Friday Quick Takes

Works for me!

1.  So, Valentine's Day- how was it with you? Romance central or did you rise above all the overpriced, guilt induced commercialization of it all? Well, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me while I eat my words from the other day, because I DID receive my card, complete with a 'Perfect Wife' badge,(which I'll be casually wearing next time the M&S bill comes in), AND a rather large bouquet of flowers as well. Ahem.
Well if you MUST know, they were long stemmed roses beautifully wrapped in silvery muslin. Colour? Alright ALRIGHT! They were red!

I'll say no more!

Which meant that although totally blown away when I discovered them on the bed, part of me also realised that, darn it-I was duty bound to out this Valentine cliche on here, while also clocking the fact that Loverboy clearly wasn't the avid reader of my blog I'd assumed him to be! Ah well, sure they're absolutely gorgeous and I'm not thinking AT ALL about the fact they'll be 70% off today. (Oh God- I'm turning into my Ma).

2. Lent. I'm over it already and it's only just started! You see, for some annoying reason I've decided to take it seriously this year-as in to do stuff that tests and strengthens me as as a person, and not just stuff to help me lose a few lbs for Easter. So even though I'd assumed that I'd go off chocolate, in truth, I'm not a MASSIVE chocolate fiend, (one nightly little Lindt ball with a cuppa), so its not a huge sacrifice really.  And anyway, I'm already doing 2 fast days a week, so I reckon I'm pretty much covered in the food deprivation department.

All set for Lent!

Yes, I could go off wine during the week, but by default I don't actually drink wine during the week-too busy making lunches and checking homeworks-so that's hardly a stretch. And I know, I could go off wine altogether and that WOULD be tough, because there's nothing quite like that Friday glass or two at home, or the Saturday night out with friends, but childishly I justify that I've paid my dues with the ten year pregnancy/baby stint so I've a lot of catching up to do in that department!  Maybe I'll rethink circa Lent 2025.
Then I heard  that my good buddy Bronagh was giving up Facebook for Lent, as she also did last year, and I made the snap decision to join her, and seriously- for me, its a biggie! Between my blog, the craic and sheer nosiness of it all,  I do enjoy Facebook....maybe even a bit too much...so I know this is gonna hurt! Once I made the decision though, I quickly deleted the app from my phone and  went cold turkey- I knew that there could be no looking back and no long goodbyes!

As a family, we're also eschewing all electronic devices from 6pm during the week. That means no Leap Pad, DS, computer, IPads or internet of any kind from Monday to Thursday. Considering I watch TV at night while surfing Ebay/Amazon/Facebook on my iPad, this one's a challenge...but again, possibly a positive one? Finally I'm 'strongly encouraging' regular Trocaire donations from all family members (Intimidation anyone?) and attending a weekly series of Lenten talks. Phew! And if I manage to do all that I'll be doing well....watch this space!

3. Staying on the Lenten theme- Bless me Father for I have sinned, I went through my sky + box and deleted the entire series of 'Africa'. I mean what kind of person deletes David Attenborough and saves Gok Wan? It's SO wrong but what can I say?  I didn't like the look of my percentages and once I started hitting that yellow button and feeling that heady excitement as I watched those numbers creep up, I couldn't stop 'til I'd done the lot. And to be completely honest, although I loved the first episode, I found the second a bit 'ho hum' and the kids kept making excuses about homework and piano practice every time I suggested watching it, so unfortunately it was just a question of when. Still I'm not proud of it so that'll be 10 Hail Marys and a Glory Be for me. 

4.  Our 'Carseat Boogie' this week? Well, this song came on the other day and immediately I was transported back  20+ years, watching Otis and the Elevators, (a local 'Blues Brothers' Tribute band) with a pile of friends in a crowded bar. Tassle skirts and DMs, cider and black and White Musk, sneaky fags and cheeky snogs. Good times ....lost in my reverie, I then happened to glance into the rearview mirror and there was Luke, oblivious to me, boogying away in the back, eyes closed, totally lost in the music. Hope you like it too.....Happy Friday loveliesxxx


PS If you haven't already I'd be most grateful if you'd take a wee minute and nominate me in the MAD (Mum and Dad) Blog Awards 2013.( The closing date for nominations is February 18th and just pick whichever categories you think are suitable).
Thanks a million, Emxx

Friday Quick Takes

1. Its been a house of sickness this week- we've had a relay team of at least one, mostly two boys off at a time. That's just one of the many joys of having five children - the flu takes twice as long to go around the house. Poor Mac has been hit with it the worst- you KNOW a boy's sick when he shows no interest in his new DS, refuses chocolate and ice cream, and actually SUGGESTS going to bed himself.
 Rory, on the other hand, who was also 'under the weather', gave an Oscar winning performance in an effort to extend his one day off. Big beseeching eyes, shuffling slowly around the house, that trembling little voice saying 'No dinner for me, Mummy-my tummy's sore..... Well, maybe just a wee bit..... No, a bit more than that....... And I'll maybe take that piece of cake too.' Aye right,pet. Is your bag packed for the morning?
From a purely selfish point of view, it's been three, long, tough weeks- the sickness coming right on the back of  Loverboy's jolly/worktrip to India. But them's the breaks, and thank goodness, everyone's on the mend now. *touches wood repeatedly*

2. My 5:2 eating program, which coincidentally  I've also been doing for 3 weeks,  has been going....very well actually, but if you want weekly weigh ins and hip measurements, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong blog. I've an aversion to standing on  the scale- once a month is enough for me-but I CAN tell you that I've lost the Christmas lbs, and I definitely feel my muffin top is somewhat reduced. (Of course it's all relative isn't it, because If I were an ACTUAL muffin, I'd be one of those humongous American style ones, whereas you're probably a perfectly proportioned fairy cake!)
More importantly though,  I'm finding it works for me.  I don't want to big it up too much-  there's certainly no before and after pictures- but I'm not finding the fast days too difficult. I actually enjoy the challenge of seeing how far I can make those 500 calories stretch, and then it's lovely not having to think or focus on it for the other 5 days.  In fact, on those other days, I'm finding that I appreciate the taste of food a lot more, and I'm much less inclined to graze mindlessly on the kids' leftovers. So at this stage, I'd say that I'm tentatively optimistic. As in, come July I might actually fit into those tight jeans hanging in the back of my wardrobe for the last 3 years, not as in, here comes ginger Kate Moss!

