softened butter.
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 eggs.

This is the recipe. However, being the birthdays of two very special people I wanted to add a little luxury by adding:

1 tbsp of orange essence
3 squares of dark chocolate (grated)
A few drops of milk to get right consistancy

I am not going the whole hog and icing them today as it's an experiment to see just how well they come out, I may need to add more essence or more chocolate or cut out the chocolate squares. Today is a fun baking day.

Just out of the oven, they look good!!!! Look!

Consistency/texture seems right, we just need to check the taste!

James loves to help me bake. He passes me the ingredients and helps me use the hand whisk to mix the cakes so he really feels involved. He also gets that all important job of licking the spoon and bowl for his special efforts.

I love that we can do little tasks like this together, it's great getting kids involved in things and it's ideal when they get to eat what they have worked on.

I used to get Matthew to make pizzas with me when it was just the two of us, but it's alot more expensive to do when there are 5 of us rather than 2.

I am also aiming to cook one new meal we've never had before a week. I do enjoy cooking, it gives me a little escape to get into the kitchen for a little time and I love it when the family enjoy it too.

Anyway, off to test some cakes, they should be cool enough by now.

Ouch

I knew things were going too well recent weeks.

On Friday I had another successful driving lesson, I am now really feeling it and enjoying it most occassions.

However coming back to the house I tripped in the garden.

We have steps before we get to our gate and in some strange fashion I lost my footing and fell.

I don't know if I caught the step, if the ground was a little slippery where damp or what but I fell big time.

As I went down I reached out to grab the wire fencing alongside the garden. Of course, being wire fencing it wouldn't hold Matthews weight let alone mine so it does not break my fall much. As the fence goes down I smash my shoulder on the fence post and get a little cut on my collar bone from the metal post itself.

That's nothing compared to the state of my legs.

On one leg I have many many little grazes but nothing too bad.

My left leg is still causing me a fair bit of pain as I type.

I landed on a tree root. One we had only trimmed down a few weeks ago when we were giving the garden a clean up.

The root has left a 5cm long, fairly deep graze up my left calf. It looks very nasty but was drying out fairly quick so within 20 minutes of it I was back to the school routine. It has been throbbing the whole time since it was scratched. An old friend said I should have gone to the hospital as it does look particularly nasty but I couldn't see what they would do that I hadn't. I cleansed the graze with a non scented, low alcohol cleanser (aka sensitive baby wipes) and have let it get the air to try and help it breathe and scab over naturally.

This puts pay to me wearing a certain dress next weekend for hubbys birthday, I had my heart set on something different for me. Well, a dress is different enough but it was a knee length dress I wanted and no way would I be wearing this:

with my leg looking like this:

I apologise for the general state of my leg here, my legs are not one of the finer parts of  my body and are normally hidden away hence the big deal about a shorter dress. This photo was taken this morning after a bath last night and the wound looks less angry and red as it did yesterday and the day before. The dry blood looks alot less black too. It still stings with the slightest movement and just above the main wound is a tiny gash nearer my ankle which is where the bruising is beginning to come out.

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining. I am pleased that since I was destined to have an accident that day it was in my garden and not in my driving instructors car. I am also grateful I hurt my leg rather than my head.

I am also grateful that the dress shop does this maxi dress as an alternative:

As a girl who lives in cropped jeans, and smart t shirts I wanted to make an effort and have a "going out" outfit. Now the shop just has to have my size in stock.

Also on Friday I made this:

It's a Victoria Sponge with jam and cream filling. Needless to say in a family like mine it didn't last 24 hours. And I don't really "do" cake myself.  Recipe coming soon.

Finally, today I will be thinking of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attrocities like everyone else. I didn't know anyone in the attack, but like the rest of the world, I felt the shockwaves. The utter terrifying images that were left behind left mental scars on all of us whatever side of the Atlantic we were watching from.

RIP all those who left this earth September 11th 2001.