CharlieBeth's "My Life As Mumma Walker"

I'm a very proud mummy this evening! Today Jack and his friends Rory & Luke were Invested into the Beavers, making them official Beaver Scouts now. Parents were invited to stay and watch the investing at the start of this evenings meeting, and also to see some of the older Beavers "swim up" to Cubs at the end as the Cubs meeting runs straight after the Beavers meeting. It was lovely, and really interesting to see what they did at the meetings. The kids are clearly have such a great time and the leaders are really nice too. I loved seeing Jack and his friends make their Promise and receive their neckers and certificates. Although now I have a TON of sewing to do with all of his new badges! He has 4 new ones just as part of the investment! They have some great activities coming up soon, including a trip to the local fire station and a "midnight" walk. Jack is practically bursting with excitement at going each week! Facebook has changed it’s policy

This has not been the greatest week for me. I have had a rotten, sinking cold which had me confined to my bed for 24 hours and rendered physical exercise impossible! Ok... not impossible but unpleasant enough a prospect for me to have done nothing over my usual for the second half of the week. I am still snotty, coughing and wheezing now so it may well be a few more days before I attempt the wii fit again although I will be walking to town tomorrow morning. Hubby had a bit of a panic about his weigh in at the start of the weekend. He had been telling me what he had been eating for his lunch at work, feeling ever so proud and making healthy choices, and he saw me wince. There was nothing wrong with the things he had chosen, dried fruit, nuts, baked crisps instead of fried etc. All of these are great.... but not all in one sitting. So we googled the food he had eaten and worked out the points. He had eaten a good 15+ more than he should have. His face went grey! So he says "What can

I am a big fan of Bloggers Required, I've had some lovely blog assignments through them. So to help them out - and any of you out there who would like to get involved in review etc - I am sharing their survey: (if you can't see it below click here ) Valid until Oct 1st 2014   Facebook has changed it’s policy for posts to Facebook pages like mine. They are only showing posts to a few likers unless I pay to boost the views. Since I don't earn money from my blog (or at least not much, not even enough to buy one posh a coffee a week) I wont be doing that. The best way to make sure you will see my blog posts is to subscribe by email up there on the right. I usually only email once a week and include an invitation to my blog hop so you can share your posts too.   You can also go to my page, hover over the “liked” button and select get notifications. Then you will see my posts and status updates in your notifications. Mumma Walker on Facebook

I don't consider myself to be racist. I couldn't care less what a persons skin colour is, what religion - if any - they subscribe to, what their ethnic background is, any of it. If some one is nice to me I'll be nice back. If someone chooses not to approach me I'm fine with it. If someone wants to be off with me, well to hell with them, I can live without people like that in my life. I am very much a "live and let live" kind of person. I hope I am raising my kids to be the same. OK, I don't hammer into my kids that "we are all equal", but I don't in any way suggest that one group of people is any better or worse than an other either. I think I once said that the entire human race was a blight on the planet... That is as close as I have come to any opinion on any people and my conclusion was that we are all equally shite. Which is why I get really really hacked off when I see stories like this: One of my in-laws shared this photo earlier

I think just about everyone who likes home made soup will have made a variation on this soup at some point, and I am in no way claiming that this is something I have invented all on my own. In fact, this is a variation of the soup my Mum makes, which is a variation of the soup she learned at Weight Watchers when I was a young teenager still living at home. That is a nice little thing for me because this soup has become something of a comfort food... it reminds me of autumn evenings at home just me and Mum, all cosy and warm. It makes me smile! It is based on one of the Zero Point Soups you can find on Weight Watchers, but I have made some changes which means there ARE points in it. But not much, and it tastes better (in my opinion). So... This is what goes into my version of this soup. The veggies and stuff: 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 peppers, any colour but red make a better coloured soup, chopped 1 medium courgette, diced 1 400

Been an odd one today.... had my usual Asda delivery this morning and wound up with a little more then I expected in the form on a winged thingumy in my bananas! Didn't half make me jump! I was about to rip open the bag when I saw it move. I let out a massive "EWWWW!" My brain translated it as SPIDER! But it was more likely to be something the spider would have eaten. Still no way I was opening the bag though, and as it was clearly very much alive I'm guessing it didn't have wings when it set off from it's homeland how ever many miles away that was. I didn't fancy playing banana roulette trying to work out which fruit it hatched out of! Naturally the first thing I did was take a photo and facebook it. Than I called hubby and basically went "Wahhh! What do I do with it??" bare in mind he is phobic about anything buggy and wingy. He said I should ring the store and they would likely send someone out to take it away - based on him working at Sains

