Bucket List

You don't have to spend a lot of money to create wonderful memories for children. Just quality time and lots of love.

I've been thinking of things I want to do with the kids, some of the things I remember doing as a child. And these are my favourite of my childhood memories. 

So here it is, My list of things I want to do with the Kids before they become adults. I'll add to it as things come to me and tick off what we do. 

*Visit London

*Go on the London Eye

*Buckingham Palace

*Picnic in Hyde Park

*Buy a big British hat and pop up map, and get in the map.

*Play Pooh Sticks

*Skim Stones

*Rock Pooling

*BBQ on the Beach

*Climb Rivington Peak

*Roll Easter Eggs down Avenham Park

* Enter Easter Egg Decorating Competitions

*Watch the Sunset from Blackpool Pier with a bag of chips

*Liverpool Docks

*Duck Marine

*Ferry on the Mersey

*Edinborough Castle

*Visit Lanark Loch 

*Road Trip to France

*Visit Lands End

*Camping in a Tent

*Paddling in a River

*Butlins Holidays

*Beacon Fell

*Martin Mere

*Adventures in the Woods

*Visit a Diary Farm

*Visit Petting Farm

*Central Perk Coffee Shop (Liverpool)

*Walk along river in Chester

*Boat on the River in Chester

I hope I provide you with some inspiration, please comment and leave me some ideas and inspiration x

Thomas Land - My Favourite Photo.

We took Oliver to Thomas Land at Drayton Manor a couple of weeks ago for his birthday. 

He loved it...

This is my Favourite Photo from the day (and trust me, I took loads).

This is when Oliver first realised where he was. He saw Thomas and got very excited! He was hopping from one foot to the other, jumping up and down and shouting Hello Thomas! I think I filled up at how happy we made our Big Man! 

The rides where fantastic! There was only 2 rides Oliver wasn't allowed on and 1 more that Ava wasn't allowed on, but there was plenty of rides that they were allowed on. 

We took Percy to the Spencer Play Area. 

Had a play and our picnic and went on the Dinosaur Trail, then took Thomas back to the main theme park. 

We saw Cranky..

And the Fat Controller...

We met Toby and Rosie and Gordon...

All in all, we had a fantastic day! I would definately recommend it if you have a little Thomas Fanatic!

I thought Thomas Land alone was worth the money we paid to get in, but you have full access to the whole of Drayton Manor and Drayton Manor Zoo. 

We booked online a week before we went and paid...

Adults £20

Oliver (3years old) £5

Ava (under 2) Free

Car Park £3

But don't forget the M6 toll which we had to use to get there..£5.50 each way. 

Vicki x

Ava's OOTD

Blue Demin Tunic and Pink Legging Set

From Primark £8. 

Sofia The First Slippers

From Asda £6.

The A-Z of Me

A) I have a beautiful daughter. Her name is AVA.

B) One of my favourite past times as a child is Baking with my Nana. We used to bake Fairy Cakes every Tuesday or Saturday. I enjoy introducing my babies to baking. So far we have made gingerbread.

C) Chocolate is my biggest weakness. I find it almost impossible to say no to Chocolate.

D) I love Disney! Probably more than the average six year old. My favourite holiday ever was Disney World in Florida. When I was 25 years old!

E) I have two Half Sisters, one called Emma and one called Emily. I don't see  Emily but I'm very close to Emma.

F) My favourite TV show is Friends. I've probably watched every episode about twenty time but could still watch it over and over. My favourite episode is when Ross and Rachel finally get together "see he's her lobster"

G) When I was younger I believed that Gnomes came to life at night (a little like Gnomeo and Juliet) 

H) I am a Home bird. Home is my favourite place in the world. 

I) I am very rarely ILL but when I am, I am. I'm useless and take to my bed. 

J) My Nana Jose is my rock! I don't know where I would be without her. I dread the day she is no longer. 

K) I have a massive box of Keepsakes for my babies and I Keep everything from shoes clothes photos, leaflets of days out. 

L) I am in Love with my wonderful Fiancé. As much as when we first met! I believe it's for the long haul!

M) I didn't used to get on with my Mum, usual teenage rebellion. Now I love her to pieces and don't know what I'd do with out her. 

