CharlieBeth's "My Life As Mumma Walker"

Improvements Made in June 2013 New to the Bathroom DIY Saga? Click here for the story so far! This months progress has been.... well, it LOOKS like he's not done very much, but he has. Honest! Those pipes in the picture? They're for the new shower. He's run pipes the length of the bath and up through the new wall, and there they are, WORKING and NOT LEAKING! That took him a fair while to do as he had about 6 inches of working space. And the wall. Why am I showing you the wall? It's because you can't see though it any more! You can now pee in peace in this house without kids hanging about on the stairs, peeping though the huge gap in the wall chanting "I can seeeeee yoooooooou!" And there is board going up around the new window too, almost all the way round now. I'm not kidding myself that this means we're any where near tiling yet. There's still more board to go up and we've run out, so that means I trip to Wickes  on my own

I have been asked to do a review on this   Baoji Remote Control (wireless) Doorbell  as sold by   DMD Trading Co  on Amazon.co.uk First of all I would like to say that delivery was fast and the packaging was quite adequate, especially since you don't pay any extra for postage. The seller very kindly also supplied the batteries for the main unit which are not supplied with the product normally (battery for the external unit is supplied within the packaging). It is very easy to install, simply put the batteries in, use the supplied adhesive pad to stick the external unit to a suitable place by your door, and hang the main unit from a picture hanger (or similar) in your home. We've chosen to NOT hang ours inside just now but leave it free standing in the kitchen. There are a choice of 36 "musics" (chimes or melodies) to choose from, starting with a straightforward "ding dong" which will probably suit most people day-to-day. It's well worth cycling

It's been a day of New Things today! After the initial morning panic of one extra child, my lost glasses, and confusion of my eldest over why they just had a day off school but were back in for one day before the weekend.... I finally got off to work. When I arrive the MD calls me to his office. They are very impressed with the work I have done in credit control (reduction of bad debt by 92% in under 6 months) and want to give me more responsibility! So along side CC I am taking on a Sales Role, which meant a big chunk of my day taken up with how to work out & write quotes, and once I'm settled in to that I've to "take control" of the Window Cleaning Division too! Eep! I'm thrilled, but had to remind him that I'm only part time and planning another baby. He thinks I can cope. I hope he's right! And then all the Internet dropped out. So we had to work using the new Dongles which is just sooo slow, and the IT guy "improved" the webmai

You know how it goes. You start the day with all the best intentions and it just all goes down the pan! Well I've just had a couple of these says on the trot now and I'm not impressed with myself AT ALL! Yesterday was just stupid, plain and simple. Half an hour before school I remember that we've not done Big lad's reading book and it's due to got back. So I call him over, snuggle in and listen to him read the last half of his book, which he does beautifully. But now we're running late because it took longer than I thought. And it's Wednesday so Blondie is in nursery and he needs help with his shoes. I get the shoes on and go to pick up the lunch bags...... No lunches! Argh! How had I forgotten to make LUNCH!? If it was just Jack then I could have winged it and paid for a school dinner for him. £2 down but not so late for school. Tom doesn't have that option. So I rush 2 lunches together and drag the kids out of the door. We're going to have

So the lovely people over at Schwartz  (via Mumsnet) have asked me to do a product test of these 2-in-1 Recipe Mixes for chicken. It's ideal because we LOVE chicken in this house and I'd love to try new ways of serving it to my kids that are quick and easy, and maybe even let them help! Before I start let me say that all views and opinions in this review are my own. I have not been paid to make this review, but I have been given these 5 packets for free.  Review 3: Southern style crunchy chicken bites + BBQ dip >> Product Link << The kids aren't fed up of chicken yet! They're liking trying different ways of serving chicken and the thought of making our own Southern Style Chicken had them begging for me to get on and make it What it says on the packet: This is suggested for 4 servings and claims it takes just 20 minutes to cook. Looking at the directions on the packet this is likely to be the quickest and easiest

I have less than 3 weeks of the pill to go..... LESS THAN 3 WEEKS! I'm flip flopping between excitement and terror. I'm certain now that this next baby will be my last (saving for any heartbreaking disasters that I don't want to tempt fate on). They say you know when you're done. I almost am. Almost! But not quite! With Georgie taking his first steps in the last few days and growing in confidence every time he waddles along without holding on, I know that I'm days away from not having a "baby" any more. He's about to be a Toddler. And I have a baby shaped void that needs to be filled just one more time. I drive by the hospital on my way home from work. Not the maternity end, but close enough. I feel butterflies and get a small smile on my lips every time I drive past. Soon, hopefully in only a few months time, I'll be off to the Women's Unit to have my scans, the (accursed and unfounded) Gestational Diabetes appointments, and eventual

