100 Happy Days, Day 37, Jacks Diabetes Review.

For day 37 I am choosing Jack, we went to see his consultant and the diabetic team today for Jack's 3 monthly check up. At the clinic up they weigh and measure Jack to ensure he is growing correctly, discuss any concerns or issues he may have. And most importantly Jack has a test called a HbA1c. 

This test is able to check the glucose/sugar levels of Jacks blood, and is able to understand his levels for the last 12 weeks, so it is hugely important; if this is right we are on the right track for Jacks long-term health.

Frozen for 43 years !

Don't you just love kids, now I do not have much patience?  But Joe's level of impatience really is in another league! 

Recently he decided to change his passwords on his I pad and I pod. Now you think he would use the same password but no he decided for maximum security he would have a separate password for each gadget. 

Clearly he has such confidential information being 8 years old, that he had to exercise extreme caution. The problem with this of course is that he then proceeded to forget one of the passwords, but no worries he decided to persist at trying again and again until he got the code correct. 

100 Happy Days, Day 36, My Kindle.

Chris bought me my kindle several years ago now. One of  the only ways I can wind down is to read, I read every day. So was thrilled when Chris gave me this for my birthday. It's great, so portable and light. It has been all over with me.  I know there are newer models out now, but I don't think I will be changing this one any time soon. 

My favourite feature is that it turns of after being idle for so many minutes. This is fantastic, I often fall asleep reading, so now never loose my page. Also it connects directly to amazon for purchasing  books, and because it is grey scale you never get glare from the sun. I often hear people say "but I like a real book" If anyone was ever in doubt, I would say give it a try.

Liebster Award

Recently, I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Miarara of http://miararaa.blogspot.co.uk which is a tag designed for bloggers with under 200 followers to give them some recognition and share the blogging love! I had never heard of the Liebster award before , but I can't wait to do it! However when I first read Miarara's invite I though grr do I want to do this! But the more I thought about it and read about it, I realised yes it may be fun, it appears to be like a chain letter but sharing blog love. And through this; I have over the last couple of days discovered quite a few new blogs and added them to my reading list.

100 Happy Days, Day 36, Lilies from Morrisons.

I bought these lilies from Morrisons on Good Friday and can not believe how great they look a week and a half later.

They cost £4.00 for the bunch which is quite big, and they look and smell great. I can not believe how they have lasted. They still have days left in them.

Toad in the Hole

Yesterday I  decided to cook the boys toad in the hole, they both love Yorkshire puddings and sausages, but I have never tried toad in the hole. So thought I would give it a whirl.                     

• You will need;
• 8 pork sausages
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 225g (8 oz) plain flour
• 4 eggs
• 250ml (8 fl oz) milk
• salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C /gas mark 6.

Pour the oil into the bottom of a baking dish, and arrange the sausages over it. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs and half of the milk until smooth. Gradually mix in the rest of the milk until a smooth consistency is achieved. Then season with salt and pepper.

100 Happy Days, Day 35, Freshly Laid Eggs

Today I have chosen freshly laid eggs, we buy them off the farmer every week. We are so lucky, as he is our neighbour he even delivers them. 

They taste great, freshly laid and from the chickens at the end of our garden. We know exactly where they come from, and that the chickens are happily roaming about in the field and not hemmed in some barn somewhere.

Signs of Progress in the Garden.

The Garden is now now starting to show signs of growth and summer, I took pictures of my flower bed on Day 11 of my 100 Happy Days Journey, and looking back it has started to flower. However in full bloom this bed is jam packed full, and stunning. 

I bought these winter flowering pansies in August, they have been great and continued to flower all winter and survived the frost. I was sceptical when I planted them that they would survive the harsh winter. 

The Courage Tree, by Dianne Chamberlain

Eight-year-old Sophie Donohue just wanted to be like every other little girl. Which is why her mother, Janine, agreed to let her go on the weekend camping trip with her Brownie pack. However when Janine arrives to pick up Sophie after the trip, she is not there. Somehow, along the route, Sophie has disappeared.  The problem is Sophie is ill and needs medication to keep her alive. 

Janine's parents and ex husband Joe initially blame her and she seeks support and courage from her parents gardener and her secret lover Lucas.

This book is great. I felt sick when Janine discovered Sophie was missing,it is every parents worst nightmare,and worried about Lucas's interest in Sophie. And for this reason was gripped at her journey to find her. The book has some quite unexpected twists along the way, it really is a great read.

100 Happy Days , Day 34, Friends

We are just waiting for friends to arrive, snacks ready, raspberries for me! 

Here's looking to a great weekend with great friends.

Barcelona, Park de Guell

Last year we took the boys to Park de Güell Barcelona, I had wanted to take them for a while but did not know quite what to expect.

100 Happy Days, Day 33, Simon Clarke, Cow with Shades

I love Simon Clarke art, we have a couple of printed canvases on our walls. I chose Simon Clarke as I love the cows and sheep, I feel they bring the outside in. Anyone that has read any of my 100 Happy Days knows how much I love sheep. 

This is the first picture I bought. It is called cow with shades. The funny thing is he also paints a dog that looks just like Toby so will have to get one of those too. I just love looking at this picture it is trendy yet soo cute.

