Older Teenager Christmas Ideas

You're never too old for toys , otherwise what else is Christmas for ?, but the older children it gets more difficult it becomes to produce presents that delight and endure at Christmas. I've 2 Christmas left before my son goes off to University and I want make this a family Christmas to be memorable.




For the Star Wars obsessed teen 


It has got to be the droid that is Sphero BB-8 .

In a galaxy far far long ago that was 1977 I was there from the start ! hurrah , and seeing a blockbuster at Christmas time has always been a family tradition in the T household. So what better for a tech love at Christmas that the droid Sphero BB-8 The App enabled Star wars Droid that  I  can play with with this Christmas , cat is going to love that !

£129 is the price for this little chap may the Force be with you !

For the teen that loves gaming

As my teen get ever more gangly limbs a kimber like a startled bambi he is outgrowing his rocker chair in his bedroom , so a new gaming seat was in order . This bean gaming chair form is ideal and he will be able to game in comfort or sit their reading his A level books as he tends to work any where but his desk .

i-ex® Gaming Bean Bag makes a great gift for a teenager! Most teenage boys are into their gaming, and this specially designed gaming bean bag chair is the perfect accessory.

-          I-eX® Gaming Bean Bag - £99.99 (currently on sale at £74.99)

For the sporty teen

Trainers are essential for a teenager it enables them to go outside and experience fresh air and clouds and stuff ....  But really for my teenager good trainers are a honest necessity as he is doing A level P E and apparently they do more than shimmy up a top in gym these days. At the moment he is having his training sessions video towards his A level , Every thing is oh so technical these days.


So these ASICS Gel-Kayano 22 Lite-show running shoes will be just the right present for his feet ! and there is plenty of choice of other trainers from from Sportsshoes.com

These are priced at £115 but are a top quality sports shoes that meet the demands of the modern athlete.

Disclosure  I was sent the gaming chair and the trainers for purposes of review , the Sphero however I brought myself and let me tell you the lack of cat treats  which paid for Sphero  however fluffy Rollie wasn't taken very well.

Toad In The Hole Special

Ooh no more is it a sad day when there's no sausages to go to make toad in the hole , in fact you can you up your left overs ! And toad in the hole us very warming these dark evenings as the leaves blow by.

Ingredients


200g Wholemeal flour (usually it is plain but I had run out)
a pinch of English mustard powder
pinch of salt ( used Maldon salt)
3 eggs
300ml milk
Left over cubed beef, chicken, lamb etc
1 onion chopped to go in the gravy later.








Method

Heat your oven to 220c

Divide the oil into the individual Yorkshire tins or a  baking tin

1. Combine the sieved flour mustard and salt in a bowl then stir in the eggs. Then with a whisk , whisk until smooth.

2. Pour the mixture into either individual Yorkshire tin or  baking tin.

3. Stir in the cubed beef/ lamb chicken etc

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

4. Caramelise the chopped onion in a pan and add it to gravy when the Yorkshire pudding is ready.

If your Yorkshire suffer from soggy bottoms then you could add a little batter to the bottom of you individual tins or large baking , adding in the remaining batter for the last 15 minutes .

I think you can get wholemeal to raise more with a fair wind and the Mary Berry behind you , or Paul Hollywood I wouldn't say no to his help.

Last Night A Ramekin Saved My Life

Last night a ramekin saved my life.

You see all the times when you say....

"I'm going to IKEA "

And you actually buy those tea lights you swore you weren't going to buy , well those tea lights and the ramekins you hoarded have come in useful , then the Cosmos smiles at you.

But before that The Cosmos arranges a power cut whilst you are making a cheese sandwich , and you are at the point when you have the grater in your hands , you politely curse


"Blooming heck "


Now no one can actually vouch for the words that I said and unfortunately or fortunately Kate Burley from Sky news wasn't on scene to add gravity and ethos to the situation.

I've counted that I own 20 ramekins ...

My name is Claire and I've a Ramekin habit ....

Fixing My Depression Short Circuit

I was thinking something of which I do rather a lot .

How boring the world would be if we were all  the same.

Monday was when I realised I wasn't quite over my depression, and that's really OK I'm not sure I'll ever really be over if I'm honest . Depression isn't really something you can wall paper over , we all react and recover in our own way.

Depression is simply put like an electrical circuit you don't know if and when you might short out.

What's the fix I hear you cry ? 

Mmmm the fix could be a bar of chocolate , a friendly word a phrase of a song In fact anything ! 

" brown paper packages tied up with string " 

Who knows ?!

It could be days before I short out again , months or indeed a year or years , after a momentous melt down last year I'm wary but I don't let it rule my life. I might shut down emotionally but it's my way of recovering so I don't go back to last year, every step I take away from last year is one more plus.

It's the old old adage of a swan calm on the surface but paddling like fury underneath , just because on whatever day I looked Ok, I wasn't really.

So I'm off to find my fix to my short circuit unless someone has eaten my fix ...

Till then I leave you with happy toast .

Keep Fighting Till The Fight Is Done

Sometimes I wonder who I am?

I see myself but sometimes it doesn't feel quite real.

How brave is it to bare your soul.


So I keep fighting till the fight is done.

What the fight is varies , it could be to motivate myself to do something as simple as vacuuming the house , or it could be to take myself off to a blog event. But as I am ever the rebel I make my own rules up as I go along and I pick myself constantly out of a hole , people don't always understand how mortified I can be when I talk being shy.

The little things are what makes me brave and see me through  , a cup of tea a walk home through the village with the sun breaking through by the church.

I blog .

Earlier I was tweeting my blog friends on Twitter who are at #Bligfest15 and I tweeted :

"My blog is a star in my hand I just need to let it shine "

Say this when you feel down blog wise 

#blogfest15

You can turn this phrase to anything !

I'm embracing difficult situations more .

Do you think you can ?

Keep fighting till the fight is done .