Come to Mama.....

3. Are you just LOVING Mr Selfridge? Cos I am! I watched 'The Paradise' before Christmas and adored it, but thought between that and Downton, I might have had period drama fatigue- clearly I was wrong. My mum actually bought me the book  it was based on several years ago, (well, it WAS Book of the Week on Radio 4), but I was a bit ho-hum thanks Ma, and anyway I'd had a pile of Grazia mags to work my way through, so it just sat on the bedroom  windowsill and got all sun faded.. Now of course, SHE'S hooked on the show so has huffily  retrieved it, but tells me that I can borrow it when she's finished!.

4. Finally, I wanted to say a big thank you to anyone who nominated me for the MAD Awards 2013 this week- I'm so very grateful! If you haven't and you'd like to, just click the badge at the top of the page- it only takes a minute, nominations are open until 18 February and I promise that I'll love you long time!

5. Finally finally, I heard this song on the Radio yesterday and it brought me right back and just made me smile. To think that I used to know ALL the moves!  Enjoy and happy Friday! Emmax

Friday Quick Takes

1. Big news this week? Well, Loverboy's in India with work for 11 whole days and I'm flying solo. So this weekend, while he's off to see the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World,  I'm off to Tescos! The woeful injustice of that aside, I find that whenever he travels, (and truthfully, it's not THAT much), I marvel anew at how single parents manage to do this ALL THE TIME. Hats off to each and every one.
 So even though I realise that I've absolutely NO room to complain...you know I'm going to anyway!
It's the little stuff - finding the car already defrosted on a freezing morning, that shared cuppa before bed, locking up and switching off the lights at night, diesel in the car.... Oh hell, it's the big stuff too- talking over the minutiae of the day that NO ONE else in their right mind would listen to, the much needed hug, knowing what I'm thinking without any words...and goodness me, the bed feels awfully big without him!

Of course the upside is, (and he'll be just DEE-LIGHTED to hear this), being on my own makes me realise that I often take him for granted, and for that reason alone I suspect that a little absence CAN be a good thing. It DOES make the heart grow fonder and allows me to more fully appreciate our life together-  a fresh light is thrown on the everyday...for a while anyway! Another positive is that I've had to hit the ground running form the moment I get up, til I go to bed- it's something of a military operation keeping all the balls in the air on my own, my phone is constantly pinging with alerts and as a result, I'm far better organized...but still, I'm very grateful for lovely friends and family doing a few lifts here and there!

2. I've started a new eating strategy, (I'm NOT calling it a diet), which I really feel positive about. Now I could write a novel, never mind a post, on my complicated relationship with food over the years, and the tears and time I've wasted on one diet after another, but I won't. I will say though that I've worked hard to accept the fact that I'll never to be a skinny minny like my Mum and two younger, fabulous sisters. In Gaga's immortal words- Baby, I was born this way! So over time, I've learned to avoid the fluctuations, ditched the diets and focused on the health and exercise aspects instead.  Big deal, I hear you lucky ladies think who do this instinctively, but hey, I'm a slow learner!

Anyway, you know that doctor on TV- Michael Moseley? He did the two Horizon programs last year that created a huge buzz? Well, I trust him, he's got an honest face, (and he's quite fanciable in a nerdy sort of way), so when I read about his 5:2 program (5 days off, 2 days fasting), I thought I'd give it a go. Apparently, there's all kinds of health benefits like lowering your risks to all kinds of diseases,  although shallow as I am, I kinda skipped over all that to the looking younger and losing weight part! The thing is, I was already doing this a bit myself and most importantly I think it could fit well into my life..without getting in the way of the important stuff like eating out and having a few drinks at the weekend-that's my gut feeling anyway.(boom boom!) But I don't want to get tooo carried away,  because this has only been my first week, but I'll let you know how I get on with it .....and I promise I'll be honest.

3. With Loverboy away, I'm using the opportunity to gorge myself on all the sky+ shows he vetoes when we're watching TV together- the ones I usually watch when he's out or  I'm doing the ironing. Like Gok Wan (I LOVE that man), One Born Every Minute and Real Housewives. Well, I became uncomfortably aware that when I'm  watching One Born, I take a perverse pleasure when a woman says beforehand that birth is a natural process and pain is to be embraced and she definitely- without a doubt- no way never -will take any kind of pain relief WHATSOEVER ...and then ends up sucking down the gas and air and screaming like a banshee for an epidural and lots of drugs. And even better when she starts swearing like a sailor!  Do you think that makes me a bad person? Don't answer that....do you? Don't answer that.

 4. Here's a wee Friday happy pill song for you- I love Kirsty MacColl (RIP Kirsty) and  the other day when The Lukester and I were driving home from the shops, 'There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis' came on-great song! Instantly, we both went into boogy woogy mode along the motor way- him in his car seat, me in the front- we really did dance like no one was watching! (Which wasn't strictly true because I'm pretty sure I saw a lorry driver sniggering, but it was worth it!)
  Enjoy...and Happy Friday peeps xxxx