Thankful Thursday Week 5

Welcome back to my weekly Linky. I hope you can link up and share what you are thankful for this week, a story, a sentence or just a picture, its always good to find our silver linings.

As you know last week I lost my 'Grandad' , well this week saw his funeral and whilst there I listened to a service about his life; how 4 children had led to 14 grandchildren and 13 Great grandchildren, all of whom spoke fondly of him and gathered together to look after one another, to find comfort together,,,, so this week I am thankful for my family, I'm grateful that I am blessed with a wonderful husband and brilliant kids, and for the family I have spent today with who count me as part of thier own and who are large and noisy and funny and crazy and just plain fabulous.

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Five Months

So today we became a full 5 months old! We can now sit up very nicely with support, find our feet, sing songs (these are especially lyrical at around 4am!!) and belly-laugh! Termite has always been a relaxed and pleasant baby, she's very alert and is quite content to watch the world go by, smiling and gurgling to people as they pass. We get loads of comments on how good she is, how quiet and happy. 

This month we have used the following things A LOT....

Skip hop change bag - it's so spacious it fit everything I need in it.

Tots bots - again these are my most favourite cloth nappy, so user friendly easily washed and dried and so far not a single leak.

iZi Go Car Seat - I'm reviewing this for Nursery Trader and it's really amazing do funky but also really well designed you can read my thoughts here.

Frugi Nursing Dress - I really struggle to find reasonably priced nice nursing clothes and so find myself with a 'capsule wardrobe ' meaning this dress is worn A LOT 

Amber Anklet - we were sent this a while ago to review and have now truly put it through its paces watch out for a review and competition next week! 

This next month will see us prepare and begin to wean as Termite has already started showing signs of readiness we've some lovely reviews coming up for food, recipes, book, cutlery and accessories

Project 365 days 19-25

So heading fast into the last week of January, and onto February (that's nearly springtime, don't you know) we've had a mixed old week...

19 - Selfies with my littlest lady.

20 - Termite finds  her toes.

21 - Funny faces whilst having horse rides on mammy's knees. 

22 - My lovely Grandad George 

23 - So begins the clean out of 'the room of doom'.

24 - Rocking some Robot Jim Jams 

25 - Termite practising sitting up with Elmo

Sugar and Crumbs Review

When I saw a tweet asking if anyone would like to try out some products from sugar and crumbs, I leaped at the chance, they are a lovely company offering 100% natural fruit flavoured icing sugar and cocoa  powder.

Very quickly I received my lovely tester bag, containing black cherry, coconut and chilli and lime icing sugar  and some chocolate coconut cocoa powder alongside some recipe ideas, which are also featured on their very cool website. 

The bag arrived just in time for our pre Christmas  bake off! 

So we set about making our coconut mice and also a birthday cake for my best friends birthday. We used black cherry for the mice and coconut for the cake topping but instead of using butter icing I made my favourite whipped cream and icing sugar topping. Which is as simple as folding some icing sugar into double cream and then whipping until it forms peaks. We followed this recipe for the cake using our Chocolate Coconut cocoa powder and we made a snowball cake, I will point out that the kids were heavily involved in this so the term 'ball' is used loosely,  and then smothered it in gorgeous tasting cream topping and sprinkled with coconut.

The coconut mice were so tasty I may (totally did) eat too many of them! The snowball cake, well it may not have looked picture perfect but the coconut flavour really came through and it was delicious, it went down really well!!

The good points

• All natural flavours
• Lots of choice
• A good taste to those we've tried, they actually taste like they are supposed to
• Reasonably priced

Bad Points

• There are so many flavours I want to try them all!!

I'd love if you could spread a little love for the gorgeous folks at sugar and crumbs by following them on twitter  or liking them on Facebook 

***Sugar and Crumbs sent us these items free of charge, but all opinions are those Family Monnkeyfeet.***

Thankful Thursday Week 4

Welcome back to my weekly Linky. I hope you can link up and share what you are thankful for this week, a story, a sentence or just a picture, its always good to find our silver linings.

But first a little apology, last weeks linky did not work as it was meant to so a big thankyou to those who tried to link up, hopefully this week will work much better.

Now then this weeks thanks.... 

Sadly this week has saw the passing of someone very lovely, a man I've called Granda for years despite the fact that we have no genes in common! He was a true gentleman and full of great stories and kind words. So this week I'm thankful that despite not being his relation at all I have been privileged to have had an amazing Granda George xxx

NappyKind Legwarmer Review and Giveaway

Baby leg warmers ? What's that all about then? I see lots of my mummy friends raving about them but I have to admit to not really seeing the point for girls, I mean pop a pair of tights on and job done.

But....

I actually quite love them, you see it means I can show off our cute cloth bottoms and change our nappies dead easily without the faff of taking tights on and off. 

So we had a little peruse of the NappyKind website and we chose a lovely cream pair with little hearts all over, they go on easily and look very cute...

They washed well in the washing machine and there was no shrinkage which is always a good thing . They are great to go under trousers as an extra layer and I think they will be brilliant in the upcoming 'crawling months'

The website also have a lovely selection of shoes, clothes and gifts. 