Image from:  mobywrap.com I'm contemplating how I can squeeze some exercise into my week. Aside from my baby-boobie-monster who I am using as my excuse to not go to a gym or pool, I also have a 2yo who is only in nursery between 9-12, and my two school age boys. I walk them too and from school but it's not that far and doesn't count as extra exercise because it's part of my normal routine. I keep telling myself that once Freddie is not as dependant on me for feeding - which is likely to be when I go back to work in May - I will be able to go swimming or visit the gym for an hour after work some days. But that is still a long way off and very dependant on how well Hubby copes with having all four kids to himself for that extra amount of time... I'm getting back on the Wii Fit, even if I'm only dong a bit of Step with baby in the sling, not unlike this lady:  Sling Lady's Blog . And there's more inspiration from the Moby Wrap people here:  Moby Exercise .

The Scouts have a swimming gala coming up next month so tonight the Beavers had their meeting at the University pool so determine who would be selected to represent our group this year. It got off to a bit of a slow start as one of the leaders was stuck in traffic and not enough parents volunteered to get into the water and help out. Myself included, although I had Freddie with me so wouldn't have been able to join in anyway. It will be different next year when I can leave him with Daddy and jump in. Obviously since Jack only started swimming lessons last weekend he isn't up for selection for the gala, but he had fun messing about it the water. The more experienced swimmers had a chance to get their staged swimmers badge though and it was great to see the leaders in the water with the kids helping them along and having fun with them. I'm hoping that next year Jack will be one of those getting their stage 1 badge, maybe sooner if he does well with this swimming lessons a

Jack's second overnighter with the Beavers! This time it was the District Camp with Cubs and Scouts there too, the BIG one! We knew we were going to be late because Jack had his first swimming lesson the same day and time that camp started, but we got him there just under an hour late so that's not too bad. It did feel awful leaving him at the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of strangers (other late comers and the leaders who were waiting to look after them) and then just... driving off! BUT this is something he wants to do, something good we want for him, and I simply have to get over this "my baby!!" lark (yeah right, he'll be my baby when he's 40 and beyond!) He had an awesome time though. His friend Rory came this time. Rory was Jack's best friend back in his Nursery days and we've managed to keep in touch despite them both being in different schools now and Beavers is a great way to make sure they see each other every

Pic from LCC's Salt Ayre Sport Centre page ( click for web site ) This house is not big enough for 3 bored kids and a baby! If we're not out of the house by 10ish then either me or the Hubby get dangerously close to committing infanticide! Something my doctor said to me at my 6 week check this week was "boys are like large pets. They need feeding, plenty of exercise, and the bottoms of their cages cleaned" and she's right. What my boys need is stuff to do that will knacker them out! I have been meaning to get the kids booked in for swimming lessons for YEARS but with one thing and another I just hadn't managed to get round to it. Well.... now I have. Jack & Tom are booked in for Saturdays at 8:30 in the flipping morning! What WAS I thinking??? In fairness we will be up in plenty of time anyway, and I have been itching to get the kids out and about early on the weekends as we have (while I have been pregnant / anaemic / nursing a new born) developed

I am still really struggling with these sugar cravings and I have let temptation get the better of me a few times this week - including a McDonalds lunch yesterday after dropping my eldest off at Beaver Scouts camp for the weekend. It's the evenings that get to me. No matter how sensible my dinner was, no matter how busy I make myself, I keep snacking! I'm pretty sure that really I'm mostly thirsty, and some soda water and a piece of fruit would resolve the whole problem... but I'm reaching for the nutella instead. BUT I have earned some points back by walking into town twice this week, and for most of the week I have stayed within my daily pro points. I have lost 2lb this week! I'm really happy with that but a tad annoyed at myself for not being as strong as I could have been - I could have had a 3lb loss if I have not given in so many times. Weigh In: Me: -2lb Hubby: -2lb Things I have learned this week: Walking is great - do more! I'm still snacking when I sh

The boys love milkshakes. If we go out for burgers or chicken nuggets from a certain well known burger joint you can be pretty sure that at least 2 of the 3 lads will order a milkshake with their meal. Milkshakes are offered as treats, rewards, and yes, even bribes - sometimes the promise of a milkshake before bed is the only thing that will shift Georgie out of the bath tub in the evenings! My boys know, like, and generally stick to the same things. Jack always goes for strawberry, Tom will ask for vanilla, and Georgie always ALWAYS has chocolate. When the BzzAgents review for Raspberry Crusha came up I just had to apply for it. We tend to buy Crusha anyway. Both the older boys like the sugar free strawberry version - which we find good for a bedtime drink for the kids because they don't get the sugar rush in the evenings - and the chocolate flavour which is easily Georgie's favourite drink in the whole world. But we had never tried Raspberry! There was some competitio