N) I work in a Nursing home. I love my job. Not many say that but I do. 

O) My Beautiful Handsome Son is called Oliver.

P) I am from Preston. I think it's a lovely place but the traffic is horrendous! (And I don't even drive)

Q) My favourite Quote is, "Always Remember you are Braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem and Smarter than you think" from Winnie The Pooh. AA Milne. 

R) I love Reading. It is one of my favourite hobbies. I can get completely lost in a good book and lose track of time. 

S) Spring is my favourite season. Summer is too hot and winter is too cold. I like the in between seasons.

T) When I was younger my favourite Teacher was Mrs Clayton. Unfortunately I found out she passed away from Cancer, a few years after I left the school. 

U) I've been to University but dropped out. I hope to return one day.

V) My name is Victoria. I don't like it.

W) I was picked on at Primary School. One girl used to go round telling everyone I was a Witch, because I wore tights so that people wouldn't see my pointy toes! It's laughable now but at the time it wasn't.

X) In music class I often played the xlophone. 

Y) Yellow is probably one of my least favourite colours. 

Z) Zzz I Love my Zzz's. 

That was hard!

Now it's your turn whoever wants to do it.

Vic x

Tips for getting Toddlers to eat Veg

Toddlers are fussy little eaters. And mine are no exception! I did my best to get him to like vegetables. Oliver was weaned on a wide variety of different vegatables. He loved broccoli, broccoli was his favourite along with carrots swede turnips. 

At one time he loved mash potato, every meal had to have mash with it, then all of a sudden over night he refused mash, Wouldn't even look at it. One day he'll eat all his meat and not touch his potatoes, next it's his potatoes and not his meat. One day he loves pasta next he

Won't touch the stuff. One day he loves rice next it's all over the floor!

Same with my little lady, one day she loves peas, she will pick them up one by one and eat them one by one and clear her plate then all of a sudden she doesn't want them and they're all over the floor in disgust at giving them to her. She loves broccoli at the moment though. 

Oliver loves fruit and hates veg, and Ava is the opposite.

Can never win!

I have picked up a few tricks in my attempt to get veg down them. 

If I make a spag Bol/ lasagne, risotto, text I pack it full of grated veg such as courgettes, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and butternut squash, so that it's spoon easy to eat.

I find that homemade soups such as...

Leek and Potato

Carrot and Butternut Squash

Mushroom...

Go down a treat with some Kingsmill Tasty Whole meal Toast.

My kids also seem to like raw veg such as carrot sticks and yellow peppers to chomp on throughout the day. 

I also change the size of the pieces I give depending on changing moods. 

I don't let them think they've got away with not eating veg. Even when I packy spag Bol full of grated veg I will stick some more on the side and try and insist that they eat it. 

I would love to hear more suggestions on feeding fussy toddlers so get in touch.

Vicki and Family x

Quick and Easy Slimming World Tea

Slimming World Chips

(Syn Free)

Peel and Cut potatoes into chips, place in a pan of water and bring to the boil, simmer for 5-10 mins then drain and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and spray with fry lite. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and cook in oven for 30-45mins.

Poached Chicken

(Syn Free)

Dissolve two chicken stock cubes in a pan of boiling water and place in the chicken breasts. Turn down and simmer for 20mins.

Steamed Veg

(Speed)

Mushy Pea Gravy

(Syn Free)

Melt one chicken stock cube into 200ml of boiling water mix with one can of mushy peas and simmer for 3-5 mins.

(Tastes like gravy on top of veg)

Verdict

I loved it!

Kids, Oliver ate his chips and chicken

Ava ate her chips and broccoli and few pieces of chicken. 

Beauty Tips on a Budget - #1 - Spots

I am a 30odd year old mummy and I still get spots!

These are my tricks I have learnt over the years on treating, getting rid and covering up spots. 

I am by no means a beauty expert - this is just what ive picked up and leant over the years that works for me. 

Most of my spots are either hormonal and pop up at a certain time of the month or due to forgetting to take my makeup off. I know - one of the worst sins in beauty (slap my wrists now) but it happens quite a bit due to falling asleep on the sofa most nights and only waking up enough to crawl upstairs have a pee, brush my teeth and crawl into bed. 