I have two pairs of these to give away simply enter via rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Someone Call The Lifegaurd

Just recently I feel a bit swept out to sea, please forgive lots of water metaphors but, when describing my feelings to Spartacus this was the theme that I found helped. 

So here it goes...  just lately I feel like I'm swimming against the current and struggling to keep my head above water and I feel like I need saving. 

I've felt like this before, with both of the big two I've sailed happily until about the 6 month mark, then the wobble starts. Now I'm unsure if it's the hormones, if it's just a normal phase or something more but I hate it I feel like I've lost myself, my motivation has dwindled  

So I've been feeling rather blue, Termite is no longer sleeping for good stretches, so I'm tired (what parent isn't, I hear you cry) which means I'm not on top of the daily functions of running a home, which in turn leads to me feeling out of control and muddled, it's a vicious circle! I've also lost my blogging way and feel uninspired and out of kilter. 

So I've formulated a plan, I'm going to undertake 'project streamline' I will be organised and de cluttered and efficient by springtime! I'm starting with a god de-clutter, then room by room we are going to re organise and rearrange, and I'm going to write lists and plans and we will be a smooth sailing ship once more.

Watch this space ....

Silent Sunday 19/1/14

Project 365 week 3, Days 12-18

I can't quite understand where the last 18  days have gone but sure enough here we are at the end of week 3, it's been a rather food related week for us here at Monkeyfeet towers. 

12. Peanut's reward for filling her chart was a bargain Lalaloopsy (£1.99 in a local charity shop!) 

13. Today I opened some new sparkly tights from Next and they were about 5ft long,  totally bonkers!

14. Termite didn't take well to her imms this week so the baby carrier has been very handy while getting on with the housework. 

15.  Mexican night AGAIN! Yummmmmmy

16. My first attempt at a Bento Box for swim time snacks.

17. Termite thought it time she let us know she's open to the idea of food now!  (mummy sobs into her tea at the speed she's growing) 

18. Today's photo is an old one that I stumbled across looking for something else but I love it. It is Peanut accepting her ' golden sprout' award 

Thanks for popping by, don't forget I love to read your comments xxx

Thankful Thursday Week 3

It's been a tough time in Monkeyfeet Towers recently so this week I'm having a self indulgent Thanks......

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I'd love for you to link up and share your thanks this Thursday xx

Project 365 Week 2

5- A fabulous day playing on the farm (well indoors on our miniature farm but we did pimp it up with some artificial grass and a 'boundary wall!) 

6- Another review for the Monkeyfooted Mummy

7- A bargain 'new to us' snow suit just in time for the super frosty mornings.

8 - Mexican chicken and bean burritos with homemade guacamole and salsa, oh my I make a crakingly good Mexican meal

9 - A successful first attempt at double swim lessons, without car, straight from school with breastfeeding baby, yes I am  uber proud that we all survived without meltdown, dinner was prepared snacks remembered and the children slept soundly afterwards PHEW! 

10 - Daddy left before the kids got up today, he returned to a Hero's welcome! 

11- I love the view of Peanut walking alongside daddy and have several pictures similar to this and they always make me smile! 

Thankful Thursday Week 2

Welcome back to my weekly Linky. I hope you can link up and share what you are thankful for this week, a story, a sentence or just a picture, its always good to find our silver linings.

This week I'm really grateful for my mummy friends. Ive mentioned them before but they deserve another shout out today, you see I'm part of a facebook community of mums, some of whom are fellow bloggers who are always there to give a cheer or a kind word, plenty of advice and lots of chat. I've found this week tough, the early (dark) mornings and the school run as well as a humongous To Do list has left me feeling a little overwhelmed, but a quick chat with the lovely ladies has made me feel less alone and put things into perspective. 

THANKYOU LOVELY LADIES

Oxo Spice Jar Spoons Review

I love a gadget, I especially love kitchen gadgets so when the lovely folks at Oxo asked if I would like to review a product. I was very excited, they produce amazing things and I'm slowly building my collection of their gizmos and gadgets. I will admit though to being a little concerned when I discovered I would be reviewing Spice Jar Spoons, not because I thought they wouldn't be useful, but because I really thought, gosh how much can you say about some spoons....

Well let me tell you I love them, they are really fab, and I can find loads to tell you about them ... they come on a hoop which they just pop on and off so they all stay together Which is a good thing in my cutlery drawer of doom!  They  are made from stainless steel and the handles are smooth matt rubber/plastic so they feel expensive and well made. The spoon itself is made especially narrow to fit into the narrow opening of a spice jar and they are flat along the top so you can easily level the ingredients and get a nice accurate measure. Brilliantly they are also modelled in such a way that you can safely lay a full spoon on the bench and it stays level and doesn't topple and you don't spill any spice. Genius!

We love making new things and trying out different recipes here at monkey feet towers and curry is one of our favourite things, but its always a bit fiddly measuring out all the different spices. I will admit sometimes I'm just a ' guesser' which doesn't always lead to good results, just ask my husband about the cayenne pepper incident of 2009!!!  I'm happy to say I will now measure our spices with these little beauties.