The weather is lovely for September! And the roads through town are messed up thanks to a new bye-pass being built and essential works to the sewerage system making driving a nightmare. So I've been WALKING - with Baby Freddie in the sling. I've really enjoyed it actually - I didn't think I would. I downloaded a free pedometer app to my phone to track how far and how long I walked for as well as count my steps. This week I have walked into town and back twice, and clocked up 3.5 miles each time. I had wanted to go for a third day but I had to do things out of town too so it wasn't practical. It inspired me to buy some more sensible boots than I would have - grips and ankle support instead of heels and bling (in fairness as I'm not back to work in the office until May I don't really NEED to get sexy boots, but the school run alone necessitates flat soles and good grips, especially when that hill gets icy). I also borrowed my eldest's big camping rucksack to c

Beaver Scouts - Hobby Badge Last week the Beavers started up again after the Summer Break and Jack couldn't wait to get back. That Scout Hut is the craziest and loudest place on Earth on the first day back! I swear my ears were ringing for about an hour after I dropped him off! But it was a lot calmer at the end of the meet when I went to collect him again. There are some big things coming soon with Beavers, the most exciting being the Camp this weekend. His friend Rory is going too this time and he simply cannot wait. It has become THE most important and talked about thing all week. They were also asked to bring something to the meeting this week. They could try to get their Hobby Badge by bringing in an example of a hobby which they could talk about and demonstrate. Well, Jack has a lot of things he likes like his Jujitsu, cooking, DS and Wii U games and so on. He chose to take in his Lego Minifigures collection. He took his Simpsons Lego Minifigures, and a selection of

OK, I feel cheeky calling this a recipe because it really isn't any more than opening a tin and chucking stuff together. But sometimes that's just what you need, right? We get told that we should have 2 portions of fish a week, and at least one of those should be an oily fish. Mackerel fits that bill. You can see which other fish count towards your fish intake here: weightlossresources.co.uk This is a good, healthy, quick to prepare lunch that's ideal for home or work as a packed lunch, and can bew tailored to your tastes without affecting the points value. Just so long as it's tinned mackerel and points free salad and fruit! So here's what's in my lunch: Salad: 1 tin of Princes Mackerel in Tomato Sauce 1 bowl full of zero points salad (in this case assorted lettuce) Use a fork to break apart the fish, flake over the salad leaves. Serve with:  Fresh fruit.  I have 2 small (kids lunch sized) apples, a banana, and a bunch of grapes Easy! Facebook has changed it’s

Now THIS is a homework project! I admit that, when Jack came out of school last week asking for a chocolate bar so he could take the wrapper to school for a project, I didn't whole heartedly believe him. He got the chocolate though, and the wrapper was dutifully sent to school. He has now come home with the official Creative Homework sheet and sure enough it is entitled "Death By Chocolate"! At last.... something I reeeeaaalllly want to know about! Jack has plumbed for his usual crafting, research, and writing. He wants to design and make his own chocolate box (including making his own chocolates although that's not on the sheet and I might have to speak to his teacher about if he would be allowed to take them to class), and learn/write about where chocolate comes from and how it's made. We've only chatted about it a bit this evening (it's Beavers night too) but he is very excited about making his chocolate box and wants an undead death by cho

I'm not going to get all excited, honest. I know this counts as "week one" as I've had that 10 month break from the diet, and I know that most people will drop a lot in the first week. So I'm really, really not going to get all happy happy dance around about this weeks weight loss.... even though it was 5 lb! Oh, who am I kidding?! WHoooooOOOoo! 5lb! GET IN THERE! Hahaha.... It brings my total weight loss since November (i.e. pre pregnancy) to 31lb and puts the half way mark of 36.5 lb in sight. I also got another 7lb star from Weight Watchers! It's also a good start on my Halloween Hotties Challange which I set up earlier this week on Weight Watchers. As it was 7 weeks until Halloween I set that challenge up to lose 2lb a week and drop a stone for the end of October. 5lb in my first week is fab, esp since we have a family do and half term at the end of October which will put serious pressure on my will power. Feels like I've got as head start! Sunday is