So here are the products I use...

St Ives fresh skin Apricot Scrub

Sudocrem (yes! The nappy rash cream)

Nivea face cream depending on the time of day, either the daily express hydration primer or the regenerating Night Cream.

Rimmel BB Cream

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Collections Loose Powder.

Firstly when I get a spot/spots, I use the StIves Apricot Scrub and scrub at the area with my fingers to take off the spot if possible. Then I pat dry with a towel and apply a big dollops of sudocrem to the area. If I'm staying in I will leave a big dollop on my face, (unless my babies come and lick it off my face) adding more when I go to bed. 

If I am going out I will take off the sudocrem when I start to get ready and moisturise with my Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer,  not neglecting the spot area. I find that moisturising the actual spot doesn't make it worse and makes the skin Softer for the next time I scrub at it and more likely to come off. 

Next step is to conceal, I don't have a favourite concealer but Rimmels wake me up concealer in soft beige, is the one I'm using at the moment and I do like it. To me a concealer is a concealer, of it conceals then great of it doesn't then find another. This one works for me. Over my

Concealer I use my Rimmel BB cream in light and then over the top of that I put a touch of loose powder to set it all

In place. 

That is my beauty tip on getting rid of spots or just covering them up. Hope I've given some tips and advice...I would love to hear yours... Xxx

Slimming World Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

Fry lite

1x Clove of Garlic

1x Onion

2x Potatoes

500g Mushrooms

1.5L Veg Stock

Method:

Chop and dice all ingredients.

Fry the onion and garlic in fry lite until soft then add the mushrooms and potato and fry until the mushrooms start to sweat. Add the stock, turn down the heat and Simmer for 20 mins. Then blend and season to taste. 

The Netflix Tag

I have a love/hate relationship with Netflix. There are things I love about it and things that get on my nerves so much that I can't be arsed with it! So I thought I would do the Netflix Tag. I havnt actually been tagged but hey ho does it matter?

So here goes..

My all time favourite:

Orange is the New Black

I love it, I read the book! (Did you know it's based on true story?) it has me in absolute stitches. My favourite character is "crazy eyes" she makes me laugh smile and cry! I can't wait for season 3 to start, I'm getting slightly impatient for it! (12th June btw).

Current Addiction

The Good Wife. 

I never thought it would be my cup of tea really but I was bored one night and browsing Netflix when noticed it had Matt czucry (Logan from Gilmore Girls) in so I thought I'd give it ago and I was hooked from the first episode. I'm still on the first season and it excites me that there are 5 seasons (easily pleased).

Wish List

Seeing as I lost Comedy Central when we downgraded our virgin package (we just couldn't justify paying for the XL package when all we watch from it was Comedy Central) FRIENDS is my biggest wish on my wishlist! I miss it! I've lost count of how many times I've seen every episode but it still makes me laugh. I quote Friends in everyday life. (Some people get some don't). I probably get most of my useless knowledge from Friends. 

Gilmore Girls, it's easy watching and comforting. And again I get a lot of my useless knowledge from it. (Plus there's Matt Czucry to look at).

If only I had American Netflix, the lucky things have these!!

The O.C

Veronica Mars

(Just some old favourites)

Pet Peeve.

Now this is where I get to the bit that annoys me about Netflix. There is no sensible order to the Menu! Things pop up repeatedly. Why does it suggest things in every column? There's probably loads I could watch but I have to sift through about 20 columns of the same suggestions! Ahhhh! They could make it a whole lot easier!

Marathon Essentials

Drink (tea)

Snacks (Chocolate)

A comfy sofa/ bed

A pillow 

A Blanket

Onsie

My List

The Good Wife

Orange is the New Black

Once upon a Time

Heroes

Beaches

22 Jump Street

Where the Heart is 

Invincible

So that's my Netflix Tag hope I have given you some inspiration and if you have any recommendations for please get suggesting I need more to watch!

