Sunday, 9 October 2016

Choosing A University Is A Bit Like The Sorting Hat in Harry Potter

"Made with love " as the cafe assistant hands a hot chocolate to my husband... swore blind she blew him a kiss 😘 too

Then we discovered we had been sitting in the wrong university for 40 minutes! So in Benny Hill style we ran forwards and back until we found the correct university of Manchester . We arrived just in time for the welcome speech quietly shuffling across the back row 

" sorry "

"Mind your toes "

"Oooops "

"Sorrrrrrrry"


Quickly turning the free tote bag from the ' other ' university inside out , then we were ready for university statistics bingo.

1. Top what ever % in the world .

2. Top what ever % in the U.K. 

3. Value added smiles , employability , rounding you as a person.

4. Russell group university > big tick .

5. Amazing YouTube poetry clip, upbeat sports montage , volunteering , giving back to the community feel good factor .


I say University of Manchester but indeed it reminded of Hogwarts and standing in the Whitworth Hall , I thought my son was about to be sorted into his Hogwarts House 

"Not Slitheryn "

My son tutted up at my free pen filling up and Haribo sweet collecting but I was like Dobby seeking his sock from his master ....

"Master has given Dobby his sock "










 

Thursday, 6 October 2016

Lord Of The Tea Time

What a to do  ?


What a right royal to do !


I am adjusting as I previously said to working full time ( albeit temporary and then I will go back to my regular part time hours ) . It is years since I have worked full time and I had quite happily slid in my me time that golden time when everyone is out the house and I can hear myself think, be it in the morning or just before everyone piles in from school or work . I have gone from a tortoise pace to literally hitting the grown running like a Cheetah ( I am enjoying it I have to say but it is tough on the body I think I will need an MOT at a spa before all too long )

And here I am typing this and watching a nice calm film relaxing with my tea ( OH how I love my tea )

thinking time , my tea time .



OH the calm film I am watching that would be "Lord Of The Rings "


I wish to take a little piece of me with me when I go to work ( I have my bobble hat but I really want and crave is a sort of travel teapot with cup ) well I have my bobble hat and I love that .


My blog is a stream of my consciousness and of course my cats , I never realised how much I would miss my blog till now and when I had the time I wished I was more busy . Gosh isn't life complicated and I am really hoping all this is making sense to you as my fingers gallop to get the thoughts and feeling out my head and feel a sense of real . I want to see the leaves to change colour and to taste the apple crumble of Autumn so I am going to have to put in some meal planning ideas to take the strain of coming home and having to cook tea.


I would not change working more hours for all the tea in China , I just have to get a sense of me . I am feeling that and certainly typing this has helped .


To know "I am brilliant " helps

To know "You're doing a great job helps "

To know I am making a positive impact on children lives helps.



To know I am finding me again helps . To know my friends and colleagues there helps . To know my special friend (S) is there to help pull off my worry boots helps.


Thank you and now would anyone like another cup of tea ?

The Perfect Cat Lovers Gift

Love ....  
Love 
Love 


Maybe the iconic Beatles song was really written about cats ....    





I love my cat (s ) . I have always been a cat lady . I love to read about others journies into this realm of cat ownership or rather the cat owning you , even if you don't admit . Cats are life saviours they come at times you need , and they come at times that you don't think you need them., I lost count of times I had had more intelligent conversations with my cat versus people.

 When I tell my cat "I love you " I imagine that scene in Star Wars when Princess Leia says

 "I love you " and Han says "I know".

 I  also find myself changing film lines such as "You had me at Meow " Obviously Mr T will have to stand in as a budget Tom Cruise from Jerry Maguire.

   We also have "SHOW me the CATNIP "

  "No one puts kitty in the corner "


"You Meowing at me ?" "I see DEAD Mice "

"I'm gonna make him a cat toy he can't refuse "

  Rollie and Jack were like Charlie in the Chocolate factory the other day when I got a gift box subscription of my purrfect.giftbox.com . They loved the cuteness of the catnip sweet toys only problem was that Rollie decided to play with the toys after Jack and this didn't go down well.

   


"He was begging for it playing with MY toys stupid fluff ball " * the words of Jack "I as a form of protest sat in the shoebox that the stupid one likes " * the words of Rollie . I also have some catnip tea bags ( who knew there was such a thing ) they are safely out the way as last time Jack got to close to too much catnip he had a major trip out      


 



I think a gift box subscription (like this one I was and the cats were sent from Mypurrfectgiftbox )that is aimed at both cats and owners is brilliant , I love the bespoke cat tea bag holder from  ( for use with teabags suitable for humans  )  . And screams "HOW AWEsome is this cat mug " from The biscuits my son had straight away with a thumbs up from him !   

 

    This is a ideal gift for a cat lover and their cat obviously ! PS My birthday is in December "Treat me please "


Disclosure The cats and I were sent this to review all thoughts words and meows are our own .

Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Brilliant Just

Just a quick hello just to let you know my blog is still alive and kicking ! It's be a whirlwind of glitter and glue sticks! The other day I managed to get 3 new glue sticks !


I was told "You're brilliant " this week .


I was genuinely stunned , but I took the compliment and skipped into the playground.

On a serious note I really don't think we tell each other we are brilliant enough.

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Broccoli topped wild thyme lamb stew

Today I have been a crocodile , been on a fairy picnic ,been chased by a lion and performed imperative dance. 

You'd be forgiven for thinking I've lost the plot , it certainly feels like it at times !. I'm actually a teaching assistant but lately I've been putting in a few more hours . Teachers and teaching assistants work very hard ~


We are our own glitterballs!!


So with that in mind I prepared dinner in the slow cooker before I left for school . 




Ingredients 

500 g lamb neck (cut into chunks )will serve about 3-4 people 

Pinch of wild rhyme 

Pinch of salt 

About 4 red onions chopped ( the more onions the better )

Squirt of BBQ sauce 

3 bay leaves 

1 cinnamon stick 

300 ml or there bouts of chicken stock

Cornflour 


Method 

You could braise the lamb if you wish .

Pour the 300 ml of chicken cook into a slow cooker , next put into the lamb .

Add the onions , wild thyme , bay leaves and cinnamon sticks , bay leaves .

Squeeze in that BBQ sauce .

Don't forgot the pinch of salt .

Leave the slow cooker in slow and Ho work your magic for the day .

When I got home I prepared some fresh broccoli (as I think left in the slow cooker it would have got too soft )

I stirred in some cornflour to thicken up the stock.

Serve if you wish perhaps with a jacket potato .

As the sky blended into a sherbet dip colour ~ I thought life is ok ...