Georgie's started walking! This isn't much of a clip but in true kiddie form he wont do it if I'm trying to video him! Thu evening he took 5 little steps from me to Daddy unaided! It was lovely! Now he's really giving it a good go and by bedtime tonight he'd walked half way across the livingroom with a toy in his hand that he wanted me to get working for him. He's not quite a toddler yet but I think by this time next week I'll have kissed goodbye to his baby days and have a fully fledged toddler on my hands. Mixed feelings on that one.... I'm so proud of his progress though. He has a wee vocabulary of words that only we can understand "ack ack" for Jack, "ter ter" for Tom, "hiz" for our cat Fizzy. He also says "all gone", "inky" (drink), "mananana" (banana), and the usual mummy, daddy & nana. He's pointing at stuff wanting know what it's called and trying to mimic. He wave

So the lovely people over at Schwartz  (via Mumsnet) have asked me to do a product test of these 2-in-1 Recipe Mixes for chicken. It's ideal because we LOVE chicken in this house and I'd love to try new ways of serving it to my kids that are quick and easy, and maybe even let them help! Before I start let me say that all views and opinions in this review are my own. I have not been paid to make this review, but I have been given these 5 packets for free.  Review 2: Garlic & Thyme Roast Chicken with Crispy Roast Potatoes >> Product Link << What better day than Sunday to try out the Roast Chicken packet? I'd promised my kids roast chicken legs this weekend and already had them in the fridge. What it says on the packet: This is designed to serve 4-6 people, and take 90 mins to cook. It suggests a 3 1/2 lb chicken but does say you can chicken portions or other sized chicken and gives guidelines for cooking accor

Welcome to Lovin' The Weekend Blog Hops with your co-hosts: Karen from Tots and Me , Rena from An Ordinary Housewife  and Angie from Snack Cups and Smiles . Thank you to every one who has stopped by, whether this is your first visit or you have been a faithful ongoing participant!  We would love for you to stop by each of the co-hosts and follow us, then feel free to add your links to any or all of the following linkies.   We also randomly choose a Featured host each week from the  Lovin' The Readers  linky. This week we are featuring Charlie from Charlie Beth's "Life as Mumma Walker." Here's what she has to say: " I've been blogging for almost 10 yrs (anniversary in Sept) and until this year its only been a diary, following my life from commitment free and feckless to a married mum of 3. Now I'm trying to make more of it with reviews, discussions, and more, while still maintaining it as a mum blog. " Don&

So the lovely people over at Schwartz  (via Mumsnet) have asked me to do a product test of these 2-in-1 Recipe Mixes for chicken. It's ideal because we LOVE chicken in this house and I'd love to try new ways of serving it to my kids that are quick and easy, and maybe even let them help! Before I start let me say that all views and opinions in this review are my own. I have not been paid to make this review, but I have been given these 5 packets for free.  Review 1: Mediterranean Chicken Pasta >> Product Link << These only arrived today and after having a quick glance through them I was pleased to see that I already had in most of the suggested ingredients for each of the packets. I showed them to my kids and they chose this one: Mediterranean Chicken Pasta. What it says on the packet: You only need chicken, cooking oil, pasta, a yellow pepper, a tin of tomatoes, and some cheese. We have all of those already! Bonus! It says cooking time

It's been a busy old day here! Our Big Lad Jack was off to a friends house after school, not the first time by a long shot, but this time he was staying out for his dinner. That's a first! I'm perfectly happy with him going out after school and the family he went with are smashing. My only worry was that today I had no mobile phone signal! (I've had an upgrade at it taken ALL DAY to get switched over, Grrr) so I felt cut off from him! But he was fine and behaved himself well enough.  The friends dad, however, did mention that Big Lad was now wearing a pair of his mates underpants..... It's been a scorching hot day and they were playing in the back garden with some water. Jack felt the need to strip out of his uniform and splash about in his boxers... At least he had the sense not to wreck his school clothes! Blondie Tom has had a bit of a day of it too. As well as 4 days in a row being Clean & Dry (whoo potty training) he's had a MASSIVE hair

I've recently been asked to do some research into the kinds of help on offer for people who suffer from a gambling addiction, what kind of help is available for their families etc, and what kind of help people feel they need both as addicts and as the family / support network surrounding them. From what I've read as many is 1 in 50 people have a gambling addiction, and it affects people of all ages and cultures. The increase in people with internet access at home and on mobile devises means that a whole world of gambling opportunities has opened up and more and more people are falling victim to it. I personally have no issue with gambling. It's not something I do other than an occasional lottery ticket or even rarer raffle ticket (yes, apparently that's gambling too). My grandfather was a bookie and he always said that the only one to win from gambling was him. And he never placed a bet! I took that as sound advice and never found much interest in it. But it's