I Hope I am as fit and Healthy at 80

Last night was my Grandmas 80th birthday party. It was a great night and my Grandma loved every minute of it. The function room in the pub where it was held was absolutely packed out just showing how popular and what an amazing woman my Grandma is. There was music, DJ'd by my talented cousin. There was food, catered for by my aunt and uncle who own and run a pub/restaurant, I opted for the butter pie with loads of red cabbage and a slice of bread. There was cake, baked by everyone who remembered to bake, I sadly forgot that my sister had asked me to make my gingerbread men (slap my wrist) until I got there. There was alcohol, well it was a pub! There was dancing. My 80 year old Grandma was actually showing all her grandchildren how to dance! 

She has a routine for Pharrell's Happy! Amazing! She was definitely showing us up. Family turned up from all corners of the country, and there was no dramas! Which is brilliant with such a large family.

My Grandma is an amazing lady. She is a catholic girl through and through. She goes to church every Sunday she is involved with the committee. She has 8 children. 18 grandchildren, 8 step grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. She was originally a ballet teacher and owned her own studio which is actually where she gave birth to my dad. She gave it up to become a mother at home. She took on her sisters children when she couldn't cope. Her husband worked away as a university lecturer so she more or less brought the children up herself. She finally left her husband after quite a bad marriage. 

She is very active and has a better social life than me. She attends a keep fit class every week, she can touch her toes and skip with a skipping rope! She has no medical problems apart from diabetes which she controls with here diet.  I hope I'm as fit and healthy as her when I am 80.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Love from me CJ and the kids. Xx

We Love Ice Cream

Our Easter Weekend - In Photos

Day1 Good Friday

Mummy was working a 12hour shift 

Day2

We met up with mummy's friends Auntie Sue, Andy and Jack, and Auntie Jenny and Dan, in town and went for a wonder through the Lancashire Markets on friar gate. Then we wondered on down to Avenham had a play on the playground before heading through towards the continental pub by the river! It was a lovely warm day and the sun was out. Daddy met us there when he finished work. 

Beautiful Japonese Gardens at Avenham Park.

Playground Fun

Let's go Walking Mummy

Chocolate For Breakfast - definately my Children!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend! Mummy is working tomorrow (Easter Monday) so my weekends over but hopefully the kids will have fun with Daddy! 

Lots of Love VJ and Family 

Xxx

GingerBread Recipe

Ingrediants

350g Plain Flour

2tsp Ground Ginger

1tsp Bicarnonate of Soda

100g Butter

175g Soft Light Brown Sugar

1 Egg

4 tbsp Golden Syrup

1) Preheat Oven to 190 degrees Celsius/ Gas Mark 5

2) Put the Flour, Ginger and Soda into and bowl and rub in the butter.

3) Add the Sugar and Stir in the Syrup and egg to make a dough.

4) Roll out to about 5mm thick and cut out shapes. (Gingerbread Men)

5) Place the shapes onto some grease proof baking paper evenly spaced and place in the fridge for 20 mins...this will allow the shapes to set so the won't spread and misshape in the oven 

6) Place in the Oven and Bake for 10-12 mins.

7) Take out of the oven and leave to cool before decorating.

8) Enjoy!

Cleaning up afterwards! 

Made with Love x

My apologies for absense and Update

I have been absent from my blog for about 6months and I want to apologise for this. The biggest reason is that my writing skills are possibly none existent. The little reasons are having something else to do in the evenings. I tend to flit from one hobby to another, weather it be watching tv/films, crochet, reading or early night and focus on this hobby until I fancy doing something else. I can read three books in a row, then be unable to get into another book for ages, or finish a crochet project and not have another for a while. Finish a tv series on Netflix and not be able to get into another. My fiancée is at home more in the evenings so I have more distractions.

I enjoy blogging though. I enjoy reflecting on a memory and situation and telling the world about it.

I enjoy looking back on my past posts and remembering something I've been through. So I have made some resolutions for my blog.

1) I am going to blog about the real stuff, the real family stuff that happens. The memories good and bad so I can reflect and learn. About being a mummy, about my babies, my family, lifestyle, beauty.

2) I am going to post twice weekly Sunday's and Wednesday's.

3) I am going to plan and write posts in advance for when I can't post.

4) Read more blogs and interact more with other bloggers and get involved in the blogging community.

Looking forward to getting back into blogging.

Love from Vjmummy x