What I would really like is an original !

Where to Begin with Slimming World

After only starting slimming world this week I am still tying to get my head round it all.  I came away with the books and lots of useful information but now is the time to digest this info and put it in practice.

I had a banging headache yesterday and have put that down to two things; not drinking as much coffee and not having my usual breakfast bar (The healthy one, that was 8 sins!) I also went into a panic as we have friends coming to stay this weekend so how do I get round that without falling at the first hurdle.

I think the answer has got to be planning. So as today is my day off I took myself to the supermarket with my slimming world app and searched for healthy free foods. I only got a few bits as my Tesco delivery is due today but I really needed to get my head round healthier buying. Even though I thought I had been doing that all along. 

100 Happy Days, Day 32, My Not So Little Puppy.

My Puppy, Toby is soo chilled yet does like to think he is a human! Bless him.
He is two and a half now, but still my Puppy. Chris often looks at us snuggled on the sofa, nods his head and says "you are pathetic with that dog."


My Little Angel

My Calf Diet Has Begun

Silly really that the thing that lead me to slimming world last night was my new Hunters Wellies but I suppose there has to be a trigger and that was mine. 

I was speaking to my very good friend Lianne about this last week and we agreed that we would go to slimming world. We have both previously been, and achieved great results. So decided in our bids to slim down for summer, and for me to be able to wear fluffy welly socks by December, we needed to take positive action instead of keep discussing it. 

So off we went to our first Slimming World Meeting. It was odd I am a confident person but I was so nervous and excited, and I thought Lianne was going to hyperventilate. I think it was the unknown and the big weigh-in. 

100 Happy Days Day 31, Joe's New Shoes

For today I have chosen Joe's new shoes, I came home tonight and Chris had taken Joe to get new trainers. He was sooo excited that he had got new running shoes, it was like he had never received a pair of new shoes before and spent 20 minutes telling me about the colour, laces sole and fabric. So today I am lending him my 100 Happy Days. Today Joe day 31 is all yours.

School Holidays, Holiday Prices and How this is Affecting Hard Working Families.

I wanted to write about a huge gripe I have today, I suppose a bit of a moan! School Holidays; there has been lots of dialogue in the media about this lately, who is to blame. Is it Schools, Government or Holiday Companies?

When Paul Cookson made a ranting video on Facebook he went viral. It seems he touched a very raw nerve.  His plight hit online media all over the UK and this in turn propelled Donna Thresher's e-petition to reach far beyond the required 100,000 to 170,888. 


This clearly is a subject people feel very strongly about. Why? It is common knowledge that holiday companies charge more during peak holiday times, they have cited this as supply and demand and I get this. But there was always flexibility in our School System for families to take up to 10 days with the agreement of the School, to enjoy family holidays.

100 Happy Days, Day 30, My Orchid

I have chosen my Orchid for day 31, it is stunning. Every day I look at it and can't believe its beauty.

A day out in London, The Changing of the Guards

When we went to London last summer we decided to take the boys to see the changing of the guards. It is something they have never seen before. We were lucky as it was a beautiful hot day, we arrived about 10 minutes before the start, however I would advise anyone planning to go to get there about half an hour before, as it was very busy. 

100 Happy Days, Day 29, New Slippers

For my 100 Happy Days I found these slippers in TK Max today, they are really pretty and sooo comfy. And a bargain at £7.99, half the retail price.

My New Hunters Wellies

I was lucky enough to receive some Hunter Boots for Mother's Day, but as soon as I opened the box I knew they would not fit me ! As everyone watched me eagerly I struggled to get them past my calf, but no chance. They were lovely pink flowery ones. 

As I sat there like Cinderella trying to squeeze myself into them, Chris said "Face it Sarah they don't fit, I will change them" I was gutted but agreed to send them back. 

I looked at the website and measurement charts and decided to go for the adjustable original boots in violet gloss, I must say the customer service was fantastic and they  arrived within a week. 

My new boots are beautiful and do fit, however they are still a bit snug,there is no room for fluffy welly socks. This has driven me to the decision I am going on a calf diet! By December I will be wearing welly socks!

100 Happy Days, Day 28 , The Easter Bunny

Today can only be one thing, a visit from the Easter Bunny. Oh how good are memories of the Easter Bunny.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, by Dianne Chamberlain

In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell was kidnapped. 
Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason CeeCee's childhood sweetheart is charged with murder. But there is no trace of the unborn child.

Our Picture Wall

Last year we created a picture wall in my kitchen, We wanted it to mean something so decided to use photos we had taken when out & about and on holidays.

Beautiful Sunset over Lancashire

I recently took this picture of the sunset over Pendle, just so beautiful.

100 Happy Days, Day 27, An Easter Gift

For my 100 Happy Days today I am putting this lovely Easter Cake that my neighbour Ann just brought round for the boys. 

How kind that she took the time to make it for them. Jack is beside himself as Joe is currently at horse riding, So I will not let him cut in to it until Joe gets home and sees it. It is so cute and I have had a sneaky taste of the butter cream and it is delicious.We are lucky to have such great neighbours.