Awwww....! Look at him! It's he cute? Hahaha, he'll hate me for that when he's older. But I can't help it, he's my biggest little man and I adore him. In case you haven't guessed already, this is our Big Lad Jack in his brand new Gi. His first one. It's a tad on the big side but his Sensei said he could just roll them up for now. It's supposed to do him till he's about 10yo I think. I really hope he's still into Jujitsu when he's ten. He's been taking lesson after school with  activ8  for the last few months and seems to be really enjoying it. He's always excited on Tuesdays because that's Jujitsu day. He comes bouncing out after his lesson and is grinning from ear to ear every week. He couldn't wait to get home and try his Gi on to show his dad and brothers. After I took his photo he wanted to keep it on, but the thought of spilling anything down it had him whipping it off and asking me to put it away tidy for him :D

I really don't. I quite like them. By Monday I'm glad to see the back of my little Angels for just a few hours after they have driven me crackers all weekend. Within half an hour of being parted from them I miss them like crazy it's true... but weekends can be hard with my lot since there is such an ability gap between my 5yo and my 1yo. Finding something suitable and affordable for us all, which also holds their attention for longer than 30 seconds... not easy! Monday means SCHOOL for my eldest! He loves school, school loves him. From September it will mean proper nursery for our 3yo too (not just once a week). They are always bursting to go and learn, see their friends, play games, and be away from home for a bit (same as me I guess). Monday also means work for me. And I like my job! Honestly I do! The folk in my office are lovely, I have a role there that I like and seem to be quite good at too. There's nothing very stressy about it. It's peaceful (compar

Gah... Fathers Day! I've been asking Hubby what he wants to do today since Thursday. I've been met with grunts, face pulling, and no actual answer. I offered to take him out for lunch, he didnt want to. I suggested a picnic in the park with the kids, he pulled a face looking at the weather. I asked where he did want to go because staying in all day with the kids would lead to them playing up and did he really want to spend the day telling them off? But at bedtime last night there were no plans made. Except that he didn't want breakfast in bed, he wanted a fry up instead! Fine, not a problem, only if I'd known sooner I could have gone to the shop! Now I have to to the local shop at opening time to get stuff in. So we get up this morning and the kids give Daddy their gifts and cards. I clock watch waiting for the shop to open. Then hubby says he DOES want a picnic after all! Or a takeaway for tea... I give him a look. "Which?!" I demand in the basis that I&#

We got a call from my Mother-in-law last night, could they come over to day and bring Tom's birthday present. They don't get to come over very often so it was nice of them to suggest it. The only down side is that because they live so far away they don't get here until early afternoon and since we're going out to eat there's no point feeding the kids at lunch time. Only thing worse than hungry kids is over excited hungry kids! I try to distract them with dress-up, and playing with the blackboard & chalks. But it doesn't work. Tom's in and out of his costume, Jack's being a general pain, and Georgie eats the chalks. By the time Grandma Kate & Grandad Dave get here Jack & Tom are climbing the walls! Jack starts showing off and attention seeking, and gets worse when Tom gets his longed for Peppa Pig Rocket. Tom just gets giddy. Georgie had been put down for a power nap in the hope that he will eat instead of scream his way through the meal.

All week our Big Lad Jack has been working on a challenge: To NOT get up at daft o'clock, NOT wake the whole house, and generally be a little less anti-social in the mornings. He was to stay in his bed and try to go back to sleep until we fetched him at 7am (apart from going to the loo, that's obviously ok, but needed explaining to Jack) The reward: To stay up till 8pm on Fri & Sat. Honestly, I didn't think he'd make it. But he does really want to stay up later. Some of his school mates stay up till 8 while we still have him in bed about 7pm, no later than 7.30. Frankly he needs the sleep through the week and gets super moody by Thursday evening if he's not had enough sleep, and by Friday he's a nightmare. But he made it! For 5 whole days I was allowed to be woken by my alarm! 5 whole days without "No you can't get up yet, go back to bed", without "Shhh! You'll wake your brothers" followed by both younger kids waking up an

Eeeeek! Only 5 weeks if the pill left! You know, as I'm sat here near the end if the day (as far as the kids are concerned), looking at the crazy mess they have made and the tiny amount of space we have, I find my self thinking about chucking a lot of stuff out! And getting better storage for the stuff we have. Not  more  storage because I've run out of room to PUT more storage. Better stuff. No idea what though. And what exactly to I get rid off? With plans for another baby next year there's no point getting rid of baby stuff we will only wind up buying again! And everything the boys have comes in handy for the younger boys. They all play with everything...! Cars, trains, super heros, knights, building blocks, books, colouring and crafting stuff.... There's tons of it but it all gets used! I feel like I am drowning in toys and books and kids clothes. There is barely a surface in the house which isn't cluttered, or a floor that's free of debris, or a door handle