We love love love pasta in this house! And chicken. So we eat this a LOT! It's doesn't take too long to make either so it's great for us after school. We have some version of chicken and pasta pretty much every week. This is this weeks Chicken Pasta, the tomato version. I claim it feeds 4 although I split it between the 5 of us... the three boys split two adult portions between them. You can reduce the points on this meal by cutting down the amount of pasta you use. I admit we use 500g because that's the size of the bag we get from Asda which is suggested to serve 4. It does seem like a lot! But 250g never feels like enough. Serves: 4 | Pro Points per serving: 14 500g fresh penne pasta 1lb diced chicken 1tbs vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 6-8 mushrooms, chopped 400g tin/carton of plumb tomatoes 1tsp garlic powder 1tsp oregano 1tsp basil 1/2 tsp sugar 2tbs ketchup Salt & pepper Put the oil in a mixing bowl and add the garlic powder and

Had my appointment with Rosie The Contraceptive Nurse this morning. I've been thinking copper coil since I've about had it with hormonal contraceptives. I don't like the negative effect they have on my sex life, sex is SO much better without the pill, depo or implant! But now I'm not sure. I hadn't realised that fertilisation can still happen with the copper coil, and that those fertilised eggs are then prevented from developing. It's a bit close to regular forced miscarriage for my liking. Personal thing... Wouldn't think less of anyone else who uses one. It's just suddenly really really not for me. I've always felt that I love my babies from the moment I got my BFP and that they were my babies even just as a bunch of cells. But it also means that I would feel like I was aborting any fertilised eggs while I was using this copper coil. Sorry if that sounds dumb, unscientific, etc. I just can't do it. (Funny, I felt totally different about that

Right... I have a new mission! I AM going to lose weight!! I'm not having any more babies and I need something to obsess over, plus I always said I would worry about my weight once I wasn't planning on getting pregnant again. I am already 2lb lighter than when I got my BFP, but I have been gaining a bit these last few weeks. I don't know how much, but those size 16 jeans I was so thrilled to get back into are already feeling a little snug. Big muffin tops! Not good! Hubby is in on this too, all be it by proxy, because he's been ill lately (I think stress related) and the doc has told him to lose weight. I've signed back up for Weight Watchers (online), I have weighed myself on the Wii Fit, and I am working out which Wii Fit things I can safely do with Freddie strapped to me in a sling. Georgie goes back to nursery tomorrow so I will have a couple of hours each morning through the week where I can at least get a bit of Step in. Before I got pregnant I was d

I am still breastfeeding, and I plan to for a good while yet. So I need to make sure I am eating well to make good milk. Weight Watchers makes a point allowance for breastfeeding mums, I get 14 extra Pro Points while Freddie is exclusively breastfed, it will drop to 7 when he is taking some solids as well. I've been looking about for info on healthy eating while breastfeeding and there is plenty out there. The NHS website has some sound advice and snack recommendations. The basics being making sure to get 5 fruit/veg a day, 2 portions of fish a week, some wholegrain, dairy, and plenty of water. Same as everyone else really! I made a good start this morning, breakfast was 4 Pro Points made up of All-Bran, whole milk and a banana. But then the grocery delivery I had ordered before I decided to start tracking my food arrived... including an angel cake, custard, and pizzas. So I'm guessing this week wont be great (because I'm not going to pretend for a moment that I'm not

Freddie at 6 weeks old! Baby is here, time to working on being a Yummy Mummy! Little Freddie was born six weeks ago now, 27th July 2014. It's taken me till now to pluck up the courage to get on the Wii Fit! I am 13 stone 10 lb, which is great because I was 14st 4lb the day I found out I was pregnant. And a lot better than the 15 stone 8lb I was when we started trying to get pregnant. I am wearing size 16 jeans at the moment, admittedly with some muffin top, but they are not difficult to get on or off and they are comfortable (unless I eat a big dinner!) I am breastfeeding this little dude so being sensible with my diet is very important for his sake. It also means I am suffering from a chronic sweet tooth and a raging thirst. And I am one of those people that goes "I'm wanting something", and then snacks when really I should be having a drink because I am thirsty not hungry. Let's call that Bad Habit No.1! I'm not quite into my Weight Watchers just yet. I have

He did so well! It was a shaky start, he was restless in the night and stroppy as hell when he got up this morning, but once the uniform was on he got better. Even smiled for his photo (was fully expecting a sulky face and tears like we usually get when I try to get a pic of him all scrubbed up nice). The walk down to school was nothing new for him, nor was playing in the yard with Jack and his friends, so maybe that helped. I had asked Jack to come in to school through the Reception door with me and Tom but he forgot and ran off with his mates through the main door once the bell had gone, and I still had all his stuff. So I took Tom in, helped him get his coat and bag away where they had to go, and once he had found a toy to play with told him I had to nip off and give Jack his things but I'd be right back. He was ok with that. Only getting though the corridor in Key Stage 1 is a bit like running the gauntlet! Parents, kids, prams, discarded coats and bags all over... I got to