I really can't think of anything negative about these and I'm very much looking forward to trying out Oxo's  other products we are currently  looking at the baby and toddler range as we move into Termites weaning. But my big wish list item is this genius creation ...

 

A no spill insulated mug which looks funky and may mean no more soggy baby bag and A HOT CUPPA when I'm out and about on my morning rush, sounds dreamy to me. Now where is  my Mothers Day wish list?

You can connect with OXO on Facebook or Twitter


*****The lovely folks at OXO sent this item free of charge but all opinions are those of Family Monkeyfeet

Silent Sunday

Project 365 Week 1

This year is the year I will succeed in taking a photo every day, don't get me wrong I take a lot of pictures but not EVERYDAY. So I'm taking part in #project365 along with some blogging friends and we've all agreed to try to keep each other going for the whole year (a virtual bum kick when needed if you will) 

So here's my weekly round up.....

We went out when the world was quiet on New Years Day  and came home with a new (unplanned) fishtank for Nermi our 2 year old goldfish and also some new Ikea furniture.  

We've had a lovely meal out followed by wine (well a weak spritzer for me) and After Eights 

Because we are lazy and decided Friday was not a good day to start dieting, we ordered curry which our Golden Child loves.

And today we've spent in a tangled heap of hugs, toys, movies and more hugs. 

I fear I may bore you all next week with pictures of tidy spaces which is all I plan to do in my relatively quiet mornings. 

Thankful Thursday-Week 1

I decided I would try my hand at a little linky...

I'm thankful every day for my blessings, because I do believe I'm blessed. I have a beautiful and brilliant family, amazing friends and a roof over our heads food on the table and clothes on our back. 

But each Thursday I'm going to share thanks for something, and I would love it if you would like to link up too. It can be a picture, a few words, or a long and rambling post, anything you like. 

So this Thursday I am thankful for ....

School holidays, I love lazy mornings without the rush and stress of school runs, I love spending time with my children and not having a strict routine, and I'm thankful we still have 4 days left before school starts. 

Winter Bucket List

The lovely Colette at We're Going On An Adventure has been sharing her bucket lists with us and it's been lovely to read, so we decided to link up our own bucket list for the next couple of months. 

January and February Bucket List

• See a post Christmas Pantomime We are huge theatre fans and a local drama group put on a late panto every year, so this year we are going to support them.'Oh yes we are'!!!

• Prepare the Garden of EnglishAlthough it seems strange to think of it so early, February is a great time to start planting the spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips and snow drops. As well as tidying all the winter debris away.

• Make some Valentine CraftsIt's cheesy I know but we love crafting and it's nice to have a theme, so hearts flowers and lots of red are on the menu

• Successfully make Pancakes!I hate to admit this, but, I can't make batter based items! I bake cracking cakes, brilliant bread and perfect pies but pancakes and Yorkie puds are just beyond me no matter what I try I fail at batter so 2014 will be our year of the Pancake!

• Winter walks. -and plenty of them. I love bundling up and taking a walk to the parks or beaches we have nearby and it saves on cabin fever! 

• Start SwimmingThis is for the kids, after a bumpy patch and declarations of not wanting to swim anymore both big kids have had a short break but are ready to re-start their lessons 

• Start Dancing  Holly started dancing when she was just 3 but something knocked her confidence and after weeks of trying to encourage her back we gave up and stopped the lessons, she has now decided tap dancing is for her so we will start that next week 
   

Whats on your bucket list, I would love to hear your plans.

Resolution Number Two - Read More

I love reading, so do the kids, but I rarely read for pleasure anymore, there are too many distractions. I love being on holiday as I normally manage at least 3 books during our fortnight in the sun. So this year I aim to choose one of the huge pile of books I have lying unread and read at least a chapter a night.... Starting with this one. 

Now then guesses in the comments box how long it will take me to read these 469 pages? 

Resolution Number 1 .... Beauty Regime

A long time ago in a life not too far from this one I spent a lot of time and money (I mean a lot ) on buying and using cosmetics. I was a sucker for Dior, Clarins, Mac, Benefit you name it I loved it. 

Now though I don't, for many reasons...

I don't spend as much time mooching around department stores. No longer faced with the latest must haves, I don't really splurge anymore.

I no longer work and so, without as much expendable income, I can no longer justify the cost of lots of the beauty products I used to buy.

I can't tell you the last time I read a magazine and so, again, I'm sort of out of touch with the latest products. 

And finally, and this is the real big one, by the time I've gotten to the end of the day and the kids are in bed I tend to veg out and forget my lovely collection of pampering products lying unloved in the bathroom. 

But tonight I have decided 'no more neglect'. I mean seriously how long does it take to have a quick face scrub a slap of moisturiser and some hand care? Not long at all! Let's be honest as well, I'm no spring chicken and I need to seriously start giving my skin a helping hand. 

So January personal pledge number one ... I WILL CLEANSE,  TONE, AND MOISTURISE DAILY, who knows before the month is out I may even be wearing make up again!