I should have known. I should have put a nappy on him today. But you want to encourage your kids to be grown up and not upset them by treating the like babies when it's not necessary. But you should also always follow your gut with your kids. This morning Tom looked like he hadn't slept a wink all night, although he must have done because of all our kids it's number two son who wakes up in the night frequently, and cries to you can't not know he's awake. It's nursery day today and we dressed him like normal, stuck spare undies and jeans in his bag because he isn't quite 100% toilet trained yet, and took him down as normal. I got no phone calls from them or anything, but when I wen to pick him up this afternoon he wasn't in either pair of jeans I sent. In fact when I got there he was asleep! He'd been asleep for over 2 hours! The lady who looks after him (his key worker) handed over my groggy little boy and said that he had in fact had two sets of

You know how you fall in to certain routines? Well this is me on a non-work day when my hubby is out at work. 6.30am the alarm goes off. It's time for me to take my basal body temp, my pill (but only for 5 more weeks!) my folic acid & cranberry supplement. However, the kids have usually got up at least once by now and been sent back to bed because it's TOO FLIPPIN EARLY! 7am Finally allow the kids to get up - unless they have driven us crackers already and been allowed to go down & put kids telly on while we lay in bed in a state of shock having been leapt on by the biggest two. Hubby changes Tom out of his bedtime nappy-pants and encourages him to use his the potty before breakfast, I change Georgie's nappy, and then it's breakfast time. Any random combination of cereal, toast and fruit. 8am Time to get Jack to sort himself out for school. So glad he's 5 now and can be trusted to wash and dress himself sensibly! Most of the time. When he's not da

I hadn't planned for this to be a wordless blog post. I had ACTUALLY written quite a long one! But blogger chose not only to delete it of it's own accord, but then SAVE my blank page over my written blog :( Anyway, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so have some pictures of my day out with my boys. This is all at Happy Mount Park in Morecambe Picnic Splash Park Happy Land Miniature Railway & Ducks Adventure Land

This is at risk of being a TMI post - so I'm sorry for that! Feel free to click away and come back for a safer post! Or.... you can hang around a read for a while longer. Regulars will know that me & the hubby are planning for our 4th child, but that I am still on the pill for a while longer (think I have about 5-6 weeks left). Since I had my implant taken out I have been taking the pill but tracking my cycle and recording everything on Fertility Friend . And I have noticed something interesting about our sex life (told you it would be TMI). I'm sure you'll understand when I say our sex life is not the 24/7 thing it used to be... nearly 12 years together and 3 kids already means that we're happy enough in our relationship to not feel unloved without sex on tap, and face it, with this many small children running about, finding opportunity while we still have energy is tricky too! But we do still HAVE a sex life... and it always seems to happen on the days I woul

I can't help but wonder how old my eldest thinks he is. I'm pretty sure I only gave birth to him 5 years ago. He is shorter than the average teenager, although taller than most 5 year olds... but his behaviour and attitude are far older than his years (or so I think). Some times this is a good thing! He is doing very well in school, reading ahead of his age range and so on. Sometimes it's just plain funny! Like insisting on geling his hair for school, or getting exasperated with the little girl from 2 door doors down who has a crush on him (she knocks on the door "Urgh, not again. Dad, you talk to her!" so Daddy fibs and says he's grounded to get her off his back). But sometimes it's just infuriating! Like when we ask him to do ANYTHING and he's goes and does the exact opposite. Or he pouts and stamps his feet muttering about it being "not fair". We tell one of his brothers not to do something, and then he does that exact same thing. Yo

They say everyone has a book in them. I think that's true. More than one in most people's cases, but how many I us have the time to do it? I certainly DON'T have the time right now, but I'd still like to give it a go. And I'm not on my own. My Mum fancies in on it! And that is an idea that excites me! The thing is that me and my Mum have very little in common. We are very different people with very different interests. She's practical, well read, deeply interested in history. I'm creative, but flighty and find I hard to retain knowledge that doesn't thrill me. But we do have one thing in common which always gets us laughing and giggling like school girls who found a bottle of wine. Our ex partners! For her it's my Dad, and the rediculas way he behaved through out their marriage with multiple mistresses. Follow that with the insane way he handled the divorce, and his continued bizarre behaviour once my Mum started to move on with her life. For m

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